After the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival began to thicken.
In a small city like Yucheng nowadays, except for the central main urban area, firecrackers were not yet banned in other places.
Especially on auspicious days that were even numbers, almost every day, families would have celebrations for joyous or somber occasions, and the sound of firecrackers and fireworks would reverberate through the small city.
On the day before the minor New Year, a relative in the hometown was celebrating a housewarming with a banquet. Qin Tian drove his mother back to their rural hometown.
Seeing the mother and son arrive in a luxury car, the neighbors in the village were once again shocked. They came to visit one after another, offering flattering words while subtly inquiring about ways to make money.
When they learned that the car was a gift from Qin Tian's girlfriend's family, these villagers were even more incredulous.
In their experience, it was always the groom's family who bought a car, a house, and paid the bride price when getting married. For the bride's family to help buy a car, and such an expensive one worth hundreds of thousands, was truly unprecedented.
What's more, she was just starting college and not yet at the stage of marriage, yet her family was so generous.
For a moment, many village aunties, who couldn't stand others doing better than them and enjoyed gossiping behind their backs, wore hypocritical smiles on their faces, but their tone carried an unconcealable hint of jealousy.
Understandably, Qin Tian was also surrounded by many people, who asked him about his girlfriend's family's business and how they were so rich.
After casually perfunctorily responding to a few questions, Qin Tian made an excuse about having a high school reunion in the evening and directly left. After bidding farewell to his mother and grandparents, he drove back to Yucheng.
As he neared Yucheng, Qin Tian called Xia Nuannuan.
"Hello? Brother!"
Xia Nuannuan's soft and groggy voice came from the car's audio system.
"What are you doing? Listening to your voice, you're still in bed, aren't you? It's already noon!"
"Mmm... bored. After breakfast, I lay back down and fell asleep while playing with my phone."
"That's impressive. Do you want to gain some weight so I can hold you warmer in this cold winter? Hmm, that's a good idea."
"No way!"
Xia Nuannuan's voice immediately rose a few decibels, tinged with shyness, and she directly changed the subject.
"Didn't you go back to your hometown with Auntie? Why do I hear you driving?"
"I'm already back, almost there. I'll drive to pick up Mom later tonight."
"Ah? You're back so soon? The class reunion is in the afternoon!"
"I felt uncomfortable staying there, so I came back directly."
"What's wrong?"
Xia Nuannuan sat up and leaned against the headboard, asking with concern.
"Those women in the village are all snobs. They were flattering and fawning over me when they saw me driving this car, asking about your family's business, it was just annoying."
Qin Tian explained casually.
"Okay!"
Xia Nuannuan could somewhat empathize, and she said with a smile, "Do you want to pick me up and we can go out?"
"Sure, I'll pick you up directly from your apartment then."
Qin Tian agreed with a smile.
"Okay, I'll get up and get ready. I'll hang up now. Send me a message when you arrive."
"Mmm, okay!"
"Mwah, a kiss for you, you won't be annoyed anymore, be happy!"
"This doesn't count, you have to kiss me in person later."
"Hmph, bye!"
Xia Nuannuan playfully chided him with a blush before hanging up the phone.
Qin Tian's previously somewhat gloomy mood turned quite pleasant.
He hummed along with the music that started playing in the car again. He gently pressed the accelerator, increasing the speed to the maximum legal limit, and maneuvered the car through the traffic as if it were an extension of his own body. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
There was only one road from the countryside into Yucheng. During the New Year period, as more people who had earned money outside returned home in their cars, the roads became increasingly congested.
Coupled with the insufficient standardization of traffic management in small cities, with various tricycles and electric bikes cutting into lanes and crossing roads, driving in this small city was truly tiring without some driving skill.
After his driving skills improved to master level, it felt completely different. He transformed from a novice road hazard into a super veteran driver.
Even with more vehicles and pedestrians on the road, as long as the road ahead wasn't completely blocked, Qin Tian could effortlessly navigate through thanks to his superb driving skills.
...
...
In the afternoon, Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan casually wandered around Yucheng. They bought and shared local delicacies that they hadn't eaten in a long time.
The temperature was low, but it was a sunny day and the wind was not strong. Both of them were dressed warmly. Walking arm in arm on the street, they didn't feel much of the cold.
The class reunion was scheduled for five in the afternoon.
Around 4:30 PM, Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan got back into the car and drove to the restaurant near the school.
After parking the car, they got out.
"Brother, it seems we're a little early. Won't everyone else have arrived yet?"
Xia Nuannuan looked around but didn't see any classmates.
"It's only fifteen minutes left. Someone should have arrived inside, let's go in and see!"
Qin Tian glanced at the time and suggested with a smile.
"Mmm!"
Xia Nuannuan nodded in agreement, walked over, hugged his arm, and they walked into the restaurant together.
"Qin Tian, Xia Nuannuan!"
A shout came from behind them.
The two stopped and turned to look.
They saw a flat-top haircut boy running towards them with a smile.
"Qian Sheng! Aren't you supposed to be attending cram school at the retake center?"
Qin Tian asked with a smile.
The person who arrived was Qian Sheng, another close friend of Zhang Peng, who had gone to a retake center after failing the college entrance exam.
"We are, but they let us off yesterday afternoon. It was so tough."
Qian Sheng said with a bitter expression.
"That doesn't make sense. It's still more than a week before the New Year, and you're already on vacation?"
"Brother Tian, you're more ruthless than school leaders and teachers!"
"Hahaha..."
Qin Tian couldn't help but laugh.
He recalled one day during the summer vacation when he and Zhang Peng, bored, went to the retake center. They bought some snacks, drinks, and ice cream, stood outside the corridor of Qian Sheng's classroom, eating and cheerfully waving at Qian Sheng, who was attending class inside.
As a result, Qian Sheng couldn't stand it and directly called out to the teacher who was giving the lecture, wanting to come out for some free food and drinks.
However, the strict teacher directly refused and walked to the classroom door to shoo them away.
Qin Tian and Zhang Peng had no choice but to go downstairs first and only met Qian Sheng after his class, giving him some food and drinks.
"Where's that scoundrel Zhang Peng? Didn't he come with you?"
Qian Sheng asked with a smile as he approached.
"No, we went to the mall to hang out for a while and came straight here."
"Oh, oh, so that scoundrel really has a girlfriend, that girl who's always with the campus belle."
"You know about it?"
"Yeah, that scoundrel has bragged to me so many times via messages, I didn't want to believe it. So it's true?"
"It's true."
Qin Tian nodded with a smile.
"It's truly unfair. Sigh, that girl must have been out of her mind to agree to him."
Qian Sheng shook his head and sighed.