Chapter 245 Shattered Light
When Zhang Yunqi drove to Hongshan Lane with his parents, the butchering dishes at Chu Jian's house were almost ready. They were placed on the wooden table next to the stove, steaming hot. There were three kinds of pork, braised blood, twice-cooked pork, and braised pork, plus a large pot of pig liver soup and two plates of side dishes. There weren't many varieties, but the pork was thick, plump, and shiny, and the whole yard was filled with the taste of farmhouse dishes from the old days.

Xiaoxiao and Chuxin were already sitting under the locust tree in front of the courtyard and starting to eat. The two little girls were holding small bowls and squeezing on the stools to gnaw on large bones. Their hands and faces were covered with grease. There was also a bottle of Jianlibao on the stools for each of them, which Ji Ling bought when she called Zhang Yunqi at the canteen.

Every time Chu Dapeng met Zhang Yunqi, it was like a ghost knocking on his door.

When Zhang Yunqi called him Uncle Chu, he grinned and laughed awkwardly twice. He didn't know if it was because his wife Jiang Feng had a stable job in the past year and the family's living conditions had improved, he looked much more energetic, and his previously sunken and shriveled cheeks were now much rosier. He rubbed his hands to greet Zhang's father and mother as they came in.

Zhang's father and mother didn't know about the dirty things Chu Dapeng had done in the past. Because of Jiang Feng, Zhang's mother had been very good to Chu Dapeng in the past year. She knew that Chu Dapeng had nothing to do, and she whispered in Zhang Yunqi's ear several times to arrange a job for Chu Dapeng, but the third child in the family had a bad memory and forgot about it the moment he turned around.

As for Zhang's father, he has not been able to adapt to the life in the city since he was released from prison. Now the family is well-off, and his children are busy with their careers or studying. They have food and drink, and he doesn't have to worry about anything. He is bored at home every day. You have to know that farmers like him have spent most of their lives digging in the land to make a living. Even in prison, they still work every day. It's okay to be idle for three or five days, but after a long time, his mental state is not right.

Chu Dapeng didn't know what he was thinking. He didn't have a job anyway, and he was slacking off all day long. It just so happened that Zhang's father came out. He once met him at Zhang's for dinner. He had always been shameless, so he would go to Zhang's father to chat and drink every now and then. As a result, their relationship became really strong. So when Chu Jian and Ji Ling went out to call Zhang Yunqi to eat the pig-killing dinner at home, Chu Dapeng had some doubts in his heart. He was afraid of Zhang Yunqi. Although he was young and polite, he could eat people when he got angry!
Chu Dapeng thought about it and told his wife Jiang Feng to invite Zhang's father and mother to his house for the pig-killing dinner. With Zhang's father and mother there to keep him company, he was not so afraid of Zhang Yunqi, and it was still early, so he could come in time.

Naturally Jiang Feng readily agreed to this matter, and kept muttering "Ahhhhh", probably blaming him for not thinking things through and that he should have invited them yesterday.

In the planned economy era, ordinary people could hardly eat pork a few times a year. Although every household raised pigs at that time, they were collective property. It was not until the 1980s when the household contract responsibility system was deepened and people's lives improved that the traditional Han custom of slaughtering pigs for the New Year was revived. Whenever the New Year pigs were slaughtered, it was essential to invite relatives and friends to have a meal together. The New Year is coming soon, so it's a good meal together to make the atmosphere lively and keep in touch.

After Zhang's father and mother came in, Chu Dapeng asked them to sit at the top seat of the eight-immortal table. Zhang's father was reluctant to sit there at first, but Chu Dapeng forced him to sit there, and said with a stern face: "If you don't sit there, who will sit there!"

As for Aunt Zhang, it was useless for Chu Dapeng to call her. She had already gone to the stove in the courtyard to help Chu Jian's mother Jiang Feng in the kitchen. Boiling lard, stewing pig heads, chopping pig hands, and washing pig stomachs were all time-consuming and laborious tasks.

In fact, in previous years, their family didn't have to go through so much trouble to slaughter the pig, because in the past, apart from keeping some offal, the rest was sold to raise money to pay off debts and Chu Jian's tuition. This year, they were much more generous, selling half of the pork to the Zhang family and keeping the other half for their own New Year's meal.

Yes, although this house is still the same shabby place as before, and still has various problems, it has changed dramatically compared to the past. At the very least, we no longer have to worry about food and clothing.

After the food was served, everyone ate around the octagonal table. Zhang's father and Chu Dapeng drank Xiangjiang Daqu while Zhang Yunqi ate his meal. The older generation mostly talked about old times. The young people had no chance to join in the conversation. After they had ate their rice, they could no longer stay and wanted to go shopping together.

The streets were crowded with people, and the atmosphere of the Lunar New Year was already very strong. Zhang Yunqi and his group of six, Ji Lingchujian and Chunlan brought Xiaoxiao and Chuxin, and the only man walked behind.

The girls were quite energetic. They walked around here and there, ate along the way, and finally went to the new department store to roller skate and buy clothes. Zhang Yunqi bought a lot of things for the little girls, from hairpins, accessories, clothes to shoes. He spent money like water. In 1994, major commercial banks had not issued transferable credit cards, and counting the stacks of cash was still shocking.

When Zhang Xiaoxiao was holding Chu Xin's hand and picking out gifts in a high-end store, Zhang Yunqi saw Chu Jian looking at a model's clothes with a dazed look. It was a pure blue pleated suit, and it was a bit expensive.

Zhang Yunqi looked at her and saw that she was still wearing the same grey coat as last year. After thinking for a moment, he walked over to her and said with a smile as casually as possible: "This skirt is pretty."

I was stunned for a moment when I first saw it, then nodded: "Yes, it looks good."

Zhang Yunqi said: "Then I'll buy this skirt for you as a New Year's gift."

Chu Jian pursed his lips and shook his head, with a pure smile on his face. Zhang Yunqi didn't know what to say.

After shopping, the girls went roller skating.

There were a lot of things, several big bags, so Zhang Yunqi asked a few girls to go to the roller skating rink first. He led two waiters carrying large and small bags of gifts to the parking lot at the door to put the things.

On the way back, Zhang Yunqi passed by the high-end store again. He stared at the pure blue pleated skirt, waved, and said to the waiter who came over: "Pack up this skirt."

The roller skating rink is very busy at the end of the year.

The place was packed with all kinds of scoundrels, especially students and street thugs. Some of the bolder ones would whistle when they saw pretty girls, come up to them to chat, or take advantage of the girls. In such a situation, Zhang Yunqi had no interest in skating and was only concerned about the safety of Gu Jiling and the other girls.

After playing until almost six in the afternoon, Zhang Yunqi drove everyone home. He first sent Ji Ling back to Shuixie Yundu and made an appointment to go out and play together during the New Year. On the way back, they passed by the Municipal Education Bureau where he lived, and Chunlan took Xiaoxiao out of the car and went home.

Zhang Yunqi drove Chu Jian and Chu Xin back to Hongshan. When they got off the car, Chu Xin, who had played with Xiao Xiao Feng for the whole afternoon, had fallen asleep. Chu Jian was holding her sister and preparing to get off the car. Zhang Yunqi opened the trunk, took out the gift he bought for Chu Xin, and called Chu Jian.

Chu Jian tilted his head: "What's wrong? Yunqi."

Zhang Yunqi handed a beautifully wrapped paper bag to Chu Jian and said with a smile: "Chu Jian, how should I put it? If it was when we just met, I wouldn't be like this, but now, I hope you can understand my simple feelings. Don't think too much, don't have so much pressure, just live happily every day."

Chu Jian was stunned for a moment, then reached out to take the paper bag. Inside was the dark blue pleated skirt. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say for a moment.

After a long silence, Chu Jian pursed his lips and said, "Yunqi, do you think I look ugly in these shabby clothes?"

Zhang Yunqi was startled and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Chu Jian said, "Yunqi, I know you won't look at me with such worldly eyes. You buying me a skirt is not a big deal. I should have accepted it happily. I also want to accept it happily. Just like you bought so many gifts for my sister. She doesn't understand and only knows how to be happy and sad. So I have no way to refuse your kindness to her and my family. However, you have always understood me and you have helped me enough. Do you know? It is precisely because you can give me so much that I am particularly afraid that if I accept it once, there will be a second time, a third time... and then I will fall into it, until one day, I become a worldly and greedy person."

At this point, Chu Jian was silent for a moment: "Of course, I am also a girl. I also long to wear decent and beautiful clothes and skirts every day, and dress myself up beautifully to stand in front of my classmates. This is not to show off, but to live with dignity. However, I don't have that condition. Because my family is poor, but I will never think that I am inferior to others because I am poorer than others. The suffering that life has given me will always have value. I believe that the rewards I get after going through untold hardships are definitely more meaningful than those that come easily."

For a moment, Zhang Yunqi was speechless.

He silently looked at the clear-minded girl in front of him. In the dark night, under the starry sky, the girl's eyes were filled with light. She said, "Yunqi, I don't want you to buy me this and that. I don't want you to take care of my emotions and be so nice to me all the time. I just want you to stand where I can see you when I walk my own way quietly and peacefully, okay?"

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(End of this chapter)