Volume 11: The Days of Traversing Through the Mirror
Happy New Year!
So Lucky to Have Met You
After the little new year1 passed, time seemed to speed up, and in the blink of an eye, it was the 29th.
The restaurant had closed its doors back on the 26th and would probably reopen after the sixth day of the new year. For the past few days, Mother Shen and Father Shen had teamed up to go out and shop for new year’s goods2, while Shen Maomao and Lou Jingmo were responsible for staying home and watching the house.
On the morning of new year’s eve3, Lou Jingmo woke up bright and early to help Father Shen paste spring festival couplets4 on the door. Coincidentally, the neighbor across the hall was doing the same thing. The moment she saw Lou Jingmo, her eyes lit up and she asked, “Oh? Old Shen, Happy New Year! Is this a relative of yours?”
Lou Jingmo smiled at her, pressing her lips together, but didn’t take the initiative to speak.
Father Shen said frankly, “Happy New Year to you too. This is my daughter’s partner. Pretty, isn’t she?!”
The neighbor paused for a moment before saying, “She’s quite pretty. Your Xiao Tu5 is so lucky to have found such a beautiful girlfriend. Not like my son, who’s almost thirty and still single.”
Father Shen laughed. “What’s the rush? When fate arrives, you can’t stop it. Your son is so outstanding, he just doesn’t want to find someone.”
The two exchanged pleasantries for a while longer, and after they finished with the couplets, they each returned home.
There was no ban on fireworks in the Shen family’s area yet, so as soon as it passed six o’clock, the sound of firecrackers6 began to ring out one after another, startling Shen Maomao awake.
The aroma of preserved egg and lean pork congee wafted over from the kitchen. Shen Maomao floated up like a ghost and padded to the kitchen in her fluffy slippers.
Lou Jingmo was the one busy inside. She wore an apron that was a freebie from a nearby supermarket and was stirring the congee with a ladle.
According to local custom, breakfast and lunch on new year’s eve were usually simple affairs. People would either have just one meal for breakfast to tide them over, or if they got hungry at noon, they’d eat the fruits and snacks they’d bought earlier. The main feast was saved for four or five in the afternoon.
The rice in the pot tumbled and rolled as steam rose in wisps, condensing into a patch of fog on the adjacent balcony door.
She took two steps forward, wrapped her arms around Lou Jingmo’s waist from behind, and rubbed her head clingily against her shoulder while asking what one already knows7: “Lou-jie… what are we having for breakfast?”
Lou Jingmo said, “Are you blind?”
Shen Maomao: “…” Fuck.
She rolled her eyes, let go of Lou Jingmo, and yanked open the balcony door to look out at the world wrapped in silver and clad in white8.
Big red lanterns9 hung from the streetlights in the residential complex. A deafening sound of firecrackers erupted, and amidst the flashes of light and white smoke, children shrieked and ran away with their hands over their ears. After the firecrackers burned out, only crimson scraps were left on the snow-white ground, adding a splash of color to the otherwise monotonous winter.
Shen Maomao was moved. “Let’s go downstairs and set off some firecrackers later, okay?”
Lou Jingmo stirred the congee. “Are you three?”
Shen Maomao said, “I’m going to throw a tantrum, I’m telling you.”
Lou Jingmo said, “Go. Go right now. We’ll go right after we eat.”
A smile spread across Shen Maomao’s face. She no longer minded her unromantic10 nature and once again hugged her from behind, whispering to her. “I used to love the New Year the most when I was little. My mom would fry up a ton of meatballs, noodles, and spring rolls. We’d buy oranges and apples by the case. My mom wouldn’t let me touch any of it before the New Year, but the moment new year’s eve arrived, the ban would be lifted, and I’d just eat and eat and eat…”
Lou Jingmo pointed to a cabinet and whispered, “Your oranges are over there.”
Shen Maomao asked, “Are you saying I’m in your way?”
Lou Jingmo said, “How could I? How is that possible? Why would you think that?”
Shen Maomao said, “Yeah, right! I’m just going to cling to you and annoy you to death.”
Lou Jingmo couldn’t help but laugh. “Is it because you’ve turned to the dark side?”
Shen Maomao: “!!!” That’s so mean!!
“Ai—Xiao Lou, you…” Mother Shen pushed open the kitchen door from outside, then froze.
Lou Jingmo and Shen Maomao both looked toward the doorway at the same time, and a wave of awkwardness washed over them.
Shen Maomao quickly let go of Lou Jingmo and asked, “Mom, what’s up?”
Mother Shen shot her a glare. “Got a wife and forgot your mom, have you? You didn’t even greet me after waking up and just came to stick to Xiao Lou?”
Shen Maomao said, “Mom! Wishing you great fortune! Hand over the red envelope!”
Her mom rolled her eyes. “Get lost11.” After scolding her, she turned to Lou Jingmo. “Xiao Lou, you don’t need to make any staples after the congee is done. You can just bring out all the fried food Auntie made yesterday.”
Lou Jingmo nodded. “Okay, Auntie. You guys go on with what you were doing.”
Mother Shen glared at Shen Maomao one more time before returning to her room, not forgetting to close the door for them on her way out.
But Shen Maomao was too embarrassed to be so clingy anymore. She started taking bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard to the dining table, helping Lou Jingmo prepare breakfast.
Before breakfast, the four of them went downstairs together to set off a string of Earth Red firecrackers12. The two adults and two “kids” shouted “Happy New Year!” amidst the crackling, and they wished a happy new year to any neighbors who also came down to set off firecrackers before they all went back inside to eat.
It was already past eight by the time they finished breakfast. Shen Maomao picked up her phone and saw that she had received quite a few New Year’s blessings, so she sat on the sofa and began replying to them one by one.
Golden Retriever complained to her a bit, saying his older sister and brother-in-law had officially broken up13. His little nephew was at their house now, and he had been reduced from a talented art student and cool young master to a tool person14 for babysitting. He wasn’t happy at all.
Shen Maomao replied with a string of “ha ha ha”s and wished him and Xixi a fun time.
There were also some messages that were clearly mass-sent, and she replied to each of them with well wishes.
After replying, something suddenly occurred to her. She opened Weibo, which she hadn’t logged into for a long time, and left a comment under Lou Jingmo’s post: 【Shukuang Dada15~ In the coming year, please continue to take care of me~ [finger heart16]】. Then, she closed her phone, satisfied.
After ten o’clock, Lou Jingmo was dragged downstairs by her.
The small supermarket downstairs sold firecrackers, from sparklers17 and poppers18 to strike-anywhere firecrackers19—they had everything.
With an ATM by her side, Shen Maomao bought a huge pile without even looking at the prices, taking the term “spendthrift” to the extreme and earning a slew of envious looks from the kids outside.
Her playful spirit ignited, and she dragged Lou Jingmo along to play until the afternoon, her little face flushed red from the cold. It wasn’t until Mother Shen called her that she gave the remaining firecrackers to a group of teenagers who had been following them all afternoon, receiving a bunch of sweet “Thank you, Jiejie”s in return.
In previous years on new year’s eve, their family of three would gather to play Fight the Landlord20. This tradition had lasted for over a decade. This year, with Lou Jingmo’s addition, Fight the Landlord was replaced with Striving for the Upper Reaches21. The four of them split into two pairs and began a round of newbies pecking at each other22.
They played cards until past three, and then it was time to start preparing the new year’s eve dinner23. Father Shen and Lou Jingmo went into the kitchen together, while Shen Maomao and Mother Shen sat on the sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala24.
Since there were only four of them, Father Shen and Lou Jingmo each prepared four dishes. By the time they finished eating, it was almost seven o’clock.
The sky was growing dark, but the sound of firecrackers outside never stopped. After dinner, Mother Shen started preparing the filling, and Lou Jingmo helped roll the dough she had proofed earlier into dumpling wrappers. Shen Maomao didn’t know how to do anything besides wrap the dumplings25, so she could only move the board to the coffee table in the living room and do the manual labor.
The Spring Festival Gala started after eight, and the four of them wrapped dumplings while watching it.
The Spring Festival Gala gets worse every year, tasteless as a chicken rib26—not good enough to enjoy, but a pity to miss. In the past, Shen Maomao’s favorite thing was to roast the performances while watching, and her mom would call her a contrarian27 every time. This year, she finally had someone new to complain to, and Lou Jingmo was very supportive. Not only did she listen to everything she said, but she also chimed in with agreement from time to time, which almost moved her to tears.
Around here, people usually eat dumplings at midnight. After the dumplings were all wrapped, they sat on the sofa, cracking melon seeds, watching TV, and making small talk.
Mother Shen was very curious about the Spring Festival in the south, so she grabbed Lou Jingmo and asked, “What do you guys usually eat for the New Year?”
Lou Jingmo replied, “It’s pretty similar to here. There are some officially organized activities at night.”
“I heard that when you’re staying up on new year’s eve28, you don’t eat dumplings, you eat sweet glutinous rice balls29.”
Lou Jingmo said, “That might be in places a bit further south. We all eat dumplings.”
Shen Maomao was already getting sleepy just listening to them chat. She leaned on Lou Jingmo’s shoulder, drowsy, and ate fruit intermittently. Sometimes she’d take a bite and not want the rest, so she’d just stuff it directly into Lou Jingmo’s mouth. In the end, she hadn’t eaten much, but Lou Jingmo was already full.
With ten minutes until midnight, Mother Shen started to boil water and urged them to get dressed and go downstairs to set off firecrackers.
Father Shen took out another two-thousand-shot string of Earth Red firecrackers, while Shen Maomao dug out the fireworks30 and magic bullets31 she had bought earlier, pulling Lou Jingmo and rushing downstairs.
The distant sky was brilliant with fireworks—red, blue, green, a kaleidoscope of colors. The residential complex was brightly lit, and big red lanterns swayed in the wind.
Shen Maomao let out a breath of hot air, feeling instantly more awake.
Besides them, there were many other people downstairs. Some were like them, preparing to set off firecrackers at midnight, while others were naughty kids32 who had gone wild, running all over the complex with various kinds of fireworks.
Father Shen found a less crowded spot and waited for midnight.
Shen Maomao, meanwhile, pulled Lou Jingmo over to set off magic bullets. “Lou-jie! Have you ever played with these?!”
Lou Jingmo shook her head.
Shen Maomao shoved a magic bullet into her hand. “Hold it tight, I’ll light it for you!”
Lou Jingmo asked, “Can you just hold this in your hand?”
Shen Maomao said, “Of course! Hold it a little lower, I can’t reach.”
Lou Jingmo moved the stick forward a bit.
Shen Maomao lit the fuse with a lighter and then quickly jumped to the side. “Point it at the sky! Not straight ahead!”
Lou Jingmo did as she was told.
Shen Maomao ran to stand beside her, looking up at the sky with a face full of anticipation.
The magic bullet trembled slightly and instantly shot out a red fireball, which exploded in mid-air. Then came a second, a third…
Shen Maomao was even more excited than if she were playing herself. After one was finished, she immediately asked, “Was it fun?!”
Lou Jingmo said, “It was okay. The smell of sulfur is too strong.”
Shen Maomao rolled her eyes at her and shook the plastic bag in her hand. “We’ll set this off later. The magic bullets are cheap, so they’re low quality. This big firework I have will definitely be beautiful!”
Lou Jingmo smiled. “Alright, I’ll be waiting to see it.”
With ten seconds left until midnight, Father Shen had set up the firecrackers, and Shen Maomao was squatting in front of the firework.
Five…
Four…
Three…
Shen Maomao lit the fuse and then pulled Lou Jingmo to hide at a distance.
Two…
One…
The largest clock in the city center was struck, its chimes echoing into the distance, heralding the arrival of the new year.
The crackling of firecrackers was incessant. The firework in front of Shen Maomao instantly launched four fireballs, which exploded in the sky with a “whoosh,” as splendid as a beautiful dream.
Everyone in the complex looked up at the sky. Shen Maomao excitedly grabbed Lou Jingmo’s hand and jumped up and down. “Is it beautiful! Is it beautiful!”
Lou Jingmo looked at her face, flushed red from the cold, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a wide arc. “It’s beautiful!”
As if sensing something, Shen Maomao turned to look at her, meeting her eyes which reflected the colors of the fireworks. Then, she gave her a huge smile, rushed forward to hug her, and whispered in her ear, “Lou-jie, Happy New Year!”
Lou Jingmo hugged her back. “Happy New Year. And… Maomao, I love you.”
…
Lou Jingmo felt a sensation she couldn’t quite describe.
If she had to put it into words… it was probably that her heart was about to melt.
She never celebrated the New Year.
Before she met Shen Maomao, every Spring Festival, she would hole up in her apartment writing and editing manuscripts, no different from the other three hundred and sixty-three days of the year.
No spring festival couplets, no new year’s eve dinner, no Spring Festival Gala.
She used to sit by the bay window and watch the fireworks outside, but later, Nan City issued a ban on fireworks, so she couldn’t even see them at night anymore.
That one year, she sat by the window until dawn, and she never went back after that.
Sometimes, she envied Shen Maomao.
She envied her carefree personality, her optimistic attitude, and her harmonious family.
But Shen Maomao had given all of this to her, without any reservation.
The images of the past were being deleted from her mind frame by frame, replaced by new ones: a smiling Shen Maomao, a crying Shen Maomao, a Shen Maomao who kissed her, a Shen Maomao who was so angry at her she couldn’t speak…
She was no longer lonely, because now there were fireworks lighting up for her; she was no longer lonesome, because there was a heart pressed tightly against hers.
If all the hardships she had suffered in her first twenty-some years were all for the sake of meeting Shen Maomao… then she felt it was all worth it.
A damp feeling touched her cheek; it was Shen Maomao’s cold lips landing on it.
Shen Maomao hugged her neck tightly and, under the cover of the firecrackers and fireworks, shouted, “LOU—JING—MO—! I—LOVE—YOU—!”
Lou Jingmo said, “You’re going to deafen me!”
Shen Maomao grinned foolishly. “I’m happy today!”
Lou Jingmo smiled. “I’m happy too!”
Father Shen said, “Stop embarrassing yourselves. The dumplings should be cooked. Let’s go home and eat.”
Shen Maomao made a face at her dad. “Lueluelue33.”
Father Shen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You have no sense of propriety. Look how cold Xiao Lou is. You can handle the cold, but Xiao Lou is from the south. What if she catches a cold?”
Shen Maomao stuffed Lou Jingmo’s hands into her own collar, making herself grimace from the cold. “Then let’s hurry back and eat dumplings!!”
…
Mother Shen had wrapped four sterilized coins into the dumplings. Whoever ate one would have good luck for a year. So, while eating, Shen Maomao poked around with her chopsticks, which made her mom so angry she almost hit her with them.
Fortunately, she managed to poke one before getting hit and immediately placed the dumpling in Lou Jingmo’s bowl. “Lou-jie! This one’s for you!”
Lou Jingmo was a little surprised. “Weren’t you getting it for yourself?”
Shen Maomao said, “I’m clinging to your thigh for luck! As long as you have good luck, how could mine be bad?”
Mother Shen also put two dumplings into Lou Jingmo’s bowl. “Eat up, Xiao Lou. Look how thin you are.”
Lou Jingmo looked at the two dumplings, which were clearly shaped differently from the others, and for a moment, her heart felt a little sour.
She picked one up, wanting to put it in Shen Maomao’s bowl, but Shen Maomao covered her bowl with her hand, not letting her. So, under their expectant gazes, she could only eat all three dumplings, and sure enough, she found three coins inside.
Shen Maomao was even happier than if she had found them herself, exclaiming dramatically, “Wa! You actually got three! You’ll definitely be prosperous in the new year!”
Father Shen had no idea what had happened. “Wow, Xiao Lou’s luck is really good. A great start to the year!”
Lou Jingmo just smiled, the curve of her lips never once falling.
After eating the dumplings, the new year’s vigil was considered complete. Mother Shen and Father Shen had prepared two red envelopes34 for each of them. Lou Jingmo didn’t want to accept them, but Mother Shen played the “if you don’t take it, you don’t see us as elders” card, leaving her with no choice but to accept.
Back in their room, Shen Maomao sneakily compared her red envelopes with Lou Jingmo’s.
There was no discernible difference in thickness between the two, so it seemed her parents’ hearts were still in the right place; they didn’t favor one over the other.
Lou Jingmo tried to give her the red envelopes. “You can keep them all.”
Shen Maomao said, “No way. Around here, we’re supposed to sleep with the red envelopes under our pillows tonight.”
Lou Jingmo asked, “Is there really a custom like that?”
“There is. Anyway, you keep this for now, but it’s okay to open it and take a look.”
She opened Lou Jingmo’s first. One red envelope contained ten one-hundred-yuan bills, so two was two thousand yuan. Her parents were quite generous.
Then she started to open her own. Ten green bills fluttered out of the red envelope, and her face turned just as green.
Unwilling to give up, she opened the one from her dad. Another ten verdant bills.
Shen Maomao was about to go next door and reason with her parents on the spot.
Her parents had given her a total of twenty yuan for new year’s money35!! Is this something a human would do?!!
Lou Jingmo held back a laugh and pulled her back. “Alright, alright, don’t be angry. You can manage all my money. Uncle and Auntie are already asleep. We can talk about it tomorrow.”
Only then did Shen Maomao relent, huffily stuffing the money under her pillow.
Lou Jingmo leaned over and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Okay, it’s very late. Let’s get to sleep.”
Shen Maomao let out a “Heng36,” lay down obediently, and started snoring softly not long after.
Lou Jingmo stroked her soft belly. In her drowsy state, she thought she heard her mumble, “New year’s money… one hundred…” A smile crept onto her face in the darkness, and she laughed silently.
The next morning, the first thing Shen Maomao did after waking up was to go find her mom to argue. “What’s the meaning of this?! Why did you give me twenty yuan and Lou Jingmo two thousand? Are you looking down on me?”
Father Shen pointed at Mother Shen. “Your mom’s idea.”
Mother Shen said, “How old are you, still asking for a red envelope?”
Shen Maomao said, “I’m not your little darling anymore…”
Mother Shen said, “Who needs you when we have Xiao Lou? Go find somewhere cool to stand.”
Tears streamed down Shen Maomao’s face as she ran crying to Lou Jingmo for comfort.
Lou Jingmo simply handed over her red envelopes.
Shen Maomao took the red envelopes and went to find her mom, gloating, “So what if you didn’t give me any? Isn’t it in my hands now?”
Mother Shen looked at her as if she were an idiot.
Shen Maomao got the money, but she felt no joy in her heart.
…
After the first day of the new year, it was time for everyone to visit relatives.
Lou Jingmo had caught a bit of a fever from the cold, so she could only stay at home.
Shen Maomao was a little worried about her. She went with her parents to pay New Year’s visits, collected her red envelopes, and then ran straight home, being especially heartless.
Her Eldest Aunt asked strangely, “What’s Xiao Tu in such a hurry for? Why isn’t she staying to play?”
Mother Shen cracked open a melon seed with a “kachak.” “Her? Her body was in Fuck’s camp, but her heart was with Han37. It flew home to her partner long ago.”
Hearing this, the surrounding relatives instantly cast gossipy38 glances her way. “Xiao Tu has a partner?”
“Which family’s young man is it?”
“What does he do?”
“Is he handsome?”
Mother Shen sat on a stool, raised her hand, and pressed it down, signaling for everyone to be quiet. “Let me answer this all at once. My Maomao’s partner is a woman. She’s incredibly beautiful, a big boss who runs a company, and a great match for my Maomao. So don’t ask me about it one by one anymore!”
The scene fell silent for a moment, then erupted into chaos as everyone immediately surrounded Mother Shen, bombarding her with questions.
Meanwhile, Shen Maomao was already on the bus home.
When she arrived, she took her keys and went straight to the elevator. After getting home, she took off her shoes and hung up her coat in one smooth motion. Then, she carefully pushed open her bedroom door and peeked inside.
Because it was a bit cold, Lou Jingmo was curled up under the covers with only her head sticking out. She was sleeping soundly, a cooling patch39 on her forehead. Her cheeks were pink from the fever, like a freshly ripened peach, exuding a rare vulnerability that made Shen Maomao’s heart pound. She cursed herself internally for being a beast.
She carefully closed the door, sat down in the living room, plugged headphones into her phone, and started watching videos to pass the time.
It was just like being at her relatives’ house—she still couldn’t talk to Lou Jingmo—but her heart inexplicably settled down.
An hour later, Shen Maomao’s phone received a message from Lou Jingmo: 【Have you guys eaten? Are the kids being noisy? Are you having fun?】
Shen Maomao replied: 【What about you? Have you eaten? Has your fever gone down?】
Lou Jingmo: 【I’ve eaten. It’s gone down. When are you guys coming back?】
Shen Maomao typed quickly: 【You’re lying. You haven’t eaten at all!】
Lou Jingmo: 【What? Did you install a surveillance camera on me?】
Shen Maomao: 【I have magic powers. If you lie, the light in my heart will turn red!】
Lou Jingmo: 【Yeah, right.】
Shen Maomao walked over and threw open the bedroom door. “Ta-da! Surprise!”
Lou Jingmo looked at her in astonishment. “Why are you guys back so early?!”
Shen Maomao sat beside her, peeled off the cooling patch, and gently touched her eyelid to Lou Jingmo’s forehead to check her temperature. “I came back by myself,” she said. “En… you don’t seem so hot anymore. I’ll go get you a glass of water. Is there anything you want to eat?”
Lou Jingmo grabbed her hand. “I want you to stay with me.”
Shen Maomao covered her nose.
Fuck! A pouting Lou-jie!! Who could possibly stand this?!!!
The author has something to say:
Happy New Year!!!!
I never would have thought the story would celebrate the New Year later than I did.
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