Chapter 426: Chapter 424: The 5-Pointed Star Lantern
"Sister-in-law, let me help you out in the kitchen," Shen Jie said, not wanting to let her sister-in-law handle everything by herself, otherwise if her cousin found out, he’d definitely be upset with them.
"Sister-in-law, remember that submission I talked to you about last time? I submitted a short essay before the New Year. Guess what happened?"
Seeing Shen Jie grinning, it was obvious what the result was. "It got accepted?"
Shen Jie excitedly nodded and held up a number. "One hundred bucks, a whole hundred! I never expected that much."
"These days, writers are the pillars of the country and quite in demand, so the price is bound to be high. Where did you get it published? Save me a copy so I can take a look. Your sister-in-law is your first supporter in this area, save the first fan’s spot for me. I want to be your fan."
"A fan? What’s that?"
Lin Wan was at a loss, having mistakenly used a term from the future internet slang, and quickly covered it up, saying, "Um... it means a loyal reader. Supportive and admiring reader."
Shen Jie was, of course, delighted, now being someone with fans. "Thank you, sister-in-law, it’s in Reader’s Digest, and I brought you a copy."
When Han Yi and Shen Bojun came back, the two women had just about finished their preparations.
Shen Bojun was now in H City, working a desk job. Lin Wan didn’t know when he’d be transferred to Z City.
But she knew he would have to move sooner or later. Lin Wan remembered that Shen Bojun’s wife was also in the government, with a respectable position too. The couple even had a son.
In recent years, every time during the New Year, their second aunt would busy herself trying to find a match for her son, unaware that his fate hadn’t arrived yet.
Compared to Shen Boxu, Lin Wan noticed that Han Yi and Shen Bojun were more talkative and got along better.
Throughout the meal, the four people chatted merrily. Because Han Yi had to train in the afternoon, Shen Bojun and Shen Jie didn’t stay long. After eating, they had tea for a while.
The couple escorted the siblings as they left.
The Lantern Festival was almost upon them. After the Lantern Festival, their school would reopen, and she was supposed to return for classes. Although the snow hadn’t melted yet, being absent from class for so long, she should really get back; otherwise, the school and teachers might have problems with her. They were there to cultivate talents, not to let them just earn a diploma.
Also, after the Lantern Festival, their hot pot restaurant was supposed to open too. Her brother and mom hadn’t returned yet. If they had, they’d have called her long ago. She needed to go back and get busy with the New Year opening.
So, she needed to head back a couple of days early.
On the Lantern Festival, they ate glutinous rice balls and set off lanterns. They didn’t have kids in their family, so they didn’t have to bother making lanterns. Many families with children in the community were busy making lanterns for them.
Sister-in-law Zhang was the most skilled at making lanterns, so Lin Wan and Shi Lan went to the market to buy red paper and bamboo sticks. When they got back, they had Sister-in-law Zhang help them make two lanterns, to hang up at home for some festivities.
While Sister-in-law Zhang was busy making lanterns for them, Lin Wan and Shi Lan went back to the market to buy some glutinous rice flour.
When they returned, they made the rice balls. Aside from the boiled ones, Lin Wan also deep-fried some, so they could have snacks throughout the day. Pidan especially liked the fried ones. A bowl brought to Sister-in-law Zhang mostly ended up in Pidan’s belly.
Sister-in-law Zhang was worried he’d get an upset stomach and quickly hid the remaining ones. "I’m heading back the day after tomorrow," with two days until the Lantern Festival, Lin Wan specifically made pork and green onion dumplings that evening.
During the New Year, their tutoring classes were also suspended, so they came back home early each night.
"I’ll see you off the day after tomorrow." Han Yi always seemed to eat more when Lin Wan cooked, no matter what it was.
"I can go back by myself."
"I don’t feel comfortable with you going alone. There’s a party on the Lantern Festival at the base, but nothing major. We’ll leave in the cooking squad’s car in the morning on the fifteenth."
"Alright," she agreed. The fifteenth was a good day, and she didn’t want to part from Han Yi either.
On the fifteenth, Lin Wan and Han Yi packed up their clothes and headed back to the city.
Nobody had been at home for half a month, and the place was covered in a layer of dust. As soon as they got home, they began to boil water and clean the rooms.
Most of the time, Han Yi wouldn’t let Lin Wan do anything. She only helped wipe the tables. On the fifteenth of the first month, they ate glutinous rice balls. After cleaning, Han Yi took the tickets and went to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative to buy some meat, vegetables, and glutinous rice flour. Besides these, Han Yi also bought two strings of firecrackers, one to set off at home in the evening, and the other to take to the store the next day.
She couldn’t deny that her husband was so considerate. As long as he was around, she felt like a pest.
If it weren’t for concerns about her and the child’s safety, she would probably have already been pinned to the bed by Han Yi.
The lantern Sister-in-law Zhang made, Lin Wan hung one at their home on the base and brought the other one back to hang on the front gate in the yard.
For lunch, the couple had a big stew. There weren’t any buns. Her mother-in-law and brother-in-law hadn’t returned yet. Han Yi didn’t trust Lin Wan to be by herself.
After lunch, while Lin Wan was busy making rice balls, Han Yi kneaded a bowl of dough for Lin Wan to steam into buns the next day.
In the evening, the two of them set off firecrackers at home and ate the rice balls early. Han Yi rode the tricycle with Lin Wan to the city square to see the lantern festival.
"Remember the year before last, when I first met you here?" At the square, Lin Wan, holding the red star-shaped lantern that Han Yi had "given" her that year, took Han Yi to the place where they met that year, laughing.
Han Yi couldn’t help but smile. That year, he didn’t take leave during the year-end, coming back on the fifteenth to visit Grandma. After dinner, he came out for a stroll and overheard people talking about the lantern festival. Thinking he hadn’t seen one in years, he went on a whim.
He hadn’t expected to run into Lin Wan. He wouldn’t tell Lin Wan that after going back that night, he dreamed about her, even having a spring dream.
It was such an embarrassing matter. Better not to mention it.
However, it turned out that his Xiao Wan had long been interested in him too. If she hadn’t brought it up, even he wouldn’t quite remember giving her a lantern.
Truthfully, he’d only given it to her because she seemed to like it so much at the time. He didn’t even pay for it. This little girl turned it into some big gift he supposedly gave; thinking about it now, only she could blur the lines like that.
The square was adorned with various lanterns, and many people were doing riddles and performing tricks.
Lin Wan saw a few people holding cameras, taking photos. Unfortunately, their camera had been taken back home by her brother.
Just as Lin Wan was feeling regretful, suddenly someone appeared behind her; who could it be but Su Ling?
"What a coincidence! When did you get back?" Su Ling was holding a lantern in one hand and a candied haw in the other, speaking while not forgetting to bite into it. Beside her, Liu Wei was holding a camera. Lin Wan was already captivated by the camera and didn’t pay much attention to the foodie Su Ling. "Wonderful, wonderful, we were just thinking of taking a photo together," Lin Wan said joyfully while finding a suitable place for Liu Wei to snap a picture of them.
Seeing his wife like this, Han Yi could only smile apologetically at Liu Wei and his wife.
Having her wish fulfilled with two photos taken, Lin Wan finally had time to chat with Su Ling.
It had been only a month, and Su Ling’s belly had grown quite a bit.
"How come over the New Year, your belly grew so fast?" Lin Wan wondered, hers hadn’t seemed to grow like Su Ling’s, so quickly.
Funnily enough, Su Ling glanced at her mischievously, "Are you saying I’ve grown fat?"
"Ah? No, no!" Lin Wan immediately realized and quickly waved her hands to humorously laugh, swiftly comforting her, "It’s perfectly normal for pregnant women to gain weight. I’ve gained quite a few pounds myself these past few months." Three pounds in total, in fact. Of course, she wouldn’t boast about that in front of Su Ling considering by the looks of it, Su Ling had gained at least five or more pounds.
"Sigh, you don’t need to comfort me. I know my own body. Now when I look in the mirror, I get scared seeing myself so big and ugly, and I’ve even got blotches on my face." Su Ling lamented, pulling her into a grievance-filled discourse, "But I just can’t control my appetite, constantly wanting to eat something at home, craving this and that all the time."
"The elders say it’s quite normal to be like this when expecting, but we can work together to shed the pounds afterward."
"Really? We must do it together; you can’t back out."
"Of course."
The four of them didn’t stay too long because soon Lin Wan and Han Yi saw Uncle Jin and Aunt Jin busy with their stall. There was a long queue of people buying snacks, so Lin Wan quickly said bye to Su Ling and Liu Wei, asking them to go on ahead.