VFGRC Chapter 56

The weather outside was cold, so Yu Bai had to put an extra down jacket on Xing Xing before holding his small hand and walking to the downstairs area of the community.

Yu Bai and Xing Xing lived in an old neighborhood where the buildings were tightly packed together, leaving little space for setting off fireworks.

Many residents, along with their children, went to the streets outside the community to set off fireworks since it was more spacious there.

Yu Bai and Xing Xing arrived a bit late, and most of the places along the streets for setting off fireworks had already been occupied by nearby residents.

Yu Bai searched for a while before finally finding a spot to set off fireworks.

Xing Xing squatted on the ground, staring at the box of fireworks.

“Dad, can I light fireworks with you?”

Squatting on the ground, Xing Xing looked like a little frog as he slightly lifted his head to gaze at Yu Bai.

“No, sweetheart! Fireworks can be dangerous if not handled properly. Children like Xing Xing shouldn’t be lighting fireworks. Look, do you see how the other children around here are standing far away and watching their parents set off fireworks?” Yu Bai explained.

Xing Xing looked left and right. Just as Yu Bai had said, the other children who had come with their parents to set off fireworks were all standing far away from the firework box.

“Okay.”

Xing Xing felt a bit apprehensive about getting hurt by fireworks, so he shifted his small body a bit and increased the distance between himself and the firework box.

“Dad.” Xing Xing tugged at the hem of Yu Bai’s clothes.

“What’s wrong?”

Xing Xing expressed his concern, “Fireworks look really dangerous. You need to be careful too! Don’t get hurt by fireworks!”

Yu Bai patted Xing Xing’s warm little head and couldn’t help but smile, “I’ll be careful.”

The caring words from Xing Xing warmed Yu Bai’s heart.

Soon, it was almost midnight.

Yu Bai lifted his head slightly and looked around.

At this time in the past, everyone would be asleep, and the lights in every household would be off.

But today was New Year’s Eve, so almost every household in the community had their lights on.

Yu Bai stood on the street close to the community, and he could hear the festive laughter coming from the buildings.

“Bang—”

A deafening sound interrupted Yu Bai’s thoughts.

Before it was even midnight, some impatient residents had already started setting off fireworks.

“Oh dear!”

The sudden sound of fireworks startled Xing Xing, who was squatting nearby. He leaned back and ended up sitting on the ground.

Xing Xing ended up sitting on Yu Bai’s shoe, his soft and fluffy body leaning against Yu Bai’s leg.

The fireworks shot up into the sky, and the splendid light when they burst open almost illuminated half of the night.

Xing Xing’s little face, illuminated by the fireworks, still carried a hint of lingering fear.

Xing Xing’s tiny hands instinctively clutched Yu Bai’s pant leg.

He had seen on TV that fireworks would make a “bang bang” sound.

But no one had told him that the sound of fireworks could be louder than thunder during a rainy day!

It was really quite frightening!

“Xing Xing? Did you get scared?”

Seeing Xing Xing looking so startled, Yu Bai felt a bit worried.

“If you’re scared, we can go back first…”

“No, no, it’s just fireworks! What’s there to be, be, be scared of… I, I’m not scared at all!”

Xing Xing’s voice quivered as he tried to sound brave, but his words lacked conviction.

With fireworks being so loud, how could Xing Xing not be scared?

But… the young children around Xing Xing were covering their ears and not at all frightened by the sound of the fireworks. Instead, they were laughing gleefully while looking at the fireworks in the sky.

Xing Xing’s competitive spirit immediately kicked in.

How could he be scared by such tiny fireworks?!

Following the example of the other children, Xing Xing also covered his little ears.

As soon as he covered his ears, the sound of the fireworks indeed became much softer, and not scary at all!

Xing Xing then put away his frightened expression and pretended to be brave, puffing out his little chest.

Xing Xing: “Dad, you go set off the fireworks. I’m really not scared!”

Xing Xing covered his ears, resembling a little turtle nestled on Yu Bai’s leg, yet claiming not to be scared?

“Okay, then I’ll go set off the fireworks.” Yu Bai didn’t reveal his child’s timid nature, allowing Xing Xing to save face. “Just move a bit to the side, or else I won’t be able to walk.”

Xing Xing shifted his small body slightly, and the “pressure” on Yu Bai’s leg suddenly disappeared.

Yu Bai walked up to the fireworks box and used a lighter to ignite the fuse.

Xing Xing’s round eyes remained fixed on the fuse of the firework. Clutching his ears, his little hands exerted more and more force—his two pitiful little ears were almost being flattened by his grip.

The fuse vanished.

Midnight arrived, and the new year began.

“It’s midnight, let’s set off the fireworks!”

“Bang,” “bang,” “bang”!

Successive sounds of fireworks erupted along the entire street. One after another, the fireworks soared into the sky, blossoming in the air.

The pitch-black night sky transformed into a garden of blossoms, clusters of colorful fireworks resembling bouquets of flowers, freely displaying their beauty.

Residents in the buildings leaned out, admiring the most stunning scene in the world at this moment.

“Look! So many fireworks in the sky!”

“It’s so beautiful!”

Perhaps influenced by the lively and bustling atmosphere, Xing Xing completely forgot about his fear of the fireworks’ sound.

Xing Xing stood up, his little arms raised high, pointing forcefully at the orange-red fireworks blooming in the night sky.

Xing Xing shouted at the top of his lungs, “Mom! Look! These are our fireworks!”

Xing Xing exclaimed, “Dad! Our fireworks are truly beautiful!”

Yu Bai agreed, “Yes, they’re incredibly beautiful!”

The residents on the roadside who were setting off fireworks, whether they were friends or strangers, shared the same hopeful expectations and aspirations for the new year at this moment.

Amidst the sound of fireworks, someone shouted “Happy New Year” first.

Immediately following, countless “Happy New Year” greetings filled with laughter echoed, creating an ocean of joyous celebration.

Until the final firework blossomed in the sky, the smiles on Yu Bai and Xing Xing’s faces remained.

Yu Bai held Xing Xing’s little hand as they walked toward the direction of the community. When parents walking with their children approached them, they smiled and said, “Happy New Year.”

Yu Bai and Xing Xing chimed in unison, “Happy New Year!”

As they passed by, Xing Xing’s round eyes fixated on something the children passing by were holding in their hands.

“Dad, what’s that thing in his hand?”

Yu Bai glanced over.

The child was holding a blue stick, its tip ignited to release beautiful white sparks.

Yu Bai explained, “That’s a fairy wand, another type of firework.”

Xing Xing observed, “The fairy wand in the hands of that child looks so pretty! I didn’t know even kids could light fairy wands…”

Saying this, Xing Xing tilted his little head to look up at Yu Bai, blinking his watery eyes.

He really wanted to play with a fairy wand too!

Yu Bai could easily tell what Xing Xing was thinking.

“At this time, the stores selling fireworks outside should already be closed,” Yu Bai said helplessly. “Let’s wait until tomorrow. If they have fairy wands for sale, I’ll get one for you.”

Oh dear, another day of waiting.

However, having some fairy wands to play with is better than having none!

Xing Xing nodded his little head, “Then we’ll play with it tomorrow!”

Just as the father and son reached an agreement, a parent who had just passed by overheard their conversation and turned back toward them.

“I have some extra fairy wands here. We can’t finish using them all, so I’ll give you some.”

Looking at the fairy wands offered by the parent, Xing Xing’s round eyes were filled with an expectant expression.

He really wanted them!

But… if Dad didn’t say it was okay to take them, he couldn’t.

In the palm of Yu Bai’s hand, Xing Xing’s little finger hooked and beckoned.

Yu Bai noticed that the parent indeed had quite a few fairy wands left.

Yu Bai said, “Thank you so much. How much are the fairy wands? I’ll buy them…”

“No need, no need. These fairy wands don’t cost much, and if we can’t use them all, it would be a waste. Just take them.”

The parent handed the fairy wands to Yu Bai.

“Thank you so much.” Yu Bai thought for a moment and took out a small bag from his pocket. “In this bag are some milk-infused jujubes I made myself. Originally, I brought them for the child to snack on. But he’s not hungry right now, and the bag hasn’t been opened yet. I’ll give it to you.”

“Sure, I’ll accept your bag of milk-infused jujubes.”

Watching Yu Bai and Xing Xing walk away, the parent furrowed her brows slightly.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt like the parent she just exchanged items with looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

At that moment, the young child standing beside her stood on tiptoe.

“Mom, what are milk-infused jujubes?”

“They’re jujubes coated with milk powder, a trendy snack lately. They’re also sold outside… Why? Do you want to try some?”

The young child nodded, “I want to try…”

“Here, have one.” The parent handed a milk-infused jujube to the child. “Be careful not to choke.”

“Okay!”

Taking the milk-infused jujube from the parent, the young child didn’t rush to eat it. Instead, he first examined what it looked like.

The milk-infused jujube was evenly coated with a layer of soft, thick milk powder on the outside. It felt soft to the touch, but the inside was firm.

The young child cautiously took a bite.

The outermost layer of the milk-infused jujube consisted of milk powder and marshmallows. The milk powder was sweet and fragrant, while the marshmallow was soft with a slight chewiness, making the young child’s eyes light up.

Inside the milk-infused jujube, there were pitted jujubes and sweet almonds nestled in the core. The crispy fragrance of the almonds complemented the flavor of the jujubes.

Each layer of the milk-infused jujube had a different texture, creating harmonious and delightful sensations in the taste buds, leaving people wanting more.

The rich milk flavor had already captured the young child’s heart with the first bite.

Young Child: “It’s so delicious! Mom, you should try one too. It’s really, really tasty!”

The parent was somewhat skeptical, “Is it really that good?”

Her child was picky about food, eating only a little at each meal. Occasionally, he might take an extra bite of a novel snack, but even snacks rarely met his standards.

Her son was almost five years old now, and he was still thin and small in stature, similar to the other kids who had just started kindergarten.

And now, a stranger’s homemade milk-infused jujube, given so casually, had her son praising it as delicious?

How could that be?

The parent also took a milk-infused Jujube and put it near her mouth.

In the next moment, her eyes widened.

“So delicious! It’s really delicious!”

Milk-infused jujubes were a popular snack, and she had eaten many before. However, the ones sold online were mostly made in factories, with similar flavors.

The milk-infused jujubes made by her own hands were different from factory-made ones.

She could tell that the milk-infused jujubes made by that person himself had a richer milk flavor, softer marshmallows, and the jujubes and almonds were fried to perfection… The handling of ingredients in those milk-infused jujubes, each aspect slightly better than factory-made products, but when combined, resulted in a qualitative leap in both texture and taste.

Appearances can be deceiving indeed.

She thought, looking at the person’s appearance, they seemed a bit younger than her, yet the milk-infused jujubes they made were so delicious… It’s not common for someone so young to be so skilled in cooking.

Wait a minute.

Young…

In an instant, the parent suddenly remembered.

Not long ago, at the nearby Sanjiaokou stall, there was a teppanyaki stall owner who set the internet on fire with his exceptional cooking skills, causing countless hungry netizens to beg for him to open for business. He was also a young-looking man, accompanied by a young child…

She immediately took out her phone and found a video she had liked before.

Oh my gosh! Wasn’t that teppanyaki stall owner the same person who had just given her the milk-infused jujubes?!

And she exchanged a few cheap fairy sticks for a whole bag of his homemade milk-infused jujubes that had never been sold publicly…

Did she accidentally make a huge profit?

—

Although young children could handle fairy sticks, incorrect usage of them could lead to accidents.

So, under the watchful eye of Yu Bai, Xing Xing only cautiously lit two fairy sticks.

Xing Xing didn’t dare to wave the fairy sticks around, holding them still in his small hand.

As he watched the fairy sticks burn down, a delighted smile appeared on Xing Xing’s face, achieving his wish.

Hey! He had also experienced lighting fireworks!

Meanwhile, Yu Bai took several photos of Xing Xing from the side.

This time, Xing Xing didn’t stop Yu Bai from taking photos.

Because he was wearing nice clothes and holding a sparkling fairy stick in his hand, he was sure he looked super handsome!

After finishing lighting the fireworks, Xing Xing couldn’t wait. He took quick steps with his short legs and ran to Yu Bai’s side.

“Daddy, Daddy, let me see the photos too!”

Under the dim streetlight, Yu Bai and Xing Xing sat on the brick steps by the entrance of the building. Their heads, one big and one small, leaned in close together as they looked at the photos on the phone.

The noisy street gradually returned to calm.

It was late at night.

Xing Xing: “Wow! I look really good in this photo!”

Yu Bai also praised, “Yes! Xing Xing looks really handsome!”

Xing Xing’s eyebrows curved, and he discovered many beautiful photos of himself from various angles on his dad’s phone.

Even during the New Year’s Eve dinner tonight, the photos of Xing Xing with his oily mouth were also very handsome.

Oh my! He probably possesses what adults often refer to as a “360-degree no-dead-angle” face!

Xing Xing: “Huh? Daddy, why don’t you have your photos in your phone?”

Yu Bai didn’t really like taking selfies and didn’t have time to fuss over them, so his phone basically didn’t have any photos of himself.

Xing Xing said, “Then I’ll take a photo for Daddy!”

Yu Bai smiled, “Can you take photos?”

Xing Xing pouted, “Even though I haven’t done it before, I can learn!”

He’s super smart, so how could taking photos stump him?

Yu Bai raised an eyebrow, “Alright, then help me take one.”

Taking a photo was simple, and Xing Xing quickly learned how to do it.

Xing Xing stood on the steps by the entrance of the building, while Yu Bai sat by the small flowerbed facing the entrance.

Xing Xing raised the phone in a professional manner, “Daddy, is the pose good?”

“It’s good, go ahead and take it.”

Yu Bai folded his hands and placed them casually on his knees, looking at the phone’s camera with a gentle smile that he often wore.

“Three, two, one…”

The flash lit up.

“Got it!” Xing Xing’s excited voice sounded, “Huh? Why is there an extra person in the photo?”

Yu Bai: ???

During the festive New Year atmosphere, just as it almost turned into a horror scene, a voice suddenly came from behind Yu Bai.

“Yu Bai, Happy New Year.”

Yu Bai turned his head and was surprised.

Because the person standing behind him was Ji Rongyu, who had told him before the New Year that he was going back to his hometown with his parents.

In the depths of Yu Bai’s heart, a subtle and hardly perceptible joy quietly spread.

 

Author’s Note:

PS: I’m unblocking!

The wonderful work-from-home days are over, and the miserable life of a working person begins.