Invade the World - Chapter 461

Chapter 461 Epilogue 2 That year’s New Year’s Eve, we walked under the fireworks

At the end of the 1990s, in a long and narrow alley in the old city of Jinjiang City, when you raise your head, you can see black wires interlacing and dividing the sky into blocks, and underneath are rows of clothes to dry; the road in the alley is uneven The bluestone road slabs are paved, and puddles will accumulate every time it rains. If you step on it inadvertently, the sewage will easily splash and wet your shoes and socks.

Some of the people living in this alley are dilapidated households holding their ancestral houses, some are retired workers who have left the allocated housing, and some are families who have moved from other places. Families often have children studying in nearby elementary and middle schools, Young people who work and study in other cities will go home during the holidays. Therefore, the alley is very lively every morning and evening.

Those who go out to work, buy vegetables and study, get up to take out garbage and water, the clang of pots and pans and the shouts of people make this narrow alley always full of lively and noisy life.

Xu Xiangyang and his sister have been living here since they moved to this city a year ago; and in late spring, another girl moved into his home.

This year is the most impressive year in Xu Xiangyang’s seventeen years of life since he made his voice. Even the plants and trees in the alleys are vividly imprinted in his mind; That little house is called “home”; after all, home is where people are.

However, just this morning, Xu Xiangyang heard a piece of news that shocked him:

“Sister Lian! Sister Lian! I heard that this alley is going to be demolished?”

He heard the neighbors’ mothers-in-law chatting when he went out to fetch water, so he hurried back to ask for clarification.

Li Qinglian, who was lying on the sofa and reading the newspaper, jumped up nervously after seeing his expression at first, and quickly asked “What’s the matter?” After hearing his question clearly, she fell back lazily.

“Oh, so I said this. Yes, it seems that there is such a thing…”

“You knew earlier?” Xu Xiangyang was anxious, “Then what should we do?”

“What to do, of course, find a place to move.”

Sister covered her face with a newspaper, and said with deep meaning:

“Besides, even if there is no demolition, we will have to move out sooner or later. When it was just you and me, I only considered being closer to the school and work… Now it seems that this place is indeed a bit small.”

Xu Xiangyang looked at the face of Lin Xingjie who was sitting on a chair and watching TV while eating melon seeds, wanting to see her reaction, but unexpectedly, the other party also acted calmly.

“Have you forgotten? Qingyue has already talked about this.”

The long-haired girl in pajamas raised her legs, dangling her little feet with cotton slippers and no socks on, with an expression of indifference.

“what?”

“It was the day we went to the rooftop together after the summer vacation.”

Xu Xiangyang frowned and meditated for a while, finally recalling it, it seems that there is such a thing—

“—Because it needs to be demolished and rebuilt.” The squad leader at the time drew a circle in the sky with his finger and explained his guess to them. It will be a matter of time. The government will definitely not allow such a small place next to the city center to look like psoriasis, full of dilapidated buildings and illegal renovations, and the impact on public security is not good. Maybe it has been arranged in the plan Now, just wait for the schedule to arrive.”

…It was expected without any surprise, as expected of her.

“I remember that you refuted it at the time. You remember what she said better than me.”

Xu Xiangyang couldn’t help but teased.

Lin Xingjie gave a soft “bah”, but lay there motionless, continuing to nibble on her melon seeds. Since the weather got cold, she has become like a hibernating animal, hiding in her warm home and unwilling to go out.

This lazy look is exactly the same as that of Sister Lian. Rather, the whole room is filled with a lazy atmosphere because of the existence of the older and younger girls. Xu Xiangyang can’t help but think, “She may be spoiled by her own sister.” “a feeling of,

Xu Xiangyang once again deeply understood a fact:

The world will not remain the same.

Especially for young people of this age.

Unknowingly, the once-familiar scene has already moved away from the past and changed its appearance, and the one left behind is the dazed self.

Is the “home” going to change…

“Don’t be so sad, Xiaoyang.”

Li Qinglian stood up and patted his shoulder hard,

“Let’s think about moving house later in the year. You haven’t forgotten the most important thing right now, have you?”

“…I haven’t forgotten.” Xu Xiang replied angrily, “But don’t just idle around like a normal person, you want to help decorate the house, understand?”

“Huh~ Anyway, we don’t have any guests coming, so this kind of thing is just casual?”

“Go, go, look at Xingjie, she has already started preparing.”

Although there is a tendency to be led badly by her elder sister, Xingjie is a good and simple child after all. She has obediently stood up and started cleaning the room, cleaning the window glass, and posting Spring Festival couplets on the door—

Yes, today is the most important day of the year for Chinese people.

Lunar New Year’s eve.

*

In the year of leaving the old and ushering in the new year, while Sister Lian and Xingjie were cleaning, Xu Xiangyang spent the whole afternoon preparing the evening New Year’s Eve dinner.

The two siblings have no relatives in this city, so Li Qinglian said “no one will come to visit”, but she obviously forgot about their interpersonal communication over the past year.

Since noon, people have been coming to the door, and they are all people they knew before: in addition to the colleagues in the Public Security Bureau, Zhou Xingjian, Li Hengshu…even the dragon mother-in-law came to visit.

Everyone is a sensible adult. Seeing that there are too many people standing in the room, they chatted for a while, put down the gifts and left. The person who will really accompany the family to celebrate the New Year and need an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks on the table, came late when it was approaching dusk.

When Xu Xiangyang opened the door, he saw Zhu Qingyue wearing the white princess dress that he had seen more than once, standing at the door with his hands behind his back, smiling cutely, countless memories flooded his mind, making him a little dazed for a while .

“Come on, come in and make dumplings together.”

“OK~”

The squad leader stepped into the house with light steps.

“I’m still preparing the glutinous rice **** for the New Year’s Day tomorrow. Do you want to try it first?”

“It’s okay, you can taste it tomorrow.”

“…Are you going to stay here tonight?”

“Of course.” She quickly walked into the kitchen, “Let me help.”

The first time Miss Qingyue came to visit, she cooked dinner side by side with Xu Xiangyang, but in the end it became three people crowded together, which made him nervous and sweaty.

The atmosphere tonight is completely different from that day. On such a day of family reunion, they took turns to finish a big meal happily, and finally had to drag out the second table to barely set it down.

After eating and drinking, the whole family sat in front of the TV and watched this year’s Spring Festival Gala. The coffee table in front of the sofa was filled with peanuts, melon seeds and dried fruits, chatting while eating.

The time on New Year’s Eve was chatting and laughing, and it passed to zero inadvertently.

The host on the screen began to count down with the people of the whole country, looking forward to the ringing of the New Year’s bell; the scattered sound of firecrackers gradually became intense and dense until it was deafening; Bright as day, it seems to indicate that it will be a sleepless night.

Amidst the noise, Xu Xiangyang heard his elder sister say:

“When you rest later, do you want to give the three of you a little space?”

These words can no longer be regarded as a hint, Xu Xiangyang can see different degrees of shyness from the faces of the two girls beside him – it’s just that the long-haired girl is simply showing shyness, while the short-haired girl is the kind who is excited and eager to try.

“Need not.”

Xu Xiangyang’s answer is upright.

“We know this kind of thing.”

Li Qinglian smiled.

“Okay, I’ll take it as if you have already made an appointment.”

“…Besides, it’s impossible to choose today anyway. Otherwise, where are you going to sleep at night?”

“I can’t help it. For the sake of my brother’s life happiness, I can only wrong myself. I will just find a hotel for one night.”

“It’s too pitiful to sleep alone in a hotel on New Year’s Eve. As you said, Xingjie and I have already…”

“How about, let’s go out for a stroll together.”

At this time, Lin Xingjie suddenly spoke softly. Her proposal was immediately approved by everyone.

…

Four people go out together and leave the house. Walking in the alley where the evening breeze is blowing, the road paved with bluestones is illuminated yellow and bright by the light from both sides. Through the windows with big red festive window grilles, you can hear people’s voices coming from inside. Laughter.

They first went around the nearby commercial street. Most of the shops are closed as soon as the New Year’s Eve approaches, leaving only the Lunar New Year Fair, which usually sells flowers and fireworks, but at this time, people are also selling.

This is the busiest day of the year for every household, but it is also the most deserted day of the year for the city streets.

They just like this, walking in the deserted streets.

Fireworks all over the sky embellished the empty night behind them into gorgeous silk and satin, just like the Milky Way after kissing the clouds, shy enough to explode countless fluffy lights.

Xu Xiangyang couldn’t hear anything other than fireworks. The girls beside them are so dazzling: everyone’s face is swaying and bright, and everyone’s pupils are shining brightly, like the most brilliant part in the depths of the universe.

The old year is really over.

No one spoke, or their voices were drowned out by the sound of firecrackers…

I don’t know how long this night walk lasted, but I saw that the night covering the city became more intense and sticky. Gradually, when he could hear footsteps in his ears again, the sky and the explosion faded away, leaving only the dim street lights on both sides of the street.

The aftermath of fireworks and firecrackers spread wantonly, and the streets and alleys of the city were immersed in it, making every corner look foggy.

“Is it gone? So fast…”

He heard the girl beside him muttering to herself, her tone sounded a little lonely.

The overwhelming wave of New Year’s fireworks and firecrackers has come to an end, and occasionally there are only a few scattered explosions coming from afar.

Looking up at the sky, it seems that you can still find some mottled traces left by the gorgeous blooming in the dark and dark picture; but if you look carefully, you can only see a piece of darkness.

The silence after the excitement came too abruptly, which made people feel a little empty and lonely.

“Fireworks are actually made to disappear in everyone’s eyes quickly, leaving the deepest and shallowest impression. That’s why we have to watch them with others.”

Then, he heard another girl beside him reply like this:

“Because even if you forget the shape and color of fireworks, if you can always remember the face of the person next to you…”

A moment of brilliance, a moment of beauty.

But as long as the people around me can accompany me for a long time, no matter when and where I am, I can recall this fleeting beauty, and then forever—

Let’s walk together.

“happy New Year to all.”

He says.

Happy New Year, Xu Xiangyang.

(end of this chapter)