Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 329 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (40)

Sure enough, when I opened my red envelope, there was only a thousand yuan inside, not a single extra coin.

Although fireworks are no longer allowed in the city, you can still occasionally hear "bang bang" sounds in the neighborhood after midnight.

Lu Liruan, holding the chilled canned food, excitedly opened the balcony door and found a good spot.

"Come on, come on, there are fireworks over there!" she called to Jin Shuhe.

“When I was little, my family didn’t set off fireworks. The reason is that when my dad was a child, he and my uncle set off fireworks and his cotton-padded coat caught fire. He was scared and didn’t know what to do, so he ran home on fire. This scared my grandma so much that she scooped up a ladle of water from the water vat and poured it on him in the freezing cold!”

Lu Liruan recounted vividly, "That year, my dad's new clothes were burned, and he caught a cold. While other kids were playing outside and eating delicious food, he was lying in bed with a runny nose..."

"Why do I have to tell this story every year during Chinese New Year?!" came Lu's father's dissatisfied voice from the living room.

“Isn’t this a tradition my grandma has for every Chinese New Year? I have to keep it going!” Lu Liruan said proudly.

Grandma Lu Liruan is a very interesting old lady with endless stories to tell.

When I was little, I would go to my grandma's house to play and listen to her tell stories of the past and ghost stories. I didn't want to go to sleep at all.

Later, as Grandma got older and became a little confused, she only had a few stories left to tell, but the younger generation could never get enough of them.

"Later, the only thing my dad could set off was the string of firecrackers before meals. Every time he lit one, he would run far away."

Jin Shuhe recalled Lu's father's posture at that time, and it seemed... indeed it was.

"After we finish eating dumplings, shall we go burn paper money?" Lu Liruan's smile turned slightly sad as she thought of her grandparents and maternal grandparents.

Lu Liruan recalled how lively Chinese New Year was when she was a child. Although she couldn't remember the specifics, the feeling was indescribable, but it filled her heart with nostalgia, as if she were reminiscing about her childhood.

As the number of people dwindled, the festive atmosphere seemed to dissipate. This year, Lu Liruan was happier than in previous years. With Xiao He by her side, the house seemed more lively.

Aunt Lu came out with soy sauce and vinegar, her expression showing some hesitation: "Is Xiao He going or not?"

Lu Liruan quickly glanced at her mother, but heard Jin Shuhe's voice: "Hmm."

The custom here is to draw a circle at a quiet crossroads, burn offerings inside, and chant names while burning them. This way, the relatives you are thinking of will receive your offerings and hear your words.

As I walked to the intersection behind the road with the bag, I saw several families already there. At this time of day, it didn't feel eerie or scary at all; instead, it had a strange, faint sense of warmth.

"Xiao He... here you go."

Lu's mother also prepared something for Jin Shuhe.

Jin Shuhe knew they must have all heard about her background, so she silently accepted it.

Watching the bright flames swaying in the wind and leaping higher, Jin Shuhe squatted to the side, his fingers clenched tightly, his throat stiff, his mind blank, not knowing what to say.

He hasn't spoken to his mother for many years...

Even the word "Mom" seemed too difficult to utter.

"Mom..." he said silently in his heart.

“I’m doing very well now, so don’t worry. I will continue to live a good life in the future, so… all the things I thought before are no longer relevant.”

Since her mother left, Jin Shuhe couldn't recall how many times she had wondered: why did I survive that day?

What if that day, I and my mother were... and I hadn't gone to buy cold noodles, but instead continued doing my homework until that incident happened?

Wouldn't it be better to die?

Jin Shuhe didn't remember when it started, but he remembered the last time.

When he was being harassed at home by debt collectors, he recalled being hidden in a closet by his mother when he was a child, a dark and oppressive place.

Would it have been better if I had died as a child? I wouldn't have had to suffer so much, I wouldn't have been a burden to others, and I wouldn't have had to worry about the unseen future.

Will my death have any meaning for others? Will it make them happy?

Then his thoughts were interrupted.

Because Sister Li Ruan came.

"It's good to be alive," Jin Shuhe finally said to himself earnestly.

At least for now, he is really looking forward to the future, a feeling he has clearly experienced for the first time in many years.

"Mom, you left so suddenly. I often think, if I could, what would you have wanted to say to me one last time?"

"I'll never know..."

Tears welled up quickly on the crumpled, rough yellow paper in her hand.

"If you can really hear me, then don't worry about me."

Lu Liruan stood silently beside him, her back to the wind, trying her best to shield him from the biting cold of the night.

The tall, thin boy was now hunched over, squatting in a small ball, raising his hand to wipe his face again and again.

Lu Liruan's heart clenched at the sight.

She simply placed her hand on his shoulder and slowly squatted down beside him.

Jin Shuhe put the last stack of paper into the fire, and after letting go, he was hugged tightly by Sister Li Ruan.

Wearing thick clothes in winter makes one's senses dull and stuffy, with a kind of clumsy yet sincere profundity.

"Don't cry, your face will get frostbite." Lu Liruan took off the gloves her mother insisted on putting on her.

Warm fingertips touched cold tears as they looked at the child's wet face in the dying embers of the fire.

"Don't cry, I didn't bring any tissues." Lu Liruan sniffed; she herself was about to cry.

"Ah."

"I feel sad too... Why can't people stay together forever? We're so happy together, why do we have to separate and never see each other again?"

Lu Liruan murmured to herself, "Whether there is a farewell or not, whether there is regret or not, leaving is painful and frightening."

Jin Shuhe sat next to her, listening to her rambling. Sparks flew, and Jin Shuhe suddenly had a thought: he never wanted to be separated from Sister Li Ruan, and wanted to be with her forever.

The thought appeared suddenly, and something flashed through his mind like a shooting star, leaving him no chance to grasp it.

"Let's go back! We'll all be frozen solid soon!"

Seeing that the fire had gone out and gotten cold, Lu's parents took the tools they had brought and cleaned up the ashes.

Lu's mother cleared her throat and called out to them in a deliberately cheerful tone, "Hurry back and warm up!"

The group headed back home.

As he reached the corner, Jin Shuhe couldn't help but look back again.

"Mom, I'm really doing well now. I'll do everything I can for you." He gradually became more determined about his future and the path he wanted to take.

They went to sleep almost at dawn, and gradually woke up in the afternoon.

There was still a lot of leftover food from yesterday.

With Lu's father's generosity, the leftovers from the family's New Year's Eve dinner were still not finished by the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Of course, Dad Lu would never let everyone eat only leftovers; he would add freshly made dishes to every meal.

So...the more they ate, the more they ate.

"Ah—I've gained three pounds!"

On the night of her third year of junior high school, Lu Liruan stood on the scale at home and wailed.

The scale belongs to Ms. Qin. Ms. Qin has been refined and capable since she was young, and she still maintains her figure even in her old age.

"It's not just about looking good, but more importantly, about health. At our age, it's not a good thing if your dad or I suddenly gain or lose weight!" Ms. Qin began to recount her health tips.

Lu Liruan touched her soft little belly and nudged Jin Shuhe, asking him to go up and measure it.

Then it was discovered that... his weight remained very stable and unchanged.

“You eat way more than me! Why aren’t you fat at all!” Lu Liruan patted Jin Shuhe’s shoulder and back, feeling that all she could feel were hard bones.

"Mom! He can't gain weight no matter how much he eats. Is it because he has a bad digestive system? Should I take him to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to regulate it?" Lu Liruan had already searched on Baidu.

But I also feel that searching on Baidu... is something that would get me scolded by doctors.

Ms. Qin walked over, looked at the numbers on the scale, and then pinched Jin Shuhe's arm.

"He's still growing, and he goes to school early and late, which burns a lot of energy. It's no wonder he can't gain weight. This weight is fine, and he feels quite firm!"

Ms. Qin was quite satisfied with Jin Shuhe's height and build.

"Xiao He is handsome and has a great figure. After you finish your college entrance exam, Auntie will buy you clothes. When you go to college, you'll become that... campus heartthrob! Yes, campus heartthrob!"

"Pfft—" Lu Liruan couldn't help but chuckle: "Mom, have you been watching too many TV dramas?"

"You have the nerve to say that? Right after your exams, you were so vain! You dragged me shopping for clothes for you. When you came back from your freshman year break, you were like a butterfly in the night!"

"mom!"

Hearing that her past had been exposed, Lu Liruan grumbled in dissatisfaction.

Lu Liruan was beautiful from a young age, and everyone who saw her would praise her.

After she went to university, which was an art school, there were so many good-looking girls there. Following the crowd, Lu Liruan did care about them for a while.

Later, when I got older, my temperament became more stable, and I had a clearer understanding of myself, things got much better.

Lu Liruan was actually very grateful that her mother did not express any lack of understanding or criticism towards her at the time.

Simply educating a child about the things they care about or are concerned with, or thinking that the child is vain and wasteful, will not have any positive effect.

It might even have the effect of making the child more insecure.

"Xiaohe isn't the type to get fat, that's good!" Lu's mother always used encouragement: "You're not fat either, health is the most important thing. Mom thinks that you're the most beautiful when you're not sick!"

“Your mother is strict with herself and lenient with others. She even felt she had gained a few pounds before the New Year and that last year’s clothes didn’t look good on her!” Mr. Lu said as he cleared the dishes.

"I also think Ms. Qin looks beautiful no matter what, but being healthy is the most beautiful thing! Set a good example for the children!"

"Go do your work!" Lu's mother was clearly overjoyed, but she still kept a straight face in front of the children.

"The uncle and aunt have such a good relationship." Jin Shuhe felt this from the bottom of her heart.

Both of them are emotionally stable and will not blame each other.

Mr. Lu is witty, humorous, gentle, and considerate.

Lu's mother is decisive and efficient in her work, but she cares deeply about her family and takes meticulous care of her children.

"That's right! My parents have hardly ever argued in all these years."

“My dad always tells me how beautiful my mom was when she was young. They fell in love on their own and were so happy back then. Dad, why didn’t you tell me that this year?” Lu Liruan craned her neck.

"Aren't you afraid you'll be envious? What? You haven't found a partner again this year!" Dad Lu asked teasingly.

When Lu's mother heard the topic brought up, she immediately perked up.

This time she looked at Jin Shuhe: "Xiaohe, you live with her, have you noticed anything unusual?"

"Don't even think about turning Xiaohe into a spy you planted next to me!" Lu Liruan protested.

Jin Shuhe had no idea how the topic had veered off course like this...

He glanced at Lu's mother and then at Lu Liruan.

"You're not allowed to tattle on them, not now, and not ever!" Lu Liruan pointed a finger at Jin Shuhe, threatening, "Don't let them bribe you!"

Jin Shuhe nodded obediently.

"Fine, I can't be bothered with you!" Aunt Lu shook her head and went to do other things, without bothering to argue.

Happy days at home pass by very quickly. This year, my aunt's family went back to their hometown for the Spring Festival and didn't come to visit relatives.

Most other relatives and friends would just call to say hello, and very few would actually visit in person to offer New Year's greetings.

Most of the time, it's just the four of them at home, eating and drinking.

Lu Liruan and Jin Shuhe originally planned to go back on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

But Lu's parents couldn't bear to part with him, so after discussing it, they decided to leave on the ninth day of the lunar new year.

Before Jin Shuhe arrived, he had imagined countless possibilities and wondered if he would feel awkward or uncomfortable.

But when he arrived, none of his expectations came true. Without realizing it, he felt completely integrated into the family, without feeling uncomfortable at all.

When the topic of leaving came up, Jin Shuhe felt a deep sense of reluctance, as if these days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Even if I'm reluctant to leave, I have to go on the ninth day of the first lunar month because Jin Shuhe School will start on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month.

"Thinking back now, I think I spent the Lantern Festival at school during my senior year of high school. I remember that at noon that day, the cafeteria specially cooked glutinous rice balls and gave each student a small bowl," Lu Liruan recalled.

Dumplings on the bus and noodles on the bus.

On the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, Lu's mother made dumplings with three different fillings and packed two lunchboxes of cooked dumplings for the two of them to take with them.

"It'll be late when you get home. I don't feel like cooking, so just heat up the dumplings," she earnestly instructed.

Lu's father brought them a lot of homemade braised beef and duck, as well as sausages and pickles. Lu Liruan said that the Laba garlic he pickled this year was delicious. He also wanted to bring Lu Liruan a can of garlic, but he had to give up because he was afraid of spilling it on the high-speed train.

"I can't take it anymore, I really can't carry it all!" When Lu Liruan arrived, she and Jin Shuhe only had two small backpacks.

Now, on the way back, there's a bag on the left and a bag on the right. Lu's mother is still trying to stuff more bags into the box.

“I can carry the pear, Sister Ruan.”

Jin Shuhe spoke up from the side.

He saw the disappointment in Lu's parents' eyes just now and felt very sad.

"Don't take too much; the kids will suffer on the way," Mr. Lu advised. "If they want to eat, we can cook it and send it over by courier, isn't that the same thing?"

Finally, after dawdling until it was almost too late, I finally boarded the bus to the station.