88: Snow falls on red plum blossoms

The final workday of the year finally came to an end at midnight.

At that time, Yan Qinghe and Yan Zhuohua had just finished a long-lasting "gratitude operation."

"What should we prepare for going home tomorrow? It wouldn't be right to go back empty-handed." Still unable to sleep, Yan Zhuohua leaned against Yan Qinghe and chatted with him.

"Bringing gifts home?" Yan Qinghe chuckled and kissed his hair. "If you act like such an outsider, Mom will definitely scold you."

"So, we're just bringing our two mouths back?" Yan Zhuohua still found it hard to accept. "I just feel like it's not quite right."

"Alright, my little housekeeper, stop worrying about these things. You don't know, but during the years you were gone, the family's biggest wish for the New Year was just to receive a single greeting call from you."

Yan Zhuohua, who had originally intended to protest the nickname "little housekeeper," suddenly lost his spirit upon hearing the following words.

"Was I... too inconsiderate? Maybe it really was difficult for me to come back, but it shouldn't have reached the point where I didn't even make a single phone call..." Yan Zhuohua was filled with guilt, his fingers unconsciously twisting the quilt.

"It's all in the past. Family won't stay mad at you forever. As long as you stay home properly from now on and be my wife for the rest of your life, our relatives will be very satisfied."

Yan Zhuohua initially found it quite heartwarming, but the more he listened, the more something felt off. He slapped Yan Qinghe's chest hard, looking at this improper man with a mix of bashfulness and annoyance.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you. Go to sleep." Yan Qinghe pulled him tighter into his embrace, coaxing him until he gradually fell asleep.

Early the next morning was the first day of this year's holiday.

The weather had been decent lately, not bitingly cold like when the snow was melting a while ago. Under the shining sun outside, one could still feel a hint of warmth.

The two of them didn't get up until mid-morning. After packing a few essential items and checking the windows, doors, water, and electricity, they locked up and drove home.

They finally reached the main residence just before lunch was served.

"Mom?" Yan Qinghe looked for his mother as soon as he entered. "We're back."

"Now that you're back, hurry and wash your hands. The food is already prepared." Jiang Fuyue came over to take their bags and had the maid bring them up to their room.

There were four people at the dining table today: Mother Jiang Fuyue, and the three brothers, Yan Zhuohua, Yan Qinghe, and Yan Zhuoyan.

Yan Zhuohua asked curiously, "Mom, is it just the four of us?"

"Yes. Your eldest brother and cousin are very busy; they probably won't be on holiday for another three or four days, and they said they'd come back together then. Zhuoyue is coming back tomorrow, though. She canceled her schedule for this year's Spring Festival Gala and such to do a live stream with her fans instead. As for your uncle and Aunt, those two are obsessed with their private world and insist on waiting until your eldest brother and the others return before coming home for the New Year." Jiang Fuyue's voice gradually became filled with disdain. "Your uncle has been out fishing somewhere all day lately, posting several times a day on his moments. I looked closely and realized he's been posting the same seven fish back and forth for a whole week."

"Hahahaha, Uncle isn't afraid of being caught?" Yan Zhuoyan laughed cheerfully. "Where is he fishing? I want to go play too."

"Don't you dare expose him. Your Aunt specifically sent me a wechat message telling me to ignore him."

The meal was lively, and the four of them chatted enthusiastically at the dining table.

"By the way, are you three free this afternoon?" Jiang Fuyue suddenly stopped them before going upstairs for her nap after lunch. "If you're free, drive to the supermarket this afternoon. I'll send you a list. While it's not too crowded yet, buy the small New Year's goods we're missing."

"Okay." They looked at each other; everyone was free this afternoon.

"I expect many relatives will bring children for the New Year this year, so buy some extra candies, snacks, and small toys while you're at it. We don't want the kids to have nothing to play with and end up breaking something of yours that you'll regret." Jiang Fuyue instructed them, "And buy some things you like for yourselves too."

Yan Zhuohua and Yan Qinghe had woken up a bit late today, so they weren't sleepy at noon. They went out hand-in-hand to stroll through the garden.

To ensure exquisite scenery throughout all four seasons, various species of plants were grown in the Yan Family's vast garden.

Winter was the time when red plums bloomed, so they went straight to the Plum Garden to see the blossoms.

"Do you know where these plum blossoms came from?" Yan Zhuohua snapped a branch of plum blossoms from a tree and toyed with it in his hand.

"I never noticed. Haven't they always been here?"

"Of course not," Yan Zhuohua said with a nostalgic look. "Mom used to be obsessed with a period drama and thought the plum forest after a snowfall in it was exceptionally vibrant and eye-catching. So, Dad specifically planted this area with plum trees. In winters past, we often walked and chatted here."

Yan Qinghe listened to him quietly, his gaze fixed on him.

"Qinghe, I miss him." Yan Zhuohua let out a long sigh, then murmured softly, "I will definitely avenge him."

Yan Qinghe didn't hear the last part he whispered and asked softly, "What did you just say?"

"Nothing. It's a bit cold here; let's go to the Bamboo Grove to feed the fish!"

There was no feeding the fish, as the surface of the water had frozen over.

"So how does Uncle fish? I've never heard of him doing ice fishing." Yan Zhuohua leaned on the railing of the pavilion seat, watching the red koi carp beneath the ice still swishing their tails happily, looking like moving plum blossoms under the snow.

"Maybe he just learned?" Yan Qinghe couldn't say for sure. "Surely those seven fish photos weren't just found online somewhere too?"

"Hard to say."

The two carefully used a tool to break a bit of the ice and sprinkled some fish food through the small hole. The spiritual koi below quickly gathered to share the hard-won meal.

After being busy for a while, Yan Zhuohua felt himself heating up and casually wiped the sweat from his face.

Seeing this, Yan Qinghe quickly put down what he was holding. "Let's go back. You're sweating; be careful not to catch a cold later."

Yan Zhuohua pulled out his phone; it was already 2:30. "Okay. After a quick tidy-up back at the house, it'll be time to go out shopping."

After they had another cup of ginger tea brought by the maid in the living room, Yan Zhuoyan finally came downstairs yawning.

"You guys didn't sleep?"

"No, not sleepy," Yan Qinghe said succinctly.

"Heh, more like you went to bed late last night and woke up late today, right?" Yan Zhuoyan gestured toward Yan Zhuohua's exposed collarbone. "Pull your clothes up; aren't you afraid of the cold?"

Confused, Yan Zhuohua looked down at the collar he had unbuttoned while wiping sweat. Good heavens, a clear red mark was right below his collarbone. He hurried to button it up and glared at Yan Qinghe in anger.

"Why didn't you remind me?"

Yan Qinghe watched regretfully as the view was covered by the clothes. Hearing Yan Zhuohua's questioning, he touched his nose guiltily and looked away.

"I... just thought it looked as beautiful as the plum forest earlier, so I wanted to look at it a bit longer," Yan Qinghe explained softly in his ear.

"..."

He didn't want to go to that Plum Garden ever again.

Since Yan Zhuoyan was also down, they put on their coats, took the list from their mother, and drove to the supermarket.

After arriving, Yan Zhuoyan really didn't want to walk with his two mushy younger brothers, so he decided they should shop separately and meet in the parking lot later.

Since Yan Zhuohua and Yan Qinghe were together, they were assigned more tasks.

In front, Yan Qinghe pushed the shopping cart with one hand while holding the hand of the person behind him with the other. Yan Zhuohua was busy looking at the list on his phone, planning the route, not even looking where he was going, just subconsciously following behind Yan Qinghe.

"Drinks, red envelopes, melon seeds... Why are items for ancestral sacrifices on here too? Didn't Uncle Ye prepare them? And firecrackers and fireworks—has the ban in A City been lifted?"

Yan Qinghe casually put several kinds of dried fruits into the cart. "It was lifted the year before last. Several areas were designated where they can be set off, and our home is in one of them."

"Oh," Yan Zhuohua looked up at Yan Qinghe in the middle of his task. "Don't put those in! I don't like them!"

"You don't like them? But Mom specifically told me to buy these for you." Yan Qinghe refused to put the bag of dried fruits back.

"...They don't taste good. Mom just wants me to eat more for nutrition. Can't you just pretend to forget?" Yan Zhuohua reached for the bag of dried fruits in the cart.

"Forget it. I won't forget, and you have to eat them."

After saying that, he put another bag in under Yan Zhuohua's incredulous gaze.