The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 43: Peaceful Years Like This

Time flies, and before we know it, it is the last day of the sixteenth year of Yuanzhen.

This is also the first New Year's Eve that Shen Yuan celebrates after traveling through time.

On this day, setting off firecrackers and eating New Year's Eve dinner are indispensable.

But for those wanderers in a foreign land, there is not much of a strong atmosphere.

Shen Yuan was fine. He lived in a cage of steel and concrete in his previous life and had long forgotten the feeling of the New Year when he was a child. His original incarnation in this life had also long been accustomed to being alone. It made no difference to him whether he celebrated the New Year in Jinling or in Shenjing.

Jiang Fan and his sister are different. It is their first time to spend New Year's Eve in a foreign place, and they miss home and family very much.

Shen Yuan came to the backyard and saw Jiang Qiuer who was in a daze. He walked up to her and asked softly, "Are you missing home?"

"Yeah." The girl responded softly, raised her eyes to look at Shen Yuan, and asked: "Brother Shen, don't you want to?"

"As for me, I may have gotten used to it. This year, with you by my side, it's actually more lively than previous years."

When Qiu'er heard this and looked at the calm young man, she felt a little sad, or perhaps a little distressed.

How lonely must Brother Shen have been all these years?
"Yes, we will always be together from now on, and Brother Shen will not be lonely." The girl smiled sweetly at this moment, and her usual coquettishness was gone.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, the girl realized that there was something ambiguous about them.

What is their relationship? How can she stay with the boy in front of her forever?
Moreover, Shen Yuan also has Sister Bao. The two of them are lifelong partners. Why does he need her?

Shen Yuan didn't know what Qiu'er was thinking. Seeing the girl's smile gradually turn into melancholy, he thought it was because she missed home, so he said, "It's still early now. Let's call Brother Jiang to go shopping together and buy some firecrackers to set off in the evening."

It’s just past noon, and there’s still half a day left before the New Year’s Eve dinner.

When Qiu'er heard this, her mood instantly brightened up, and she said happily, "Okay, I also want to see what the New Year's market in Shenjing City is like."

Suddenly she seemed to have thought of something, and asked uncertainly, "Sister Bao will come to see Brother Shen today, right?"

"There are many activities in the Jia Mansion today, so it is not convenient for Sister Xue to leave the house."

"Well, I'll go call my brother then."

"I'll go inform Brother Jiang." Shen Yuan smiled and said, "Go get ready, we'll set off in a bit."

Jiang Qiuer nodded lightly, then went back to her room happily to change into her men's clothes.

Half an hour later, Shen Yuan and the Jiang siblings, a group of three, arrived at Chaoyangmen Street in East City, without any maids or guards.

This is the most prosperous commercial street in Shenjing City. The road is paved with bluestone slabs. It is wide and long. Shops are lined up on both sides of the street. There are also various stalls in the middle of the road, making it extremely noisy.

Today is the New Year's Day, and the streets are decorated particularly festively, with pedestrians coming and going, a rare sense of the worldly life.

The differences between the north and south of the world are not only reflected in culture, but also in handicrafts.

Jiang Qiuer had indeed not gone shopping properly like she did today during the two months since she came to Beijing. At this moment, she had turned into a curious baby, looking around, and asking the stall owners a few questions from time to time. The homesickness she had felt before was long gone.

Shen Yuan feels that girls of all ages have the same nature. They are curious about new things and will be motivated to buy when they go out on the street.

Before long, Shen Yuan was holding paper bags of various sizes in his hands.

"Qiu'er, you don't have to buy so much at once. I'll bring you here next time." Jiang Fan also had a lot of things in his hands and couldn't help complaining to his sister.

"I want it, don't bother me, brother." Qiu'er stuck out her tongue, looking playful.

Jiang Fan was helpless, he looked at Shen Yuan beside him and said, "Brother Shen, can you help to persuade them?" Shen Yuan looked at the two siblings bickering, but he felt that the years were peaceful and quiet, he smiled and said, "As long as Qiu'er is happy, it's good that we, as brothers, can't spoil her."

The word "brother" made Jiang Qiuer slightly stunned, but she soon regained her smile and said to Jiang Fan, "That's right, your awareness of being a brother is not as good as that of Brother Shen."

Jiang Fan was speechless. It was obvious that he was not good at teasing, let alone facing his sharp-tongued sister. He had no chance of winning at all.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan shook his head and smiled, and said to Qiu'er: "There is no need to buy everything for your sister Bao and sister Yun. I will bring them together next time."

The girl bought three of each item, and Shen Yuan could naturally see her intention.

"Oh." Qiu'er rolled her eyes, looked at Shen Yuan with a scrutinizing look, and smiled softly, "Brother Shen, keep your word. You must come here with us more often in the future."

Shen Yuan: “.”

It seems that he didn't say "often" in what he said just now.

As they were talking, the three of them came to a stall selling sugar figurines. There were all kinds of small sugar figurines on display, shining with a pale yellow glow on the wooden shelves.

When Qiu'er saw this, her feet seemed to be sucked and she could no longer move.

"If you're not afraid of getting fat, just go buy it." Jiang Fan warned with a smile.

In fact, he just found a rare opportunity to tease Qiu'er. He knew that his sister was most afraid of people saying she was fat since she was a child.

Upon hearing this, Qiu'er glared at her brother, then stared at the row of little sugar men, her eyes flickering, as if she was struggling to make the most difficult decision.

After a while, Shen Yuan said, "In this weather, the sugar man won't melt easily. It's okay to buy a little at a time."

After taking a look at Qiu'er, he added, "Girls look good if they are a little chubby. It's okay."

After hearing this, Qiu'er's heart was moved. It turned out that Brother Shen liked girls with a more voluptuous figure like Sister Bao.

With this in mind, he dispelled his last bit of worry and turned back to Jiang Fan, "If you're not afraid of getting fat, I'll buy it!"

Brother Shen said that she looks better when she is fatter, so what is there for me to worry about?
Humph~, brother’s opinion can be completely ignored.

Jiang Fan: “.”

He discovered that since he met Brother Shen, his status in his sister's heart had plummeted.

Jiang Fan felt his sister's attitude towards Shen Yuan, and couldn't help feeling a little worried.

In the past, he would have been happy to see it happen, but now, Shen Yuan has already...
Isn't my sister like a moth flying into a flame, only to get hurt all over.
Oh. I should find some time to persuade my sister. Don't force fate. Stop now before things get too chaotic.

While Jiang Fan was stunned, Shen Yuan had already followed Qiu'er forward and cleared out all the candy figurine shop.

Qiu'er got what she wanted. Her pretty face was now smiling like a flower. Her originally delicate and fair oval face was now adorned with two dimples, making her look extremely pure and beautiful.

The girl raised her head slightly, met those gentle jade-like eyes, and said in a coquettish voice: "Brother Shen is still good to me, unlike some of my biological brothers, hum~"

Shen Yuan laughed and said, "You are so easily bribed. Aren't you afraid that Brother Jiang will be sad after hearing this?"

Qiu Er turned her head to look at Jiang Fan, and said with a suppressed smile: "Brother, your sister was bribed by the Big Bad Wolf. Are you sad?"

Looking at the girl's funny and cute appearance, Shen Yuan and Jiang Fan both laughed heartily.

Jiang Fan put away his worries and prayed that the future would be as peaceful as this.
Because it is not the beginning of the story in Jia Mansion, it is not convenient for them to interact with Lin Daiyu and others. But it will be soon. When Shen Yuan marries Baochai and occupies Ningguo Mansion, the garden drama will be enriched.
Well, it seems a bit spoiler^_^


(End of this chapter)