My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 84 Christmas Gifts, Lights of Every Home

After the monthly exams in December, many students have already entered a semi-holiday mode.

Winter Solstice, Christmas, New Year's Day—as the year gradually comes to an end, activities outside of school begin to increase. Leaving aside the seniors, the juniors and sophomores are already immersed in various rehearsals for programs. During evening self-study and lunch breaks, the sounds of musical instruments being played or plays being rehearsed can often be heard coming from the main building.

The senior high school students did not have a class party on the last afternoon of the year; instead, their classes were changed to self-study.

In the evening, as Zhou Heming passed by the wall of honor on the first floor, he glanced at the motto under Cheng Shuangjiang's photo.

Like the summit of the Himalayas, there will never be a myriad of lights shining from homes.

"Frost God is indeed a cultured person; I don't even understand this sentence."

"Are you stupid? This sentence means that at the end of the sea of ​​learning, who is the peak? Once you see the Frost God, all your knowledge is in vain. There is only one person who can stand at the peak, and that is the Frost God."

"If I could score 740, I'd be just as arrogant!"

"Do you guys think that Frost God might one day get a 750 on the test?"

"You don't understand this."

As the group chattered away, Jiang Rui, who was 1.8 meters tall, suddenly spoke up.

"This is a poem by the American poet Emily Dickinson. The whole line is: I miss you, but I can't tell you, just like the Himalayas, where there will never be a house lit up."

He shook his head and spoke with great confidence.

"This is a love poem! Aren't you all shipping them?"

"I bumped into something. I bumped into something."

The students watching nodded vigorously, praising Jiang Rui's reputation as a scholar.

Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang exchanged a smile and walked towards the cafeteria.

Zhou Heming scored 607 points in the December monthly exam. Although this was an improvement over the last one, his ranking dropped by two places. Overall, the revolution has not yet succeeded, and comrades still need to work hard.

"Speaking of which, tonight is the Winter Solstice, no wonder there are dumplings and mutton."

Standing at the cafeteria window, Cheng Shuangjiang smiled as she looked at the dishes that were different from usual.

"Here in Jiangcheng, they eat dumplings and drink chicken soup, right?"

She looked at Zhou Heming.

"My family doesn't have much of a sense of ceremony. I think we just eat dumplings."

"Then let's eat dumplings too."

The two ordered two servings of cabbage dumplings and two bowls of slightly clear chicken soup, then found a table and sat down.

"What do you eat where you live where you are for the Frost's Descent and Winter Solstice?"

Zhou Heming knew that Cheng Shuangjiang's ancestral home should be in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, but her grandfather's generation came here to support the construction of the Third Front and settled down.

“We actually have customs from all over the country, because the family compound is full of grandparents from all over the country. During festivals, everyone will cook their own special dishes. Grandpa said that I grew up eating food from 'a hundred families'.”

As she spoke these words, her expression was gentle, and these memories were clearly accompanied by warmth.

“From now on, I’ll follow Ahe. People say that a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes, just like a chicken or a dog. So I’ll follow Ahe wherever he goes.”

"The idea of ​​marrying a crane is too unlucky."

Zhou Heming spat out a curse before belatedly realizing what was happening.

"What did you just say? Marry... marry what?"

It seemed that Cheng Shuangjiang had made a very important decision in a very calm tone.

"Don't you want it, A-He?"

The girl teased him quite deliberately.

"I don't not want to."

Zhou Heming immediately spoke, but then became shy and hesitant.

"I just feel like it's a bit too early to talk about this now?"

They were just high school seniors, and the best time to talk about marriage seemed to be either in kindergarten or after graduation.

"Oh, I didn't mean I didn't want to get married, I meant there's the matter of meeting the parents, then preparing for the wedding and stuff, and so on."

"Just kidding. Even if Ahe agrees, we're not old enough to get married yet."

Cheng Shuangjiang chuckled softly, seemingly very satisfied with Zhou Heming's performance just now.

"Twenty-two years old, is that right?"

Zhou Heming had secretly checked; the boy was 22 and the girl was 20. So, the earliest they could get married was when Zhou Heming turned 22, which would be close to graduation.

"It'll be a long time."

Cheng Shuangjiang sighed with a hint of complaint.

"We, well, can wait until then together."

Zhou Heming picked up a dumpling and dipped it in vinegar.

"whee."

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled, seemingly lost in thought.

"By the way, it seems like we don't have to wear school uniforms on the day of the Double Egg Festival."

Zhou Heming seemed to remember something and spoke.

Because first and second-year high school students have class parties in the afternoon, it is also true that third-year students are not required to wear school uniforms.

"So, what does Ah He want to see me wear?"

She turned her gaze to the boy and said playfully.

Although Zhou Heming did briefly recall the image of the girl in her sailor uniform from that day, he still cleared his throat.

"Ahem, wear the clothes from the day we first met?"

Zhou Heming gave an answer that seemed like a sudden inspiration, but was actually one he had been planning for a long time.

"Hmm, it might be a bit cold, I need to put on a thick coat."

"Okay, the auditorium is heated, so it shouldn't be too cold. If it gets cold, Ahe can hold me~"

Cheng Shuangjiang agreed without hesitation.

"Will we be sitting according to class?"

Zhou Heming scratched his head.

"Then talk to your classmates about it, or Ah He, you can come to the honors class. The honors class is in the front row, so you can see more clearly. The classmates in the class are quite interested in you and will definitely welcome you."

The girl immediately offered a solution.

"The students in the top class are probably interested in the guy who stole the prettiest girl from their class."

"Hehe, Ah He is so good at complimenting people~"

"I'm just telling the truth."

Zhou Heming's biggest flaw in life is that he can't lie.

"I'm very happy."

Cheng Shuangjiang ate a few dumplings with a smile, and then put a few more on Zhou Heming's plate.

"I can't finish that much, Ah He, you can have it."

“You’re recovering from your injury, so you should eat more. Hmm, but the dumplings in this cafeteria don’t seem to have much nutritional value. I’ll make you some lotus root and pork rib soup this weekend.”

Zhou Heming accepted the dumplings.

"It's Christmas this weekend."

"Since the double holiday parties are Christmas and New Year's Day, shouldn't we prepare Christmas presents?"

Several alternatives flashed through Zhou Heming's mind.

No, get out of my way, sailor uniform. It's too early to give that as a gift.

"What Christmas present does Ah-He want?"

Cheng Shuangjiang asked with great interest.

"Wouldn't saying it aloud diminish the surprise?"

Zhou Heming suddenly felt that the roles of the two people seemed to have been reversed.

He saw online that girls were often secretive and unwilling to tell boys what they wanted, making the boys rack their brains to figure it out, which often resulted in receiving gifts they didn't like.

"What I was thinking was that although I felt that Ahe would definitely be able to buy a gift that suited my taste, I would prefer to buy a gift for 'us'."

Upon hearing her words, the boy suddenly understood.

Rather than receiving things that she could only use herself, Cheng Shuangjiang wanted to make their lives better.

Just like family.

"Then, shall we buy a microwave oven?"

Neither of them has a microwave, so they rarely buy foods like fried chicken or egg tarts because they can't easily heat them up.

"Great! This way, if it gets too cold, we can buy more food at once and put it in the refrigerator."

Zhou Heming knew she was referring to the winter break.

A warmth rose in his chest; the boy felt he had never looked forward to the holiday so much.

"If we're going to buy it, shall we go to the mall on Sunday?"

"Let me see if there are any second-hand ones for sale. This kind of appliance doesn't show much signs of use, so it's more cost-effective to buy it second-hand."

As Cheng Shuangjiang spoke, she immediately picked up her phone and searched for used microwave ovens.

That's really frugal.

Zhou Heming actually knows that many things are a good deal when they are second-hand, but he is socially awkward and usually doesn't even dare to leave reviews when shopping online. Asking customer service for coupons is even more difficult for him.

Therefore, buying and selling secondhand goods requires haggling with strangers, which is still too difficult for him.

But Cheng Shuangjiang seemed to be enjoying it.

By the time evening self-study ended, she seemed to have already selected several schools and was preparing to make a decision after comparing them.

"It still hasn't snowed tonight."

On her way home, Cheng Shuangjiang looked at the gloomy night sky and said with a hint of regret.

A couple of days ago, a light drizzle caused the temperature to drop sharply. Even with the heating on at night, blankets could easily freeze solid.

"Looks like we'll have to wait until around the Lunar New Year."

Jiangcheng experiences snowfall to some extent every year during the Spring Festival, and there have even been instances of snowfall in March due to strong convection.

"So, should we buy a couple of electric blankets? They seem to work better than central heating."

Zhou Heming felt that Cheng Shuangjiang's hand, which he was holding in his pocket, was a little cold, so he asked.

"That will be extra expenses. Hmm, let me think about it."

Cheng Shuangjiang frowned her beautiful eyebrows as she carefully calculated the remaining balance of their expenses.

As they chatted, the two walked down to the bottom of the tenement building and found that it was piled with a lot of things.

Tables, chairs, cabinets, mattresses, and even a large golden retriever tied to a fire hydrant. "Hello."

Zhou Heming greeted the well-behaved golden retriever, which was squatting in the cold wind with clear eyes.

"This seems to belong to the couple on the third floor; I've seen them walking their dog before."

Cheng Shuang lowered her voice.

So, are you moving?

Zhou Heming approached the entrance to the building.

"We're divorced."

Just then, a man's voice came from behind the refrigerator.

The man was wearing a down jacket, but his lower body was covered in pajama bottoms and cotton slippers, making him look quite haggard.

"Do you guys want it? Selling it secondhand."

He pointed to a piece of paper pasted on the side, and with the help of the community streetlights, Zhou Heming was able to read the words on it.

[Divorced! All furniture and appliances in the house are being sold at a low price, including TV, refrigerator, microwave, children's bed, etc. Contact XXXXXX (Building 3, Room 303, you can see the actual items; buy large items and get small items free)]

"Get a divorce?"

This was the first time Zhou Heming had encountered something like this, and he didn't know what kind of expression to make.

He vaguely remembered that the couple rented the apartment and had lived there before Zhou Heming moved in. They seemed to have a good relationship and were quite loving, but he never expected that they would end up getting a divorce.

Is life truly unpredictable?
"You two are the young couple on the sixth floor, right? Do you want to buy some things? I'm selling them cheap. We're both leaving this city to go back to our hometown, and we can't take our things with us. It's also upsetting to look at all the things we used together."

The man seemed quite at ease and even started promoting the product.

"It still counts."

Zhou Heming instinctively wanted to refuse. Although he wasn't superstitious, he felt it was an unlucky omen for couples to use things that divorced couples had used.

Let's take a look.

Cheng Shuangjiang agreed first.

"These are the tables, chairs, and furniture; the appliances are upstairs."

The man pointed to a room upstairs with the lights on.

Do you still have a microwave?

Cheng Shuangjiang was indeed after the microwave oven.

"Yes, we have microwaves, ovens, and air fryers. We started setting them up this afternoon, but we haven't sold many yet."

The man waved, signaling them to go upstairs.

Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang exchanged a glance and walked towards the stairwell.

"Ah-He, are you saying that buying these things is unlucky?"

Seeing through Zhou Heming's thoughts, the girl said softly.

"almost."

"But from another perspective, these home appliances were originally meant to serve the happiness of a family, but now they have failed to fulfill their mission. If we buy them and allow them to continue their mission, wouldn't that be a way of making up for their regrets?"

Cheng Shuangjiang explained with a smile.

"What you say makes sense."

Zhou Heming felt convinced by this romantic notion.

As soon as I got to the third floor, I heard a crying sound.

As I walked to the open door, I saw a little girl, about four years old, sitting in the house that had been mostly tidied up, crying loudly. A woman sat beside her playing on her phone, making no attempt to comfort her.

Just as Zhou Heming was about to speak, Cheng Shuangjiang squeezed his palm.

"Let me do it."

She took a step forward, squatted down in front of the little girl, at eye level, and then raised her right hand to show the little girl the silver bracelet she always wore on her wrist.

"Little sister, look."

Cheng Shuangjiang swung her arm, and the little fox with topaz eyes dangled in front of the little girl, attracting her attention and causing her to stop crying.

"Little Fox."

The little girl said indistinctly.

"Yes, little fox, isn't it cute?"

"cute."

"This was given to my sister by that older brother over there."

Cheng Shuangjiang pointed to Zhou Heming behind her.

The little girl looked over.

"Hello, brother."

"Hello."

Zhou Heming nodded, and was quickly pulled over by Cheng Shuangjiang.

"This older brother is a great storyteller. Would you like to hear a story?"

"?"

A question mark appeared above Zhou Heming's head, but he quickly realized that Cheng Shuangjiang wanted him to tell the little girl a story to comfort her, and then she would go and negotiate with the woman to buy a microwave oven.

"Want to hear it."

The little girl looked at Zhou Heming with teary eyes.

"Then, let's sit over here and listen."

Zhou Heming spoke to the little girl in the gentlest tone possible.

The little girl was very well-behaved and followed him to the side of the house.

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled slightly, ruffled the little girl's hair, and then walked up to the woman.

Zhou Heming thought for a moment and decided to tell a story from "The Little Prince." As he recalled the story, he organized his thoughts and occasionally glanced at Cheng Shuangjiang.

The little girl listened attentively and asked questions from time to time, making Zhou Heming a little nervous.

It was unclear how much time had passed before Cheng Shuangjiang finally arrived in front of the two.

"Okay, I've already paid you. Ah He, could you please move it?"

She pointed to a nearly brand-new microwave oven and an air fryer next to it.

"This air fryer was a free gift, hehe, I'm so lucky."

"Okay."

Zhou Heming nodded and looked at the little girl.

"That's all for today's story. In the future, well, in the future, if there's a chance, I'll tell you the rest of the story."

The little girl nodded, seemingly confused.

Cheng Shuangjiang also greeted her and said a few words.

The two men, one carrying a microwave and the other an air fryer, waved goodbye to the little girl.

After placing both items in Zhou Heming's room, Cheng Shuangjiang sighed softly.

"I thought you would tell her not to cry."

Zhou Heming looked at the girl and said.

"If you are taught not to cry when you are a child, you will become accustomed to not expressing your emotions when you grow up. If your emotions have no outlet, you will gradually become repressed."

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled.

"For adults, this may be called 'sensible' or 'composure', but in the long run, it is not good for their mental health."

Zhou Heming did not answer immediately.

Because he realized that, in a sense, both he and Cheng Shuangjiang were "sensible" children.

They don't ask much from their parents and relatives, and always appear as well-behaved children who give people peace of mind. However, both of them have some inner emptiness.

Otherwise, Cheng Shuangjiang would not have committed suicide in despair.

He himself wouldn't have such an awkward personality.

"So, Ahe, you don't need to suppress your emotions in front of me. Cry if you want to cry, laugh if you want to laugh, and express your anger or unhappiness directly~"

The girl smiled and looked at the boy.

"Ah."

Zhou Heming nodded.

"Then you'll be the same."

He reached out and gently pulled Cheng Shuangjiang into his arms.

The two leaned against each other for a moment, then the girl raised her face, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she closed her eyes.

Zhou Heming gently kissed the intoxicating pale cherry blossom color. For a moment, the room was silent, with only the sound of their heartbeats mingling and entwining.

After a moment, the two separated and stared at each other, confirming their reflections in each other's eyes.

"Just now, Ahe, did you have a little thought about it?"

The girl's cheeks flushed, and she mumbled in a soft, sweet voice.

Sorry, it might have been subconscious.

Zhou Heming's heart skipped a beat.

Although he felt that their daily kisses were already quite nice, as an 18-year-old boy in puberty, he was still somewhat curious and restless. So, occasionally, he would get carried away and become a little unruly.

"Wait, when we kiss for the hundredth time, that will be fine."

However, the girl suddenly murmured, giving Zhou Heming a clear answer.

"?"

Zhou Heming suddenly wanted to ask how many times it had happened, because he really hadn't kept track.

"It's seventy-nine times now."

A girl's shy voice came from behind.

That many times?
Zhou Heming didn't even complain about why she remembered it so clearly.

Because the stirrings in his heart had already consumed all his thoughts.

"This is the eightieth time."

The boy said.

"No, um."

All words were taken away, and the girl gently closed her eyes, wanting to fully experience this moment that Faust also cherished and prayed for to last forever.

*
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(End of this chapter)