The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

The custom of setting off firecrackers during the Lunar New Year is said to have originated in the pre-Qin period.

Moreover, everyone has heard that legend, about driving away the Nian beast. We don't know how such a powerful monster could be afraid of firecrackers and the color red.

Although many places now discourage setting off fireworks for safety and environmental reasons, in Ye Shu's hometown, which is far from the city, the sound of fireworks can be heard all day long.

Just a couple of days ago, Ye Shu thought that his hometown was no longer allowed to set off fireworks, but it turned out that it wasn't that they wouldn't set off fireworks, but that the time hadn't come yet.

However, it's understandable; it just doesn't feel complete without setting off firecrackers during the Lunar New Year.

"Let's go set off the cannons!"

Just like when we were kids, my two older brothers would shout and carry several large bags of all kinds of firecrackers into the yard.

Xiao Tao couldn't wait any longer and ran out after them.

Xiao Nuan was also wrapped up tightly by Ye Shu, and they went to the courtyard together.

Not many adults came out, because Auntie had already put the dough and dumpling filling on the table. There would be many people this year for the New Year, so they had to make more dumplings.

The men who had slept on the kang (a heated brick bed) all sobered up and felt too embarrassed not to work, so they all joined the dumpling-making team.

Uncle Er didn't want to take the package, so he said, "I'm going out to watch the kids set off firecrackers, don't let them get hurt," and started to walk out, but Aunt Er grabbed him and pulled him back.

There was no other way but to obediently make dumplings.

A large red lantern hung in the courtyard, and colorful lights were also hung outside the house. In addition, during the Chinese New Year, all the rooms were kept brightly lit, regardless of whether anyone was inside or not.

In the center of the courtyard sat a large, square firework, the most valuable one of the night—the kind that shoots upwards rapidly once lit, but it had to be set off after midnight.

Ye Shu wasn't particularly interested in these big fireworks. He lit them and looked up at them. They were pretty, but once he finished watching, they were just so-so.

He prefers to set off things like firecrackers and double-bang firecrackers.

Especially the skyrocket, the long, thin kind with a small stick attached to the back.

The normal way to play is to stick the stick into the snow, light it, and you'll hear a "whoosh" as it shoots into the air and then "pop" as it explodes.

But Ye Shu had a more exciting way of playing; he preferred to hold the wooden stick in his hand and let it fall.

The moment you light the firecracker, you can clearly feel a pulling sensation, and when you let go, watching the firecracker launch from your hand is incredibly exhilarating.

Of course, the trade-off is that if you let go too slowly, or if the stick is too short, or if there's too much gunpowder inside the firecracker, you'll get your hand splattered.

But isn't that part of the fun of setting off fireworks?

"Little Nuan, come on, play this."

Xiao Tao pulled Xiao Nuan to a sheltered spot in the yard, took out a handful of sparklers, the kind sold in stores.

She lit the lighter and started spitting sparks all around, illuminating her slightly reddened face from the cold. She handed the lighter to Xiao Nuan and lit another one.

Xiao Nuan held the thin wire in her hand, watching the sparks in front of her. Her face appeared very calm under the sparks.

She just stared at the fleeting light in her hand, seemingly studying something.

The courtyard became lively because of the sound of cannons.

After everyone had played what they liked, it was time for this year's highlight: the 10,000-shot "Big Red Earth".

Everyone stood a long way off. The eldest brother, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, walked to the firecracker fuse. He bent over, his backside sticking out, ready to turn and run away at any moment. He held the cigarette in one hand, squinting as he lit the fuse.

The moment the fuse was lit, the older brother immediately turned around and ran back.

Perhaps he was running too fast, or perhaps his shoes weren't slip-resistant; he tripped and fell flat on his face as soon as he turned around.

But the firecrackers didn't wait for you to stand up before they went off; they had already exploded behind your older brother. He didn't care about his image anymore and scrambled back on his hands and feet.

The people in the courtyard were amused, and even those watching from the windows inside the house couldn't help but laugh.

Xiao Nuan was still holding the small flower in her hand when Ye Shu walked behind her and gently covered her ears.

Xiao Nuan didn't move. Instead, she tilted her head back to look at Ye Shu and whispered something, but Ye Shu didn't hear her.

Ye Shu looked at the firecrackers, her heart filled with emotion.

This year is really coming to an end; in just a few hours, it will be next year.

What will the new year bring?

He lowered his head and looked at Xiao Nuan for a moment, smiled, and said nothing.

The firecrackers burned out, leaving only a pile of red paper and the smell of gunpowder in the air.

Xiao Tao took out a handful of small firecrackers from her pocket and pulled Xiao Nuan aside to put them away.

Xiao Tao smiled, waving the sparkler in her hand and drawing circles in the air.

Xiao Nuan simply stood quietly, her head slightly lowered, seemingly lost in thought as she looked at the sparkler in her hand.

This scene has a quiet and warm beauty... I have to take a picture!

Ye Shu took out her phone from her pocket, turned on the screen, and found several unread messages.

But Ye Shu didn't hesitate and immediately opened the camera.

Messages? Put them aside for now, don't keep me from taking pictures.

I took two steps back, found the right angle, and fired a long string of shots like a machine gun at that spot before finally opening the photo album with satisfaction.

In the photo, Xiao Tao is smiling brightly and looks very lively. Xiao Nuan, on the other hand, is as still as water and looks very focused.

One in motion, one still; one warm, one cold—they are perfectly harmonious.

Moreover, the light from the fireworks also cast a golden glow on Xiao Nuan's face.

This is so beautiful! This photo is very well taken; it's probably award-winning.

Ye Shu selected the most perfect backup image before opening WeChat.

There's quite a bit of news.

[Domestic Violence Male Correctional Institution (4)]

[Zhang Xiaoqiang] Happy New Year, guys! @What is everyone doing?

[Wang Yu] Happy, happy!

Then I received a red envelope.

[Han Yang] Damn, so polite?

(Han Yang received the red envelope, and Zhang Xiaoqiang received the red envelope.)

[Wang Yu] @Human Low-End Version, where's Brother Ye? Why isn't he grabbing it?

[Zhang Xiaoqiang] Of course he's spending time with his wife, he doesn't have time to look at his phone. She's not on the same level as us anymore.

Ye Shu looked at the message on her phone, a smile playing on her lips, and tapped on the red envelope.

Five cents and seventy cents, the best luck...

[Ye Shu] You give one yuan to four people? Old Wang, are you even human?

Even after leaving the group chat, there are still other messages in the list.

Chen Xing also sent one to himself, but it was clearly one of those mass-sent New Year greetings, something like "Wishing you a Happy New Year..." and so on.

Ye Shu also replied.

Happy New Year, Sister Chen Xing! Wishing you great wealth in the new year!

Chen Xing replied instantly as always:

Happy New Year, Xiao Ye! I hope you'll bring me good fortune and that I'll never forget you.

Looking again, Qin Lili had also sent her a message, but it wasn't a New Year's greeting; instead, it asked:

[Ye Shu, is Xiao Xue with you? I tried calling her, but her phone is off, and she's not replying to my messages.]

Ye Shu quickly replied:

[Don't worry, Lili, she's with me. She's spending the New Year at my house. She probably forgot her phone and it's out of battery at home.]

After sending it, I felt something was missing, so I added another sentence:

Happy New Year, Sister Lili!

After a long while, Qin Lili finally replied with an OK emoji.

Ye Shu's social circle is only so big, but it's also very worry-free. He never reads the messages in groups like his high school classmates' groups or the club groups he joined in college, and he doesn't grab red envelopes or participate in them.

Just as he was about to put his phone in his pocket, the screen lit up again, revealing a friend request.

The other person's name is "Chu Deng Chu Shang" (literally "Lights Come On"), their profile picture is a picture of a beautiful woman, and their nickname field is empty.

Who would add someone as a friend during the Chinese New Year? But Ye Shu still agreed.

The moment my application was approved, they sent me a message with just one sentence:

Happy New Year, Ye Shu! Wishing you a happy and fulfilling life ahead.

The message was just a very ordinary New Year's greeting, but it gave Ye Shu a feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He replied with a sentence:

Thank you, and Happy New Year to you too! May I ask who you are?

But the other party never replied. Ye Shu stared at it for a few seconds, but didn't take it too seriously.

"Ye Shu".

Xiao Nuan had finished setting off her fireworks. She looked at Ye Shu and said:

"Let's go inside, it's cold."

Ye Shu put his phone in his pocket and reached out to hold Xiao Nuan's small, icy hand:

"Yeah, let's go inside, it's quite cold."

As the two reached the door, Xiao Nuan suddenly turned to look at Ye Shu and said:

"Ye Shu, Happy New Year."

"Yes, Happy New Year."