Ice is not averse to deception

In December, the ice city was unusually free of snowflakes; a few withered leaves hung from the branches, long since devoid of the glory and pride of midsummer.

A gust of wind blew by, and it fell from the branch. Before it could say goodbye to the past, it was shattered into pieces in the hurried flow of people, with nothing left to cling to.

Disordered footsteps cannot stop the desolation of this winter.

A lively child's voice rang out from the dim and cramped corridor.

"Bing-ge, your mother-in-law is coming. Aren't you going to make some preparations?"

A pair of bright, large eyes peeked out from behind the curtain. Sun Xiaoni looked up at Sun Bing and chuckled, her twin ponytails swaying with her slender figure.

The person called "Brother Bing" is actually Sun Xiaoni's father, Sun Bing.

He waved his hand dismissively, saying nonchalantly, "It's not like it's my first time here."

Sun Bing doesn't remember when his daughter started calling him "Brother Bing," he only remembers it was when the three of them were chatting and laughing together.

This is No. 11 Chunfeng Lane, where a long and narrow seal-carving shop stands out somewhat.

This used to be a bustling commercial street, but over time, this old town area has become unsuitable for the commercial district planning of a metropolis.

The sign proclaiming "Building Harbin's No. 1 Commercial Street" still hangs sporadically on the wall, telling the story of the area's former prosperity.

Sun Bing is the owner of this seal-carving shop. Because it is an old Baroque building that has been converted, customers have to go through a narrow and cramped corridor to enter the shop, which adds a sense of decline to the already dim business.

  

Fortunately, Sun Bing had hung a GG sign on the wall by the entrance, but because the space was small, several corners were blocked by other people's GG signs, making it feel cramped and suffocating.

It's already December, but Harbin has yet to see its first snowfall of the year, and construction of the Ice and Snow World has been delayed.

Ice and Snow World, which started in 1999, has attracted countless domestic and foreign tourists with its unique creativity and exquisite ice and snow carving skills.

It has become a shining example of winter tourism, bringing tourists from all over the world to this northern ice city.

Sun Bing felt a little guilty. If the Ice and Snow World didn't open, he wouldn't be able to get a part-time job as an ice sculptor, and his already difficult life would become even more difficult.

As an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of ice sculpting, Sun Bing doesn't even dare to call himself an ice sculptor, but rather a part-time ice sculptor who earns money by sculpting.

He thus became what his mother-in-law sarcastically described as a "celebrity" in name only, and even eating became a problem.

After finally switching careers and opening a seal-carving shop, business was as bleak as the scenery outside.

Sun Bing's life is a series of exclamation marks, filled with failures!

Three years ago, Sun Bing spared no expense, using all his savings and even borrowing 100,000 yuan from Tiger, a notorious local gangster, to take over the shop.

But to Sun Bing's surprise, just three months after he took over the shop, the "Chunfeng Lane" redevelopment plan was canceled for unknown reasons.

The once bustling Chunfeng Lane quickly turned into a desolate place, with nearby merchants fleeing or moving away.

Others can travel light and leave at a moment's notice, but Sun Bing has staked all his wealth on this shop. He did consider selling it, but after inquiring about the price, his heart sank, and it's been half-dead and dragged on until now.

Because he couldn't make money and was reduced to a despised small vendor, his mother-in-law's family's attitude towards "artist" Sun Bing deteriorated.

Sun Bing used to be a guest of honor, but later she gradually became a part-time kitchen helper in her mother-in-law's house.

Later on, Sun Bing's seat gradually disappeared from the dining table...

By the way, two months ago, Sun Bing's brother-in-law, Liu Qiang, forcibly brought his sister, Liu Ruo, back home and has already started pressuring Sun Bing to divorce Liu Ruo.

Sun Bing also felt that his life was like a cheat code; wherever there was a loophole, he would exploit it.

The series of failures made Sun Bing afraid to take another step forward; her only hope was her daughter, Sun Xiaoni.

Sun Xiaoni loves dancing and is very talented; she won an award after only a few months of learning.

Sun Bing believes that the light that didn't shine in herself will surely shine in her daughter.

So even when eating became a problem all these years, Sun Bing never missed a single class for her daughter.

Two years ago, Sun Bing put aside all his pride and applied for a job as an ice sculptor at the Ice and Snow World. Although he only worked for a little over a month each year, he could earn 1,200 yuan a day, which greatly alleviated his difficult life.

But this year, it's already early December, and there's still no sign of construction starting on the Ice and Snow World.

He read the online experts' predictions that this year would see a La Niña effect, destined to be a harsh winter.

Sun Bing firmly believed in the experts' words.

Seeing her father watching that expert prediction video again, Sun Xiaoni shook her head and sat on Sun Bing's worktable like a little adult: "Brother Bing, you really believe what experts say online? Yesterday, an expert even said that poor people should use their spare money to invest in idle properties to rent out and improve their lives."

Sun Bing couldn't help but shake his head, gently stroking Sun Xiaoni's nose with his finger: "What does a little brat know? Not all experts are unreliable," he then said in a loud voice, "One-sided—"

Sun Xiaoni is just nine years old this year. She wears a school uniform with pigtails, has a round face and dimples. When she smiles, no matter what kind of monsters or demons they are, they will all be conquered by her cuteness.

Whether it's due to genetics or not, Sun Xiaoni has been talkative since she was little, possessing both a mischievous and precocious nature.

According to her biological mother, Liu Ruo, Liu Ruo started teaching Sun Xiaoni to speak when she was less than one year old, and by the time she was three, Liu Ruo was already trying to find ways to make Sun Xiaoni shut up.

Because of the expert's prediction, a "fierce" argument broke out between the father and daughter.

Sun Bing had the advantage of age, and used the excuse that he was just a little kid who didn't know any better.

Sun Xiaoni retorted, saying that Sun Bing's naivety was even more innocent than her own, a mere child.

As they were talking, Sun Xiaoni's expression suddenly became tense, and with so many years of tacit understanding, Sun Bing immediately guessed what was going on from his daughter's eyes.

Sure enough, Sun Bing turned around and saw his mother-in-law, Liu Hong, walking down the corridor toward the shop.

Liu Hong's footsteps were firm and resounding, the clatter of her high heels filled with a sense of pressure.

Before Sun Bing had much time to prepare, Liu Hong had already arrived at the door. With the creaking sound of the door opening, a disdainful gaze entered the room first, heading straight for Sun Bing.

"Mom, you're here."

Sun Bing immediately lost the toughness she had shown when arguing with her daughter, and became as obedient as a rabbit.

Sun Xiaoni pouted and shook her head, clearly disdainful of her father's change.

"I've come to see Nini."

Liu Hong bypassed Sun Bing, who came to greet her, and walked up to her granddaughter Nini. Her expression instantly changed: "Nini, Grandma bought your favorite crabs and shrimp. Grandma will cook them for you, okay?"

Sun Xiaoni smiled brightly and made a relieved gesture as if to cooperate: "Yay! I'm going to do my homework, then we'll eat crabs!"

Watching Sun Xiaoni excitedly run towards the "study" next door, Liu Hong's face was unusually radiant.

Although it's called a study, it's really just a private space separated by a curtain.

Back then, Sun Bing had exhausted his family fortune to take over this shop, so he naturally didn't have the money to buy a house. Therefore, for the past few years, Sun Bing and his daughter Liu Ruo have been living in this shop.

The area is less than 30 square meters in total, but fortunately it is a one-bedroom apartment with a separate bedroom, so the sleeping area is not entirely within the customer's sight.

Nini is still young, and she used to share a bedroom with Sun Bing and Liu Ruo. Sun Bing knows that this can't go on forever, as his daughter is growing up and obviously needs her own private space.

"Is this all you feed Nini every day? There's not even a piece of meat in the fridge?"

Liu Hong's questioning voice came from the "kitchen".

It's called a kitchen, but it's actually just a temporary area that Sun Bing built with corrugated steel sheets in that narrow corridor.

"Xixi bought ribs at the grocery store, and they arrived this afternoon, Mom," Sun Bing quickly explained.

But this clearly did not stop Liu Hong.

"Oh dear, you can't use this brand of soy sauce. Only additive-free soy sauce is healthy."

"Don't buy milk that's close to its expiration date; throw it away!"

"Only a few eggs left? I told you you have to buy pasteurized eggs!"

"..."

Liu Hong's mouth was like a loaded Gatling gun; it never stopped from the moment she entered the kitchen.

Sun Bing naturally dared not slack off and busied himself with tasks according to Liu Hong's instructions.

As for Sun Xiaoni in the "study", she couldn't stand the disturbance and simply put on headphones.

In less than half an hour, Liu Hong had prepared the meal. Seeing that Sun Bing had gone out to throw out the trash and wasn't there, Liu Hong cautiously asked Nini, "Nini, shall we go home together after dinner?"

Sun Xiaoni smiled at Liu Hong and said while eating crab, "Ms. Liu Hong, are you sure you're not mistaken? This is my home."

Liu Hong instantly lost her temper, but still smiled and said, "Nini, don't you miss your mother? Go to Grandma's house, you can eat crabs every day and you'll have your own bedroom."

Clearly, Liu Hong's purpose in coming here today was not just to cook crabs for Sun Xiaoni.