There were still some snacks and drinks in the car, which Huai Xu took out. He didn't mind sitting directly on the ground, slowly enjoying the grand scene of this era.

There was also a pretty 'Light-Gathering' night lamp that belonged to Brother Nan; he brought it out as well, lit it up, and placed it on the ground.

So, this little hilltop also had its own glow.

Zhou Li saw Zhu Shuang open QQ and send a video to a contact with a cartoon girl avatar. After the video finished uploading, he kept forwarding it—seemingly sharing it with his numerous female friends.

Zhu Bing was also holding her phone, squatting on the ground chatting.

In my memory, boys and girls in high school seemed to have someone they were willing to message all night.

Zhou Li didn't have anyone.

After thinking for a bit, he opened QQ as well. The first chat on his list was with Huai Xu, regarding their earlier discussion about where to meet for the car.

He looked at Huai Xu beside him and skipped over him.

The second was Brother Nan.

Zhou Li: Did you watch the fireworks?

Then came Hong Ran.

Zhou Li: Sister, did you set off fireworks?

Hong Ran replied first—

Hong Ran: I didn't set off any, did you?

Zhou Li: Not yet. I'm with my younger brother and sister and Huai Xu on a hill next to a small town outside the city, watching fireworks. We're planning to wait until later, when everyone else has stopped setting them off, then we'll light ours.

Hong Ran: I'm watching too. First City has a fireworks festival. From here I can see the fireworks reflecting in Dian Lake; it's pretty nice.

Zhou Li: It must be nicer than here.

Hong Ran: [Image]

Hong Ran: I just took this. It's a pity it's almost over. I heard there will be another round at midnight.

Zhou Li: These fireworks look expensive, custom-made, right? Ours are the kind you buy yourself, a few hundred yuan per barrel.

Hong Ran: Maybe, I don't know.

Zhou Li: [Video]

Zhou Li: Look...

At this point, Brother Nan messaged him back—

Li Daimao: I just finished setting them off. Our family bought seven barrels. Besides my eldest uncle, my second uncle, my dad, and my fourth uncle all bought two barrels. My neck is sore from looking up so much, and my eyes are filled with ash.

Zhou Li: The headmaster is really stingy.

Li Daimao: Exactly!

Zhou Li casually forwarded the video he had just sent to Hong Ran to her too, saying: I'm watching from a little hill.

Then he took a photo of Huai Xu, and one of Zhu Shuang and Zhu Bing, and sent them to Brother Nan. There wasn't any particular reason—he just felt an impulse to share everything about his current situation and mood with Brother Nan.

Zhou Li: Look.

Zhou Li: Huai Xu, and your night lamp.

Zhou Li: Next to them is Zhu Shuang and his twin sister.

Li Daimao: Zhu Shuang is actually one of a pair of boy-girl twins!!?

Zhou Li: Zhu Shuang's name means "twins."

Li Daimao: !!

Li Daimao: [Expression: Shocked]

Li Daimao: Boy-girl twins are great. I always thought Zhong En and Zhong Xin were really fun together at school.

Zhou Li: It's a pity they didn't end up together.

Li Daimao: Wait, let me have my idiot cousin send me the video he took. I'll show you the fireworks our family bought. We purchased five different kinds from three surrounding towns, and the ones my dad bought are the most beautiful.

Zhou Li: Hmm.

During his free time, he messaged Hong Ran again.

Zheng Zhilan didn't have QQ, so he had to text her.

Like this, switching back and forth, he even got to experience the feeling of texting until his fingers grew tired, a strangely fulfilling sensation.

Gradually, the fireworks thinned a little.

Zhou Li checked the time on his phone—it was already ten o'clock. Looking at the last message from Hong Ran, she had mentioned a Demon with magical abilities, capable of swapping people's senses for a short period.

After thinking for a long time, he still didn't tell Zheng Zhilan but instead asked Hong Ran to keep an eye out for news about this Lord.

Huai Xu had unknowingly sat down next to him. He stretched his neck to look at the phone screen, and seeing Zhou Li put the phone away, Huai Xu broke into a wide smile. "Shall we go buy some fireworks?"

"Okay."

So they walked back to the roadside, drove to the town to buy fireworks, and found another place to set them off.

It was eleven o'clock by the time they returned home.

Fireworks were also being set off across the river. They were few in number, but the explosions and echoes punctuated the stillness of the night.

Old Zhou had already gone to bed, with the Spring Festival Gala still playing on the TV, serving as the New Year's Eve background music. Aunt Jiang was sitting on the balcony, with Tuanzi sitting upright beside her right hand, watching the outside. Tuanzi's eyes, like mirrors, reflected the murky night and the blooming fireworks.

Zhou Li suddenly regretted not taking Tuanzi with him when he went out.

She probably would have liked it.

But then again, it might have been too noisy and scared her.

At this moment, Lord Dumpling turned her head, looking at him with some confusion, and asked, "Zhou Li, how did you kids manage to run off and disappear while Lord Dumpling wasn't paying attention?"

Zhou Li went over apologetically and picked up Lord Dumpling. "Did Lord Dumpling miss me?"

"A little bit~~ Lord Dumpling just watched the fireworks. They were so beautiful, so beautiful, haha!" Lord Dumpling seemed quite happy about this, but then she added, "If you hadn't gone, you could have seen them too. Lord Dumpling wanted to tell you while she was watching, but this woman next to Lord Dumpling doesn't understand when Lord Dumpling talks."

"Mm-hmm."

Zhou Li held Lord Dumpling and said no more.

Soon, Aunt Jiang also went back to her room.

Lord Dumpling squirmed a few times in Zhou Li's arms, looked up at him with sleepy eyes, and said, "Lord Dumpling is getting sleepy, umm~"

"Go to sleep."

In the living room, only Zhou Li, Zhu Shuang, and his sister remained. They listened to the Spring Festival Gala, ate snacks, and surfed the web on their phones, occasionally chatting about something interesting.

Until the Spring Festival Gala countdown began.

Lord Dumpling wriggled a few more times in Zhou Li's arms, sleepily opened her eyes, then closed them again, apparently disturbed by the noise.

So Zhou Li turned down the TV volume.

The ten-second countdown ended quickly. The clock struck midnight, fireworks burst forth on the TV, and the New Year arrived.

Zhou Li's phone chimed too.

Hong Ran: Happy New Year, little brother.

Zhou Li: Happy New Year.

Li Daimao: ??

Zhou Li: Happy New Year, Brother Nan.

Li Daimao: [Image]

Zhou Li opened the image and took a closer look.

At the top of the image were the words 'Happy New Year,' and at the bottom was a hand with the thumb resting on the first joint of the index finger—a gesture Zhou Li knew had recently become trendy online.

It's called a 'finger heart'.

Li Daimao: Hurry up.

Zhou Li felt somewhat awkward and typed back: Finger heart.

Li Daimao: ??

Zhou Li paused, then realized that the image was actually a GIF, which hadn't loaded earlier due to the poor network connection.

After it loaded, the fingers in the image were clearly rubbing together slowly.

Zhou Li felt his face heat up; it was so awkward.

Zhou Li: [Red Packet]

Your friend Li Daimao has accepted your red packet.

After thinking about it, Zhou Li also sent a red packet to Huai Xu, who immediately replied with a silly smiley emoji.

At that moment, his phone made a DING-DONG sound—

Baozi: [Red Packet]

The red packet read, 'Cousin, Happy New Year, yo!' in quite a playful and cute tone, especially with the cute and slightly shy 'Enjoy' emoji added at the end. It showed a bashful smile, cheeks slightly flushed, which truly made Zhou Li pause—

Isn't this Little Cousin supposed to have a poker face?

How did she become so cute all of a sudden?

And so thoughtful?

With these thoughts, Zhou Li accepted the red packet.

8.88 yuan, quite generous.

Hmm...

After thinking for a while, Zhou Li sent back a red packet of 88.88 yuan with the note: Little Cousin, Happy New Year, may you grow cuter and cuter.

Your friend Baozi has accepted your red packet.

And then... there was no follow-up.

Zhou Li waited a few minutes, but there was still no reply. He couldn't help feeling a bit lost.

...

「Chunming.」

Little Cousin lay neatly on the bed, holding her phone. Her face was serious as she earnestly extended her index finger to tap the center of the screen. Watching the numbers that popped up after the red packet opened, she nodded, seemingly satisfied with the amount.

She exited and started looking for her next target contact.

She clicked '+', clicked 'Red Packet', entered the amount, and then, with an emotionless face, long-pressed the input box to paste text from a document, making slight adjustments.

Send!

Some would send a red packet back to her.

Some would not.

How to ensure a profit? This is quite an art.

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