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墨書 Inktalez
Happy New Year has washed away the past sorrows, and everyone has set aside their previous bad moods; celebrating the New Year is what matters most to the Chinese.
As Fei Hu lit firecrackers like a child, listening to the deafening sounds and watching beautiful patterns explode in the sky, Ye Cheng stood in the yard of his villa, smiling like a blooming flower.
This afternoon, Fei Hu was undoubtedly the busiest person. He was not only busy inside and outside but also had to help Sister Wu in the kitchen. Ye Xiaofei, as she said herself, was a foodie who could only watch and not help. Throughout the afternoon, she complained the most about Sister Wu for sending three maids home.
Fortunately, Fei Hu was capable. Although his work was a bit rough, he could do the work of three people. By the time dinner was ready, everything that needed to be done at home was basically finished. Ye Cheng asked Sister Wu to prepare a few dishes as offerings. The elderly never forget the customs of celebrating the Spring Festival, even while living in a big city.
In the center of the living room stood a small square table with several dishes on it and two incense burners. After Fei Hu finished setting off the fireworks, Ye Cheng washed his hands and personally lit incense, kneeling several times in a very respectful manner. After completing these actions, he smiled at Fei Hu and said, "Come on, you should light some incense too; may it bless you with peace in the new year."
The elderly man's sincere attitude moved Fei Hu greatly. Imitating Ye Cheng's earlier actions, he performed them perfectly, causing Sister Wu to nod approvingly while Ye Xiaofei scoffed lightly as if to say it was old-fashioned.
On New Year's Eve, everyone gathered around the table to eat and drink, discussing past and present events; it was truly delightful. Fei Hu shared several drinks with Ye Cheng, watching as the elderly man's face gradually turned red. At Sister Wu's suggestion, Fei Hu said, "Grandpa, take your time; I’ll make a call home."
"Good! Good! You see my memory; I originally wanted to remind you but forgot all about it in my excitement. The phone lines will definitely be busy tonight. Go to my room; there's a landline. Close the door and chat with your grandpa for about eight minutes. Don't say it's to save me money on calls; otherwise, I won't be happy. After your call, we’ll continue chatting and drinking. Let me tell you, no one is allowed to sleep tonight," Ye Cheng said with a hearty laugh, clearly very happy that evening.
Fei Hu nodded and ran up to the building. Ye Cheng's door was open; once inside, he closed it to avoid disturbing others while making his call. Everything went smoothly; it took hardly any effort for the call to connect. The person on the other end was his grandpa, which thrilled Fei Hu. It was New Year's Day after all; he should have been by his grandpa's side instead. Feeling guilty inside, he nearly cried during their first greeting—who says men don’t shed tears easily? They just don’t do so until they are truly heartbroken.
The grandfather and grandson had a wonderful conversation that lasted over an hour, just as Ye Cheng had said. When Fei Hu felt the receiver getting slightly warm, he reluctantly said goodbye to his grandpa.
As soon as he came downstairs, Ye Xiaofei exclaimed, "Hey! Hurry up! You've been on the phone for so long that your battery might be dead! There must have been over ten calls while you were talking; hurry up and return one!"
Ye Cheng laughed and said, "These calls aren't urgent. As long as you have a good chat with your grandfather, that's what matters. Young Man, it's fine to hang out here; making a few friends is definitely necessary. Go ahead and return the calls!"
Fei Hu smiled, picked up the phone from the tea table, and ran out of the living room. Standing under the big red lantern in the villa's yard, he opened his phone to check. A-Lian had called five times, Bald Zhang three times, and Xia Yan twice. One of the numbers he didn't recognize, but he decided to start returning the calls from the top.
A-Lian's call connected, and it was lively on the other end. Everyone exchanged greetings, and it turned out that A-Lian wanted to invite Fei Hu to her factory for the New Year. Fei Hu explained his situation to A-Lian, and they hung up amidst well wishes.
Just as Fei Hu was about to call Bald Zhang, it seemed like Bald Zhang had eyes in the back of his head; he called Fei Hu instead. As soon as the call connected, he exclaimed, "Hey boss! What's going on? You bring a phone but don't answer it? You might as well not bring it at all; it just makes me want to call you more. Just one thing: are you coming over? Big Sister is right next to me; she said that if you come over tonight, she's all yours. You better handle this like a man!" Bald Zhang rambled on without giving Fei Hu a chance to speak; it seemed he had drunk too much.
Once Bald Zhang finished talking, Fei Hu explained why he couldn't come out. Bald Zhang was reasonable about it and didn't press further before hanging up.
Fei Hu noticed that the next call was from Xia Yan. It seemed she hadn't gone back home. Sigh! It's tough out there, especially in a big city. Even a big man like Fei Hu sometimes found it hard to get by; let alone a woman.
The call connected, and laughter erupted from the other side, filled with women's voices. Fei Hu quickly shouted into the phone, "Hello! Are you going to say something? If not, I'm hanging up!"
"You dare! You've missed several calls from me! Are you in some woman's arms and can't pick up?" Xia Yan said bluntly without any hesitation.
Fei Hu laughed and replied, "If you're not around, where would I be lying in some woman's arms? It sounds lively on your end; looks like you're having a good New Year. Let me wish you in advance."
"Cut that out! Hurry over here! I have three sisters who want to celebrate New Year with you. Don't even think about saying you can't come; if you do, I really won't recognize you anymore. Just so you know, they're all gorgeous!" Xia Yan said while giggling lightly.
Fei Hu mischievously replied into the microphone, "Actually, I'm really not coming..."
"Shut up! Are you still a man? Are you afraid that we three will gang up on you? Seriously, they're all classy women; they might not even be interested in you," Xia Yan retorted as she veered off-topic.
Fei Hu smiled and said, "It's not like that; I have important responsibilities and can't leave." He patiently explained his current work to Xia Yan, but she seemed to know little about it and didn't buy into Fei Hu's reasoning. Fei Hu understood that Xia Yan meant well; she just wanted him to enjoy the festive season a bit more. Unable to persuade her, he hurriedly hung up the phone.
When he returned to the living room, the Spring Festival Gala had already started. Ye Cheng was happily watching with Ye Xiaofei and Sister Wu. When Ye Xiaofei saw Fei Hu return, she smiled and said, "I didn't realize you had quite a few friends. I heard Yingzi say you could gather one or two hundred people under your command. Are you trying to compete with our Dragon Tiger Gang?" As she spoke, she chuckled lightly and handed a glass of champagne to Fei Hu.
Fei Hu sat down, took a sip of the champagne Ye Xiaofei gave him, and smiled, saying, "Those are just friends hanging out together; it's nothing serious. Don't listen to Yingzi's nonsense."
Ye Cheng turned down the volume on the television and said to Fei Hu, "No wonder I couldn't invite you over; it turns out you have your own crew. It's impressive! Being able to establish a foothold in A City means you're dealing with some formidable characters. I see you doing well in the future, but at the beginning, you'll definitely face some challenges. You need to be mentally prepared for that. Also, society has progressed; violence is no longer in vogue. The focus now is on how to make big money. Our Dragon Tiger Gang is also gradually restructuring, eliminating many positions and cutting personnel."
"Grandpa, you're breaking the rules! We agreed not to mention Dragon Tiger Gang during the New Year celebrations," Ye Xiaofei interrupted Ye Cheng before he could continue.
The old man paused and laughed, "It's my fault; I'll remember that. I'll think about your proposal tomorrow, and if I find it reasonable, we can implement it the day after."
"Great! Grandpa, you said it—don't go back on your word! Fei Hu and Sister Wu will be my witnesses," Ye Xiaofei exclaimed joyfully, as if she had found a gold ingot.
Fei Hu thought to himself that he had no idea what they were talking about or what kind of witness he was supposed to be. Just then, his phone rang again. Looking at the unfamiliar number, he hesitated about whether to answer it when Ye Xiaofei nodded at him and said, "Answer it! What’s there to worry about?"
Fei Hu hurriedly extended his phone toward Ye Xiaofei. She glanced at it and suddenly froze before saying, "This is an overseas call from England."
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