Chapter 40.1

The final exams are over, and students are going on winter break.

Wen Yue, Grandma Fang, and Lulu were still living in the county. They talked to Zhou Yao on the phone two days ago, and they will be back in more than a week.

On the first day of the holiday, Wen Yue cleaned the yard inside and out. Grandma Fang wanted to help but she persuaded her not to.

Grandma Fang’s health wasn’t good, so she should avoid physical exertion. Besides, all Wen Yue did was sweep and dust the furniture. As for the heavy work, Wen Yue couldn’t do it and had to wait for Zhou Yao and the others to return.

“Sister, when will brother and the others come back?” Fang Lulu, dressed in a pink down jacket, leaned against Wen Yue, her cheeks flushed from playing outside.

Compared to before, she was much more outgoing and had put on some weight, making her look adorably chubby.

“They’ll probably be here in a couple of days,” Wen Yue calculated, smiling as she spoke. She picked up tongs and took two roasted sweet potatoes from the fire pit. They were hot, so she let them cool before handing one to Lulu. “Do you miss your brother?”

Fang Lulu nodded.

Wen Yue took a bite of the sweet and sticky sweet potato and asked with a smile, “Which brother do you miss?”

The little girl blinked her big, shiny eyes and innocently replied, “I miss them all, but I miss my brother the most. I haven’t seen him in a long time, and he doesn’t call.”

Previously, when Zhou Yao called, he would often have Fang Shitao and Ren Yeliang join in, and Wen Yue would call Grandma Fang and Lulu. The little girl was fascinated by the phone and always wanted to chat for a long time. Recently, Zhou Yao and the others seemed very busy and hadn’t called in a while. The little girl nags about it every couple of days.

Wen Yue thought she might not just want to talk to Fang Shitao but also liked playing with the phone.

It had been drizzling outside for the past few days, and the weather was cold and damp. Wen Yue didn’t want to go out, so she stayed home, roasting sweet potatoes and teaching Lulu her homework, supplementing her lessons, and reading extracurricular books borrowed from the library. The days passed satisfactorily.

It rarely snows in coastal cities, and it basically only rains in winter.

One morning, Wen Yue woke up and noticed that the temperature seemed to have dropped even further. Looking out the window, she saw the courtyard covered in white.

Wen Yue was momentarily stunned. She dressed warmly and opened the door, revealing a snowy landscape.

It had snowed!

Wen Yue’s eyes lit up.

In her past life, it hardly ever snowed where she lived. At most, there was sleet. She had only seen such large snowflakes on TV and in videos.

Wen Yue extended her hand, feeling the icy coolness of the snowflakes on her palm. Tilting her head up, she watched as snowflakes drifted under the eaves, landing on her long, thick eyelashes.

The view was beautiful, but it was also very cold.

Wen Yue went back inside, wrapped a scarf she had knitted around her neck, and put on a hat she had also made. Bundled up, she boiled water for washing up and prepared breakfast.

In such cold weather, one needed something hot to eat.

Wen Yue decided to make porridge. In the summer, lighting a fire was torture, but in the winter, it was a pleasure. The orange flames dancing in the stove provided a comforting warmth.

“Yueyue, you’re up early,” Grandma Fang said as she woke up. Seeing the snow outside, her cloudy eyes widened. “Oh my, it snowed! Next year will surely be a good year.”

Wen Yue nodded with a smile, “I think so too. Is Lulu still asleep?”

“She’s awake but reluctant to get out of bed,” Grandma Fang said kindly.

“It’s normal to be reluctant to get up in such cold weather,” Wen Yue pointed to the pot. “There’s hot water in the pot. Use it to wash your face, not cold water.”

“Alright, alright,” Grandma Fang replied.

The snow started to fall heavily, with flakes as large as thumbs. The initially thin layer of snow on the roof thickened. Wen Yue stood up and lifted the pot lid to check the porridge, the rising steam blurring her vision.

“Knock, knock—”

A loud knocking sounded at the door.

Wen Yue glanced at the entrance. Who would come knocking on such a snowy day? Could it be Nianqiu and her sister?

“Who is it?” Wen Yue called out.

“It’s me,” Li Nianqiu’s voice came from behind the door.

“Nianqiu?” Wen Yue got up, braving the snow to reach the door. She pulled away the wooden bar securing the door. “Why are you here in such heavy snow?”

As she opened the door, she was greeted not by Li Nianqiu but by a familiar tall figure.

Wen Yue looked up and met a pair of deep, bright eyes. Her words caught in her throat, and her clear eyes instantly lit up. “Zhou Yao?”

He stood there, covered in white snowflakes, his eyes bloodshot, looking travel-worn.

“Yes, I’m back,” Zhou Yao’s tightly pressed lips curled into a smile, and his furrowed brow relaxed, the ice melting away.

Wen Yue looked him over, her eyes filled with concern. “Why have you lost so much weight?” His features seemed even more pronounced and gaunt.

“Have I?” Zhou Yao raised his hand to touch his face.

These past two months, they barely rested and ate poorly, so losing weight was normal. But seeing Wen Yue’s worried face, her lips pouting as if she might cry, he immediately responded, “I haven’t lost weight; I’ve just grown.”

Wen Yue was puzzled, “Grown?”

“Sister-in-law, why do you only see Brother Yao? We’re still here too!” Ren Yeliang shouted, drawing Wen Yue’s attention.

Wen Yue turned to look and hesitated for two seconds. “Yeliang, you seem to have gained weight?” More accurately, he looked stronger, as did Lao Fang.

Previously, Ren Yeliang and Fang Shitao were quite thin, almost emaciated. Now, they both looked much sturdier and tanned.

Ren Yeliang grinned, “I’ve put on a bit, sister-in-law. Let’s go inside and talk; it’s freezing out here.”

“Yes, come in. You haven’t had breakfast yet, right?” Wen Yue realized, quickly stepping aside to let them in. She exchanged a knowing glance with Li Nianqiu, who had followed behind seeing the amusement in her eyes, and smiled back.