1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 186 Farewell, the youth of nineteen years old, frozen on this day.

"hehe."

Li Liang couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The brothers were at odds with each other, teasing and joking, and then went to drink on their own, and sure enough, they all got drunk.
-
"Past events have vanished like smoke before our eyes."

Even after we said goodbye, I couldn't see any sadness in you.

"Everything you give me is just a perfunctory gesture. The more innocent your smile, the wilder my love for you will be."

"My longing for you is like a kite with a broken string; it can't fly into your sight, nor can it warm your gaze."

"I have already seen a tragedy unfolding, and there is no joy at the end. I am still hiding in your dream."

"There are always moments of understanding, words spoken that can never be fulfilled, and in the blink of an eye, I see your face, which is now unfamiliar and will never be the same as before."

"My world has started to snow, so cold that I can't love for even one more day, so cold that even hidden regrets are so obvious."

"I kissed you goodbye on an empty street, letting the wind laugh at my inability to refuse."

"I kissed you goodbye in the raging night, my heart awaiting sorrow."

Fueled by alcohol, Wang Fan asked the landlady for a guitar and belted out Jacky Cheung's "Goodbye Kiss" at the top of his lungs, drawing cheers from the onlookers.

Qu Peng got into it too, shaking his head and banging on a plate to accompany him.

Li Liang, a towering 88 meters tall, performed a high-energy dance on stage, showcasing his moonwalk skills.

The magical dance moves left Wu Meng completely dumbfounded.

"Brother-in-law, what are you performing?"

Xu Yi chuckled as he watched, and then encouraged Gu Bin.

"Let's spin the chopsticks."

Gu Bin casually picked up a chopstick and twirled it between his fingers.

"it is good."

The onlookers were even more excited and showed their support enthusiastically.

"Xi Yu, ah."

Half-drunk and half-awake, Wu Meng rubbed her eyes and said, "Am I seeing things? Am I seeing something so surreal?"

"No."

Lin Xiyu watched with amusement: "It's a pity we don't have a video recorder to record it for them."

Don't you find it strange?

Wu Meng was utterly astonished: "Wang Fan was busking, Qu Peng was playing the accompaniment, Li Liang was dancing, and Gu Bin was performing acrobatics."

"Hahaha"

Lin Xiyu couldn't help but burst out laughing when she heard about the street singing and acrobatics.

"Li Liang will be sober by tomorrow."

Seeing her laugh, Wu Meng chuckled and said, "He'll probably slap himself in the face and say three times, 'Drinking leads to trouble, trouble!' He'll just ruin the glorious image of the honor guard so spectacularly."

"Hahaha."

Lin Xiyu was amused by her humorous tone and couldn't stop laughing.

"Young man, you sang so well, it's our turn now."

With someone taking the lead, the barbecue stall gradually became lively, and the stall owner very cooperatively turned on the stereo and played the most popular music at the moment.

The group, intoxicated, began a wild party of singing and dancing.

"Xi Yu, shall we jump too?"

Wu Meng's emotions were stirred by the cheerful rhythm, and she became restless.

"I can't dance"

Lin Xiyu recalled the awkwardness of the hometown gathering and subconsciously glanced at Gu Bin.

Gu Bin happened to turn around at that moment, looking at her with a half-smile.

"What's wrong with disco?"

Wu Meng, unaware of the truth, kept urging, "Just twist a couple of times to the beat, that's all."

"no no no"

Under Gu Bin's death stare, Lin Xiyu kept shaking her head.

"I can jump"

Xu Yi, being a clever little fellow, sensed something was wrong. He jumped up from the stool and wiggled his little body to ease his sister's embarrassment.

"actually."

Gu Bin smiled leisurely: "You can jump if you want."

"Do not."

Lin Xiyu answered firmly: "I've already said that I will never attend any gatherings again, no matter who asks me to go."

"You'll lose a lot of friends if you do this."

Gu Bin seemed to be very considerate of her, but the smile in his eyes was obvious.

"Friends are not as important as you."

Lin Xiyu answered decisively.

“I’m not that petty. I won’t care if you dance with other men.”

"You've been drinking. You can't believe what someone says when they're drunk."

"You doubt me?"

Gu Bin raised an eyebrow, feigning displeasure.

"I do not have."

Lin Xiyu categorically denied it.

Are you worried that I'll fight for you?

I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about that person.

"So you're saying I'm stingy?"

"No."

"You are."

"You can't be so domineering, pinning something on me that didn't happen."

"So naughty."

Gu Bin smiled teasingly: "How should I punish you?"

"."

Lin Xiyu wanted to argue, but before she could speak, she was silenced by a domineering kiss.

Gu Bin broke off the engagement immediately, but even so, it was spotted by sharp-eyed people, who whistled and started to cheer.

"Xiao Yi, it's time to go home."

Lin Xiyu blushed, grabbed her younger brother, and turned to leave.

"I haven't eaten any baked flatbread yet."

Xu Yi was thinking about baking sesame cakes and didn't want to move, but he was no match for his sister's strength and was forcibly dragged away.

Gu Bin found it amusing, packed up three baked flatbreads, and strode after them.

"Hey, why did you guys leave?"

Once the three left, Wu Meng was left alone at the table.

She was bored sitting alone, and seeing that Li Liang and the others were having a great time and showed no signs of stopping, she simply squeezed over and joined in.

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, everyone except Gu Bin and Lin Xiyu went wild. In the middle of the night, some people were still howling loudly, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the residents of the community.

Wang Fan and the others had been up all night and were now sober. Hearing the residents upstairs scolding them, they suppressed their laughter and fled the scene as fast as they could.

Nineteen-year-old youth, the most beautiful memories of four childhood friends, are frozen on this day.

-

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Dingsheng Decoration's main store opened for business. Under the stunned gazes of her colleagues, my cousin quickly completed her resignation procedures and walked out the door with her head held high.

It must be said that she is indeed skilled in business. Relying on the connections she had accumulated before, she managed to carve out a path in the decoration market and gain a foothold in less than a year with her guerrilla team.

As the branch stores grew bigger and bigger, the head office had no choice but to rely on price wars to attract customers.

The vicious competition finally caught Li Xiao's attention. After a series of suppression measures proved ineffective, he had to admit that his initial decision was indeed somewhat rash.

I shouldn't have offended my cousin and kicked her precious puppy out of the house.

My cousin didn't care whether Li Xiao had repented or not; she was focused on making money. However, what she never expected was that her connection with Li Xiao would go far beyond that.

The two met at the investor's company while competing for a project, and unfortunately, Li Xiao happened to get acute appendicitis that day.

His cousin disregarded past grievances and took him to the hospital for surgery. Fortunately, the rescue was timely, and a tragedy was averted.

Li Xiao was grateful and her impression of her cousin changed. Thus began the romance between the two bickering lovers.

-

My uncle and cousin worked together on renovations, and my aunt, not wanting to be idle, went to sell clothes at the small commodities market.

My cousin's clothing shop has two sourcing channels. One is her high school classmate, whose family has been in the clothing wholesale business for many years. The clothes she gets from her are not first-hand sources, and are only 20% cheaper than the market price. She adds a maximum of three to five yuan to each piece of clothing, so there is not much profit margin.

Another way to source goods is to wholesale directly from clothing markets in Shanghai and then ship them back by train.

My aunt has children and can't leave for Shanghai, so she can only rely on Lin Xiyu to help her source goods.

Lin Xiyu, burdened with a heavy responsibility, bid farewell to her family on the tenth day of the first lunar month and returned to Shanghai with Gu Bin.

Wu Meng didn't travel with them this time. Li Liang was going to Beijing after the New Year to join the guard of honor training camp, so it would be difficult to see him again.

Neither of them wanted to part so soon. In addition, Wu Meng's family matters had not yet been resolved, and she was also worried about her parents. Therefore, she would stay until after the Lantern Festival before returning to school to register.

Before Lin Xiyu left home, Chen Xiulan gave her another five thousand yuan that she had saved up, so that she would have enough funds to purchase goods.

As for living expenses, Lin Xiyu still refused, saying that she was capable of earning money and did not need her mother to worry about her anymore.

-

The Shanghai Foreign Trade Garment Wholesale Market and the Woolen Sweater Wholesale Market are in the same area, not far apart, only about a kilometer apart, just one bus stop away.

As always, the two wholesale markets were packed with people, with merchants from all over the country flocking to the area.

Lin Xiyu had never been to a foreign trade clothing wholesale market before and was unfamiliar with the environment, so she didn't rush to buy goods on the first day. Instead, she and Gu Bin toured the entire wholesale market together.

Having gained experience in sourcing wool sweaters from the wholesale market, she figured out the tricks of the trade after a day of browsing.

The two wholesale markets operate on roughly the same model: the latest spring styles are displayed at the front for people to snap up, while older styles are piled up in the discount area, with prices decreasing as you go further in.

The southeast corner of the warehouse has a special clearance area where most of the goods piled up have minor defects and were returned during export, so they are being sold off here.

The Laodongmen Small Commodities Market is suitable for mass consumption and is known for its low prices. When selling clothes in Laodongmen, the price should not exceed 50 yuan. Any higher price will deter most customers, as the price alone will make them hesitate to buy.

Lin Xiyu is very familiar with the market in the old Dongmen area, so she knows what she's doing and can easily choose clothes.

She and Gu Bin spent three days shopping in the discount section, stocking up on enough supplies for two months, and then shipped it back to her aunt by train.

-

The goods were all prepared, and the date had arrived at the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, leaving only one day until school started on the sixteenth.

"No wonder people say the Oriental Pearl Tower is Shanghai's money-printing machine. Tsk, the price is really expensive."

At the foot of the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai's most famous attraction, Lin Xiyu hesitated for a long time, but still couldn't bear to spend money to climb to the top of the tower to see the night view.

"Expensive things have their value."

Gu Bin patiently advised, "The feeling of looking down on all the mountains from the top of a solitary peak is definitely different from sitting at the bottom of a tower and looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."

"We've already climbed Mount Tai, so let's not waste our money."

Lin Xiyu remained unmoved: "If you have a lot of money, just give me the money for the tickets. I don't mind your charity." "Little money-grubber."

Gu Bin affectionately pinched her nose: "Didn't you save up quite a bit of money? You can't even bear to spend this little bit?"

“I gave my cousin 10,000 yuan to invest in her company.”

Lin Xiyu said matter-of-factly, "I spent all the remaining money on purchasing goods, and now I'm penniless. I'm almost out of money for living expenses."

"I'll take care of you."

Gu Bin doted on her immensely, gently pulling her into his arms.

Judging from your tone...

Lin Xiyu nestled against his chest and winked playfully: "Just like my cousin raises her Coke, it's like raising her own pet cat or dog."

"I don't like keeping pets, I only like keeping you."

Gu Bin bent down and kissed her forehead.

"Hiss, it's so cold."

A cool breeze blew by, and Lin Xiyu couldn't help but shiver.

Gu Bin turned around and used his back to shield her from the cold wind blowing from the river.

"Shanghai winters are quite cold too."

Lin Xiyu shrank back, snuggling into his arms like a little quail: "Although it didn't snow."

Before the words were finished, another gust of cold wind blew over, and snowflakes began to fall from the night sky.

"Snowing?!"

"It's snowing!"

Wow, this is the first time I've ever seen snow.

"It's freezing! Who says southerners are resistant to the cold? I'm going to buy a down jacket!"

At the foot of the Oriental Pearl Tower, she was not alone in her astonishment. A commotion arose as some people frolicked in the snow, while many others shivered in the cold wind.

"Let's not try to save money, let's go to the top of the tower and stay for a while."

Gu Bin was worried that she would get cold, and he wanted to take the opportunity to persuade her.

"No."

Lin Xiyu blinked her eyes and said coquettishly, "I don't want to see the night view, I want to eat tangyuan (sweet rice balls)."

"Okay, let's go eat tangyuan (sweet rice balls)."

Gu Bin smiled indulgently, ready to grant any request.

-

The two went to a small, privately owned Huaiyang cuisine restaurant and ordered two servings of glutinous rice balls.

After arriving in Shanghai, Lin Xiyu gradually adapted to the local tastes and ordered another serving of sweet fermented rice balls, which she chewed with great relish.

Gu Bin, on the other hand, has a typical Shandong palate; he prefers salty food to sweet food.

I can only eat five or six black sesame dumplings before I get tired of them, and I don't even want to try sweet fermented rice dumplings.

Lin Xiyu used her charm and coaxing to coax him, finally managing to get the top scholar to give her the honor of tasting a bite with her spoon.

"Is it tasty?"

She watched him swallow it whole and almost burst out laughing.

"It's alright, I couldn't really taste anything."

Gu Bin couldn't possibly miss her little scheme, so he smiled helplessly and, for the sake of his fiancée, tolerated it.

"Hahaha"

Lin Xiyu rarely saw him so embarrassed, and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You're being naughty again!"

Gu Bin laughed in exasperation and gave her a sharp rap on the head.

-

“At this time of year in previous years, Grandma would take us to make tangyuan (sweet rice balls).”

As Lin Xiyu ate glutinous rice balls, she reminisced about the past, her face full of regret: "My cousin was the clumsiest. He could never wrap the big glutinous rice balls with filling properly, so my grandma made him knead them into solid little balls."

"The little dumplings are also delicious, they're very chewy. Add some brown sugar to the soup, and it tastes similar to sweet fermented rice balls. It's a pity that my cousin didn't come back for the holiday this year, I didn't even get to see him, and I couldn't make dumplings with my cousins."

-

"Want to make tangyuan? It's easy, just follow me."

Gu Bin, showing his doting love for his wife, immediately got up and led her to the kitchen of the small restaurant.

After hearing their purpose, the boss's gaze fell on the two men's tightly clasped hands, and he smacked his lips a few times with a hint of envy.

The landlady agreed without hesitation when she saw someone offering to work for free.

Lin Xiyu is skillful; she can roll glutinous rice balls quickly and perfectly, making the proprietress smile with delight.

Gu Bin also tried rubbing a few, but his movements were very clumsy.

The two helped each other in the kitchen, chatting and joking as they worked, smearing rice noodles on each other's faces.

The boss was amused, grinning like an idiot.

The proprietress kept her head down and remained silent, tacitly approving of their actions.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a young couple who were deeply in love spent a romantic day in a small restaurant in a foreign land.

At midnight, fewer and fewer customers came to eat, and the small restaurant was about to close.

"Come visit often!"

The proprietress's gaze towards the young couple had shifted from shrewd calculation to reluctance.

"Come again next time, Uncle will cook you something delicious."

The shop owner insisted on handing Gu Bin a plastic bag filled with glutinous rice balls.

"Goodbye, Uncle and Aunt. We will definitely come to your shop again when we have the chance. We wish you a prosperous business and all the best."

Gu Bin couldn't refuse, so he accepted the gift. After exchanging a few more polite words, he waved goodbye to them.

"A sneeze."

As soon as Lin Xiyu stepped out of the small restaurant, she sneezed from the cold wind: "It's so cold outside. Luckily, the owner is kind and took us in. Otherwise, we would have definitely caught a cold if we had been freezing by the river."

"At this time, there are no more boats returning to Puxi."

Gu Bin pulled her into his arms and tried to discuss it with her: "How about we find a place nearby to stay for the night?"

"Ah."

Lin Xiyu's ears turned red as she thought about what was about to happen.

Gu Bin led his men to a nearby hotel and booked a room.

Without any outside interference, he finally got his wish and slept soundly with his sweet and soft beloved in his arms.

-

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, school started, and students from other places returned to school one after another to register.

Even though they were reluctant to part, the two still had to separate and return to school for classes.

School days were as dull and monotonous as ever, and Lin Xiyu resumed her routine of going between the classroom, dormitory, and library.

Li Qing's study abroad did not cause much of a stir at school. The students who heard about it only made a few envious and jealous remarks before completely forgetting about her.

Lin Xiyu was also focused on her studies and had no intention of explaining things to her.

School days fly by, and two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

In late April, when the Bauhinia flowers were in full bloom, it should have been a wonderful time for couples to enjoy the spring scenery. However, the loving couple could never have imagined that they would receive devastating news from their hometown.

-

Gu Bin's mother was implicated in a bribery case, and her name was prominently featured on the list of gifts given by the suspect.

She was unaware of the details and refused to plead guilty during the investigation.

Inspectors searched the house and found evidence: ten gold bars were hidden in the tea gift box that the man had given them.

When Grandpa saw the gold bars, he was so anxious and angry that he suffered a heart attack and fainted on the spot.

Upon hearing the news, Gu Bin didn't have time to explain to Lin Xiyu. He took the train home that very night, but even so, he was only able to see his grandfather one last time.

Grandpa held his hand, said only one sentence, "Take good care of your mother," and then closed his eyes and passed away.

Grandma was also exhausted and fell ill.

After settling his maternal grandmother in, Gu Bin didn't even have time to attend his maternal grandfather's funeral before rushing off to the city where his mother lived.

Even so, he was still too late.

-

His elder brother, Fu Zheng, is a fighter pilot and cannot have any blemishes on his record.

Upon learning of this, the Fu family immediately issued a public statement severing ties with his mother.

Just as her grandfather had predicted, Gu Yuelan had a smooth life since childhood, never experiencing any storms, and was unable to withstand setbacks.

She felt wronged and was already quite traumatized. Her husband's divorce and the loss of her beloved son became the last straw that broke her.

On the day she signed the divorce papers, she became mentally unstable and somewhat insane.

-

The case quickly escalated, and all the officials involved were arrested, expelled from the Party, and imprisoned.

Gu Bin did his best to defend his mother, proving that she did not intend to accept bribes and knew nothing about the gold bars.

However, the reality was far crueler than he had imagined.

Investigators cannot rely solely on his one-sided account; the mother and son have no evidence and are unable to defend themselves.

Left with no other choice, he went to Beijing and begged his sixth grandfather to intercede for his mother.

“I, Gu Jianye, have never done anything that violates organizational principles in my life. This is the only time, and the last time. I will no longer concern myself with your affairs, mother and son, and you should not come to me for help again.”

Out of consideration for his deceased second brother, Sixth Grandfather granted his request. The disappointment in his eyes was like a steel needle piercing Gu Bin's heart.

Considering that his mother had already suffered a mental breakdown, the investigators made an exception and allowed him to be released on bail pending trial.

The Fu family did not want their grandson to be implicated, so they persuaded him to sever ties with his mother.

Remembering his grandfather's instructions, Gu Bin resolutely gave up his studies and accompanied his mother abroad for medical treatment.

-

Lin Xiyu's mother, Chen Xiulan, was unaware of the details of the bribery case. She only knew that Gu Bin's maternal grandfather had passed away, and the usually bustling courtyard was now deserted, with no one coming to pay their respects.

As a mother, she also cared about her daughter. After much hesitation, she finally told her the gossip circulating among the neighbors.

It was only at this moment that Lin Xiyu learned that Gu Bin's maternal grandfather had passed away, and the panic in her heart reached its peak.

She had no way of getting information, and the only person she could think of was...

She picked up the phone and dialed a number she hadn't heard from in a long time.

Upon receiving the call, Wang Fan did not hesitate and flew from the scene of the incident to Shanghai that same day.

However, he brought not good news, but an even more devastating piece of bad news.

Gu Bin was already on a flight to the United States. Before leaving, he gave Lin Xiyu a brown paper bag containing a handwritten letter he had left for her, as well as 30,000 yuan.

Upon seeing the letter, Lin Xiyu coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

In his haste, Wang Fan didn't think twice and pulled the person into his arms.

The world is ever-changing and unpredictable; a couple in love faces many hardships and setbacks in their relationship.

Time slips away silently through our fingers, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.