My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 97 Zhou Heming, It's Snowing

There weren't many people left at the funeral home; they were mostly uncles and aunts.

When Zhou Heming and Lu Bai arrived at the dormitory lobby on the first floor, they were making dumplings.

"Zhou Heming is here! Oh, he brought his girlfriend."

An elderly woman looked up and immediately spotted Lu Bai behind Zhou Heming.

"She's not my girlfriend, she's just a good friend."

Zhou Heming explained.

"I'll have a girlfriend soon."

The older woman persisted, smiling as she made dumplings.

Zhou Heming and Lu Bai exchanged a glance and decided not to argue with each other any further.

"Uncle, is there anything I can help you with?"

He then turned to ask Zhou Jianjun.

"Lunch is in an hour. Go to the kitchen and help Old Lin. And this one, uh..."

As Zhou Jianjun spoke, he looked up and saw Lu Bai, and subconsciously sat up straight.

"Hello, uncles and aunts, my name is Lu Bai, and I am Zhou Heming's classmate."

Lu Bai adopted the demeanor of a cheerful and lively young girl and greeted them politely.

"Oh, Lu Bai, you're a guest, so please find a place to sit."

Zhou Jianjun pointed to the dining table on one side.

"Let me help make dumplings."

Lu Bai was quite interested.

"Okay."

Zhou Jianjun nodded.

Zhou Heming helped Lu Bai wash her hands and then asked her to make dumplings, while he went to the kitchen.

Old Lin, who was in charge of cooking, was a man in his forties with almost no hair left. He was chopping vegetables at the cutting board with practiced skill.

He was also a seasoned mortician; the hand that held the kitchen knife had repaired countless bodies.

"Xiao Zhou is here. Perfect timing. Could you wash the vegetables over there for me?"

"Okay."

Zhou Heming immediately went to help.

The sink for washing vegetables was located near the door, and he could see Lu Bai making dumplings in the hall from the side.

"First do it like this, then like this, then like this again, and you'll be able to wrap it."

The old lady was teaching me in a lot of chatter.

"?"

Lu Bai was puzzled, but he followed suit and made a wonton.

It seems that her cooking skills are indeed not very good.

"Xiao Lu, are you from out of town?"

"Yes, from Sichuan."

"Sichuan is a wonderful place. I spent a few years there when I was young. No wonder you are so beautiful."

"You have a very elegant demeanor."

"Don't flatter me, I'm old and faded. Just don't look down on us here."

"No, your work is very respectable, and I've always been interested in it."

He's not very good at making dumplings, but Lu Bai seems to be quite good at chatting.

Zhou Heming withdrew his furtive glances and listened intently to their conversation.

But as they talked, the conversation eventually turned to the topic of girlfriends.

It's clear that everyone at the funeral company is very concerned about Zhou Heming's important life event.

Zhou Jianjun didn't interrupt about Cheng Shuangjiang's matter, probably because he had guessed some of it and was just waiting for Zhou Heming to speak for himself.

after an hour.

Zhou Heming served several dishes that looked and smelled delicious, and also glanced at the dumplings Lu Bai had made.

"Very personal style."

He described those few crooked dumplings, which looked like large wontons, in this way.

"Hehe, let me tell you, these dumplings will definitely be the best ones when they come. Don't beg me to give them to you."

Lu Bai retorted.

"Don't worry, no one will take it from you. Here, take your chopsticks."

Zhou Heming put down the plate and asked Lu Bai to sit down.

There were eight people sitting around the table, including the two of them.

In addition to Zhou Jianjun and his four colleagues from the funeral home, there were also two staff members on duty at the funeral home.

"Eat whatever you like, don't be shy. Let's keep lunch simple and have something more elaborate for dinner."

Zhou Jianjun greeted Lu Baidao.

"Hmm, this is already quite a feast. I can't wait for tonight!"

Lu Bai praised it and picked up the stir-fried pork with his chopsticks.

"This meat is cooked to perfection, slightly charred at the edges and tender inside. It's professionally made!"

Every compliment hit the mark, making even the usually expressionless Lao Lin smile.

In terms of emotional value, it is given a lot.

After the meal, Lu Bai insisted on helping to clean up.

To prevent her from breaking the bowl, Zhou Heming only had Lu Bai wipe the table.

Just as he was diligently washing the dishes with dish soap, Lu Bai made a series of loud footsteps as he entered the kitchen and stood next to Zhou Heming.

What are you looking at?

After being stared at by Lu Bai for a while, Zhou Heming placed the plate upright on one side to dry and couldn't help but ask a question.

"Look at how you wash the dishes."

"What's so interesting about this?"

"Are you the kind of person that others can't tell is clean?"

"No, where did this theory come from?"

Zhou Heming wondered if Lu Bai had come across some strange short videos.

He ignored Lu Bai and carefully washed all the dishes and chopsticks.

"I'll probably be in the kitchen preparing ingredients for a while this afternoon, do you need any help?"

Although Lu Bai was a guest, Zhou Heming did not stand on ceremony with her.

"Okay, what do I need to do?"

Lu Bai glanced at the kitchen.

"You definitely can't touch the knife, and you shouldn't go near the cutting board. And the fire—um, you shouldn't touch the fire either. Do you know how to wash vegetables?"

Zhou Heming glanced at the vegetables on the kitchen counter.

"Is there anything you don't know how to wash vegetables?"

Having already taken off his hat and coat, Lu Bai rolled up his sleeves, revealing the bracelet on his right wrist.

"Do you know how to pick vegetables?"

"What do you mean? Weren't the vegetables already picked?"

Lu Bai was bewildered.

"Well, okay, you can be in charge of washing the vegetables. Use a basin to wash them and scrub them to remove any dirt that might be on them."

Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai's fair and delicate hands, which clearly showed she hadn't done much housework.

"Take your bracelet off, it'll get wet."

"Oh"

Lu Bai thought for a moment.

She took off the bracelet, then lifted her hair and tied it into a simple ponytail with the bracelet.

"So it can still be like this."

Zhou Heming looked at Lu Bai with her hair in a ponytail and felt a bit of novelty.

Because his hair wasn't as long as Cheng Shuangjiang's, his ponytail was also short. If Cheng Shuangjiang's ponytail had a gentle and quiet temperament, then Lu Bai's was full of youthful energy, like a boisterous first love who would grab your arm and pester you to go play claw machines with her.

"What? Are you so captivated by my beauty that you can't take your eyes off me?"

"I'm thinking that bracelets have so many functions."

Zhou Heming spoke the truth.

"You are indeed very beautiful."

His biggest flaw in life is that he can't lie.

"hey-hey."

Lu Bai smiled with satisfaction.

"Is this bracelet some kind of family heirloom?" Zhou Heming asked curiously while picking vegetables.

"This? It's a custom from my hometown, used to pray for peace and safety. People in my hometown really like these kinds of beaded bracelets. They say you have to wear them from birth, at least until you're thirty. I'm used to wearing them, and I feel quite uncomfortable without them."

Lu Bai put the tomatoes in a basin, turned on the tap, and carefully scrubbed them, making sure there was no dirt on them. She was very meticulous.

"In some places, people tie red strings on their feet."

Zhou Heming murmured, recalling the red string on Cheng Shuangjiang's ankle.

When they slept together, she would sometimes put her feet over her, and the roughness of the red rope and the soft touch of her feet created a wonderful sensation.

Lu Bai glanced at Zhou Heming but didn't say anything.

In the afternoon, the people who stayed at the funeral home patrolled and cleaned the cemetery. Around 4 p.m., they put up a sign that it was closed for the holiday.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the first dish had already started cooking.

Lu Bai helped clear the table. The TV was playing the pre-show of the Spring Festival Gala. She had previously found it boring and hadn't watched it, but Zhou Jianjun and the others were enjoying it while eating sunflower seeds.

While washing the vegetables, Lu Bai and Zhou Heming chatted about the uncles and aunts. They learned that most of them no longer had parents and were either unmarried or divorced due to personal reasons or work reasons, and had no children. That's why they stayed here to celebrate the Spring Festival together.

Their professions are also incredibly diverse.

For example, that warm-hearted old lady used to travel all over the country with her husband when she was young. Later, her husband and son passed away one after another due to illness. When she was handling the funeral arrangements in Jiangcheng, she accidentally came into contact with this industry, so she simply entered the industry and has been doing it for many years.

For example, that chattering uncle who was in charge of creating a lively atmosphere was originally a wedding emcee, but due to unforeseen circumstances, his partner absconded with the money, and in order to pay off his mortgage, he had no choice but to become a funeral emcee.

For example, Lao Lin, who is in charge of cooking, was actually a chef before, specializing in cooking large meals for construction sites and the like. Later, when the civil engineering industry declined, he switched to the funeral industry.

It was almost 7 p.m. when the last dish was served.

Boiled chicken, steamed pork belly, beef brisket with potatoes and tomatoes, braised mixed fish, stir-fried rapeseed with cured meat, stir-fried amaranth, fried lotus root and eggplant sandwiches, spicy and sour lotus root, lotus root and pork rib soup, and some braised dishes I bought before, such as duck necks, duck frames and dried tofu, and of course, dumplings.

"Xiao Lu, please eat whatever you like, make yourself at home."

Zhou Jianjun gestured for Lu Bai to sit next to Zhou Heming.

"Mmm, thank you, Uncle. I've never had such a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner before!"

Lu Bai smiled and picked up his chopsticks.

The Spring Festival Gala was playing on the TV. The adults started by chatting about gossip that jumped around a lot, occasionally mentioning Zhou Heming and Lu Bai, teasing them about when they would get together, which made Zhou Heming just drink his beverage like crazy.

Lu Bai, on the other hand, handled the adults' conversation with ease. Even when teased, he remained calm and casually changed the subject.

No wonder he's a seasoned veteran who entered society early and has been dealing with people in the film and television industry for many years.

"Time to eat dumplings."

When he brought out a pot of dumplings, Lao Lin divided them into several bowls for everyone.

Most of the dumplings were very neatly arranged and looked very appetizing.

A few of them, however, have very distinctive features.

Even if they can't be called ugly or deformed, they are still a sight to behold.

It's obvious at a glance that this is Ms. Lu Bai's masterpiece.

"I want these, Uncle Lin."

Out of humanitarian spirit, Zhou Heming did not want Lu Bai to harm the other uncles and aunts, so he pointed to the dumplings in front of Lao Lin.

The dumplings were quickly placed in his bowl.

"Let me tell you, being able to eat dumplings made by my own hands is the greatest blessing of your life."

Lu Bai scoffed at this.

"Thank you so much."

Zhou Heming put some vinegar and chili in his bowl and ate one of the dumplings.

"Is it tasty?"

Lu Bai stared intently at Zhou Heming, waiting for his answer.

"Well, the taste of dumplings mainly depends on the filling, and it's not much different from the skill of making dumplings."

Zhou Heming replied.

"So it's not bad?"

Lu Bai smiled, then reached out with his chopsticks, picked up one of the dumplings from Zhou Heming's bowl, and ate it in a flash.

"Mmm, it really tastes delicious! It seems I do have a real talent for cooking!"

"."

Zhou Heming looked at Lu Bai's lips, which were red and moist from eating chili peppers, and hesitated to speak.

"What? I'll just give you one back."

Lu Bai noticed Zhou Heming's gaze, wiped his lips with a tissue, and then put a dumpling from his bowl into Zhou Heming's bowl.

Looking at the neatly shaped dumpling, Zhou Heming scratched his head, but ultimately ate it anyway.

I don't know if it was his imagination.

Lu Bai's dumplings do seem to taste better.

*
Because the last bus to the funeral home runs at 10 p.m., Zhou Heming and Lu Bai packed their things and went back around 9 p.m.

The fireworks were set off at Zhou Heming's house. They got off the bus at their stop and walked along the road towards the residential area.

Aside from the two of them, the bus only had the driver, and it sped along, taking only half the usual time.

There were almost no pedestrians on the street, and the streetlights, which were decorated with banners that read "Happy Spring Festival," seemed rather desolate at the moment.

The two walked down the street, one after the other, their breath steaming in the air. Zhou Heming looked up at the sky, which seemed to be weeping, and he had a premonition that tonight would be a snowy night.

As Zhou Heming passed by the closed convenience store, he subconsciously looked up when he got downstairs.

The lights were on in Cheng Shuangjiang's house.

She should be back from her uncle's place.

Thinking this, Zhou Heming and Lu Bai went upstairs. The sounds of people playing the Spring Festival Gala or chatting with their families came from other homes in the hallway, making the night no longer quiet.

Occasionally, the sounds of firecrackers or fireworks could be heard in the distance, sporadic and fragmented.

This year, only a few districts in Jiangcheng are allowed to set off fireworks, and their neighborhood is one of them.

When he took out the fireworks, Zhou Heming hesitated for a moment whether he should ask Cheng Shuangjiang next door, but in the end he did not knock on the door to disturb her.

The two arrived at the open space outside the residential area, a place where elderly people usually play chess, walk their dogs, and chat.

"It's so cold."

Lu Bai rubbed his hands together and watched Zhou Heming put the fireworks on the ground.

"This is called the 'Twelve Shots for the Spring Festival,' which means there are twelve shots."

Zhou Heming took a lighter and tried twice to light the fuse. He then immediately ran to Lu Bai's side, and the two of them covered their ears and looked at the firework box.

Nothing happened.

"Could it be a counterfeit or substandard product?"

Lu Bai lowered his hands from his ears and asked in confusion.

"That's impossible. It was very successful last time."

Zhou Heming recalled the time Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou were on the river embankment; he had bought the same kind of fireworks then, and there was absolutely no problem with them.

next moment.

The firework box emitted a sharp whistle, and then, colorful fireworks shot into the sky and exploded in the quiet night.

"Wow!"

Lu Bai looked up at the dazzling fireworks exploding, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.

Zhou Heming picked up his phone, turned on the video recording, and looked up at the blooming fireworks.

"Light up the long night."

he murmured.

Lu Bai turned his head and glanced at the boy.

"You can't do this."

Then, she took a step forward and made a megaphone shape with her hand.

"Light up the long night!"

He shouted loudly, then turned to Zhou Heming with a smug smile.

"It has to be like this, so that the whole world can hear your voice. Even if the whole world can't hear it, at least I have to hear it, hehe."

Zhou Heming stared blankly at Lu Bai.

The colorful fireworks illuminated her face, making her eyes display vibrant colors that seemed otherworldly.

Amidst the dazzling array of colors, there was the image of a young boy.

A certain thrill spread from Zhou Heming's chest, like frozen fireworks blooming all over the riverbank.

Suddenly, Lu Bai raised his palm.

As you can see, tiny ice crystals fall into that fair and delicate palm and melt instantly.

The two looked up and saw countless fine snowflakes falling from the gloomy sky, like petals drifting down at a speed of five centimeters per second.

A profound sense of loneliness descended upon Zhou Heming as the snowflakes fell heavily.

"This is the first snowfall in Jiangcheng this year."

A clear, cold voice came from behind him, causing the boy to turn around abruptly.

Cheng Shuangjiang, a girl wearing a duffle coat and a light blue scarf, was standing behind the two men. She made eye contact with Zhou Heming for two seconds before speaking.

"Zhou Heming, it's snowing."

*
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(End of this chapter)