The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

I had originally taken the day off today, but I didn't expect so many friends to be interested in the follow-up to what happened yesterday.

Then I'll work overtime and ramble on a bit, and maybe add a little extra chapter.

Yesterday, after I got off the plane, as soon as my phone got a signal, a whole bunch of missed calls popped up.

I didn't dare answer or reply to any of them.

Those red missed calls were all death sentences for me (bitter smile)...

As mentioned earlier, my parents went to work in other places at a very young age, in the Northeast. I also followed them to live in the North when I was young, and we had a place to live there.

Speaking of which, my lifestyle and regional identity are more inclined towards the North, even though I am a native Southerner.

Back at my home in the north, I turned on the power as soon as I entered and lay down on the sofa.

The heating is on, it's very warm, and it's incredibly quiet all around. There are no noisy children, and hot water comes out as soon as you turn on the tap. It's wonderful!

To be honest, although the Chinese New Year I write about is all about yearning for happiness, I don't actually like celebrating it.

Especially when going back to one's hometown for the Chinese New Year.

In previous years, my parents and I spent the Spring Festival in the north.

There are no other relatives, just the few of us.

No need to go through the trouble of preparing a large table of dishes, visiting relatives and friends, greeting a group of complete strangers, and being blamed for not knowing their names.

"Huh? I used to hold you when you were little! How come you don't remember me?"

To be honest, I'd like to ask myself a question.

Big brother (big sister), do you remember who held you when you were seven or eight years old?

Last year during the Spring Festival, I hadn't resigned from my old company yet, so I stayed at the company to work the holiday.

I'm getting paid three times the salary and have nothing to do. It's like I'm making money while lying down. It's wonderful.

Except for New Year's Eve, when you're lying alone in your rented room, listening to the firecrackers going off outside the window, you might feel a little sad.

Having lived in the north for a long time, my memories of my hometown are gradually fading, and there are fewer and fewer things I can cherish.

The clear, green stream where I used to play as a child has turned into a murky, stinking ditch.

The friends I used to play with have gone their separate ways, each with their own careers. We've lost touch, and when we meet again, we can't even remember each other's names. We can only pretend to be strangers and brush past each other.

The only people I feel I'll miss the most are my maternal grandparents.

When I saw them again after many years, they looked so different that I almost didn't recognize them.

A hunched figure, pale hair, a stooped back, and faltering steps.

At this age, to put it bluntly, every meeting with an elderly person is one of the last.

When I go back to my hometown, I mainly want to stay by their side, listen to them talk, and help them with some work in the fields.

Unfortunately, if I stayed in my hometown any longer, I'd probably be chopped into minced meat (not as whole).

A dog's life is more important!

I lay on the sofa, watching the fireworks outside the window, pondering what path to take next.

First of all, my mom must have found out about my writing about Liu Bei, who is obsessed with his sister, because the first person my cousin called out to when she came downstairs was her.

Given the speed at which the village intelligence bureau spreads information, I should already be on our village's honor roll and become the talk of the town.

Of course I have a clear conscience. I have never harbored any ill intentions towards my cousin. Occasionally, when we chat on the phone, I would even urge her to find me a brother-in-law sometime so that I could sit at the table with the kids when she gets married and show off the dishes.

But just the fact that I wrote about Liu Bei is enough to get me judged a hundred times over by the adults.

Perhaps, a hundred years from now, legends about me will still circulate in our village.

"Hey, do you remember? Just a hundred years ago, so-and-so's son was a good-for-nothing who wrote erotic novels online and corrupted young people."

Without even a second thought, I knew my mother was on her way to find me, sword in hand.

However, I should be safe before the Lunar New Year, specifically before the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Because no matter what, my parents will spend the Spring Festival in our hometown.

So, I can lie still for a few more days.

As for what plans you have after the New Year?

Of course, I'll pack my bags and get out of the house (sadly). I'll come back in a few years, begging for forgiveness, once my parents have calmed down.

With that in mind, I took out my phone and casually ordered takeout.

It has to be said that prices in the North are practically free compared to those in the South.

I still remember the first time my mother and I came to the North, when we saw vegetables that cost five cents a pound or one yuan a pound. My mother and I looked like we couldn't believe our ears.

In the vegetable markets of the south, even the cheapest cucumbers cost three yuan per pound.

My remarkable achievement of gaining 50 pounds in two years of work is absolutely inseparable from the vegetable prices in the north! (Annoyed)

In comparison, food delivery offers greater volume at lower prices.

A hamburger, a Coke, two chicken legs, a bag of fries, a bag of purple sweet potato and pea pies, and a chicken cutlet.

8.89 yuan!

Who could resist ordering this? (I certainly couldn't.)

After ordering takeout, I went into the bathroom and took a nice, relaxing shower.

I walked out of the bathroom drying my hair. Even though I was naked, I wasn't cold at all. The heating was on at 25 degrees Celsius, and I had to kick off the covers to sleep at night.

At this moment, I only have one sentence to say.

It's so delicious!

A while later, my phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

My 8.89 six-piece set has arrived!

I quickly got dressed and answered the phone.

"Just leave the takeout in the elevator, thank you."

As everyone knows, I am a shy person who is not good at speaking. I am very resistant to socializing, and the thing I least want to do is get a haircut.

Because Tony, the hairdresser, has a cheerful and enthusiastic personality, he would chat with me about everything from the origin of all things to the destruction of the universe during the haircut.

I strongly resisted, yet I had no choice but to respond to his awkward conversation.

So every time I get a haircut, I make one request.

"Cut it as short as possible, thank you!"

The reason I do this is because cutting my hair as short as possible reduces the number of times I need to go to the hairdresser.

The only thing I can keep about my self-respect is not to shave my head completely bald (my head shape would look terrible bald).

I'm the same way as a delivery driver.

In our area, food delivery is usually brought upstairs, but I ask the delivery person to leave it in the elevator. That way, I can pick it up myself without meeting the delivery person, which saves the delivery person some effort, and everyone is happy.

But on the other end of the phone came a voice I never expected.

"Waaaaah, I'm so sorry..."

That's the voice of my little cousin, the Demon Orb.

I was stunned for a full two and a half minutes.

From his hoarse voice, you could tell that his buttocks were swollen and bleeding.

Guys, were you all stunned? I was absolutely stunned.

Later, when the actual takeout arrived, I ate my 8.89 (emphasis added) burger, fried chicken, fries, and cola while listening to my relatives' conversations over the phone and figuring out what had happened.

It turned out that a relative at the village entrance saw me leave the village without even changing my shoes, carrying my laptop and looking furious (actually, I was just frowning because I was too nervous), and immediately reported it to my mother, who was visiting relatives.

My mother immediately brought all the aunts and uncles in the village to look for me. While making phone calls (on silent, afraid to answer), she searched all over the town, but couldn't find any trace of me.

I already took a taxi and pumped up the gas, it would be strange if they caught me...

Unable to find me, they went back to my fifth aunt's (Little Devil's mother) house to investigate what had happened to me.

Judging from the situation at the time, they must have figured out who angered me, which is why they left in a huff without even saying goodbye.

So, who else can make me angry?

First, exclude adults.

Because I always put on a cheerful face for everyone, I'm just acting, playing the role of a good child in their eyes, to make my parents proud.

I even have great respect for the village dogs.

The only thing I openly expressed my dislike for is children.

I like girls who have a bit of childlike innocence and naivety, but I don't like really naive kids, especially those who have no sense of boundaries (every point of which precisely hits my social anxiety, poor communication skills, and aversion to trouble).

This has also deeply influenced my views on marriage and childbearing. I might choose to be childless, or if I do have a child, I want a sweet, obedient, and sensible daughter.

Getting back to the point, coupled with my inability to play well with the kids in my family, my relatives quickly guessed which child had upset me.

As a result, all the children in my family suffered severe torture at the hands of their parents.

Finally, Little Demon couldn't withstand the pressure and tearfully confessed that he had messed with my computer.

My mother and fifth aunt turned green with anger.

My mom knows that I don't like anyone touching my personal belongings.

In addition, his filthy appearance was very memorable (I won't go into details, just thinking about it makes me want to vomit)...

My fifth aunt also knows about these things. She and my mother have a very good relationship. They often have long phone conversations, and they would spend an entire night researching discounts on live streaming platforms. Their online shopping packages support the operation of a delivery station, earning them the nicknames "Online Shopping Emperor" and "Online Shopping King".

So, with a cold face, she called Little Demon Ball over to her and gave him a good beating.

Of course, it wasn't just about touching my computer.

He doesn't study, he's glued to his phone all day, he doesn't eat properly, he's in third grade and still cries for his mom to help him take a bath, he hasn't touched his homework since winter break, and he makes a ruckus at home every day... and so on and so forth, let's settle all our old and new grudges together.

Then, Little Demon Ball enjoyed a complete childhood.

After getting a good beating, under the threatening gaze of my fifth aunt, he used his little genius phone watch to call me.

He cried and apologized to me, promising never to touch my things again.

What else can I say?

Give them a few words of advice in a generous manner, and then accept it (I'm actually quite happy about it).

Seeing this, I'm sure everyone is wondering.

What is my cousin doing? Didn't she go to tell on me?

I was completely baffled.

I reached into my pocket and found the cell phone I'd taken from my cousin before I left.

The Hallo Kitty wallpaper on the screen was still there, squinting at me.

Logically speaking, even if the phone wasn't in her possession, since they lived in the same village, if she complained, who could keep it a secret?

Then, my cousin's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Brother, Auntie beat up *** (Little Demon's name) for you too. Come back, and I'll deduct a little from the New Year's money I was going to give him and treat you to shrimp chips (a snack we used to share when we were kids)."

And my mother's persuasion.

"Yes, ** (my name), my grandparents are so old. They keep saying that you haven't come back for years and they want to see you. Please come back soon and keep the old folks company."

What else can I say?

After it was all over, I agreed without really thinking about it.

When my mom asked me where I went, I didn't dare say I took a plane back to the north, so I just said I was in my hometown city.

After hanging up the phone, I quickly finished my 8.89, put the house back in its original state, turned off the power, bought a plane ticket, and took a taxi to the airport.

By the way, I have to complain about this driver. His car was really bad! He floored the gas pedal and then slammed on the brakes, almost making me lose my 8.89 mph.

I rushed to board the plane, flew into the clouds, and returned to my hometown.

As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I was so shocked that my pants almost fell down.

Damn, my cousin is waiting for me at the airport entrance.

The outdoor temperature hasn't been cold these past few days, so she wore a white long-sleeved shirt, a pink jacket, a brown skirt, white cotton socks, and sneakers.

Standing in the crowd, he was extremely conspicuous.

Putting everything else aside, I still approve of her looks. (Maybe it's because of the filters I haven't seen in years?)

Although she's not as perfect as the stream I described (for example, the mountain peaks are steep, but I prefer the flat airport!), she's still a natural beauty. Her natural face is much prettier than many of the futuristic faces of women her age that I've met before, even after they've been made up.

She lived alone; she had no other relatives.

I pretended not to know her and walked towards the ride-hailing waiting area with my head down.

"You little brat (my name), you're pretending not to recognize me, aren't you!"

She grabbed my backpack, her teeth clenched so tightly they were practically banging.

"Excuse me, who are you, ma'am?"

I remained stubborn, awkwardly digging my toes into the ground.

"Okay, okay!"

She gritted her teeth.

"When I get back, I'll tell my second aunt (my mom) that you're writing a novel about a sister-obsessed emperor, and that you're using me as a model. You can expect to be kicked out of the house!"

"No, no, no, no, no!"

If there hadn't been so many people, I almost would have knelt down before her.

"Grandma, let's talk this out and discuss it properly..."

"Give me back my phone!"

She stretched out her hand and held it up in front of me.

I didn't dare to delay and quickly put the phone in her hand.

She put her phone back in her pocket and hummed softly.

Then, he pulled me and walked in the opposite direction from the ride-hailing waiting area.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going home?"

My cousin rolled her eyes at me and pointed to the KFC in the airport.

"I came all this way and haven't even had a chance to eat. It's not fair to make me go back on an empty stomach, is it?"

"It's not suitable, it's not suitable."

"As the older brother, it's not appropriate for your sister to pay for your meal when you're out eating with her."

"This isn't suitable, this isn't suitable..."

So, she dragged me to KFC.

She was eating a family bucket of KFC while reading the novel I was writing.

Then, she cried because of my knife, and started kicking my legs under the table.

I almost cried too.

Because... it's freaking expensive!!!

Airport perk plus KFC, making it even more expensive.

The cheapest three-piece set costs 50 yuan!

In addition, my cousin is the kind of foodie who can eat a lot but never gains weight (a tough guy who gained 50 pounds in two years is crying).

A small serving of fried chicken cost me several hundred dollars!

I myself can only afford the 8.89 RMB six-piece diarrhea set...

If I saved this, I could eat it all by myself until I was completely exhausted, until I felt like throwing up at the sight of fried chicken.

My heart is bleeding...

(Seeking a boost to recover my losses, lol)

However, considering that this girl had kept such a big secret from me, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and bear it.

Paying money to avoid trouble, paying money to avoid trouble...

Then, I saw that she sent me a small gift worth a few dollars on her phone screen.

I was very happy at the time, thinking that this girl had a change of heart and reimbursed part of my meal expenses.

She then stretched out her hand, waved it in front of me, and made a popping coin gesture.

"No, what are you going to do?"

I pretended not to understand.

"Here, multiply the gift I gave you by ten and give it back to me."

She took a sip of her cola and said in a serious tone.

? ? ? ? ? ?

I almost choked her with a mouthful of soda.

What kind of robber logic is this?

"You won't give it to me? Then I'll tell my aunt (my mom)!"

My cousin pretended to pick up her phone and open her WeChat chat with my mom.

At this moment, her appearance reminded me of a scene from a certain adult film.

"Hehe~ Madam, you wouldn't want your husband to know about our affair, would you~"

"No, no, no..."

I quickly sent her a red envelope containing a few dozen yuan.

There was nothing I could do; they had dirt on me...

Immediately afterwards, she invested another ten yuan and received ten times my return.

Damn it... "Holding my cousin's secrets, I obtained a tenfold return system," right?

Ah Jing, if you've read this far, you should write a book for me to critique, and I'll go to your comment section and become the leader of your haters to mess with your mentality!

However, she didn't go too far and stopped after asking for less than 500 yuan.

You probably know that I'm just a struggling writer who makes a living by attending events every day, and I don't earn much money (laughs).

After finishing our KFC meal, I called a ride-hailing service, and we headed back to our hometown together (it's so hard to get a ride during the Chinese New Year!).

As soon as we got in the car, the girl got sleepy and fell asleep on my shoulder.

Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, only one thought came to my mind.

Damn it! My shoulder is numb!

By the way, she even asked me to reimburse her for the taxi fare she took there TAT...

After all this trouble, my wallet is the one that's suffered the most.

Airfares for the Lunar New Year are like the melons sold by the melon stall owner in Huaqiang's story – made of gold.

On top of that, my cousin stabbed me several times...

Sigh, Shi Mei is indeed a creature that makes it impossible to feel any affection for her.

The younger sister in a visual novel is the best; she doesn't spend her brother's money and even cares about him.

My daily prayer is that my cousin gets married soon and marries someone else's handsome guy.

That's all for now. I wrote this on the way home. I'll resume the main content update tomorrow.