top student at medical school

Chapter 124 My Favorite Thing is the Warmth of Everyday Life (Please Subscribe)

Time is like water.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Fang Ziye asked Luo Tingzhu to help freeze the cells from the unfinished experiment, and then he left a day early, heading straight back to his hometown to celebrate the New Year.

Fang Ziye didn't ask Luo Tingzhu about sad things like whether she would go back for the New Year; he only knew that Luo Tingzhu would probably stay in Han City for the New Year.

But Fang Ziye has a relatively warm home, so he has to go back.

Naturally, Fang Ziye would not invite Luo Tingzhu to his home for the New Year; he had no such intention and wanted to avoid an awkward situation later.

Fang Ziye arrived home at 6:47 PM on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month. All five or six chickens and ducks in the house had died the day before.

The original plan was to kill the animal whenever Fang Ziye returned, so we could eat it fresh.

However, there is a saying in Fang Ziye's hometown: "Kill seven, but not eight."

In other words, one should refrain from killing on the 8th, 18th, and 28th of each lunar month.

After Fang Ziye arrived, the dinner that evening was quite lavish.

Moreover, there was nothing that Fang Ziye needed to help with. As soon as Fang Ziye returned, he had dinner with his parents and then was dragged out for half the night by his old classmate who had also returned home for the New Year.

This is a close friend I've known since childhood; it's hard to refuse.

You haven't been home for several years, and even on holidays when you do come back, they're not there. Although your relationship has cooled a bit, Fang Ziye is back home and invites you to his house as soon as he catches you. How can you refuse?

Along the way, there were quite a few people on the road who called him Fang Ziye.

Although Fang Ziye hasn't been home for the Spring Festival for several years, he occasionally returns during holidays. Fang Ziye grew up in the town and is currently a rare master's student with a promising future.

Basically, many people are happy to greet Fang Ziye warmly, and Fang Ziye can only reply to each one.

"Auntie, Uncle, Grandpa, Big Sister, Big Brother..."

Fang Ziye didn't return home until 9 p.m.

Sitting in the living room on the second floor of his self-built house, he peeled sunflower seeds and peanuts while telling his parents about his graduation thesis defense and his plans for doctoral studies.

Neither of them understood it, but they thought it was pretty impressive.

"Sounds pretty promising. He must be one of those high-level talents you see on TV, wearing gloves and hats and doing experiments under a microscope, right?" Mom said.

"No, it should be the kind of doctor in TV dramas who wears a stethoscope and walks with a swagger..."

The elderly couple talked for a long time.

Fang Ziye said, "I'm still your son, I'm still a human being. I'm a little sleepy, you should get some rest. We still have to celebrate the New Year tomorrow."

"Ban Nian" means to prepare for the Chinese New Year.

The Tujia people celebrate the 29th of the twelfth lunar month on the afternoon of the 29th, while some celebrate it on the morning of the 29th, and others celebrate it on the morning or afternoon of the 30th.

Only a small minority of the Miao people celebrate the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year...

These past few days, apart from taking an hour or two during the day to visit his best childhood playmate, Fang Ziye has spent most of his time at home chatting with his parents.

They also received relatives and friends who came to visit in advance.

Visiting relatives is a custom that takes place after the New Year.

However, Fang Ziye is a special case; among his parents' relatives, he is considered the most promising.

Therefore, even without the normal New Year's greetings, uncles, aunts, and other relatives still come to visit.

Before the Lunar New Year, people visit each other without bringing gifts; after the Lunar New Year, people visit relatives with gifts.

Although no one brought anything with them and instead wanted to eat and drink, Fang Ziye noticed that his mother was very happy and brought out all the New Year's goods that the family had prepared.

Eat as much as you want, and you can even take some home if you're not full.

Fang Ziye's cousins, nephews, and nieces all packed large bags to take home when they left. In just two days, my mother went to the dried goods store on the street and bought thirty catties of melon seeds and thirty catties of peanuts, which was barely enough for them.

But Mom couldn't stop smiling all day, as if she had been looking forward to this day for a very, very long time.

……

New Year's Eve is the day when many families prepare for the New Year, but Fang Ziye's family doesn't need to prepare for the New Year; they just need to have fun.

However, the mother, who had only been happy for a day, began to feel melancholy again. While secretly holding back tears, she prepared cured pork legs, cured pork belly, and cured pig's head, which she had prepared in advance for Fang Ziye's long journey on the first day of the Lunar New Year. At the same time, she looked at Fang Ziye with some reluctance.

Meanwhile, the father was preparing some freshly made food for Fang Ziye.

For example, blood sausage, fried crispy pork, etc.

He had stuffed both bags almost full and was still stuffing more in. Fang Ziye was holding the bags and said, "Dad, if you stuff any more in, they'll break."

"It's okay, it's okay, you can eat right away when you get there, especially this crispy pork, it's delicious whether you steam it or boil it."

"It's better than ordering takeout. This blood sausage tastes even better when it's deep-fried. Do you know how to deep-fry it?"

Fang Ziye smiled and said, "Dad, I used to cook when I was in junior high school."

"Haven't so many years passed?"

"And bring some glutinous rice cakes too..."

The elderly couple were busy all night.

Fang Ziye didn't go anywhere. He just watched the two of them feed him, and occasionally peeled an orange for one of them and an apple for the other. The two of them were overjoyed.

In the evening, the family of three had some late-night snacks.

There were no dumplings, no wontons or glutinous rice balls, just a small pot with some beef and mutton, a big bowl of stewed meat, and a bowl of steamed meat...

There was no special ceremony, no candlelight, just a mediocre variety show to keep us company.

But Fang Ziye and his parents all had a small drink with him, each taking about two ounces.

Even my mom can drink it.

During the meal, my mother kept saying, "This year's stewing time is just right. The chicken was stewed for too short a time. This free-range chicken needs to be stewed for a longer time, otherwise the meat will be too tough and inedible."

"Too much millet was put in the steamed meat..."

Time quickly passed to midnight on New Year's Eve.

Fang Ziye, like everyone else, accompanied his father to set off firecrackers and celebrate the New Year.

In my hometown, there's a custom that whoever sets off firecrackers first will have great luck in the coming year. However, some people lack sportsmanship and start setting them off as early as 11:30.

But it didn't matter. Fang Ziye and Lao Fang were ready to light the fire at 11:55, and had their mother keep track of the time until almost midnight.

My mom looked intently at her phone and said, "Start the engine, start the engine, there are only a dozen seconds left."

Fang Ziye and Lao Fang each lit the fireworks tube and firecrackers with a lighter. Fang Ziye lit the fireworks tube, mainly because his father was afraid he would hurt his hand.

The cannons fired first, crackling and popping, followed by the boisterous noise of children and grandchildren filling the house.

After the cannon salute, a series of whooshing sounds followed, revealing auspicious clouds symbolizing boundless future prospects.

The three people watched, the old couple were smiling, and Old Fang put his arm around Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye was filming a video, and after filming half of it, he turned the camera around and filmed a family portrait-style video.

Inside, a family of three radiates good fortune.

After the artillery fire subsided, the fireworks display also came to an end.

"Come on, it's too cold outside. Let's go inside and warm ourselves by the fire. After warming ourselves by the fire, we can take a bath and go to sleep. Next year, we'll be clean and pure, and our house will be filled with good fortune."

"Ziye, you'll be leaving by yourself tomorrow. We'll send you meat and pork legs later. You can't carry them all by yourself, so your dad and I will have to burn some money for your maternal grandparents and their wives." The parents instructed.

"Okay!~"

"Actually, you don't need to bring that many."

"Sure, sure, you've lost weight." Old Fang chuckled, then walked towards the sink.

Fang Ziye went upstairs to take a shower first, silently wishing his parents good health.

Actually, there is also a custom of "sending paper money" here, which is to burn paper money for the elderly, since it is a festival.

However, since both grandparents and maternal grandparents are still alive, they don't need to go directly to burn ancestral paper offerings. In the past, it was the maternal and paternal branches that led the main groups to pay respects to the ancestors.

Fang Ziye's father was about to go with his grandfather to visit their ancestors.

Last year, Fang Ziye's parents went to both sides of the ancestral temple, hoping that their ancestors would bless Fang Ziye to study for a doctorate and have a bright future. They said that if he succeeded this year, they would visit him every year thereafter.

This is Fang Ziye's parents' worldview. Fang Ziye only hopes that his parents, grandparents, and maternal grandparents are all in good health. Originally, Fang Ziye was supposed to visit and stay at each family for a few days, but he only had three days back home, which was not enough time to spare. Moreover, Fang Ziye also wanted to spend time with his parents, so he decided to wait until the next holiday to visit them.

First grade of junior high school.

At six o'clock in the morning, Fang Ziye got up, carrying a computer bag, a backpack, a suitcase, and two large bags of generous gifts from his parents.

Fang Ziye had to get there early, as he needed to travel from the town to Ba County, a journey that would take an hour and a half.

Then you have to travel from Ba County to the Ba County train station, which takes quite a while.

Because the train station in Ba County is a bit far, more than 20 kilometers away, and there is no public transportation, you have to take a taxi or share a ride, which is quite inconvenient. This journey may take more than an hour.

Including transportation, even if you leave the town at 6:30, it will take three or four hours to get to the train station.

It was already 10 o'clock, and there were no bullet trains running at 10 o'clock. If I missed the 9:58 train, I would have to wait at the train station for two hours for the 12 o'clock train, and there was still a chance that I wouldn't be able to get a ticket.

However, Fang Ziye did not feel bitter.

Pulling his luggage, walking along the road to the rural bus station in Ba County, Fang Ziye felt a warm and cozy feeling.

No matter how remote this place is, it is Fang Ziye's root, the place where he was born and raised. As long as his parents are here, this place is his absolute haven.

However, feeling the cold wind blowing in my face and the love of my parents mixed together.

Fang Ziye thought of a sentence.

Parents are here, there is still a place in life.

With parents gone, life is only a journey home.

For most people, this makes sense. But for someone like Luo Tingzhu, whose parents are both alive but live far apart, where does she come from and where does she go?

Perhaps she had a grandmother who made up for her lack of family affection, but now her grandmother is gone too.

These past two days, Luo Tingzhu has seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

Fang Ziye didn't know what she was doing, but every night she would send a set of photos on time and then there would be no further replies.

Moreover, the photos are very serious and formal, without any messy or irrelevant details.

"Ziye, come quick, get on the bus and we're leaving." The bus cashier called out from afar when she saw Fang Ziye dragging his things.

Fang Ziye hurriedly jumped and ran, saying, "So much money!"

"thirty."

"I'll scan the code..."

Fang Ziye looked around, but there were no more seats available.

Overloading during the Spring Festival is unavoidable in rural areas like this, unless the traffic police are effective.

Moreover, on the bus, Fang Ziye smelled chicken droppings from the chicken coop, and there was a duck in the trunk that kept quacking.

This must be because someone brought live poultry to the county town to kill and eat after the New Year.

But they represent a completely different kind of life...

Finally, around 6 p.m. on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Fang Ziye, after nearly twelve hours of travel, finally got off the subway at the Zhongnan Hospital subway station.

As he breathed in the fresh air he had enjoyed during his free walks, Fang Ziye couldn't help but sigh.

"Wouldn't this be considered leaving one's hometown?"

Fang Ziye breathed a sigh of relief after calling home to report his itinerary and learning that his parents had already eaten dinner and were on their way to visit his uncle and grandmother for the New Year.

"Mom and Dad, remember to wish me a Happy New Year, even though it's not a particularly expensive gift." Fang Ziye must have brought a gift with him when he came home.

But they were all small trinkets. After all, Fang Ziye had no income at the moment and couldn't give anything expensive, but it was the thought that counted.

"Don't worry, as long as you've shown your filial piety, that's enough. According to your grandparents' tastes, a single cabbage from you is more precious to them than a whole box of gifts from me."

“Even when the two of us get into a fight, I still get beaten up by my dad.” My dad’s voice on the phone was still as hearty as ever.

After all, it was his own son who had made him proud...

After hanging up the phone, Fang Ziye went to the rented room.

I simply boiled a few pieces of crispy pork in a pot, and it still tasted like the familiar flavor from home.

Fang Ziye sat on the table, looking out the window, feeling a strange sense of emotion and happiness.

Living in a mountain village was not my original intention. If I wanted to escape, I had to leave my hometown. I either had to work, study, or have a stroke of luck. Otherwise, I would never be able to cross those mountains in my hometown.

There is still a long way to go.

Looking at the few pieces of crispy pork that didn't look particularly appetizing, Fang Ziye hesitated for a moment, then sent a message asking, "Junior sister, I'm back. I brought some snacks from home, which are cooking in a pot right now. Would you like to come and have some?"

During the Spring Festival, Fang Ziye enjoyed the atmosphere of family reunion and dared not disturb Luo Tingzhu who was alone. But now that he had returned, Fang Ziye felt that the opportunity was more appropriate.

Sending Luo Tingzhu such a large gift as pig's feet is inappropriate; she doesn't have that kind of status yet. It's only suitable to send it to teachers. However, giving Luo Tingzhu some snacks is a normal gift.

Fang Ziye thought Luo Tingzhu would refuse, but to his surprise, Luo Tingzhu readily agreed.

A short while later, when Fang Ziye met Luo Tingzhu by the sports field, he noticed that Luo Tingzhu was walking in the direction of Fang Ziye's rented house, not the direction of the dormitory building.

Fang Ziye was slightly taken aback when he saw Luo Tingzhu bring over three insulated containers. She twisted one in her left hand and two in her right.

"What's this?" Fang Ziye turned and walked over.

"I made this myself for the New Year. It's just not very tasty." Luo Tingzhu handed Fang Ziye two insulated containers.

"Tingzhu, you're renting a place outside too?" Fang Ziye realized the implication.

"Yeah, it's not good to celebrate the New Year in the dorm. At least if we're outside, we can start a fire and cook." Luo Tingzhu described her efforts to start a fire in a nonchalant manner.

Despite her seemingly aloof demeanor, she may actually crave the warmth and comfort of everyday life.

Fang Ziye nodded: "It's great. I can stay up as late as I want in my own house."

The two walked to Fang Ziye's rented house. The decoration was poor and the appliances were old, but it was clean.

However, before Luo Tingzhu sat down, Fang Ziye wiped the table and chairs with a living room cloth and said, "I still have something cooking in the pot, please sit down for a while..."

It's very cold in Han City in winter, so once it's cooked, it will probably cool down very quickly.

Luo Tingzhu unzipped her long down jacket and sat down at the small square table set up on a tripod, slowly opening the insulated box she had brought.

She has her own homemade "wontons," which are also called "baomian" in her hometown, and they are made with separate dry and wet ingredients.

There were two other dishes: one was stir-fried chicken pieces with dried chili peppers, and the other was stir-fried cabbage with dried chili peppers. The last dish was white rice.

Fang Ziye brought over a small earthenware pot, and looking at what Luo Tingzhu had brought, he clicked his tongue in amazement: "You've started cooking for yourself now?"

"Yes, it's freshly cooked. Do you have any bowls and chopsticks here, senior brother?"

Fang Ziye doesn't cook, nor does he have the time.

So Fang Ziye immediately agreed: "I'll go downstairs and buy some disposable bowls and chopsticks first..."

……

At 9:30, Luo Tingzhu took her insulated food container out. Fang Ziye accompanied her for a while and discovered that Luo Tingzhu's rented apartment was not far from his building, probably only about 70 meters away as the crow flies, but it required going through two corners.

The interior decoration and furnishings are very similar to the house Fang Ziye rented, but the appliances and other equipment are more complete.

Fang Ziye discovered that many of the items appeared to be newly purchased, including a refrigerator, a small washing machine, a rice cooker, a wok, a frying pan, a wooden spatula, and a large spoon.

There are two types of cutting boards for cutting vegetables: one is made of white rubber, and the other is a traditional bamboo cutting board.

Looking at the well-organized kitchen, Fang Ziye could only give Luo Tingzhu a thumbs up.

Just as Fang Ziye was about to look around, Luo Tingzhu led the way, saying, "Senior brother, this is my room, and this is my converted study. Would you like to take a look?"

Fang Ziye thought for a moment: "Did you start renting and renovating the house around the 20th of last month? You didn't come those few days because you were doing some minor renovations?"

“Yes, senior brother, I think it’s great that I’m living here comfortably.” Luo Tingzhu nodded, then opened the door to show Fang Ziye her work.

The room wasn't large, but the desk was huge, and another cabinet inside had been converted into a bookcase, filled with all sorts of books.

Most of them are new, and only a small portion are old.

It's clear that Luo Tingzhu's reading volume is astonishing.

(End of this chapter)