OBS I saw Chapter 422 a long time ago.
I saw Chapter 422 a long time ago.
Before they knew it, the sun was already setting in the west. If they didn't hurry on their way, they might not be able to get back to the village before dark.
The group quickly finished their shopping and headed back to the village carrying their bags.
Halfway there, Li Xiangyang noticed that Li Xiaoyun was having some trouble walking, so he quietly slowed down, walked to her side, and asked in a low voice, "Are you tired? Do you want me to carry you?"
Li Xiaoyun gently shook her head: "A little, but I'll be fine after a rest."
Without a word, Li Xiangyang handed the package to Wang Ergou, then bent down and said, "Don't be stubborn, get on top. You can barely walk straight."
With a flushed face, Li Xiaoyun slowly climbed onto Li Xiangyang's back amidst the cheers of the crowd.
Li Xiangyang carried Li Xiaoyun on his back as they walked along the country road on their way home.
It was already dark when we got back to the village.
Are you tired today?
After arriving home, Li Xiangyang helped Li Xiaoyun take off her heavy cotton-padded coat and asked her with concern.
Li Xiaoyun shook her head: "I'm not tired. Seeing everyone so lively actually makes me feel much better." She gently stroked her bulging belly.
"That's good. This year, I'm thinking of putting up 'Five Blessings Arrive at the Door' couplets for our family. What do you think?" Li Xiangyang asked Li Xiaoyun.
Li Xiaoyun nodded with a smile: "Great! It just so happens that our family is expecting a new baby this year, truly a blessing of fivefold happiness."
After saying this, the two embraced and fell asleep.
……
The New Year is just a few days away, and the village is filled with a festive atmosphere. Every household is putting up Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, steaming bean buns, and frying dough cakes.
The day before Lunar New Year's Eve, Li Xiangyang went to the market to buy the last of his New Year's goods.
The market was packed with people, and everyone's face was beaming with joy.
Li Xiangyang bought some candy and firecrackers to make the New Year more festive.
Just as he was about to go home, he ran into Wang Ergou and Ma Hongxia.
"Brother Xiangyang, where are we going?" Wang Ergou greeted him warmly.
Li Xiangyang held up the New Year's goods in his hand: "I'm buying some things to take home. What about you guys?"
Ma Hongxia smiled and said, "Me too. Er Gou said he wanted to buy me a new scarf, so we came here specifically to pick one out."
Wang Ergou scratched his head sheepishly: "Hehe, it's almost New Year's, so I wanted to make Hongxia happy."
Li Xiangyang patted Wang Ergou on the shoulder: "Good lad, you know how to take care of your wife now."
The three of them walked back together, constantly encountering acquaintances along the way, exchanging congratulations, and creating a harmonious atmosphere.
When Li Xiangyang got home, he found that his mother and sister had cleaned the house spotless and the table was full of various New Year's goods.
"Mom, this much food should last us a month, right?" Li Xiangyang said with a smile.
Li's mother smiled and said, "It's almost Chinese New Year, so it's always good to prepare more."
Li Xiaohua said excitedly, "Brother, I heard the village is going to set off fireworks this year! They'll be so beautiful!"
Li Xiangyang laughed and said, "Yes, let's go see it together then."
In the evening, the family sat together, making dumplings, cutting paper snowflakes, and writing Spring Festival couplets, busy and happy.
Despite her physical limitations, Li Xiaoyun insisted on helping. The paper-cut window decorations she skillfully created were exceptionally exquisite, earning praise from both Li's mother and Li Xiaohua.
Li Xiangyang watched this heartwarming scene, his heart filled with emotion and happiness.
In his previous life, he was all alone, with no attachments. No holidays mattered to him; he was accompanied only by the biting cold wind, gunshots, and the howls of wild beasts.
Now, he has a warm home, a caring wife and family, and a child who is about to be born.
All of this was something he wouldn't have dared to even dream of in his previous life.
Indeed, such beauty is intoxicating.
"Xiangyang, what are you thinking about?" Li Xiaoyun's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Li Xiangyang snapped out of his reverie and smiled, "It's nothing, I just feel like life is really good right now."
Li Xiaoyun gently took his hand: "Things will get better and better."
Li Xiangyang nodded, his heart filled with anticipation.
Yes, with such a warm home, the future will definitely get better and better!
The New Year's Eve bells are about to ring, and the new year is just around the corner.
Li Xiangyang stood in the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky, and silently made a wish: that his family would be healthy, that his wife would have a safe delivery, that his children would grow up healthy, and that the villagers would have increasingly prosperous lives.
The New Year's Eve bells rang on the radio.
The sky above Xiaoliang Village was filled with the crackling sound of firecrackers, and red firecracker paper fluttered in the cold wind.
On the heated kang (a traditional brick bed) in Li Xiangyang's home, the whole family sat together, keeping watch over the New Year.
Mother Li brought a plate of plump dumplings to the table and said with a smile, "Come on, try some. By the way, be careful when you eat them, there are coins inside. If you bite into one and find a coin, you're sure to have good fortune next year!"
"Mom, if I get to eat some, is it on me or the baby?" Li Xiaoyun asked with a smile, touching her bulging belly.
"Oh dear, that's double the blessing!" Mother Li looked at Li Xiaoyun with loving eyes, her gaze full of anticipation. "Of course, I hope you can have some!"
Li Xiaohua blinked and eagerly picked up a dumpling: "Haha, Mom, you never know! Although I also want my sister-in-law to eat some, what if I end up eating them?"
Everyone laughed, and Li Xiangyang was deeply moved by the heartwarming scene.
In my memory, New Year's Eve was always accompanied by loneliness and regret, but now it is filled with laughter and joy.
"Huh?" Li Xiaohua suddenly exclaimed, chewing on something, then spitting out a coin. "Haha, what did I tell you? I actually found one!"
"Congratulations, Xiaohua!" Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "You must study hard next year and strive for good grades."
"Yes!" Li Xiaohua nodded heavily, her eyes shining with determination.
After dinner, Li Xiangyang accompanied Li Xiaoyun for a walk in the yard. Occasionally, fireworks flew across the sky, bursting into colorful light and illuminating their faces.
"Are you tired? Do you want to go back to your room and rest?" Li Xiangyang asked with concern.
Li Xiaoyun shook her head: "I'm not tired, I want to watch the fireworks a little longer." She looked up at the dazzling lights blooming in the night sky, "So beautiful!"
Li Xiangyang gently put his arm around her shoulder: "Yes, you're beautiful. The most beautiful person in the world is you right now."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyun's cheeks instantly flushed red. She lowered her eyes and softly scolded, "You're such a good talker."
As she spoke, she buried her burning face in Li Xiangyang's shoulder, but couldn't hide the smile that spilled from the corners of her mouth. Her fingertips unconsciously tugged at the hem of his cotton-padded coat.
Despite being wrapped in thick winter clothes, they seemed to be able to feel each other's burning heartbeats through the fabric.
Seeing Li Xiaoyun's undisguised sweetness, Li Xiangyang felt a surge of love in his heart. He gently cupped her burning cheeks, lowered his head, and lightly kissed her lips.
Li Xiaoyun was startled at first, then closed her eyes and unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck.
After a long while, the two separated. Li Xiaoyun was still breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed red as if they were about to bleed. She lightly punched Li Xiangyang's chest and said coquettishly, "You're so annoying! It would be so bad if Xiaohua saw this."
Before he could finish speaking, a clear laugh suddenly came from the corner.
Li Xiaohua covered her mouth and laughed so hard she almost fell over: "I saw it a long time ago! Brother, sister-in-law, you were kissing so passionately, I called you several times but you didn't respond!"
......