Tonggang doesn’t have many officially recognized scenic spots, and Wuyin Temple is one of the few well-known places. As the car passed by the entrance of the scenic area, Jin Chao gently tapped Jiang Mu’s shoulder. She turned her head and saw a tall tower covered in silvery white snow, behind which was a mountain shrouded in mist, looking like a fairyland. From time to time, a deep, resonant sound echoed between the tower and the valley, lingering softly and distantly.
She turned her head and asked, “What is that sound?”
Jin Chao told her, “The sound of the bell. On the first day of the New Year, many people go to ring the bell to pray for blessings.”
Even as the bus left the area, it seemed like the echo of the bell still lingered, bringing a sense of peace to the heart.
When they arrived at the veterinary hospital, two big red lanterns hung at the entrance, and festive Spring Festival couplets were posted on the doors, but inside the hospital, there was only one young lady on duty.
Lightning’s recovery ability was better than they had expected. Perhaps because they hadn’t visited it for a couple of days, the little one was so excited to see them that it sat up despite its broken leg, its nose sticking out of the cage, and its tail wagging non-stop. If the cage hadn’t been locked, it seemed like it would have jumped straight into Jiang Mu’s arms.
Jiang Mu couldn’t bear to hear its pitiful whimper. She turned around and tugged on Jin Chao’s sleeve, her voice soft, “Brother, leaving Lightning here alone for the New Year is too miserable.”
It seemed like Lightning could understand Jiang Mu’s words, as it raised its head and whimpered at Jin Chao. Both the person and the dog looked at him with big, watery eyes. Jin Chao couldn’t refuse, so he walked to the side to call Lightning’s doctor. Jiang Mu didn’t know what he and the doctor discussed, but after about ten minutes of communication, Jin Chao hung up the phone and turned back to look at her. Jiang Mu looked at him with eyes full of expectation.
The warm afternoon sun shone on Jin Chao’s back, and against the light, his handsome features appeared soft and clear. He said to her, “Let’s take Lightning home.”
“Yay!” Jiang Mu excitedly raised her hands and looked at Lightning, smiling, “We can go home now!”
Lightning seemed to be infected by Jiang Mu’s excitement, wagging its tail furiously and barking twice in response.
So Jin Chao then went to the duty nurse to complete the formalities, asking about how to administer each medication, the frequency, and the follow-up appointment. After completing all the necessary procedures, they carried Lightning’s large cage back to the car shop.
In the familiar environment, Lightning visibly relaxed. It tried to walk out of the cage but struggled because its leg wasn’t fully healed, making movement difficult.
Jin Chao laid down a soft mat for it, then gently lifted its large body out of the cage and placed it on the mat. Jiang Mu crouched down beside it, holding the medicine packet, trying to feed it the medicine, but Shan Dian dodged at the sight of the medicine, refusing to cooperate and clearly afraid of taking it.
Jiang Mu looked up at Jin Chao helplessly. He took the medicine from her, sat on the soft mat, and gently held Lightning’s large head in his arms. Jiang Mu sat on a small stool nearby, watching them.
Jin Chao patiently guided Lightning to take the medicine again and again. The halo of light above his head cast circles around his hair whorl, making him seem even gentler.
When she was little, she was the same, afraid of taking medicine and afraid of bitterness. Whenever she got sick, she would cry and throw tantrums, and taking medicine was harder than anything. Jiang Yinghan would break into a sweat trying to get her to drink a spoonful of syrup, and Jin Chao, however, would trick her by saying that taking medicine would turn her into a superhuman with incredible strength. To demonstrate, he would take a sip of the medicine first and then lift a storage box.
She believed him, and with tears on her face, she drank the medicine, then insisted on moving the box herself. Jin Chao would secretly take out the contents and let her move the empty box.
For years, he had tricked her like this, and for years, he had accompanied her in taking that bitter medicine. But who would actually enjoy taking medicine? Even Lightning hated it. Jiang Mu looked at Jin Chao’s lowered profile, her eyes filled with warmth that melted into her heart.
Jin Chao successfully fed Lightning the medicine, and Lightning lay back down. He got up to tidy things up, and Jiang Mu followed him. He went into the rest room to sort the medication, relabeling and sticking the new labels on before placing everything neatly on the shelf. Jiang Mu propped her chin on her hand and sat next to him. When he went to get water to boil for Lightning, Jiang Mu tugged at the corner of his shirt, following him to the backyard to get water. After he plugged in the kettle and returned to the rest room, he finally turned around to look at her and said, “If you’re coming over tomorrow, bring your workbook. I have some free time these days, and I can go over the problems with you.”
Jiang Mu instantly deflated, no longer following him.
Jin Chao went to the stove in the backyard and cooked a few dishes. It was cold outside, so he didn’t let Jiang Mu come out. She had no choice but to take off her shoes and press her face against the window, watching him.
Every time Jin Chao looked up, he could see her longing expression, exactly the same as when she was a child. She would always be waiting by the kitchen door when school was over. Sometimes, when she couldn’t resist the hunger, she would try to sneak a piece of meat, not knowing how many times Jiang Yinghan had slapped her hand for it.
He lowered his head, picked up a piece of beef brisket, and brought it over to the window. Jiang Mu opened the window, stretching her head out, and Jin Chao fed the brisket to her mouth.
She bit into it, and it was tender and fragrant, melting instantly in her mouth. Her taste buds instantly came alive. Jin Chao closed the window for her, and Jiang Mu gave him a thumbs-up, a satisfied smile on her face. The corner of his lips curved into a slight smile as he turned back to plate the dishes.
Jiang Mu got out of bed, put on her shoes, and went outside to meet him.
Jin Chao had already moved the folding table into the repair room, and Jiang Mu dragged two chairs from the rest room and placed them opposite each other.
Although there were only four dishes, far from the lavish New Year feasts at other people’s homes, for Jiang Mu, it was already a very sumptuous meal. There was meat, fish, and her favorite sweet rice cakes, which she hadn’t eaten in years. It was something Jiang Yinghan used to make during the New Year.
The rice cakes were sliced, coated with a special batter, and deep-fried. until crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. absolutely delicious. But every time Jiang Yinghan forbade her from eating too much, she said it would cause indigestion.
She never imagined that many years later, on the cold first day of the New Year in the far north, she would still get to taste a bit of the flavors of home.
She looked up at Jin Chao and asked, “How do you know how to make this?”
Jin Chao smiled faintly, opening a can of soda for her, while he opened a can of beer for himself, not answering her question.
Jiang Mu continued to eat piece after piece, and Jin Chao moved the fish and rice cakes to different positions on the table, saying, “That’s enough, it’s not meant to be a meal.”
Without thinking, Jiang Mu blurted out, “You sound just like Mom.”
Jin Chao lowered his head, squeezing the beer can in his hand, silently taking a sip. Jiang Mu suddenly realized what she had said, and her heart twisted painfully. She softly said, “Actually, Mom didn’t throw away that remote-controlled car…”
That was the remote-controlled device that Jin Chao had crafted himself in fourth grade, complete with a beautiful shell. On Mother’s Day that year, he had driven it towards Jiang Yinghan’s feet, but Jiang Yinghan, not paying attention, accidentally stepped on it and broke it. She picked it up and scolded him, telling him not to play with such things at home, asking what would happen if someone tripped over it.
Jiang Mu, on the other hand, had given her homemade card, made with her kindergarten teacher, to Jiang Yinghan. Her mother praised it and pinned it to the wall in the living room. That was the first time Jiang Mu saw a hurt expression in her brother’s eyes. But back then, she couldn’t fully understand it.
Later, Jin Chao fixed the broken device, but when he and Jin Qiang left Suzhou, he hadn’t been able to take it with him. Jiang Mu had thought it was long gone, until they were moving houses and, while packing the new home, she found the device in a box. She took it out and asked her mother about it. Jiang Yinghan stared at it for a long while before saying to her, “Just throw it away.”
But Jiang Mu didn’t throw it away. She secretly kept it.
She never told Jin Chao about it. She wasn’t sure if telling him this would bring him any comfort, and he only quietly listened without showing any expression.
Jiang Mu raised her drink and said to him, “Brother, I wish you all the best in the new year, peace, and happiness.”
Jin Chao clinked his beer with hers, and Jiang Mu asked, “Aren’t you going to say something to me?”
Jin Chao’s dark eyes held a faint, distant light as he slowly gazed at her, then spoke, “I wish you success in your studies and a bright future.”
The lights in the repair room were off except for a small lamp. They sat facing each other, with Lightning quietly lying beside them, occasionally wagging its tail, lifting its head to stick out its tongue and smile. This was the most special New Year for Jiang Mu, just her, Jin Chao, and Lightning.
Although the environment was simple, she had nothing, he was deeply in debt, and Lightning was covered in wounds, he still did his best to give both her and Lightning a place of refuge.
Even without candlelight, even though Jiang Mu would later travel far and wide, tasting the finest delicacies the world had to offer, this evening was the only romantic experience she had ever truly understood when it came to the term “candlelight dinner.”
After dinner, Jiang Mu voluntarily offered to wash the dishes. Jin Chao looked at her delicate, pale hands and couldn’t bear for her to get cold, so he asked her to stay by his side. She obediently stayed beside him as he washed the dishes while she dried and put them away. Several times, Jin Chao glanced at her with his peripheral vision, watching her serious expression. It was strange, although there was only one more person beside him, he felt that this New Year was unusually lively.
He placed the last plate down, turned around, and wiped his hands. “Do you want to go ring the bell?”
A smile appeared on Jiang Mu’s face. “Wuyin Temple? Can we still go now?”
Jin Chao walked further inside. “Why not? It’s still open at night, and there’ll be plenty of people there.”
The prospect of some fun made Jiang Mu excited again. She buzzed around Jin Chao, urging him to hurry. Jin Chao gave Lightning some water, patted its head to comfort it, and then stood up to put on his coat.
Jiang Mu bent down and rubbed Lightning’s large forehead, saying, “Be good now.”
Lightning gave a soft “woof” and laid back down.
However, just as they were about to leave the car shop, they happened to run into the notorious San Lai, who had just returned from visiting relatives. He was wearing an extravagant black mink coat, a large red cashmere scarf, and a round-brimmed felt hat, seemingly to ward off the cold after his scalp had been shaved. When Jiang Mu saw him stepping out of the car, her eyes widened, and she almost thought it was Xu Wenqiang possessing him.
When San Lai saw that they were heading out, he enthusiastically asked where they were going. Upon hearing that they planned to go to Wuyin Temple to ring the bell, he clung to them and insisted on going along, even volunteering to be their driver.
Since there aren’t many places to go in Tonggang during the New Year, many people head to Wuyin Temple after dinner. Even before they reached their destination, the cars were already lined up in a long queue. On the way, San Lai played a loop of songs like “New Year Song,” “Happy and Joyous,” and “Congratulations and Prosperity” on his car stereo, which gave Jin Chao a headache. He asked San Lai to turn it off, but San Lai refused and, instead, started singing along. Jiang Mu, sitting in the back, couldn’t stop laughing. When San Lai reached the climax of one song, he turned around and pointed at Jiang Mu, encouraging her to join in. Without hesitation, she picked up right where he left off. Their playful antics left Jin Chao powerless, but at least the long wait in the car queue didn’t feel so dull anymore.
After a long wait, they finally managed to get the car parked. Jin Chao used his phone to buy three tickets, only to discover there was another line at the entrance, with families and groups of friends scattered across multiple queues. Some people split up to join different lines, then rushed to regroup when one line moved faster.
Jiang Mu, being petite, was completely lost in the crowd. She was being pushed and jostled by people around her, so Jin Chao guided her to the left side and San Lai, aware of the situation, positioned himself on Jiang Mu’s other side, making sure she was protected in the middle. She wasn’t squeezed again until they reached the entrance.
Once inside, they were greeted by a spacious path lined with various lanterns in different shapes. Many people were gathered around, taking photos. Despite the large crowd, the three of them stood out with an unusual number of people glancing at them.
San Lai’s flashy, extravagant outfit and Jin Chao’s sharp, cool appearance formed a stark contrast, and with the addition of the beautiful and striking Jiang Mu, the trio quickly became a dazzling sight.
Jiang Mu and Jin Chao didn’t really notice the attention, they were too busy discussing whether they should wander around first or go straight to ring the bell. But San Lai, on the other hand, was aware of all the eyes on them, said with a smug grin, “With the three of us looking this good, it’d be a shame if we didn’t form a group. I’ve even come up with a name, ‘The Untouchable Trio of Tonggang’, how cool is that?”
Jin Chao and Jiang Mu exchanged a quiet glance and instinctively moved a little farther away from San Lai, not wanting to acknowledge that they were with him.
The three of them planned to start by offering incense and paying their respects. After receiving their incense, San Lai, acting like an agitated lion, suddenly shouts into the incense room, “Be careful with those incense sticks! Don’t burn my fur!”
His words drew the attention of countless people, likely because they had never seen anyone dressed in a fur coat while burning incense. They found it rather bizarre and quickly moved away from him. San Lai, looking pleased with himself, whispered to Jiang Mu, “See, now no one will get close to us. They’re all afraid of having to pay for damages.”
Jiang Mu quickly pulled away from San Lai and switched the incense to her other hand. “I’m afraid of having to pay too.”
San Lai tilted his chin and said, “No way you’d have to pay. Your brother would cover it.”
Jin Chao, without a word, muttered a single word under his breath, “Get lost.”
Jiang Mu followed San Lai and Jin Chao’s lead, circled around the incense burner, and bowed in all four directions. She secretly opened one eye and saw Jin Chao, who was frowning deeply as he held the incense, and then glanced at San Lai, who had his eyes closed and was murmuring something. After finishing, San Lai noticed Jiang Mu looking at him and said, “Don’t just bow. You need to make a wish too, speak your heart’s desire, ask for blessings.”
Jiang Mu raised the incense to her head, silently making a wish, but her mind was filled with so many wishes that when she opened her eyes, Jin Chao and San Lai had already been waiting by the side for quite a while. She turned and placed the incense into the burner.
They walked into the main hall, where Jin Chao handed her a handful of coins and told her to go make her own offerings. Jiang Mu noticed that the hall was filled with many statues of deities, each with a kneeling cushion in front of it. As soon as San Lai entered, he rushed straight to the God of Wealth, where the line of people waiting to kneel was the longest. After bowing, everyone would throw coins into the donation box.
Jiang Mu wasn’t familiar with many of the statues, so she prayed to the ones whose names she knew, and when Jin Chao and San Lai found her, she was kneeling in front of the statue of the Matchmaker, the god of love. A soft, ethereal glow surrounded her, and her eyes were closed as she knelt there. Her gentle and serene face carried an expression of devotion, and those around her couldn’t help but hold their breath, unwilling to disturb her.
When she finally opened her eyes, she placed the handful of coins she had in her hand into the donation box. As she stood up, she noticed that Jin Chao and San Lai were standing not far from the back door of the hall, watching her. When they saw that she had finished her prayers, San Lai couldn’t help but tease, “Oh, you’ve been whispering to Matchmaker for so long? I didn’t know Little Mu Mu had someone special in her life?”
Jiang Mu’s face immediately turned bright red. Her gaze flitted briefly across Jin Chao’s face, then locked onto San Lai’s teasing expression. She huffed, “Stop making things up, there’s nothing like that.”
Then she walked past them, trying to act as though nothing was wrong, but her eyes couldn’t help but glance back at Jin Chao’s face. He had a barely noticeable smile on his lips, and Jiang Mu wasn’t sure if he was teasing her like San Lai, but her heart seemed to be quietly ignited at that moment.