Love in the Fast Lane - Chapter 73 - The Approaching Holiday

As the train let out a thunderous roar, Mo Zihan was startled awake from her sleep. She glanced out the window and exclaimed with delight, “Oh, we’ve arrived already? The Northern region is really different from our area.”

Tang Ning chuckled, “The west and east aren’t the same. There’s no sea here, and it’s bone-dry cold in the winter-you’ll feel it once we get off. Make sure to put on all your clothes. It might look sunny, but it’s freezing in the morning. No one’s coming to pick us up, so we’ll have to catch a ride. It’ll take about half an hour to get home.”

They arrived in the ancient capital that had once nurtured the two most prosperous dynasties. Upon stepping off the train, the mighty wind surged through everything around them. Mo Zihan shrank her neck in response and looked up at the towering city walls for a long moment before saying, “They don’t look as tall as they do in the books.”

Tang Ning laughed, “Why would the walls need to be that tall now? Let’s go, we need to hurry back since New Year’s is the day after tomorrow. There’s plenty of time for sightseeing.”

Mo Zihan pouted, “It’s so cold, I don’t want to come out at all. I heard the heated brick beds here are really warm. I’m staying inside as much as I can during these days at home.”

Tang Ning scoffed, “In your dreams. You’ll get to rest tomorrow and the day after, but starting on New Year’s Day, we’ll be visiting people everywhere. That’s what the holiday is about. Otherwise, why else would we bring you back in this freezing weather?”

Mo Zihan rolled her eyes, suspecting he was getting back at her. Last year, hadn’t she dragged him all over to relatives’ and friends’ places?

As they carried their luggage and left the station, Mo Zihan’s phone rang. It was Li Ke.

Mo Zihan frowned and asked Tang Ning, “What should I do? Answer it or not?”

Tang Ning replied, “He probably wants to ask about Qi Xiaomeng. Just tell him you don’t know.”

Answering the call, Mo Zihan heard Li Ke’s slightly frantic voice, “Where’s Qi Xiaomeng?”

Mo Zihan smirked slightly, with a hint of mockery, “That’s quite a question. I’m not a mind reader. She’s not here. Aren’t you over there? Look around, you should be able to find her. I have to go, we’re getting on a ride now.”

Li Ke, clearly exasperated, said, “She’s not around here, her phone’s off. I went to her place, but it’s locked. Security at the residential community said they haven’t seen her for days. Aren’t you her friend? You don’t know where she went?”

Mo Zihan retorted, irritated, “Come on, you know Qi Xiaomeng. Do I look like I can predict her moves? It’s normal for her to go wherever she pleases. Maybe she’s in the Southern region by now. It’s crowded here, try calling her again this afternoon.”

Frustrated but with no other choice, Li Ke angrily hung up the phone.

Mo Zihan was in a great mood initially, but now it was somewhat spoiled. She complained to Tang Ning, “What’s wrong with that person? I used to think that even though he was a bit overbearing, he was still a friend. Now it feels like we owe him something. It’s so frustrating.”

Tang Ning said, “He’s got his own plans, I suppose. Come on, we’re almost home, cheer up. I’ll buy you some candy.”

Mo Zihan let out a scream, “Tang Ning, are you asking for it? If you want trouble, I’ll give it to you!”

They playfully chased each other for a bit until Mo Zihan warmed up and her good mood returned. They hopped onto a bus which wasn’t very crowded since it was heading to a suburban village. The driver and conductor spoke the local dialect; while Tang Ning was completely at home with it, Mo Zihan could understand but not speak it. She smacked her lips and gave Tang Ning a disdainful look.

This guy was definitely getting back at her. Thinking back to last year, when she was in a good mood, she’d speak in the local dialect; in a bad mood, it was all in the local dialect and at twice the speed. He remembered every little thing.

In reality, Tang Ning wasn’t being so calculating. He was simply happy to be home. After all, this was the hometown where he was born and raised for over twenty years. He hadn’t been back for more than two years, so how could he not be excited?

The bus traveled for over an hour, and before them lay a village nestled at the foot of the mountains. The woods, with their dense branches, were blanketed in snow and icicles. The plants beneath had long withered. In the drifting smoke from the chimneys, chickens squawked and dogs barked, infusing a sense of timeworn vitality into the scene.

This was Tang Ning’s hometown. Although his family already had a house in the city, the customs here were similar to those in Mo Zihan’s hometown. During holidays and festivals, families typically returned to where the elders lived. Tang Ning’s grandparents were reluctant to move to the city, as they still had land here. Mo Zihan even called his grandmother at one point to try to persuade them, but it was to no avail.

As she admired the charming village, Mo Zihan glanced at Tang Ning and thought to herself that if her job allowed, living in such a village would be much better than in the city. However, villages had their downsides too, particularly that relatives were all clustered together. Who knew what situations she would face upon returning?

Mo Zihan’s heart started to race-not the kind of pretense like when she first met Tang Ning’s parents two years ago. Back then, they were just playing a role, but now, she was coming as the new daughter-in-law of the Tang family. Would she be accepted by the people here? Would she blend into this land as seamlessly as Tang Ning did when he visited her family in the Southern region?

Mo Zihan never considered herself more socially adept than Tang Ning. Who knew all the skills he’d acquired over the past twenty years? Their lives had improved recently, but what was he doing before that? Could she really be his lucky star? Well, she wasn’t going to shy away from that title!

Rubbing her stiff cheeks, Mo Zihan got up, followed Tang Ning off the bus, and found herself uncertain about how to move forward. Her entire body felt tense for a moment.

Tang Ning set down his luggage, took her hand, and kissed it gently, reassuring her, “You’ve met my parents and grandparents before. The relatives are all very genuine and nice people, don’t worry.”

Mo Zihan, still tense, asked, “What should I do once I go in? Should I be cautious? Will they notice?”

Tang Ning laughed, “You don’t have to put on a show. Just be yourself and do whatever feels right. There are no strict rules. Don’t worry, I’m here-there won’t be any trouble.”

Mo Zihan took a deep breath, managed to form a smile despite the cold, and nodded, “Alright, let’s go.”

At the entrance of the village, a large group of people stood on the hill-elders, children, men, and women-and among them, standing next to a big tree, was none other than Tang Ning’s grandmother, peering their way.

Seeing this group, which had at least twenty people, Mo Zihan was stunned. And Tang Ning, not missing the chance, remarked jokingly, “How come only a few representatives came out? It looks like there are at least thirty to fifty people waiting at home.”

Mo Zihan’s knees felt weak. Oh my, on the first day, with so many people! Were they here out of curiosity or something else? Last year at our place, we didn’t have nearly this many relatives show up at once!

Tang Ning scratched his head, a bit awkwardly, “I guess my aunt came back from out of town with her kids, and it seems like my younger aunt’s whole family is here too. This might be a bit overwhelming.”

Despite their chatter, they hastened their steps towards the village entrance. Suddenly, they heard the voices from the crowd: “They’re coming, they’re back, it’s Tang Ning and his wife.”

In an instant, Mo Zihan felt the weight of her suitcase lifted as several half-grown kids whisked it away, their faces flushed and displaying a mischievous yet simple smile reminiscent of Tang Ning’s.

Then Mo Zihan was scooped up by the grandmother. Though she was old, she was strong. Among so many chattering voices, Mo Zihan only recognized the grandmother, so she naturally gravitated towards her. No sooner had Tang Ning exchanged a few more words when the grandmother, surrounded by others, whisked them into the village. They walked several hundred meters and stopped in front of a large courtyard with red bricks and green tiles.

The courtyard was impressively large, with four or five rooms visible, and on the side against the mountain, there were three cave dwellings. It was Mo Zihan’s first time seeing cave dwellings, and she was quite curious.

In the courtyard, Tang Ning’s mother came out of a room, which appeared to be the kitchen.

There were at least ten kids running around the courtyard, and Mo Zihan wasn’t sure how she made her way to the central cave dwelling. She couldn’t make out the surroundings due to the commotion of people moving around.

Tang Ning opened a suitcase at the door, thankful that they had prepared by bringing plenty of snacks. It took some effort to satisfy this group of little troublemakers, and Mo Zihan was finally pulled onto the heated brick bed by the grandmother. The warmth made her reluctant to get up.

At this time, a few women swapped out Tang Ning’s mother to sit with relatives chatting on the floor. The grandmother, speaking first, asked, “Both of you are back. We’ve discussed this several times with Xiaohan’s parents over the past year. Shouldn’t we invite them over sometime after New Year’s and hold the wedding ceremony?”

Tang Ning and Mo Zihan had anticipated this topic coming up, knowing that no matter which hometown they visited this year, the elders would certainly bring it up, but they didn’t expect to face it immediately upon arrival.

Mo Zihan buried her legs under the warm, soft cotton quilt. Though the many voices mingled, making it hard to distinguish each one, she understood the main point.

“I have no objections; whenever it’s convenient, we can do it then,” she said with a gentle smile, covering the back of the grandmother’s hand with hers as everyone’s eyes turned towards her.

Thus, Tang Ning became the target of dozens of gazes.

Unhurriedly, he took out their marriage certificate and placed it on the edge of the kang (heated bed). “We’ve already registered the marriage. As for the wedding banquet, that’s just a formality. If you feel it’s necessary, we can hold it whenever it’s convenient. We have no objections.”

And with that, the decision-making power was handed over. But this was inevitable, and they decided to go with the flow of arrangements.