Shen Tangmo faithfully adhered to his vow, strictly following the “health maintenance” training schedule outlined by his mentor, Lin Ziyan, in the days that followed.
His mental energy recovered and strengthened slowly but steadily. He buried his impatience deep within, observing and controlling his mental energy using the methods taught by his mentor and general courses. Though progress was slow, the meticulous and in-depth exploration proved far more beneficial than his previous reckless advances.
While his older brother adjusted his training methods, Shen Huaiyun also settled into a stable rhythm for the end of the semester. Perhaps due to maintaining a calm mental state, his fine control over mental energy had recently become smoother, achieving progress that even surprised his mentor, Ning Yanfeng.
After that first dream of ordinary life appeared on the day they sunbathed, such dreams suddenly became more frequent. As a result, his dream journal grew thicker, with fragments of warmth interwoven with terrifying endings, slowly piecing together the past of another life.
Time slipped away quietly within the regular routine of academy life. It wasn’t until lanterns were hung along the streets, the air filled with the sweet aroma of roasted nuts and sugary oils, and students began discussing holiday plans and new clothes for the Lunar New Year that they suddenly realized the year-end had arrived.
The academy’s winter break started slightly earlier than the Spring Festival holiday at Belyata. The two brothers returned home first, cleaning the house together and putting up the couplets, “fortune” characters, and paper-cuttings they had bought along with some they had cut themselves.
Incidentally, Shen Huaiyun had originally intended to cut out a horse, but his knife slipped at an angle, resulting in a long-legged rabbit head.
The older teen laughed at him while pasting that long-legged rabbit head onto the window in the farthest corner.
Fortunately, the second attempt was successful, though it was Shen Tangmo who ended up cutting out a donkey, which Shen Huaiyun promptly snatched and pasted next to the long-legged rabbit head.
On their way home, Shen Yue’an and Yuan Qing’an specifically asked the driver to detour to the market, buying several large bags of meat and vegetables. They planned to take the two younger ones to pick out fireworks after returning home.
As soon as they entered the house with their bags, their eyes were drawn to those two unconventional paper-cuttings. After putting away the luggage, Shen Yue’an immediately fetched paper and scissors to cut one herself. Under her “tyranny,” Yuan Qing’an was “forced” to join in. Thus, above the long-legged rabbit head and the donkey, a spider-horse and a spiny-backed horse were added.
After discarding the scraps, Shen Yue’an patted Shen Huaiyun proudly. He was laughing so hard his stomach hurt, leaning on his brother’s shoulder to steady himself. Meanwhile, Shen Tangmo and Yuan Qing’an were busy taking photos of that window from different angles with their phones. In the sunset’s glow, the scene actually appeared quite warm.
The head of the household waved a hand grandly. “Alright, let’s go! Off to the fireworks shop!”
“Hehehe, a colleague shared a great spot with me. We’ll go there later and set off as many as we want!”
Since the ban on fireworks in the city was lifted, the variety sold in fireworks shops grew more dazzling each year, making it hard to know where to start.
“Let’s start with the usual ones: two peonies, four Gatling guns, two boxes of little goldfish, two ice cream buckets, one peacock spreading its tail.”
While the parents selected the conventional fireworks and set them aside, Shen Tangmo and Shen Huaiyun huddled together, checking firework review videos on their phones.
“This ‘Romantic Jellyfish’ looks pretty good.”
“The ‘Windmill’ and ‘Wolf Fang Club’ seem interesting too… Do you want to try that spinning one?”
“Don’t forget the sparklers!”
The prize pool continued to accumulate.
In the end, several large bags of fireworks were loaded into the trunk and taken home, as Shen Yue’an, caught up in the festive spirit, generously selected all the ones they thought looked good.
At the time, Shen Huaiyun felt a bit uneasy watching her pay so boldly and quietly asked Shen Tangmo, “Should I maybe pick fewer? Actually, the ones Mom chose are enough.”
Shen Tangmo noticed his expression and ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry, our family isn’t in debt. We’ll recover quickly.”
He hadn’t told his younger brother about the part-time job he’d taken on through his professor’s recommendation, but after transferring money to his parents earlier, he had received a screenshot of their bank account balance, which came in handy now.
Seeing the screenshot, Shen Huaiyun visibly relaxed. A translucent blue-purple mental tentacle suddenly shot out, brushed over the top of his head, and retracted just as he was about to turn around.
Shen Huaiyun: “…”
Shen Tangmo: Smiled.
Everything was ready, but there were still three days left until New Year’s Eve. The family of four spent their days lounging around in thick, warm coral fleece pajamas, enjoying their own “slothful” holiday.
For example, the brothers spent their days playing video games, watching anime and movies, and scrolling through their phones, occasionally heading to the kitchen to wash some fruit or pour two glasses of drinks.
Shen Huaiyun sighed, “It feels so good not having to train or grind through practice problems!”
Then he flopped into the thick quilt, which let out a soft poof.
Shen Tangmo walked over. “Yeah, not having professors and deadlines chasing after us really feels amazing!”
Then he also collapsed into the quilt, bumping into Shen Huaiyun’s arm.
Meanwhile, curled up on the sofa with her husband under a warm blanket while watching a movie, Shen Yue’an sighed contentedly, “It’s so nice to have peaceful days without Heteromorph Tide alerts.”
Yuan Qing’an held her tighter. “Yeah, I wish the frontlines could stay stable forever.”
Every time he returned home before, he would see new scars added to his Sentinel wife’s body. But this year, there were almost none, and her mental landscape no longer showed any signs of shattering.
If things could stay like this from now on where no one gets hurt often, and soldiers can live well until retirement that would be wonderful.
New Year’s Eve began with their mother’s call in the morning: “Huaiyun! Tangmo! Come over and help wrap dumplings ”
Yuan Qing’an had gotten up early to mix two bowls of meat filling, while Shen Yue’an mischievously prepared a bowl of pineapple on the side, calling it the “New Year’s surprise dumpling.”
The four of them gathered around the dining table, each with a spoon in hand, a stack of dumpling wrappers in front of them, sleeves rolled up and ready to work. Midway through, Shen Huaiyun washed a bowl of cherries and placed it nearby, rewarding himself with one cherry for every five dumplings wrapped. Before long, the bowl was empty.
The other three silently spat out the cherry pits in their mouths.
Amid laughter and chatter, one “golden ingot” after another filled the empty boxes, and the last spoonful of filling was tucked into the dough. The flour on everyone’s hands had hardened into a crust.
Lunch was freshly wrapped and pan-fried dumplings, dipped in soy sauce vinegar with a dash of sesame oil. Surprisingly, the pineapple filling tasted pretty good? Sweet with a hint of saltiness, carrying the fresh fragrance of fruit.
Shen Huaiyun called it “cultivator heresy cuisine.”
His mother protested, “What nonsense! Before the term ‘cultivator heresy’ became popular, people called this ‘genius’!”
After resting for a while after the meal, Shen Yue’an and Yuan Qing’an headed into the kitchen to start preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner. Shen Tangmo followed to help, and Shen Huaiyun also wanted to pitch in, but with him added, the kitchen would have been too cramped to move around. So, Shen Tangmo gently pushed him out with his translucent mental tentacles.
“You can be in charge of cutting the fruit. Go sit by the coffee table,” Yuan Qing’an added while mixing the marinade.
Peeling and cutting didn’t take much time, and fresh strawberries and cherries didn’t even need to be sliced. After arranging the fruit on a plate, Shen Huaiyun turned back and peeked through the kitchen door. The three of them were busy preparing dishes, leaving no room for him to help, so he returned to the sofa to play on his phone.
The clatter of spatulas, the sizzle of hot oil, the rhythmic chopping of vegetables, and the hissing of the pressure cooker releasing steam all blended together. Though noisy, these sounds gradually lulled him into a peaceful state. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly and steadily, hugged a cushion, and drifted off to sleep.
It wasn’t until the rich, complex aroma of dishes filled the air and a cool sensation touched his cheek that Shen Huaiyun jolted awake, realizing he had dozed off. He looked up to see a bluish-purple, translucent mental tentacle wriggling slightly, followed by Shen Tangmo’s hand holding an ice-cold can of Jia Duo Bao.
“Dinner’s ready,” he said with a smile.
The table was laden with dishes: fragrant stir-fried crab with ginger and scallions, savory steamed pork ribs with preserved mustard greens, tomato and beef stew with potatoes in a thick sauce, and golden, crispy boneless chicken wings stuffed with shrimp paste…
Along with the fruit platter for dessert, the steaming feast was devoured by all of them.
Everyone was stuffed, their bellies round and their lips glistening with oil.
“Shall we go out to walk off the meal and set off some fireworks?”
“Let’s go, let’s go!” the brothers eagerly agreed.
The location shared by Shen Yue’an’s colleague was a patch of wasteland on the outskirts of the city. In the distance, a few lonely, unfinished buildings stood silently, hinting at the desolation of the area.
But for now, it was the perfect spot for setting off fireworks no residents, no tangled power lines, and an unobstructed view of the night sky, where fireworks and stars could shine brightly.
By the time they arrived, a few impatient fireworks had already shot into the sky, bursting into golden chrysanthemum shapes. The four of them carried several large bags of fireworks out of the car to find a spot, following the example of others by setting off two “Peony Blooms” first.
The air was filled with the sharp whistles of fireworks, one after another lighting up the sky in a dazzling display of colors and shapes a man-made galaxy of blossoms.
“This is what makes it lively and festive! Hahaha…”
A nearby man with a booming voice laughed, and everyone joined in, chiming, “Yes, yes!”
“Setting them off alone just isn’t the same!”
The air was thick not only with the smell of gunpowder but also with the warmth of people welcoming the New Year.
After setting off the larger fireworks, Shen Huaiyun and Shen Tangmo began pulling out the “novelty” ones they had picked. They bravely lit them before quickly retreating to a safe distance to watch the spectacle.
“Jellyfish” soared into the sky, trailing golden curtains; “Morning Star Clubs” crackled through three stages, scattering colorful sparks everywhere; “Windmills,” once lit, spun so fast they left trails of fiery embers, drawing gasps and cheers from the onlookers…
Shen Yue’an and Yuan Qing’an watched from the sidelines but couldn’t resist joining in, snatching a few to set off themselves.
Finally, it was time for the “Gatling.”
Seeing the family ready their “cannon,” the people around them instinctively pulled out their own stockpiles.
Amidst the chaotic clamor, everyone fired a series of firework bullets into the sky. Some took photos to capture the moment, while others shouted loudly, “Screw you, damn heavens! I’m gonna kill three hundred more mutants next year!”
“Brother, three hundred is an underestimate! Let’s wipe them all out!” someone else yelled in response.
“Second Battalion Commander, where’s my psychic cannon? Blast the hell out of them!”
“I’m here to take down the elites!”
“Hahahahahahahaha.”
On the way home, the crackling of fireworks and the shouts of the crowd still echoed in my ears, lingering for a long time.
It was hard to say whether the beautiful fireworks of that night were more unforgettable or the relay of shouts that followed.