“I have just finished my work here. Why don’t we go out and take a stroll? Mom, is there somewhere you’d like to go?”
Grandma shook her head and said, “No, I don’t.”
“Then let’s go to the night market.”
During the operation, Xie Yi heard the nurses say that there was a new night market nearby.
In reality, it was not a night market, but rather a folklore activity before the Chinese New Year.
It could be considered an event organized by the city hall of the Imperial Capital. With the large-scale ban on fireworks and firecrackers in the Imperial Capital, the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year seemed not strong enough.
Therefore, every year around the Spring Festival, the city hall deliberately organized such activity to give citizens a place to be entertained.
The citizens could do their Spring Festival shopping before the Chinese New Year.
“Shall we go now?”
Xie Yi nodded and said, “Let’s go now.”
Xie Yi had already got dressed, and Mo Shi went with them.
When the four of them arrived at the market, they realized that this place could almost be described as a sea of people.
“There are too many people here.”
People were selling Chinese New Year goods everywhere. Even the time-honored brands in the Imperial Capital had set up their stalls there too.
Every stall was crowded with people as if it was a big free reward.
There was everything in the market—paper-cutting, Chinese New Year pictures, God of Wealth, Fu character, big red lanterns, small fireworks for children, melon seeds, sweets, cakes, and more.
Standing at the entrance, Ye Tianxin felt that her palms were full of sweat because she was worried that her grandma might get lost in a crowded place like this.
“Grandma, why don’t we come here another day?”
Grandma shook her head. She reached out to hold Xie Yi’s hand and said, “Linlang, I’m going shopping right now.”
Xie Yi bent down and said to Grandma, “Okay, Mom. I’ll walk with you.”
Grandma’s vision was much narrower when she sat in the wheelchair, which they could do nothing about it.
Grandma couldn’t walk all the time, but she was recovering well. Otherwise, she would be very tired.
Ye Tianxin pushed her grandma’s wheelchair, and Xie Yi and Grandma were chatting all the time.
“Linlang, let’s cut some window grilles and paste them on the windows for the Chinese New Year. Isn’t all right?”
“Okay,” Xie Yi answered simply.
Grandma was very excited, and she said, “We haven’t had a lively New Year for many years. Now our family is finally reunited. Let’s have a good time.”
Ye Tianxin’s nose was becoming to feel a bit sour.
She had never understood the pain in her grandma’s heart before. However, when she looked back now and recalled some details of the years before, she knew how difficult it was for her grandma.
“Grandma, let’s write some couplets beside the window grilles. My father’s handwriting is so good that he can write Spring Festival couplets. Then we can invite my aunt’s family to come over for the New Year too.”
Grandma nodded happily.
The four of them were strolling happily.
Seeing the sign of the toilet, Ye Tianxin asked her grandma, “Grandma, do you need to go to the bathroom?”
“No, I don’t.”
Both Ye Tianxin and Mo Shi went to the bathroom, and Xie Yi walked with Grandma.
While they were walking, a foreign couple blocked Xie Yi and asked her the way.
Then someone stood behind the wheelchair and pushed Grandma away.
Grandma thought that Xie Yi was pushing her. She said while walking, “Linlang, look at this. Look at how delicate the new year doll paintings are!”
The man behind her ignored her. Grandma turned her head around and saw a completely strange face behind her.
She screamed, “Linlang, Linlang, my daughter. Where are you now?”
It was too noisy there. Grandma’s voice was instantly lost in the crowd.
“Who are you? Where do you want to take the old lady?”
Li Zhiwei walked out from nowhere and stood in front of the grandma’s wheelchair.