Jiang Nanshu glanced at her, pursed her lips, and smiled. "Thank you, Auntie."
Xu Xi’s mother smiled until her brows disappeared. "No need to thank me. It’s my first time seeing such a beautiful girl. As long as you don’t mind our place, it’s good."
Nanshu quietly put the gift back in Xu Xi’s room.
When she returned to Beijing with Jiang Yunchuan, Jiang Nanshu asked Xu Xi to share the gifts with her family.
The New Year arrived in the blink of an eye.
It was rare for all five of Nanshu’s brothers to gather together.
Mrs. Jiang thickened her skin wanting to stay and celebrate the New Year with her sons and daughter, although Mr. Jiang was annoyed, he pretended not to see her.
He privately told Nanshu to pretend not to see her too.
Seeing Mrs. Jiang in that moment, Jiang Nanshu suddenly understood what it meant to sympathize.
Mrs. Jiang had said things that hurt her, did things that hurt her.
A thorn was planted in her heart, so she couldn’t forgive Mrs. Jiang.
And what about Lu Qingyan?
Unable to forgive her, so he went abroad.
That thorn sat between them, hurting faintly every time it was remembered.
Nanshu still thought of Lu Qingyan; with his departure, his image grew clearer in her mind.
"Nannan, drink some juice." Mrs. Jiang kindly poured a drink for Nanshu.
Jiang Nanshu was staring out the window when she heard Mrs. Jiang’s voice and instinctively avoided it. "It’s too cold. I won’t drink it. Thank you."
Mrs. Jiang’s eyes dimmed. "Should I warm it up for you?"
"No need to bother, I don’t like drinks. Go and give it to my brothers."
Mrs. Jiang, dispirited, murmured, "You still won’t forgive me... cough, cough."
She suddenly started coughing, clutching her stomach, and headed to the bathroom.
Mr. Jiang passed by her, frowning. "What’s wrong with you?"
Mrs. Jiang shook her head. "Nothing serious, just upset my stomach with something cold."
Mr. Jiang paused for a few seconds before saying, "Don’t come tomorrow. You’re no longer related to us. If you don’t have a house to live in, I can provide another, but if you bail out the Song Family again, I won’t care about your wellbeing."
Mentioning the Song Family, Mrs. Jiang showed no emotion.
Kicking her out and severing ties was neatly done, but now that the Song Family went bankrupt and Old Sir Song was hospitalized, they remembered her, their "daughter," because they needed money.
But a person can’t stumble at the same spot twice, so Mrs. Jiang bluntly told them to get lost.
She had no blood relation with Old Sir Song. He should look for Chu Xin, who was related by blood.
And Chu Xin had disassociated herself from the Song Family right after their troubles began.
Mrs. Jiang felt extremely relieved.
Yet, when she thought of Jiang Nanshu, whom she had hurt, her mood grew heavy again.
She rushed to the sink and vomited violently until she saw the filth mixed with blood strands; then she paused and wiped her mouth.
The Jiang Family had a reunion dinner.
Jiang Yisen bought several hundred thousand worth of fireworks and took the family to the Nanshan Seaside District in Beijing where it was allowed.
Yisen was developing this area. He had built a small wooden bridge on the seaside and a stone lighthouse was nearby.
The roaring sound of the waves filled the air, and because it was dark, Nanshu couldn’t see the sea water, only the rolling waves.
Hemian looked around and nodded. "Big brother, this place you bought is not bad; it’s a feng shui treasure spot."
Yisen glanced at Nanshu, cleared his throat slightly. "Thanks to Nannan’s luck, places that rhyme with her name always bring good fortune. Let’s light the fireworks."
Zhou Ye walked up to Nanshu as she gazed at the sea, raising his eyebrows. "Like watching the sea?"
Nanshu nodded, "I like it."
He smiled slightly. "When I have time, I’ll take you on an overseas trip to see the most beautiful seas."
Nanshu had barely traveled far, let alone abroad.
The fireworks exploded in the sky, illuminating the sea with splashes of color.
Zhou Ye took a deep breath and shouted toward the sea, "Next year I must perform in the Spring Festival Gala! I want to perform there!"
After yelling, he turned to Nanshu and smiled, "Make a New Year’s wish to the sea; the ’Sea Elf’ will grant your wish."
Am I a three-year-old child?
But looking at the turbulent sea,
Nanshu still took a deep breath, "I want to go back."
Zhou Ye burst out laughing, "We just got out here and you already want to go home? I didn’t know you were so homebound."
After saying that, he raised his hand and rubbed Nanshu’s head.
Nanshu raised her hand to push his away, complaining, "Don’t mess up my hair. It was washed just yesterday, it’ll get dirty again."
Zhou Ye took out his phone to photograph the fireworks and then posted on Weibo.
Seeing these fireworks, Nanshu remembered her birthday when Lu Qingyan had set off fireworks throughout the city.