TYAM Chapter 82

A chapter about Lunar New Year… the timing is amazing for this one.

Although it was the time of year when most industries were busy distributing year-end bonuses, holding annual meetings, and preparing for holiday breaks, the two industries Jiang Wang was involved in were different.  

—In the express delivery business, the closer it got to the New Year, the more overwhelming the orders became. The system alerts rang incessantly, almost causing the machines to overheat.  

More and more people were using e-commerce platforms to buy New Year’s goods. Last year’s peak was at most double the usual volume, but when the company simulated this year’s data, even the most conservative estimate was a 320% increase.  

As for the education and training industry, there was no such thing as a slow season.  

Kids had to do homeworks all year round, 365 days a year. When winter and summer breaks came, the staff had to work even harder.  

—Fortunately, Boss Jiang was generous. He happily feasted with his employees and provided double or even triple wages during holidays, along with performance bonuses and New Year’s red envelopes. Many people were more than willing to stay and work overtime.  

Fu Er was the first to volunteer.  

The young woman looked delicate and fragile, her voice as light as a little sparrow. But during her trial class, she gave everyone a shock.  

The moment she stood on the podium, her voice boomed with a commanding presence, her sharp eyes gleaming as if she were ready to devour her students.  

Many students had only attended the trial class because their parents dragged them there for a free lesson. They hadn’t expected to be so startled by the new teacher that they didn’t dare to zone out.  

What surprised Jiang Wang even more was that Fu Er could maintain a steady pace throughout the class, moving continuously like a step-counting app. She paced as she taught, timing her movements perfectly to reach the board and draw diagrams at just the right moments—so much so that no student dared to sneakily play on their phone or do other homework.  

This seemed effortless, but in reality, most teachers couldn’t do it.  

Walking around and observing students frequently disrupted a teacher’s train of thought. Most middle and high school teachers would only move around when explaining worksheets, using the textbook as a guide to stay on track.  

But Fu Er could conduct her entire lesson flawlessly, with two thought processes running in parallel. She had the entire curriculum deeply ingrained in her mind, to the point where she could explain force analysis while using a book to tap a student’s head—scaring them so much that their phone clattered to the floor.  

She had no reservations when dealing with colleagues or students, which actually made her easy to get along with.  

“I’ll stay and work overtime during the New Year!”  

The others tried to persuade her: “Xiao Er, you’ve only been here a few days. Aren’t you going home for the New Year? Your parents must want to spend time with you.”  

“It’s fine! I’ve already booked them a seven-day tour to Europe!”  

The young woman was full of enthusiasm. “While we’re not officially in session yet, I’ll revise the entire physics curriculum. Boss Jiang, is that okay?”  

Jiang Wang laughed. “Of course. Thank you for your hard work.”  

On New Year’s Eve, Jiang Wang woke up early, following the local Yuhan tradition of cleansing himself and changing into new clothes. Then, he took Peng Xingwang out to buy fireworks.  

Fireworks weren’t banned nationwide yet, and as he watched the boy lugging a massive twelve-shot firework into the car, he felt both nostalgic and amused.  

“Be careful not to burn yourself. Every year, someone gets injured.”  

“Big Brother, I know! Do you want to play with snap pops? Should we get some for Teacher Ji too?!”  

Jiang Wang finished his AD calcium milk, tossed the empty bottle into the trash, and said, “Sure, let’s get the big pack. We’ll set them off together on New Year’s Day!”  

Strictly speaking, this was the first time he had spent the New Year with family in his memory.  

His mother was here, his father had already sent a red envelope, and he had a younger version of himself as a little brother.  

His lover and his lover’s parents lived in the neighboring community. Fireworks crackled all around, filling the world with warmth and festivity.  

Du Wenjuan had also gotten up early, heading to the market to buy the freshest garland chrysanthemum, lotus root, pork ribs, and fathead fish. On her way back, she saw a tall figure and a little one busy pasting Spring Festival couplets at the door.  

Peng Xingwang wanted to be more involved, so he took out his calligraphy ink set from class and used a brush to write large “福[mfn]Fu; “blessing”[/mfn]” characters.  

Jiang Wang habitually called out “Linqiu,” but when he didn’t get a response, he remembered that Ji was staying with his parents for the holiday.  

His phone vibrated twice.  

[Linqiu]: I miss you.  

[Wang]: Wait for me.  

[Linqiu]: ?  

In just a short while, the kid had churned out a whole stack of “福” characters like a printing machine. The ones in front were so densely written that the strokes nearly ran off the paper, while the ones at the back had turned into abstract creations resembling butterflies.  

Jiang Wang picked up most of them.  

“Hey, hey, hey! Those ones aren’t good!”  

“It’s fine, they’re full of your blessings.” Jiang Wang held them up to the light and found the round, chubby strokes to be quite festive. He nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll take these to Teacher Ji.”  

“Wait, you’re going to see him?!” The little calligrapher hurriedly grabbed a fresh sheet and wildly scribbled a new message. When he finished, he pinched the corner and handed it to Jiang Wang. “Take this one. It’s for him!”  

Jiang Wang took a closer look.  

[To Teacher Ji,  

May you eat without gaining fat,  

May weld roll in endlessly,  

May you be happy every single day.][mfn]original couplet (the | indicates a new line): 吃多不胖 | 财元滚滚 | 天天天天开心. The bold is Xingxing’s typo~[/mfn]

“It’s ‘wealth’, not ‘weld’” he explained seriously. “They’re pronounced similarly, but written differently.[mfn]I’m changing this line to fit the English translation. The original goes something like: the correct yuan is 源 as in source, not 元 that’s used to count money)[/mfn]” 

The kid pouted. “I don’t care! This is the one!”  

“Alright then.”  

Jiang Wang informed Du Wenjuan, then went downstairs to personally deliver the package.

Before heading over, he thought about it and decided to bring a box of tea and a bottle of liquor—just a small token of appreciation.  

After all, he was visiting his future in-laws.  

Ji Guoshen had just returned from the training center. That morning, he had been at the company writing Spring Festival couplets and “Fu” characters for everyone. When he saw Jiang Wang, he was momentarily stunned before quickly ushering him inside.  

“Come in, come in! You didn’t have to bring anything!”  

Ji Linqiu, wearing a deep blue apron, had his sleeves rolled up as he wiped the windows. There was still a bit of soap suds on his elbow.  

“Jiang Wang?”  

“These are ‘福’ characters that Xingxing wrote for you all.” Jiang Wang placed them on the coffee table in neat stacks. “And this is a little gift from me.”  

“Brother Wang is here!” Ji Changxia called over her son with a smile. “Come on, Tuantuan, say hello to Uncle Jiang!”  

The little boy beside her grinned and chirped, “Wishing you prosperity! Now give me a red envelope!”  

“Tuantuan!”  

Jiang Wang naturally pulled out a red envelope, handed it to the child, and ruffled his hair. “From now on, just call me ‘Brother’ —seniority doesn’t matter, don’t make me sound old.”  

The boy cheered, “Thank you, Brother!!”  

Ji Guoshen glanced at the calligraphy and was pleasantly surprised. “This is Xingwang’s handwriting? He’s improving!”  

The first time Ji Linqiu’s parents met Peng Xingwang was at the office of Buwang Culture. They had been startled, thinking Jiang Wang already had such a grown-up son at his young age.  

Pulling Ji Linqiu aside, they’d asked in private, and he had to explain the situation with a wry smile.  

“So that’s how it is,” Chen Danhong sighed after hearing the story. “Boss Jiang is such a good person. How is it that he still hasn’t married? We should keep an eye out for him.”  

Ji Linqiu was speechless. “Why do you always want to match people up the moment you meet them? Is marriage really that great?”  

Chen Danhong instinctively wanted to argue, but then she hesitated. Maybe he had a point.  

“Isn’t it… a good thing? He’d have someone to take care of him, to share warmth. He could even have a child to support him in old age—wouldn’t that be nice?”  

“But he’s already too busy to even eat and sleep properly. Adding a wife and child to that—wouldn’t that just mean failing two more people?”  

Ji Linqiu looked at his mother and slowed his speech. “Mom, you know better than anyone what it’s like to wait for someone every day.”  

“If someone married him now, just waiting at home, barely getting to see him—would they really be happy?”  

If she had heard this before, Chen Danhong would have gotten into a heated argument.  

But now that she had a stable job and a life of her own, she found herself truly thinking about it.  

In the end, she rubbed her hands together and let out a bitter chuckle.  

“You’re right. He’s living freely—I shouldn’t worry so much. If fate brings someone to him, it’ll happen naturally, right?”  

Ji Linqiu shook his head with a smile. He didn’t think she really understood yet.  

As time passed, the two families grew closer. Peng Xingwang would often come over for meals.  

Ji Guoshen, now teaching at the elementary school, took the opportunity to introduce Xingwang to basic physics and chemistry. The old and the young got along well, frequently conducting simple science experiments together.  

“Xingxing is still at home putting up ‘福’ characters. He’ll come by tomorrow to wish you a happy New Year.”  

“Great! Grandma Chen and I will prepare a big red envelope for him. He has to accept it!”  

After chatting for a bit, Jiang Wang made his way to the small courtyard to help Ji Linqiu clean the windows.  

Ji Linqiu watched him the whole time, then commented meaningfully, “Boss Jiang, are you trying to win over my entire family?”  

This wasn’t just a friendly New Year’s visit. He was acting just like a son-in-law coming home to see his parents.  

“I haven’t even officially started yet,” Jiang Wang replied leisurely. “Marrying a wife isn’t easy, you know.”  

“Then how about I marry you?”  

“Sure, I’ve already prepared twenty boxes of dowry.”  

They both burst into laughter.  

“I never expected it,” Ji Linqiu admitted with a smile. “I just said I missed you, and within ten minutes, you showed up.”  

“It’s only a few days apart for the New Year, but I still find myself unwilling to part with you.”  

Jiang Wang bent down to wash a rag, wrung it out, and handed it to him.  

“Tonight, I’ll set off a red firework with a whistle. Look towards the southeast, where my home is.” He pulled him to face that direction. “When you hear the whistle, that’s me talking to you from afar.”  

Ji Linqiu looked up at the clear blue sky and asked curiously, “And what do you want to say?”  

Jiang Wang thought about it seriously for a few seconds.  

“The firework will say: Teacher Ji! Happy New Year! Eat more fruit, get more sleep, don’t stay up late, and smile more!”  

“It will also say: There are so many people in this world who love you, but there’s someone named Jiang Wang who loves you the most. Remember that, Teacher Ji.”  

Ji Linqiu replied solemnly, “Alright. I’ll count how many times the firework calls out, and I’ll adjust accordingly.”  

“You can adjust up,” Jiang Wang teased, “but no reducing.”  

“If that firework keeps screeching non-stop, the extra ones are just me shouting through a loudspeaker to the whole neighborhood: I like Teacher Ji the most! The most, the most, the most!”  

Ji Linqiu reached out and pinched his cheek. “It’s New Year’s, and you’re making a single firework work overtime? That’s not very kind.”  

Jiang Wang thought about it. “Then should I buy a few more and have them take turns?”  

“No need.” Ji Linqiu’s smile curved softly. “I’ve heard you loud and clear.”  

“Even if not a single firework goes off tonight, I’ve already heard you.”  

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was in the living room, he quickly kissed him—a soft, warm touch.  

“Don’t worry, Teacher Ji likes you the most too.”