Plain Happiness

"Winter is here again..."

Looking at the light snowflakes falling outside the door and the pedestrians coming and going all wearing very thick down jackets, Li Xue, who was sitting at the door gently stirring the coffee she had just mixed with milk, murmured a sentence softly.

This winter seems to have come later than last year, but the temperature is not as cold as it was last year; it has warmed up a bit.

So many things happened last year.

As she slowly recalled the events of the past year, a rare moment of calm returned to her face, and a faint smile once again appeared.

Life and business, two closely intertwined and inseparable concepts, are probably the first time this has been realized in her life, and it has become so reassuring.

If you think back carefully to the long years of her life, it seems that the hardships and setbacks she suffered were not sudden events that wanted to stop her from moving forward.

How can a person become stronger if they don't go through growth?

In terms of life, as long as they are together and both sets of parents are healthy, even if they don't earn a lot of money or accumulate a large fortune, they are already happy enough.

And for the first time, her seemingly "cursed" career has finally settled down.

The kittens are all adorable, and they have a group of repeat customers and acquaintances. The good location means that even during slow periods of business, the income is not too low, and the effort put in is proportional to the income.

Everything is becoming peaceful, stable, and happy.

As a child, I always dreamed of becoming a scientist who could change humanity, or Ultraman who could defeat monsters and protect humanity on TV, or a pampered princess in a castle.

When you're young, you always dream of making a name for yourself, achieving something truly great, like becoming the boss of a company or a high-ranking official that will impress everyone.

When I entered society and started living and working independently, I forgot the dream I had mentioned before. I just wanted to save some money each month, take a few days off, and have my parents healthy and without any problems.

Before experiencing the harsh realities of life, most people are young people with dreams and lofty aspirations.

Li Xue had always wanted to prove something, perhaps out of spite towards her parents, or perhaps because she felt that fate seemed to be cursing her entrepreneurship, which is why she gritted her teeth and persevered.

She doesn't know if she can be considered successful now, or if she has fulfilled the wish she once wanted to achieve.

However, the word "ordinary" is not actually a sin.

What are you thinking about?

While Li Xue was somewhat lost in thought, she heard Shan Qing's faint voice beside her, which was not very noticeable in the shop where a soft, melodious piano melody was playing.

But after listening for so many years, how could I not notice it was him?

"Thinking about what to eat tonight."

I took a small sip of coffee, and the rich aroma slowly filled my mouth.

But it was obvious that Shan Qing couldn't possibly miss what Li Xue was thinking with such a simple, perfunctory response.

The understanding between an old married couple is that simple.

"Let's go out for barbecue tonight."

Shan Qing sat down next to Li Xue, and then said softly as if deep in thought.

The coffee cup was placed on the table, but his hand, unusually, became restless and rested on Li Xue's hand, which was resting on the sofa.

"What's wrong? You've just made a little money and you don't know how to spend it?"

"Or perhaps..."

"You think my cooking is bad?"

Li Xue shifted her gaze from the doorway and looked at Shan Qing, who was wearing a slightly mocking smile, with a deep look in her eyes, asking him a question.

Recently, the responsibility of cooking at home has shifted from Chef Shanqing, who has held this position for several years, to Chef Li Xue.

I don't know if Li Xue suddenly watched some video or heard some inspirational stories about housewives, but recently she suddenly wanted to try learning to cook, so she took the opportunity to take over Shan Qing's position as head chef.

The intention was good, but as for the taste...

It's a bit complicated to explain.

"Absolutely not."

Seeing Shan Qing's expression, which showed no sign of deception, Li Xue finally believed that he didn't dislike her. She snorted and continued to sip her coffee.

The store was rather quiet in the morning.

The only people in the store were Hachimi strolling around, playing games and tucking their hands in. Most of the other customers were probably still busy with their weekday lives.

"Just remember not to use salt instead of sugar when making scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and not to use soy sauce instead of oyster sauce when making stir-fried pork with chili peppers. Also, don't mix up shredded potatoes and shredded ginger..."

"..."

Li Xue paused in her actions. Although she was a little annoyed by Shan Qing recounting her embarrassing cooking history, she was more amused by her own clumsy attempts at cooking.

Although she hates to admit it, she doesn't seem to have any talent for cooking.

There was no arguing or bickering. Li Xue and Shan Qing both had faint smiles in their eyes. Even without words, they could understand what the other was thinking and know each other's feelings.

"Jingle."

Shan Qing opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but Li Xue, seeing the guests entering, had already gone to the door to greet them. He could only shake his head with a light smile and then went back to the kitchen.

Good morning, Sister Li Xue!

Good morning.

"The same as usual today?"

"Yes, we can probably only stay until around the afternoon today?"

"You can sit here as long as you like, since you are the first guests today. Oh, by the way, Chun Cha is ready for guests."

Li Xue spoke to the two girls in front of her with a slightly mysterious smile.

"Are the Chun Cha ready for harvest?"

"That's true for the cat's age."

The girl in front of him seemed to have a glint in her eyes, as if she was particularly interested in Chun Cha, who was bred from Chun Qiu and Chacha and was eventually forced into child labor by the cat trafficker Hua Xin.

Although it's a mix of a ragdoll and a tabby cat, it looks like a ragdoll, making it exceptionally cute.

But at this moment, the girl in the pure white down jacket, who was chatting with Li Xue, looked around and asked with some regret:

"Isn't Sister Hua Hua here?"

"Little Flower..."

Li Xue paused briefly, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes, then, as if remembering something, replied with a light smile:

"I've taken leave and will be back to work in a few days."

"I see..."

Watching the two vibrant young women go inside and play with the cats, Li Xue couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

Time flies so fast!

She remembered what Hua Xin looked like when she first met her a year ago.

But I guess by now, Xiaohua is already seriously considering meeting her parents, right?

Li Xue chuckled softly, recalling the awkward look on Qingshan's face when he met her parents.

It's said that fathers-in-law are always envious of their sons-in-law, and mothers-in-law are always disgusted by their daughters-in-law, but any elder would probably treat a girl like Xiaohua like a treasure.

Li Xue glanced at the cat diary hanging on the wall, her mood unusually reserved. She then quietly went to the kitchen, looking somewhat embarrassed at Shan Qing's retreating figure, and said with a hint of arrogance:

"I'll go eat barbecue tonight, as you say."

"I'm not cooking anymore!"

Upon hearing this, Shan Qing turned around, hastily wiping her hands to hide her unease at having Li Xue speak first what she had wanted to say but hadn't had a chance to. She then stepped forward and gently embraced Li Xue, whispering in her ear:

"So..."

Happy 13th wedding anniversary, my wife.

"What wife? She's almost forty, she should be called an old woman now."

But despite saying that, Li Xue then continued slowly:

Happy 13th anniversary, my husband.

Unlike young couples in the throes of new love, their relationship is not passionate and romantic.

To grow old together across time is a very difficult thing to achieve.

But for most people, this kind of simple, ordinary happiness is what ordinary people yearn for most.

The choices you make for the rest of your life are ones you must cherish.

Because...

At this moment, Hua Xin was folding clothes in her room, quietly looked at the pure white dress that Xia Yan had given her, and recalled the events that had happened this summer.

A stunning beach, a cool sea breeze, and... a sincere promise and a firm resolve.

The girl carefully folded the clothes and then put them into her suitcase.

She didn't have much luggage. After returning to the living room to rest for a while, she turned her head slightly and saw Chun Qiu leaning against the windowpane outside, where light snowflakes were already falling.

Hua Xin paused for a moment, then smiled gently.

After getting dressed, she put Chun Qiu in the cat carrier, picked up the cat carrier and suitcase, and walked out of the door of the unusually small house.

The "click" sound signified her departure from her second "home".

One year, two years, even three years, and a long, long time ago.

She never imagined that her life would undergo such a significant change, or rather, such a dramatic transformation.

Another winter has come. Many things have changed, yet many things remain the same.

But no matter how time passes or how the world changes.

Reconnect and lift.

The second half of one's life is a choice one must make for oneself.

Because...

She'll never meet anyone as good as Xia Yan in her entire life...

She has a boyfriend now.