After eating, they were not in a hurry to go home, but continued to wander around the nearby commercial street.
When passing by a Lottery Station, Zhao Chen suddenly had a sudden impulse. "Would you like to try your luck?"
Su Wantang had never bought a lottery ticket before, so she followed him in curiously.
Zhao Chen asked for a whole copy of "Scratch-off" with a face value of twenty.
The two of them sat down at the small table in the shop, like two primary school students doing their handicraft homework, and started shaving seriously.
The first one missed.
The second one missed.
On the third ticket, I won twenty yuan - just enough to get my money back.
"Continue!" Zhao Chen became interested.
As a result, after scraping the entire book, the total winnings were less than 100 yuan, resulting in a net loss of more than 300 yuan.
But the two of them were very excited about scratching, and they were full of anticipation every time they scratched off a piece. They looked at each other and smiled when they won a small prize, as if they had gotten a huge advantage.
The boss of Lottery Station looked at this pair of "taken advantage of" and couldn't help shaking his head and laughing, "Young man, just be happy."
"Just to be happy." Zhao Chen responded with a smile and threw the last unwon lottery ticket into the trash can.
When Lottery Station walked out, Su Wantang suddenly laughed softly.
"What are you laughing at?" Zhao Chen asked.
"You are laughing at us for being stupid." Su Wantang's eyes flashed, "We are still so happy even though we have lost money."
"Spending money to buy happiness is not a loss." Zhao Chen said.
It's really not a loss.
These more than three hundred yuan bought Su Wantang a relaxed and bright smile that he had never seen before, and a few hours of his own happiness that was as pure as boiled water.
This deal is so worth it.
The afternoon slipped away while wandering around.
They watched the performance of street performers, each picked a book from the bookstore, and queued up to buy freshly baked Peach Crisp and mung bean cake at a time-honored pastry shop.
The sky gradually darkened and the street lights came on one after another.
When passing by a stall selling sugar-roasted chestnuts, a rich sweet aroma wafted over.
Su Wantang stopped, looked at the huge wok, and then at Zhao Chen.
"Want to eat?" Zhao Chen asked.
Su Wantang nodded, a little embarrassed. "When I was a kid... I liked eating this the most in winter."
Zhao Chen bought a big pack.
The chestnuts had just come out of the pot and were hot to the touch. He wrapped them in a paper bag and handed them to Su Wantang.
Su Wantang carefully peeled one open. The golden chestnut kernel was steaming. She blew on it, but did not eat it herself. Instead, she naturally handed it to Zhao Chen's mouth.
"Taste it, is it sweet?"
Zhao Chen was stunned for a moment.
This action was too intimate, so intimate that it exceeded the blurred boundary between them.
But when he looked at Su Wantang's clear, impurity-free eyes and the small, golden chestnut kernel on her fingertips, he still lowered his head and ate it with her hand.
Chestnut kernels are very sweet, waxy, and have a caramel aroma.
"Sweet," he said.
Su Wantang laughed and then peeled one off for himself.
She ate very gracefully, taking small sips, but her face was full of satisfaction.
Starting from that chestnut, something quietly changed.
Su Wantang naturally held Zhao Chen's arm, like any intimate couple on the street. The snacks in her hand - the Candied Hawthorn and Roasted Sweet Potato she bought later - would be handed to his mouth first, letting him take the first bite.
Zhao Chen did not refuse.
He let her hold his arm and ate every food she handed him. Occasionally, he would take the things from her hands, leaving her free hands to tidy up her hair that was messed up by the wind.
None of them mentioned whether this was right or appropriate.
In this year-end dusk when thousands of lights are gradually lighting up, in this world full of fireworks, those complicated identities, heavy worries, and uncertain future are temporarily far away.
So far away that you can pretend it doesn't exist.
So far away that you can pretend that they are just the most ordinary couple, buying a New Year Goods, preparing for the New Year, and enjoying the most ordinary but most precious sweetness in ordinary life.
As we walked, Su Wantang suddenly said softly, "Xiao Chen, today... is the happiest day I have had in so many years."
Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible amid the hustle and bustle of the street.
But Zhao Chen heard it.
He paused for a moment and turned his head to look at her.
The light of the street lamp reflected on her face, and her eyes, which were always filled with tenderness and restraint, shone with an almost fragile light at this moment -
That is the truest joy after taking off all the armor, and a little bit of unbelievable fear.
She was afraid that this was a dream and that it would be shattered when she woke up.
Zhao Chen The softest place in his heart was stabbed hard.
He raised the hand that was not held by hers and gently touched the top of her hair.
"There will be many days like this in the future." He said, his voice was low but extremely clear, "I promise."
Su Wantang looked up at him, his eye circles suddenly turned red.
But she blinked hard to suppress the sourness, and then smiled brighter than the street lights.
"Yeah." She nodded vigorously and held his hand tighter.
When we returned to the Villa, it was completely dark.
The whole street was quiet, with only the warm lights coming from the windows of every house and the faint aroma of New Year's Eve dinner filling the air.
They carried large and small bags - although they were nothing serious New Year Goods, but they were all happy - and walked into the house.