novelden Chapter 14 Fireworks on New Year's Eve
Chapter 14 Fireworks on New Year's Eve
"Huahua, have you heated up the wine yet? Dinner's almost ready!" Wu You asked Li Lianhua, who was heating up the wine in the kitchen next door, as she served the last dish.
"Soon, I'll grab two cups and be right there," Li Lianhua replied.
"I got most of these dishes from the restaurant. I only made two dishes myself. Although the portions are small, they are enough for us. It's not good to waste them. If you're still hungry, there will be some snacks later."
"Huahua, I highly recommend this roast duck. The master chef not only replicated our local recipe but also added his own ideas and rare spices. I've had it before, and the taste is absolutely amazing. No other restaurant can make it like this. You must try it," Wu You introduced the dish, giving it a special recommendation.
“Okay, I’ll definitely try it. Let’s have a drink to celebrate. You brought this one back, so I’ll drink this one.” Li Lianhua handed a glass of wine with a fruity aroma to Wu You.
"I won't say anything else. I wish Youyou a long road ahead, cherish this moment, and have a blessed new year with no worries." Li Lianhua raised her wine cup and said sincerely to Wu You.
Seeing this, Wu You also raised his wine glass, his face full of smiles: "I also wish Hua Hua a long and prosperous future, with boundless possibilities and endless possibilities." After saying that, the two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.
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"Huahua, do people here have the custom of staying up all night on New Year's Eve?" After dinner, the two of them sat around the small heater to warm themselves, while Wu You played various games on the other side.
“Yes, staying up all night here has the meaning of ‘bidding farewell to the old year’ and extending the lifespan of parents.” Li Lianhua’s hands kept moving, and with one move, five pieces were connected in a line.
"How about I set off fireworks for you at midnight when the New Year arrives? You can watch from the window or take your little heater outside to watch from under the eaves. It'll be spectacular, absolutely unforgettable."
Wu You distracted Li Lianhua, his hands groping around and messing up the entire chessboard. He then chuckled and carefully put the black and white pieces back together, before turning around and placing the prepared chess set on the table.
"Okay, I'll definitely watch carefully then." Li Lianhua didn't stop Wu You from being mischievous and smiled as she arranged the chess pieces one by one.
Both of them stayed up all night to welcome the New Year, playing various games to pass the time. Usually, Wu Youcai would demonstrate the game once, and Li Lianhua would immediately understand it. Wu Youcai had never beaten Li Lianhua. Not only was he skilled in martial arts, but he was also quite intelligent.
During this time, Wu You was so bored that he read more than a dozen novels until 11:45 p.m. (midnight to midnight).
Wu You said to Li Lianhua, "Time is almost up. I'll go to the room and move the fireworks to the yard. You take the little sun to the eaves outside and unplug the power strip first. Take your time. I'm going now."
The fireworks weren't heavy, so Wu You carried two boxes at a time, making three trips from her room to the open space outside the yard. Then she connected the extra fuses she bought from the shop owner box by box, so that she only needed to light them once.
When they returned, they saw Li Jianlian standing under the eaves in front of the little sun, with two small stools beside her.
"Hasn't it started yet?" Li Lianhua asked, puzzled, when Wu You returned.
"There are still four or five minutes left. I'll come over and tell you that the noise will be a bit loud later, so you can cover your ears," Wu You explained.
"Okay, I understand." Li Lianhua replied with a smile, having a general understanding of the minutes, hours, and times Wu You mentioned.
Upon hearing the reply, Wu You quickly returned to the room, picked up a few sparklers, and placed them not far from Li Lianhua's feet.
Seeing that it was almost time, he got up and went back to the fireworks area, prepared a lighter, stared at the time on his phone, and when the time jumped to 00:00, he immediately lit the fuse he had left out, turned around and ran wildly towards Li Lianhua.
Just as I reached the opposite side of Li Lianhua, before I could even stand still, a loud bang was heard and an explosion occurred, bursting into colorful flowers in the sky.
"Li Lianhua, look! Fireworks! Aren't they beautiful?" Wu You said to Li Lianhua, pointing at the fireworks.
A faint, multicolored light gathered on Li Lianhua's face, adding a touch of mystery to his already handsome features, making him even more eye-catching. He truly deserves to be called the number one martial arts master, Li Xiangyi; his appearance is also exceptional.
"Beautiful, more than beautiful, it's unforgettable." Li Lianhua looked at the girl running towards her, fireworks exploding above her head, her face radiant with the joy of sharing, and her answer was calm and powerful.
Looking at the beautiful scenery and the beautiful people, Wu You suddenly had a whim to preserve this scene.
Thinking of this, Wu You hurriedly ran back to his room, took out a Polaroid camera from the old house, and returned to Li Lianhua's side.
"Huahua, turn your back to the fireworks and look at me." Wu You adjusted the angle of the small sun so that the light shone directly on Li Lianhua's face as she turned around. The soft light was like a filter, making Li Lianhua look much gentler.
"Youyou, what are you doing?" Li Lianhua turned around and saw Wu You waving an unknown object in front of her face.
"You'll see in a moment." Wu You flicked his finger, and a photo slowly rose from the top of the Polaroid camera. He picked it up and shook it, and a picture of fireworks and a beautiful woman appeared.
"Yes, they're very beautiful. Take a look, and I'll take a few more pictures." With that, Wu You handed the photos in his hand to Li Lianhua and started snapping pictures of her.
Li Lianhua took the item from Wu You and saw her own miniature portrait on it. The image was clear, with the light in her eyes, the black hair on her head, the fireworks behind her, and the bright moon in the sky all clearly visible, as if time had stopped at that moment.
What kind of treasure is this, that it could capture such an imaginative scene in an instant? Just as I was about to ask, several more pictures appeared in my hand, all of them showing myself from different angles, including pictures of myself holding the object and looking at it.
"Youyou, what is this? How did you manage to draw so many portraits in such a short time?" Li Lianhua exclaimed in amazement as she examined the painting.
“Those in your hand are photos, this one in mine is a Polaroid. Those aren’t drawings, they’re photos, like this one,” Wu You replied while taking a few more pictures.
"A photo? A Polaroid? That's really unusual. Can you teach me how to take one? I'd like to try it too." Li Lianhua looked at the thing in Wu You's hand.
"Sure, here's the switch, and here's the camera. Just point it at what you want to photograph, press the button, and the photo will appear. Then, like this, take it off and shake it a few times to let the ink dry."
As Wu You explained and demonstrated, he placed the photo in his hand on the stool next to him and handed the Polaroid camera to Li Lianhua. "Give it a try, it's not difficult, it's very simple."