Dinner on New Year's Eve

  On New Year's Eve, the old soldiers of the assault camp were having a dinner party in their new barracks. Luo Yi accompanied everyone for a few cups of wine and then hurried back to his own residence. Tonight, he was going to spend the New Year with Zeng Shan and Yuan Jing, two girls. Zhang Tianyou and his wife had also been invited from the mine, as they had no children, Luo Yi insisted that they spend the New Year together with him.

  In the main room of the big house, two large braziers were lit, warming up the room. Zeng Shan and Yuan Jing had been busy all day, preparing a table full of dishes, which had already been brought out. Each person's cup was filled with the farmhouse's annual wine, made from pure grain fermentation, its color had turned into a clear yellow, like syrup, thick and sticky, when gently shaken, a tempting sweet aroma filled the entire room.

  "Come on, Shan'er and Xiao Jing, let's all raise a glass to Zhang Kuang and Mrs. Zhang." Luo Yi was the first to pick up his cup and toast Zhang Tianyou and his wife.

  Zhang Tianyou hastily stood up, raised his wine glass, and bowed slightly to Luo Yi: "Captain Luo is too polite, I'm not worthy of the honor."

  Zeng Shan stopped on one side and said to Zhang Tianyou: "Uncle, why do you always call Luo Zige as the captain? It sounds so unfamiliar."

  "Haha, I actually wanted to call him Yi'er, but he's not my son-in-law yet. When he becomes my son-in-law, I'll naturally change the way I address him."

  Zeng Shan listened and was so ashamed that she almost had no place to hide, nearly burying her head in Mrs. Zhang's bosom.

  Ruo Yi smiled and said: "Shan'er is right, whether or not I'm a daughter-in-law, let's not mention it for now. Shan'er and I are both homeless people, Xiao Jing may have parents at home, but she can't go back now, and it's no different from being an orphan. If Zhang Mine doesn't despise us, the three of us will be considered your children. As for calling me Captain Ruo, please don't call me that again in the future, just call me Luo Zi."

  Zhang Tianyou and his wife exchanged a glance, and burst out laughing together. Mrs. Zhang said: "This is really an unexpected delight. I have already accepted Shan as my goddaughter, if Xiao Jing and Luo Zi are willing, from now on we will be one family."

  When Luo Yi heard that Zhang Tianyou and his wife had agreed, he pulled Yuan Jing, and Yuan Jing also pulled Zeng Shan. The three of them stood up together with their cups and shouted to Zhang Tianyou and his wife: "Uncle, Auntie."

  After shouting, Zhang's wife was so happy that her mouth couldn't be closed, and she hurriedly rummaged through her body to find something as a gift. After searching for half a day without finding anything, she asked Zhang Tianyou again. Zhang Tianyou stopped her and said, "Let's talk about it later, let's talk about it later, there's still a long way to go."

  Everyone clinked their glasses and took a sip of wine. Zhang Tianyou said, "I never thought that after drifting for half my life, I could find the feeling of home again in Tongzhou. With you three children by my side, it's enough to comfort me for the rest of my life. Shan'er and Xiao Jing are both naturally beautiful, and Luo Zi is young but very responsible. What's most difficult to come by is that in such a chaotic world, Luo Zi could have been wrapped in wealth and living a luxurious life, but instead he's able to be kind and generous, with a heart that cares about the country and the world - it's truly rare."

  Luo Yi said: "What did Grandfather say? He worried about the world's troubles before others, and enjoyed the world's joys after others. If ancient people could do so, why can't we? Didn't Grandfather also have a heart full of patriotism?"

  "Yes, the ambition to serve the country, I hope that one day I can fulfill my ambition to serve the country. Come on, let's do this together." Zhang Tianyou said, "Luo Zi, say a word of blessing."

  Luo Yi thought for a moment and said: "Based on what Uncle just said, let's drink the first cup of wine to wish our great motherland prosperity and flourishing."

  Zhang Tianyou's eyes welled up with tears: "Good, Luozi, this blessing is good. Come, Su Fen, Shan Er, Xiao Jing, let's raise our glasses together and wish our great motherland prosperity and flourishing."

  Among these five people, only Zeng Shan had no strong feelings about this blessing. Zhang Tianyou and his wife were overseas students who returned to China, and the prosperity of their country was their lifelong wish. Yuan Jingsheng grew up in an intellectual family and was instilled with the ideal of a rich country and strong army from a young age. Luo Yi's emotions were the most complex; he had traveled back from the 21st century and had already grown accustomed to China's status as a great power. Suddenly returning to the 1930s, seeing a weak and impoverished China was really difficult for him to accept psychologically. He thought to himself: If I told everyone now what China would be like in over 70 years, what kind of grand event the 2008 Olympics would be, would they believe me? How would they feel?

  "The second cup of wine is to wish that the people will soon be masters of their own house, overthrowing the oppression and rule of imperialism and reactionaries, and establishing a state of their own." Yuan Jing also chimed in.

  "Good!" Luo Yi echoed her. Zhang Tianyou and his wife knew that Yuan Jing was a Red Army, so they could understand her toast, although they didn't completely agree with her views on overthrowing the reactionaries, but still smiled and took a big sip of wine.

  "Xan'er, it's your turn now." Luo Yi said with a smile after eating a few bites of food to Zeng Shan.

  "Me?" Zeng Shan was somewhat embarrassed, "I won't say anything. All of you are knowledgeable, I don't understand anything."

  "Xan'er, say one, talk about what you want most." Mrs. Zhang encouraged Zeng Xan on the side.

  Zeng Shan thought for a moment, also picked up her cup and said: "I wish Grandpa and Grandma good health and longevity. I wish Luo Zi Ge good luck and prosperity. I wish Xiao Jing Jie... everything goes well, and forever so beautiful."

  Everyone burst out laughing and praised Zeng Shan for being eloquent, then they all raised their glasses and drank heavily.

  After the three young people finished speaking, Mrs. Zhang also picked up her cup and said with a smile: "I'll say one too."

  "Good, good." Everyone applauded.

  "It's men's business, I don't care. I wish Su'er and Xiao Jing find their ideal husband soon and have a perfect home." Mrs. Zhang said, casting a meaningful glance at Luo Yi, who felt cold sweat on his forehead.

  "Auntie! What are you talking nonsense?" Zeng Shan's face turned bright red as she playfully hit Zhang Madam.

  "What's there to be shy about? A man should get married when he grows up, and a woman should get married when she grows up. What Godmother said is all true." said Mrs. Zhang.

  "I don't want to get married, I'll just spend the rest of my life with Father and Mother." Zeng Shan said what girls usually say in such situations.

  Zhang Tianyou smiled and said: "How is this possible? A girl cannot stay in a big city."

  Zeng Shan said: "I just think that we five people are always together and never separate, every day is like today, the best."

  Mrs. Zhang said: "This is not difficult, as long as Luo Zi is willing, you will marry and still be in this family, right? And there's Xiaojing..."

  Zeng Shan looked at Luo Yi with her big, bright eyes, expecting him to say something. Luo Yi looked around awkwardly. Yuan Jing was on the side, initially not understanding what everyone was saying, but suddenly realized and quickly lowered her head.

  Mrs. Zhang had also been observing Yuan Jing's movements and seeing this, she called out to her: "Xiao Jing, what are you thinking?"

  Yuan Jing said: "We Red Army soldiers are always ready to sacrifice our lives for the revolution, and we don't have time to think about these individual matters."

  "You've grown up so big, haven't you ever met a young man you liked?"

  Yuan Jing shook her head, but a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. Mrs. Zhang sensed it: "What's wrong, Little Jing? Did Mother say something wrong?"

  Yuan Jing said slowly: "When I was a child, there was a little boy in our neighborhood who was two years older than me. We always played together. He loved to read books and would tell me about them afterwards. At first, he told stories from the Three Kingdoms and Outlaws of the Marsh; later on, it was about the October Revolution in Russia. And then, I followed him out of our home and became a Red Army soldier..."

  "Oh, is he still in the Red Army now? How come I've never heard you mention it?" Zeng Shan asked curiously.

  Yuan Jing said: "He... sacrificed himself in a battle last year." As she spoke, she turned her face away and secretly wiped away a tear.

  Everyone at the table fell silent, and Yuan Jing looked at everyone apologetically and said: "Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned this... Actually, it's all been a long time ago. He and I didn't have anything, we just grew up together since childhood. In the Red Army, bleeding sacrifices are common occurrences, we've all made preparations for sacrifice, so this kind of thing doesn't count as anything."

  "Come on, let's just keep drinking. Let bygones be bygones." Luo Yi said, trying to steer the conversation away from the unpleasant topic.

  "Luozige, why don't you sing a song for everyone?" Zeng Shan said, "I've heard you humming and muttering to yourself before, but I have no idea what you're singing."

  "Alright, welcome Luo Zicheng to sing a song." Mrs. Zhang also changed the subject and encouraged Luo Wei to sing.

  Lu Yi looked at Yuan Jing, and Yuan Jing smiled faintly at him, meaning to let him not mind his emotions, but rather let everyone be happy. Lu Yi had a feeling in his heart, and softly began to hum:

  "Do you still remember that butterfly flower in the childhood sunshine?"

  She blooms beautifully on your head

  Full of innocence and naivety

  Growing up slowly

  The emotions I once had have unknowingly changed

  Foolishly devoted to the eternal vow of first love

  Cannot withstand wind and rain...

  A song like "Butterfly Flower" moved Yuan Jing deeply, she listened quietly, and unknowingly tears flowed all over her face.