Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The sound of the bubbling hotpot was simply the most wonderful sound in the entire Lan Village at that moment.
The vegetables were from the fields of Lan Village, and the various meats were prepared by the Festival Group.
Regardless of whether it snowed or not, the hotpot kept them warm.
Under the supervision of the adults, the children put their favorite ingredients in the pot to make their own flavor.
The camera was moved to the tent. Smoke blurred the lenses occasionally.
The staff members were having their meal in another tent.
[Iâm droolingâ¦]
[Mom, I want to eat hotpot!]
[Help, I canât stop salivating. I just woke up and saw this.]
[I just woke up too, and Iâm hungry.]
[I made a bowl of instant noodles and pretended it was a hotpot.]
[Why doesnât Lin Wane gain any weight even though she eats so much?]
[I wonder that too. Lin Wan eats every meal so diligently, but sheâs still so thin.]
[We donât have snow here, but the weather is very cold.]
[Eating hotpot with family at home on a snowy day feels really good. Itâs New
Yearâs Eve now. Weâre also making hotpot.]
Hotpot evoked cozy and warm memories for all the viewers.
In the freezing Lan Village, there were very few tasks to be done. Fortunately, the staff had gone grocery shopping and gotten some ingredients before it snowed.
After lunch, everyone started chatting. It was really warm, especially after a satisfying meal.
At Yun City, Xie Xiang stood by the old window with his hands behind his back while his mother was hanging clothes in the yard.
When Xie Wanyu saw him yesterday, she didnât even call him âdadâ and locked herself in her room. She hadnât come out of her room since then.
In the morning, he thought his daughter would be hungry, so he knocked on the door and told her to come out and eat something. Xie Wanyu didnât respond for a long time. In the end, her grandmother handed her two steamed buns through the window.
The man had dark skin and wrinkles around the corners of his eyes.
Last night, his mother held his hand and cried for a long time.
His mother pitied him for having gone into hiding for ten years to fulfill his mission. However, even after that, he couldnât clear his name.
Inside the room, Xie Wanyu was struggling with her thoughts. When she saw her father come home, she wasnât as excited as she had anticipated. She noticed the marks left by the wind and frost on her fatherâs face, but his eyes shone brightly.
His skin was very dark. She didnât remember her father having that kind of complexion.
Thinking of what Lin Wan had said, Xie Wanyu couldnât help but doubt everything she had known about her father since he disappeared.
She didnât lock herself in her room because she didnât want to see her father, but because she needed time to think.
Without Lin Wanâs words, she wouldnât even have given him the benefit of the doubt.
âIs it really true that my fatherâ¦â
She called Lin Wan.
In Lan Village, Lin Wan was with the other mothers. She heard her phone ringing. She had been waiting for this call. She guessed who it might be, even though the number wasnât saved.
âHappy New Year, Wanyu,â said Lin Wan.
âHappy New Year, Sister Wanwan. How did you know it was me?
âI guessed.â
âSister Wanwan, my dad came back. I saw him yesterday, and then I locked myself in my room. I havenât gone out since then. He looks much olderâ¦â Xie Wanyuâs words showed no resentment but concern for her father.
âAre you worried about him?â Lin Wan asked.
âNo⦠Iâm afraid that if I keep myself locked in, Iâll starve to death.â The girl remained stubborn.
âOh, I see. So⦠did you think about what I told you?â
âHeâ¦â Xie Wanyu bit her lip. She wanted to ask if her father was a hero, but she was afraid that the answer she would receive might not be something she wanted to hear.
âWanyu, believe what you have seen. You said he looked spirited and determined in his gaze, but his skin has become much darker. Do you think a person who has been in prison for a long time would look like that?â Lin Wan almost revealed everything.
âSister Wanwan, is he like Lao Ba? Lao Ba couldnât even be buried under his real name when he sacrificed himselfâ¦â Lao Ba was an undercover character in a movie. He was a heroic figure.
âYou already know the answer,â Lin Wan said softly.
But how did Lin Wan know? Even with the power of the Li family, she shouldnât have been able to find out about her father. Xia Wanyu didnât know how Lin Wan knew all this, but she trusted her.
âOpen the door,â said Lin Wan before hanging up.
Xie Wanyu changed into her school uniform and opened the door to her room.
Xie Xiang was at the window in the living room. He quickly turned around at the sound of the door opening.
âMr. Xie.â Xie Wanyu stood at the doorway. She still needed some time before she could call him âdadâ. However, she did want to talk to him, so she just started with âMr. Xie.â
The manâs eyes were red. When he was being beaten by the enemy, he hadnât even furrowed his brow.
âAh!â Xie Xiang exclaimed.
Xie Wanyu had changed into her school uniform because she felt that only that could match her fatherâs uniform.
She had held so many questions in her heart and had always dreamed that she would ask them when she met her father. But when he was in front of her, she couldnât utter a word.
When her grandmother saw the father and daughter facing each other, she thought they were going to argue. She quickly walked to them and pulled her granddaughter away.
âWanyu, you finally came out of your room! I made some braised pork with winter bamboo shoots for you. Have some.â
âThank you, Grandma. Let me help you polish your shoes.â
Xie Wanyu helped her grandmother with the household chores.
After dinner, she sent a text to Lin Wan. âI feel fine now. Neither of us has blown up yet.â
Lin Wan replied with a smiling emoji. Finally, after many years, Xie Wanyuâs plot was going the right way.
Li Zexuan noticed Lin Wan smiling at her phone.
âMs. Lin, whatâs making you so happy?
âNothing. I was reading a joke. Why arenât you going out to play? What are you doing here with the women?â
âIâm not here to talk. Iâm here to enjoy some salted melon seeds. Do you have any? Itâs quite delicious. Ms. Lin, you truly are a snack devourer.â
âThank you for the compliment.â
Lin Wan pretended to be nonchalant and asked her stepson what he thought of Xie Wanyuâs family. Li Zexuan didnât mind at all.
Lin Wan was glad that Li Zexuan didnât think badly of them. She yawned. âYou go play over there. Iâll take a nap for a bit..â