Chapter 826: Ten Years Later

Chapter 826: Chapter 433: Ten Years Later

After the thick fog of youth dissipates, we will only then see clearly the steps of time come in three ways;

The future arrives slowly, the present flies by like an arrow, and the past remains eternally unmoving.

Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~

One year, two years, three years… Ten years go by, the silent years seem to have a voice.

Traveling through long distances and years, enduring countless hardships and twists, driving wind from the air, knife from the wind, fire from the bones, and water from the fire, people think this is the end, yet the bright moon on the window hasn’t moved an inch, and the world hasn’t aged a minute.

Ningyuan, this livable small county in the northeastern coastal region of Dong, from the outside, hasn’t changed much.

The roads have been refurbished and widened, new apartment complexes have been developed in large numbers. With the rise of another wave of infrastructure in the country, the small town appears even more modern and developed than it did ten years ago. Yet with the nationwide issue of an aging population worsening and the urban siphon effect continuing, the total population in Ningyuan City has decreased, and children are no longer commonly seen.

But nearing the traditional holiday of Spring Festival, the streets are bustling and packed with flowing traffic, all because many workers who live far away have returned home for a reunion on this particular day.

Ningyuan Station has also been operating at full capacity during this recent period, with bustling traffic and crowds in front of the station. Among them, a family of four stands out. Just as they exit the station, they draw frequent glances from the surrounding crowd.

The man is about forty years old, tall and well-built, his jet-black slicked-back hair is meticulously styled. He wears a dark gray retro double-breasted wool coat that highlights his broad shoulders and slim waist. His gaze, enriched by the passing years, remains sharp and spirited.

His wife exudes graceful elegance, her face warm and gentle, her eyes sparkling with a tender glow. Her deep red curly hair rests lightly on her shoulders, giving a sense of approachability. Yet her luxurious red coat makes her appear both youthful and emanates an aura of ‘do not approach’.

The most eye-catching are the couple’s two golden children. Nowadays, with declining birth rates and negative population growth, children are seldom seen on the streets, and beautiful, adorable ones even less so.

The little boy, who appears to be thirteen or fourteen, is held by his father’s hand and must be the couple’s oldest son. Standing around one meter fifty, he wears a down jacket with jeans and small Dr. Martens boots. Both his outfit and height seem somewhat mismatched for his chubby, baby-like face; yet his features, though not fully matured, are strikingly handsome. His deep and bright eyes, long and strong eyebrows, and prominent, three-dimensional nose are remarkable. His thick short hair is neatly combed, and yet as his small head turns back and forth, it reveals his lively and energetic nature;

On the other side, the little girl, aged twelve or thirteen, is likely the couple’s youngest daughter, dressed in a pink down jacket with blue jeans, white boots, and a pink knitted hat. Her face is lovely and lively, her skin white and delicate as jade, her cheeks slightly chubby yet elastic, her eyes bright as the stars, gaze clear as autumn water, and she looks at the train station below the steps with endless wisdom and curiosity.

“Yaha~ We’re almost home!”

The little girl’s crescent-shaped eyebrows dance playfully like two little worms. Sandwiched between her parents’ hands, she mischievously swings her legs back and forth in the air as they descend the steps: “Daddy, Mommy, hurry up, I want to fly home!”

“Yilan!”

Yu Huizhi frowned and gave a stern look: “No fooling around, I haven’t even talked to you about making that little boy cry on the train with Zhiyi yet!”

Huang Zhiyi pouted and explained: “Grandma, I didn’t hit him, I didn’t even touch him, I just scared him a little, who knew he’d be so timid.”

“Yeah, and clearly that little brat tried to grab my hand, so I had Zhiyi hit him.”

Li Yilan reluctantly let her feet drop quickly to the ground and then displayed an impressive face-changing technique, pleading pitifully: “Mom, can we go a little faster? I miss my brother, I want to see him soon! And my sisters-in-law, and my other nephews and nieces…”

“I miss dad too!”

Huang Zhiyi interrupted, looking quite frustrated: “Why didn’t they come with us on the trip? I begged for a long time, and they refused. My second brother and third sister didn’t come either, saying they had to study. What is there to study during winter break? Especially my second brother, following Mrs. Zhao through eighth grade, what is there to study? He’s obviously showing off for me to see…”

Li Yilan raised her eyebrows, stern-faced, adopting an adult demeanor to reprimand: “When your aunt speaks, be quiet!”

Though Huang Zhiyi was slightly taller than Li Yilan, he obediently fell silent after being scolded, though his eyes still held some resentment towards his ‘little brother’ for his relentless studying.

“Didn’t you have a video call with all of them this morning? They won’t be back until tomorrow, so there’s no point in rushing.”

Li Qiyuan, after saying this, saw his precious daughter showing a sad expression and immediately softened: “Alright then, when we get home and clean up, you can use Daddy’s phone to make another video call to your brother and sisters-in-law and hurry them up.” Then, turning to Huang Zhiyi: “You should also let your parents know you’re safe.”

Both kids nodded in unison: “Okay!!”

While the four chatted idly, a young couple quickly followed from behind, each carrying a large suitcase and with backpacks on their backs. Despite wearing thick sportswear, they could not conceal their firm, robust physique and agile movements.