Chapter 139: New Year’s Eve. Reunion
The morning sun heated the blankets, but neither Cheng Ge nor Wen Ling showed any signs of waking up.
Grandpa had returned from shopping in town. Seeing their door still closed, he found it odd and knocked. “Little Cheng, Wen-zai?”
Cheng Ge’s eyeballs shifted under his eyelids. He wearily forced his eyes open and gave a soft “Mhm.”
Grandpa didn’t hear him and knocked three more times. “Little Cheng? Wen-zai?”
“We’re awake, Grandpa,” Cheng Ge replied again.
“Alright, Uncle Niu is coming over to eat with us this afternoon.”
“Got it, Grandpa.”
After tossing and turning until late last night, both of them were lacking sleep.
Cheng Ge rubbed his temples, looked at the person in his arms, and playfully threw two fake punches at Wen Ling’s cheek.
He just couldn’t understand how someone could be so dopey and cute, yet simultaneously so skilled?
Like a seasoned romantic expert.
So hard to handle.
And the hardest part to handle was that this person was completely oblivious to it, sleeping soundly.
Today was New Year’s Eve, the night of the reunion dinner. Grandpa mentioned that Uncle Niu’s children were busy with work and couldn’t make it back, so he invited Uncle Niu to join them for dinner.
The elderly man had visited several times before, but Wen Ling had always been pushing Cheng Ge out, so they had never met.
Uncle Niu arrived around dusk, wearing a bright red padded jacket, looking very energetic.
Cheng Ge’s leg was still a bit inconvenient, so Grandpa dispatched him to the courtyard to keep Uncle Niu company and chat.
Cheng Ge was best at chatting with elders; he could charm them completely.
Wen Ling helped Grandpa out, his gaze constantly drifting toward Cheng Ge.
Hmph, what are they talking about that’s so funny?
Whenever he had a free moment, Wen Ling would run over to Cheng Ge’s side.
Uncle Niu: “This is Wen-zai, right? Your Grandpa mentions him all the time. Such a sensible kid.”
Cheng Ge smiled and nodded, his arm nudging Wen Ling’s leg.
“Hello, Uncle Niu,” Wen Ling “caught on” and gave a small smile to Uncle Niu. “Grandpa always talks about you too, saying you’re a famous card sh— um…”
Cheng Ge had quick reflexes. Before the word “shark” could slip out, he covered Wen Ling’s mouth and smoothly covered it up with a smile: “A famous figure in the village.”
“Ah,” Uncle Niu humbly stroked his stubble, “It’s nothing much. Sigh, your Grandpa really is, spouting such honest truths, hahaha.”
Wen Ling listened to Uncle Niu and Cheng Ge chat for a while before going back to help Grandpa.
Uncle Niu watched Grandpa’s busy figure with a smile, chuckling warmly. “It’s so nice, he just loves busying himself with these things for you youngsters.”
Cheng Ge nodded. “Yes, Grandpa cares about us a lot.”
“Little Cheng,” Uncle Niu’s gaze fell on Cheng Ge, his expression filled with emotion, “How long has it been since you came home?”
Cheng Ge’s mind raced. In the previous semester, the original owner probably hadn’t been home. After crossing over, he had stayed at Wen Ling’s place, and this was his first visit this semester. Calculating that… it had been roughly ten months.
But before Cheng Ge could answer, Uncle Niu sighed emotionally, “It’s been over three years, right?”
“Ah, y-yes… it’s been a while.” Cheng Ge replied evenly, but internally he was shocked. Why hadn’t the original owner come home in so long?
Uncle Niu and Cheng Ge looked at each other for a long while, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Uncle Niu sighed. “In the past, you thought your Grandpa was embarrassing and found his nagging annoying, always ignoring him…”
“I told you, why did you always yell at your Grandpa back then? Why glare at him? You two are each other’s only family in this world.”
Cheng Ge rubbed his thumb and index finger together, listening quietly.
Uncle Niu: “You disliked him, but he never disliked you. No matter what you did, he always kept you in his heart and never held a grudge against you.”
“But did your Grandpa really not care about the hurt?”
“Sigh, I don’t know if you kids are all like this…”
Uncle Niu was Grandpa’s best friend. He naturally felt the need to voice some grievances for him, out of loyalty and empathy.
Uncle Niu: “But you’ve grown up now. When you started taking his calls and even called home to check on him, that old man bragged to me for days. He was so proud.”
“Seeing the house decorated so well now, with everything new… you really have grown up and learned to keep your Grandpa in your heart.”
“Sigh, did your Grandpa tell you my kids were too busy to come back? Hmph, I knew he’d say that, trying to save my face. The truth is, they just find me annoying…”
Uncle Niu kept talking, but Cheng Ge found it hard to keep listening. His thoughts were a mess, yet everything was clear at the same time.
No wonder.
No wonder the first time he received a call from Grandpa, the old man sounded so timid and cautious.
No wonder the first time he sent money and called to check on him, Grandpa was surprised, then overjoyed, and even afraid of bothering him.
No wonder he couldn’t even tell his grandson had been replaced by a different person—it was because they hadn’t seen each other in over three years.
All changes could be chalked up to time and distance.
Cheng Ge’s emotions were complex—there was sadness, guilt, and also a sense of relief.
He had guessed before that the original owner wasn’t close to his grandfather, but he never expected them to be this estranged.
He never intended to replace the original owner in receiving that love, so initially, he treated his grandfather with politeness, keeping a respectful distance.
But when he realized that maintaining a distance made his grandfather secretly sad, Cheng Ge began to proactively get closer, treating him better and better.
Grandpa treated both him and Wen Ling wonderfully. He was a bit nagging, but every word warmed the heart.
Grandpa treated him like a real grandson, and Cheng Ge had come to see him as his real grandfather too.
But ultimately, he wasn’t his grandson; this love was stolen.
Even though the original owner was terrible to his grandfather, as Uncle Niu said, Grandpa would never despise him. They were their only family, and Grandpa would love him forever.
But those hurts… they would also exist forever, wouldn’t they?
Uncle Niu: “He hasn’t grown up, he hates me, but I won’t hold it against him. He’s my child, and I still love him.”
Viewing their adult children—whether in their twenties or fifties—as children who hadn’t yet grown up and didn’t know better, continuing to love them unconditionally.
For a moment, Cheng Ge didn’t know what to say or do. It felt like an unsolvable dilemma.
“Cheng Ge!” Wen Ling called out to him.
“Ah?” Cheng Ge suddenly snapped back to reality.
Wen Ling’s face held a hint of resentment, looking fierce: “Grandpa is calling us to eat. I’ve called you three times.”
Too distracted.
Cheng Ge rolled his eyes, touched his head, and smiled. “Coming.”
“You two have such a good relationship,” Uncle Niu said with a smile. “True good friends are exactly like this.”
“He’s glaring at me,” Cheng Ge wanted to laugh, unsure how Uncle Niu could tell he and Wen Ling had a good relationship.
Uncle Niu laughed heartily. “You only dare to glare when you have the confidence of being loved.”
“Like me, I’d never dare pull tricks playing cards with anyone else, only with your Grandpa…”
Cheng Ge: “…”
Cheng Ge, leaning on his crutches, went into the living room with Uncle Niu. Amidst the sound of firecrackers outside, the reunion dinner began.
Uncle Niu raised his glass: “Come, come, come, cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Grandpa: “In the new year, may we add blessings and longevity, may everything go smoothly, may the kids succeed at work, and may everyone have good health.”
Uncle Niu: “In the new year, may good luck always be with us, may wealth big and small flow in from all directions.”
Cheng Ge: “Wishing you both a long, healthy life, and may all your wishes come true. I hope in the new year we can all be happy and safe.”
Wen Ling kept looking at Cheng Ge and smiling. By the time he snapped out of it, all three were looking at him.
“Oh,” Wen Ling realized everyone had to say a word or two, and raised his cup. “Happy New Year’s Eve, be happy… mhm.”
After speaking, Wen Ling looked at Cheng Ge. Cheng Ge smiled and clapped for him. “Well said!”
Then Uncle Niu and Grandpa joined the fun, both clapping for Wen-zai.
It made Wen-zai a bit embarrassed.
Outside was the sound of fireworks and firecrackers; inside were laughter and joy. A family reunited.
Cheng Ge suddenly realized it wasn’t unsolvable. His identity was fake, but the care and love he gave his grandfather were real.
The happiness was real, and this moment of reunion was also real.
Since things were already like this, overthinking was meaningless. Cherishing the love and joy of the present moment was the right thing to do…
Translator’s Note: New Year’s Eve (除夕 – Chu Xi) in China is the biggest night for family reunions. It’s so heartwarming to see Cheng Ge realize that even if he’s a transmigrator, the familial love he has cultivated with Grandpa is absolutely genuine and worth cherishing.
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