Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Setting Off Firecrackers

Grandpa Jiang didn’t say a word, content to watch the fun from the sidelines.

Jiang Xia was genuinely sharp, but also genuinely dense.

But he knew to follow his heart.

He followed his heart in being good to An Ning—a kindness that was so subconscious he wasn’t even aware of it himself.

By the time the three families finished eating, it was already around three in the afternoon.

At Anning’s house, everyone took a nap for a while. Although there would be no electricity that night, they all prepared to uphold the ancestral tradition of keeping a New Year’s vigil.

The sky gradually darkened. Around six or seven o’clock, the An family sat gathered in the kitchen. The flickering flames in the stove pit were their only source of light.

An Guoqing took a few bricks and built a small, temporary stove in the center of the kitchen. There was an iron plate on the bottom, with the bricks arranged in a circle on top of it.

He pulled a few burning logs from the stove pit, placed them inside the brick circle, and laid a wire mesh over the top. A simple little grill was ready.

"Come on, come on, sweet potato slices are here!"

"We’ve got peanuts, too."

"Potato slices are delicious, too."

"Can we grill meat?"

An Ning’s question made Lin Cuihua, who was holding the sweet potato slices, glance at her. Smiling, she said, "I’ve noticed my daughter is becoming quite the foodie."

"Hang on, I’ll go cut some meat for you."

Lin Cuihua put down the sweet potato slices, grabbed a flashlight, and called for An Guoping to go out and help.

An Ning just sat there, waiting to eat.

An Guoming took over the grilling duties.

He not only brought the meat An Ning had asked for, but even got some seafood to grill.

The aroma of the barbecue was wonderful, and the atmosphere was even livelier.

Nearly every slice was snatched away the moment it was cooked. They simply couldn’t keep up with demand.

The only downside was the smoke.

In the end, they had no choice but to open the kitchen door.

The family sat huddled together in their thick, padded jackets, enjoying a little barbecue around their makeshift grill in the semi-open air.

Seeing all his children around him, An Sancheng felt a deep sense of contentment.

"These ancestral traditions are really quite good," he said. "We keep the vigil to guard the good life we have now and to ensure our future is even better."

"Don’t worry, Dad. Our lives will get even better."

"That’s right. Things will only get better for us."

The family chatted and warmed their hands by the fire. Despite the lack of electricity or any form of entertainment, it became everyone’s most cherished way to spend the vigil.

Around ten o’clock, the An family gathered in the courtyard.

An Ning tossed a small stone into the neighboring Jiang family’s courtyard. Da Huang, the dog, expertly tilted his head, not even letting out a bark.

He leisurely ambled into the house and came back out, tugging on Jiang Xia’s pant leg. He then tapped a paw on the stone on the ground before pointing toward the courtyard next door.

The meaning couldn’t have been more obvious.

Jiang Xia was so amused by Da Huang’s series of actions he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He squatted down, his expression a mix of serious and teasing.

"Da Huang, I think you know too much."

Deep disdain filled Da Huang’s eyes. He gave Jiang Xia’s face a push with one of his front paws and trotted away haughtily.

’Heh heh heh... that back view looks so familiar.’

’How could it not be? They’re like two peas in a pod.’

An Ning, who had climbed up the wall at some point, had a perfect view of the entire scene.

Jiang Xia turned to see An Ning and said, "Climbing the wall again?"

"It’s fine. My mom said I could."

Perched on the wall, An Ning felt more secure than she ever had climbing it before.

"My mom told me to tell you that our family is about to set off firecrackers. You guys can set yours off too."

"Alright. You go first."

Jiang Xia had also saved some firecrackers. He spoke again, "Hold on a minute."

An Ning sat straddling the wall, watching the group below arguing endlessly over who would get to light the firecrackers.

It seemed everyone wanted a turn. She understood this kind of boyish fun all too well.

She wanted to light them too, but unfortunately, Lin Cuihua wouldn’t allow it.

Meanwhile, Lin Cuihua was standing in the kitchen with her sister-in-law, constantly peeking outside and steeling herself for the loud noise.

"Here."

Jiang Xia came out of the house and handed her a small bundle of thin metal sticks.

An Ning sniffed the air. "Gunpowder?"

"They’re sparklers. They look pretty when you light them. I got them for free when I bought the firecrackers. I’m not a fan of these things—not loud enough."

The arrogant Young Master Jiang didn’t mention the great effort it had taken—dismantling who-knows-how-many tiny firecrackers—just to create these fewer than ten little sparklers.

"I like them. Thanks."

Just as An Ning took them, she heard An Sancheng shout, "Here we go!"

She straightened up excitedly, her eyes fixed on the ground below.

At the other end of the wall, Jiang Xia took a running leap and clambered up to join her.

CRACKLE-POP-CRACKLE-POP-CRACKLE-POP—

An Sancheng lit a string of small firecrackers, which erupted with a series of crackles and pops in the dark night.

A single string wasn’t much—just a few hundred pops—but as they went off one after another, it felt like the crackling and popping went on for quite a while, right down to the very last one.

"Awesome!"

"I’ll get the next one!"

"The two-shot rocket is next! Watch out!"

An Guoqing used a stick of incense to light the rocket’s fuse, then scrambled back the moment it caught fire.

FWOOSH—BANG—

Two massive bangs echoed in quick succession, audible throughout the entire village.

From her perch on the wall, An Ning clapped and cheered.

"That was a good one! A really good one! So loud!"

Beside her, Jiang Xia watched the excited An Ning and realized her tastes were different from what he’d imagined.

’Looks like taking apart all those firecrackers was a waste of time.’

Down in the An family’s courtyard, An Guoming and An Guoping each took a turn setting off a two-shot rocket.

The first few went off without a hitch. But when it was time for the last one, An Guoping went to light it and somehow knocked the upright rocket over.

The rocket shot off horizontally like a small cannonball, hurtling straight toward the two of them on the wall.

"Jump!"

"Jump!"

They shouted the single word in unison. The remarkably calm Jiang Xia and An Ning leaped into Jiangxia’s courtyard at almost the exact same moment.

The rocket shot past, grazing An Ning’s hat before it exploded with a loud bang.

A cloud of black smoke drifted down, settling right on An Ning’s head.

From the base of the wall, Jiang Xia asked anxiously, "Are you okay?"

An Ning shook her head. "Huh? What’d you say?"

The shock had made An Ning slip into her local dialect. Her ears were ringing a bit, but she was otherwise fine.

"Sis—"

"An Ning!"

Members of the An family came rushing over—some ran in through the front gate, while others scrambled right onto the wall—all of them staring nervously at An Ning.

An Ning grinned sheepishly. "I’m fine! Totally fine!"

As soon as she said it, she saw everyone’s faces in the flashlight beams. ’Why do they look even more nervous now?’ she wondered.

"What is it?"

After she spoke, she saw Jiang Xia opposite her, gesturing as he yelled.

"An Ning, you’re shouting! Are your ears ringing?"

Jiang Xia had to shout, but this time An Ning heard him.

She hadn’t even realized how loudly she was speaking.

An Ning cupped a hand over one ear and jumped in place twice. She felt a sudden POP, as if a blocked passage in her ear had just cleared.

"How about now?"

An Ning asked. Jiang Xia nodded. "Your voice is softer now. Can you hear me okay?"

An Ning nodded, and everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.