The New Year Arrives

"Tsk... even after paying in full for the Audi, there's still a few hundred thousand left in savings."

This time, Song Ma was genuinely surprised. After all, Chen Pingsheng was not even thirty yet.

Since their marriage, his family had never contributed a single cent.

It was his money that built the big house for his family. Then came the wedding, the child—every expense was his to bear.

To be honest, if he had a Beijing household registration, he would be the perfect son-in-law.

Still young, yet incredibly responsible, with a stable income.

With him, his wife and child wouldn't live a life of luxury, but at least they wouldn't have to suffer.

But life doesn't work that way.

Among all the old friends she knew in Beijing, none of their sons at his age were as mature or financially capable as he was.

But so what?

With a Beijing household registration, those out-of-town girls would still throw themselves at them.

Song Ma, Liu Fen, put down her chopsticks and said seriously,

"Why are you crying during New Year's? I'm just looking out for you. The housing prices in Beijing are getting higher and higher. If you don't buy a place soon, who knows how much they'll cost in the future? By then, you might not even be able to afford one."

Chen Pingsheng stayed silent, raising his small cup of liquor.

"Before next July, I'll definitely buy a place within the Third Ring."

"Talk is cheap. Show some real capability."

Liu Fen didn't believe in empty promises. Back in the day, Song Dad had a prestigious job at a state-owned enterprise, yet he was laid off without warning.

Now, after years of struggling, he barely made just over ten thousand a month.

Compared to those Beijing locals who inherited properties, he was light-years behind.

"Alright, that's enough. No need to argue during New Year's."

Song Dad sighed helplessly. Why bring up such unpleasant topics at a time like this?

Every time their son-in-law visited, he never came empty-handed.

Song Dad clinked glasses with Chen Pingsheng, but the meal had lost its flavor.

Even without anyone urging, Song Yanxi had already stood up, ready to leave with An An.

Song Dad tried to persuade her to stay, but it was no use. After they left, he sighed,

"It's the New Year. Did you really have to say all that?"

"If he thinks it's unpleasant, so do I."

Liu Fen raised an eyebrow, displeased. "My daughter is so beautiful. If he can't even afford a house in Beijing, they might as well separate sooner rather than later."

"Exactly! I wouldn't want a street vendor with no education and no real career as my brother-in-law. It's embarrassing to even mention!"

Song Wu sneered.

Song Dad sighed again. He couldn't change their minds, so he just went to do the dishes.

---

Underground Parking Lot

Back in his car, Chen Pingsheng checked his phone.

It was flooded with New Year messages from his family.

Mom: "Son, Happy New Year! Take care of yourself out there."

Ding ding ding.

She sent him a red envelope with the number "888" and another "Happy New Year" message.

Mom: "Everything's good at home. This morning, we had a reunion dinner at your grandpa's place. They're both in good health, so don't worry. It must be freezing in Beijing—remember to dress warmly."

"Take care of yourself. Money is never enough, but health comes first."

Little Sister: "Brother, why didn't you come home this year? Did you really buy a new car? Grandpa and Grandma were so happy when they heard you got an Audi! They keep asking when you'll visit."

Dad: "Take care of yourself out there."

A mother worries no matter how far her child travels.

The only person who would always love him unconditionally was his mother.

Home was where warmth was. No matter what, they never judged or resented him.

How he wished he could go back and have a true family reunion.

---

From the Third Ring to Beixin'an was about forty kilometers.

During the New Year, traffic was light—most people had gone back to their hometowns, so the roads weren't congested.

Song Yanxi drove smoothly all the way home.

Their residential compound had quite a few people who hadn't gone home either.

Like their neighbor, Zhao Liying. That girl was truly hardworking—she treated even the smallest acting roles with complete dedication.

Then there was Zhang Tao, the bachelor who still hadn't found a girlfriend.

He wasn't broke—if he wanted, he could easily pull out a couple hundred thousand.

With that kind of money, finding a wife in the countryside shouldn't be hard.

But things didn't work out.

One girl thought he was too honest and dull. Another felt he wasn't respectable enough, with an unstable job.

After several failed attempts and wasted money, Zhang Tao had given up on rural matchmaking.

According to him, these women were all "shopping around"—

Meet one guy in the morning, another in the afternoon.

Dating worked the same way. If she was free today, she'd go out with him. Tomorrow, she'd be with someone else.

And until the wedding day, everything was up in the air.

Meanwhile, they had no problem spending the man's money.

"Old Chen, back so early?"

"You know my in-laws."

"Haha!" Zhang Tao laughed, then patted his shoulder and swore, "That old hag looks down on outsiders like us, huh? Who does she think she is? Just because she was born in a good place?"

"Forget her. Let's have our own New Year's feast at home."

Chen Pingsheng invited him over and even called Zhao Liying from next door.

It was just the few of them.

Everyone pitched in. Even Zhao Liying put down her script to help, and soon, a feast was ready.

Four meat dishes, four vegetable dishes, and two big bottles of Sprite.

Not a big crowd, but the atmosphere was warm.

Chen Pingsheng raised his glass first.

"2012 is ending, and 2013 is about to begin. Let's wish our dear Zhao Liying success in landing a lead role and becoming a superstar!"

Zhao Liying burst out laughing, nearly tearing up. She downed her drink and even let out a little burp.

"And let's wish Zhang Tao a smooth year ahead—may he find a wife and live happily ever after!"

"Tsk... why did you have to bring that up?"

Zhang Tao pulled him into a toast. "Brother, I hope you get rich this year and finally buy that big house!"

"Yeah! Chen-ge, I wish you a prosperous 2013—may you buy a mansion!"

Zhao Liying took another big gulp.

But Chen Pingsheng chuckled, "That's a bit much. A Beijing mansion is out of the question. If I can get a 200-square-meter place, I'd call it a life well lived."

Zhang Tao sighed, "Old Chen, that's where you're wrong. Like Ma Yun said, a person must have dreams. Otherwise, what's the difference between us and a salted fish?"

In 2012, Ma Yun's inspirational speeches were everywhere.

Even street vendors like them saw him as their entrepreneurial idol.

Chen Pingsheng had rewatched all his speeches countless times.

"Exactly! We're getting that mansion!"

Zhao Liying's words were stubborn, as if she was speaking to herself rather than him.

She wanted to be a lead actress.

Life moved forward, day by day.

No one knew what tomorrow held.

But at least, today, they had a happy New Year together.

---

That afternoon, Song Yanxi drove them all to Sanlitun for a stroll.

Many places were closed, but not the malls.

It was the last day of 2012.

Before the year ended, he had to buy some gifts for his wife and daughter.

Song Yanxi's wrist was bare, so he bought her a white-strapped, blue-dial Longines Elegant quartz watch—¥12,800.

She got him a white steel-banded Longines Sports watch—¥17,000.

Neither of them mentioned saving money.

A watch like this could last a lifetime.

A shared memory of their time together.

Zhao Liying hesitated for a long time, clearly wanting one but reluctant to spend.

No one could have guessed that this small-time extra would one day become Longines' global ambassador.

Life is full of surprises.

Later, Chen Pingsheng bought little An'an the iPad she had been longing for.

He also got himself a laptop for a little over four thousand yuan—something he needed for research at home.

As for clothes, Song Yanxi insisted on not buying anything expensive.

By the time everything was settled, he had spent over forty thousand yuan in total.

After working hard all year, wasn't it all just for these few days during the New Year when he could spend freely?