Wang Muman remembered when she was little, going out with her father and brother. Every time she saw candied hawthorns, she would shout that she wanted to eat them. Later, her father was always busy and had no time to go out, let alone buy her candied hawthorns. Thinking of this, Wang Muman nodded and walked out with her brother.
"One for you, one for me," Wang Mujin handed a candied hawthorn to Wang Muman.
Wang Muman felt as if she had returned to her childhood, seeing herself holding her brother's hand, eating candied hawthorns, with her father buying New Year goods nearby. Her mouth was sweet, and her heart was also sweet.
"Let's wander for a while longer. I still want to buy sparklers and play outside later," Wang Muman pointed to a small stall nearby. The table was full of long, green and purple sparklers. She missed the way they used to emit light.
A fleeting moment, yet it bloomed its beauty. There are many people in this world who are the same, perhaps never even having a moment to show themselves.
Wang Muman returned home. Her brother said he wanted to make pizza himself and give it a try. Wang Muman watched her brother busy in the kitchen, the sounds of pots and pans clattering, and she didn't know if it would be successful.
He took it out of the microwave and placed it on the table, full of aroma, along with beef burgers. Wang Muman took a bite of the pizza and gave her brother a thumbs-up. It was delicious, almost as good as from a restaurant. "Brother, have you considered opening a restaurant?" Wang Muman said jokingly.
"I actually had that dream before, but I don't anymore. It seems so tiring. When I get old, I'll pull a tricycle and sell pizzas at the school gate. I'm sure many students will rush to buy them! I can pick up my granddaughter, and your daughter, how nice! I just want to live a life like that, ordinary, simple," Wang Mujin said, looking out the window.
Wang Muman looked at him, eating pizza, and also fantasized about that scene. It seemed not bad. "Brother, why are they all girls!" Wang Muman suddenly realized that Wang Mujin's ideal did not include boys.
"Girls are the best, so cute, fragrant and soft, unlike those stinky boys who are annoying. If only they were like you," Wang Mujin examined Wang Muman. "Really, our family's genes are undeniable. It would be even better if they were like you, and I wouldn't have to worry so much."
Wang Muman didn't know what the future held, but it would definitely be complete and happy. She didn't want her significant other or her children to be like her family.
As they ate, lunch seemed to be finished. The TV was playing old Spring Festival Galas. Wang Mujin took Wang Muman to decorate the house together.
They first did a thorough cleaning. Since it was a three-story house, the third floor was piled with some杂物. So, one swept the floor while the other mopped. They also tidied up their respective rooms and put up the couplets and decorations. By the time they finished, it was already dark.
Wang Muman sat down on the sofa. She was really tired and was waiting for the aroma from the kitchen.
"Here it comes, here it comes, dinner is ready, braised pork!" Wang Mujin called out, carrying a basin of red dish out, its aroma filling the air.
Wang Muman sat at the dining table, enjoying their quiet moment. She rarely ate with her brother now; he was always on business trips, which meant he had less time to accompany her, mostly acting as her driver.
When it was time to sleep, Wang Muman seemed to dream of the ideal her brother had mentioned. The scene was at the school gate, with her brother running a small shop selling pizzas, and a little girl who looked very much like her was playing with her brother.