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Loving You Was the Best Thing I Ever Did — Chapter 15: Hawthorn Berries. Part 1


 When Shen Xi Fan returned home, she was greeted by piles of burlap sacks and gift boxes cluttering the living room. As she went to the bathroom to wash her hands, she heard splashing sounds from a plastic bucket. Curious, she lifted the lid, and her face went pale.
“Mom! There's a snake!” she screamed.

Her father rushed over, chuckling as he poked at it with a small wooden stick.
“That’s an eel! Can’t you tell the difference?” he teased.

Shen Xi Fan gagged in disgust. “Put it on the balcony! I can’t handle it staring at me while I’m in the bathroom!”

Then, she heard squeaking sounds coming from one of the burlap sacks. Her father explained with a grin, “That’s the crabs. And this one here is a carp. Xi Fan, help me get the fish into the bucket. Don’t let them die, or your mom will be heartbroken.”

During dinner, Shen’s mother joyfully directed the scene with her chopsticks, saying, “Pick out a few good boxes of seafood to send to Grandpa and your maternal grandpa. And don’t forget the vegetables. This year, the crops from the Agriculture Bureau’s greenhouses turned out great!”

Her father nodded in agreement. “It’s practical to give flowers, vegetables, and fruits to the elders for the New Year!”

Shen Xi Fan blinked in realization. “Oh… That’s why the house is overflowing with stuff. It’s almost New Year!”

Her mother frowned. “All you ever care about is work. You don’t even know if you’ll get a holiday for the New Year. This year, your uncle is hosting a gathering on New Year’s Eve. On the first day, we’ll visit your grandfather’s house, and on the second day, everyone is coming here for a family meal—just simple homemade dishes.”

Shen Xi Fan groaned dramatically. “Ugh, that means I’ll have to hand out lucky money to the kids again. I’m going broke!”

Indeed, the New Year was fast approaching. That evening, several groups of people stopped by the Shen household. They were colleagues from Shen’s mother’s office, bringing two pots of orchids—elegantly named “Ocean Butterfly’s Whisper”—six pots of kumquats, and a variety of fruits: boxes of oranges, tangerines, kiwis, and strawberries.

For Shen Xi Fan, food was her only source of excitement during the New Year. Even though material life was abundant now, and one could have whatever they wanted, she cherished the simplicity of a family sitting together for a meal. Even if it was just cabbage and tofu, it would taste sweet and satisfying.

Online, people were debating topics like “How should we celebrate the New Year?”, “What does the New Year mean nowadays?”, and “The Spring Festival Gala lineup.” Some even openly posted ads recruiting “temporary girlfriends” or “boyfriends” to deal with nagging parents pressuring them to marry.

She clicked on a random webpage and came across a popular thread asking for gift advice for proposing to a girlfriend. Most of the commenters, likely women, unanimously suggested diamonds.

Sure enough, “A diamond is forever, one to pass down through generations.” Even the most aloof woman couldn’t resist their allure. Take Shen Xi Fan herself, for instance—she was smitten with a platinum necklace called Heart’s Shadow.

But it wasn’t something she could ever call her own. Her thoughts wandered to Yan Heng’s disappointment earlier that afternoon. She felt a twinge of guilt. Yet, how could he demand compensation now after being the one who hurt her first? Three years had passed. Was her lingering attachment due to the love she couldn’t let go of, or the resentment over the pain he caused?

She thought to herself: Let it be. When the time comes, I’ll find someone suitable, have a calm and ordinary relationship, then get married. During the New Year, I’ll visit his family, bring festive cheer, and the younger ones will call him “brother-in-law” while asking for lucky money. I’ll share a drink with Grandpa, play mahjong with the nosy aunts, and just like that, another year will pass.

But deep down, she felt unsatisfied. Was this the life she truly wanted? Was this the love she had always dreamed of? In a bustling city like this, could she find a love that was pure and sincere, just for her?

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