Chapter 77: New Year Celebration

It was finally the day of the New Year celebration, or the day before the year end as the event is planned for the night before new year.

Everyone was given a day off in the public sector as well as militia and soldiers. Except for few who were paid overtime to stay as garrison.

As the night approaches, the five of them went out at five o'clock. The same time where the stalls and event is starting soon.

The five of them walked between the stalls as the street was super crowded.

"Man the street are so crowded, its not even Chinese New Year." Xiaomi commented as she held Lily's hand.

"Well its the second holiday of the town, or the first holiday for most people in the town." Xiaoqi responded as she held Xiaoyun's left arm.

"Yeah, and I planned most of it! I-I didn't expect this much people to show up." Yunyun held Xiaoyun's right arm.

"Where's Yanyan anyway? She left home since the noon." Xiaoyun noticed Yanyan was missing.

"I asked her to manage all the cooking. We had set it up to be a buffet instead of the usual food on the table as we can't be sure what people like. So they going to prepare it until the event start." Yunyun responded.

"I see." Xiaoyun focused back to the two.

"let go play that one!" Yunyun dragged the two to the carnival game.

It was an shooting target to get a toy.

Yunyun stepped up to play first. She perfectly landed all five of the moving target and wins a small teddy bear.

"Yes, I got it!" Yunyun excitingly hold the ticket in her hand.

"Let me try." Xiaoqi stepped up and took five shots.

Unfortunately Xiaoqi missed every single shot as she barely remember her training days.

"I want one!" Xiaoqi pushed Xiaoyun forward.

"Fine fine." Xiaoyun picked up the BB gun and only landed four out of five.

"Shit... I really need to go back to practice." Xiaoyun was too rusty.

"How unfortunately." Yunyun laughed at both of them who only got a participation stress ball.

"I want to try!" Xiaomi and Lily both took their turns to play, but both performed three and two hits, respectively and got a stress ball as well.

"Hmph! Whatever. Look like just some toys for children anyway." Xiaoqi angrily squish the stress ball.

Yunyun secretly gave the teddy bear to Xiaoyun.

"Come on, create one for her." Yunyun whispered.

Xiaoyun create one in his other hand, then handed the original one back to Yunyun.

"Hey Xiaoqi look!" Xiaoyun handed the new teddy bear to Xiaoqi.

"Oh my god! Where you get that?" Xiaoqi quickly grabbed the teddy bear as she held it in her arm.

"Yunyun gave it to me and I created another one for you." Xiaoyun didn't bother hiding it.

"Ah! Thank you Yunyun, I am so sorry I was just in the heat of the moment, I didn't meant it." Xiaoqi walked up to Yunyun to apologized.

"It's all good, I shouldn't of poke fun of you first." Yunyun apologized back.

"Geez Xiaoyun so lucky... normally this is where a rift break between them as they get jealous of each other." Xiaomi mumbled.

"Yeah, like that anime we watched!" Lily pointed it.

"Whatever, Lily lets go somewhere else away from these three showoff." Xiaomi held Lily's hand and walked the other way.

"Eh? Where's Xiaomi and Lily?" Xiaoyun noticed the two were gone.

"They probably got glued to some food. Xiaomi's an almost an adult now anyway, don't worry about them." Xiaoqi replied.

"Hey lets go to that one!" Yunyun dragged the two to another carnival game.

---

"Hey Banli, do you like Xiaoyun?" Lili suddenly asked as the two sat on the stool waiting for their food at a stall.

"W-what? N-no! H-he's married to them already... B-beside I have you a-already." Banli replied back as she mumbled the last part to the point no one can hear it.

"But what if, just what if he isn't married? Would you marry him? He's the one who saved you at the casino ring. Don't you have feeling toward him?" Lili asked again.

"W-well feeling yes, but just gratitude. N-not love or anything."

The stall chef hands the two a tray of fried squid on a stick.

"Banli we had been together for so long, I know when you are lying." Lili started eating as the two walked toward a random direction.

"O-okay, I have a little feeling or him. But how about you then? You don't have any feeling for him?" Banli pushed the conversation to Lili's side as she started eating.

"Me? Why would I have feeling for him? He haven't done anything for me." Lili responded.

"Uh huh, says the one who got drunk few days ago and said 'I wish I was the one marrying Songming in the past, he's so hot and rich! I don't want to work anymore! I am forty year old women with no men!'" Banli mimic Lili's voice.

"Hey shut up! I was drunk as you said okay? I-I just got a little frustrated working for my entire life and wanted a easy way out." Lili face blushes.

"Well I'm sure Xiaoyun and Yanyan wouldn't mind accepting you into their family if you really want a easy way out." Banli finished the food and threw it in the trashcan.

"W-what! I am not going to do that. I-I can't leave you behind like this." Lili suddenly got emotional as she finishes her food.

"I'm just joking, geez you really think Xiaoqi and Yunyun going to accept you? Keep dreaming." Banli laughed.

"How dare you make fun of me!" Lili started tickling Banli.

"Okay okay stop, let go play something." Banli grabbed Lili hand as the two's face blushes.

---

Meanwhile, the five foreigner walked on the street slightly confused as they walk through the stalls.

They kept walking until they ran into someone they knew. It was Yezi with Yiyi.

"Mister Yezi, do you know what happening?" Kate asked in English.

Yezi looked confused at her as he have no clue what she is saying.

"It's New Year celebration. You don't know? There's also going to be speech and dining later. Here's extra ticket for you guys." Yiyi replied in English and handed them five tickets.

"Oh thank you... It already end of the year? It felt like only few months" Kate handed the four ticket to the rest.

"Yeah, time flies." Yiyi though back to her time with Yezi.

"Anyway we'll going to get going now. See ya." Yiyi waved goodbye as she walked off with Yezi.

"They look like a lovely couple." Anna commented in German.

"Yeah they do." Kate replied back.

"Where the alcohol?" One of the Russian asked as he looked around, only to see none.

"I think they serve it at the dining later." Kate replied back.

"Let go play that one, that look like some sort of drink." The three Russian walked to one of the stall.

---

Meanwhile at the wall, several soldiers were staying on duty patrolling the walls.

This including Jixi and Gantian who were guarding the entrance duty.

"Hey Jixi, why are we staying at the garrison today? We could of asked for a break and join in the celebration." Gantian asked.

"Too much people... you can go join them." Jixi lean back onto the battlement as he took out a picture from his wallet.

The picture was a family picture of young Jixi with his wife and son.

"Nah, I don't even have a girlfriend to go like most people there. Beside, its double payday to stay here." Gantian thought about it for a second but decided to stay with Jixi.

"Jixi is that a family picture?" Gantian noticed Jixi holding a picture.

"Yeah... I lost contact with them since the outbreak." Jixi put the picture back inside his wallet.

Gantian didn't know how to comfort him, but just patted him on the shoulder.

"At least you are still alive... there's always hope that they are still alive out there." Gantian finally thought of some word.

"There's always hope..." Jixi pulled out his canteen and drank.

"Hey I thought we can't drink alcohol while on duty." Gantian noticed the color of the liquid almost look like some sort of alcohol.

"Yiming isn't here anyway. Here, have a sip." Jixi handed him the canteen.

Gantian hesitated for a second, but took a sip anyway.

"Shit, this is strong." Gantian can feel the burning sensation in his mouth.

"I saved up for a week to buy this." Jixi took back the canteen and took another sip.

"Man, the sky is so clear today, we can see the entire full moon." Gantian looked up in the sky.

"Yeah." Jixi replied as he looked up as well.

The two fell back into silent until Gantian asked a question.

"Hey Jixi, do you want to go back to the military?"

"Nope, I like it here. It feel a lot more welcoming than the military." Jixi replied back.

The two fell into silent again until Gantian spoke up.

"I just realized, if Major never gotten injured, we probably would of came here for help."

"Yeah." Jixi took another sip.

This time the silent lasted for the entire night.