The sky was filled with flying snowflakes. The weather was extremely cold. It was the depth of winter, and every household was decorated in a festive manner.
It was Chinese New Year. Red lanterns were hanging in front of every house on the street. People walking on the street were dressed in especially festive clothes. Even the poorest families would put on new clothes on this day.
As the sun was setting, every household closed their doors, ready to spend a peaceful and joyous Chinese New Year's Eve at home.
The street was empty, losing the hustle and bustle of the daytime. In the thick snow, a tiny, wobbly figure stood out.
The little girl staggered on her short legs in the snow. The snow was knee - deep, and every step was a struggle.
With great effort, the little girl reached the door of a very decent - looking mansion. She rubbed her frozen fingers, practiced a smile a couple of times, and then was about to reach out to knock on the door.
Just then, she suddenly heard some noise from inside and stopped her hand.
“I said I won't eat it! It's the same every year. You always force me to eat those bean buns! I'm sick of them, and you still make me eat. I'm going out to play. I'm not talking to you guys anymore!”
The door suddenly opened, revealing a handsome face of a young boy. The little girl was stunned at the sight of the boy, and the boy was also taken aback for a moment. He tilted his head and asked curiously, “Who are you? What are you doing in front of my house? Who are you looking for?”
“Um, I... I'm looking for something to eat. Anything will do, as long as it's food.”
The little girl lowered her head and nervously twisted the corner of her sleeve. She couldn't look directly at such a good - looking and delicate older brother.
“Want something to eat? Really anything? Cui'er, come here!” The boy waved to his personal maid. The maid walked over quickly, holding a bowl with four big, round, and steaming bean buns in it.
“Here, have this. I don't want to eat them anyway. They forced me to. You eat them for me.”
The boy snatched the bowl and held it out in front of the little girl.
The little girl looked at the bowl, rubbed her hands hard on her clothes, and then reached out to grab the bean buns.
“Hey! Wait a minute.”
The sudden stop from the boy made the little girl extremely aggrieved. She raised her big, round, and watery eyes and looked at the boy in confusion.
“I... I'm not not giving them to you. Your hands are so dirty. You'd better wash them first before eating. Otherwise, you'll get a stomachache. How about you go to my house to wash your hands? Oh no, I just said I'm going out. Well, I'll take you out to wash your hands. You must wash your hands before eating.”
With that, the boy took the bowl and grabbed the little girl's hand and ran away in a flash, ignoring the shouts of his personal maid behind him.
The boy took the little girl to the river and then to a small pond. After wandering around for a long time, they found that there was a thick layer of ice on every body of water.
In the depth of winter, there was no place to wash hands.
“Growl...”
The little girl had been hungry for too long, and her stomach couldn't hold it anymore and growled. The boy blushed when he heard this and knew that he had delayed the little girl's meal time.
If they kept looking, it would probably be in vain no matter how long they searched. So the boy simply gave up the idea of taking the little girl to wash her hands and just found a place to sit down.
By now, the bean buns in the bowl had become cold because of his carelessness.
“I'll feed you. Then you don't need to wash your hands.”
The boy broke a bean bun into small pieces and put it in front of the little girl's mouth.
The little girl didn't mind how cold the bean buns were. She immediately took a bite. She had been hungry for a whole day. As long as there was something to eat, she didn't care if it was cold.
Finally, she finished all four bean buns. The little girl felt a bit warmer. She was finally full.
“Why don't you go home for the New Year and instead come to other people's houses to beg for food?”
The boy put down the bowl and started chatting with the little girl casually.
The little girl stroked her round belly and replied slowly, “I don't have parents or a home. I'm an orphan and a beggar. Of course, beggars have to go to other people's houses to beg for food.”
“A beggar? But you're so pretty. How could your parents be so heartless as to abandon you?”
“Big brother is the one who's pretty.”
The boy was taken aback by the little girl's words. Then he reached out and stroked the little girl's soft hair, smiling gently. “You can't use 'pretty' to describe a boy. You should praise a boy for being handsome, dashing, and imposing.”
“Okay, then big brother is very handsome, dashing, and imposing!”
The little girl nodded seriously and started parroting.
“Hehe, I think so too. By the way, what's your name? I'm Wei Ziqi.”
“I don't have a name. Grandpa always calls me girl. Maybe that's my name.”
“No, no. 'Girl' is just a title, not a name. But if you have a grandpa, why do you have to sleep on the street?”
“I was picked up by grandpa. Grandpa is also a beggar. Grandpa said he can't accompany me for long, so he taught me how to beg for food. That way, I won't starve to death after he leaves.”
“Why did your grandpa pick you up but still want to leave?”
“I don't know. That's what grandpa said.”
“All right. Hey, wait for me a minute!”
The boy looked around. Seeing something interesting, he suddenly said excitedly. Then he quickly stood up, ran to a nearby stall, and came back after a while.
“Here, this is for you. A New Year's gift.”
“What is this?” The little girl looked at the long stick in her hand, full of confusion.
“This is called a hand - held firework. It's a firework you can hold in your hand. I'll light it for you.”
The boy took out a fire starter from his pocket and lit the firework in the little girl's hand.
The bright and dazzling light blinded the little girl's eyes. Such a beautiful thing made her exclaim in wonder.
“Beautiful, right?”
“Yes, it's beautiful!”
“As long as you think it's beautiful. Well, I don't know when your grandpa will leave. If he leaves, come to my house. I'll take care of you then, so you don't have to beg for food anymore.”
The boy was very serious. The little girl lowered her head and thought carefully. Then she said surprisingly, “In that case, will I become your child bride?”
“Child bride? It seems okay. All right, all right. Well, when you come to my house, you'll be my child bride. I'll take care of you for the rest of your life. My family is very rich.”
“If I can eat meat every meal, then I agree.”
“Eating meat every meal is definitely no problem. It's settled then. From now on, you're my wife! Better now than later. I'll go home and tell my parents now. I'll come and pick you up tomorrow!”
After saying this, the boy couldn't wait to run towards his home, leaving no room for the little girl to think or refuse.
After getting home, the spoiled boy made a big fuss and howled that he wanted to bring his child bride home. His parents didn't know what had gotten into their child. After being pestered for a long time, they could only nod in agreement.
That night, the boy dreamed about bringing his child bride home. But the next day, he couldn't find the little girl anywhere.
After that, the boy never saw the little girl from his childhood again. The boy was a man of his word. He firmly believed that he had a child bride. He told everyone that he had a wife, but no one had ever seen the wife he was talking about.
One day later, the boy saw a familiar yet strange face on the street. He quickly chased after her, tapped the young girl on the shoulder. When the girl turned around, he was immediately sure that this was his wife.
“So you're here. I've been looking for you for years. Don't you recognize me? I'm Wei Ziqi. Six years ago, I gave you four bean buns. You said you'd be my child bride. I've always kept my promise and told everyone that you're my child bride. But then I couldn't find you. I've kept my promise, so you must also keep yours and be my child bride!”
The girl tilted her head and thought carefully for a long time. Then she suddenly realized that there really was such a person in her memory. Her father said that the most important thing for a person was to be honest and trustworthy. She had indeed promised the person in front of her when she was a child, so she must fulfill her promise.
“Yes, I'll keep my promise. But I have something very important to do now. I have to go to a martial arts competition with my father. After the competition, I'll come and be your child bride.”
“You have a father now? That's great! Then you must have a name! You can go and do your important thing first, but you have to tell me where you live and what your name is now.”
“My name is Miao Miao, Lin Miao Miao. I live in Longquan Mountain Villa.”
“Miao Miao, Longquan Mountain Villa. Okay, I'll remember! I'll come to your house to propose marriage in a month. Wait for me!”
“Okay, I'll wait for you.”
......
The dream ended abruptly. Wei Ziqi woke up from his sleep in a cold sweat. Looking at Miao Miao snoring soundly beside him, he let out a long breath.
The dream just now was extremely real. He saw the ten - year - old Miao Miao in ancient clothes. He also heard the news that Miao Miao died in the martial arts competition and the news that Longquan Mountain Villa was destroyed.
In the dream, he only saw Miao Miao twice and never got married again in his life.
It was all so real, as if he had truly lived through that life.
Maybe the dream just now was his past life.
It turned out that his fate with Miao Miao was already predestined in his past life.
Thinking of this, Wei Ziqi closed his eyes again and fell back into a dream with a smile on his face.
In my past life, I gave you a firework, but I was one step too late and couldn't take you home.
In this life, you gave me a fairy wand, continuing our fate. From now on, we will surely be in love and stay together forever.