The path looked like a silver ribbon under the moonlight. One could see the road clearly without a lantern. Gu Qingqing took out a few White Rabbit milk candies and chocolates with liquor filling from her pocket and stuffed them into her hands.

"Qingqing, I suddenly feel a little jealous of you." Zhao Yu, who was eating chocolate with liquor filling, said this out of the blue.

Gu Qingqing raised her eyebrows slightly while chewing a White Rabbit candy: "What are you jealous of me for?"

"You found a good man." Zhao Yu said with emotion: "These few days, I have seen your Chu Dai chopping firewood from the gate of your house, or helping your uncle wash vegetables. If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't be so attentive."

Gu Qingqing smiled and said, "You will find someone like this too."

Although Zhao Yu nodded, she knew in her heart that she might not be as lucky as Qingqing.

She has been the apple of the Gu family's eye since she was little. When she was little, she had to go to the fields with her parents, and Qingqing didn't have to, she just stood on the edge of the field and watched.

When she got into a fight with others, Gu's family members were the first to rush over to protect her. Zhao Yu asked herself whether her mother, although she loved her, could do the same as Gu's family members.

If there is a conflict with others, he will drag me to apologize.

Qingqing's family conditions are good now. Her father is the captain of the production team, her two brothers are in the army, one of them is a pilot, she married a soldier, and her father-in-law is the commander of the military region.

She suddenly realized that she was no match for Qingqing.

After a while, she saw the girl next to her with her head tucked into her scarf, and she understood.

Why do you have to compare yourself with Qingqing? They are good friends, and she should be happy if Qingqing is doing well.

She will live a good life in the future.

It took more than twenty minutes to reach Qin's house. Although it was the same production team, they were in a different village, so we had to go around the village entrance.

The Qin family was also bustling with activity. Auntie Qin fried some fragrant glutinous rice cakes. When she saw them coming, she stuffed one into each of them and then shouted into the house at the top of her voice, "Ali, Qingqing Xiaoyu is here to play with you. This kid has already gone to bed early in the morning."

Gu Qingqing bit into the crispy outside and soft inside glutinous rice cake and said incoherently: "No need to call Auntie, I'll go to the house to find Sister Ali."

"Okay, then you guys go." Auntie Qin waved her hands, "Auntie will go to your uncle Qin's brothers' house to deliver glutinous rice cakes. You guys can play by yourselves. There are food in the main room. If you are hungry, take it yourself."

"Okay."

To get to Qin Li's room, she had to pass through the main hall. Gu Qingqing took a few tangerines from the stool and knocked on the door twice: "Sister Ali? I'm coming in?"

Without waiting for her to push the door, Qin Li opened the door, grabbed her arm and pulled her in, then closed the door after Zhao Yu came in.

Gu Qingqing sat right next to the coal stove and put the oranges next to it to roast: "It's still more comfortable here with Sister Ali." It's so warm.

Zhao Yu also sat down and said with a smile, "Yes, Sister Ali is as afraid of the cold as you are. When winter comes, the coal in the house is always burning."

Qin Li grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds and peanuts and sat on the stool next to them: "Why did you think of looking for me to play today? Especially you, Qingqing, you finally came back but you still stick to your Chu Dai and don't even think about me."

"Here I am." Gu Qingqing took out a handful of candy from her pocket and stuffed it into her hand, smiling and saying, "You can also come to my house to find me? Why don't you come over?"

Qin Li's face turned red in the light of the stove. "It's because I didn't find the opportunity. My mother washed and dried the sheets and quilts at home these two days, and prepared the New Year's goods for visiting relatives. She is free today."

Gu Qingqing reached out and took an orange, peeled it and ate it, and said casually: "That's because I'm very busy. My family has been busy these past two days. Fortunately, there are many people, but I don't see my uncle all the time. Sister Ali, has he been coming to your place a lot recently?"

"Ah?" Qin Li didn't react for a moment, and said unnaturally: "Isn't it?"

Gu Qingqing and Zhao Yu looked at each other and understood.

Soon, the topic turned to Gu Qingqing, the only married person. "When are you going to hold a wedding banquet? I will definitely go then."

"Grandpa has set the date for the fifth day." Gu Qingqing was embarrassed to say that she had already held weddings once in the Corps and the Military Region, but she was still looking forward to the wedding because her mother had made her a red wedding dress. She had worn the army green dress in both the Corps and the Military Region to match him.

"So do you guys sleep together at night now?" Zhao Yu's personality is mostly like Qian Guihua's. He speaks faster than he thinks and is straightforward.

"Yes." A rare hint of shame flashed across Gu Qingqing's eyes.

Qin Li also teased her, "Maybe Qingqing will have a baby before we even get married."

"Sister Ali!" Gu Qingqing was usually thick-skinned, but she couldn't help teasing me when I mentioned these things. She said, "If you are jealous, get married quickly and have a baby before me."

"It's not that easy." Qin Li slowly unwrapped the candy wrapper, stuffed the candy into his mouth, and slowly smoothed the colorful candy wrapper with his fingers: "I'm not in a hurry, take your time."

Zhao Yu agreed, "I'll take my time too!"

Gu Qingqing sighed in her heart, knowing that her uncle could only take things slowly.

The sisters chatted in whispers for half an hour, and then Gu Qingqing returned to the Gu family's yard with a bag of oranges.

Gu Qinglie and Chu Zhao held a box of matches in their hands and were studying how to play with firecrackers.

Chu Dai leaned against the door frame and talked to Gu Canyang. Gu Canyang was absent-minded and only responded to him occasionally.

"Are you back?" Chu Dai glanced at her with a smile.

"I'm back." Gu Qingqing put the small basket on the windowsill, took an orange, peeled it and cut it into two halves.

Half was given to Chu Dai and the other half to Gu Canyang.

"Qingqing, where are you going to beg for money again?" Gu Bao suddenly appeared from nowhere.

Gu Qingqing stared at him for a while with her dark eyes. When he was a little uncomfortable and wanted to look away, she said slowly, "Sister Qin Li's house. By the way, uncle, please help me take this basket back tomorrow."

"Okay." Gu Bao agreed without hesitation: "I guarantee that I will complete the task."

Gu Qingqing chuckled, stuffed an orange into his hand, and said lightly, "Today I asked Sister Qin Li when she planned to get married."

Gu Baozhi pricked up his ears and listened.

"She said there's no rush, take your time."

Gu Bao suddenly became like a deflated ball, looking listless.

Chu Dai bit into the orange, the sweet and cool juice quenched his thirst. He patted Gu Bao on the shoulder and said, "Come on, uncle. The revolution has not yet succeeded, comrades still need to work hard."

Gu Bao sighed, "I know."

He knew that he couldn't hide his thoughts from his family.

At twelve o'clock, every household started setting off firecrackers. Deafening noises rang out one after another, followed by puffs of blue smoke.

The crackling sounds were incessant, and from time to time were accompanied by the "whoosh," "whoosh," "whoosh" sounds of sky-high monkeys. Gu Qingqing stood under the eaves, watching Chu Dai and her brothers light firecrackers, while she peeled oranges one by one and ate them.

Shi Rushuang came over, snatched the orange from her hand, and glared at her: "Why are you eating so many cold things in such a cold weather? Aren't you afraid of getting an upset stomach?"

"Mother." Gu Qingqing flattered, "The last one."

Shi Rushuang snorted softly, and instead of returning the orange to her, he stuffed her a red envelope.

She opened the red paper and saw five yuan.

Immediately he smiled.

"Thank you, mother. You are so generous and beautiful. I wish you a happy new year~" After saying this, she bowed and said, "I wish you a happy family, a happy face, and peace and success in the coming year."

"You just rely on your sweet talk to get some red envelopes for food." Shi Rushuang gave her a glare, then walked up to Chu Dai, "Adai, this is yours."

Chu Dai was obviously stunned for a moment, with a complicated expression.

"Thank you, mother."

"This child is so polite. He will become thicker-skinned after spending more time with Qingqing." Shi Rushuang smiled and shook her head.

"Canyang, Qinglie, Yuanchao."

"And there's Zhao, who's visiting our house for the first time this year."

"This is for you. Don't play outside. It's too cold. If you can't sleep, go back inside and warm yourself by the fire."

Gu Canyang, Gu Qinglie, Gu Yuanchao and their brothers were accustomed to it. Chu Zhao was deeply moved and almost called Shi Rushuang "mother".

"Thank you, Auntie. I wish you a happy New Year's Eve! May your family be reunited."

Shi Rushuang smiled and replied, "Okay, go in quickly, there's another round of New Year's money inside."

Sure enough, in the main hall, starting with Gu Tiezhu and ending with Gu Bao, the youngsters received a total of ten red envelopes, including Chu Yuan's.

After washing her face and feet with hot water, Gu Qingqing returned to the house with a bag of red envelopes.

When Chu Dai came in carrying the charcoal stove, Gu Qingqing was lying on the quilt, kicking her feet and opening a red envelope.

Chu Dai found it funny as he moved the unwrapped red paper to the side: "You like money so much?" He walked forward and folded the quilt to cover her feet.

"Yes." She received the most red envelopes. Everyone in the family gave her one. Tomorrow she will receive a lot more when she visits the grandparents' homes to pay New Year's greetings.

"Look at this, my father gave it to me." Gu Qingqing danced with the twenty big reunion tickets in her hands, and her eyes and eyebrows were filled with joy.

"Two hundred." Chu Dai glanced casually, opened the red envelope that Chu Yuan gave him, and looked at the two yuan in the red paper without saying a word.

Then he stuffed the money back and gave all the red envelopes to his wife.

Gu Qingqing glanced at him sideways: "For me?"

"Aren't you going to manage the money?" Chu Dai took off his coat, lifted the quilt, got into bed, and sat on the edge of the bed watching her count the money.

"I don't have to manage money..." Gu Qingqing muttered, "I just like to see a lot of money, and I feel at ease."

Chu Dai couldn't help but rub her hairy head, "It's useless to have money without tickets, silly wife."

"Didn't you say that no tickets are required on the island?" Gu Qingqing looked at him suspiciously.

"Yes, we don't need basic living supplies." Chu Dai sighed, "Then you keep them and don't hide them in my coat pockets anymore."

Gu Qingqing felt a little embarrassed and put the money away neatly. "I'll put it in the box."

As she spoke, she took the piles of red paper on the bed, and several hundred yuan of money in her right hand. She got out of bed, opened the box, took out the candies, and hid them in the seam of the quilt at the bottom.

Seeing that she was about to climb back into bed after putting it down, Chu Dai gently reminded her, "Go wash your hands."