Chapter 192 It’s New Year

As the sun was setting, Zhou Desheng's wife came in carrying a red cloth bag. Inside the bag were two pieces of new cloth, one bright red and the other royal blue, which shone brightly in the snow.

"Yinyin, take a look at this cloth," she said, opening the bag, her eyes full of joy. "I asked a relative at the town's supply and marketing cooperative to save some for me. I'm going to make a new cotton-padded jacket for my child for the New Year. The red one is festive, and the blue one is dirt-resistant. Which one do you think is suitable?"

Yun Tangyin put down the tiger-head shoes and touched the cloth with her fingertips. The fine cotton threads woven soft patterns and carried the unique fragrance of new cloth.

"This cloth is really good," she smiled, her eyes sparkling. "The red one is for the outer layer of the cotton-padded jacket, and the blue one is for the lining of the padded jacket. The child will definitely be warm when they wear it."

Zhou Desheng's wife stuffed a pair of scissors into her hands and said, "My mother said you have good tailoring skills. You can cut according to the child's size first. I will help you sew tomorrow. We will finish it before the New Year."

Fu Yucheng brought out freshly fried melon seeds from the kitchen. The golden melon seeds were coated with salt and placed in a coarse porcelain bowl. They tasted salty and tasty.

"Try this, sister-in-law," he handed over the bowl, "I learned how to stir-fry melon seeds from Aunt Zhang. I didn't control the heat well, so they're a little burnt. Don't mind."

Zhou Desheng's wife grabbed a handful and ate it, then smiled and shook her head: "How can I dislike it? It's much better than what my husband makes. Last time, he roasted the melon seeds into charcoal and said it could be used as firewood."

After Xiaolan finished weaving the side of the bamboo basket, she came over and grabbed a handful of melon seeds. She squatted beside the rabbit cage, eating them while watching the rabbits.

Snowball came over and rubbed his little nose against her palm, as if he wanted to eat some melon seeds too. "You can't eat these," Xiaolan poked his nose, "The shells are too hard, and you'll hurt your teeth if you eat them."

She took out a piece of dried carrot from her pocket and placed it in the palm of her hand. Snowball immediately came over, chewing it quickly with his three-lobed mouth, and his little tail swept tiny marks on the snow.

In a blink of an eye, it was the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. Red lanterns were hung on the old locust tree in the yard. Fu Yucheng made the frame out of bamboo strips, and Yun Tangyin cut the lampshade out of red paper. When the lanterns were lit, the warm red light reflected on the snow, as if the yard was wrapped in a layer of sugar coating.

Zhou Desheng brought his two sons to help paste the Spring Festival couplets. The older one was called Zhou Ming and the younger one was called Zhou Liang. They were both wearing newly made blue cotton-padded jackets and jumping around the lanterns.

"Uncle Fu, this lantern is so beautiful!" Zhou Ming tilted his head back and reached out to touch the tassel of the lantern. Fu Yucheng quickly supported him: "Be careful, don't fall. There's a candle in the lantern, it's not good to get burned."

Zhou Liang squatted beside the rabbit cage and looked at the rabbit curiously: "Uncle Fu, can rabbits eat delicious food during the Chinese New Year?"

Fu Yucheng smiled and nodded: "Of course, I prepared soybeans and sweet potatoes for them, which are more delicious than usual."

Yun Tangyin was busy steaming New Year's buns in the kitchen. The white flour was fermented until it was fluffy, and then she kneaded it into round buns, dotted them with red dots, and placed them in the steamer, like a row of small lanterns.

Zhou Desheng's wife came to help chop the dumpling filling, which was made of cabbage and pork. The chopping sound was so loud that the fragrance filled the yard.

"Yinyin, your steamed buns are so well-fermented this year," she added a piece of coal to the stove, "they are even fluffier than mine. I must learn the skill of fermenting dough from you later."

Fu Yucheng took Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang to sweep the snow in the yard. The shovels made a "crunching" sound when they hit the snow.

Zhou Ming was too weak to shovel the snow, so he used his hands to scoop up the snow and made a snowman. Zhou Liang helped pass snowballs to him. Soon they had made a crooked snowman and stuck a carrot in it as a nose.

"Uncle Fu, look at the snowman we made!" Zhou Ming pulled Fu Yucheng's hand and shouted excitedly. Fu Yucheng smiled and nodded: "It looks really good, even more lively than the snowman in the town park."

On New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers came from the alley, one after another, like a handful of gold scattered in the yard.

Fu Yucheng brought the cooked dumplings to the table. The plump white dumplings were steaming hot. When he bit into one, the cabbage and pork filling inside was oozing with oil, so delicious that it made people squint their eyes.

Yun Tangyin picked up a dumpling for Xiaolan and said, "Try it! The ones made by your brother Fu have more wrinkles than mine." Xiaolan took a bite of the dumpling and smiled contentedly, "It's delicious! It's even more fragrant than the ones my mother makes!"

After dinner, Fu Yucheng took out the New Year’s money prepared for the children, wrapped it in red paper, and handed it to Zhou Ming, Zhou Liang and Xiaolan.

"This is your New Year's money," Song Yushuang also smiled and handed over a portion, "Use it to buy candy during the New Year. May the new year bring you peace and safety."

Zhou Ming took the New Year's money and carefully put it in his pocket: "Thank you! I'm going to save it to buy firecrackers and set them off with my brother tomorrow!"

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Yun Tangyin changed into a newly made blue cotton-padded jacket, which was the one Fu Yucheng promised to make for her in the spring. The jacket had fine stitching and fit her perfectly.

Fu Yucheng was wearing a military uniform, which was old but clean. The two of them stood at the gate of the yard, wishing a happy new year to the neighbors who came and went.

Aunt Zhang came over carrying a cloth bag filled with freshly steamed rice cakes, the sweet aroma mixed with the fragrance of rice: "Sister Yushuang, I'm here to wish you a happy new year. I steamed these sticky rice cakes, which symbolize prosperity year after year."

Xiaolan came to wish everyone a happy new year, wearing a newly made flowered cotton jacket, skipping and skipping. In her hand was a stuffed doll, a little rabbit she had made for her child. Its ears were crooked, but it was still very cute.

"Sister-in-law, Brother Fu, Happy New Year!" She handed the doll to Yun Tangyin, "I made this for my little brother. Even though it's not pretty, it's a token of my love."

Yun Tangyin took the doll and said with a smile, "It's really beautiful. My little brother will definitely like it. Thank you, Lan girl."

Zhou Desheng came to pay New Year's greetings with his wife and two sons, carrying a bottle of wine and some snacks for Fu Yucheng.

"Brother Fu, sister-in-law, Happy New Year!" Zhou Desheng placed some snacks on the table. "These are peach cakes I bought in town. You two can try them when you have time. My two kids were clamoring for some, so I didn't leave any for them."

Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang walked around the rabbit cage and fed the rabbits some soybeans. Seeing the rabbits eating with relish, the two brothers smiled especially happily.

When the sun rose to the top of the bamboo, the yard was already full of neighbors. Aunt Zhang was chatting with Zhou Desheng's wife about family matters, and Song Yushuang and Yu Xia were sitting nearby eating melon seeds.

Fu Yucheng was playing chess with Zhou Desheng, Xiaolan was combing the rabbit's fur with Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang, and Yun Tangyin was sitting under the eaves, holding the tiger-head shoes embroidered for the child in her hand. The sunlight shone on her, making her feel as warm as a piece of melted candy.

The little guy in her belly suddenly kicked, and it was as light as a locust leaf falling on her heart. Yun Tangyin couldn't help laughing out loud.

This kind of year, full of fireworks and warmth, is the best year she can think of.

She looked up at the scene in the yard. The red lanterns swayed gently in the wind, the snow melted slowly in the sun, the laughter of the neighbors floated in the yard, and the rabbits in the cages were leisurely eating soybeans. Everything was so peaceful and beautiful.

Fu Yucheng seemed to notice her gaze, looked up and smiled at her, his eyes full of tenderness. Yun Tangyin also smiled at him, feeling at ease.

With him, the children, and so many kind neighbors, the years will be better and warmer than the last.