Bonnie only found out about what happened the day before on the second day. The stampede... just thinking about it gives me goosebumps, especially during the Lunar New Year...
Everyone is at home today. The children are taking apart firecrackers inside the house, mainly on the 6th day of the lunar month.
Xuanyu felt he was a big kid now and couldn't play with firecrackers like he did when he was little. Xuanyi disliked firecrackers from the bottom of his heart; the crackling sound was scary, and what if it hit his hand? Sanqi was too young to play with firecrackers and could only watch the fun from the sidelines with his hands behind his back.
In the kitchen, Bonnie and Sister-in-law Gu were preparing the New Year's Eve dinner. This year, supplies were plentiful, mainly because Bonnie brought back a lot of meat, so it would taste delicious no matter how it was cooked.
"Mom, I'm going to play with Zheng Jun." Liu Jiu's bright red corduroy jacket was made by Aunt Gu. It was somewhat similar to Korean-style clothing from later times, except that it had two large pockets attached to the hem, which made it look a bit messy.
Bonnie noticed that Liu Jiu's two pockets were bulging; they must have been loaded with firecrackers.
"Go ahead, be careful when you set off firecrackers. Don't throw them into crowded places, and don't throw them at people..."
"You can't throw it on the house, and you can't throw it in the garbage dump. I remember all of that, really." Liu Jiu finished saying what her mother wanted to say, and ran off with a grin.
"Auntie, I'm going with Liu Jiu." Gu Xuanyu got dressed and went with Liu Jiu.
Xuan Yi and San Qi were left staring at each other, not knowing what to do.
"Uncle, will you play checkers with me?" Sanqi was so bored that he took the checkers to his uncle.
"Why don't you go find your father?" Gu Ze looked at Sanqi, this clever boy, who reacted very quickly.
"Dad's cooking, Uncle, you're just sitting around." Sanqi looked at his uncle innocently with his big eyes, as if to say, "You're the only one sitting around!"
Gu Ze tapped Sanqi's forehead with his hand and began to set up the chess pieces.
When Aunt Gu saw the two playing chess in the kitchen, she sighed, "Sanqi is so brave. My two children were quite afraid of your older brother when they were little, and they rarely dared to talk to him."
"My two kids don't know the meaning of fear. They're reckless and bold, especially Sanqi. He's not good at fighting, but he's also a smart aleck. He's everywhere. In the future, he'll get beaten up a lot because of his smart aleck."
Bonnie knows her child too well; ignorance is bliss!
The Gu family was busily preparing for their New Year's Eve dinner, while several other families in the courtyard had cold stoves and empty pots.
"Old Guo, you have to think of something! We can't let our youngest son get arrested like this. What kind of place is a labor camp? It could kill him!" Guo's mother sat on the ground, throwing a tantrum, trying to get her husband to get their youngest son out.
"You really think highly of me. With such solid evidence, how am I supposed to rescue him? By taking him out with a gun? No, I've already handed over my gun and I'm retiring. It's all thanks to you two."
I've told you so many times, don't spoil him, don't secretly give him money, did you listen? Now look what's happened, we've lost everything, lost our jobs, and we have to return the house. Let's go back to our hometown together.
"You weren't used to living here, so you don't have to stay here anymore. You're leaving for good."
Comrade Guo looked much older. His future, which he had risked his life for, had been completely ruined by this foolish mother and son.
Grandma Guo then turned her gaze to her eldest son, hoping he could save her younger brother.
"Mom, I can't even protect myself, so look at me, I'm useless. He brought this on the whole family. I wasn't implicated, but what about those who were punished because of him? They were given special treatment because of Dad. Now they're all getting in on the action. Won't they come after me?"
And those who have a history of bad behavior, aren't they taking advantage of this opportunity to kick me while I'm down? From now on, I'll have to be on my guard and careful, just in case someone pulls me down someday, sigh..."
Listening to her husband's complaints and her eldest son's grumbling, Aunt Guo felt wronged.
“Now you all resent me. When I first came here, everyone in the compound laughed at me for being illiterate and a country bumpkin. One of you is busy with work and doesn't come home for days at a time, while the other is only concerned with making friends and also looks down on me as your mother.”
Only the youngest son is there for me, he doesn't look down on me, so what's wrong with me spoiling him? You, his father and older brother, haven't taught him properly, you only scold him, look down on him, and look down on me too..."
After shouting, Aunt Guo lowered her head and went inside to pack her things. She had to prepare more things for her family; they had to survive, no matter what.
In the living room, no one knew what the Guo father and son were thinking, or whether they regretted it. The outcome was certain: the spot he vacated was fiercely contested by several families, almost to the point of bloodshed.
Gu Xiangdong's family also didn't prepare a New Year's Eve dinner. They released Gu Bei yesterday, and he was terrified; he not only wet his pants but also developed a high fever in the middle of the night. Xu Fang and Gu Bei's wife spent half the night trying to bring his fever down.
Looking at her cold and deserted home, and at Gu Yu who had returned from a thousand miles away, Gu Xi really didn't know what to say.
Children don't understand adult matters; all they know is that today is Chinese New Year, there will be delicious food, lucky money, and firecrackers.
"Zheng Jun, come out and set off firecrackers!"
Liu Jiu knew where Zheng Jun lived, so he stood outside and called him out.
"Brother, Liu Jiu is here, let's go out." Zheng Hong heard Liu Jiu's voice and called her brother.
"Okay, right away. There are still a few firecrackers that haven't been taken down yet. Go out and tell Liu Jiu first."
Zheng Jun quickened his pace; he was anxious too.
Zheng Hong went out, and Zheng Jun's brother was also quite curious about what Liu Jiu looked like and why the two younger children in the family liked her so much.
"Grandpa, do you want to go and take a look? I'm quite curious."
Zheng Jun's brother is going through puberty and his voice is hoarse.
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