Chapter 113 Hero Village
The first day of the new year is a good time to pay New Year’s greetings.
Everyone was on guard last night, so it was late and we got up late as well.
Neighbors are all very considerate and always come to greet each other on time.
"Captain Chu, Happy New Year!"
Starting around 8:30 in the morning, Chu Mingzhou's soldiers began to visit to wish him a happy new year.
Some came alone, and some came with their families.
Lin Anan had nothing to do last night, so she made some beautiful red envelopes and put small changes in them, just in preparation for this occasion.
Anyone who brings children to pay New Year's greetings will be given a red envelope and a handful of candy.
"Happy New Year."
Aunt Chu also cooked a big pot of wine lees and brown sugar water. The children took red envelopes and the adults drank some wine lees to warm their stomachs.
The arrangement is exquisite and is highly praised.
Lin Anan followed Chu Mingzhou with a smile on her face. She was mainly responsible for distributing red envelopes. After she distributed the red envelopes, Chu Minglan was responsible for stuffing candies into the envelopes. It was quite lively.
During this period, several young wives talked to Lin Anan and said that they would keep in touch with each other in the future.
After what happened to Aunt Wang, the neighbors who came one after another became much more friendly. They never mentioned what happened that day and were all very polite.
If you don’t know, you would think that Lin Anan has a close relationship with them!
People came and went to pay New Year's greetings, and there was constant laughter and joy.
Until four o'clock in the afternoon, the number of people coming to pay New Year's greetings gradually decreased.
Aunt Chu had prepared dinner early. "An'an, come and eat. Aren't you going to see the lanterns? Eat earlier and go earlier. Don't play too late."
"Hey, here I come."
Ever since Chu Mingzhou mentioned it last time, Lin Anan has been keeping the lanterns in mind. She is curious and also a little bit playful.
Although Lin Anan prefers a quiet personality, there is a lack of entertainment in this era. It's rare to come across something new, and everyone would want to go and take a look!
"The lanterns at Sanqi Lake are beautiful, but there are too many people, so you have to be careful." Aunt Chu warned.
I don’t know what Aunt Chu said to the little ones, but they were all very well behaved and didn’t make a fuss about wanting to go. They just said they didn’t want to go and wanted to play at home.
OK! It becomes a date for two.
After dinner, Chu Mingzhou pushed back a 28-inch truck and planned to take Lin Anan to Sanqi Village.
Lin Anan was wrapped up like a dumpling, not only wearing a cotton coat and trousers, but also a hat, scarf, and gloves.
"Sit down."
"Okay."
Lin Anan sat steadily on the back seat of the bicycle, with her hands gently around Chu Mingzhou's waist.
Chu Mingzhou got on the bike and pedaled lightly, and the bike moved forward steadily.
"Mingzhou, is Sanqi Village far away?" Lin Anan asked softly.
"It's not far, just hold me tight."
"Um."
Lin Anan put her face against his back and looked up. The clouds in the sky looked like they were carefully colored by a painter. As the sun gradually set, the color transitioned from light pink to warm orange-red, and then to deep purple-red, like a silent feast of colors.
The snow in the fields was shimmering, contrasting with the warm colors of the setting sun.
The frozen river flows quietly like a silver ribbon. The reflection of the setting sun sways gracefully on the river surface, sparkling and beautiful.
Sanqi Lake is one of the best salt lakes in China and is also the mother lake of the people in the northwest.
It is located in the north direction of the Northwest Military Region. The entire lake is in the shape of a concave U-shaped lake, tightly protecting the northern side of the Northwest. It is like the most natural barrier and the most reliable backing for the people of the Northwest.
Sanqi Village is a village rooted on the edge of Sanqi Lake. The village is large and has a long history.
On the first day of every new year, many people would rush to Sanqi Village, where the lanterns have always been famous. Salt is used to make cloth, soak bones and color. There are also skilled craftsmen in the village who have been making lanterns for generations, and the lanterns they make are exquisite.
I also heard that the preservation of Sanqi Village's cultural heritage was entirely due to the fact that during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the entire village risked their lives to provide venues for the soldiers, make weapons, and light up the way.
Therefore, Sanqi Village is also called the Northwest Hero Village.
"An An, we're here."
Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at Sanqi Village. Looking around, they saw crowds of people and bustle everywhere.
The bustle here is very special, completely different from other places. It is a colorful village.
The exquisite lanterns are like bright stars, displayed or hung in every corner of the village.
Moreover, the lanterns here were different from any Lin Anan had ever seen, and were even more incompatible with this simple era.
It is gorgeous, colorful, and incomparably beautiful...
Chu Mingzhou didn't let Lin Anan get out of the car. She still sat in the back seat and Chu Mingzhou pushed her away.
The two of them were good-looking, and they also had a striking bicycle, which quickly attracted a lot of people's attention.
Lin Anan was a little embarrassed and gently tugged at the corner of Chu Mingzhou's clothes: "So many people are looking at us."
"Don't be afraid."
Chu Mingzhou paused, changed direction, walked along another road, found an old soldier's house, and stored his bicycle there.
"Captain Chu, our village has a great lantern show called 'The Rabbit Invites the Moon' today," said the old soldier with a smile.
"Yeah, I was just thinking of taking my wife to have a look."
The old soldier politely saw the two men out and parked the car in his yard, leaving them alone.
Chu Mingzhou held Lin Anan's hand and walked towards the lights.
Since entering the village, Lin Anan's eyes have never been idle.
This village is so beautiful!
The whole village is incredibly clean, the houses are neat and tidy, and even the ground you step on is smooth and clean...
Every few meters, there were villagers holding lanterns to show the way, and even though so many people came, everything was in an orderly manner.
"Mingzhou, what is the lantern show like? Is it good?"
Even though Lin Anan is knowledgeable and talented, this lantern show involves niche folk knowledge, which is really her blind spot.
Chu Mingzhou smiled and explained: "The lantern show is a unique performance form in Sanqi Village. It combines lanterns and drama, and it is very exciting."
As he was speaking, Lin Anan's eyes widened...
In front of you is a large lantern with auspicious rabbit, more than two meters high, colorful and lifelike, as if it could come alive at any time. The material of the lantern is extremely delicate, and the hair flow presented is all hand-painted on the lantern, which is particularly exquisite.
Lin Anan exclaimed: "This is so beautiful!"
Seeing her happy expression, Chu Mingzhou whispered in her ear some history of Sanqi Village and lanterns.
"The lamp-making tradition of Sanxi Village can be traced back to a thousand years ago. At that time, materials were scarce, but the salt produced from the salt lake became the basis for their creation.
Using salt to make cloth can make lanterns more upright and able to withstand wind and rain. Using salt-soaked bamboo joints to make bones can make them more resilient and allow the lanterns to be shaped more delicately. Using salt to make colors can make the colors bright and durable, and they are difficult to fade over time..."
Lin Anan listened attentively, and before they knew it, they had reached the edge of Sanqi Lake.
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