Chapter 634 New Year
After setting off the firecrackers, Zhou Yimin stood in the yard, stunned. The smell of gunpowder smoke had not yet dissipated, mixed with the cold air from the snow, penetrating his lungs, and he shivered.
I just realized that the back of my neck was wet with sweat - I didn't notice it just now because I was tense, but now that I've relaxed, sleepiness is coming over me like a tide, and my eyelids feel heavy as if they were weighed down by lead.
The red paper scraps on the floor were still steaming. He was too lazy to clean them up, so he kicked off his snow-stained cotton shoes and walked straight to his room.
The kang was warmed up by grandma in advance and covered with a newly changed coarse cloth mattress that smelled of being sun-dried.
He didn't even take off his cotton-padded jacket. He fell onto the kang and sank into it. As soon as his head touched the pillow, he could hear his own snoring, like an old bellows, making intermittent sounds in the quiet room.
The sound of firecrackers outside the window was still intermittent, and occasionally the "bang" sound of firecrackers came from the distance, shaking the window paper slightly, but it did not affect Zhou Yimin's sleep at all.
He slept too soundly. The fatigue of staying up all night, the excitement of setting off firecrackers, and the busyness of the past few days all turned into deep sleepiness at this moment. Even his dreams were filled with crackling sounds and red paper scraps all over the floor.
I don't know how much time passed before Zhou Yimin's door was gently pushed open. Zhou Yimin's grandmother tiptoed in and nudged him, who was still sleeping in bed: "Yimin, get up and eat! The dumplings are still warm in the pot."
Zhou Yimin opened his eyes drowsily. The sunlight from outside shone through the window paper, making it difficult for him to open his eyes.
He yawned loudly and stretched, feeling relaxed in every crack of his bones. It seemed as if most of the fatigue from staying up all night to welcome the New Year had dissipated in his sleep.
"I understand, grandma." Zhou Yimin rubbed his eyes, sat up, and slowly put on his clothes.
After washing up, Zhou Yimin walked into the main room, and the aroma of food mixed with the fragrance of dumpling flour hit his nose.
The old man was sitting at the table on the kang, smoking a pipe, the sparks flickering in the pipe. When he saw him come in, he grinned and said, "Are you awake? Come and have dinner. The leftover dumplings from yesterday have just been heated up and are still steaming."
Grandma came out of the kitchen carrying a white porcelain basin filled with plump dumplings. The dumplings were pinched like flowers, and some had thin skins, through which the pink meat filling could be seen.
"Come and try some," she said, stuffing a pair of chopsticks into Zhou Yimin's hands. Her apron was stained with flour. "I made extra dumplings yesterday. I know you like soup, so I also made you a bowl of sour soup dumplings."
Qianqian sat on her grandmother's lap, clutching a dough dumpling without filling. When she saw Zhou Yimin, her little arms and legs immediately fluttered in her arms and legs, and she called out incoherently, "Brother! Dumpling!"
As soon as Zhou Yimin sat down at the table on the kang, his grandmother scooped a full spoonful of sour soup into his bowl. Seaweed and dried shrimps were floating in the golden soup, and five round dumplings sank to the bottom of the bowl, like a group of fat little fish.
"Eat slowly, no one is going to snatch it from you."
Grandma patted his arm and put another dry dumpling she had just taken out of the basin into his bowl. "Try this first. It's stuffed with pork and cabbage. Save the one with sugar filling you made yesterday for Qianqian."
The old man tapped his pipe, moved his bowl of dumplings closer, picked up a dumpling, bit into half of it, revealing the greasy meat filling inside, and smacked his lips. "The firecrackers were so loud last night, I could hear them from inside the house, and they made the window paper rustle. The feeling of the New Year is really only thanks to these explosions and this bowl of dumplings."
He put a piece of pickled radish into Zhou Yimin's bowl and said, "Your grandpa Li's grandson was still setting off little confetti in the threshing ground late at night. They were as bright as stars. His mother called him to eat dumplings but he refused to come back."
"That's right," Zhou Yimin said with sour soup dumplings in his mouth, his words a little unclear, the sour soup dripping down the corners of his mouth.
"As soon as I put the big one on, the west one immediately followed suit, crackling like a race. By the way, sir, try this sour soup. I added some vinegar and chili peppers to whet your appetite."
Grandma held Qianqian in her arms and fed her sugar-filled dumplings with a small spoon. She continued, "In the past, Chinese New Year wasn't so particular. We were lucky to have ten or eight vegetarian dumplings. Now, there's plenty of meat filling, and we can even make sugar-filled dumplings for the kids. Life is really going from strength to strength."
Qianqian was restless in her arms, and her little hands went to grab the dumplings in Grandpa's hand. The old man smiled and patted the back of her hand: "Little girl, it's hot, Grandpa will blow it for you."
"Grandpa, please smoke less." Zhou Yimin added a spoonful of dumpling soup to his grandfather's bowl. "I'll buy you some candy later. If you feel bored, just put one in your mouth. It's more comfortable than smoking."
The old man chuckled and picked up a dumpling and put it in his bowl: "My eldest grandson still loves me. This is for you. I just took a bite and there is a big piece of meat inside."
Qianqian suddenly pointed at the dumplings in Zhou Yimin's bowl and called out in a baby voice, "Red! Red!"
Everyone looked down and saw that it was a sugar dumpling that had burst, and the brown sugar juice dyed the soup red. Grandma smiled and pinched her little face: "This is sweet water. Eating it will make you grow taller."
The sound of dishes and chopsticks colliding on the dining table, the crunching of dumplings being bitten, Qianqian's babbling, and the old man's chattering mixed together, like a lukewarm song.
The sunlight came in through the window lattice, casting grid-shaped spots of light on the kang table, making everyone's face warm.
Zhou Yimin looked at the white frost on his grandfather's temples, the laugh lines at the corners of his grandmother's eyes, and Qianqian's little face covered with brown sugar, and his heart felt soft and warm as if it were ironed by sour soup.
This is probably the taste of reunion. No need for delicacies or grand speeches. Just a bowl of hot dumplings and a few words of family conversation can fill your heart.
Zhou Yimin drank the sweet and sour dumpling soup, ate the delicious food, and looked at his family in front of him, feeling warm in his heart.
This may be the meaning of the Chinese New Year. The family gets together, eats hot dumplings, chats about family matters, and enjoys this simple but real happiness.
After dinner, while grandma was clearing the dishes, the old man took out a red cloth bag from the pocket of his cotton-padded jacket, opened it layer by layer, and revealed two brand new five-yuan bills.
"Yimin, take it."
He stuffed the money into Zhou Yimin's hand, and the calluses on his fingertips rubbed Zhou Yimin's palm: "This is the New Year's money grandpa gave you. It's not much, just for good luck."
Just as Zhou Yimin was about to decline, his grandmother came over with a tin biscuit box, took out a red paper package from it, and stuffed it into Qianqian's pocket: "Qianqian, we have some too. This is from grandma. Buy some candy."
Qianqian touched the red envelope in her pocket, and the corner of the cardboard hurt her little hand. She giggled and snuggled into her grandmother's arms, shouting "Tangtang".
"Grandpa, grandma, you guys..." Zhou Yimin held the ten yuan in his hand. The "worker's portrait" on the banknote still had body temperature, and his heart felt warm.
He knew that these ten yuan were the private money that the old couple had saved for a long time, and they would usually spend a long time calculating before buying a bag of salt.
"Take it." The old man glared at him, but with a smile on his face, "Although I know you don't need these ten yuan, besides, this is an old custom. New Year's money can ward off disasters."
Grandma also chimed in: "Exactly, you think it's not enough? If you think it's not enough, ask your grandfather to save more next year."
Zhou Yimin carefully put the money into his pocket. His fingertips could feel the lines on the banknotes. He said solemnly, "Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you, Grandma."
As the three of them were talking, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by a clear shout: "Brother! Happy New Year!"
As soon as Zhou Yimin opened the door, three little heads squeezed in - Lai Fu, Lai Cai and Laidi, the three children of Zhou Xuqiang. Their cotton-padded jackets were washed white, their faces were red from the cold, and they were holding a small cigarette in their hands.
"Uncle! Grandma! Happy New Year!" The three of them shouted in unison, their voices as crisp as icicles.
Lai Di was the youngest. She hid timidly behind her two brothers, but her eyes were fixed on the candy plate on the table in the main hall.
"Come in, come in, it's cold outside."
Grandma quickly called everyone into the house and turned to grab some candy: "Laifu has grown taller, why is Lai Di's cotton-padded jacket a little too short? Lai Di's pigtails are so neat."
The three children huddled by the kang, their eyes darting around the room. Lai Fu rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Brother, we know you have delicious food at home."
Lai Cai also nodded: "Last year you gave the biggest red envelope, my mother said it was more than what my father gave."
Zhou Yimin was amused and took out three red envelopes from his pocket. They were wrapped in red paper and each contained a dollar.
In those days, it was a considerable sum for children. He stuffed the red envelopes into the hands of the three children and said, "Here, Happy New Year."
Lai Fu pinched the red envelope and put it in his pocket. He shook it with his fingers and said with a grin, "I knew that big brother loves us the most! This red envelope is heavier than the one my uncle gave me!"
Lai Cai was already impatient to open the red envelope, but Lai Fu held him back: "Open it when we get home! Mom said it's impolite to open the red envelope in front of you."
Lai Di carefully put the red envelope into the inner pocket of her cotton-padded jacket, pressed her little hand on it, with some snow foam still on her eyelashes, and whispered, "Thank you, brother."
"Don't leave in a hurry." Zhou Yimin turned around and grabbed three handfuls of candy from his grandmother's tin biscuit box, a mixture of fruit candy, milk candy, and crispy candy, and stuffed them into the hands of the three children.
"Laifu, give me two more. Take them back for your parents to try."
The cellophane of the candies sparkled in the sunlight, and the three children, clutching their hands full of candies, smiled with their gap teeth showing.
Lai Fu winked at his two younger siblings and called out crisply, "Then let's go to the next family to pay New Year's greetings! Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Grandma! Thank you, Big Brother!"
"Slow down on the road, don't run!" Grandma chased to the door and warned, watching the three children running towards the west end of the village like unbridled ponies, holding red envelopes and candies, their backs leaving a trail of small footprints in the snow.
Zhou Yimin closed the door and turned around to see Qianqian lying on the edge of the kang, staring longingly outside the yard.
"Want to go out for a walk?" He walked over and picked her up. The little girl immediately hugged his neck and leaned out the door.
"It's so boring to stay at home all the time. Grandpa, grandma, let's go out for a walk and see what's happening in the village."
The old man waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, let Qianqian see the world. Come back early for lunch, and I'll ask your grandma to stew a chicken."
Grandma was already stuffing fried peanuts into his pocket: "Take this with you on the way. Don't let Qianqian get cold. Put on your scarf."
Zhou Yimin wrapped Qianqian tightly in her cotton-padded jacket, buried her face in his arms, and walked towards the village head facing the sunshine outside.
The snow crackled underfoot, and children's laughter could be heard in the distance, mixed with sporadic firecrackers. The smell of the New Year was like the aroma of sugar in the air, so strong that it could not be dissolved.
Zhou Yimin wrapped Qianqian tightly in her cotton-padded jacket, buried her face in his arms, and walked towards the village head facing the sunshine outside.
The snow crackled underfoot, and children's laughter could be heard in the distance, mixed with sporadic firecrackers. The smell of the New Year was like the aroma of sugar in the air, so strong that it could not be dissolved.
He held Qianqian in his arms and wandered aimlessly around the village. They weren't going anywhere in particular, they just wanted the little one to see more of the hustle and bustle of the village.
As soon as I reached the threshing ground, I saw the children of Carpenter Li squatting nearby and playing with firecrackers.
Seeing this, Zhou Yimin just wanted to move away a little to avoid scaring Qianqian.
After a while, I met Uncle Li on the road.
Zhou Yimin greeted with a smile: "Uncle Li, Happy New Year!"
Qianqian also waved her little hands in his arms and said in a baby voice, "Okay."
Uncle Li's eyes narrowed into slits with joy. He took out a red envelope from his pocket and stuffed it into Qianqian's hand: "Here, this is New Year's money. Buy some candy."
Zhou Yimin quickly declined: "Uncle Li, this is impossible. You are too polite."
"Hey, this is for the child, not for you." Uncle Li stuffed the red envelope into Qianqian's small pocket.
Zhou Yimin couldn't refuse anymore, so he said on Qianqian's behalf: "Thank you."
I continued walking forward holding Qianqian in my arms. Just as I turned the corner, I met Aunt Wang walking towards her parents' home with a bamboo basket filled with cakes and fruits.
"Yimin, are you holding Qianqian?" Aunt Wang greeted warmly and stuffed a piece of sesame candy into Qianqian's hand. "Try it, my sister-in-law made it. It's so sweet."
Qianqian took the sesame candy, licked it, and smiled with her eyes curved. Zhou Yimin also smiled and responded: "Happy New Year, Aunt Wang Er, are you going to your mother's house?"
"Yes, I'm going back to my parents' home to celebrate the New Year." Aunt Wang said with a smile, "You can also take Qianqian to visit them often to liven up the atmosphere."
As he walked along, the villagers he met greeted Zhou Yimin enthusiastically.
Zhou Yimin responded to everyone's greetings with a smile. When he met an elder, he said Happy New Year respectfully. When he met a peer, he chatted warmly about family matters.
When several elders met Qianqian, they all gave her red envelopes. Zhou Yimin couldn't refuse, so he had to accept them. He felt warm in his heart and felt the enthusiasm and simplicity of the villagers.
Walking to the small river at the east end of the village, I saw several children skating on the ice, and their laughter could be heard from far away.
When one of the children saw Zhou Yimin, his eyes lit up and he shouted, "Sixteenth Uncle!"
Zhou Yimin walked over, took out a handful of candy from his pocket, and gave one piece to each child.
"Skate slowly and be careful." He reminded with a smile.
The children took the candies, smiled from ear to ear, and said "Thank you Uncle Sixteen"
They started playing happily again.
Although they didn't get red envelopes, they were still very happy because they had candies to eat. The smiles on their faces were brighter than the sun.
Qianqian was fascinated by the scene in Zhou Yimin's arms. She pointed at the children on the skating sleds with her little hand and shouted "Play, play!"
Zhou Yimin smiled and patted her little butt: "When you grow up a little bit, I will make you a skate and take you to play."
(End of this chapter)
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