Chapter 641 New Year Greetings in the Courtyard
After washing up, Zhou Yimin opened the door and planned to go and pay New Year's greetings to the elders in the courtyard.
The cold air wrapped in the fragrance of locust leaves blew in his face. He pulled the collar of his cotton jacket closer and saw four or five children squatting on the ground under the old locust tree, playing marbles.
The glass beads made crisp sounds on the frozen mud, like someone gently knocking on a small copper bell.
"Uncle Yimin!" Yadan, who had a pigtail, was the first to notice him. The marbles in her hand fell to the ground with a "click" and rolled to Zhou Yimin's feet.
The other children also turned around, their little faces were red from the cold, like hawthorn berries hanging on branches, and their eyes were shining with curiosity.
Zhou Yimin bent down to pick up the marble, turned it around in his palm twice, and suddenly shouted, "Everyone come and line up!"
The children looked at each other, not knowing what to do, but the adults in the courtyard often said, "Uncle Yimin always has good things in his pocket."
Moreover, Zhou Yimin was well-known for his generosity. Even those who had not come out to play came out of their homes after hearing what Zhou Yimin said.
The children in front of them didn't say a word and lined up in a crooked line by holding onto the corners of their clothes. Even the youngest Hu Zi stood on tiptoe and clung to the corner of the clothes of the child in front of him, refusing to fall behind.
An old man in the yard was walking his bird with a birdcage. Seeing this scene, he smiled and said, "Did Yimin bring goodies for the children again?"
He hung the birdcage on a locust tree branch, and the thrush in the cage flapped its wings and chirped happily.
"It's just some candies to sweeten the kids' mouths." Zhou Yimin replied with a smile, turned around and went back to the house. Not long after, he came out with a bulging cloth bag.
The cloth bag was made of coarse cloth, the edges were worn white, and it was bulging inside, making a rustling sound when walking.
The children's eyes lit up instantly, and like iron filings attracted by a magnet, they stretched their necks to look into the cloth bag.
They knew that anything Zhou Yimin did would be of the highest quality.
Aunt Li came out with a basin of water and splashed water. Seeing this scene, she laughed out loud: "Yimin, you're giving benefits to the children as soon as you leave the house. No wonder the children in the courtyard are so close to you."
She wiped her hands and glanced at the group of children. "Is my stone kid doing anything naughty?"
I’m afraid that if my child doesn’t get anything because of his mischief, I’ll suffer a loss.
"Don't worry, auntie, the children are well-behaved." Zhou Yimin squatted down and untied the string of the cloth bag, revealing colorful candy wrappers inside - there were fruit candies wrapped in orange slices, crispy candies wrapped in sesame seeds, and milk candies with stripes. Were they all bought by him from the store?
Not only is it cheap, but you don’t need a ticket, so even if you sell them all, you won’t feel bad.
"Wow, how much candy did you bring?" An old man came over to take a look and smacked his lips.
"You are such a sincere kid. Just give the kids some appreciation. There's no need to be so generous."
"Uncle, you don't know," Zhou Yimin grabbed a handful of candy and weighed it in his palm.
"The purpose of celebrating the New Year in the countryside is to have fun. The children's happiness is more important than anything else."
"Yadan, come first." He smiled at the little girl at the front of the line and reached into the cloth bag. The candies piled up into a small hill in his palm. The orange color of the orange candy, the off-white color of the crisp candy, and the milky yellow color of the milk candy sparkled temptingly in the morning light.
Yadan's mother just came out of the house and saw this scene and quickly said, "Yimin, don't give too much. This child will have a toothache if he eats too much candy."
"It's okay, auntie, just this handful, let the child have his fill." Zhou Yimin put the candy into Yadan's hand. Yadan quickly cupped her hands into a small winnowing basket, and the candy fell into it with a tinkling sound. She smiled with her lips pursed, her eyes curved into crescents, but she didn't leave immediately. She stood by and waited to see other people's candies.
While watching, he couldn't wait to tear open the candy's packaging, put the candy in his mouth, and lick the sweetness off the packaging with his tongue.
The second one was a chubby stone. He tiptoed forward, and Zhou Yimin deliberately grabbed two more milk candies - the child had said last time that he loved milk-flavored ones the best.
When Shitou took the candy, his hand shook and the two candies rolled to the ground. He hurriedly bent down to pick them up. His frozen red fingers scraped the ground for a long time, wiping the candy wrappers clean before putting them in his pocket.
Aunt Li watched from the side and scolded with a smile: "Look at how clumsy you are. It's all thanks to Uncle Yimin's carefulness."
When it was the turn of the youngest, Hu Zi, he was not even as tall as the table. Zhou Yimin simply picked him up and placed him on his lap. He grabbed a handful of soft candies wrapped in colorful candy wrappers and said, "This one is soft. Eat it slowly."
Hu Zi grinned foolishly with his finger in his mouth, saliva dripping down the corners of his mouth and onto Zhou Yimin's cotton jacket. He didn't get angry, but helped the child put the candy into the small pocket on his chest.
Hu Zi's grandmother was leaning on a cane at the door, watching over and over again, "Yimin, I'm sorry for the expense. I'll have Hu Zi bring you two freshly steamed buns later."
"Grandma, you're so polite. It's just a small favor." Zhou Yimin replied with a smile.
The children in the team moved forward one by one, and the cloth bag gradually deflated, but Zhou Yimin's hands did not stop. Every time he grabbed a candy, it was as if he was weighing the weight to ensure that each child had about the same amount of candy in his hand.
Some children couldn't help but peel off the candy wrapper and put it in their mouths. The sweet taste immediately spread in the yard, making the children who didn't get a turn drool.
The eldest uncle looked at Zhou Yimin and said to Aunt Li, "This child has been kind and righteous since he was young. When he was little, he would share his candy with the other children in the yard. He is still like that now."
Aunt Li nodded in agreement: "That's right. Last time, when our son Shitou had a fever, it was Yimin who rode his bicycle in the middle of the night to call a doctor. I remember that kindness."
When the last candy was eaten, the cloth bag was empty enough to stand up.
The children all held bulging candies in their hands, some held them in their scarves, and some put them in the inner pockets of their cotton-padded jackets. No one was willing to play marbles anymore.
We sat together on the stone steps, you peeled one for me to taste, and I gave you a piece to eat, and the candy wrappers floated like colorful butterflies in the morning light.
After Zhou Yimin distributed candy to the children, he went back to the house and picked up the cloth bag in the corner.
The bag was bulging with a New Year's gift for a friend - two pounds of bacon, neatly tied with a straw rope.
There is also a small jar of freshly ground sesame paste. If you open the lid, the aroma can waft out through the coarse cloth.
He first walked towards Li Youde's house, and as soon as he reached the door, he heard Li Youde and his mother chatting inside.
"Youde, are you at home?" Zhou Yimin pushed open the half-open wooden door and saw Li Youde sitting on a small stool, holding a pipe in his hand and smoking slowly. Sparks flickered in the charcoal basin at his feet, casting his shadow on the wall, sometimes long and sometimes short.
The door curtain of the inner room moved, and Li Youde's mother came out with a winnowing basket, picking up the beans in it.
"Oh, Yimin is here!" Li Youde quickly put down his pipe, stood up and patted the ashes on his pants.
"Come in and sit down. I just made a pot of hot tea." He saw the cloth bag in Zhou Yimin's hand and complained with a smile.
"Come on, why bring anything? We're brothers, why should we be so polite?"
"It's just a local product from the countryside, not worth much." Zhou Yimin placed the cloth bag on the eight-immortals table and untied the straw rope of the bacon, revealing the shiny skin with an amber hue.
"I pickled milk all winter long. They say the taste is unavailable in the city."
Zhou Yimin could only find a reason to explain the origin of the bacon, and the reason of being from the countryside was a good one.
Li Youde and the others can’t go to Zhoujiazhuang to find out what’s going on!
But even if he went, Zhou Yimin believed that his grandmother would know how to answer.
Mother Li put down the dustpan and stuffed a handful of melon seeds into Zhou Yimin's hand. They were roasted by herself last fall and had a burnt aroma. "Yimin, try them! They're freshly roasted and smell delicious."
She looked at Zhou Yimin and said with a smile, "Look at his spirits. You've been having a good time lately, haven't you?"
"It's fine, auntie." Zhou Yimin replied with a smile.
Li Youde turned around to pour tea. The furnishings in the room were simple but tidy. On the table by the window stood an enamel pot. A piece of porcelain had been knocked off the edge of the pot, revealing the tinplate inside.
"Didn't you go out to visit friends during the New Year holidays?" Zhou Yimin peeled melon seeds and glanced around the room.
"I'm too lazy to move. It's quiet at home alone." Li Youde pushed the teacup over, and the steam filled his eyes.
Li Youde said, "Yimin, your partner came over to help with cleaning before the New Year. Is it possible that good things are coming?"
"The date hasn't been set yet. I'll definitely notify you first when the time comes." Zhou Yimin responded with a smile, picked up the teacup and took a sip. The hot tea slid down his throat, feeling warm.
When Li's mother heard this, her heart skipped a beat.
Zhou Yimin was about the same age as her son, and other people were getting married, but her son still didn't have a partner. She couldn't help but get anxious, and leaned forward and asked, "Yimin, it's great that you're getting married at your age."
She glanced at her son and said with a hint of urging, "Your brother Youde is a year older than you, and he still hasn't even found a partner. I'm worried about him every day."
Li Youde felt a little embarrassed by what his mother said. He lowered his head and smoked his pipe without saying a word.
He didn't expect his mother to say this. If he had known, he would not have brought up this topic, and it wouldn't have been so embarrassing.
Li's mother continued, "Yimin, do you know any good girls at the factory? Introduce them to Youde. Look at his qualifications. Although he's not top-notch, he's a down-to-earth and honest man. He'll definitely treat the girl well."
She didn't know how many times she had urged him, but Li Youde always used Zhou Yimin as a shield. Now he has no excuses!
Zhou Yimin hadn't expected that he would have to work part-time as a matchmaker just to pay New Year's greetings. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Auntie, don't worry, I've kept this in mind. There are indeed a few good girls in the factory. I'll keep an eye on them and talk to Youde if I find a suitable one."
If there is a suitable one, he can still help introduce it. If there is no suitable one, then there is nothing he can do.
"Thank you so much, Yimin." A smile appeared on Li's mother's face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.
"If it works, I'll definitely give you a big red envelope."
"You're too polite, Auntie. It's all my duty." Zhou Yimin waved his hand.
"It's different after you get married," Li Youde spoke at this time, leaning back in his chair and speaking slowly.
"From now on, I need to have someone to discuss everything with. Unlike me, if one person eats well, the whole family will not be hungry."
He paused, then added, "That girl looks honest, you have to treat her well."
"I know. I have a clear idea of it." Zhou Yimin nodded, and chatted with Li Youde about some new things in the village. When he talked about the plan to build a new house in the spring, Li Youde listened carefully and occasionally interrupted to make suggestions.
As the sun rose higher, the fire in the charcoal basin gradually weakened, so Zhou Yimin stood up and said goodbye: "I won't disturb you guys to rest. I'll go to Dapeng's house to check on him."
"Would you like to sit for a while?" Li Youde urged, reaching out to add more charcoal.
"No, I'll find you for a drink some other day and we can have a good chat." Zhou Yimin waved his hand, turned and walked out the door, and heard Li's mother instructing Li Youde from behind.
The voice of "learning from Yimin".
There was no way. From childhood to adulthood, Zhou Yimin had always been the child of other families in the yard, whether in terms of academic performance or other things.
After leaving Li Youde’s house, Zhou Yimin walked towards Dapeng’s house.
As soon as I turned the corner of the alley, I saw Dapeng squatting on the doorstep of his house, drawing circles on the ground with a branch in his hand. The wooden door behind him was ajar, and I could see the dried chili strings drying in the yard.
"Dapeng, are you basking in the sun?"
Dapeng looked up and saw him, his eyes lit up. He threw away the branch, stood up, and patted the dirt off his pants: "Yimin! Why are you here? Come in quickly, my mother just made some sweet potato porridge, it's hot."
When he smiled, his two little fangs were exposed, and there was a bit of dust on the tip of his nose. He looked like he had just come back from the fields.
Zhou Yimin handed over the sesame paste in the cloth bag: "I brought this for Auntie. Grind it finely and drink it with the paste to nourish your stomach."
He caught a glimpse of Dapeng clutching a slingshot, the wooden handle gleaming from being polished. "This slingshot looks quite handy. When was it made?"
"I was just thinking about it the other day, but I haven't tested it yet."
Dapeng scratched his head, took the sesame paste and shouted into the house, "Mom, Brother Yimin is here!"
Dapeng's mother came out of the house wearing an apron and holding a rag in her hand. When she saw Zhou Yimin, she pulled him into the house and said, "Yimin is finally here. Come in and warm up."
She stuffed a handful of fried peanuts into Zhou Yimin's pocket. The shells were crisp and the kernels were fragrant. "Freshly fried peanuts, they were your favorite when you were a kid."
"Auntie, please sit down and stop working." Zhou Yimin peeled peanuts and chatted with Dapeng.
"Didn't you go fishing in the river during the New Year holidays?"
"I went there twice, my hands were so cold that they hurt, and the fish I caught were not even as big as my palm." Dapeng grinned.
"When it gets warmer in the spring, let's go together. I know a good spot where we can definitely catch a big one."
"Okay, then we'll call Youde and have a competition between the three of us." Zhou Yimin responded with a smile. The aroma of peanuts mixed with the fragrance of sweet potato porridge in the house warmed people's hearts.
At this time, Dapeng's mother asked, "Yimin, is the female comrade you met at the last meeting your girlfriend?"
When Dapeng heard this, he immediately had a bad feeling.
Zhou Yimin replied: "Auntie, that's right!"
When Dapeng's mother heard this, her eyes lit up immediately. She liked Zhang Yan very much when she saw her, so she said, "Yimin, does your partner have any sisters?"
Zhou Yimin didn't think about Dapeng's mother, and even set his sights on his girlfriend's family: "Aunt, my girlfriend only has one younger sister, and the age difference is quite big."
Dapeng's mother's eyes, which had been bright, suddenly dimmed.
(End of this chapter)
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