Grandma Jiang's hometown is famous for its baijiu (Chinese liquor), and she can drink half a jin (250ml) of it: "Okay, it's New Year's Day, let's all have a little."
Just as they sat down to have a drink, Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Kai brought over the dishes. The father and son were both taken aback when they saw the dishes on the table: "Uh, Mom, I was thinking of putting together a couple of dishes for you since it's the New Year, but I didn't expect you to eat so well."
Jiang Jianguo didn't mean anything by it; it was just that his mother used to be very frugal and reluctant to eat, so the fact that she had fish and shrimp this time surprised him.
Jiang Ruyu and her two siblings all stood up: "Uncle and eldest brother, please sit down and eat. I'm at work today, so I bought the groceries myself. Grandma wouldn't have been willing to spend the money!"
"Haha, that's right. We won't eat here. We've already prepared something at home. Here, we'll add these two dishes for you."
Jiang Kai and Jiang Jianguo put down the stir-fried eggs with chili and the four-happiness meatballs. Jiang Ruyu glanced at her grandmother and then asked Jiang Hui to get two plates to take the food. She also gave them a dozen shrimp and half a plate of goose meat as a return gift.
"Alright, go back now. The family is waiting for you to eat. I won't keep you two any longer," Grandma Jiang said directly.
Jiang Lin seemed oblivious to the awkward atmosphere and said, "Brother, look, my sister even opened a bottle of Moutai. Aren't you going to stay and have a couple of drinks? This wine is quite expensive."
"No wonder," Jiang Jianguo thought bitterly. "Eight yuan a bottle and you need a liquor coupon." He hadn't been able to afford a single bottle of liquor even with his monthly allowance of several dozen yuan. "No thanks," he said. "I have food waiting for me at home."
Jiang Ruyu glared at Jiang Lin: "Then when Aunt returns home for her wedding, Uncle can come and have a drink with Uncle."
"Okay, we'll drink then." Jiang Jianguo and his son walked out the door, and he couldn't help but grumble to his son, "Your grandma is still blaming me. If it were before, she would definitely have invited me to stay for dinner."
Jiang Kai could only try to comfort his father: "How could Grandma blame you? We still have my mom, my wife, and your grandson waiting for us to eat, right? Are you craving Ruyu's Moutai? I'll go buy a bottle tomorrow, and we can both have a taste."
Jiang Jianguo felt particularly pleased by his son's words: "Great, buy a bottle, I'll also try what Moutai tastes like, haha."
Wang Shuhua scoffed inwardly as she watched the man and son return with the dishes. She said aloud, "Oh, there are even prawns here! They're eating better than we do at home. They don't even need you to bring them food; they're just being presumptuous."
Jiang Jianguo's slightly improved mood immediately plummeted: "I don't want to argue with you during the New Year. Let's eat."
Wang Shuhua sneered: "Heh, you don't want to,"
Jiang Kai looked at his mother helplessly: "Mom, can we have a proper meal? Today is New Year's Eve."
Wang Shuhua stared at her son with her lips tightly pressed together. After a long while, she finally sat down in a chair without saying a word. Jiang Kai sat down and looked at the table full of food. He suddenly felt that such good food had no taste. For half a year, his mother had been wearing a long face every day. It was really depressing.
The Jiang family next door were unaffected. Jiang Huixing was in charge of pouring drinks for them, and Old Mrs. Jiang took the opportunity to tell them about the rules of drinking at the dinner table, such as finishing a toast offered by someone, and that when a younger person toasts an elder, their glass should be lower than the other person's, and the glass should not be upside down, as this is very disrespectful.
These things should be taught by the male elders in the family, but since her grandfather and father are no longer alive, only her grandmother, who knows them, can teach them, so that the children won't be impolite in formal occasions in the future.
Jiang Ruyu peeled a few large shrimp for her grandmother, who loved them but found it troublesome: "Grandma, why didn't my brother Jun come back this year? He should have had a holiday this year, right?"
"Who knows? That kid is too generous. He probably took all the blame for what he wanted and is too embarrassed to come back and face you."
"That Jun-ge is too foolish, punishing himself for someone else's mistakes," Jiang Ruyu said, pouting.
What Grandma Jiang didn't say was that even though that person was insignificant to you, that child was still her granddaughter and Jiang Jun's own sister.
Jiang Jun did not return this year for one reason, and another reason was that he was really worried about Jiang Ruyi being alone in the countryside. So instead of going home for the holiday, he bought a train ticket and went to Heilongjiang Province. He knew Ruyi; influenced by her mother, she was spoiled and couldn't endure hardship. He couldn't rest easy if he didn't go and check on her.
What he didn't know was that Jiang Ruyi was not one to suffer injustice. With money sent to her by her family every month, she was not only beautiful but also good at putting on airs. At the educated youth settlement, there were not only female comrades who flattered her and washed her clothes, but also male educated youths who clung to her for various reasons, as well as young people from the village. Although Jiang Ruyi's life in the countryside was not as good as in the city, it was much better than that of the other educated youths who went to the countryside at the same time.
After dinner, Jiang Ruyu and her three grandchildren sat on the bed playing cards, specifically the game "80 Points." They played until after 10 p.m., when everyone was a little sleepy, having been busy all day.
Grandma Jiang waved her hand: "Go back to sleep, don't stay up all night for the New Year."
Jiang Ruyu and the others yawned and went back to sleep. They slept until seven o'clock. Jiang Ruyu still had to go to work. In the morning, she woke up with sleepy eyes, brushed her teeth and washed her face. She ate dumplings for breakfast and then went to work.
Before they even left, Grandma Jiang came over with several red envelopes wrapped in red paper: "Here's some New Year's money, take it."
Jiang Ruyu accepted it with a smile: "Thank you, Grandma. Happy New Year, Grandma! Wishing you good health and all the best!"
"May you be happy, healthy, and have everything you desire." Grandma Jiang smiled broadly.
Jiang Ruyu also took out a red envelope and gave it to her grandmother: "Grandma, this red envelope is for my sister-in-law to give to Yangyang when she comes to wish him a Happy New Year. I'm working this year, so I should give her a red envelope too."
"Okay, I understand."
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and almost no one comes. When she arrived at the counter, Jiang Ruyu smiled and wished Uncle Zhang a Happy New Year: "Uncle Zhang, Happy New Year! I wish you good fortune in the Year of the Rooster, all the best, and happiness every day."
"Alright, happy new year to you too." Zhang Guisheng smiled and accepted the blessing, and even gave the little girl a red envelope: "Here, we two are quite compatible, here's a red envelope for you, Uncle Zhang also wishes you a smooth and successful new year."
"Then I'll accept it, thank you Uncle Zhang." Jiang Ruyu hadn't expected Uncle Zhang to be so generous, even giving her a red envelope.
The second day of the Lunar New Year arrived quickly. This was the day when married daughters would return to their parents' home. Jiang Ruyu's aunt, Jiang Hongying, would be returning to her parents' home today. Jiang Hongying had married and moved to the west of the city, which was neither too far nor too close, but both she and her husband had jobs, so her aunt wouldn't come back unless necessary.
Jiang Ruyu didn't really like her aunt. On the contrary, she liked her uncle quite a bit. Her aunt was a bit snobbish, while her uncle was a retired soldier with a kind and honest personality, making him more likable than her aunt.
The next day at noon, when Jiang Ruyu came home from work, she saw her aunt sitting at the door cracking sunflower seeds. She frowned and glanced at her. Ha, she really thinks she's a VIP. It's always the son-in-law who's the VIP, but it's the other way around with her aunt. She's never heard of a daughter coming back to her parents' home sitting with her legs crossed and not doing any work.
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