New Year's Eve of 1976 arrived amidst the swirling snow.
Xie Yuyao found red paper, writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, and together with Zhao Honghui, they cut and wrote couplets.
At that time, there were no couplets for sale; everyone bought red paper to take home and asked someone with some education to write them for them. Although they weren't calligraphers, their strokes were quite neat and they were highly praised by everyone.
Yu Wenjiang came over from the front yard, intending to ask Xie Yuyao if she wanted to write couplets together.
Seeing that she and Zhao Honghui were already cutting paper, he simply stayed to see how well they were writing.
Xie Yuyao chuckled, "You want to come?"
Full of confidence, Zhao Honghui picked up his pen and wrote with great flair on the paper.
Soon, a horizontal scroll was completed.
"Brother Honghui, you wrote so well!" Yu Wenjiang, who was watching from the sidelines, clapped his hands in praise. "Can you write the couplets for our front yard too?"
Zhao Honghui said, "Of course, bring the red paper over."
After Yu Wenjiang left, he handed the calligraphy brush to Xie Yuyao, saying, "Would you like to write one too?"
Xie Yuyao shook her head and refused: "No, my regular script isn't as beautiful as yours."
As a wealthy heiress, her calligraphy skills were not bad, but she couldn't show off in front of others just to fit the original owner who wasn't very good at calligraphy.
In order to avoid being discovered by the original owner's family, she deliberately practiced calligraphy in front of the educated youth and wrote her replies in regular script.
Hearing her say that, Zhao Honghui understood her concerns. He put down his pen and continued writing.
Xie Yuyao looked at the focused and domineering man, her eyes filled with tenderness.
Before long, all the educated youth who had stayed in the front yard for the New Year came over.
Yu Wenbo can walk freely now, but he is still weak. He gets breathless and weak after walking too much, so he basically doesn't leave the front yard.
Xie Yuyao hadn't seen him in a long time. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she even poured him a cup of warm spiritual spring water.
"Do the three of you want some water?" Xie Yuyao asked Yu Wenjiang, Ren Fei, and Jiang Yan. Seeing that they shook their heads, she didn't pour any more water.
It's said that men are most charming when writing calligraphy. While the Yu brothers focused on the handwriting, Ren Fei and Jiang Yan were drawn to Zhao Honghui.
Seeing her two former "love rivals" staring intently at her man, Xie Yuyao's mood instantly soured.
But then she thought, this outstanding man is hers now, and no matter how much others covet him, they can only see him but not touch him, and she felt at peace again.
After the couplets are written, they must be spread out and allowed to dry before they can be put away.
Yu Wenbo then invited Xie Yuyao and Zhao Honghui to have New Year's Eve dinner together in the front yard, but Zhao Honghui declined, saying, "Yaoyao, come to my house for the New Year."
They had already agreed that they would have lunch at Yao Yao's place and New Year's Eve dinner at his house.
After the couplets dried, the two cleaned the house and then put the couplets back up. Xie Yuyao also used the remaining red paper to make some paper cuttings, and the house finally had the atmosphere of celebrating the New Year.
At noon, Zhao Honghui prepared a seafood feast, and the two enjoyed a delicious meal with wine.
Xie Yuyao was slightly tipsy, feeling blissfully happy, like an immortal.
Zhao Honghui helped her back to her room to sleep for a while, but Xie Yuyao grabbed his hand and wouldn't let him leave.
"I'm just going to tidy up, I won't leave." Zhao Honghui smiled as he looked at Yao Yao, who became as clingy as a kitten after drinking.
Xie Yuyao pouted and let go of her hand: "Go quickly and come back quickly."
When Zhao Honghui finished tidying up and returned to the room, Xie Yuyao had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep.
That serene and smiling face, like a magnet, firmly attracted Zhao Honghui's gaze.
Xie Yuyao, who was in a light sleep, sensed something, opened her eyes a crack, and raised her hand towards him.
Zhao Honghui felt as if a feather was floating through his heart, making him unbearably itchy. He leaned down and kissed that crimson hue.
......
After waking up from their afternoon nap, the two packed a large bag of ingredients, including an old hen, a spare rib, and seasonal but rare vegetables such as celery and carrots, and sent it to Grandpa Sun's place.
Two days ago, the brigade slaughtered a pig, and Xie Yuyao bought up all the leftover lean meat and bones. Anyway, she had a cheat code that allowed her to keep everything fresh, no matter how long it was kept.
When they arrived at the courtyard near the cowshed, they found Zhao Hongqin and Zhao Guangliang inside. They brought over cooked braised chicken and salted duck.
People in this era respect teachers and value traditions, especially in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, which is passed down from father to son and then from son to grandson.
Old Master Sun taught the three of them without reservation. Although they did not formally become his disciples, they had already received his teachings.
The few prescriptions he revealed were enough to benefit the three of them for a lifetime.
It was getting late, so everyone said goodbye to Mr. Sun and the others and went home to have their New Year's Eve dinner.
At this time, at Zhao Honghui's home, since Yao Yao had been invited, Yang Chunhua personally cooked, striving to showcase her best culinary skills.
As for the ingredients, Zhao Honghui had already bought them yesterday and offered to cook three dishes himself.
Therefore, as soon as he got home, Zhao Honghui told Yao Yao to play with her aunt and younger sister, while he himself went straight into the kitchen.
"Yaoyao, come on up to the kang!" Zhao Chunling waved to her warmly when she saw her.
Three young women in the prime of their lives sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), drinking hot tea, eating snacks, and chatting and laughing.
Zhao Chunling and her niece Zhao Hongqin talked about Zhao Honghui's past, and Xie Yuyao listened with great interest.
In the kitchen, Yang Chunhua heard their occasional laughter, smiled and shook her head, and her resentment towards Zhao Honghui cooking vanished.
Anyway, they'll have to live their own lives after marriage. The eldest son will cook, so it's a case of one willing to give and the other willing to receive, and she won't go looking for trouble.
But seeing Zhao Honghui generously wielding oil, she felt a pang of heartache, but since it was New Year's Eve, she swallowed her words.
When Zhao Honghui made a plate of delicious and visually appealing shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, Yang Chunhua, who had initially criticized him for using the wrong seasonings, shut her mouth. She hadn't expected her eldest son to be so skilled.
Then she watched her eldest son cook the remaining two dishes, and the two of them discussed cooking techniques.
Wen Xiumei, who was tending the fire at the stove, subtly curled her lips: "If I put in this much lard, the result won't be any worse than my brother-in-law's."
Because there was no electricity, every household in Qingshan Village started their New Year's Eve dinner early, and Zhao Honghui's family was no exception.
After the food was prepared, everyone sat in a circle. Boss Zhao first gave his New Year's greetings, and then invited everyone to start eating.
The three dishes, presented with artistic flair, attracted everyone's attention, and they all instinctively reached for them with their chopsticks. Seeing this, Zhao Honghui quickly grabbed some for Yao Yao and put them in her bowl.
Xie Yuyao smiled awkwardly and secretly pinched his thigh.
Zhao Honghui stiffened, took her hand and rubbed it, but continued to chat with his father with a smile.
Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, Huang Qiufen cried out, put down her chopsticks, clutched her large belly, and exclaimed, "I think I'm going into labor!"
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