“Fu Niu’er, this is your New Year’s money. Can you keep it yourself? If not, don’t worry, Grandma will save it for your dowry.”
Jiayin pressed herself tightly against the pillow, her eyes shining.
Grandma Li laughed heartily and covered her granddaughter with a small blanket.
After her granddaughter fell asleep, she secretly checked under her pillow and found it empty.
She patted her chest and carefully stepped onto the ground.
In the middle of the night, water was boiled in the big pot at home, and the white dumplings were poured in.
Outside, every household set off firecrackers, their crisp sounds ushering in the new year.
Jiayin, who made a small fortune, is now a two-year-old child.
Although she was actually less than six months old when she was born.
But her recipes have seen a qualitative leap thanks to these two years of fame.
Steamed egg custard, soft porridge, and fruit puree—finally, we can all eat them!
So much so that she would happily kick her little legs every day, and at every meal, she would insist on taking up a spot.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people pay New Year's visits; on the second day, they return to their maternal home; and on the fifth day, they send off the gods.
The holidays always fly by, but ordinary days are the hardest to get through.
It seems like the year is over in the blink of an eye.
Meat is rarely seen on family dinner tables anymore, and children can be given a light spanking when they make mistakes.
That day, the Li family sat together chatting.
Although it had snowed quite a bit before, the house was well-built and was not afraid of the weight of the snow or the draft.
The family lived very comfortably that winter.
Old Mrs. Li, feeling grateful, grumbled a few words.
"On the fifteenth, when we send lanterns, we will definitely send two of the brightest ones to Uncle Zhang's grave. Also, we live too far from Madam Sun's house to have a chance to send a New Year's gift. Without Madam Sun's help, how could our family have bought such a nice courtyard?"
Everyone nodded, and Li Laosi said, "If I ever go on a delivery mission in the vicinity, I will definitely visit Madam Sun."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Li was reminded of something.
"Spring is coming, and we need to farm at home, so you should stay home as much as possible. As for the escort agency, let Jiayi run errands for us."
Li Laosi was obedient and genuinely worried about the busy spring planting at home, so he readily agreed.
Jiayi felt both excited and apprehensive when he thought about how he was supposed to go out with the security company.
Jiaren patted his younger brother's shoulder a few times, feeling a pang of sadness.
He was the eldest brother and was supported by his family at the academy, while his younger brother had to go out and work.
"Mother, what should we plant on our ten mu of land in the spring?" Li Laosan asked casually while repairing a stool.
Li Lao Er then said, "Most people in the village grow sorghum, shouldn't our family also grow some?"
Grandma Li had already planned it out: "Ten mu of land, six mu for sorghum, three mu for millet, and one mu for sweet potatoes."
No one objected. The sorghum had to be taxed, and the remaining grains, along with millet and sweet potatoes, would be enough to feed a family for a year.
If we have any extra income at home, it would be better to buy some more rice and fine flour to improve our lives.
The matter was settled from then on. Jiayin lay in her grandmother's arms, listening to gossip while working hard in the space.
She didn't slack off before or after the New Year, and now the corn and potatoes in the small courtyard have been harvested.
She was working hard to grind some of the corn into flour; the four pigs needed feed, and the lambs, ducks, and geese also needed occasional supplements.
But the more intricate these tasks are, the more mental energy they require.
So much so that she would often fall asleep while she was busy...
Grandma Li looked down and saw that her granddaughter was fast asleep, so she was about to carry her into the house.
As a result, before she could even get up, Wu Cuihua returned from outside, trying to hide herself.
Old Mrs. Li frowned, displeased.
It's considered bad luck to make noise or cry during the Lunar New Year, so even the naughtiest children can escape their mothers' broom handles these days.
During this period, Wu Cuihua relapsed into her lazy habits, and her family members tolerated it without saying a word.
But now that the year is over, if Wu Cuihua is still like this, then she is somewhat ungrateful.
Wu Lao Er naturally saw it too, so he called out to Jia Yi.
"Your brother is starting school in two days, can you help him pack his luggage?"
This is to get the son away so he can deal with Wu Cuihua.
Jiayi was a little confused, but Jiaren pulled him into the west room.
Li Lao Er then returned to the east wing, and sure enough, as soon as he entered, he saw Wu Cuihua rummaging through the chests and cabinets.
When Li Lao Er suddenly came in, she was so frightened that she tried to cover herself, but only made the package more and more messy.
"Wu Ergou is back again." Li Lao Er said coldly, with absolute certainty.
Wu Cuihua waved her hands frantically, trying to lie, but when she met Li Lao Er's eyes, she gave in.
So they decided to give up and just ignore everything else.
She pulled out her hair and rolled around on the heated brick bed.
"I don't want to live anymore! Just kill me! I only have one younger brother. You all eat meat and drink alcohol to celebrate the New Year, while he's out there homeless, destitute, and freezing to death. How can I bear to see him like this!"
Her hair was disheveled from crying, and her face was covered in snot and tears.
"I might as well die! Let my father see from the underworld how heartless the son-in-law he chose is."
Li Lao Er frowned, his head aching from her crying; he couldn't hit her or scold her.
If it gets too loud, my mother and sons will hear it and get upset too.
He simply took out the two taels of silver his mother had given him during the New Year.
"Give this to Wu Ergou and tell him that if he dares to come and cause trouble again, break his legs!"
Wu Cuihua searched for a long time but found nothing. Unexpectedly, the silver was tucked into Li Lao Er's pocket.
She cursed inwardly, but picked up the silver without the slightest hesitation.
She wiped away her tears hastily, but dared not cause any more trouble.
"Ergou had no other choice, so I gave him the money. I'll let him settle down and find a respectable job..."
Li Lao Er, impatient with this, waved his hand to shoo him away, saying, "I don't care what he does, even if he's begging, he shouldn't be begging in front of our door!"
Wu Cuihua pouted and went straight out the door.
In the kitchen, Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru glanced at the courtyard gate and both sighed.
Wu Cuihua is incorrigible; if this continues, our family is bound to fall apart. But they are her brother's wives, so it's not appropriate to say these things.
Just then, a loud gong and drum blared at the village entrance, making the whole village noisy.
Jiaxi and Jia'an darted out like rabbits and quickly returned to report the news.
"Grandma, there are people doing Yangko dance at the village entrance, come and see!"
Grandma Li stood at the door, somewhat hesitant.
Such a lively scene can only be seen once or twice during the Chinese New Year, so it would be a pity to miss it.
But her granddaughter was sleeping, and she was worried about her.
Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru both rushed out of the kitchen to stay and watch the children.
Grandma Li felt sorry for her young daughter-in-law, who worked at home all day. She thought it was time for her to go and see what was going on.
Fortunately, Jiaren came out of the house and smiled.
"Grandma, Auntie, you all go and see what's going on. I'll read my book while watching my little sister sleep."
Jiaren was as steady as ever, so everyone felt at ease and they all went to the village entrance together.
Suddenly, only Jiaren and the sleeping Jiayin remained in the Li family compound…
In the grove behind the village, Wu Cuihua was scolding Wu Ergou.
“I risked getting a beating just to get you two taels of silver. You absolutely mustn’t gamble this time. Once you’ve paid off your debts, find a proper job as soon as possible.”
Wu Ergou snatched the two taels of silver into his hand and curled his lip indifferently.
“I also want to find a proper job, but these two taels of silver aren’t even enough to pay off my debts. Go and find me a few more taels, otherwise I’ll have to gamble again and see if I can make a comeback.”
"You, you're trying to drive me crazy!" Wu Cuihua jumped up and down, she wouldn't dare ask for money again even if she were beaten to death, otherwise she would really be divorced.
“I don’t care,” Wu Ergou was even more shameless than her, as stubborn as a mule, “If I don’t have any money, I’ll just go gamble again.”
Driven to desperation, Wu Cuihua punched her younger brother twice, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it.
Seeing the lively scene at the village entrance from afar, and thinking that no one should be home, she steeled herself and quietly sneaked back inside.
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