Chapter 79
Jiang Xi watched as Jiang's father helped Grandpa Jiang home. She stood on the waterproof platform at the door of the small shop at the entrance of the village.
If possible, Jiang Xi wanted to never come back.
But she couldn't do that in her previous life.
Rural girls were already in a difficult situation. In her previous life, she went to college and worked in the system. She was considered a well-known promising person in the village. If she passed the exam and never came back, it would make the situation of the girls in the village even more difficult.
They didn't want their daughter to go to school in the first place, and now that she was a bad example and would never come back, others would use her as an example to teach other people in the village, "What's the point of sending girls to school? Look at the daughter of a tall family, she worked so hard to study for her college entrance exam, and after she passed, she never came back!"
Those families who were originally willing to send their daughters to school because of their daughters' good grades would also give up the hope of girls in the village to go to school because of her bad precedent.
So even if she didn't want to come back here, sometimes during the Chinese New Year, she would still come back to this small mountain village politely and with a smile on her face, greet everyone in the village warmly, care about their farming and harvest, talk to them about the country's favorable policies for farmers, care about the academic performance and learning situation of the girls in the village, encourage them to study hard, and talk about the importance of studying for girls. She told the villagers that she was too busy with work, working in the countryside during the Chinese New Year, and had no time to come back on weekdays, and asked them to help take care of her parents.
In fact, why would she need them to take care of her parents? It was just polite words, but when she said such polite words and came back to stay for two or three days every year, it would give people the feeling that she still hadn't forgotten their small mountain village and still cared about the image of her parents in her heart, which also saved her a lot of trouble.
Because she was unwilling to help Jiang Song with money and effort, her mother wanted to go to her unit to make trouble, but was stopped by Jiang's father.
Jiang Xi was Jiang's father's pride.
Jiang's father's favorite thing to do later was to take Jiang Xi to visit relatives.
Because of this promising daughter, Jiang's father, who had always failed in life, suddenly became the center of everyone's attention. Everyone praised him. Whoever had a banquet, he would be invited. If there were any important guests outside, he would also be invited as a fellow villager.
Jiang's mother is an illiterate rural woman who is very carsick. If she is not pushed into a corner, she will not go to her workplace to make trouble unless Jiang's father is watching and persuading her. After all, without Jiang's father, she doesn't even know where her workplace is. She doesn't even dare to complain in the village that her daughter was born in vain.
Jiang's father doesn't let her say it, because it will affect her career.
Jiang's father's only expectation for her is that she can help Jiang Song more.
After Jiang Song failed in business again and again and owed a lot of debts.
Many people helped Jiang Song, except her and Jiang Bai.
Under the natural oppression of being a parent, Jiang Xi didn't want to confront Jiang's mother directly, because it would not be good for her. When Jiang's mother made her unhappy, she would go to Jiang Song. If Jiang Song didn't solve Jiang's mother, she would solve Jiang Song.
Jiang Song always had a way to coax Jiang's mother into submission.
When she got home, Jiang's mother noticed the good clothes and shoes on Grandpa Jiang, and said to Jiang's father with a cold face and sarcasm: "If you have money, buy yourself good clothes and shoes. If you don't have money, give it to your family."
Jiang's mother burst into tears as she spoke, full of grievances.
Everyone said she was awesome. She controlled the Jiang family tightly. Grandma Jiang, who didn't get along with her, was assigned to her uncle's house. Grandpa Jiang, who received a salary, was assigned to his own family. Father Jiang also listened to her, but only she knew how wronged she was.
She was indeed in charge of the family, and Father Jiang's money was indeed given to her to manage. However, all the money he earned over the years was used to pay off debts, and there was not a penny left. Now that they have finally paid off their debts and can save some money, the old man will not give them any salary because they have paid off their debts.
How can an elder be like this? Which elder is not wholeheartedly for their children? Only she met such a selfish father-in-law. She would rather buy new clothes and shoes with the money herself than give it to them.
She is already old, and we don’t know how many years she can live. What’s the point of wearing such nice clothes and shoes? Won’t they burn like a fire when the time comes?
She hasn’t bought a new piece of clothing in many years?
Jiang’s father didn’t understand why she suddenly cried.
After he helped Grandpa Jiang back home, he pulled Jiang’s mother back to the room and asked her, "It’s New Year’s Day, why are you crying?"
Jiang’s mother sat on the edge of the bed and choked up, saying, "It’s your father. Seeing that we have paid off our debts, he took the money and didn’t give it to us. Doesn’t he want us to support him in his old age? Our life is better this year, but there are so many places to spend money. We also have to build a house for Songzi. He will be 20 years old next New Year, and then... There are two years when he doesn't want to get married? It will cost money to get married. Your father knew that we were in such a difficult situation, but he still quit his job and went to Wucheng, saying that he would accompany us to study. He would rather use the money to buy new clothes than give it to us. He is too selfish. "
When Jiang's mother gets angry, she is like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, but when she cries, her voice is choked with sobs, which is completely different from her usual angry appearance, especially because she has been tired in the past few years and has lost a lot of weight.
She was also good-looking when she was young, otherwise she would not have given birth to Jiang Song, Jiang Bai and other good-looking sons and daughters. Even though she is almost forty years old now, she has never taken care of herself except for clam oil and facial cream, but she is still good-looking at the age of forty. When she cries, tears fall one by one, like pear blossoms in the rain.
She didn't cry like this pretending to be weak, but she really felt wronged.
Although she had no education, she was the daughter of Captain Tanshan's family. Her father was a small captain in the village and then a big captain. After arriving in Tanshan, he was still a captain. If there were not so many brothers and sisters in the family, she should have lived a good life with her father's position.
At that time, she was 167 cm tall and weighed 120 to 130 kg. She was a sturdy and slightly plump girl and was very popular. If she hadn't been attracted by Jiang's father's face and his high school student status, she would not have married to Jiangjia Village.
On the contrary, after following Jiang's father, she suffered a lot, and now she is thin and weighs only a little over 100 kg.
Father Jiang held her now rough and dark hand, sighed and said, "If Dad doesn't want to give us, then don't give us. He has given us all his salary for so many years, and only this year has he not given us anything. I haven't bought anything for Dad in these years. If he wants to wear nice clothes, then let him wear them."
Mother Jiang cried, "It's so easy for you to say it. He doesn't even think about how difficult life is at home. The elders don't even know how to take care of the younger ones. He doesn't understand our difficulties at all."
Like her father, all his salary was used to subsidize her brothers.
Father Jiang was speechless for a moment, and said half-heartedly: "He wanted to keep Xiaoxiao to study."
"He just wanted to watch us die and didn't want to help us." Mother Jiang cried and said: "It sounds good to say that he wants to let Xiaoxiao study, but what he wears is not new? He is an old man, but he still wears big leather shoes. You don't even have a pair of decent leather shoes!"
Father Jiang was silent for a while, then patted her hands and said, "Dad just came back, I'll go make him some noodles."
Mother Jiang cried silently in the room.
After a long while, she wiped her tears and walked to the main room.
Grandpa Jiang was sitting in the main room, and Jiang Xi went back to her room.
When Jiang's mother first found out that Jiang Xi didn't go to work at the kiln factory, she was very angry and wanted to hit her. After so much time had passed, her anger subsided, but she was still angry with Grandpa Jiang. She didn't even look at Grandpa Jiang. Seeing that Jiang Xi's room door was closed, she deliberately knocked on Jiang Xi's room door with force, and her hands hurt, but there was no movement inside. Jiang's mother was so angry that she shouted, "Jiang Xi! Jiang Xi, get out of here! Don't think you can just pretend to be dead in there, unless you really die in there and don't come out!"
Jiang's father, who was making noodles for Grandpa Jiang, heard this and couldn't help but say to her, "It's New Year's Day, can you stop talking about death? Can't you say something nice?"
He was really impressed by Jiang's mother's mouth.
Jiang's mother then stopped knocking on the door and said unhappily, "Look at how you've treated her. When she came home, she didn't even call mom or dad, and she locked herself in her room as soon as she got home. Did she think she was coming back as a guest? It's not even her turn to be a guest! Even if she's married, a girl still has to work when she returns to her parents' home!"
When she returned to her parents' home, she did all kinds of work inside and outside the house.
She called Jiang Xiao again: "Xing Xiao, come out and work obediently. There are so many things to do at home. You are so old, but you don't know how to come out and help?"
What made Jiang's mother most angry was that her daughter was so stupid. She was as stupid as the old yellow donkey. She only moved after being whipped. If you hadn't reminded her, the ground would be dirty with melon seed shells, but she wouldn't even know to sweep it with a broom. Now that the river has receded, the river beach is full of wild lotus roots. The girl knows to go to the river to dig lotus roots without her parents telling her. Even if you called her, she wouldn't take you there.
"What are you doing in your room? Are you embroidering in the embroidery building? You've been hiding in your room since you came back. Why don't you come out quickly? The river bank is full of lotus roots. Can't you dig some to sell?"
At this time, Jiang Xi's room was piled with lotus roots covered with river mud. They were all dug by Jiang's father a few days ago. He sold a lot of them. Jiang's mother also sent a lot to her brothers and sisters from her mother's family. The rest were kept for her family.
Anyway, she was free anyway, so Jiang's mother wanted Jiang Xi to dig some lotus roots by the river bank. While it was still before the New Year, she could take them to the town to sell. At
the end of the year, all vegetables were expensive, and lotus roots were two or three times more expensive than usual, so they were very easy to sell.
"Your father's big boots are there, but he doesn't ask you to go into the water. Can't you go and dig? Many people don't wear shoes, but they dig lotus roots in the river?"
If there weren't many things to do at the end of the year, Jiang's mother would have wanted to go dig lotus roots herself.
The water level in the river has receded, and there is no water on the river beach except for silt, so the lotus roots are very easy to dig.
Grandpa Jiang walked back from the river bank of Wangjia Village. The road was muddy and difficult to walk on. He was so tired that he sat down in the main hall to rest. Hearing this, he said angrily, "Xingxing just came back and
her butt hasn't even warmed up yet, and you asked her to go dig lotus roots. Why should she, a girl, dig lotus roots in such a cold weather?" Mother Jiang then turned to Grandpa Jiang and said in a sarcastic tone, "Which year did Songzi and Jiang Bai not go to dig lotus roots during their winter vacation? Her two brothers can dig them, but she can't? Is she just too precious?"
Grandpa Jiang was so angry that his hands were shaking, but he had nowhere to go. It turned out that he didn't want to hear his son and daughter-in-law quarreling, so he just stayed on the mountain and didn't come down. Now that the ranger's hut was no longer habitable, he could only stay at his youngest son and daughter-in-law's house.
Jiang Xi hid the passbook, opened the door, looked up with a smile, and called to Jiang's mother, "Mom."
Jiang's mother turned around and smiled, saying, "Oh, you are not embroidering in your room, are you willing to come out?"
She looked at Jiang Xi's fair face and her obvious growth in height, and suddenly realized that this girl has grown up so much and is still so beautiful. She
really can't beat her anymore.
She didn't beat Jiang Xi anymore, but softened her tone and said, "If you don't go to dig lotus roots, you know how to do things at home, right? Take some lotus roots, wash them, and come and make meatballs with me."
Every year, Jiang Xi was responsible for making meatballs.
During the Chinese New Year, every household here makes meatballs, which symbolizes reunion. This is a must-have dish on the Chinese New Year dinner table. Every household makes a lot of meatballs before the New Year and keeps them frozen outside. Whether it is the New Year's Eve dinner or when guests come to the house, there must be a meatball soup. In
the past, when people were poor, every household could only use lotus root and sweet potato flour to make meatballs. Now that life is better, everyone starts to add some meat to the lotus root to make lotus root meatballs, roll them into small balls, fry them in oil, and they taste delicious.
The three brothers and sisters of the Jiang family like to eat lotus root meatballs very much.
Jiang's mother is not always fierce to Jiang Xi. She is also very gentle at times, such as when frying these lotus root meatballs.
Jiang Song and Jiang Bo can do the work outside, but Jiang Xi is the one who does most of the housework. Jiang Bo is more sensible and will help. Jiang Song is rarely seen at this time of year, and he is always playing with his friends outside.
Jiang Bo sometimes goes with Jiang Song, and sometimes stays at home to help.
Jiang Xi is rubbing the meatballs while Jiang Ma is frying them.
When Jiang Song is not around, Jiang Ma will let Jiang Xi taste a few meatballs after frying them to taste the saltiness.
At this time in her previous life, Jiang Xi wanted to please Jiang's mother very much. She thought that if she was more obedient, her mother would love her. She was greedy for the little bit of warmth her mother showed at this moment. She ate the lotus root balls fried by Jiang's mother and nodded vigorously, saying, "It's delicious." At
this time, Jiang's mother would also smile at her in a good mood and say, "If it's delicious, eat more. There will be more later."
Wild lotus roots are free. Every year, Jiang Song and Jiang Bai would go with the whole village to dig a lot of lotus roots and bring them back. The Jiang family would fry a lot of lotus root balls every year.
Today, Jiang Xi is no longer greedy for that little bit of warmth, but she still doesn't want to face Jiang's mother head-on.
Under the natural oppression of being a parent, she would never get away with confronting Jiang's mother. Moreover, she worked in the system in her previous life, so she couldn't have a bad reputation in this regard.
She took a vegetable basket and took a few whole lotus roots to wash them.
In order to keep the lotus roots fresh longer, all the lotus roots dug out from the river mud were not washed. They were brought home wrapped in the mud. The mud on the lotus roots was half dry and very difficult to wash. She had to tear some straw and use it as a brush to clean the mud on the lotus roots.
The water was very cold, so Jiang Yu wrapped the straw into a brush, dipped one end in water, and held the lotus roots in the other hand, without touching the water, and washed them like this.
The Jiang family had just slaughtered a pig a few days ago. In addition to giving some of the pork and lotus roots to her brothers and sisters on her mother's side, there were ten pounds of pork left for New Year's Eve. Mother Jiang cut the meat and chopped it on the table.
Dad Jiang came out with noodles and brought one bowl to Grandpa Jiang and one bowl to Jiang Luo. They put them on the table. Not seeing Jiang Luo, he went outside and saw Jiang Luo washing lotus roots by the pond. He hurried over and took the lotus roots from Jiang Luo's hand: "Let me wash them. The noodles are ready. Go and eat them."
Dad Jiang washed the lotus roots very quickly. Unlike Jiang Luo, he did not get his hands wet. He directly soaked the lotus roots in water, brushed them with straw a few times, and then washed them clean. He then went home carrying a large basket of lotus roots.
Seeing Jiang's mother chopping meat, he took the knife from her hand and said, "You go and take a rest, I'll do this."
Jiang's mother rolled her eyes at Jiang's father and said, "I don't know how much work there is at the end of the year, take a rest? Where can I take a rest?" She called Jiang Xi again, "Come over after you finish eating noodles and help me pluck the hair off the pig's head!"
The hair on the pig's head had been burned by Jiang's father, and the hair was almost burnt, but there were still many small hairs and hairs in the seams that had not been cleaned up, and people needed to pluck them one by one with tweezers very carefully.
Jiang's mother was most impatient to do such delicate work, so she handed the job of cleaning the pig's head to Jiang Xi and went to do other things.
Jiang Xi sat in his seat and ate noodles.
Jiang's mother was furious when she saw that Jiang Xi couldn't even make a sound after being beaten with three sticks.
She said a hundred words to her all day long, but she didn't say a word. She was so angry that she scolded Jiang Xi: "Even a dumb person can make two sounds of "ah ah", and you are even dumber than him!"
Jiang Xi was able to laugh and smiled at Jiang's mother.
For some reason, when she saw her daughter smiling at her, Jiang's mother was so angry that she couldn't vent her anger. She scolded her daughter, "What's the point of just smiling? If you were half as smart as Xiangqin, I wouldn't worry so much."
Xiangqin was the daughter of the second wife who lived across the lotus pond from them. She was four or five years older than Jiang Xi, but she was Jiang Xi's elementary school classmate. She stopped going to school after graduating from elementary school and went to work in the factory. She was very quick and earned the same salary as experienced workers in the factory. She was also very smart and had a habit of stealing.
Jiang Song liked to grow flowers and grass. He went to the mountains to dig up a few honeysuckle and azaleas and planted them at the door of his house, but she stole them all home.
At first Jiang Song didn't notice it, after all Xiangqin was a girl, and Jiang Song didn't like to go to girls' homes. It was not until Jiang Xi saw them when he went to her home and told Jiang Song about it, that Jiang Song went to Xiangqin's yard to see that they were indeed the flowers he had dug.
Jiang Song asked her for them, and she said that she dug them in the mountains. Anyway, there was no name on the flowers and grass, and they were everywhere in the mountains.
Jiang Song was so angry that he ran to her house at night and pulled out all the flowers and grass in her yard and threw them away.
Usually, when she saw tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and the like growing in other people's fields, she would pick them and put them in her basket. She was really smart.
Jiang's mother felt that a girl like Xiangqin, who knew how to get all the good things from her family, would not suffer any loss when she went out. She was a truly smart girl. An honest girl like Jiang Xi would only be bullied.
Perhaps thinking of Jiang Song, Jiang's mother was a little depressed. She looked so strong just now, but now she drooped her shoulders and could not muster up the energy.
Jiang Xi and Jiang's grandfather were eating noodles, Jiang's father was chopping meat, and Jiang's mother was frying melon seeds and peanuts.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the Jiang family seemed to be very harmonious.
I had never been to Wucheng before, so I didn't know how Jiang Xi and Jiang Bai were doing in school. Now that Jiang Xi was back, Jiang's father finally had someone to ask, "How is your second brother? It's the 28th today, and he hasn't come back yet? Isn't the school closed for the holidays?"
Because there was Jiang Song, a former senior high school student, Jiang's father knew that senior high school students had to continue to attend classes during the winter break, but last year Jiang Song even attended classes during the winter break, and the 28th was a holiday, so why didn't Jiang Bai come back?
This question made Jiang Xi and Grandpa Jiang silent.
Grandpa Jiang just didn't like to talk, but he wasn't stupid. If he was really a stupid old man who knew nothing, he wouldn't be the rare old man in the village who had a job and was paid.
It is so difficult to have a job with a fixed salary in the countryside, not to mention that he trained his eldest son to be a bricklayer and his second son to graduate from high school.
Although Jiang's father is having a hard time now, before the chicken farm got the chicken plague, he was the only chicken farm manager in the village. He lived a high-spirited life and was considered a top figure in the village. Who would have thought that there would be a chicken plague? This kind of thing that cannot be controlled by human power is also something that Jiang's father can't do.
The youngest daughter also married in the town. It can be said that the girl who lives the most comfortable life in the whole village is Aunt Jiang.
So at this time, Grandpa Jiang didn't say anything, got up and sent the bowl to the kitchen, and went out to brag with his old partners.
After eating the noodles, Jiang Bai sent the bowl to the kitchen without washing it. He returned to the main room, took the lotus root, and cut it. Then he answered Jiang's father: "Didn't you say that the family was in trouble? My second brother stayed in Wucheng to
work, right?" Jiang's father was shocked. "He is already in the third year of high school. Why does he work if he doesn't study hard? He only has a few days off. How much money can he make?"
He really didn't expect that his second son would not go home during the holidays, but actually stayed in Wucheng to work. He thought he was studying at school.
Jiang's father was so angry that he wanted to drag Jiang Bai back home to study immediately.
He asked Jiang Xi, "Do you know where your second brother works?"
Jiang Xi shook his head. Jiang's father was originally anxious, but when he thought about it, today is the 28th, tomorrow is the 29th, the day after tomorrow is the 30th, and the day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve. His second son has to come back no matter what.
Jiang Bai finished selling clothes for the day, and went back to Wucheng with Tong Jingang.
The two of them were tired after a day, but they didn't feel tired. They sat on the bed and counted the money, smiling from ear to ear.
Jiang Bai was still able to restrain himself, but Tong Jingang was counting the money and was so happy that he was about to fly. "Our sister said she would give us a big red envelope. How big is it? Is there a hundred yuan?"
His father's monthly salary is only more than 180 yuan. If he can earn a hundred yuan in three days!
He was so happy that he was about to fly.
Jiang Bai was more thoughtful than him and said, "My sister gave us 10 yuan a day before, which is 30 yuan for three days. With the commission from the clothes we sold, I estimate that it is at least 150 yuan."
150 yuan!
Almost as much as his father's monthly salary.
Tong Jingang laughed.
They didn't want to embezzle Jiang Qing's money. First, they were not old at that time. Tong Jingang's family had two full-time workers and he was the only child in his family. He had never lacked money. Second, Jiang Bai was still there. He would never embezzle his good brother and sister's money. Besides, Jiang Qing had never treated them badly and promised to give them a big red envelope.
Thinking that he was about to receive a big red envelope, he wanted to think about where to go to play, and asked Jiang Bai: "Do you want to go to the ice rink during the New Year?"
The ice rink is the most lively and fashionable place for New Year celebrations here. Young men and women, as well as children, all like to go to the skating rink to skate.
Jiang Bai, who was already immersed in making money, counted the money and refused without looking up: "No."
Hearing Jiang Bai's refusal, Tong Jingang lost interest in skating at the rink and asked him again: "Then do you want to play basketball?"
Jiang Bai looked up and thought about it. He estimated that there would be no one on the street on the first day of the Chinese New Year, so he nodded: "Let's go on the first day of the Chinese New Year."
Until the 30th, Jiang Bai and Jiang Song were still nowhere to be seen. Jiang's father and mother stood at the door every day looking out, but they could not see the two of them.
Jiang Bai returned on the night of January 30th. There were no boats, so he took a tricycle to Tanshan, crossed the ferry, and walked back. It was dark when he got home.
Jiang Bai was so excited, his face was full of joy of making a lot of money. He couldn't wait to show his credit to Jiang Xiao. He wanted to see how much money he made for her in the past three days. She wouldn't have to worry about tuition fees for the next two years! She
could even have some extra money to go to college!
When Jiang's father saw Jiang Bai coming back, he was still looking behind him. When he saw that he didn't see the person he missed the most, he said to Jiang Bai anxiously, "Why did you come back just now? Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, why did you come back today? Your sister said you stayed in Wucheng to work. Why are you still working in your third year of high school?"
Jiang Bai was stunned for a moment. When he was about to answer this question, he suddenly heard Jiang's father ask, "Did you see your elder brother?" He walked past Jiang Bai, took a few steps towards the ferry, and continued to look towards the ferry on tiptoe.
It was already dark at this time, what could he see? Only the inky night.
Jiang Bai was full of joy and enthusiasm, but it was suddenly extinguished.
He looked at Jiang's father and didn't want to say anything. He went straight back to the house to find Jiang Xiao.
It was not until he saw his sister that his excitement came back. The two of them closed the door and secretly counted money in the room.
Jiang Xiao really couldn't imagine that Jiang Bai and Tong Jingang had made so much money in just three days.
Jiang Bai squatted under Jiang Xiao's high bed, smiling at Jiang Xiao with a mouthful of white teeth, like a big dog squatting on the ground to ask for credit from its owner.
Jiang Xiao found it funny, made a "huh" gesture to Jiang Bai, and whispered: "Don't tell our parents about the money we make."
Jiang Bai was silent for a moment and nodded.
Jiang Bai is a very contradictory person. In his previous life, Jiang Song and Jiang Qing were not with Jiang's father and mother, and were far away from them. However, Jiang Bai was willing to stay in Wucheng and would go back to his hometown to accompany Jiang's father and mother during the holidays. He often said that when he was old, he would return to the village to live in retirement and was unwilling to stay outside.
He never felt a sense of belonging to the outside city.
He was the only one among the three siblings who could understand Jiang's father and mother, sympathize with them, understand their difficulties, and was willing to live with them and support them in their old age.
Jiang Qing was always willing to pay money but not to provide people. Jiang Song could never find anyone else. Only Jiang Bai provided money and effort to Jiang's father and mother.
But if you say he is foolishly filial, he is not. He has his own opinions and temper, and he doesn't listen to Jiang's father and mother. He is even unwilling to get married and have children. In Jiang's father and mother's eyes, this is the most unfilial thing.
So, even if Jiang Song is not seen all year round, he is married and has a child. Although the child is six or seven years old and has never seen his grandparents, in the eyes of Jiang's father and mother, Jiang Song is still a filial son.
Jiang Xi counted the money and asked Jiang Bai to go out and bring in a piece of red paper.
Every year, Jiang's father bought red paper and wrote it himself. There was a lot of red paper in the main hall. Jiang Bai went out happily and soon came back with a piece of red paper.
Jiang Xi split the red paper in half, folded it into red paper packets, and put 300 yuan in each red packet, and handed it to Jiang Bai, "Red packets for you and Tong Jingang!"
Jiang Bai was so happy that he immediately showed a big smile on his face, tightly grasping the red paper packet in his hand, and was so happy that he wanted to give the red packet to Tong Jingang immediately and share his happiness of getting a big red packet with Tong Jingang.
He was still smiling until he walked out of Jiang Xi's room.
The next day, when offering sacrifices to the ancestors, Jiang Bai was still smiling, unable to hide it. Many people who didn't know the reason saw it and teased Jiang's father: "Your son is smiling so happily when offering sacrifices to the ancestors!"
Jiang Bai immediately turned cold and retorted: "What does it have to do with you?"
Because he didn't wait for his eldest son to come back, Jiang's father couldn't get up any energy. He originally expected Jiang Song to come back on New Year's Eve. It was dark, the Jiang family's New Year's Eve dinner was all ready, and the dishes were all cold, but Jiang Song still didn't come back. Jiang
's father looked at the time and it was already eight o'clock. Others had finished their New Year's Eve dinner long ago and sat in front of the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Jiang's father then said to Jiang Bai: "Go out and set off firecrackers."
The custom here is to set off firecrackers before the New Year's Eve dinner before eating.
The New Year's Eve dinner was cold and no one spoke.
Neither Jiang Xi nor Jiang Bai are active. In previous years, when Jiang Song was at home, New Year's Eve was filled with laughter and joy between him and his father. Jiang Song always had a big smile on his face, toasted everyone in the family, and said all kinds of auspicious words, making the whole family happy.
But this year, Jiang Song was not at home, and there was silence at the dinner table. Jiang's father and mother were not very active in eating the New Year's Eve dinner.
Jiang's father drank two glasses of rice wine, and in silence, looking at his two children, he remembered to ask Jiang Xi about his studies at school.
He put down his wine glass, smiled gently, and asked Jiang Xi, "How is high school? Can you keep up with the studies?"
His daughter's grades in junior high school were not very good, but she performed exceptionally well in the high school entrance examination and was admitted to No. 1 Middle School. He was worried that his daughter would not be able to keep up with the high school curriculum and her grades would get worse and worse.
"Is there anything you don't know? It happens that your second brother is at home, you can ask your second brother, or you can ask me." Jiang's father was very confident in his high school knowledge. Even when he was over 60 years old, he could recite "The Road to Shu" and "Pipa Xing" by heart.
But he couldn't speak Mandarin, and the poems he recited in the Shuibu Town dialect were incomprehensible to others.
The food was cold. Jiang Bo was boiling lotus root meatballs in the pot. When he heard what Jiang's father said, he looked up at him and said, "How could my sister not keep up? She got the first place in the county in the last joint examination."