"On the 23rd, sticky sugar-coated melons; on the 24th, sweep the house... On the 28th, let the dough rise; on the 29th, steam the buns; on the 30th, stay up all night; on the first day of the New Year, twist and turn; there are dumplings on New Year's Eve every year." ① Early in the morning on New Year's 30th, there was a crackling sound of firecrackers; children dressed in new clothes, jumped in the alley, sang nursery rhymes in loud voices, and were as happy as little magpies.
Ever since the pig was slaughtered on the Little New Year, their compound has been bustling, and they have been immersed in the atmosphere of the New Year until today. This New Year is very busy. In addition to cleaning, each household also prepared a lot of delicious food. There was no stopping during the New Year, all of which were delicious. The smell of oil filled residue the alley and could not be dissipated. The children were all tempted and walked around the stove every day.
The children's faces have become rounder in just a few days. After all, the delicious food should be prepared for the children to taste. The New Year is indeed the most lucrative time of the year. No matter how poor the family is, they still have to eat dumplings. after another.
When Xing'er and Erlin came out, everyone had already started. Two little kids came running over and said, "We're here."
Erlin excitedly shook the firecracker in his hand and said, "Look, I have one too."
The older kids have their own way of playing, which is loud, and the younger kids have their own way of playing, and the younger kids will basically buy some small firecrackers, which are not so scary. Xing Er was also proud, and she had the same expression as Er Lin, shaking the firecrackers in her hand and said, "I have them too, I have them too."
Girls still like to throw firecrackers, which do not require lighting. Although lit firecrackers are loud, they are also very troublesome.
Yuanyuan: "Mine is really loud, the loudest among all the firecrackers."
"Come on, come on."
Yuanyuan happily threw the firecrackers, which caused the children to exclaim "Wow". Li Zhenzhen was happy: "I want to try it too."
She jumped up and down: "My brother bought me a lot this year."
There are two older brothers who are already working, which means they are happier than others. All the children looked at Zhenzhen with envy, but soon, Yuanyuan raised her chin and said, "My parents also buy a lot of things for me and my brother."
"Me too."
"Me too, me too."
The children quickly put away their disappointment and started jumping up and down. It was the same for everyone. Their parents would buy one too. Bai Qingqing looked at Xing'er and said, "Xing'er, your hat looks great."
She is a little girl who loves beauty and she cares about this the most.
Xing Er immediately said, "This is what my mother knitted herself. Does it look good?"
The girls' eyes sparkled and they nodded one after another: "It looks good!"
Everyone burst into laughter. Xing Er said, "I saw my mother knitting a hat. I learned it. Wait for me to teach you."
The woolen hat her mother knitted looks perfect for winter.
She likes it too.
"Then I want to learn."
"I want one too."
"Okay, okay, let's all learn it."
Everyone was having fun when they felt snowflakes falling from the sky. The big snowflakes landed on the children's hats. Yuanyuan looked up and snowflakes landed on her face. She shouted, "It's snowing!"
The children shouted and jumped up and down in joy: "Let's have a snowball fight, let's have a snowball fight."
"Okay, let's have a snowball fight when there are more snowflakes..."
Yuanyuan's clear voice attracted everyone in the house. Since everyone had their own division of labor at the last pig-killing banquet, they had gained a lot of experience and were more at ease today. The sound of the kitchen knife hitting the chopping board, the old ladies gossiping loudly, and the men's bragging all stopped, and everyone went out to look. It was snowing so quickly that the ground was covered with a layer of white in a short while.
Zhao Guihua: "Hey, why is it snowing?"
Zhuang Laonian: "Auspicious snow means a good harvest. Our lives are getting better and better."
"Yes, this is a good sign."
Aunt Zhou smiled and said, "Do you remember? The day you moved in, I was sewing shoe soles at the door, and you were pushing a broken tricycle into the yard. The snow was really heavy then."
Zhao Guihua: "Why don't you remember? And you asked me why I moved in the heavy snow."
As I get older, I remember things in the past more clearly.
Aunt Zhou squinted her eyes and said, "My child had just learned to walk at that time, and he accidentally bumped into your rice bowl. You asked me to compensate for the broken rice bowl."
Zhao Guihua put her hands on her hips and said, "My family was so poor back then. We only had two jobs. How could I eat if I didn't ask you to compensate me? Besides, have you ever seen anyone's job being smashed on the day of moving? I'm lucky I didn't beat you up."
Aunt Zhou: "My family didn't do it on purpose. What does a one-year-old know?"
"Of course a one-year-old child doesn't understand anything, so I'm going to settle accounts with you. Even if the child doesn't understand, do adults understand? You didn't mean to ruin someone's job on their housewarming day. You didn't even want to pay me back then. I'm really tired of you."
"Me too. I was really annoyed with you at the time. I thought you were too fussy."
Dislike × 2 That was the situation at the time, they just disliked each other.
This is also the reason why Zhao Guihua and Aunt Zhou didn't get along well at the beginning. When they talked about this, they laughed both. Zhao Guihua: "We were still poor at that time."
Aunt Zhou also nodded: "That's right, we are really poor, we have to calculate every little thing, if we don't calculate, we won't be able to eat."
"It's better to be liberated. Life is getting better day by day."
"Who says it's not?"
Aunt Wang saw that the two were reminiscing about the past and said, "What are you standing at the door talking about? Come in and pick some vegetables. My old man is the chef, but we have to help him. We can't let him be the only one tired."
"Yo yo yo!"
Everyone laughed meaningfully. Aunt Wang said, "Old age companion, what do you know?"
Wang Zizhen was familiar with the people in the compound, so he was not shy and said, "Auntie Wang, you are from the Northeast, and I am from Beijing. How did you two fall in love with each other? This is really a fate that brings us together."
Others also pricked up their ears. Mingmei and the others' eyes lit up, their ears pricked high, and their faces said "I want to hear gossip." Their generation basically went on blind dates, but it was obvious that the older generation was not like that.
Everyone was very curious.
Not to mention the lesbians, even the gay men were the same. Zhuang Zhixi simply picked up a stool and sat next to his wife, getting into the gossip of the lesbians.
Zhou Qun also came quickly, and he was indispensable for this gossip.
Bai Fendou looked at this and that, and thought he should be a manly man and not go over. He should stay with Zhuang Zhiyuan and Yang Lixin. It was not right for him to go with a female colleague. But... he was really curious! Although he did not approach openly, he also pricked up his ears.
I've never heard them talk about this before. I really want to hear it! Aunt Wang's voices became quieter and everyone was looking at her. She felt a little embarrassed.
"We just know each other."
Mingmei was very gossipy: "So, where is it?"
Everyone nodded heavily and said, "Yes, then where is it? Can you tell me? Although this is all in the north, the Northeast is a bit far from the Forbidden City."
Aunt Wang: "I was only twelve or thirteen when I came here. At that time, there was a Xiaoguizi incident in my hometown, and we had been walking on thin ice. It happened that my family had a relative in Sijiucheng who was said to be doing well, so we moved here with our family. Who knew that when we arrived, we found out that our relative had been killed. It turned out that he had done well because he had deliberately infiltrated the inner circle. He was an anti-Japanese. Because of this, his whole family died. The neighbors felt sorry for us and quickly told us not to tell anyone about our relationship with this family. We were lucky to have met a kind person, otherwise we would have been arrested if we had rashly revealed the identity of our relative. This kind person was my mother-in-law."
"ah?"
Aunt Wang smiled and continued, "Later, with her help, our whole family rented a large compound to live in. A few years passed by. At that time, his family was a cook. Even in years of famine, the cook would not starve to death, and his family lived a good life. In fact, at the beginning, his family did not like me. He could find someone better with his conditions. My family was a refugee and did not have any foundation. Generally, families with some financial resources would not be willing to marry me. My family also knew our own business and did not dare to marry someone above our level. However, accidents happen. Later, there was an air raid and people from both our families died. At that time, everyone was in a difficult situation, so we supported and encouraged each other, and then we got married."
In fact, this kind of situation was very common in their era. The social environment was not good at that time, and the people had a hard time. They had no tomorrow, but they supported each other and survived that period.
"Then it's not easy for you and Uncle Li."
Aunt Wang: "Of course not!"
She said: "The good life we have now is not easy to come by, we must cherish it."
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Zhao Guihua: "It's New Year's Day, let's talk about something festive. Who chopped up this chicken?"
"Pfft! Killing a chicken is a happy occasion?"
Zhao Guihua glared: "How can killing a chicken not be festive? Killing a chicken is festive, so eating meat is not festive? This is a rich man."
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Everybody laughed.
“This chicken is good stuff.”
“I love chicken the most.”
Chef Li: "Please take care of this old hen. Today I will give you a real old hen soup. You will see my cooking skills."
Zhao Guihua: "Would you like to add radish slices?"
"put!"
Put some radish slices in the chicken soup, it tastes so good.
I wouldn’t change it even for an emperor.
"Grandpa, I have prepared the dishes." Li Weiwei went to cut the meat again. Braised pork is also indispensable.
This is the pork belly they slaughtered a few days ago. It is fat and lean, and looks like top-notch meat. As a cook, Li Weiwei exclaimed: "This meat is really great. If you go out to buy meat, you may not be able to buy such good meat."
Everyone nodded. Although there was a general place to buy a whole pig, each place had its own way of eating it, so they could make different choices. He had prepared the pork belly, cut a strip of lean meat, marinated it with salt, and rolled it in flour, saying, "Fry the crispy pork last."
Chef Li and Yang Lixin were in two separate rooms, cooking respectively, and everyone was helping out. However, Laonian Zhuang couldn't help much and played chess with Lan Sihai, which was a routine operation on New Year's Eve every year.
Zhuang Zhiyuan still gathered together to watch the fun.
He sighed deeply: "Dad, you are such a bad chess player."
Zhuang Laonian rolled his eyes at him and said, "It's New Year's Day, even children know how to say nice things, don't you know?"
Zhuang Zhiyuan laughed and immediately bowed and begged for mercy.
Zhuang Laonian: "A true gentleman watches chess without saying a word. Don't make trouble. Go away and watch the children set off firecrackers. Don't disturb me here."
There are so many people here that some of them are redundant to help.
Zhuang Zhiyuan was chased away, and happily went to the door to watch the children set off firecrackers. When he walked to the door, he saw a row of young men squatting at the door. Li Junjun, Hutou and the three brothers of the Su family were all there. Several people squatted by the door frame, watching the children setting off firecrackers in a lively manner.
Su Jinlai: "These kids just don't know how to play. It's not fun to just set off firecrackers. Is there any prize?"
"Can setting off firecrackers bring good luck?" Zhuang Zhiyuan asked curiously. Su Jinlai didn't even notice who asked this question, and answered smugly, "Yes, blowing up the manure pit!"
Zhuang Zhiyuan: “…”
The corner of his mouth twitched. This brat is really disrespectful.
Jin Lai also reacted. He turned around and saw Zhuang Zhiyuan. He immediately felt embarrassed and said, "Uncle Zhuang, I was just kidding. Haha, hahaha."
Zhuang Zhiyuan pointed at him from a distance and said, "You better take it easy and stop teaching your child bad things, or I will tell my younger brother and sister-in-law."
Sometimes, intimidation often only requires the simplest method, suing the parents! Su Jinlai panicked and immediately said, "I, I, I, I, I... I am not instigating the children to get into trouble. I was just joking. Really, it was just a joke. If the children dare to blow up the manure pit, I will definitely stop them, I will definitely stop them."
Who dares to mess with Aunt Mingmei!
He's not crazy.
He now doubts that he can't even beat Tuan Tuan Yuan Yuan.
Tuan Tuan Yuan Yuan and the other kids heard this and quickly shouted, "We didn't intend to do this in the first place! Brother Jin Lai always encourages us. This is not the first time. He encouraged us before. He is such a bad brother. We are all good kids."
"Yes, we are all good kids!"
“Good boy!”
Everyone shouted one by one.
Su Jinlai chuckled: "...Is it not enough to say that it's my fault? You think I'm encouraging you to do bad things, but in fact, I'm just trying it out, hehe, to see if you are sensible children. I don't really want you to do this."
The children apologized one after another: "Ah~~~"
Makes strange noises.
What Brother Jin Lai said is not worth believing.
Yinlai was very sincere and sighed: "Brother, how did you get into this mess? Even the kids don't trust you."
Su Jinlai snorted, raised his head and chest, and said, "They are still young and don't understand the good of a humorous man like me."
“Ah~~~”
Now, everyone has made such a voice. It's no wonder that the children dislike Su Jinlai. He is unreliable, really the most unreliable.
Su Jinlai: “Hehehe.”
At this time, Zhuang Zhiyuan discovered an advantage of Su Jinlai. It should be said that this old guy has many disadvantages and almost no advantages. But today he discovered one thing, this guy has a good temper, really a good temper.
No matter what people say, he can always grin.
But thinking about it again, it's actually a good thing. If this man doesn't have any advantages, how can he find a wife in the future? His two admirers in the past, one fell out with him, and the other fell in love with Li Junjun. Zhuang Zhiyuan almost shed a tear of sympathy for Su Jinlai.
Oh, no, actually there is nothing to sympathize with him.
This stuff is all made by myself.
"By the way, I didn't see Guan Hong and Zheng Huimin this morning." He remembered that they were going to celebrate the New Year together. Everyone shook their heads and said that they really didn't see them.
At this time, you should ask the know-it-all child: "Yuanyuan, have you seen Guanhong and the others? Are they going to have lunch together at noon?"
Yuanyuan nodded: "Yes, Sister Guan Hong and Sister Zheng Huimin went out early in the morning to buy candied haws."
She said: "The best tanghulu are those that are freshly made."
This is really like speaking of Cao Cao and Cao Cao will appear.
As they were talking, Guan Hong brought Zheng Huimin back. Zheng Huimin was carrying a big bag and said, "Children, I bought all kinds of candied haws."
She jumped off her bicycle happily and said, "Come over and share."
“Wow.”
Everyone came forward, Yuanyuan: "What are they?"
"Hawthorn, and the yam you've been dreaming of."
The children were so excited that they were running around. Although Zhao Guihua had made it for them once, they still wanted to experience what the candied yam sold outside looked like. But they were worried because they had not been sold.
This is a master chef discovered by Zheng Huimin, but he has been taking a break recently. It was only after Zheng Huimin went to negotiate with him that he agreed to make a pot for Nian Saner.
Jung Hye Min: "Try it and see if it's good."
"Okay~"
The children happily went over to get them.
Jung Hye-min: "Everyone gets one yam and one hawthorn, take them yourselves."
"Thank you, sister."
Guan Hong and Zheng Huimin both laughed. After they distributed the candied haws to the children, they distributed them to everyone. Hu Tou was not polite and said, "Thank you."
Su Jinlai shook his legs: "You guys just went to buy candied haws so early in the morning?"
Guan Hong said angrily: "If you don't want to eat, don't eat! Stop talking so much nonsense!"
Su Jinlai: "..."
Why is this woman so fierce? It turns out that her gentle smile before was all fake. Women are so good at lying.
He didn't bother with the lesbian, but his body was still honest. He reached out and took two candied haws. Well, it would be a waste if he didn't eat them.
He took a bite: "Mmm, delicious."
Zheng Huimin also came to Li Junjun at this time and said, "Brother Li, here I give it to you."
Li Junjun: "I don't really like sweet food."
"You're lying. How can anyone not like sweet food? If you want to eat it, just eat it. Why are you taking it?" Su Jin came to reprimand him. This kid is good at pretending to be a gentleman. He is really scheming.
Didn’t you see that both Jung Hye-min and Guan Hong have fallen in love with other people?
Although, although he also wants to get along with them, he feels very disappointed.
Well, Li Junjun is still scheming.
Su Jinlai: "What a scheming man."
Li Junjun: “……???”
What's wrong with Su Jinlai? But on second thought, it would be strange if Su Jinlai didn't have any problems. He didn't bother to pay attention to this kid, and looked up at Zheng Huimin. Zheng Huimin smiled and said, "Try it, maybe what I bought is especially delicious."
She is not cunning and doesn't know how to take things step by step. If she likes someone, she will just go for it.
I am busy with work and making money on weekdays, so I really don't have time to get close to Li Junjun, but this rare break is okay. Well, money is the most important, and besides money, Li Junjun is the most important.
She said, "I'll pick you one with less sugar."
"Listen to him. Why was he so happy to eat candies when he was a child? He still doesn't like eating candies now. He just wants to attract your attention on purpose." Su Jinlai started talking again.
Zheng Huimin couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Shut up, if you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb. Be careful or I will poison you to death!"
Su Jinlai: “!!!”
Li Weiwei, who was pouring water, said: "..."
As expected, women are scary, very scary, he can't control them, at his age, he should still work hard on his career, no matter what his grandparents say, he is determined not to go on blind dates. Absolutely not, a teenager like him can't control all kinds of lesbians.
Li Weiwei rushed in, feeling that working was the most practical thing for him.
He came in a bit flustered, Zhao Guihua was puzzled: "What's wrong with you?"
Li Weiwei: "Women are not easy to mess with."
Zhao Guihua: “???”
But soon, she laughed and said, "You, take care of the things in front of you first."
Li Weiwei: “That’s right.”
Zhuang Zhixi didn't wander around like his elder brother, nor did he sit at the gate and watch the fun like the other boys. Instead, he stayed in the house and helped pick vegetables. At this time, he also smiled and said, "Weiwei, you really should think carefully about the present situation..."
There was something else behind his words. Li Weiwei scratched his head in confusion: "What's going on?"
When he looked up again, he saw Chef Li staring at him with a death stare. This frightened Li Weiwei so much that he swallowed his saliva and said, "Master, what's wrong with you?"
Chef Li sneered and said, "What's wrong with me? Do you think I'm too old to lift a knife? How dare you act on your own!"
Li Weiwei: “What?”
Chef Li said angrily: "Tell me, have you resigned?"
He really didn't expect that his grandson would resign. Although he hadn't been promoted yet, it had only been two years. He never thought that this kid would act on his own. If Zhou Qun hadn't accidentally said it just now, he would have known nothing about it.
Are you angry or not? He said angrily: "You little brat, I see you are getting bolder and bolder now, tell me, why did you resign? Oh no, I will beat you up, you..." Before Chef Li rushed over and made a move, Li Weiwei ran out, as fast as a rabbit.
He howled, "Help! Don't hit me! You can't hit children on New Year's Day."
He screamed, and Chef Li chased him out, holding a spatula in his hand, and said, "You little bastard, you dare to resign? What do you want to do? What do you want to do? Do you know how hard it is for me to find you a job with my old reputation? You ran away without saying a word. You don't take me seriously. What's the matter? You think I can't control you because I'm old, right?"
Li Weiwei: “Ahhhh!”
When the children heard the noise, they ran inside quickly, and everyone else stood up quickly.
"Tell me, what do you want to do?"
Li Weiwei: "I want to set up a stall. I don't want to go to work!"
"You, you, you are a loser."
He was about to rush over and hit someone again, so everyone quickly stopped Chef Li. Zhao Guihua said, "What are you doing during Chinese New Year? It's not allowed to hit someone during Chinese New Year. It's unlucky."
“Coco…”
"Don't give up. The child has been thinking about it for two years. Can you stop him for a lifetime? This kind of thing has to be done sooner rather than later. You won't listen anyway, so we can only do it first and report to the child later. But think about it, don't you have any responsibility?" Zhao Guihua was the first to persuade people.
"What responsibility do I have!" Chef Li blew his beard and glared.
"They are adults, not children. You can't ask them to do the same as you do. The policies are different now. If the children have this idea, you shouldn't stop them. The more you stop them, the more they want to do it. I say, you should let them do it. He will see for himself whether it is good or not. That's the right thing to do. If he succeeds, it means that the policies are different. Our old ways don't work. It still depends on the young people's own judgment. If he fails, it just shows that the young people are not good at talking and they are not reliable in doing things. They will definitely know that the words of the older generation make more sense. They will listen more in the future."
Chef Li: “Huh?”
Zhao Guihua: "Think about it, isn't this the truth?"
Aunt Zhou chimed in, "That's right. It's the right time now. Do you still want to have the final say? Children all have their own ideas. You have to consider their own considerations. You can't do anything reckless. If you want to have the final say, I will scold you. Don't you have less awareness than an old lady like me? Besides, Weiwei wants to set up a stall, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. If we don't set up a stall, we can make as much money in a month as you can in a year. You have never done it, so you have no right to speak. So stop giving me advice. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you are old."
Aunt Wang: "My dear, please don't be angry. Now that he has resigned, let him run the stall."
Chef Li: "Why did you change sides too..."
He grumbled, but Aunt Wang said honestly: "I think what everyone said makes sense, right?"
"So you're saying I'm behind?"
“No, no, no.”
Zhuang Zhixi stepped forward and embraced Chef Li, saying, "Okay, Uncle Li, I know you must have agreed in your heart, but I just feel a little embarrassed, but it's actually okay. How can a parent force a child to do something? As long as you love your child, you will definitely agree with the child's idea. It's good to give it a try, don't you think? Let's wait and see, maybe it will be a good thing. I see that Weiwei's face is a blessed child. I can tell by counting on my fingers that he can do it. I will definitely not let you down."
Cook Li was amused by him and said, "Don't give me that. You know nothing about face reading."
Zhuang Zhixi: "I just learned it a while ago. Suddenly, an idea came to me and my talent was activated."
"puff!"
"You are full of nonsense."
Zhuang Zhixi: "How can that be possible? Come on, let's go home and continue cooking. Weiwei is coming too, your grandfather won't bother with you. Uncle Li, we can't hit or scold anyone during the New Year, it's unlucky."
"that is."
Chef Li: "Little bastard!"
He snorted and said, "I'm not going to argue with you about this for the sake of everyone else."
Li Weiwei was stunned for a moment, then he was ecstatic and flattered him crazily: "Master, don't worry, I will do my best and will not bring disgrace to your reputation or disappoint you. I will do my best and make it big."
Zhao Guihua suddenly thought of a sentence and said, "Make it bigger and stronger, and create greater glory."
"puff!"
Everyone burst out laughing now.
Chef Li finally calmed down. He saw his grandson coming over and kicked him. Li Weiwei: "Ouch!" He covered his butt.
Chef Li said unnaturally: "You should do your job well! Don't fool the neighbors. When you cook food, you should be clean; when you do business, you should be honest."
Li Weiwei nodded immediately and said, "I know, I know everything."
He raised his hand and pledged: "I will do my best."
Chef Li finally stopped talking this time. Instead, Yang Lixin looked at his son with envy, stepped forward and patted the boy on the shoulder, saying, "You are more courageous than Dad."
Li Weiwei chuckled and scratched his head. Originally, he thought that once this matter was exposed, there would be a storm and he would be beaten. However, he did not expect that things would be beyond his expectations. Everyone could actually persuade his grandfather. It was really unexpected.
If I had known this earlier, I would have done it earlier. I wouldn't have waited so long. He happily ran into the door and said, "Master, I'll do the work!"
Chef Li: “Huh.”
Zhuang Zhixi laughed: "Stop humming. It's not good for the New Year if you hum so much. Let's be more cheerful."
Chef Li: "You seem to be so happy all day long. By the way, have you sold all your Clivias?"
Zhuang Zhixi nodded: "Sold it, no more."
He said, "It's too windy outside now. It's scary to leave this Clivia there. I'd better clear it away."
"You are quite knowledgeable, kid."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Well, I just sold my Clivia. It's a good opportunity to buy a shop. I don't have to be exposed to the wind and rain in the future. It's much more convenient to have a shop."
"That's true, but it's too expensive to buy a shop. I can sell it outside..."
Zhuang Zhixi: "That's different. With a shop, you don't have to suffer a lot. Besides, the shop is also a family property. If you stop working, you can rent it out and make money. How much interest do you get when you deposit money in the bank?"
After hearing this, Chef Li felt that it made sense.
He said, “It is true.”
Zhuang Zhixi: "So, saving money to buy a shop is very important."
"Buying a house is more important than buying a shop. It seems that we still need to make money."
"Who says it's not?"
Li Weiwei watched his grandfather chatting with Uncle Zhuang and felt that although his grandfather looked as stubborn as a bull, he seemed to be easily persuaded by Uncle Zhuang. It seemed that he would have to look for Uncle Zhuang if he had any problems in the future.
But of course, Aunt Zhao, Aunt Zhou and others are also indispensable, and what they say makes a lot of sense.
Lan Sihai and Zhuang Laonian were playing chess and joined the conversation. Lan Sihai said, "You are right to sell it. Otherwise, if people knew that you have so many Clivias, it would be troublesome if someone came to rob you."
Everyone looked at Lan Sihai. Lan Sihai said, "You don't often pay attention to these news, so you don't know. I often read the newspapers and pay attention to this kind of news, because there have been many vicious cases of robbing Clivia. It is worth a lot of money, so money is naturally attractive. A few days ago, there was another case where a younger brother brought a group of people to his brother's house to rob the top-quality Clivia. He killed his brother's family and was caught on the spot by the neighbors who called the police. And... there are really many such cases, so it's better to sell it. It's better to spend the money. After all, you can't just run away with someone carrying the shop you bought for you. But it's not safe to keep the flowers and the money."
Everyone nodded. Since their compound had been robbed, even Aunt Zhou had opened a bank account. At this time, the only place they could trust was the bank. It would not be appropriate to keep the money at home.
"We live an honest life and work hard to earn money, so we can't let those who get it for free take advantage of us."
"Yes, yes."
"By the way, how are Jiang Baohong and the others?"
Zhuang Zhixi knew about this matter, and he had never let it go. He would ask about the progress every two days. After all, he would not be satisfied unless these people served a few more years in prison. These people almost hurt their child.
And there is that weird Jiang Baohong. They obviously don't have any contact with each other, but this person keeps keeping a close eye on their family out of jealousy. He even teamed up with others to rob them. Even the uncle can tolerate it, but the aunt can't.
This kind of rubbish should go to jail.
He said: "This case is not complicated and the verdict should be made in the first half of next year. Jiang Baohong applied for mental integrity three times and was ruled not to be crazy each time. She wanted to go to a mental hospital to avoid jail, but the law is fair and will not give her this opportunity."
"That's for sure."
“How long can they sentence you to?”
Zhuang Zhixi: "It must be very serious. Their condition is very serious."
"That's best."
Wang Xiangxiu breathed a sigh of relief. After all, their family was being targeted. If they were not released in a few days, she would be really scared. That old Cai hated her so much that he probably wanted revenge.
She said: "It's best if I can't get out."
Zhuang Zhixi: "What age is he now? Even if he really comes out, he is probably not young anymore. It is hard to say whether he can live to come out."
"That's true." Wang Xiangxiu thought of her mother-in-law. Although she never said it, Wang Xiangxiu actually knew the news of Gou Lanxiang's death. Now that this person is gone, the family must be notified. How could Wang Xiangxiu not know about it?
She just didn't say anything and pretended not to know.
She really didn't want to be with this person, nor did she want her son to have anything to do with this person anymore, even if he died.
Just as Su Pandi thought, Wang Xiangxiu wished she could grind Aunt Su to dust. Even though she knew that she might have made a lot of mistakes back then, people are always more likely to forgive themselves, and resenting others will make them feel better.
So Wang Xiangxiu really didn't want to mention this person at all. She coughed lightly and said, "Where is our big mackerel?"
The current life is a good new life. The children have changed, and she is also working hard to save some money by setting up a stall. There is a long time to come, and she must be good. Wang Xiangxiu quickly cheered up and said, "I will go and prepare the fish. Aren't we going to make fish dumplings tonight?"
"Don't worry, I'll get the fish this afternoon. You can chop the rabbit and stir-fry it with chili later."
"Okay!"
The sounds of frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying could be heard from several rooms. Everyone was busy, but they all had happy smiles on their faces. Zhao Guihua said, "The shrimps we bought this year are really good. Look at them. They are very fresh."
Aunt Zhou said proudly: "Of course, Jiang Lu and I bought this at the vegetable market. We liked it at first sight. Although it's a bit expensive, it's Chinese New Year and eating well is the most important thing."
"This old hen is fat." Aunt Zhou also praised the old hen.
"Oh, of course not. If it's not fat, you can't buy it. I'll cut some of it and make fried chicken for the kids as a snack in the afternoon."
"Don't you want to fry the crispy pork?"
"Come on, come on. The children are eating, so let's eat some too. Should we just eat more than them? There won't be enough for everyone."
"Then give me some more..."
"Oh, I didn't expect that life would be so good when I get old. I'm watching the Spring Festival Gala on TV at your house tonight. I wonder who will be there? I really like the long singing and dancing. It's really different from listening to a chatterbox."
"I am most proud of Zhao Zhongxiang. His demeanor, voice, and big face are so handsome." Aunt Zhou's eyes were full of stars.
"I miss Tonight. I sang it last year and it was really good. I wonder if it will be performed this year."
“…”
It was a busy morning. Although I was busy all the time, I didn't feel tired at all. I was just happy. When it was almost noon, Zhao Guihua stood in the yard and called, "Children, it's time to eat!"
“Here I come!”
The children agreed and ran home quickly.
Li Zhenzhen muttered: "Xing'er's family has already called for dinner, we are all so anxious."
"Yes, yes."
Zhao Guihua: "Let's go, let's go."
There are quite a lot of people in the compound, everyone is gathered together and crowded, but even in this cold day, the weather is very hot and everyone is very happy. It doesn't matter if it's a little crowded, it's lively when there are many people, and it's lively when everyone gets together.
"Everyone sit down, find a place to sit, and squeeze in."
"Hey, children, come sit on the kang."
"I am here."
"Tiger-headed little swallows come in silver and bronze. You are all children, get over here."
"Okay~"
"Guan Hong, come here."
"Here I come!"
She likes this kind of atmosphere so much. Ever since she came to the compound to rent a house, although it was because of Su Jinlai at the beginning, she now likes this lively environment and the prosperous life.
Everyone squeezed together and divided into several tables, and finally everyone sat down.
Zhao Guihua: "Uncle Lan, you are the oldest in our compound, would you like to start?"
Lan Sihai stood up with a smile. He didn't want to say anything negative at this time. He has become much more friendly in recent years.
The old man stood up, cleared his throat and said, "My dear friends, it's rare for me to take the lead. I'm glad. Although I'm the oldest in our compound, I think I'm still young in mind. So in the new year, I will demand myself to be like a young person."
Everybody burst out laughing.
Lan Sihai: "I am an old man and I demand so much of myself. You should not relax and learn from me. You should be young, healthy and free and easy. Only in this way can people live happily. I have been in the compound for more than ten years. As you all know, Mingmei is my granddaughter. In fact, I came here for her at first. At that time, the machinery factory wanted to arrange a better place for me, but I thought that no matter where I live, I should live in the compound of the little girl and take care of her. If the village owner bullies her, I will slap them in the face. But fortunately, they are in harmony and live a happy life. I hope that every family in our compound can live in harmony like Mingmei and her husband. In the new year, everyone will continue to have good luck. We should make a lot of money and take good care of our health. I also hope that the children will be healthy, happy and study well. People of our generation don’t have many opportunities to go to school. You should cherish the days you have now. I will tell you the truth. If I had the conditions I have now and was your age, I would have become a scientist long ago. My brain is just now. "
Zhuang Zhixi burst out laughing and said, "Grandpa, you are still bragging about yourself."
Lan Sihai: "You can brag about yourself, so why can't I? Anyway, let's have a new year and a new beginning, and make progress step by step!"
Everyone applauded immediately. Lan Sihai smiled and sat down, but soon he stood up again: "One more thing to say. Thank you to today's chef, Chef Li, and Xiao Yang. Everyone, enjoy your meal and drink well."
"Let's raise a toast together."
"Raise your glass!"
Everyone clinked their glasses and said, "Cheers!"
"cheers!"
The scene quickly became lively and everyone quickly stretched out their chopsticks. Today's lunch was all hard dishes, crunchy.
Everyone started eating and drinking. Although the conditions were good at other times, it was rare to have so many delicious foods and drinks during the Chinese New Year. The children all started eating. Yuanyuan chirped, "This braised fish is delicious."
"Be careful with the fish bones."
"I know."
Ye Sitian: "I want to eat braised pork."
Siyuan, the older brother, quickly picked up a piece of braised pork for his sister. The little girl couldn't finish it all at once, and her mouth was full of oil. The sound of firecrackers outside continued. Zhuang Zhixi said, "Let's go out and set off firecrackers tonight. I bought some big fireworks."
"The big fireworks are the best."
"yes."
"I like it. I like it."
Ye Sitian asked: "Can we come and watch the fireworks together tonight?"
"Of course, we'll eat dumplings and watch the Spring Festival Gala together in the evening."
“Wow.”
"The Spring Festival Gala doesn't start until 8 o'clock. How about you kids perform a show for us in advance?"
"good!"
The children patted their chests and agreed one by one, without any stage fright, and everyone laughed.
"Tonglai, you are taking the college entrance examination this year, right?"
Tonglai nodded: "Yes."
"Then you have to perform one in advance. You are about to learn acting, so you can't be vague."
Tong Lai smiled and said, "Okay, I'll lead the children to perform for everyone. If the performance is good, everyone will give them New Year's money."
The children's eyes suddenly lit up and they shouted, "Yes, yes."
Xiaoyanzi: "I want to participate too. I'm also a high school student, so I'm considered a kid..."
"Pfft, you are very..."
Tiger Head: "Sister, you looked so greedy just now."
Xiaoyanzi shook her head: "I'm happy with it!"
Everyone laughed, and the lively atmosphere continued into the afternoon. This afternoon was just as busy. In winter, it gets dark early, and there are many TV programs in the evening. Last year's Spring Festival Gala was playing on TV, and everyone was laughing while making dumplings.
Zhuang Zhixi led the children outside to light fireworks.
"Swoosh...Bang~"
The sound of fireworks continued to ring out, and the children shouted, not afraid of the cold at all. In the afternoon, everyone made a snowman in the yard. Although the north wind was howling and the snow was fluttering, it did not affect's enthusiasm at all. One by one, they were running around outside, breathing out hot air.
Tuan Tuan was running around and suddenly bumped into someone at the door. He stepped back and shouted, "I'm sorry, sister."
The girl was wearing a coat and carrying a handbag. She rubbed Tuan Tuan's head and said, "It's okay."
She asked with a smile: "Is this Courtyard No. 44?"
It's hard to see clearly in the dark.
Tuan Tuan: “That’s right.”
He tilted his head and asked, "Sister, are you looking for someone?"
The girl nodded and said, "Yes, I'm looking for Zheng Huimin. I'm her sister. My name is Zheng Huifang."
The person who came was no one else but Zheng Huifang who came back to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The train was late, so she hurried to catch it and arrived in the evening. Although she was exhausted, her face was rosy and she was particularly excited.
She is finally back.
Tuantuan: "Sister Zheng Huimin, Sister Zheng, your sister is here to see you..."
He said, "I know you, sister. You are Sister Zheng in Guangzhou. You are the one who sends all the goods I buy to me."
Zheng Huifang looked at him in surprise, and then said, "You are so smart."
Tuan Tuan: “I know everything.”
He called out again: "Sister Zheng, your sister is here."
Zheng Huimin was making dumplings at home when she heard the voice. She was stunned for a moment, and then she didn't even bother to put on her shoes and ran out with red eyes, excited: "Huifang!!!"
Zheng Huifang: "Big sister!"
The two sisters quickly ran towards each other and hugged each other. They always disliked each other when they were together all day, but now that their family has come to this point, the relationship between the two sisters has improved a lot.
Both of them were so excited that they shed tears. They hadn't seen each other for two years! Zheng Huimin hugged her sister and said, "That's great, it's really great. Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"
Zheng Huifang was also excited. She said: "I thought I couldn't come back. Time was very tight at that time, but fortunately the factory was completed ahead of schedule, so I quickly bought a ticket. I thought it would take time to contact people, and it would be too late to write a letter, so it was better to come back directly."
"That's great. We sisters can chat all night."
"good."
"Come on, let me introduce you to some people. These are people from our compound. It would be great if we could celebrate the New Year together."
Everyone in the yard looked at Zheng Huifang curiously. Many people had never seen Zheng Huifang. But Zheng Huifang knew several people. She walked a few steps quickly, hugged Aunt Zhao who was standing at the door, and said, "Aunt Zhao, I miss you so much."
She turned around and hugged Aunt Zhou again, hugging each one of them tightly, and finally hugged Wang Zizhen. She shouted, "Sister, thank you."
Wang Zizhen patted her on the back with a smile, and Zheng Huifang burst into tears with excitement.
Several middle-aged women advised: "It's not the time to cry during the Chinese New Year. The New Year is a time of joy."
Zheng Huifang nodded heavily and said, "Okay!"
"Great! Now that you're back, let's spend the New Year together. Come on, walk around. Are you freezing? Come in quickly. Let's go in and introduce ourselves slowly. You won't freeze."
Zheng Huimin followed behind and smiled and sighed: "My sister is more popular than me."
Guan Hong: "I can see that. Everyone is looking at the face. Your sister is really pretty."
"Go away, I'm not judging by your looks, it's my sister who is kind."
"Tsk~"
"Come into the house quickly, Zheng Huimin, put on your socks, your feet are so cold..."
Zheng Huimin felt cared for, her face flushed, and she said, "I know!"
At this time, Aunt Wang said, "Come in quickly, the dumplings will be cooked soon!"
“The dumplings are ready to go~”
Following this sentence, the men in each household came out and lit firecrackers... crackle! The sound of firecrackers continued, one after another, one after another. The louder the firecrackers, the more festive it was during the Chinese New Year. The men in each household finally had a place to use their skills at this time, and the firecrackers kept on crackling.
The firecrackers blasted loudly, and adults and children alike were filled with happy smiles.
I don't know how long it lasted, but I heard a voice from the room again: "It's time to eat~"
"The dumplings are ready!"
Men and children went into their houses one by one. At that moment, the news was being broadcast. The top leaders were visiting various units and wishing the working people a happy new year. The whole country was filled with joy and peace.
Zhao Guihua arranged: "Sit where you sat at noon. Huifang, sit next to your sister. Everyone sit down."
"Hurry up and sit down..."
Everybody gathered together, all with happy faces. This year, there were a lot of things happening in their compound, but there were always few bad things and always many good things. This year was more comfortable than last year. Every household in their compound made money and lived a very good life.
Many people bought houses, many people bought belongings, and even their lives became better.
Days like this are so beautiful.
Everyone was talking to each other in celebration, holding up their glasses, and as they moved, the clock hands pointed to eight o'clock. A warm and joyful opening dance began, and the hosts came out one by one: "Dear audience, dear friends from all over the country, hello, the 1984 Spring Festival Gala is now starting! In the new year, we wish you all a happy family reunion, and happiness and good fortune..."
This auspicious saying is free of charge.
Zhao Guihua also stood up and said, "Come on, I, Zhao Guihua, will make a start today to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new. Our whole family wishes everyone a happy new year in advance."
"Happy New Year."
"What did Uncle Lan say at noon?"
"The sesame flowers are growing higher and higher!"
"Yes, life will get better and better!"
"Everyone is fine, everything is fine..."
"May you make a fortune in the New Year!"
(End of this chapter)
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