New Year's Eve was the most lively year for the Gu family in decades.
Three sons and three daughters-in-law, plus four granddaughters and two grandsons, plus Yang's father, Lu Zheng and his two grandsons, and Huo and his two grandsons, filled three tables.
The dishes were all chosen by Gu Nian and Grandpa Gu from a list of dishes that everyone liked.
Before dinner, Gu Shouxin took Cai Xiaolian and the children to the neighboring village.
Cai Xiaolian took it upon herself to give everyone in the village a red envelope containing one tael of silver, which delighted everyone in the village.
The people in this village all know how to make snacks and sweets, so the Gu family doesn't need to send them over.
After saying a few words of summary, the family returned home.
Unbeknownst to them, after they returned, all the men in the village approached Meng Meng, asking if he could sign another indenture with the Gu family, this time for five years. They were sure they would make a lot of money in five years!
Meng Meng told them that they didn't need to sign indentures, but could sign contracts similar to those for long-term laborers. They would be able to marry and have children without any status as slaves, but they would need to remain loyal to the Gu family.
How could these men not want to?
Life with the Gu family is much better than living in the village. They have the same freedom, but they eat and dress well, and they can learn new things. Who wouldn't want such a master?
Seeing that no one planned to leave after a year, Meng Meng reassured them that he would try to secure a better contract for them next year, and that as long as they remained loyal, they would definitely have meat to eat every day.
...
When I returned from visiting the graves in the afternoon, my family had already put up the "福" (good fortune) character, couplets, and hung up big red lanterns.
This year's couplets, in addition to those by Gu Shouxin and Lu Zheng, also include several other titles, such as those by Huo Junhao, Old Master Huo, and Grandpa Gu and Gu En.
Gu En's handwriting is absolutely excellent in front of the children, but when he got to the front of this group of people, he once again became so withdrawn that he didn't want to speak.
Finally, he hung his own words on his own door.
Uncle Gu also encouraged him: "Enzi, take this as a warning. Whenever you feel like slacking off, just run around to each room and see how bad your handwriting is. Then you'll be motivated to work harder!"
Gu En still didn't want to speak.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, the children all ran out to play wildly. No one cared about Gu Ren, mainly because it was the middle of winter and he was dressed like a ball, making it difficult to walk while being carried.
Gu Ren hugged Lu Zheng's feet, staring at him pitifully: You are the male lead I created, you are my son, take your dad out to play.
Lu Zheng chuckled: "I'm going to drink with everyone!"
Gu Ren slept soundly in Zhang's arms, still fuming.
This year, the Gu siblings went out to play, unlike last year. Last year, some of them were looking for trouble, but this year, everyone wanted to play with them. You know, all the candy at home is made and sold by the Gu family, and they even make money off the family. The Gu family is their god of wealth.
Gu Xin was the happiest among the group. She had never played with the girls in the village before, because they wouldn't play with her. Now that everyone was playing with her, of course she was happy.
But in her heart, Cheng Huaiyu, Huo Yanyu, and Xie Zhiyi were still her good friends, because these three were the only ones besides her own sisters who were willing to be her friends, unlike the girls in the village who had watched each other grow up.
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