Su Jianguo got up before dawn.
The courtyard was quiet.
He rubbed his frozen hands, exhaled a puff of white breath, and began to take stock of the New Year's goods he had prepared the night before.
Two New Year's gifts were neatly arranged in the center of the main room, both wrapped in red paper and tied with festive hemp rope.
One portion was for my father, Grandpa Su, and included fine Longjing tea, two packs of Daqianmen cigarettes, two bottles of Moutai liquor, and pastries from a time-honored brand in Beijing.
The other one was for my younger brother, Su Jianjun; it contained the same things.
"Honey, up so early?"
Wang Xiulan came out of the inner room wearing a cotton-padded coat and saw her husband tidying up the New Year's goods. She couldn't help but smile.
"You're well prepared."
"These few days are the busiest of the whole year."
Su Jianguo patted the New Year's goods.
"Jianjun has been exhausted these past few days, making four or five round trips every day, and his face is chapped from the cold."
Wang Xiulan nodded and turned to go to the kitchen to boil water.
She knew that although her husband didn't say it, he loved his younger brother the most.
As dawn broke, Su Jianjun drove his tractor to the shop entrance.
He jumped out of the car, stomped his frozen feet, rubbed his hands, and went into the store.
"Brother, today's the last day, how much should I poop?"
Su Jianjun's voice was a little hoarse; he had been shouting a lot these past few days.
Su Jianguo took an enamel mug from under the counter, poured in hot tea, and handed it to him.
"Have some hot water first. Let's haul less today, two thousand jin is enough. Let's pack up early so you can get back to the village sooner."
Su Jianjun took the teacup and gulped down more than half of it before he felt his frozen body warm up a bit.
"Then I'll go get it right now."
He put down his teacup and was about to leave.
"etc."
Su Jianguo called him back, then turned around and carried out the two New Year's gifts from the inner room.
"This one is for Dad, and this one is for you. Give my regards to Dad when you get back; tell him I'll be coming home to pay my respects on the first day of the Lunar New Year."
Su Jianjun's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at the two large bags of New Year's goods.
He knew his elder brother was always filial, but he never expected that he would receive a share as well.
"Brother, I..."
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and get the vegetables; the customers will be here soon."
Su Jianguo waved his hand and turned to tidy up the counter.
Su Jianjun wiped his eyes, picked up the New Year's goods, put them on the tractor, started the engine, and drove towards the village.
Business was even busier this morning than expected.
In less than two hours, most of the first batch of vegetables had been sold.
Su Jianguo looked at the endless stream of customers, feeling both happy and sorry for his younger brother.
This means Su Jianjun will have to make another trip.
Around noon, Su Jianjun returned with his second truckload of vegetables.
His face was red from the cold wind, and his eyebrows and eyelashes were covered with a layer of white frost.
"Come in and warm up!"
Wang Xiulan quickly invited him into the house and handed him a bowl of hot ginger soup.
Su Jianjun held the bowl, his hands still trembling slightly.
Seeing this, Wang Guixiang tenderly helped her husband rub his hands.
"It's so cold outside, don't catch a cold."
Su Jianguo saw it all.
A short while later, he came out carrying a bulging red envelope.
"Jianjun, this is for you."
Su Jianguo stuffed the red envelope into his younger brother's hand.
Su Jianjun opened it and his eyes widened in surprise.
A thick stack of ten-yuan notes, at least a thousand yuan!
"Brother, this is too much! I can't accept it!"
Su Jianjun reacted as if he had been burned, and quickly pushed the red envelope back.
"Here you go! You've been working tirelessly this week, this is what you deserve."
Su Jianguo insisted.
"No, no!"
Su Jianjun shook his head repeatedly.
"You gave me the tractor, and everyone in the village is so envious. How could I possibly ask for more money?"
The two brothers pushed and shoved each other, neither willing to give in.
Wang Guixiang, watching anxiously from the side, suddenly snatched the red envelope and stuffed it into her pocket.
"Oh, you two brothers, don't be so polite!"
Wang Guixiang smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits.
"Just take what your brother gave you. Jianjun, why are you being so formal with family?"
She turned to Su Jianguo, her words as sweet as honey.
"The eldest brother dotes on his younger brother the most. If it weren't for Jianjun running back and forth all winter, the shop wouldn't be so successful. If you ask me, the eldest brother has good judgment; he knows how to trust his own family!"
Su Jianguo was left speechless by his sister-in-law's praise, while Su Jianjun awkwardly rubbed his hands together.
"Alright, keep the money. You'll need it after the New Year."
Su Jianguo patted his younger brother on the shoulder.
"By the way, when you go back to the village, have the village chief announce over the loudspeaker that I, Su Jianguo, am giving New Year's gifts to the villagers. Each family can pick a pound of bok choy and a pound of chives from the greenhouse."
Su Jianjun nodded.
"Brother, you're so thoughtful. If we just picked them randomly, we'd empty the greenhouse!"
Su Jianguo smiled.
"We're all neighbors, so we should always show our appreciation during the New Year, but we can't break the rules."
At 3 p.m., the last batch of vegetables was sold out.
Su Jianguo hung up the "Closed for Spring Festival" sign and breathed a sigh of relief.
The whole family was exhausted after a week, but the gains were amazing.
From the Lunar New Year to today, in just six days, we've sold over 40,000 yuan worth of goods.
"Come on, all of you, come here."
Su Jianguo invited everyone to sit together and took out a few small red envelopes from under the counter.
"This is your year-end bonus. Buy some good food for the New Year."
Li Hongmei, Wang Li, and Zhang Meili accepted the red envelopes, felt their thickness, and were pleasantly surprised to find that they contained a full fifty yuan.
"Thank you, boss!"
The three girls thanked her in unison, their faces beaming with joy.
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