Winters in Mushroom Village are always snowy, with temperatures dropping to tens of degrees below zero, making it impossible for people to even leave their homes. But Mushroom Village today is not the same as it was in the 1960s; every household now relies on burning fire pits for warmth.
The original thatched huts and mud-brick houses have all been replaced by brick and tile houses, the original fire pits have been replaced by warm Simmons beds, every household uses radiators, and the kitchens are no longer earthen stoves burning firewood, but biogas stoves.
Yan Xiaoqiang sat in the warm main room, looking at Grandma Yan's photo on the wall. He lit three sticks of sandalwood incense and said with a smile, "Mom, you are the oldest person in our Mushroom Village. No one else has lived to be a hundred years old except you."
The white smoke from the sandalwood incense rose in wisps, seemingly representing Grandma Yan's proud demeanor. Cuihua also ran out; tomorrow was the 100th day since her mother's death, and they were preparing to hold several banquets in the village.
It is said that the death of an elderly person over eighty years old is a happy funeral, so the Yan family also held a banquet according to the standards for a happy funeral. After the one hundred days of happy funeral were completed, all the funerals were over.
People from all directions—east, west, south, north, patriotic, strict, and upright—along with their wives and children, were all helping out. Some were cooking, some were stewing, and some were making dough; otherwise, if they waited until tomorrow, there definitely wouldn't be enough time.
Yan Xiaonan slept in her grandmother's room, and could almost feel her grandmother keeping her company. She felt an overwhelming sense of longing, but she knew that after the funeral tomorrow, she would have to leave at the latest the day after.
Early the next morning, villagers familiar with the Yan family came to their home. They envied Grandma Yan, who, despite being widowed at a young age, had single-handedly raised her three sons.
But she was blessed in her old age. Rural people are not afraid of suffering when they are young, but they are afraid of suffering from hunger and toil when they are old. So they are telling the story of what Grandma Yan did in her life, hoping to learn something from her.
The day after the funeral, everyone was about to return to the capital, but Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua told their children and grandchildren that they wanted to stay in Mushroom Village, because Mushroom Village was their true home.
Yan Xiaonan's eyes immediately welled up with tears. She had lost her grandmother, and now even her parents didn't want her anymore?
Cuihua hugged her beloved daughter, whom she had cherished since childhood, with heartache. Everyone knows that fallen leaves must return to their roots, and old people must return home. Their mother and the Yan family ancestral hall are here, so they must stay.
Besides, there aren't many people left in the capital. You and Chenming live on the mountain, and the children are busy with their studies and work every day. Are you two old people going to hold them back?
Yan Xiaonan also thought that the huge eight-courtyard house was really empty. Ye Wen had taken Yu Shu to Shanghai, Ye En and Tian Ru were at the company every day, and Ye Huili was even busier, doing research at the research institute. If Cuihua and Yan Xiaoqiang were to live there, it would be too lonely.
Bei Nan suggested that Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua come and stay with him. Not only would his father-in-law be there, but his two children would also be running around. Shen Shaohua nodded repeatedly, expressing her strong welcome to her parents-in-law.
Yan Xiaoqiang rolled his eyes at Bei Nan. Of his three sons, Dong Nan was the most sensible, Xi Nan was the most incompetent, and Bei Nan was really not an obedient child. They wanted to live a few more years. Living with Bei Nan would either drive them crazy or make them worry to death.
Southeast smiled. He was the eldest son, and besides, there was room in the house, and Xuemei and Fubao were also there. There shouldn't be any problem with living in his own home. Cuihua shook her head. In Mushroom Village, no one had ever lived with the eldest son.
Southwest opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. He was the most useless son, and even if he spoke up, his parents wouldn't agree to live with him. He should just mind his own business.
Yan Xiaonan was still worried. Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua were both over seventy years old. How could they manage without someone to take care of them? But Yan Xiaoqiang insisted that they could take good care of themselves.
To show that they could take care of themselves, they pointed to the house and said, "Look, we don't need to chop firewood to cook, we have a biogas stove, and we don't need to carry water, we have running water."
"When it's cold, we can turn on the heater; when it's hot, we can turn on the air conditioner; when it's stuffy, we can watch TV or listen to the radio; and if you want to go out, Ma Mingchun is here. What are you worried about?"
Cuihua nodded and said, "We have vegetables in our private plot, chickens in the yard, rice and flour in the cellar, and we have more money than we can spend. Nannan has also brought two puppies to guard the house. What are you worried about?"
Southeast and the others were speechless after what Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua said, so they could only nod in agreement, but asked Yan Xiaoqiang to call more often, whether there was anything wrong or not, and to speak up if he had any difficulties.
Watching the children leave, Cuihua and Yan Xiaoqiang finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had worked hard all their lives, always busy, either taking care of the children or preparing food and drinks. They had never thought about enjoying some time alone together, but now it had finally come true.
The two of them happily cleaned the house, throwing away what needed to be thrown away and putting away what needed to be put away. They say that working together as a couple makes the work easier, and Yan Xiaoqiang really felt that way.
The couple is getting old and can't eat much, so they cook very casually. In the morning, they cook a pot of plain porridge with some pickled vegetables and salted duck eggs, which is refreshing and delicious.
For lunch, he would cook a big pot of mutton soup, make some flatbread, stir-fry some vegetables, and Yan Xiaoqiang would sometimes drink a couple of sips of strong liquor. The meal was nutritious and delicious.
Evenings are even easier to manage. We can steam an egg custard or fry two eggs. The old hen at home lays eggs very frequently, and the elderly couple can't keep up with the demand.
When the weather gets cold, she stays at home and watches TV. Sometimes, Cuihua will pick up her embroidery hoop and embroider a few flowers, but unfortunately, her eyesight is failing, and the things she embroiders look much rougher.
When it gets hot, put two deck chairs in the yard, prepare a pot of barley tea, take a sip of tea, chat for a while, and let the cool breeze dispel the heat from their bodies. Look up at the stars and moon, and look down at their toes.
In spring and autumn, the two were even busier, carrying a basket on their backs and a machete, going to the foot of the mountain to dig for wild vegetables and pick mushrooms. Yan Xiaoqiang would even go fishing by the river.
The children are very filial. They have already made arrangements to take turns calling every day. Anyway, the Yan family's phone will ring at seven o'clock every night. Today it will be southeast, tomorrow it will be north or south.
The villagers couldn't understand Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua's behavior. They didn't want to enjoy such a good place as Beijing. They also heard from the old village chief that Nannan's house was big enough to farm, and that she was very filial to Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua.
Yan Xiaoqiang said that everyone has their own pursuits. He and his wife have been poor and rich, and they have had worries, but as their children have all become successful, they are now very happy living their lives as an elderly couple.
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