On the night of the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, many people kept their lights on until midnight before turning them off.
Xu Ningyan and Gu Zhiyuan were busy until almost 10 o'clock before they had almost finished preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow.
Early on New Year's Eve, just as dawn was breaking, the roosters in the brigade crowed one after another, waking everyone in the Tuanjie Brigade.
Gu Zhiyuan had gotten up early and cooked noodles.
After breakfast, Xu Ningyan was busy in the kitchen, while Gu Zhiyuan began cutting red paper to write Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (fortune).
After finishing the chores, I chopped up the firewood I needed for the next few days and then swept the yard, because starting from the first day of the Lunar New Year, we can't sweep the garbage outside anymore.
After finishing these tasks, some people went up the mountain to cut branches and leaves of a plant called "firewood" to burn at home, and happened to pass by Xu Ningyan's small courtyard.
This tree is evergreen all year round, and its leaves make a crackling sound when burned, just like setting off firecrackers.
People who couldn't afford firecrackers would burn these leaves on New Year's Day, which was equivalent to setting off firecrackers to drive away the Nian monster.
Seeing Gu Zhiyuan busy in the yard, he warmly invited him to go up the mountain to cut down trees together.
Although Gu Zhiyuan had bought a string of firecrackers to set off during the New Year's Eve dinner, he agreed to go when everyone invited him.
There are many of these trees halfway up the mountain, and after a short while, everyone was dragging branches down the mountain.
Pile the fallen leaves at the entrance of the yard, place some dry straw underneath, and when the straw is lit, the leaves will crackle and pop as they get heated.
After preparing all that, Gu Zhiyuan went into the kitchen to help Xu Ningyan.
We were busy until about 11 a.m., and all eight dishes were ready.
Gu Zhiyuan had already set up a table in his room to prevent the smell of the food from staining Xu Ningyan's clothes.
Eight dishes were laid out on the square table, filling it to the brim.
The two of them didn't bother with any of the old customs or paying respects to their ancestors. They simply bowed to the portrait of the great man on Gu Zhiyuan's desk, and that was it.
In the distance, people in the village had already started their New Year's Eve reunion, and the crackling sound of burning leaves could be heard.
Gu Zhiyuan lit the straw first, and with the wind fanning the flames, it quickly burst into flames. The leaves on it crackled and popped, just like firecrackers, only not as loud.
The lackey hid warily in the yard, only his head showing.
After the leaves had burned down to almost nothing, Gu Zhiyuan lit the string of firecrackers again.
After the firecrackers had been set off for a while, the two people and the dog went into the yard, closed the gate, and prepared to have their reunion dinner.
It was a rare occasion during the New Year, so Gu Zhiyuan brought some wine, but he didn't dare to drink too much. He only had a small sip before putting it away.
The food smelled delicious, and with the heating pipes running through the house, it was quite warm. At least the food wasn't like in other people's homes, where if you didn't eat it right away, a layer of oil would condense on the dishes.
The two weren't in a hurry, chatting casually as they ate, and by the time they finished, it had taken them almost an hour.
However, despite the plentiful food and the couple's efforts, including bringing along their lackeys, they only managed to eat half of the eight dishes.
According to the old custom, the remaining food, except for the braised bream which should not be touched and must be saved until after the first month of the lunar calendar, can be reheated and eaten in the evening. It's simple and hassle-free.
After finishing their meal, the two tidied up and rested for a while before boiling water to take a bath and change clothes, washing away the misfortunes of the old year and putting on new clothes to welcome the new year.
There are heating stoves and hot water readily available.
After showering and changing clothes, there wasn't much to do in the afternoon.
The aunties in the village don't have such leisure time; they have to spend half a day washing clothes for the whole family.
The children and men, on the other hand, wandered around the village, saying auspicious words.
The children screamed and ran around, looking for firecrackers that had been set off, searching through the scraps of paper on the ground for unlit firecrackers.
Because Gu Zhiyuan set off a string of firecrackers, many children ran to the doorway and bent over to search for them in the cracks between the stones.
Once they found one, they would happily light it with the ashes from burning the tree, then mischievously toss it behind the aunties washing clothes by the river, or into cow dung or a mud pile.
In short, it was a surprise attack.
As the old saying goes, even sparrows have three days of celebration.
Even if the adults are very angry, they can't scold or beat the children during the New Year. They can only point at them with a stick and tell them to go play somewhere else.
The village was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
When the auntie doing the laundry saw Xu Ningyan dressed neatly and wearing a new cotton-padded coat, she couldn't help but praise her.
It must be said that Xu Ningyan has been eating well for the past six months. In addition to her own space, Gu Zhiyuan has been bringing back all sorts of good things for her from Sun Zhou from time to time.
She has grown much taller, and her body is no longer flat as before, but has a slender curve.
Her hair had grown back to be jet black and shiny, just reaching her shoulders, and she tied it into pigtails at the back of her head, which looked refreshing.
Her complexion became rosy and her skin became much fairer. She inherited the best features of both Xu Yinlai and Shen Yue'e, with big eyes, a delicate nose and mouth, and fuller cheeks. When she smiled, she revealed two dimples the size of rice grains, making her look adorable.
Wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, black cotton-padded trousers, and black leather shoes, she stood gracefully at the gate of the courtyard. How could she look like a country girl?
She's even more impressive than those city girls!
Therefore, these aunties didn't feel guilty at all when praising her; on the contrary, they were all amazed that Siya had really fallen into a lucky nest after leaving the Xu family and marrying Comrade Gu.
Perhaps even God couldn't bear to see it anymore. After enduring a lifetime of hardship in the first ten years or so, good days are coming from now on.
Gu Zhiyuan had also finished getting ready, wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket. He came out of the courtyard and stood next to Xu Ningyan. Tall and elegant, they really did look like a perfect couple at first glance.
The village aunties showered the two with compliments, saying they looked like a perfect match and were a perfect couple. Xu Ningyan was so embarrassed that she blushed, while Gu Zhiyuan remained expressionless and stood firmly.
It wasn't until an aunt spoke up: "Siya will be seventeen this year, and eighteen next year. After she turns eighteen, she can get married! Looking at Comrade Gu and Siya's appearances, their future child will probably be as beautiful as a doll in a New Year's painting."
When this topic came up, the aunties got really excited and started offering their suggestions: "That's absolutely right! You two both have jobs now, you can afford it! While Siya is still young, have a few more kids!"
Some people have already thought of a solution for them: "Have a daughter first. As the saying goes, 'Flowers bloom before fruits ripen!' With a daughter, she can help take care of her younger siblings in the future!"
"It's better to have a son first! Only with a son can your position be secure! Otherwise, what if your in-laws find fault?"
...
In the heat of the moment, the women almost came to blows.
Xu Ningyan was speechless. This was truly a case of the emperor not being worried while the eunuch was.
With her fake marriage to Gu Zhiyuan, they couldn't possibly have a child together, okay?
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