Chen Hong's younger sister reached out her hand and said with a smile, "Mom, don't you have a daughter?"
The mother laughed and said, "Girl, how old are you this year to still want New Year's money? There's none for you."
My younger sister is 21 years old this year. She was just saying it casually; even if Mom actually gave it to her, she wouldn't accept it.
The father brought the prepared food to the table and said, "Sit down and eat."
My father-in-law prepared six dishes, and each person also had a small bowl of dumplings in front of them. This is a custom in northern China to eat dumplings on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. Everyone has to eat some, no matter how much they eat.
This is my wife's first year in the family, so I made six dishes. In previous years, I wouldn't have been able to make so many dishes. One bowl of dumplings for each person and a bowl of cold pork with garlic sauce would have been enough. Isn't that how we celebrate the New Year these days?
The couple acted as if they were just visiting their parents for a meal, and after finishing their meal, they said goodbye and went home.
When Dongqing and his wife returned home, their two children were still asleep.
Li Yuzhu went into the kitchen and kneaded half a bowl of dough. The couple sat down to make dumplings.
Eating dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year is just a tradition. If you prepare two dishes in the morning, no one can eat many dumplings. Making a few dozen dumplings is enough.
In the past two years, things have been different from previous years. Our family is struggling financially. One pound of pork can make a big bowl of dumpling filling. The filling consists mainly of radishes and green onions. You can hardly taste any meat in the dumplings. Even so, they taste delicious. We can't even afford wheat flour normally. It's a blessing if we can eat dumplings during the Spring Festival.
Back then, eating dumplings on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day was considered celebrating the New Year; you couldn't even dream of cooking two dishes.
At most, a family would make half a bowl of cold braised pork on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, and each person would be lucky to eat a few pieces of meat.
Eat something nice on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the second day of the New Year. Have some noodles for lunch on the third day and dumplings on the fifth day. That's basically how the New Year celebrations are over.
We started eating black flour buns on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Only those who lived through that era know how hard life was back then.
After making dumplings, Dongqing prepared four dishes, all in small portions, because we wouldn't be able to finish them if we made too many.
Li Yuzhu went back to the bedroom to dress her children and washed their faces with hot water.
Dongqing had already prepared the meal and brought it to the table, where the family gathered to eat.
Dongqing and his wife barely slept all night. After breakfast, they sent their three children to their third sister's house and then went home to sleep.
The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day when daughters visit their parents' home. Around 10 a.m., Dongqing drove to Sucun with his wife and children.
Instead of driving to his father-in-law's house, he parked his car outside Su Wei's parents' house. Li Yuzhu asked, "You're not Su's son-in-law, are you? Why did you drive to Su Wei's house?"
Dongqing laughed and said, "Do you remember when we went back to your parents' house to pay respects during our first year of marriage, and those young people from your family put a donkey collar and a cowbell on me?"
It's only been a few years, even if Li Yuzhu has a bad memory, she can't forget it.
In the first year of their marriage, she and Dongqing rode their bicycles back to her parents' home to pay respects during the festival. The young people who called Li Yuzhu "sister" and "aunt" stopped Dongqing at the village entrance and put a donkey collar and cow bell on him.
As a daughter of her parents' family, Li Yuzhu couldn't say anything even if she felt uncomfortable. This was an annual custom, and it was the same for a new son-in-law when he accompanied his wife to her parents' home for the first time to pay respects.
According to local custom, when a new son-in-law brings his wife back to her parents' home to pay respects during the first year of marriage, the elders in the village will make a scene with the new son-in-law, a custom known as "extorting the new son-in-law."
Just like a new bride's first day in the house, the custom of a new bride entering the house on her first day is called "extorting a wife" or "making a scene in the bridal chamber."
In the 1970s and 80s, many people played pranks on newlywed brides, sometimes to the point of disfigurement.
The first year a new son-in-law takes his wife back to her parents' home for the festival can be quite miserable, especially in rural areas. They often put a donkey collar around his neck and a cowbell around his neck. This is a common sight in rural areas during the Spring Festival.
Li Yuzhu said, "Of course I haven't forgotten. You didn't come here to laugh at Chen Hong, did you?"
Dong Qing laughed and said, "Of course! I want to see how Chen Hong got in this door in his first year, and whether I'll end up like him."
Li Yuzhu said, "You really know how to join in the fun. I'll get out of the car and go inside first. You can drive the child back to our mother first and then come back, okay?"
Dong Qing laughed and said, "My silly wife, I'm lying to you. I'm not that perverted. I came here to help him. Chen Hong is different from me. If I pretend to be shameless, I'm more shameless than all the brothers-in-law in your village."
Chen Hong is no good; he's really not as good as me in this area. He's very rigid, and I believe he can't stand it, which is why I came to help him.
Li Yuzhu said, "Please don't call him 'brother-in-law,' don't you think it sounds awful?"
No matter whose daughter-in-law it is, they all dislike hearing the doctor talk about their brother-in-law or father-in-law, and Li Yuzhu was no exception.
Dong Qing smiled and didn't say anything more. Li Yuzhu continued, "Since that's the case, wait for me in the car. I'll take the gift in first and see if the couple has arrived. If they have, I won't be able to help them at all."
After Li Yuzhu finished speaking, she opened the car door, got out, took two boxes of gifts from the trunk, and turned to walk towards Su Wei's house.
Li Yuzhu walked into the house carrying gifts. Su Wei's mother took the gifts from her hands and said with a smile, "You've arrived. Did you go to your parents' house?"
Li Yuzhu said, "We haven't gone yet. Hasn't Su Wei arrived yet?"
Su's mother said, "They should be here soon."
Li Yuzhu was relieved after hearing this, said she would go out to meet her, and turned to walk out the gate.
After getting into the car outside the gate, Dongqing told her husband that he hadn't arrived yet, and started the car to pick up Chen Hong.
Driving to the village entrance, I saw many young people standing there with cowbells and donkey bridles, probably all for Chen Hong.
Li Yuzhu looked down from the car and said, "These days, there's no shortage of people like this everywhere; they simply don't treat others like human beings."
Dong Qing said, "I've worn all of these things."
Li Yuzhu smiled and didn't say anything more.
They met about a kilometer from the village entrance. Chen Hong rode a pedal tricycle, and Su Wei sat in the back of the vehicle, which was filled with many gifts for the festival.
Dongqing parked the car in front of them, got out, and said, "Brother Hong, a few young men at the village entrance are there with cowbells and donkey bridles to greet you. If you don't want to wear those things, get in the car quickly, I'll help you ride the tricycle back."
Chen Hong smiled and said, "You're truly my good brother, thank you."
Dong Qing smiled and said, "No need to thank me yet. Let's think about how to leave this afternoon."
If he couldn't be caught when he came, it's hard to say whether he can escape when he goes back. As long as this day comes, he will be the last person in Su Wei's family.
Su Wei smiled and said, "Hurry up and get in the car; we'll get through this while we can."
Chen Hong got off the tricycle, got into Dong Qing's car, and lay down on the back seat. Li Yuzhu sat in the driver's seat, and they started the car and drove towards the village.
Dong Qing then got into the car and pedaled the tricycle, taking Su Wei towards the village.
Li Yuzhu drove to the village entrance. The group of young people looked at the three children in the car but ignored them. Li Yuzhu easily drove past them.
Dong Qing quickly rode his tricycle to the village entrance. When the young men saw Dong Qing riding the tricycle, Su Wei, who was sitting on it, knew they had been tricked.
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