New Year's Eve, the last day of the lunar year, is the most important traditional festival for Chinese people. On this day, not only are homes meticulously cleaned, but they also hang Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, and lanterns. Families prepare delicious meals and gather to celebrate the New Year. The midnight dumpling-making ritual is especially important.
After seeing off Aunt Chen, who had gone home for the Lunar New Year, Zhou Xiaozheng and Lin Lishan, the Zhou family, were back at the military all day, and their schedules were getting busier. Considering they couldn't spend New Year's Eve together, Zhou Jiao decided to have a family reunion breakfast of dumplings.
For this meal, Zhou Jiao made five kinds of dumplings: pork and sauerkraut, pork, mushroom and cabbage, shrimp and pork, leek and egg, and beef dumplings. She even put a lot of coins and red dates in each dumpling for good luck.
The early morning began with bursts of firecrackers. In the compound, military families from all corners of the country followed their own customs, the only constant being the hanging of Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, and lanterns. Every household put in their best efforts to prepare a festive New Year's Eve dinner.
The Zhou family got up early in the morning, put up Spring Festival couplets and New Year pictures, hung up red lanterns, set off firecrackers, and then the family gathered together to eat dumplings in advance.
Zhou Xiaozheng went to the army to arrange the duty personnel, and Lin Lishan went to the art troupe to arrange the performance without stopping, leaving Zhang Guoqing and his wife at home to take care of the children.
During the day, Mrs. Cheng secretly took Zhou Jiao to her room to prepare offerings for the ancestors, and then took her to the nearby canteen to make dumplings with the military families. Before they had even finished making dumplings for an hour, the old lady took the opportunity to send her home to take care of the children.
Outside the cafeteria, children lit small firecrackers and threw them at passing women. The bang startled the girls and made the mischievous children burst into laughter. On this day, no one would say anything harsh about pranks, and the women being teased, whether they knew them or not, were all beaming.
The Zhou family's front door was open, and many of the family's children came and went. Close friends gathered in the living room, the boys chatting about the troops returning from the Peninsula battlefield, sharing inside information and gossiping. They no longer had the excitement they had when they first moved into the compound for tonight's performance and dinner.
Zhang Guoqing, smiling broadly, held his child. He remained silent, avoiding sensitive topics. In the living room, groups of boys and girls of similar age gathered in small groups, never lacking for topics. It was clear they already had a sense of hierarchy, with the children of the highest-ranking fathers often tending to summarize.
The conversations of these second-generation children are shaped by their surroundings, often focusing on political issues in their casual conversations. They often appear aloof, but their honest natures are truly sincere. Once they become close, they truly risk their lives to make friends. When their relationships reach a certain level, they become casual and indifferent. Asking someone to do something is a simple matter of words, and if it's not done, they openly curse, without beating around the bush. Fang Fei and his colleagues, who already have jobs, are often dragged out to restaurants for meals as soon as they receive their paychecks, often leaving them penniless by the middle of the month.
They had a clear distinction between inside and outside the compound. If the people in the compound had a disagreement, they would fight until their heads were bloodied and swear to never have anything to do with each other again, but if the other party was bullied outside the compound, they would naturally unite and help fight.
Often, if a primary school student in the compound said they were being bullied by another student, he would just shout, and immediately a group of older and younger students would rush over to fight and demand justice. Once, a group of six or seven-year-old children followed behind, shouting, "Beat them up!"
Ever since Zhang Guoqing had established a good relationship with these people, whenever he saw them at his house, he would let them pour their own tea and prepare their own meals. They were no longer polite when they came to the Zhou family's house. If Zhou Xiaozheng wasn't home, they would be as casual as if they were at his own house.
When it was time for dinner, they didn't go home, but gathered together to check each other's pockets. Seeing people arriving, they called for help to run to the service center to get fish, meat, and wine jars. They knew Zhou Jiao had prepared everything, but they loved to spend the little money they had, just for the fun of it. After drinking, they didn't eat, jokingly saying they were saving room for dumplings.
The time to gather in the auditorium was filled with a clamor, leaving a mess on the floor with no one bothering to clean it up. Everyone held up their military blankets to protect themselves, closed the door behind them, and crowded into the auditorium.
The auditorium was adorned with a brand new look. A giant presidential New Year picture, red paper couplets covering the walls, and red lanterns of all sizes hung everywhere. The air was filled with laughter and joy, permeating the festive atmosphere. The front few rows were reserved for leaders. In the back, people of all ages gathered together. Even those who usually fought back at the slightest disagreement were now filled with laughter and joy.
Didn't you see the many parents watching them? Soldiers often educate their children by kicking them directly. Being scolded or beaten in public is not a good look for anyone.
Living in the compound, Zhang Guoqing witnessed soldiers whipping children more than once. The children there grew emotionally distant from their parents. Their parents, often busy with work and away from home, left the compound to go to and from school, cared for by nannies. Families without nannies often ate in the cafeteria. Their sole concern was their children's safety, and communication was minimal. And what about the children? Some, born 50 years ago, had only seen their fathers once or twice during their formative years. How could there be any real connection?
This is why he and Zhou Jiao's family attracted so much attention upon returning to the compound. Nowadays, everyone in the compound, young and old, who sees Zhou Jiao, jokingly calls her the Zhou family's darling. A few days ago, when Zhou Jiao was doing her morning exercises, a five or six-year-old child ran over and called her "darling sister."
As the leaders entered, the auditorium erupted in applause. After the opening remarks, the performance began. The audience was so enthralled by the repetitive performance that they barely noticed the leaders' exits mid-session.
Zhang Guoqing smiled and nodded slightly at his departing father-in-law. His father-in-law had to be with the soldiers that day, and his mother-in-law had to arrange performances around the country on the first day of the Lunar New Year. On New Year's Eve, when families were reuniting, his family couldn't be together to eat dumplings and ring in the New Year's bell.
In Zhangjia Village in Northeast China, the long-awaited New Year's Eve has finally arrived. The entire family of Zhang Guoqiang, the second-oldest child, has gathered in the old courtyard to celebrate the New Year with his parents.
The two families sat around the big table, smiling as usual as they did in previous years, waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Zhang to say a few words before starting to eat.
In the past, Father Zhang would sigh and say that the family had worked hard this year and hoped to keep up the good work next year.
Zhang's mother would praise her daughters-in-law, encouraging them to have more children in the coming year, work hard after the spring, and manage the household frugally.
Zhang's father beamed as he looked at his children. He said that life was getting better and better, and he was very satisfied. He said the rest of the life depended on their own hard work. He advised his family to learn to be content and to think twice before doing anything.
Zhang's mother followed closely and declared that she would no longer take care of the household and hoped that her two daughters-in-law would take good care of the men and children in the coming year.
After Mr. Zhang started eating, he saw his two sons busy taking care of the children. Thinking of his eldest son and his family who were far away, he felt very lost.
His eldest son was at home, and the first thing he did was to pour him some wine, pick up some food for his mother, and tell some jokes to make him laugh. He looked out of the house from time to time, as if he was expecting them to come back.
The second oldest, Zhang Guoqiang, had already seen his father brave the heavy snow in the twelfth lunar month to go to the county town and his younger brother's yards to put up red lanterns. He knew his parents would be thinking about Xiaowu on New Year's Eve. Now he deliberately joked that Zhang Guoqing and his wife had escaped quickly, saving the children money for lucky money.
His words made everyone laugh. Everyone knew it was a joke. Ever since Zhang Guoqing and his family left for Beijing, their packages had been arriving non-stop. Aunt Fang from the county town would deliver them to Zhangjia Village every three to five days.
Besides the children's cloth toys, Zhang's parents also bought three sets of new clothes, including cotton boots and hats. Not to mention Zhou Jiao had knitted two sets of sweaters and trousers for them before the New Year, and Zhang Guoqing had already given each of the children fifty cents before leaving.
"I really feel like something's missing when Xiaowu isn't home. I wonder if he's used to life in the capital? There are so many noble people over there, it's definitely not as comfortable as ours."
Nothing is better than your own home. After leaving her eldest son and his family, Zhang's mother fell asleep, and in her dreams she saw her eldest son smiling and calling her "mother."
Zhang Guoqiang saw that she was worried, so he quickly smiled and said, "Mom, don't you understand our Xiaowu? He is popular wherever he goes."
Sure enough, Zhang's mother was shocked and became very happy when she talked about her eldest son's past deeds.
Father Zhang couldn't help but ask, "Do you think Xiaowu will really wait until work starts before coming back? His godfather came over a few days ago and said they would definitely be back after the 15th. This kid sent things without saying when he would be back, which is very good."
Zhang Guofu laughed out loud. "Dad, there's only a few days between the 15th and the end of the Lunar New Year. I reckon Xiaowu will definitely be back by the end of the Lunar New Year. Uncle Zhou will definitely be reluctant to leave his daughter. You, just wait for your son to come back."
Thinking of the annoying look of Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter, Zhang's father and mother laughed out loud and felt a lot more relieved.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, the village erupted in deafening bursts of firecrackers. Xizi and his friends knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhang's father and mother. The kowtow was a solemn ritual: kneeling on both knees and knocking their foreheads to the ground three times. They received lucky money, each worth ten cents, and happily hid away in their rooms.
Zhang Dad and his two sons took turns setting off firecrackers in three courtyards. The children, not afraid of the cold weather, followed them everywhere and gathered a group of friends to play with small firecrackers outside.
Zhang's mother and her daughter-in-law began to cook dumplings. As soon as the dumplings came out of the pot, the children, unable to bear the cold, came running back home. After the family had eaten the dumplings, Zhang's father didn't let the children stay up to celebrate the New Year's Eve, but sent them all back inside. Tomorrow, on New Year's Day, the family would inevitably visit the ancestral temple and the elders' homes to pay New Year's greetings.
In the main room, Zhang Dad and his wife were left leaning on the kang, chatting in low voices about old times, and quietly waiting until dawn.
At this time, in the military compound of Beijing, as everyone counted down, the new year finally arrived. 58 years had quietly arrived.
In front of the bonfire in the square outside the auditorium, several art enthusiasts played accordions, harmonicas, and erhu instruments, playing cheerful music one after another. The onlookers, reluctant to leave, joined in the chorus.
Ping'an was taken back early by Old Lady Cheng. Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao looked at the fireworks in the distance, forgetting all their worries and sorrows and immersed themselves in them.
The scenes of New Year's Eve in 1957 in the compound have become unforgettable memories for them. Such lively scenes are gone forever, and things have changed. However, when old friends reunite in the future, they still sigh with nostalgia.
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