Chapter 154: Little Peach Who Knows to Act Coquettishly
Jiang Haitang walked into the yard and was surprised to find that snowflakes had started falling outside again since she didn't know when.
There was also white snow on the treetops and fences in the yard, glowing in the night, adding a touch of dreaminess to this New Year's Eve.
Fine snowflakes flew towards her, landing on her eyelashes with a cool breeze. Jiang Haitang reached out to catch a snowflake, but she didn't feel cold.
I don’t know when the snow started falling, but by now a thin layer of silver has accumulated in the yard.
In the middle of the yard, Lu Weiguo was squatting on the ground with a few half-grown children, their attention all drawn to the things in their hands.
Lu Weiguo was seen holding a handful of small firecrackers wrapped in red paper carefully, as if he was holding a rare treasure, afraid of any mishap.
Several other children gathered around him, their eyes sparkling with anticipation for the firecrackers.
Little Taozi was wearing a thick flowery cotton jacket and squatting on the ground with her butt sticking out, like a cute little dumpling.
The biting cold wind made her face red, but it still couldn't stop her curiosity about firecrackers.
She was both scared and excited. When the cannon was about to be ignited, she immediately hid behind Lu Liangchen, leaving only her big round eyes showing, blinking and looking around. She looked so cute.
"Sister, do you dare to set one off?" Lu Baoguo took out a bunch of "small steel whips" from his pocket with a proud look on his face, took one off with a swift movement, lit it with an incense stick, and threw it out quickly.
A crisp "bang" sound exploded in the yard. Little Taozi trembled with fear, and then she giggled again. Her little hands tightly grasped the corner of Lu Liangchen's clothes, and her voice was filled with excitement and fear: "Daddy, I'm scared. I want to try..."
Looking at his daughter's excited and nervous eyes, Lu Liangchen's mouth corners unconsciously rose, his eyes full of doting.
He gently picked up Xiao Taozi and said softly, "Okay, Dad will teach us how to set off firecrackers, Xiao Taozi."
Seeing this, Lu Weiguo, who was standing by, immediately took out a "Chiliuhua" and handed it to Lu Liangchen, saying enthusiastically, "Second uncle, put this on your sister. It looks nice."
Lu Liangchen touched his nephew's head and responded with a smile: "Okay, let's put this for my sister."
In order to demonstrate to Xiao Taozi, Lu Liangchen held the "Chi Liu Hua" himself and signaled Lu Weiguo to help light the fuse.
As Lu Weiguo lit the fuse, he warned Xiao Taozi, "Sister, cover your ears and watch the fireworks."
Little Taozi was nervous and excited. She covered her ears tightly with her hands but stared at the "Chiliuhua" without blinking.
Lu Liangchen gently shook the "Chiliuhua" in his hand, and golden-red sparks instantly appeared, drawing shining tracks in the snow, like meteors across the night sky.
"Wow, Daddy, I flew away like a little star." Little Taozi was so excited that she forgot her fear. She clapped her hands in Lu Liangchen's arms with a bright smile on her face.
"Sister, there are more fun things to do. Brother will show you around."
Lu Baoguo was extremely happy to see that Xiao Taozi was no longer afraid.
He has always liked setting off firecrackers, but his sister was afraid of it before, and he didn't want to leave his sister alone to play. Now he can finally share this joy with his sister.
After feeling the firecrackers up close, Xiao Taozi was no longer afraid. She struggled to climb down from Lu Liangchen's arms, and then followed Lu Baoguo to set off firecrackers.
The old father Lu Liangchen felt a moment of loss. Why did he follow someone else?
He mysteriously pulled out a firecracker from the inner pocket of his cotton-padded jacket and said proudly, "Sister, let me tell you, this one is amazing! It goes 'bang-bang!' twice, and it flies really high!"
Several children gathered around with burning eyes. Although the youngest, Lu Xingguo, covered his ears, his big eyes were fixed on the "ertijiao" (firecrackers), afraid to miss a single one.
Lu Baoguo carefully inserted the firecracker diagonally between two bricks. The weather was too cold and his fingers were a little stiff. He used two matches to successfully light the fuse.
"Everyone back off!" he shouted, pulling Xiao Taozi back quickly.
"Whoosh-bang!" With the first muffled sound, the firecracker shot straight into the night sky like an arrow, exploded in the dark night, and the brilliant light illuminated the entire yard.
Then, the second "pop!" sound echoed loudly in the night sky, and tiny red confetti fluttered down, mixed with snowflakes and dancing in the air, like a dreamy red flower rain.
The children cheered with excitement. Although Xiao Taozi was startled by the sound of the cannon, she soon clapped her hands and jumped and shouted, "Second brother, second brother, one more! One more!"
Several children immediately started arguing over who would put down the firecrackers, arguing with each other and neither of them giving in.
This is when they are trying to gain favor with their younger sister. Anyone who gives up is a fool. They all want their younger sister to know that they are the most powerful brothers.
Old Master Lu stood under the eaves, his hands hanging naturally, watching the children making noise with a serious face.
But if you look closely, you can see that the corners of his mouth are slightly raised, and there is an unconcealable smile in his eyes.
Father Lu and Uncle Lu stood behind him, muttering, "Why set off firecrackers in such a cold day?", but their eyes never left the firecrackers in the children's hands. They were full of worry, afraid that the children would accidentally hurt themselves.
"Mom!" Little Taozi was sharp-eyed. She spotted Jiang Haitang coming out of the house and immediately rushed over excitedly with her short legs.
Lu Liangchen was quick-witted and quick-handed. The moment Xiao Taozi rushed over, he quickly stopped Jiang Haitang from behind, thus avoiding a "minor accident".
Jiang Haitang was still frightened and looked at Lu Liangchen with gratitude.
Lu Liangchen gently educated Xiao Taozi: "Xiao Taozi, you have to be careful. You almost knocked your mother down just now."
Little Peach blinked her big eyes and apologized with a guilty look on her face: "Mom, I was wrong, I forgot."
Jiang Haitang smiled and touched her head, saying gently: "It's okay, the snow is slippery, Xiao Taozi, you have to be careful. If you fall, your little bottom will hurt."
Xiao Taozi nodded obediently, took Jiang Haitang's hand, and asked expectantly, "Mom, are you coming to watch the fireworks too?"
Jiang Haitang smiled and responded: "Yes, watch the fireworks with our little Taozi."
On the other side, "Swish--" Lu Baoguo struck a match, and the flame trembled slightly in the wind, flickering.
He held his breath, quickly lit the fuse, and shouted, "Run!"
The brothers were in perfect harmony and immediately dispersed when they heard the shouting.
The moment the cannon sounded, Xiao Taozi screamed in fright and turned around to burrow into Jiang Haitang's arms.
Jiang Haitang covered her ears with a smile, and turned her face slightly to the side, with a happy smile on her face.
"You little rascal, are you afraid of the sound of cannons when you see your mother?" Lu Liangchen joked with a smile.
Little Taozi smiled at him shyly and said softly, "I want my mother to hold me."
"You little rascal! You just know how to act like a spoiled child." Lu Liangchen scratched her nose, his eyes full of love.
"Mom, can we set one off too?" Little Taozi tugged at Jiang Haitang's sleeve, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Jiang Haitang came back to his senses, smiled and nodded in agreement: "Okay, let me release one."
In her two lifetimes, Jiang Haitang had never fired a firecracker before. This feeling was both fresh and made her a little nervous.
Lu Liangchen keenly sensed her uneasiness and gently comforted her, "I'll teach you, don't be afraid, it's easy."
Under Lu Liangchen's patient guidance, and with the enthusiastic help of Lu Weiguo, Lu Baoguo and other children, Jiang Haitang finally plucked up the courage to light a firecracker for the first time.
Watching the firecrackers burst into brilliant sparks, she couldn't help but cheer along with the children.
Lu Liangchen looked at her happy face, with doting in his eyes and brows. In his heart, the little girl in his family was actually just a child.
Perhaps the lively atmosphere at the Lu family's house was too intense, and it infected the surrounding families.
Soon, the sound of firecrackers could be heard from all directions.
Occasionally, red paper scraps floated over with the wind and landed in the yard. The smell of gunpowder in the air became stronger and stronger, mixed with the cold air of snow, but it inexplicably made people feel warm in their hearts, full of the strong flavor of the New Year.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and goose feather-like snowflakes fluttered down.
The sound of firecrackers, children's laughter, and the nagging of elders are intertwined together, composing a warm and lively melody on this New Year's Eve, immersing the entire courtyard in happiness and warmth.
When sisters-in-law He Wanyi and Yuan Yinan finished their work and came out, they were surprised to find that it was snowing so heavily outside.
Snowflakes were falling, and the snow in the yard was getting thicker and thicker. The children's heads and faces were covered with snowflakes.
They felt sorry for the children playing in the snow and catching a cold, so they hurriedly told them to go back inside to keep warm: "You naughty monkeys, you've soaked your new cotton shoes. What are you going to wear tomorrow?"
"It's just right to keep them all at home tomorrow," said Yuan Yinan.
"It's not easy for you. You feel bad if you don't go out to cause trouble for others for a day. If you stay at home for a day, I'm afraid my head will hurt." Although she said the impatient words, He Wanyi smiled gently.
Although the children were still reluctant to leave and wanted to continue playing outside, the snow was getting heavier and heavier, making it unsuitable to stay outside any longer. They could only look back every few steps and reluctantly return to the house.
The children were full of energy and couldn't sit still. As soon as they entered the house and took off their wet cotton shoes, they came up to Uncle Lu one by one, eagerly asking him to tell them stories about the war.
Second Uncle Lu pointed at Grandpa Lu and said awkwardly, "Go ask your great-grandfather or your second uncle to tell you stories. I'm not good at it."
A little guy tilted his head, looked at Grandpa Lu and Lu Liangchen seriously, and finally decided to find Lu Liangchen.
Seeing this, Father Lu smiled and asked his grandchildren, "Why don't you let your great grandfather tell stories?"
The children all answered in unison: "We've already heard what Great Grandfather said. We want to hear what Second Uncle has never told us."
Little Taozi held up her little head and asked with a puzzled look on her face: "But what if I have never heard my great grandfather tell stories?"
Lu Weiguo and his children were puzzled for a moment. Yes, their sister had never heard their great-grandfather tell stories.
"How about listening to great-grandfather's stories tonight and then listening to second uncle's stories tomorrow night?" a child suggested.
Unexpectedly, the little guys reached a consensus very quickly, which shows that Xiao Taozi's words carry great weight in their hearts.
"My sister is so charming. These naughty boys made the decision so easily this year without any quarrels." Shi Shulan couldn't help but laugh and complain.
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