Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, and Xiao Weiguo's family, led by the old lady, has made all the necessary preparations.
By New Year's Eve, there were hardly any businesses on the street, so everything—food, drinks, and other necessities—had to be prepared in advance. Without the old lady, the young siblings really wouldn't know where to begin.
The next day, with Jiao Bai's help, Xiao Weiguo pasted couplets and New Year pictures on every door inside and outside the courtyard.
The two little ones, Xiao Jiang and Xiao Yue, followed behind, handing things over and taking things away, busy and happy.
They had all changed into the new clothes their older brother had bought for them: red cotton-padded coats with white fur collars, which accentuated their two rosy little faces, making them look incredibly festive.
After their efforts, the courtyard was quickly transformed.
New Year couplets, New Year pictures, and strings of bright red lanterns hanging under the eaves fill the place with the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival.
After breakfast, Grandma and Shanshan did nothing else but bring out the dumpling filling they had prepared earlier. One rolled out the dough, and the other filled the dumplings.
They wanted to pack as many as possible throughout the day, since the weather was cold during the Lunar New Year and the food wouldn't spoil if they left at home.
For the next few days, dumplings were the most common dish on the dining table.
Don't doubt the saying that northerners eat dumplings at every meal during the Lunar New Year; it really was true in the old days.
This is only for relatively wealthy families; families that are not so well-off can't even afford dumplings every meal.
Lunch was just a simple meal of dumplings.
According to custom, in the afternoon, the male members of each family must go to the ancestral graves to kowtow, add soil, and set off firecrackers.
Xiao Weiguo, along with Xiao Jiang, who was already nine years old, loaded two trays of 3,000-shot firecrackers and some two-stage firecrackers onto the car.
As he drove back to his hometown, Xiao Weiguo thought of his younger brother, Xiao Jian. If he were home, he would be with him at the ancestral graves to pay respects.
That way, he could tell his parents in the afterlife that their family was reunited.
They have the money to wear the best clothes, drive the best cars, and set off the most expensive firecrackers, making everyone envious.
In this way, if their parents knew in the afterlife, they would surely be comforted for their children.
Unfortunately, there is still no news about the younger brother. I don't know where Liu Qing's great hostility towards me comes from, and he still refuses to reveal a single word.
However, Xiao Weiguo guessed that his younger brother was doing alright now, at least he was alive.
Otherwise, if things really came to the point of begging, Liu Qing would have kept it a secret from him.
However, Xiao Weiguo clearly misjudged his younger brother's stubbornness.
At this moment, Xiao Jian and his good friend Gao Hu were squatting in their dilapidated cave dwelling.
It was the dead of winter, and the weather was extremely cold.
The dilapidated cave dwelling was drafty from all sides, and even though the two of them wore all the clothes they could, they still couldn't ward off the cold wind.
With no other option, they gathered some half-dry firewood from all around and built a fire in the dilapidated cave to keep warm.
Sitting by the fire, Xiao Jian used a small twig to stir the firewood. On this joyous day, the small flame was the warmest comfort for him and Gao Hu.
Neither of them knew how to make dumplings, and since it was Chinese New Year and there was no one selling food on the street, they could only cook some dough balls to fill their stomachs all day.
Because they won't do anything else.
"Brother Jian, it's almost Chinese New Year, why aren't you going home?"
Gao Hu knew that Xiao Jian had a family, but Xiao Jian never said anything about who they were.
Gao Hu is a complete orphan. After his grandmother passed away, he had no relatives left. He envied people who had families and normal people who could reunite with their families and enjoy themselves during holidays.
Xiao Jian shook his head with a wry smile and remained silent.
With an older brother like that, a good-for-nothing the whole village curses, how could he possibly talk about his family's affairs?
He couldn't bear it anymore, so he ran away, but it was a hardship for his eldest sister and two younger siblings.
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. I wonder how they are doing? Their older brother didn't beat or scold them. Will they be able to eat dumplings for the New Year? Will they have any new clothes to wear?
Thinking about all this, Xiao Jian felt somewhat guilty.
As the second child in the family, he also has the responsibility to support the family.
But he simply couldn't stand having an older brother like that.
He resisted and struggled, but he couldn't change his older brother's temper. In the end, he couldn't bear it any longer, so he chose to escape.
Eldest sister, Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yue, I'm so sorry.
Xiao Jian made a silent vow in his heart.
Don't worry, I'll get better someday. When that happens, I'll definitely rescue you from this fire. If that scoundrel ever wrongs you again, I won't let him get away with it.
The Spring Festival brings joy to most people, but it also adds a lot of sorrow to those who are alone away from home.
The sound of rustling footsteps came from outside the cave dwelling.
A figure flashed by, and a slender one strode quickly into the cave.
Xiao Jian looked up and saw that it was Zhang Huihui, the factory director's daughter, who had entered.
She was wearing a thick yellow cotton-padded coat, with a red pair of trousers over her cotton-padded trousers. On her feet were a pair of hand-sewn floral cotton shoes.
She looked like she had walked very fast, her little face was flushed from the cold wind, and she was holding a large lunchbox wrapped in a towel in her arms.
Zhang Huihui came in and stomped her feet hard to get rid of the snow and mud on her shoes.
"Huihui, what brings you here?"
Xiao Jian stood up from beside the fire.
Gao Hu's nose darted forward instantly.
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