Li Guifang had just put the steaming braised carp on the table when the courtyard door was slammed open with a bang.
Li Jianghai and Li Minghua rushed in like two mud monkeys. The mud spots on their trouser legs had dried into shells, making them look like defeated soldiers who had just retreated from the battlefield.
"Oh, you still remember to come back at dinner time?" Li Guifang glanced at them sideways, holding the spatula in her hand. "If you come back any later, the fish will have swum back into the pot!"
This morning, when it was still dark, Li Jianghai took Minghua out in the dark.
The father and son walked on the dew as they hurried back to their hometown, their trouser legs were half wet.
As for Li Jianghai's life, his parents sent him to the city to be an apprentice when he was eleven or twelve years old.
At that time, I was not even as tall as the iron table, and I was scolded by my master all day long.
Later, many factories were built in Ji City one after another. He didn't know what kind of luck he had, but he was admitted to the match factory with the last place score.
He has been doing this for more than 20 years. He has grown from a young boy to an old master. He has settled down in Ji City and married Li Guifang, a capable wife.
He originally had three brothers and sisters in his hometown.
My youngest brother is the most unsuccessful. More than ten years ago, he followed his fellow villagers to the border town to grow cotton. Later, he settled down there, married a local girl, and never came back.
My younger sister married in a neighboring county, and we could still see each other during festivals. Now the old house is empty, my parents are gone, and only those few dilapidated houses are left.
No matter how far away we go, the roots of our hometown are always in our hearts.
Over the years, although the old house has been empty and no one lives there, Li Jianghai always goes back on New Year's Eve.
Look, today it was still dark, but he got up in the dark.
The moon was still hanging on the treetops outside, and Li Jianghai had already taken Minghua out.
There was a thick layer of dust on the door frame of the old house, and spider webs were almost blocking the door.
He stepped on a creaky broken stool and pasted the red "Fu" character neatly.
After pasting the stickers, he walked around the yard again. The jujube tree he had planted when he was a child had grown very tall, its branches almost reaching the neighbor's house. After leaving the old house, he stopped by his cousin's house.
As soon as the cousin's uncle and aunt saw Li Jianghai, they greeted him warmly: "Hey, Jianghai is back! Come in and sit down!"
Having said that, he quickly served him tea.
The uncle was already an old man with gray hair. He held Li Jianghai's hand and said with emotion: "Oh, you are the most capable person in our village!
I've gotten a job in the city, settled down here, and my son is already this grown up!" He rambled on and on.
In the end, my uncle and aunt insisted on inviting them to have lunch.
Li Jianghai waved his hands repeatedly: "My family is waiting for me. Come back next time!"
Seeing that they were determined to leave, the cousin quickly picked up two lively grass carps and stuffed them into Li Jianghai's hands: "Take them back for your sister-in-law to try. They're raised in our own pond, so they're fresh!"
Then, he stuffed some bacon in it and said cheerfully, "The meat from the pigs we raise at home is very delicious!"
Li Jianghai couldn't refuse, so he had to accept it with a smile.
On the way back to the city, the tricycle we borrowed from Lao Tietou's house broke down, and the father and son struggled for a long time to fix it. After another day of traveling, the two of them were really in a mess.
Seeing the father and son acting like this, Li Guifang felt both angry and amused, and quickly called out to them, "What are you still standing there for? Go wash your hands and have dinner!"
She caught a glimpse of the fish and bacon in Li Jianghai's hands and couldn't help but mutter, "You went back to your hometown and grabbed so many goodies from your uncle and aunt's house again? You always go empty-handed and come back with bags full of things. How embarrassing!"
Li Minghua, who was bending over to wash his feet under the faucet, interrupted without looking up, "I brought it! I bought some snacks for my uncle at the supply and marketing cooperative, and two bottles of good wine!"
Li Guifang finally breathed a sigh of relief and scolded with a smile, "That's better! Hurry up, clean up and eat. I'll stew the fish tomorrow. It's New Year's Day, so we'll have something fresh."
At this point, sporadic "crackling" sounds of firecrackers could be heard in the alley!
Before the reunion dinner, a string of firecrackers is set off to send off the New Year. In the early morning, another string of firecrackers is set off to welcome the New Year. This important ceremony of the New Year is over!
Sending off New Year's firecrackers to bid farewell to the old year and receiving New Year's firecrackers to welcome the new year, this is also the custom passed down by our ancestors!
After the firecrackers were set off, the house was filled with a faint smell of gunpowder mixed with the aroma of food.
The eight-immortals table was filled with braised fish, bacon fried with garlic sprouts, stewed chicken soup, fried meatballs... The whole family was crowded on it.
Li Minghua also quietly took out a bottle of Moutai from under the table and filled a glass for each adult.
"Dad, Mom," he picked up the wine glass, his voice a little trembling, "The shop can be opened this year thanks to your support. Especially Dad, who gets up early and works late every day to help me run the business..." Before he finished speaking, his eyes became a little red.
Li Guifang quickly interrupted: "Don't drop the cat litter during Chinese New Year. Why are you saying this?"
She picked up a piece of fish belly and put it into Li Minghua's bowl. "Hurry up and eat the food! It's getting cold."
"Alright, alright," Li Jianghai said in a deliberately gruff voice, raising his glass. "We're all family, so let's not talk about different things. Come on, let's drink this!"
The glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.
The old man took a sip of wine, squinted his eyes and smacked his lips: "Good wine!!"
After two glasses of wine, he began to reminisce about the past. He stroked the glass, his eyes a little hazy: "I remember the year I first came to the city, the New Year's Eve dinner only had two steamed buns, not even a bowl of hot water..."
"Dad!" Li Minghua hurriedly poured his father another half cup of Moutai, but the old man raised his hand to stop him: "That's enough, that's enough. This is such a good wine, you have to drink it sparingly."
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