At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of white.
The villagers of Liucun began to get busy, with smoke rising from every household and laughter filling the air.
The men either fetched water and chopped firewood or swept the yard, while the women sat around the stove, preparing a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.
In the kitchen, the iron pot sizzled, and steam rose from the steamer. The enticing aroma of food mingled with the scent of firewood, making one's mouth water involuntarily.
We ate breakfast at my uncle's house.
My aunt, grandmother, and sister-in-law Xia Guihua were busy in the kitchen, preparing two large tables full of dishes, much more abundant than last year's Spring Festival.
In the past six months, the arcade opened by the eldest brother, Liu Xingman, has been very profitable, much better than the days when he farmed at home and relied on selling grain.
Currently, in Liucun, Liu Xingman is the brightest star.
He took out two bottles of Confucius Family Banquet Wine
This is a celebrity-endorsed wine.
Thanks to its prime-time advertising on CCTV, the slogan "Drink Kongfu Banquet Wine, Write World-Class Articles" has become deeply ingrained in people's minds, earning it the title of "King of Wines".
Liu Xingman poured wine cups for his grandfather, Liu Laotou, his eldest uncle, his second uncle, Liu Changqing, Liu Xingyi, and Liu Xingju in turn.
The aroma of the wine filled the air, drawing praise from everyone.
Grandpa Liu praised it highly: "This wine is excellent!"
My second uncle chimed in with a smile, "Dad, this wine is certainly good; it's been featured on television."
"Good wine!" After drinking a few more cups, the group became somewhat tipsy.
This wine is indeed much better than the bulk wine they usually drink; it's smooth and mellow on the palate, with no harshness whatsoever.
However, the three brothers of my uncle's family had a low alcohol tolerance, unlike the next generation. After drinking three or four small cups of wine, they stopped drinking and started eating meat instead.
Liu Feng had no interest in the wine; he simply ate his food and savored the unique festive atmosphere of this era.
The two little guys, Liu Fei and Lin Hao, were growing up while practicing martial arts, and they would stand up from time to time to pick up food, their mouths covered in oil.
Sister-in-law Xia Guihua sat together with Liu Yue and Liu Xiaoling, chatting and laughing.
Next was lunch, which took place at Liu Feng's house.
Liu Feng took out two large yellow croakers from the magic gourd in advance, and He Qunfang made two braised yellow croaker dishes, which were very popular. They ate until only two plates of bones were left.
These two large yellow croakers, nourished by the spiritual energy in the magical lake of the magic gourd, not only taste excellent but are also very beneficial to everyone's health.
The New Year's Eve dinner was at my third uncle's house.
The food was quite ordinary; the drinks were loose liquor, and the food consisted of chicken, fish, and pork—nothing else.
“My family isn’t well-off. We can’t compare to Changqing, who has a job in the county, or to my nephew Xingman, who runs an arcade. Just make do with what we have!” said Auntie.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you old hag!" Uncle Er interrupted her angrily, feeling that Aunt Er was not giving him any face.
Upon hearing this, Grandpa and Grandma's faces darkened.
As for my second uncle's family.
Grandpa and Grandma both loved and hated them. They had a lazy son and a lazy daughter-in-law who were both lazy and loved to eat, so they ended up together.
While others work in the fields from dawn till dusk, they don't get up until late morning.
While other families worked hard to save money to send their sons to school, build houses, and get married, they couldn't even afford the food to pay for Liu Xingju's junior high school meals, and always relied on his grandparents for help.
Now, Liu Xingju, the son, has already dropped out of school, and Liu Xiaoling, the daughter, is being supported by Liu Feng.
My second uncle doesn't add any burden to himself.
Seeing that her eldest uncle's family and Liu Changqing's family were getting better and better, her second aunt always spoke with a sour tone.
Because of his second uncle's situation, his grandfather even approached Liu Changqing, hoping to find his second uncle a job in the factory. However, given his second uncle's carefree nature, Liu Changqing was too embarrassed to ask Uncle Zhang for help.
He was very grateful to Uncle Zhang for taking care of Liu Feng, and was too embarrassed to ask for anything more.
Therefore, Liu Changqing could only give some money to his second uncle's family in private.
Liu Feng ignored everything that happened inside the house and just kept eating.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to help his second uncle's family; it was just that, apart from Liu Xiaoling, all four members of that family were incredibly lazy.
The third brother, Liu Xingju, is even more unreliable. He's fifteen or sixteen years old, but he does nothing at home and just wanders around outside all day.
Only after my third brother, Liu Xingju, has stabilized and suffered some hardships can we find him something to do.
In any case, Liu Feng could ensure that his younger brother would have no worries about food and clothing.
Everyone ate while watching the Spring Festival Gala.
As the familiar melody began, Liu Feng was drawn to the song "Meet in 1998," sung beautifully by the ethereal voices of two diva-level singers.
This song was one of the dozen or so songs that Liu Feng sent out. It quickly became popular and was widely sung, becoming a classic in the Chinese music scene and also making Fanxing Entertainment's reputation rise.
Next, the skit "New Year's Greetings" was performed.
Zhao Benshan, Gao Xiumin, and Fan Wei's wonderful performance made the grandparents laugh heartily.
He Qunfang and Liu Yue laughed so hard they almost fell over.
And so, the year ended in joy.
Say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new...
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