Chapter 196 Celebrating the Chinese New Year
After the lanterns were finished, Sheng Xiping led his younger siblings to put up couplets, the character "福" (fortune), and paper-cut window decorations.
The couplet was written by Chen Weiguo's younger brother, Chen Weimin. Even though the boy lost his right hand, his left-hand writing is more beautiful than that of people who write with their right hand.
Every year during the Spring Festival, many people from the forest farm would go to Chen Weimin's house to ask him to write couplets for them.
Given the close relationship between the Sheng and Chen families, Sheng Xiping didn't even need to ask; Chen Weimin had already written a complete set of couplets, auspicious characters, and phrases like "May you see joy when you go out" and "May you see joy when you look up," and had Chen Weixin, the third son of the Chen family, deliver them over.
"Look at Weimin's handwriting, it's really beautiful."
Second brother and third brother, when you have time, you should also go and learn from Weimin, and practice your handwriting until you understand it properly.
For a scholar, handwriting is like another face; if you have beautiful handwriting, people will look at you with more respect wherever you go.
Before computer typing became widespread, all kinds of materials were handwritten, and the quality of the handwriting really had a huge impact.
In his previous life, Sheng Xiping met someone who started out as an ordinary staff member in a government agency.
However, he had exceptionally beautiful handwriting, so whenever the unit leaders had a draft, they would ask him to transcribe it before sending it up.
Later, this person was noticed by the city leaders and transferred to their side to be in charge of writing various documents. He was highly valued by the leaders and eventually retired from the position of deputy mayor.
Therefore, it is clear that good handwriting is both a skill and a shortcut.
Sheng Xi'an and Sheng Xikang exchanged glances, but neither of them said anything.
Although their older brother had always encouraged them to study hard, given the current situation, no one could see what the future held after finishing their studies.
Even if you study hard, what good will it do? After graduating from high school, won't you still end up as a sent-down youth in the mountains?
His older brother was also an educated youth, and even the team leader of the educated youth team. Wasn't he also just carrying big logs on the mountain?
Even if they were hired, what kind of jobs would they have in the forestry system? Wouldn't they still be dealing with wood their whole lives?
Not only Sheng Xi'an and Sheng Xikang, but all students of this age are in such a confused stage.
Apart from Sheng Xiping, the reborn individual, no one knows where the future lies or how to proceed.
Therefore, although Sheng Xi'an and Sheng Xikang had good grades, they did not put in the hard work to study and just let things take their course.
Of course, the two knew their elder brother meant well, so they didn't say anything to refute him, just nodded to appease him.
Sheng Xiping knew what his two younger brothers were thinking, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He couldn't very well tell his two younger brothers that he had been reborn and knew what the future held, could he?
Therefore, all Sheng Xiping could do was encourage and cheer them on from time to time.
The rest is up to them; no one can help them with that.
Once the couplets and the character "福" (good fortune) are pasted up, the courtyard immediately feels different.
After finishing these tasks, the three brothers started clearing the snow that had piled up in the yard.
Sheng Liancheng and his son stayed on the mountain for several months. Although Sheng Xi'an and Sheng Xikang took care of things at home, things were only passable on the surface.
Sheng Xiping was supposed to be tidying up after his vacation, but he was busy with his engagement and hunting, and he hasn't been able to get everything done.
During the Lunar New Year, it's customary to get rid of the old and welcome the new. All the snow piled up in the corners and crevices of the yard should be cleared away so that everything looks neat and tidy.
In the courtyard, the three brothers were busy shoveling snow, chopping wood, and carrying water.
Inside the house, Zhang Shuzhen was busy with various tasks, leading her two daughters.
On New Year's Eve, the family reunion dinner is something the whole family looks forward to all year round, so it has to be a feast.
In previous years, Sheng Xiping would go into the mountains to set traps a few days before the Lunar New Year to catch pheasants or rabbits.
This year, those jackals have made things so messy that I haven't had time to do anything.
Fortunately, we had wild boar meat, bear meat, and the leopard meat from that day at home.
Add to that the fish I brought back from breaking through the ice hole that day, and the company benefits, and I could easily cook a whole table of dishes without any pressure.
With Sheng Xiping always hunting, the family never lacked oil or fat, so Zhang Shuzhen saved up the soybean oil supplied to them.
During the Lunar New Year, you have to fry something, like meatballs, sliced meat, dried fruit, mushrooms, eggplant fritters, etc. You can use any ingredients you have at home.
There were two large pots, one on the east and one on the west, and a small pot could be placed on the stove, all of which were lit up.
This pot is stewing pork ribs, that pot is stewing fish, and a small pot on the stove is frying all sorts of things.
The mother and her three children cooked and stir-fried dishes in the kitchen, and the aroma wafted out.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, all the food was ready.
Braised pork ribs, braised cabbage with meatballs, stewed small-scaled fish, deep-fried small river fish, shredded pork with eggs and vegetables, braised pork with sauerkraut, fried eggplant and mushroom platter, aspic, cabbage heart with wood ear fungus and dried tofu, braised pork, stir-fried pork belly with chili peppers, sweet and sour pork slices.
Twelve dishes filled the entire table, some of the plates were even stacked up.
Logically, tofu should be a dish served during the Lunar New Year.
But Zhang Shuzhen was so busy that she cooked too much food, and in the end she could only remove the tofu and put it in the pot to press it down.
"Alright, the reunion dinner is ready, everyone come and eat."
After all the dishes were served, Zhang Shuzhen counted them carefully again to make sure there were twelve, before calling the children to sit down and eat.
Sheng Liancheng rummaged through the cabinet and found a bottle of good wine. He took two wine glasses and placed them on the table, indicating that he wanted to have a couple of drinks with his eldest son.
"Come on, boss, sit here. We're going to have a couple of drinks together today."
Sheng Liancheng beckoned to his eldest son, Sheng Xiping, to sit down next to him.
"Sigh." Sheng Xiping sat down next to his father without saying a word.
After a year of working myself to the bone, it's finally Chinese New Year! Isn't it all about having some fun? Having a couple of drinks with my dad, what more could I ask for?
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