The sound of the explosion reached Haibi Village, and the villagers all ran to the shore to watch.
Lin Ziyan and Fatty were walking towards the fish farm when they suddenly heard an explosion and instinctively looked towards the sea.
Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed...
The mountain peaks echoed with bursts of explosions, roaring like enraged beasts.
A white light streaked across the sky, followed by dark clouds, then an explosion and a deafening clap of thunder.
The dark sky contrasted sharply with the spot where flames were constantly shooting out.
A cold wind rustled, making Lin Ziyan shiver involuntarily.
"Ayan, let's hurry home..." The chubby girl pulled her and ran back.
Winter Solstice is just a few days away, and the wind here is as sharp as a knife, stinging people's faces.
Winters in Fukushima aren't too cold; a sweater is enough.
As soon as Lin Ziyan stepped into the main room, a torrential downpour began, and her vision was soon blurred.
"I almost got soaked to the bone..." the chubby girl said with a look of relief.
The main room had a wooden sofa and a coffee table with a kettle on it.
Jiaojiao moved a small stool to the doorway, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at the rain outside.
"Sister, did the Thunder God get angry just now?" Jiaojiao asked, blinking her eyes.
Lin Ziyan sat on the rattan chair next to her and said with a faint smile, "Yes, someone has angered Lei Gong."
"Jiaojiao, where is Grandma?"
She looked around but didn't see her grandmother.
The rain continued to patter, its direction veered off course by the wind.
The lemon tree swayed constantly, as if dancing in the rain, twisting its slender waist.
The flowers in the flowerpot drooped their heads shyly.
"Come help! We'll be moving into our new house in a few days, and we'll need to steam some cakes then." Grandma Lin came out of the inner room carrying a snakeskin bag.
The chubby girl hurriedly ran over to take it.
Jiaojiao clapped her hands happily, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the candy that her great-grandmother had taken out.
Lin Ziyan took out a piece of candy with the character "福" (fortune) printed on it from the bag and handed it to Jiaojiao.
"Grandma, when are we moving into our new house?" The chubby girl helped sort the things.
Lin Ziyan took out the offerings from the bag.
Mrs. Lin said, "On the tenth day of the tenth lunar month, good things come in pairs."
Rice bucket, chopsticks, bowls, pots, clear tea, Sansheng (a type of rice dish), etc.
Lin Ziyan was dazzled by the sights, touched the tip of her nose, and had no recollection of these customs at all.
Grandma set up a large table and handed her a red slip of paper.
The chubby girl felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the contents of the red plastic bag.
Are there so many rules for moving into a new house?
"On the day we move into our new house, we have to get up very early to pay our respects at the ancestral hall before coming back..." Grandma Lin muttered.
Her wrinkled hands gently stroked the red cloth as she slowly folded it.
Everything was arranged neatly in order.
There are still three days until we move into our new home.
For the next three days, Lin Ziyan was extremely busy at the shrimp paste factory.
Huo Qizhen's client ordered two hundred jars of shrimp paste, and they needed it urgently, so the factory had to work overtime to fulfill the order.
On the day she moved into her new home, Lin Ziyan was startled awake by the sound of a rooster crowing.
The yard lights were turned on, and the orange glow shone through the windows into the inner room.
She could vaguely hear Aunt Chen and Grandma talking.
"Ayan, wake Xiaoxiao and Jiaojiao up quickly, we're going to the ancestral hall," Atai called from the window.
Lin Ziyan, still half-asleep, pulled her two younger sisters along with her great-grandmother to the ancestral hall.
Aunt Chen and Aunt Huang helped carry the items.
Lin Ziyan didn't come to her senses until the worship ceremony was over.
Atai meant to hold a feast to make the new house lively and add to the festive atmosphere.
So, as soon as they returned from their worship, the village cooks came over with a makeshift stove.
Many aunties came to help, so Lin Ziyan didn't need to lift a finger; Aunt Chen and Aunt Huang took care of everything.
She sat idly on the stone stool by the door, waiting for guests, and kept yawning.
The younger sisters had already run off to play with their friends in the village.
"Don't you need any help?" Lu Qiuying asked suspiciously when she saw Lin's house as she arrived at the door carrying gifts.
"You'll see when you go in," Lin Ziyan said, yawning.
Lu Qiuying put the gift inside and quickly walked out.
There were many aunties washing vegetables and dishes, and many people in the yard.
"Tsk, tsk, looks like you're quite popular in the village," Lu Qiuying teased, putting her arm around her shoulder.
She just found out that the person dating her younger brother is Ayan.
She's been so busy lately that she's passed by her home three times without going in, and she's exhausted.
“That’s right, I’m a friend of women!” Lin Ziyan said with a smile.
"Ayan, is my brother like a block of wood when he's dating you?" Lu Qiuying asked softly.
Lin Ziyan, "..."
wood?
She felt a little embarrassed; Lu Yun Shen was very good at flirting, especially after their last kiss…
Lin Ziyan's ears burned, and she coughed a few times. "No, he was quite...proactive."
Lu Qiuying looked incredulous.
Before she could ask any more questions, a voice interrupted her.
"Ayan!"
Fang called out and waved to them.
Soon after, firecrackers went off, and the village children chased after them.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. As the smoke gradually dissipated, the person next to Sister Fang could be seen clearly.
Lin Ziyan was surprised that Sister Fang would bring her husband along, so she quickly got up to greet her.
"Sister Fang, let's go up to the terrace and chat," Lin Ziyan said with a smile, taking her hand.
…
At this moment, the Wei family,
Grandpa Qin sat at the doorway cracking melon seeds and chatting with the old woman next door.
Grandma Wei from Grandpa Lin's house passed by carrying a red bucket and stopped to sit down with him.
"When are you going to the Lin family?" Granny Wei asked casually.
Mrs. Chen from next door said, "Let's go again at lunchtime. We'll meet at the big banyan tree then."
When the Lin family moved into their new house, they invited all the elderly people in the village, gathering enough for two tables.
"What are you going to the Lin family for?" Aunt Qin asked, spitting out the melon seed shells.
The two old women exchanged glances, pursed their lips, and remained silent.
They didn't know that Lin Atai hadn't invited Qin Atai; they assumed that all the village elders had been invited to the feast.
"Granny Wei, what are you still doing here? Hurry up and change your clothes, we need to get ready for the feast..."
Just then, an old woman carrying buckets came by and muttered something.
Qin Atai squinted, finally realizing what was going on, "What kind of feast is the Lin family having today?"
"Moving into a new house! Firecrackers were set off at the ancestral hall this morning, have you forgotten?" the old woman asked with a smile, and hurriedly left.
Granny Wei, "..."
Granny Chen, "..."
The atmosphere froze for a moment, then the two old women quickly made an excuse to leave.
Qin Atai's eyes were filled with venom as she cursed, "You old hag, you've actually teamed up to ostracize me?"
"They even singled me out at the banquet..."
She muttered to herself as she walked into the inner room, intending to change her clothes and go directly to the banquet.
The family hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and it was a rare occasion to have a housewarming feast. There was no need to give gifts or anything. With these thoughts in mind, Mrs. Tan changed her clothes and went out.
"I'll come back after I've eaten my fill today..." Grandma Qin put her hands behind her back and strode towards the banyan tree.
In the village, when hosting a feast for the elderly, regardless of how close the relationship is, almost all the elders will be invited, and gifts are not accepted; this is a tacit understanding among everyone.
Tan Atai walked to the banyan tree and followed the others toward the Lin family's house.
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