After waking up from a nap, I came out of the space and saw that it was still dark outside. I planned to lie on the kang for a while, but I heard the sound of firecrackers in the distance. Who is having breakfast so early?
The custom here is to see who has breakfast earlier, but you can’t go until dark!
I got up resignedly, lit the fire on the new stove, and used it to cook dumplings quickly.
I changed into the new clothes my mother made for me, which were made from the cloth that Li Wei's family bought for twenty dollars as compensation.
My mother tore it for a light gray one, but it didn't really matter. In those days, most of the colors were blue, gray, black, and pink with small floral patterns. Only the clothes my aunt occasionally sent me were brighter, and Yang Ji often borrowed them to visit relatives, and each time he borrowed them for more than ten days.
Heat the glutinous rice flour, roll the Yuanxiao, boil the water, put the Yuanxiao in, and then make the dumplings.
When the dumplings came out of the pot, Zhou's mother also came over.
"Happy New Year, Mom!"
"Happy New Year, my daughter! This is your New Year's money, keep it." Zhou's mother gave Zhou Xiang a new ten-yuan bill.
Zhou Xiang happily accepted it. Zhou's father came in right after Zhou's mother and also gave Zhou Xiang ten yuan in new bills.
"Thank you, Dad. Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year, my daughter!"
Zhou Xiang was happy. It was the first year he received New Year’s money. In the past, he had to pester his father to ask for it.
"Xiang Xiang, your idea is really good. I don't feel warm when I put on this down jacket." Zhou's father praised Zhou Xiang.
"It's better than cotton, right? I'll collect some and make a set for everyone in my family."
Light firecrackers and eat.
After breakfast, when it was just getting light, Zhou's father placed melon seeds, peanuts and sugar on the eight-immortal table in the main hall of the main house to entertain the guests.
Zhou wants to boil some water for later use.
Unexpectedly, the first person to arrive was Ling Ran. As soon as he entered the door, he wished a happy new year to Zhou's father and mother.
"Happy New Year, Uncle Zhou! Happy New Year, Auntie!"
Father Zhou nodded happily and handed Ling Ran two new dollars. Ling Ran took it and thanked him.
Zhou wanted to ask him if he had eaten breakfast, but Ling Ran shook his head.
Zhou Xiang hurried to the kitchen to boil water and cook dumplings, and Ling Ran followed him there.
Forty dumplings were placed in front of Ling Ran, and he ate them all calmly.
"Are you full? If not, cook some more." Zhou Xiang asked when he saw that he had no reaction after eating.
"I'm about 80% full. I'll have some sunflower seeds and peanuts later, so leave some space."
After sitting for a while, Ling Ran left to visit other families to pay New Year's greetings.
Children began to come to the Zhou family to wish them a happy new year. The first to come was Wang Fang, who was a neighbor of Yang Ji's. She was 12 years old and in the fifth grade, and had an average relationship with Zhou Xiang.
There are only five families living in the food station’s family compound. The rest of the employees are from nearby villages and they go back home to live directly.
Then there were the two families living next door to Wang's, Huang Ping and Feng Li. One was 8 years old, and the other was 9 years old. Because they were younger than Zhou Xiang, she didn't play with them much.
Because Zhou Xiang is the only one in the Zhou family, all the people who come to pay New Year's greetings are girls.
Zhou's mother gave everyone fifty cents as New Year's money. She had never given them that much in previous years. She only gave them melon seeds and peanuts.
Wang Fang, Huang Ping and Feng Li happily accepted it and thanked loudly!
After the three girls left for a while, Yang Ji came and smiled as soon as he entered the door.
"Happy New Year, Uncle Zhou! Happy New Year, Aunt Jiang!"
Father Zhou smiled and replied, "Happy New Year!"
Zhou's mother responded indifferently.
Seeing that his wife was not interested in greeting him, Zhou's father had no choice but to wink at Zhou Xiang.
Zhou Xiang also felt that they couldn't suddenly break off diplomatic ties without any reason!
"Yang Ji, Happy New Year! Come sit down and eat some melon seeds and peanuts."
Yang Ji sat down, and Zhou Xiang also sat down beside her. Zhou's father winked at Zhou's mother, asking her to give Yang Ji New Year's money, but Zhou's mother pretended not to see it.
After Yang Ji left, Zhou's father asked Zhou's mother why she didn't give him New Year's money?
Zhou Xiang was afraid that the two would quarrel on New Year's Day, so he quickly told them about the handkerchief and Yang Ji's reaction.
"Dad, Yang Juan is playing tricks on me. Yang Ji must know it. I still care about her. Even if I give her face, I can't treat her the same way as before. She doesn't regard me as a friend."
After hearing this, Father Zhou sighed and said, "It's because we are from outside."
At this time, a group of children came outside, including boys and girls. The youngest was six or seven years old, and the oldest was thirteen or fourteen years old.
As soon as I walked in, I shouted, "Happy New Year, cousin! Happy New Year, cousin-in-law!"
Zhou's mother had a sincere smile on her face. Although she didn't know how the two colleagues from the food station in Xiaoxie Village recognized Zhou Quan's relationship, they did sincerely acknowledge this relationship and visited him during the holidays.
When Zhou Quan was trying to recognize his relatives, he unexpectedly recognized himself and became the cousin of the two people in Xiaoxie Village.
Zhou Xiang also knew why these children called their mother "cousin". They were relatives that their father recognized when he was drinking outside.
As for why he recognized his mother, it might be because his grandmother's family was in Jiangxi Province, which was far away and could not be verified.
Zhou Xiang guessed that his father came back to recognize a relative because the locals bullied him. At least in this town surrounded by villages on all sides, he could feel a little confident.
Father Zhou called out their names one by one and asked them to sit at the table and eat melon seeds and peanuts.
Zhou wanted to go back to his room, smuggle two bags of White Rabbit snacks from the space, open them, put them in cloth bags and bring them to the main room, and give two pieces of White Rabbit snacks to each of the twelve children in total.
He distributed twenty-four yuan, and the rest was poured into the candy box on the table. "You guys eat this first, and save the money in your pocket for when you go back."
When Zhou's father saw this, he felt very proud that his daughter had brought honor to him.
Zhou's mother also gave each of the twelve children a new fifty-cent note. The twelve children took it and shouted, "Thank you, cousin!"
Zhou wanted to ask them if they had eaten. Some shook their heads, some nodded.
"Then you wait, I'll go cook some dumplings and everyone can have some."
Zhou wanted to go cook dumplings, but his mother followed him and asked, "Why are you being so nice to them? White Rabbit and dumplings, isn't my 50-cent New Year's gift enough?"
"Mom, sit down first." Zhou wanted to heat the old stove and scoop hot water from the new stove.
"Although the people in Xiaoxie Village were just random relatives my father recognized, they still kept the same etiquette during festivals. I have never been to Xiaoxie Village to pay New Year's greetings to my cousins, but their children came. Although they are still children, they can learn the etiquette when they go back, and the adults know what is going on.
You said that people here bully strangers. I guess this is why Dad recognized this relative. He wanted to have some confidence in this town.
This is a big village with the same ancestors everywhere. Xiao Xie Village is the largest. Dad is right to do this. Let's do this for now. I will be your support in the future. This is the only way to deal with it for now."
After listening to her daughter's analysis, Zhou's mother's reluctance disappeared.
Zhou Xiang cooked the dumplings, scooped them up in a small porcelain bowl, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and brought them to the main room.
"Eat them while they're hot. There aren't many dumplings left. Everyone should have a few to fill their stomachs. We all walked here, right?"
The oldest boy answered, "Yes! I carried Xiaojun here because he walked too slowly."
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