Chapter 74 Another Year
With money, life became better and the streets became more beautiful.
Big red lanterns are hung high, and neon lights are wrapped around the trees everywhere. This is what the so-called decorations are all about.
At present, Shenzhen has not banned the use of fireworks. The air is filled with the smell of fireworks from burning firecrackers, making the New Year atmosphere even stronger.
Many adults are leading their children on the streets, wearing brand new clothes. Young and old, men and women, are strolling slowly on the streets. When they meet familiar people, they will say "Happy New Year!" to each other, and when they meet strangers, they will smile at each other. The whole street was harmonious and joyful.
Lin Qiu and Wang Xiuren walked side by side, following their daughter.
Wang Shan pointed at the stall selling roasted sweet potatoes and turned to look at Lin Qiu, "Mom, buy this, it smells sweet!"
"Eating this will easily cause you to get angry!"
During the New Year period, one always has to eat something fried. Wang Shan is greedy, and Wang Xiuren spoils her, so a small blister appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Mom doesn't agree! But it doesn't matter.
Wang Shan ran over, holding her father's hand with one hand, and holding her pocket full of snacks with the other hand, pointing forward, "Dad, I want to eat that!"
Wang Xiuren looked in the direction she pointed.
What?
Lin Qiu followed and took a look, and couldn't help but laugh.
It's rice flower.
People who lived through that era generally have eaten this. In the past, during the Chinese New Year, I would look forward to the arrival of the popcorn crowd, pestering my parents for a few cents, and then asking for a large bowl of rice from the rice jar, and then standing in line waiting for the old man to shout, "Next!"
Rice popcorn actually just tastes like saccharin. People in that era had little to eat, so anything with a little sweetness was considered delicious.
"Dad, what is this?"
“It was my dad’s favorite when he was a kid!”
The conversation between father and daughter interrupted Lin Qiu's thoughts.
The round, beige rice grains are packed into white plastic bags, giving off a sweet rice aroma.
There was an old man next to him shaking a blackened "iron gourd" - an old-fashioned popcorn machine, surrounded by a circle of old people and children watching the fun.
"Everyone, please stand back. It's about to explode!" The old man stood up and waved the crowd away.
Wang Xiuren quickly pulled his daughter back and covered her ears tightly.
“Bang!”
With a loud bang, a cloud of white smoke rose up, and the pockets were filled with hot and fragrant popcorn. The aroma of popcorn immediately filled the streets.
Wang Shan stared at this new gadget with eyes wide open, without blinking.
"Do you still want to eat this?" Lin Qiu looked at his daughter.
“It looks delicious!” Wang Shan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “It smells delicious!”
Then go buy it!
Wang Xiuren handed over fifty cents in exchange for a small plastic bag of popcorn. Wang Shan stayed close to her father, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into her mouth from time to time. She is small, has small hands, and can't hold the food steadily, so she usually eats half and misses the other half.
"Dad, fireworks!"
Wang Shan dragged Wang Xiuren into the crowd again, but found that she was too short to see, so she simply pulled her father down and climbed onto his back.
"Dad, I'll just buy one, and we'll go back and play it!"
OK!
Buy one and put it back.
As a result, he picked up another large handful.
"Just spoil her!" Lin Qiu rolled her eyes at Wang Xiuren in reproach.
Wang Xiuren didn't say anything either, but kept making faces at his daughter, which made Wang Shan laugh out loud.
The tall and slender Wang Xiuren was wearing a straight dark gray tweed coat, with Wang Shan, who looked like a glutinous rice ball, hanging on his back. Lin Qiu was wearing a beige tweed coat and gray pencil pants, looking young and beautiful. The family of three smiled brightly and looked extremely happy.
Passersby on the street couldn't help but laugh when they saw the affectionate look of the family of three.
The Lin family in Hunan Province is also celebrating the New Year with great enthusiasm today.
Ever since Lin Ping returned home wearing new and fashionable clothes and carrying a lot of bags, Lin Li and his wife have been coming to the old house every day, holding Lin Min's hand and holding Lin Rui (Lin Li and Liu Xiang's youngest son).
Lin Ping was dissatisfied with the couple because his mother was so angry that she left home for Pengcheng. He would make some sarcastic remarks to them from time to time, but the couple did not seem to be annoyed. Instead, they were very attentive to Lin Ping.
Lin Ping listened to the two of them talking about Pengcheng implicitly, and pretended not to understand and didn't say anything, wanting to see how long they could endure before they told the truth.
As a result, the two of them had no patience at all, and Liu Xiang said it directly in front of everyone at the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve.
"Qiuqiu is really capable. It hasn't been long since she went to Pengcheng, and she has made a fortune, and Pingping has also become rich!"
Zhou Qing glanced at her unhappily, "Where did you hear this news? How come Qiuqiu and Pingping made a fortune? How come I don't know about it."
Liu Xiang curled her lips in disbelief, "Mom, don't hide it. If you hadn't made a fortune, would you two have stayed in Pengcheng for so long? Would Lin Ping have been able to move so many things into the house?"
Don’t think that you don’t know anything just because you are taking care of the children at home. Just look at the several new sets of clothes the old couple are wearing and you will know that Lin Qiu must be doing well outside! Otherwise, how could you bear to spend so much money on clothes?
Look at Lin Ping again, a country girl who went to Pengcheng for less than a year and had already upgraded her clothes to become just like the city girls on TV. She was jealous of the clothes she wore, not to mention all the good things she brought back. Lin Min told herself that her aunt-in-law had all kinds of delicious food, including that high-end stuff called chocolate.
Liu Xiang's words made Lin Hui and his wife stop eating. They raised their heads and stared at Zhou Qing with burning eyes.
"So I worked so hard to earn money to buy something for my family, but I ended up buying the wrong thing?" Lin Ping said indifferently, "If that's the case, I'll come back empty-handed next time!"
"Pingping, your sister-in-law just said that, don't mind it!" Lin Li saw that Lin Ping was a little angry and quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Brother, don't think I don't know what you two are up to!" Lin Ping is not so easy to coax, "Don't you just think that my sister and I have made money outside, and you want to share a piece of the pie?"
Lin Li was hit on the spot and glared at Lin Ping in anger.
"Ever since I came back, you two have been surrounding me every day, asking about my sister's situation openly and secretly. Aren't you just thinking of getting benefits by getting close to her? Don't think that we are all fools!" Lin Ping glared back unceremoniously.
Liu Xiang was always thick-skinned. She didn't feel embarrassed when her secret was revealed. Instead, she said shamelessly, "I just want to get rich with Qiuqiu, so what? We are all sisters, why can only you, Lin Ping, eat meat, but not us, Lin Li, drink soup?"
"Do you understand the relationship between sisters now? You forgot that you made Mom so angry that she ran away from home?" Lin Ping was not willing to be outdone, "You can't use your big belly as an excuse now!"
"you!"
Liu Xiang pointed at Lin Ping angrily, "Who used the belly as an excuse? I knew you were a bad person. No wonder no one wants you. You're twenty-four or twenty-five years old, and you can only stay at home like an old maid!"
Before he could finish his words, Lin Ting threw a wine glass at Lin Li.
The daughter-in-law is someone else's daughter, so you can't touch her, but the son is your own.
Lin Li turned his head away from the wine glass.
The wine glass smashed to the ground and broke into pieces.
"Dad! Do you want to smash him to death?" Liu Xiang stood up and pulled Lin Li to examine him carefully. "Lin Li is your own son!"
"Yes! Smash this heartless beast to death!" Lin Ting was furious.
"Dad!" Lin Li pushed Liu Xiang aside and looked at his father with a sullen face, "Is this how you see me?"
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Lin Ting slammed the table heavily.
"Why did your mother run to Pengcheng? We didn't tell you to save your face! Now you have set your sights on Qiuqiu. Why do you want to suck her blood when you see that she is feeling a little better? How can you be so embarrassed? Don't you know how your cousin is plotting against her outside?"
Lin Ting's words made Lin Li blush and gasp.
"Don't think that all good things have to happen to you, Lin Li? No one owes you anything! Everyone wants to live a good life, but who would be like you two, always doing crooked things!"
Lin Ting's words struck everyone like a bolt of thunder. Lin Hui and Zhou Mei lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"Qiuqiu can live the life she has now because the couple racked their brains to find ways to make money. Lin Ping works in the factory, operating the sewing machine for more than ten hours, and only has one day off a month. Both of them know the principle of hard work to get rich. Why do your brothers always rely on others for help?"
"Dad, I didn't!" Lin Hui said nervously.
Lin Ting glanced over and Lin Hui quickly lowered her head. It would be better not to offend her father at this time.
"I'm putting this out there now. Whoever dares to come close to my brothers and sisters to suck their blood will not be allowed to enter my Lin Ting's house! I don't have spineless children in my Lin Ting!"
"Have a meal!"
The reunion dinner was eaten in silence and tasted like chewing wax.
No one tried to pull Lin Li, leaving him standing there with his neck stiffened.
After finishing the tasteless meal, Lin Li rushed out of his hometown with his wife and children.
"Boss, someone recently told me that you are addicted to playing cards. If I hear this again, be careful of your claws!" Lin Ting stopped Lin Hui who was about to sneak back to the room and reminded her in a bad mood.
"I promise not to play cards anymore!" Lin Hui quickly promised.
"snort!"
After Lin Hui left, Zhou Qing and Lin Ping were the only ones left in the main room.
"Pingping, do you still remember what I told you before? Why don't you remember anything?" Lin Ting felt a little disappointed.
"Dad, I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have argued with her and acted impulsively!" Lin Ping apologized quickly.
Lin Ting shook his head. "You! When did you..."
Before he could finish his words, Lin Ping interrupted him, "It would be nice if I could be like my sister, but I can never catch up with her. Is it because you, Dad and Mom, are secretly partial to me, and you passed on all the good traits to my sister and the bad traits to me?"
Lin Ping's words left the old couple dumbfounded, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, but at least the atmosphere was no longer so awkward.
The Wang family seemed to be peaceful this year. Except for the frail Wang Zhen in the arms of the third son Wang Xiuli's wife Wu Yu, who cried from time to time, the other family had a happy New Year's Eve dinner.
Wang Zongsheng looked at his three sons toasting each other, and thought of his second son who was spending the New Year in Pengcheng, and he felt a sense of pride.
Who in the entire Wangjia Village has four sons and each of them can make a lot of money?
The eldest and fourth brother secretly told me the details and earned more than ten thousand this year. Although the third brother didn't say anything, judging from his appearance, he probably earned a lot.
As for the second son, he bought a house in Pengcheng and will be a city dweller from now on!
"Dad, I heard that the second son bought a house in Pengcheng?" The eldest son Wang Xiu De suddenly spoke.
Wang Zongsheng nodded.
"Where does he get so much money? Houses out there are not cheap?" The fourth brother Wang Xiuxin interrupted.
"How would I know that?" Wang Zongsheng remembered the second brother's advice, "But I heard that Lin Qiu made a lot of money!"
"So, a woman still needs to have skills. She can't just rely on men to make money!" Li Xiuying secretly blamed Yang Liu and Wu Yu.
When Wu Yu heard this, he lowered his head and said nothing, while Yang Liu turned her head away and rolled her eyes.
"The second brother is really capable. He even bought a house without making any noise!" Wang Xiude took a big sip of wine, "I, as the eldest brother, am still a little bit lacking!"
"Big brother, you can't say that! Four mouths in your family depend on you, you're already doing great! The second brother has less burden, not to mention he has a helper. In terms of ability, you are the most capable among the four brothers!" Li Xiuying couldn't bear to see Wang Xiude belittle herself, so she immediately comforted him.
As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Xiuli and Wang Xiuxin's faces turned a little ugly. Who is worse than the boss!
Seeing this, Wang Zongsheng secretly cursed the old woman in his heart, saying that she really didn't know how to talk and was always holding him back.
"My four sons, Wang Zongsheng, are all very capable! No matter which one they are, they will brag about their abilities when they stand out!" Wang Zongsheng praised his sons.
Wang Xiuli and Wang Xiuxin looked a little better, and they secretly made up their minds that they must not be worse than the others!
Wang Xiu De was also quietly gathering his strength in his heart. Isn’t it just buying a house? After two years, I can also buy a house outside. I don’t believe I’m worse than you, Wang Xiuren!
But Wang Xiuren in Pengcheng had no idea that he had become his brother's imaginary enemy. The family of three happily watched the Spring Festival Gala and ate the New Year's Eve dinner.
It's New Year's Eve again.
I just wish for more joy in the coming year!
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