The two little guys didn't understand and didn't suspect anything until they entered their new house.
Xu Jian's eyes lit up frighteningly, "Dad! Is this our home?"
Xu Dahai laughed, "Yes! This is our new home. Your mother is still setting up a stall. We plan to open the store in front to sell clothes after the New Year and buy more goods. The back is where we live. We will go back to the village to visit relatives during the Spring Festival and then come back. Remember, don't tell anyone about our new house, otherwise the villagers will ask about it and it will be troublesome for them to borrow money from us when they come back."
The two children nodded vigorously and cheered as they ran upstairs to see their rooms.
Then I went to Lin Ying’s stall to find my mother.
From a distance, I could see Xu Xinyi sitting obediently in the middle of the stall, holding a steamed bun in her hand.
Their hearts melted and they rushed over to call them mom and sister.
Lin Ying's eyes lit up, "Wow! You've grown taller this year! It looks like you've had a lot of good food at your aunt's place!"
Xu Jian grinned, picked up his sister and spun around.
Xu Kang threw himself into Lin Ying's arms.
Lin Ying touched his head and continued to greet the guests.
Seeing that Lin Ying was very busy, the two brothers simply took their sister back home.
After a while, Lin Ying also closed his stall and went back.
This is the first year they have moved into their new home, so it is natural for them to celebrate New Year's Eve here, and make it a particularly grand one.
As soon as Lin Ying arrived home, she found Xu Dahai and his eldest son in the kitchen preparing New Year's Eve dinner, and his youngest son was playing with his daughter in the backyard.
The backyard wall is more than three meters high, the gate is closed, and the ground is paved with bricks, so the two children can run and jump without worrying about bumping into anything.
Lin Ying took a glance, the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously, she rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen to help.
The villagers of Xujia Village are also busy preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Zhang Guizhi looked at the dishes that Wang Fengying brought over, and her face became long. "Sister-in-law, you said that we should celebrate the New Year together this year to make my parents happy. There's not even any meat here. Who would eat these things during the New Year? You're not expecting me to prepare them, are you?
Dachuan and I are not as well off as you are. It is not appropriate for you to come and ask for money during the New Year!"
Wang Fengying didn't expect Zhang Guizhi to be so ruthless and showed no mercy. She was immediately embarrassed and aggrieved, her face flushed. "Sister-in-law, I don't raise chickens or ducks, so I just grow some vegetables. I thought you have chickens and ducks ready. If you don't want to kill them, you can tell me in advance and I'll prepare them early. It's almost dark now, and there's nowhere to buy them."
Although Xu Dashan felt a little embarrassed, he still took the initiative to make up for his wife, "We are saving money to buy a house in the city so that Ajie can go to school in the city. We really don't have much money."
Zhang Guizhi sneered twice, "No matter how poor we are, we can't let our parents lose their money! Brother, you are not doing a fair job in this matter."
"Yes, yes, it was indeed our fault this time. We will definitely correct it next time." Xu Dashan admitted his mistake very well, which made it difficult for Zhang Guizhi to continue speaking.
Wang Ximei looked at the vegetables without a smile on her face and sat there sulking.
Xu Dashan was embarrassed for a while, then immediately changed the subject, "Mom, why don't I go to the village and buy a chicken from someone."
"It's New Year's Day. Everyone has sold all the chickens and ducks they can, and the ones left are for their own consumption. Where can you buy them at this time?" Wang Ximei's tone was filled with deep grievance and heartbreak.
Xu Dashan was frightened and gritted his teeth and said, "I remember the second brother's family seems to have a lot of them. I'll go find him to buy some."
With that, Xu Dashan walked straight out of the yard. No matter how Wang Fengying tried to signal him, it was of no use. She was almost hurt by the anger.
Originally, I suggested that they eat here in order to save money on the New Year's Eve dinner, but now they have to pay for the chicken themselves. If I had known this would happen, I would have eaten at home!
Xu Dashan quickly arrived at Xu Dahai's house, but when he arrived at the gate, he found that the house was pitch dark and the door was closed tightly. He shouted several times from outside but no one came to open the door.
I had no choice but to ask the neighbors nearby, "Do you know where Dahai and his family went?"
The neighbors shook their heads.
Instead, a woman who liked to join in the fun came out with a bowl of rice in her hand and said casually, "Dahai and his wife came back that day and killed a bunch of chickens and ducks. They said they wanted Dahai's sister-in-law to take them back to the city. I guess their family went to the city to celebrate the New Year."
Xu Dashan's face looked a little grim. "You said Dahai killed all the chickens and ducks at home and gave them all to his sister-in-law?"
The woman nodded. “He’s right.”
Xu Dashan returned to the old house with a gloomy face, holding a big rooster weighing four or five kilograms in his hand.
Wang Ximei finally relaxed when she saw the chicken. "How much did it cost?"
Everyone looked at Xu Dashan.
Xu Dashan did not hide it and said, "Three dollars."
"Hiss!" Wang Fengying gasped and cursed, "Has Lao Er gone mad because of poverty? I sold you a chicken for three yuan! You are so stupid!"
Wang Ximei was also very angry. "I'm going to go and reason with Lao Er! I want to see how evil that ungrateful bastard is!"
Xu Dashan grabbed Wang Ximei and said, "Mom, you don't have to go. The second son is not at home. His family went to the city to celebrate the New Year. I bought this chicken from Uncle Mazi, but he was reluctant to sell it to me. I raised the price to three yuan and he reluctantly gave it to me.
We can’t have a New Year’s Eve dinner without any meat, so let’s just leave it at that!”
Wang Ximei was stunned for a moment and asked, "No, the second brother's family went to the city and left the chickens and ducks at home alone? Can't you go in and catch one yourself?"
Xu Dashan was even more speechless when he saw his mother looking at him as if he were a fool. "She killed all the chickens and ducks a long time ago and asked her sister-in-law to take them to the city. There is nothing left at home. It is quiet and the door is locked. How can I get in? What are I going to catch?"
Wang Ximei was so angry that she slapped her thigh and cursed, "You ungrateful bastard, you unfilial son! Why doesn't that bastard just die? Ouch! My head is so dizzy!"
Xu Dashan said nothing, threw the chicken to the ground, and asked, "Who will clean it up?"
Wang Fengying was furious and sat there motionless. Zhang Guizhi didn't want to do it either, but the eldest wife had paid for the chickens and it was impossible for her to just sit back and enjoy the results. She could only smile awkwardly and get busy.
Everyone felt unhappy during the New Year's Eve dinner at the old house.
Xu Dahai's family lived in a brand new, spacious and bright house, and they had a New Year's Eve dinner with seafood, chicken, duck and pork.
Everyone was having a great time, it was such a happy time.
The family did not return to their house in the village until after lunch on New Year's Day.
As soon as I opened the door, the woman next door came over and told me that Xu Dashan had come over last night.
The couple looked at each other, thanked the woman, but did not curiously ask.
Seeing that the couple were not paying attention, the woman curled her lips and became a little bored.
Xu Dahai went to the homes of several familiar friends in the village and sat for a while, and asked about Xu Dashan's family situation. (End of this chapter)
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