As soon as I opened the door, I saw a small figure kneeling down outside.
Who else could it be but Yan Jiekuang?
Wang Dabao was so angry he laughed. Those were stone steps; even if the kid was dressed warmly, he couldn't withstand such a forceful kneel.
"Uncle Da Bao, Happy New Year!"
As Yan Jiekuang spoke, he slapped his head three times with a loud thud, a sound that made Wang Dabao wince. But the kid was too fast; before he could stop him, Yan Jiekuang had already finished.
"Come in. Who told you to bang your head here? Is your forehead alright?"
Wang Dabao smiled wryly and grabbed Yan Jiekuang, dragging him into the house.
By this time, the temperature in the west bedroom had risen, so Wang Dabao asked Yan Jiekuang to sit down and poured him some hot tea.
Then, he took out eleven yuan from his pocket and handed it to Yan Jiekuang: "This one yuan is for you to take home and report. Keep the other ten yuan for yourself to buy something nice to eat. Don't let your dad know."
Yan Jiekuang was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook his head.
"No, Uncle Bao, that's too much. I'll just take this one-piece one."
"Just take it. Why are you being so polite to your uncle? Are you asking for a beating?"
As Wang Dabao spoke, he stuffed a ring of money into Yan Jiekuang's cotton-padded jacket pocket. "Remember this, if your dad asks, give him one yuan. The ten yuan is your uncle's secret stash for you. Keep it to buy snacks when you go to school, but don't spend it recklessly."
"I understand, Uncle. Don't worry, I won't waste money."
Yan Jiekuang was thrilled. Ten yuan was enough for him to live on for a year, and he could brag about it for a whole year if he took it out in class.
"Uncle, let me kowtow to you a few more times."
As he spoke, Yan Jiekuang was about to kneel down again.
Wang Dabao quickly reached out to stop him. Good heavens, he's still bumping his head! Can't you see his forehead is still red?
If he keeps banging his head, he'll definitely break it. This kid isn't as cunning as his father; he's a rare find—honest.
This is also why Wang Dabao likes this child.
When the children came to wish us a Happy New Year, the house was filled with the festive spirit, but we couldn't just offer them tea. Afterwards, Wang Dabao pretended to go to the east room and brought back White Rabbit milk candy, Prairie Sisters cookies, and two bottles of Arctic Ocean soda.
Yan Jiekuang was stunned when he saw so much delicious food.
"What are you standing there for? Eat! It's all prepared for you. Take the leftovers with you."
As Wang Dabao spoke, he cracked open the soda bottle cap on the corner of the stove, smiled, and handed it to Yan Jiekuang, saying, "Eat biscuits with soda, and go all out."
Yan Jiekuang's face flushed with excitement, and he nodded hurriedly.
Next came Yan Jiekuang's feast, while Wang Dabao watched with a smile, sipping his tea.
A couple of days ago, because that kid Banggeng said a few bad things about him, Yan Jiekuang beat him so badly that his teeth were loose. But he also suffered a bit of a loss; he still has a bruise around his eye. After all, Banggeng had the upper hand in terms of physique.
If one had to name a friend in the courtyard, Yan Jiekuang would be the only one.
In no time, the soda was gone, and Yan Jiekuang kept burping. It wasn't because he was too full, but because the soda was cold and the cold air went into his stomach.
Seeing this, Wang Dabao smiled and poured him some hot tea, watching him drink it before the hiccups stopped.
After chatting for a while, Yan Jiekuang went back.
Before leaving, Wang Dabao looked at Yan Jiekuang's thin figure and told him to come to his place for lunch, as it would be better to have a lively atmosphere on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Wang Dabao's idea was quite good. There was meat and vegetables in the storage room, so he could just cook a few at noon. He didn't care if they tasted good or not; as long as there was meat, there was flavor. He could just add more oil, and it would definitely smell delicious.
I'll just have a little wine by myself, and Yan Jiekuang will keep me company with soda.
After seeing Yan Jiekuang off, Wang Dabao poked the stove a couple of times, added some coal, and made the fire burn brighter, making the heated walls and kang (heated brick bed) inside the house even warmer.
Then he warmed the mattress and blankets, preparing to drink a couple more sips of tea before lying in bed for a nap.
Although he slept at the factory, there was nothing to do during the Spring Festival, and it was cold outside, so he might as well lie in bed and sleep for a while.
As Wang Dabao was drinking tea, he frowned, seemingly hearing intermittent noises.
Upon arriving at the entrance, I heard the voice coming from the Intermediate People's Court.
It seems everyone is criticizing Sha Zhu, with Yan Bugui and Xu Damao being the main targets, since they lost their New Year's money.
Wang Dabao wasn't interested in this matter. He closed the door, went back to his bedroom, and crawled into bed.
After lying in bed for a while, the chill was immediately dispelled, and the drowsiness came rushing in.
I drifted off to sleep.
When Wang Dabao woke up, he grabbed the watch next to him and glanced at it; it was 11:40.
He thought Yan Jiekuang would come over soon, and he would wake up as soon as he knocked on the door.
Unexpectedly, Yan Jiekuang still hadn't arrived at this hour. Logically speaking, the kid shouldn't have forgotten.
Wang Dabao got up, took his clothes from the stove, and put them on one by one. Then he went to the outer living room to prepare to chop vegetables and cook, but he would have to go to the stove in the west room to stir-fry the vegetables.
Wang Dabao planned to cook four dishes for Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiekuang.
Stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, eggplant with scallions, stewed beef and potatoes, cabbage, tofu and glass noodles, with some slices of fatty meat added, as a treat for Yan Jiekuang.
This kid is so skinny. Standing next to that brat Banggeng, he doesn't even look like he's the same age.
After preparing the ingredients, Yan Jiekuang still didn't come. Wang Dabao was puzzled. Could it be that he had really forgotten about it?
Helpless, he had no choice but to put on his cotton-padded coat and go looking for them.
This is the time when everyone is cooking, so there are not many people in the yard, which saves time of greeting each other.
Upon arriving at the front yard, I lifted the curtain of Old Yan's house and saw Yan Jiekuang wiping away tears, while Yan Bugui leisurely drank tea beside him.
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