In Linshui Village, Meng Tao celebrated the New Year with Meng Jinniu very attentively.

In fact, she and Meng Taohua not only look similar, but also have similar personalities, except that they are unwilling to become a fool for the so-called love and get stuck in a dead end. In other aspects, they are very traditional in nature, such as being law-abiding, living seriously, and not greedy... Well, small money is something to be greedy for, after all, it is related to survival issues, and if you have the ability to earn it, why not? Don't be greedy for what does not belong to you.

With two people, oh, and Xiao Wangcai, the New Year Festival for the three of us is also very fun, and a few programs are enough to make us happy.

The first thing to do is to put up Spring Festival couplets. Meng Tao bought couplets and New Year pictures in Mengzhou. After they were put up, the whole courtyard suddenly showed a strong New Year atmosphere, and it looked festive and lively.

Meng Tao bought a lot of New Year pictures, so she gave a few to Captain Bao, Zhou Cuiling, Wang Tiegen and Lin Dagang. They were all very happy.

Then it was the New Year's Eve dinner. There was no need to prepare much, as everything was ready. Aunt Yang made braised pork with pork belly on the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month and sent a bowl of it. Meng Tao also fried some fish pieces and meat-stuffed egg buns to send back, and kept some for herself, which she stored in the space and steamed directly. Then she killed a young hen that she had exchanged with a neighbor, chopped the chicken into pieces, and then stewed a small pot on a low stove with ribs, vermicelli, and space cabbage... It was simple and delicious, and the two of them and the dog ate happily while listening to the radio.

Xiao Wangcai was raised by Meng Tao. His eating habits are exactly like a human. He eats everything, including vegetables, fruits, and even vermicelli.

Before dinner, Jinniu lit a string of electric firecrackers. While sitting in a wheelchair, he imitated others by lighting them in his hands and wanted to throw them into the yard in a cool way. However, he had too little experience and had never had the chance to play with firecrackers. He threw them a little late and almost had his paws blown to pieces.

Fortunately, there was no danger. Xiao Wangcai called out to him in disgust, but Jinniu himself was so happy that he couldn't stop laughing.

Meng Tao bought several packs of firecrackers and twelve fireworks in the county town. The kind that when placed on the ground and lit would instantly burst into fireworks, bright and gorgeous like a dream in the night. There are more and more exquisite varieties of fireworks in later generations, but Meng Tao just likes to watch this kind.

After eating the New Year's Eve dinner, people nowadays don't care about the midnight. They just put fireworks in the yard and light them one by one. When the neighbors, adults and children, saw sparks shooting up from their yard, they thought there was a fire and ran over. When they saw that it was fireworks, they clapped their hands in joy and the yard was filled with people, and it was very lively with laughter and joy.

After everyone left, Jinniu turned his wheelchair around the room and took out a lantern from somewhere and gave it to Meng Tao.

This was a surprise, a beautiful and elegant little lantern, tied with a thin hemp rope to a two-foot-long bamboo branch. Meng Tao took it and looked at it. The frame was made of thinly sliced ​​bamboo skin, with half a candle fixed inside. The outside was surrounded by beige paper, which was folded into even folds. There were peach blossoms painted on it, which was very cute. Meng Tao asked happily:

"Brother Taurus, did you buy this? A New Year's present for me?"

Taurus smiled sheepishly: "As long as you like it, I made it myself."

"Ah, you can do this? Brother Taurus, you are amazing!"

"It's nothing special. I just watched Wang Ergou's father make lanterns for his little girl and thought it wasn't difficult. It's Chinese New Year and I don't have anything good, so I'll try to make one for you to play with."

"This lantern is great. I like it. Thank you. I'll light it right away. The paper quality is pretty good. Where did you get it?"

"Last time, Brother Meng packed some clothes and put them in a box and said they were useless and he wanted to throw them away, so I picked them up and put them away."

"Did you draw this peach blossom? It looks pretty similar."

"I don't know how to draw. I just melt some red paper and then use the tip of a chopstick to dot it, and that's it."

Meng Tao was overjoyed: "Brother Taurus, you are such a treasure man!"

Meng Jinniu didn’t understand what a treasure man was. He just felt happy seeing Meng Tao happy.

It was past nine o'clock in the evening and the mountain village was quiet. Even if it was New Year's Day, people would basically have gone to sleep by then to save lamp oil and firewood. It was a waste to light a lamp and warm themselves by the fire while sitting.

Meng Tao, Jinniu and Xiao Wangcai are still awake. Wang Tiezhu has also arrived. Several people have agreed to stay up all night to celebrate the New Year. Well, there is one more person who will be here soon.

Zhou Cuiling ran over with a flashlight. She and Zhang Guoqing were not married yet, so they had to spend the New Year at home. They had agreed to come to Taohua's house in the evening for a barbecue.

Meng Tao and Wang Tiegen have already started grilling, and Jinniu is helping to pass things around. A simple wire mesh is placed on a small stove, and pieces of marinated tiger meat are sizzling with oil, smelling delicious and making people salivate.

Wang Tiegen: “…”

Meng Tao and Jin Niu laughed.

Zhou Cuiling closed the gate and went into the house. She kept saying how cold it was and how delicious the meat smelled. She put down the flashlight and turned to the small lantern Meng Tao had placed by the window: "Whose is this?"

"Mine, don't move!" said Meng Tao.

Zhou Cuiling didn't care and picked up the small lantern: "It's so beautiful, I like it! Did you buy it from the county? Why don't you buy one for me? I have money."

"Money can't buy it. My brother made it for me."

"Which brother are you? I know you have many brothers now."

"Are you envious or jealous?"

Zhou Cuiling rolled her eyes: "Yes! I am envious and jealous. Are you satisfied? Then give me this lantern?"

"No, I can only tell you that this is a New Year's gift from Brother Jinniu. He knows how to make lanterns. You can ask him to make one for you."

"Really? Brother Taurus can do this?"

Zhou Cuiling immediately walked up to Jinniu and begged, "Brother Jinniu, you are the best! I think you are getting more and more handsome, can you make one for me?"

Taurus also likes to be praised, and he was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling, but he was still able to stay sober: "Well, well, there is no good-looking paper."

"I have some at home. I'll get it tomorrow. What else do you want?"

"We don't need anything. We have bamboo, wire and candles at home."

Wang Tiegen said: "Sister Cuiling, I can do it too."

Zhou Cuiling: "Go away, stop making trouble. What can you do? I believe you can dig bamboo rats."

Wang Tiegen was furious: "I really can do it! When Brother Jinniu was making this lantern, I was watching from the side and running errands for him. Brother Jinniu also taught me. How come I can only dig bamboo rats? Can't I show off a little bit?"

Several people fell down laughing.

For barbecue ingredients, since we have tiger meat, we don’t need beef or mutton. We can use some pork belly, chicken nuggets, a few potatoes and steamed buns. Roast them until crispy and eat them with tomato and chili sauce. It is very delicious.

Meng Tao did not tell them that what they were eating was tiger meat, she only told them that it was beef. Zhou Cuiling and Wang Tiegen both expressed doubts, but Meng Tao insisted, so they believed it.

We talked and laughed, ate and drank, and before we knew it, it was past midnight. It was almost one o'clock before everyone packed up, washed up and rested.

New Year's Eve has passed, and tomorrow is the beginning of the New Year.

(End of this chapter)