Looking back on the year and a half she spent in the countryside, she was still a little confused.
When I transmigrated last year, I was still a naive fifteen-year-old girl.
During the year or so I spent in the countryside, I quickly adapted to a primitive life without mobile phones or computers.
I've adapted to the local rhythm of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
Having grown accustomed to thatched houses, earthen walls, and muddy paths that become impassable after rain...
I learned how to plant and harvest crops, and I became familiar with all kinds of crops and even the insects in the ground.
I've learned to live alone, do housework, cook, and also enjoy helping others.
I learned to find joy in hardship.
I made friends and raised a child.
Speaking of which, she will only be seventeen after this year. After the year, it will be 1961 in the historical timeline, so she will have to live here for at least another ten years.
She couldn't quite articulate her feelings; it seemed that after transmigrating, she had automatically placed herself in this era, but she lacked the passion and enthusiasm that teenagers of this time should have.
Even now, she still prefers her current simple life.
During this special period, firecrackers are out of the question, but Liu Weimin had already given instructions on what to do with couplets.
"Just write some auspicious words and paste some 'Fu' characters, that's all."
What else is there to celebrate the Spring Festival in the rural areas here?
Couplets, the character "福" (fortune), and paper-cut window decorations are standard fare. On New Year's Day, we invite our ancestors back to celebrate the New Year and offer sacrifices.
On New Year's Eve, people burn paper money and incense for their ancestors and stay up all night.
On the evening of the second day of the Lunar New Year, lanterns are sent off to bid farewell to the ancestors.
The year is now halfway over.
These customs are especially valued by the elders in the family; they look forward to this time of year.
But in situations like this, you can say whatever you want and I'll agree. However, every household still needs to worship their ancestors and invite the gods they need to invite, even if it's not done openly. Everyone knows the truth.
It's the same principle as burning paper money at graves before the New Year.
Simple and the educated youth naturally did not have this concern.
I got up early to start the fire and cook.
The Chinese New Year celebrations begin with breakfast.
A simple breakfast for two, but not sloppy: rice and stewed chicken with mushrooms.
Seeing that the chicken meat was already mushy, I used the fire in the stove to make a small bowl of paste, then went inside to dress the drowsy child.
The little girl's eyes were still closed, her short hair sticking up. She was groggily picked up and instinctively wrapped her arms around her older sister's neck, nuzzling her cheek against her cheek in a sweet, childlike manner.
"Happy New Year, sister!"
Surprisingly, even though I wasn't fully awake, I still remembered that it was Chinese New Year and even knew to send greetings.
While gently applying stickers to the little face, Jian Dan's hands were busy.
"Happy New Year! Come on, stand up and pull up your pants."
The thermal underwear and outerwear were all new, and they had been washed and dried several days in advance. Even the bed sheets for the two of them were washed and put back on.
"Do you think it looks good?"
The thermal underwear was simply found at the base; it's a lovely pink color, perfect for this adorable little girl.
The outer garment was nothing special; it was made by Third Grandmother.
However, the fabric wasn't one of those dull gray ones; it was the military green cloth that Cheng Chao had brought over earlier. The fabric was thick and sturdy, and the little outfit was neatly made, slightly larger than usual, making the little girl look very spirited.
After getting dressed, the little girl happily twirled around on the kang (a heated brick bed).
"Is it pretty? Is it pretty?"
I simply and easily put the quilt into the shelf at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed).
"So cute! Whose child is this? They're so adorable!"
"Ha ha!"
The little girl giggled and jumped into Jian Dan's arms.
"It's my sister's little darling!"
Wearing new clothes, the little girl was extra careful, washing her face with utmost care to avoid splashing water on herself, and eating more reservedly than usual.
However, the chicken was stewed until tender and flavorful, the mushrooms were chewy, and the rice was fragrant, sweet, and soft.
Jian Xin hesitated for a moment, realizing that gnawing on bones was inconvenient, and without saying anything, she took the initiative to ask to change her outer garment into a cover-up, completely forgetting her earlier reluctance.
"If there's oil on your hands, you can't wear new clothes. Wash your hands thoroughly before wearing them."
Simple couldn't help but laugh. The child looked so young, yet he understood everything. He had quite a bit to say about this.
Once the smock was changed, their true nature was revealed, and they immediately started touching each other.
The two sisters devoured more than half of the small bowl of vegetables. Jian Xin barely ate any rice, and by the time she left the table, she was so full she was burping.
After breakfast, the sun came out.
Jianxin spread the couplets and the character "福" (good fortune) along the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and prepared to apply paste. Jianxin joined in the fun. The child's hands were unsteady, and she kept trembling. The paste would drip onto the kang or onto the floor. She barely managed to get any paste in the right place, and ended up with paste all over her fingers and apron. She didn't even know how it happened, and there was a little bit of paste around her mouth.
The child was quite stubborn; she simply took the couplets smeared with paste outside and then started causing trouble inside the house.
When they entered the house, the walls and the fireplace were covered with the character "福" (fortune/blessing). The little girl's eyes lit up as she diligently applied the paste. The child seemed to be thinking quite freely, as she couldn't get the paste on the paper, so she smeared it all over the wall and then stuck the paper on it.
She had pasted newspapers over the wall a few days ago, making it look clean and simple.
As a result, after pasting up these big red "Fu" characters, it actually created quite a festive atmosphere for the New Year.
I was stunned by how simple and straightforward it was; this blessing is truly something you see as soon as you look up.
Fortunately, she was well-prepared.
"Sister, do I look good with these stickers?"
It looks nice, and it's festive, but the kids are happy, so it's simple and not a downer.
"Beautiful, so beautiful."
The child loves to play, so I simply asked her to paste the glue on the back of the "福" (good fortune) character herself.
"Put this 'Fu' character on the door,"
"Put this on the east door,"
"Put this on the cellar,"
It was all indoors, so it wasn't cold. The children ran around happily, lost in the simple praise.
As for window decorations, they're very convenient. When you open and close the door, or when you breathe on the window, you can stick them on and they'll almost never fall off.
That's all for the morning's work; the rest is preparing the food for lunch.
However, seeing that the child was getting restless, Jian Dan didn't restrain her.
After washing the paste off his hands and face, he changed into new clothes, and over them, he put on a children's version of a military coat that the old lady had altered to be too small, with candy and melon seeds stuffed in the pockets.
"Go have fun, and eat with your friends."
"I know, you have to wish everyone a Happy New Year, right, sister?"
Sometimes it's easy to guess what a child is thinking. Like now, he's wearing new clothes and wants to show them off and be vain.
"That's right, hurry up and find your friends, don't run out of the village!"
Sure enough, the little girl and Jixiang skipped out the door.
Standing at the entrance, Jian Dan could see many people moving around on the village roads.
People get up early during the Chinese New Year. They usually eat two meals a day, but during the New Year they eat three meals a day, and breakfast is especially early.
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