The next day was the first day of the Lunar New Year. Zheng Xiu was tired the day before and slept very deeply. Even so, she was awakened by the sound of firecrackers outside at dawn. Zheng Ren woke
up after sleeping for an hour. Zheng Xiu had already made noodles, and then went to call Zheng Yu.
Zheng Yu didn't sleep enough, so he opened his eyes a little and let his sister put on new clothes, then got off the kang to wash. After washing his face with cold water, he was awakened by the start, and ran into the stove to help his sister serve breakfast.
"Sister, you look so beautiful today." Zheng Yu praised with a smile.
Zheng Xiu didn't make new clothes, but wore a goose yellow skirt made last year. The skirt was bought by Zheng Ren, but Zheng Xiu felt that the color was not resistant to dirt, so except for wearing it twice in the first month of last year, it had been kept in the closet and was still brand new. But the color really suits her, and her fair skin looks even more radiant and smooth like jade.
A few days ago, Zheng Ren went to visit a friend in the town and passed by a jewelry shop. He bought her a small gold hairpin in the shape of a leaf. Wearing it now, it adds a bit of color.
Hearing this, Zheng Xiu tapped his forehead and said, "You are the only one who talks too much. Hurry up and bring the noodles to the table. After we finish eating, we'll go to grandpa and grandma's house to pay New Year's greetings."
The smile on Zheng Yu's face disappeared immediately, and he served the noodles listlessly.
"Just for a while, I'll be back before lunch." Zheng Xiu whispered in his ear to comfort him.
Originally, the three of them stayed at Old Man Zheng and Old Lady Zheng's place on the first day of the new year, but later Zheng Yu grew older and became increasingly incompatible with Zheng Rong. At the beginning of last year, the two even had a fight over a small quarrel, so the time they spent there became shorter and shorter.
Zheng Yu was still in a bad mood, and Zheng Xiu said again: "We agreed with A Shao to let them have dinner at our house today? Did you forget?" Before the New Year, Xue Zhi worked at the Zheng family every day, so Zheng Xiu naturally thought of ways to invite them to her house for dinner, and after Zheng Ren's persuasion, Xue Zhi finally agreed.
Zheng Yu then smiled. That's right, he will be able to see A Shao at noon!
After breakfast, the family of three went to see old man and old lady Zheng.
They also had breakfast, and the children took turns to wish their elders a happy new year.
Old man and old lady Zheng smiled and gave each of them a red envelope.
Zheng Xiu weighed his own, and there were copper coins rattling inside, about five or six. Zheng Yu turned around and gave his red envelope to his sister. Zheng Xiu weighed it again, and as always, there was more than his own, about ten copper coins.
Then it was Zheng Ren and Zheng Quan who gave the New Year's money. Zheng Ren treated everyone equally and gave each of them ten copper coins. Zheng Quan was short of money. There were four children in the two rooms. He gave three to each boy and two to each girl.
Zheng Xiu didn't care and collected the New Year's money given to her and her brother.
No one came to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the New Year, so the family gathered together to talk.
The elders chattered about family matters, while Zheng Yu and Zheng Rong went to the pile of firecrackers at the door to pick up the unexploded firecrackers to play with. Zheng
Xiu and Zheng Xian sat together, speechless.
Zheng Xian also dressed up carefully that day. The light red skirt she was wearing was something she had been asking for two or three years, and this year her mother finally made it for her. Although she was young, her stature was almost the same as Zheng Xiu's. When she was young, Zhu always picked up Zheng Xiu's old skirts for her to wear. After she grew up, Zhu occasionally made two sets of clothes that fit her. She had a hanging bun with two small pink silk flowers in her hair. With the new skirt, she looked a bit like a young girl.
When Zheng Xiu looked at her, she was also looking at Zheng Xiu. Zheng Xiu thought that her elaborate dressing today would always be better than this cousin who didn't dress up. Who knew that Zheng Xiu just changed into last year's skirt and inserted a golden hairpin, and she was better than her again.
The two sat next to each other and looked at each other. When their eyes met, Zheng Xiu was embarrassed not to speak: "Sister, this skirt is newly made, it is very beautiful. The silk flowers on your hair are also very pink and tender, which suits you very well."
Zheng Xiu pursed her lips and smiled, "The gold hairpin on your head is also new, how dare my silk flowers be compared with it."
Although she said so, she didn't know why, when she said it, it made people feel that it was weird.
Zheng Xiu couldn't help but frown. In fact, when she first came through, Zheng Xian had not developed yet, she was still a little girl, always timidly following Zhu, carefully peeking at her. Zhu favored her younger son, so she didn't spend so much time on her daughter.
At that time, Zheng Xiu still felt that she was a poor little girl. Whenever Zhu asked her for old clothes during festivals, she would agree immediately and go back to find some relatively new clothes to give to her. Sometimes her father bought her two silk flowers, and she would think of giving one to Zheng Xian.
Later, when Zheng Xian grew up and showed a beautiful face, Zhu didn't know which fortune teller said that her daughter would be rich and powerful in the future. She began to cultivate her, taught her needlework and embroidery, and asked Zheng Ren for a few calligraphy books so that Zheng Xian could learn to read and write. No one knew when Zheng Xian became what she is now.
Zheng Xiu didn't want to say anything more to her, so she just shut up.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Zheng Yu's screams came from outside -
Zheng Xiu, who was sitting close to the door, stood up and rushed out.
In the yard, Zheng Yu sat on the ground, covering his eyes with his hands. Zheng Rong stood a few steps away, with a look of fear on his face. When he saw Zheng Xiu rushing out, he quickly put his hands behind his back.
"Yu, what's wrong? What's wrong with your eyes?" Zheng Xiu hurriedly pulled her brother up. Others in the main room also heard the sound and followed out. When Zheng Rong saw his mother coming out, he had already dodged and hid behind his mother.
Zheng Yu said vaguely, "Sister, my eyes hurt."
"What's wrong with your eyes? Take your hands down and let me see."
Zheng Yu put down his hands. Zheng Xiu took a closer look and found a large red mark on his brother's nose. Zheng Yu blinked and felt that there was a foreign object in his right eye. He wanted to rub it with his hands. Zheng Xiu hurriedly said, "Don't rub it, don't rub it." Then she called his father to the well to tie a handkerchief.
Zheng Xiu gently wiped around Zheng Yu's eyes with the tied handkerchief, and then asked him to close his eyes tightly and use the moisture in his eyes to expel the foreign object.
After a while, Zheng Yu felt that his eyes were not so uncomfortable, so he opened his eyes. His eyes were red.
Zheng Xiu was so distressed that she waved her palm in front of his eyes, "Can you see clearly?"
Zheng Yu nodded, "I can see clearly, it's okay."
"How did you do it?" When Zheng Xiu asked this question, her eyes were looking at Zheng Rong who dared not show his head behind Zhu.
"It was Ah Rong. Ah Rong lit a firecracker and threw it in front of me. The firecracker exploded in front of me..."
Zheng Xiu stood up and sneered at Zheng Rong, "Ah Rong? Is that right?"
Zheng Rong was still holding Zhu's skirt and refused to raise his head, so Zhu smiled apologetically, "It's just a child, naughty, playing a prank. Why should Xiu have to confront a child?"
Zheng Xiusi refused to give in. "Second aunt, what you said is true. Today, Ayu is lucky and his eyes are fine. If the firecrackers had gone a little further and exploded on his face, would Arong have to pay for our Ayu's eyes?!"
She was really angry. No matter how the second house took advantage of her, she had never been angry. Who doesn't have some shameless relatives? But this matter, which almost blinded her own brother, was definitely not something that could be easily covered up!
Her voice was sharp and her expression was unfriendly, as if if Zhu tried to get away with it by talking nonsense again, she would rush up to fight her to the death. Zhu had never seen her like this before and was a little frightened. She turned to look at the two elders of the Zheng family. Their faces were also sullen. Even Mrs. Zheng, who loved Zheng Rong the most, felt that this matter was too big. People are kind-hearted. Although they are partial to Zheng Rong, Zheng Yu is also their grandson.
Zheng Quan is a careless person and cannot be relied on. Zhu looked at Zheng Ren again and said with a smile: "Uncle, you see, these children are playing around and don't know the limits. I will definitely discipline Arong when I get back."
Zheng Ren pursed his lips and said nothing, staring at her coldly.
Seeing that this matter could not be easily covered up, Zhu could only ask Zheng Xiu with an awkward smile: "Can't Second Aunt apologize for you on behalf of A Rong?"
Zheng Xiu snorted coldly, and happened to see that Zheng Yu also had firecrackers and fire starters in his hands, so she took them and said: "Second Aunt doesn't have to apologize. Didn't A Rong throw firecrackers at A Yu's face just now? You let A Rong stand up, and I will light a firecracker and throw it at him! Don't worry, Second Aunt, I'm not a child, I have a sense of propriety, and I will definitely throw it at the right place!"
Zhu's face turned pale and she exclaimed: "How, how can this be done?!"
"Why can't we do this? Didn't Second Aunt just say that it was just a trivial matter played by children?"
Zheng Xiu was very imposing, and it was obvious that she would not let it go. Zhu was so anxious that sweat broke out on her forehead. She went to Old Lady Zheng and begged, "Mom, please say something!"
Old Lady Zheng then tried to persuade Zheng Xiu hesitantly, "Xiu girl, it is indeed Arong who is wrong. But you..."
Zheng Xiu ignored her and directly lit the firecracker and threw it at Zhu's feet. The firecracker exploded at the edge of Zhu's skirt. Zhu was frightened and screamed. She stepped back and almost fell down. Zheng Rong behind her was also frightened and burst into tears.
Zheng Xiu snorted again, picked up Zheng Yu, and said to Old Man Zheng and Old Lady Zheng, "I'll take Ayu to see a doctor." If her brother's eyes were really in trouble, she would never let Zheng Rong go so easily!
After the siblings left, Zheng Ren stood there with his hands behind his back, looking at Zhu who was busy coaxing Zheng Rong, and said to Zheng Quan, "You can tell a person's character from eighty by looking at the child when he is three years old. If you want Rong to be well in the future, you should control his temper now. If you don't want to take care of him..."
Zheng Quan naturally knew that his elder brother was really angry, and hurriedly said, "Take care of him. I will. Don't be angry, brother." Then he turned around and scolded Zhu and Zheng Rong, "A loving mother often spoils her child! Just cry, cry, cry!" As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped each of them.
Zheng Rong was beaten so hard that he forgot to cry. Zhu was stunned for a moment, then sat down on the ground and cried: "I can't live like this anymore! You ungrateful bastard, you dare to hit us mother and daughter! Beat us to death!"
The quarrel just now, plus Zhu's crying, soon attracted the neighbors who were watching the excitement.
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