Chapter 163 New Year
As the year draws to a close, Yu's shop is becoming increasingly busy.
Yu Sanbao didn't have time to care about anything else. He had been foresighted enough to stock up on a lot of festive decorations suitable for the New Year. These were much more exquisite and unique than anything else sold in any store in Mapo County. Many wealthy families came to Yu's store specifically to place orders, and he made a fortune every day.
On the 20th of the lunar month, the teacher of the school gave us a holiday after leaving many lessons.
Huai'er began to spend all day in the mountains. Not only that, he also dragged the two younger ones, Liu'er and Gui'er, to the mountains together. He had an excuse for this - he felt better since he started practicing martial arts, and the two younger ones were not in good health due to the famine in the past few years, so they needed to exercise more while replenishing their nutrition.
Although Liu Ge'er and Gui Ge'er have no qualifications for martial arts, it is still necessary for them to practice boxing to strengthen their bodies.
As for Bo Ge'er, he has been particularly interested in abacus and other things since he was a child. This time, he stayed in the store and sold things with his third and fourth uncles.
Boger also thought of a way to promote sales. He used some small items that did not sell well on weekdays and were piled up in the warehouse as extra items. Now the store was almost full. He had a holiday from the 21st of Lunar New Year and was busy until the 27th or 28th.
However, Bo Ge'er didn't look tired at all, and he looked full of energy. In Yu Sanbao's words, he looked like he could run another ten miles.
On the 29th day of the Lunar New Year, Yu Sanbao closed his shop and returned to Nantuo Village with the prepared holiday gifts.
A bright red couplet was posted on the wooden gate of the Yu family's courtyard, and two brand new bright red lanterns were hung on both sides of the door.
Everything in the courtyard was neatly arranged, and the house inside and outside looked brand new - Mrs. Wei had been busy these past few days, and she brought Li Chunhua, Su Rouer, and Shuangyun to clean the house inside and outside.
Bai Xiaofeng was pregnant and couldn't do heavy labor, so she did her best to make new clothes for the whole family.
A villager who came to visit was a little jealous of the Yu family's hard work, but she couldn't find anything to complain about. So she said something to Bai Xiaofeng in a sour tone, "It is said that pregnant people should not use scissors, so why are you still doing needlework?"
Bai Xiaofeng chuckled.
She used to like talking in a sarcastic way, but as the atmosphere at home got better and better, she found that talking like that was a bit boring.
The eldest sister-in-law is a simple-minded person and can't hear anything; the third brother's sister-in-law is a little sensitive, and she might think a little more even if you don't mean it that way. If you really say something sarcastic to her, who knows what she will think.
As for Mrs. Wei...
Bai Xiaofeng didn't dare to be weird with her mother-in-law.
Therefore, as soon as this person opened his mouth, Bai Xiaofeng had a long-lost urge to do something weird.
"Oh," Bai Xiaofeng said with a smile, "Why can't we use scissors? I heard that it's better for pregnant women to use scissors, because it can cut the little people to death and keep the baby in the belly safe. Don't you agree?"
Although she said "villain", Bai Xiaofeng was looking at the other person intently.
The person who came to visit with nothing to do felt embarrassed, did not dare to say anything, and left in a hurry.
Bai Xiaofeng sneered.
Her life right now is so comfortable, but there are still people trying to sow discord between them. She must be crazy to fall for it!
On the 30th day of the lunar month, the whole family was filled with joy.
With Shuangyun and Shuanghe helping in preparing the dishes, Li Chunhua showed her skills and prepared twelve dishes in a row with great efficiency, filling the entire table.
Brother Bo was in the house looking at the accounts of the Yu family's shop, Brother Ju was in the yard pestering Brother Huai to show him some new tricks he had learned, and Brother Gui was enthusiastically pulling Brother Liu to practice.
Xingxing happily moved a small stool and sat under the eaves, holding the warm hand warmer in her arms, watching her brothers playing in the yard and shouting "hello" from time to time.
Mrs. Wei came out of the main house and paused when she saw this scene.
The tip of her nose was filled with the fragrance wafting from the kitchen, in front of her was the house full of children, laughing and chatting, in her ears was the children's laughter... Mrs. Wei couldn't help but feel a little sore in her eyes.
She thought it must be smoke coming out of her ancestral tomb.
On New Year’s Eve, the whole family had a reunion dinner around the big table at home.
It was snowing outside, and the Yu family was in the warm house, eating and drinking, feeling so comfortable.
After having a good meal and a few drinks, Yu Sanbao took a few children out to set off fireworks.
The adults sat on the warm kang and played cards.
Amidst laughter and joy, this year passed by.
The first day of the Lunar New Year is the day when close relatives in the village visit each other to wish each other a happy new year.
Xingxing received a whole bag of New Year's money and felt like a rich woman. She promised Ju Ge'er that after the New Year, when they went to the county town, she would buy him the set of picture books that he particularly wanted!
Ju Ge'er felt that his love for his sister was not in vain, and secretly decided that he would use his New Year's gift money to buy something good for Xingxing.
The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day to return to one’s parents’ home.
Previously, Yu Sanbao told her cousin in Zhoucheng, Wei Sanniang, about his worries about marriage. At that time, Mrs. Wei planned to go to Zhoucheng to take a look during the New Year.
The eldest and second daughters-in-law are both going back to their parents' home, and the brothers are also going to follow them.
Something happened at the home of the third daughter-in-law, and Su Rouer had no one to return to. She looked a little listless these past two days.
Mrs. Wei took Yu Sanbao and his family with her, as well as Xingxing, and left Old Man Yu at home to look after the house. The family went to the provincial capital in a grand manner.
Yu Sanbao was driving the carriage, along with Wei Pozi, Su Rouer, Ju Ge'er, Xing Xing, and the maid Shuangyun. The three big and two small ones were sitting in the carriage, so it wasn't too crowded.
There were also a lot of holiday gifts prepared by Mrs. Wei for Wei Sanniang in the back of the carriage.
The state capital was not close to Nantuo Village, but it was not very far either. Yu Sanbao drove for two days and arrived at the state capital.
It was already dusk when we entered the city.
Mrs. Wei had no plan to live at Wei Sanniang's house, so she asked Yu Sanbao to find an inn for the group to settle down temporarily.
There weren't many people in the inn. It was the first time for Xingxing and Juge'er to go out of Mapo County. They were very curious and walked around the inn upstairs and downstairs curiously.
This is the result, and I almost got into trouble.
There was a family living in one of the guest rooms. They looked ferocious and thought that Ju Ge'er and Xing Xing, two kids of four or five years old, were spying on them and almost had a quarrel with Su Rou'er and the others.
The matter was finally settled after the innkeeper came out to smooth things over.
Xing Xing and Ju Ge'er both thought that family was weird.
Mrs. Wei also thought these people were weird.
How could you spy on two little kids?
Yu Sanbao, however, became more cautious. He had originally planned to stay overnight, but after dinner he went to find another inn to stay in.