On New Year's Eve, every family put up couplets and made dumplings, and everyone, young and old, was happy. Children were also asked to avoid certain foods, and adults were not allowed to beat them. Wherever you go, you see smiles and hear words of blessing.
The brigade arranged for people to write couplets, and each family would exchange them for work points or money or other things. No matter how poor the family was, they would paste red couplets on their door, which was festive and lively. If there was a funeral at home, they could not paste couplets, or they could only paste blue and white couplets.
Cheng Ruhai ran over to ask Cheng Yunzhi and Cheng Rushan: "Dad, brother, should we put up a sticker?"
Normally, rehabilitation is a happy event and it is natural to post a notice. Besides, it has been so many years since the death, and it is not appropriate to continue the mourning period after the mourning period has passed. However, Cheng Ruhai thought that asking his father about such a big event would show his sincerity.
Cheng Yunzhi said: "We should pay tribute to our ancestors and hold ceremonies. It is enough for everyone to remember them in their hearts. It does not need to affect their normal lives. Post it."
The eldest son has a reformed attitude, and the family can celebrate the New Year together in harmony. Cheng Yunzhi is very happy and feels like he has returned to the time when his eldest brother and he were young.
After lunch, Cheng Yunzhi and Cheng Rushan took out the ancestral portrait that they had prepared this year. On it were the names of their ancestors, all of which were written stroke by stroke by Cheng Yunzhi and Wensheng.
Wensheng is responsible for hanging up the ancestral portrait, burning incense, and then scooping a large bowl of millet rice, inserting an apricot branch, hanging copper coins, red cloth strips, etc., and then decorating the rice with cooked red dates, which is very beautiful. They also have to make offerings, according to the rules, more than a dozen bowls and plates, with fish, meat, and egg cakes.
Of course, this is for those who are particular and have the means. Those who don't have the means can just offer a few steamed buns and a bowl of water.
In the early years, we were fighting against feudalism and destroying the four olds. In addition to the shortage of materials and poor living conditions, we basically skipped ancestor worship and offerings. It was even simpler during the Cultural Movement. A portrait of Zhang Wei was hung on the wall. The family took the Little Red Book to ask for instructions in the morning and report in the evening, and then sat down to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. This was called celebrating the revolutionary year in the new era.
The execution strength of the rural cadres was different, so naturally there were differences. Generally, they were strict at the beginning, but later they were restored. Or they would ask the leader for instructions and report to him, and report the matter of ancestor worship at the same time, indicating that the leader already knew about it and that ancestor worship was allowed. As long as there was no food left, every household would keep the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors.
After setting up the offering table, the women cook and make dumplings, while the men take the boys to visit the ancestral tombs. The process is to put new paper on the graves, add new soil, toast and set off firecrackers, inviting the ancestors to come home for the New Year and enjoy the offerings.
Cheng Ruhai brought his two sons to the grave, and brought over noodles, meat, vegetables and eggs for the New Year, and asked Liu Honghua to bring her bowl to help make dumplings and cook. Since they wanted to celebrate the New Year together, they naturally had to take action. Although Liu Honghua was not happy and felt a little painful, she had to cooperate with Cheng Ruhai because he was determined. After all, the whole family gathered around the old people during the New Year in the village, and if she made special arrangements, people would talk about her. After the men left, she saw that Yan Runzhi and Jiang Lin had prepared so much meat, fish and vegetables, and there were several kinds of stuffing, such as radish stuffing, spinach tofu, and cabbage, while her family only had meat and cabbage, so she quickly shut up.
Yan Runzhi glanced at her, and she quickly called her mother, but she felt uncomfortable in her heart.
Yan Runzhi said indifferently: "I'll make the offerings, you go and knead the dough and roll it out. We can cook and drink after dark."
What dish should Liu Honghua cook? Isn't it just making dumplings?
This year is a good year, with more meat and noodles distributed, so each family can make dumplings for New Year's Eve dinner. In previous years, dumplings had to be made with coarse grains and sweet potatoes. I didn't expect that Jiang Lin's family would not only make dumplings, but also cook dishes? Liu Honghua experienced the style of the landlords for the first time. Who else could be so particular? Dumplings were not enough, so they also cooked dishes!
Liu Honghua felt that she was not able to see enough. In addition to fish, meat, tofu, egg dumplings, there were even apples, candied dates, etc. on the altar. She knew Cheng Rushan was capable, but she didn't expect him to be so capable. His house was filled with all kinds of food. The landlord in her mother's village didn't do this at the time.
Yan Runzhi is cutting meat and Jiang Lin is picking vegetables. They are going to prepare the dishes for offering.
Liu Honghua saw Jiang Lin peeling potatoes. Others used broken porcelain pieces to peel the skin, but she only scraped off a layer of flesh. She couldn't help but curl her lips. She was still so clumsy and couldn't do any work even after the family was divided. It was a good thing that she was lucky enough to have a husband and mother-in-law who spoiled her. If it were someone else's family, she would have been scolded to death by the mother-in-law.
She stood there without saying anything and without working, feeling a bit unsure about where to put her hands and feet, so she said, "Sister-in-law, go and help make dumplings. I'll help with cooking."
Jiang Lin looked at her but said nothing.
Feeling Jiang Lin's clear gaze, Liu Honghua's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Jiang Lin was dissatisfied with her, and immediately changed her words, "You must be very tired after working for several days, take a break and let me do it."
Jiang Lin: "Sit down."
Liu Honghua immediately took a small stool and sat opposite Jiang Lin, wanting to help her peel the potatoes.
Jiang Lin: "I have a few words to make clear to you."
Liu Honghua was on guard in her heart, but quickly smiled. She was not happy before coming, but after coming, she saw that the food was so rich and her family was not at a disadvantage at all. Of course, it would be even better if she didn't have to bring anything.
"Sister-in-law, if you have anything to say, just say it." No matter what she was thinking, she appeared to be very kind to Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin: "There is no deep hatred between us, nor any feelings."
Liu Honghua's forehead began to sweat: "Sister-in-law, look at what you said. We are sisters-in-law, a family. Sister-in-law was wrong before, and in the future..."
"Whether there will be true feelings in the future depends on the future." Jiang Lin interrupted her, "I don't have any feelings for you at the moment. The reason I asked you to come is for Dad's sake. You can see that Dad is old and has suffered a lot on the farm."
Liu Honghua nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, my sister-in-law is right."
"I don't care whether you really realize your mistakes or just want to admit your mistakes to cheer up the old man." Jiang Lin looked up at her and said calmly, "Just keep coaxing me like this and make the fake play real."
Sometimes, if you pretend for too long, you will start to take it seriously. If you can't hold on, I'm sorry.
Liu Honghua's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately realized that Jiang Lin had seen through her and the man's thoughts?
Of course they were sincere. They were scared to death of Cheng Rushan, but they also envied their brother's family for living a good life and hoped to share in their good fortune.
Since being tough and rude didn't work, wasn't there only one way left, to admit the mistake, apologize, and seek reconciliation? They could only look at the old man's face and hope that the two families could reconcile and remain a family in the future, and not let the villagers point fingers at them and say that they were betraying their own family.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Lin saw it clearly. She broke out in a cold sweat and quickly explained: "Don't misunderstand, sister-in-law. His father was sincere. That day, his parents passed away and he cried all night at home. After that, he thought about how to make his parents and brothers and sisters forgive him. It was not an act, it was sincere. I, I was sincere too. I, I didn't lie to you."
Seeing her face change with fear, Jiang Lin said, "Okay, just remember what I said. Act well and don't mess it up. Make Dad happy. If Dad is happy, we are happy too. I have a good temper and won't bring up the past."
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, don't worry!" Liu Honghua quickly stood up to show her loyalty and was almost about to shout a slogan.
Jiang Lin told her to stop immediately and do what she needed to do.
Liu Honghua quickly helped to peel the potatoes. Her hands and feet were very nimble, and she went to fetch water to wash the vegetables.
Jiang Lin mixed warm water for her.
Liu Honghua: "No, why use hot water? Don't waste it. Doesn't boiling water waste firewood?"
Jiang Lin: "We have a stove and hot water at all times. It would be a waste if we don't use it."
Liu Honghua was so envious that she lost her temper. She used to live with Jiang Lin, but Jiang Lin was not as capable as she was, so she felt superior. Now Jiang Lin was making money from the brick and tile factory, and Cheng Rushan was making money from transport and bringing back goods. They lived the best life in the village, and she was jealous of them.
Seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Jiang Lin didn't say anything else.
The reason why she asked the eldest wife to come and celebrate the New Year together was purely to appease Cheng Yunzhi. Since Cheng Ruhai seemed to be repentant and the old man was very happy, she certainly would not stop him.
As for her, she would not have many opportunities to do anything with the first wife. After the New Year, she would be busy at the brick kiln factory and the embroidery workshop, and she would also have to review for the exam. If she passed the exam, she would go to school. Even if she failed, the reform and opening up had already begun, and she would go to the city to develop her career. Anyway, she would definitely live in the city in the future and would only return to the countryside during the holidays.
She went in and made dumplings with Da Wan'er. Da Wan'er saw that Jiang Lin's hands holding the dough were whiter than the dough, but hers were black, rough, and cracked. She couldn't help but feel inferior and wanted to hide, afraid that Jiang Lin would think she was dirty, so she quickly said, "Madam, I washed my hands."
Jiang Lin didn't dislike it, "You rolled the dough into a very round shape."
Dawaner felt very inferior in front of Jiang Lin and didn't dare to look up at her. Before, her parents and Dada's family didn't get along well, so she didn't dare to get close to Jiang Lin. When the two families fought, she naturally helped her parents. In fact, she envied Jiang Lin for being so fair, beautiful, and good at dressing up.
After being praised by Jiang Lin, she wanted to roll the dough more beautifully.
Jiang Lin didn't hold the dumplings with one hand and pinch the edges with the other hand like they did. Instead, she just squeezed the dumplings with her thumb and index finger.
Dawan was very surprised. It turned out that dumplings could be made in this way.
Jiang Lin thought she had done a good job and continued wrapping with confidence.
Dabao, Xiaobao and Vincent came running home, having already visited the grave.
Dabao saw Liu Honghua was also there, so he stopped and stared at her, "Auntie, are you going to give me rotten rice again?"
Liu Honghua's face flushed red, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into. "No, of course not, before... it was all Auntie's fault..." She was sweating all over and almost ran away. At this time, Yan Runzhi said, "Your Auntie knows she was wrong."
Xiaobao nodded, "Mom said that if you correct your mistakes, you are a good child. If you correct them, we won't hold it against you."
Since grandma asked them to come home to spend the New Year with grandpa, the two brothers didn't care anymore. They ran into the house to find Jiang Lin to watch her make dumplings.
Xiaobao: "Linlin's dumplings are getting prettier and prettier."
Dabao: “But how come the stuffing is showing? Grandma said it will burst if it is soaked in water!” You can’t say the dumplings are broken, it is taboo during Chinese New Year.
Jiang Lin: "You should see mom's progress. I think she looks better than before. Come on and praise me!"
They were laughing at each other, just like three kids.
Wensheng also washed his hands and went in, rubbing his slightly cold hands, "Mom, let me help you roll the dough." Wensheng rolled the dough quickly and well, and each one was as far away as possible, which Jiang Lin liked very much. He rolled the dough by himself, and the others wrapped it.
Dabao and Xiaobao also joined in. They used dough to make sugar dumplings for themselves, pinching some brown sugar and mixing it with flour to wrap them inside the dumplings. Xiaobao also secretly pinched two sugar beans into the dumplings to see what they would taste like when cooked, but was afraid that others would eat his, so he made a mark by pinching them into the shape of a little rabbit's head.
Dawaner saw that Jiang Lin was so intimate and casual with the children, not paying attention to the rules between adults and children. She had never seen this in other families, and she couldn't help but envy her.
Soon the men returned home from visiting the graves and placed all the necessary items according to custom.
This was the first time in so many years that the Cheng family had a formal ancestor worship ceremony. Both brothers were present. Cheng Yunzhi was very happy and smiled all day. When he went to the grave, he specifically talked to his father and eldest brother for a long time about the concept of "harmony in the family brings prosperity".
At about 6pm, the New Year's Eve dinner was ready. Other families would just eat dumplings, and those with better conditions would add a dish. In addition to the bowls and plates for offering, their family also prepared a large table with braised carp, chicken stewed with mushrooms, cured duck, fried bacon, soybean pig's feet, pig skin jelly, cabbage vermicelli and pork boiled in white...
Liu Honghua's eyes widened as she watched, and she felt uneasy and even had a sense of guilt. Is it a crime to eat so much? She wouldn't dare to eat! Their family was originally planning to eat dumplings for the New Year, so how could they have fish and meat?
Oh my God, this is outrageous. If you go out and look around the commune, you will find that no family eats New Year’s Eve dinner like this.
If there was only one dish of pork stewed with vermicelli, she would have been so greedy that her eyes would have shone with greed. But now there was a whole table of meat, and she really didn't dare to eat it! She couldn't even dream of it.
When eating New Year's Eve dinner, the whole village waited for the loudspeaker to announce the evening report. If the loudspeaker didn't announce it, no one dared to pick up their chopsticks. After a while, the loudspeaker played the song "The East is Red", and everyone immediately became solemn. After that, they played another song "The Sea Sailing Depends on the Helmsman".
After the song was over, Cheng Fujun's voice, which was a little distorted, could be heard through the loud speaker, "Members, all members, it's New Year's Eve, it's New Year's Eve, each family can have their own New Year's Eve dinner, no need to ask for permission, no need to ask for permission, just play the songs!"
With such shouting, every household became happy and lively.
Soon the sound of firecrackers was heard. Some families had bought firecrackers but had been afraid to set them off, but after hearing the loudspeaker, they immediately took out the firecrackers to welcome the New Year.
Jiang Lin also took it out and gave it to Cheng Rushan. He lit a stick of incense and asked Wensheng to find a thin pole to hold the firecrackers while he lit them.
Jiang Lin was afraid of upsetting Wensheng, but Cheng Rushan said it was okay.
Cheng Yunzhi and Yan Runzhi supported each other and went out to see what was happening. Dabao and Xiaobao held Jiang Lin's hands and squeezed to the door. It was still very cold on New Year's Eve and they were shivering with cold.
Wensheng held up the pole, and Jiang Lin asked him, "Wensheng, are you afraid of the deafening sound?"
Vincent smiled at her: "Mom, I'm not afraid."
Cheng Rushan held the incense, blew on the incense head, then took the fuse of the firecracker and lit it. "Zizi", he turned and walked away, and the firecrackers crackled behind him.
Wensheng held the pole, and in his ears were the deafening sound of firecrackers, the cheers of his family members celebrating the New Year, the flickering of the fire, the handsome and upright figure of Cheng Rushan, the bright and smiling face of Jiang Lin, the innocent looks of Dabao and Xiaobao, Cheng Yunzhi, Yan Runzhi, and...
He felt so unfamiliar with his surroundings, yet he was so familiar with and longing for everything.
Familiar yet strange, why is it so?
He suddenly felt a little confused. Everything seemed to be around him, yet very far away from him. Gradually, he could no longer hear the sound of firecrackers or cheers.
He could see them but could not hear or touch them, just like he was shouting and yelling desperately but his mother had her eyes closed and could not hear him.
Unconsciously, he burst into tears, not knowing why or what he was crying about.
The sound of firecrackers stopped, but he still couldn't hear anything. His mind was in a daze and there was noise all around him, as if something was separating him.
Jiang Lin had entered the yard with Cheng Rushan, who was carrying the two treasures, but when she looked back and didn't see Wensheng, she ran out again. In the dim light of the yard, she saw him holding the pole and keeping the posture of setting off firecrackers, so she ran over and patted him.
"Vincent? What are you daydreaming about? After setting off the firecrackers, go home and eat meat."
There was no moon, and the starlight was not bright enough to illuminate her face, making her look somewhat mysterious.
He heard her voice, dropped the rod, opened his arms and hugged her tightly.
Jiang Lin patted his back and said softly, "Wensheng, are you scared?"
Vincent let her go and said loudly, "No way!"
Jiang Lin's ears felt uncomfortable from the noise and she laughed, "Why are you so loud?"
Cheng Rushan came out from the yard and asked, "What's wrong with Wensheng?"
Vincent shouted, "My ears are deaf! It's buzzing! There's a nest of giant hornets!" He plugged his ears with his two index fingers and then released them, laughing.
Cheng Rushan held Jiang Lin's hand and told her not to worry, Wensheng was fine. He walked to Wensheng, raised his hand to press the acupuncture points on his ears and the back of his head, and rubbed his hair. "He is hungry, just eat more meat."
When Wensheng heard this, he immediately ran into the house and said, "Let's eat meat!"
Jiang Lin asked Cheng Rushan, "Did the firecrackers scare him just now?"
Cheng Rushan: "We also released it at the grave, but he didn't react. I guess the New Year scene touched him." He actually wanted to stimulate Wensheng with such a scene. The magazine said that more stimulation would help him restore his normal mental order. However, Cheng Rushan couldn't bear to stimulate him further and couldn't help but coax him like he coaxed Dabao and Xiaobao.
Jiang Lin said: "Why don't we just let nature take its course."
Cheng Rushan took her into the house and said, "Okay."
Because there were so many people, we divided them into two tables, one table on the kang for the elderly and children, and another table on the ground.
Cheng Rushan brought over two bottles of wine and poured them for his parents, Jiang Lin, and his eldest brother and his wife.
Vincent suddenly said, "I want one too."
Cheng Rushan looked at him and said, "You are still young."
Wensheng: "I have grown a beard, it's quite big." He touched the stubble that Cheng Yunzhi had shaved for him in the morning. He felt it was very fresh to see the stubble that appeared again.
Cheng Rushan poured him a little and said, "Try it first."
Vincent picked it up, licked it, and found it a little spicy, but he was a man and had nothing to be afraid of. He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then fanned himself with a grimace.
Dabao and Xiaobao laughed at him. Dabao: "You insisted on drinking it, but it tastes bad. Grandma said it tastes like urine." Dabao and Xiaobao were curious, so they dipped their chopsticks in it. It tasted bad, so they didn't want it. How could it be as delicious as candy?
Yan Runzhi: “…” When did I say that?
Wensheng refused to admit defeat and asked for another cup. Cheng Rushan poured it for him, but this time he was not allowed to drink a single sip.
Jiang Lin said to Cheng Yunzhi: "Dad, you give everyone a head start."
Cheng Yunzhi trembled as he picked up the wine cup, and quickly held it with his other hand. He said, "Our family has been rehabilitated, and our lives are getting better and better. Your grandparents and uncles and aunts will be happy to know about this. You two brothers should help each other and set an example for the children. Be happy during the New Year, and I won't say anything discouraging."
He wanted the two children to get along well, but he didn't say too much. Good words three times are as light as water. If the eldest son really wants to change, he will see the truth in his daily life. It's not enough to say a few words now. If he doesn't really change, the Cheng family will just treat him as if he doesn't have this eldest son.
Yan Runzhi: "I think life is pretty good now, I am content."
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Cheng Ruhai quickly raised the wine glass with both hands. Seeing Cheng Yunzhi and Yan Runzhi sitting on the kang, and his father's gray hair, he couldn't hold back his tears and wiped his eyes quickly, "This wine is really spicy. Dad, Mom, brothers and sisters, I will follow your example and live a good life from now on."
Liu Honghua was still immersed in the guilt of the big table of meat and fish, she felt too guilty to speak. When it was her turn to speak, she held up her wine glass, looked at Yan Runzhi and then at Jiang Lin, who was so good at bickering that she got tongue-tied when she talked about serious matters.
"My sister-in-law was a devil before... She was obsessed with lard and acted stupid and confused. Now she thinks, isn't that stupid? She must not be like that in the future." "Mother, sister-in-law, I was wrong before. I apologize to you." She drank the cup of wine.
Yan Runzhi nodded and said nothing, and Jiang Lin nodded.
Cheng Rushan said nothing. He never believed what others said. He would investigate the things he cared about himself. He would not listen to what others said, but watch what they did. He said, "Everyone is hungry. Let's eat."
The two brothers Dabao and Xiaobao were ready to host the party. They poured orange juice, hawthorn juice, and canned apple juice for their cousins... The two brothers drank several of them happily.
Jiang Lin reminded them: "Don't just drink a bellyful of cold water, eat the vegetables."
Because she had to cook dumplings at midnight, Jiang Lin didn't eat too much to avoid the greasy food being difficult to digest.
After eating and drinking, everyone talked. Cheng Rushan led them to carry straw from the gate to the main hall and piled more under the altar. This was the place for kowtow and New Year greetings. Now that Cheng Fugui and his brothers had lost power, the members were still working in the brick kiln factory and embroidery workshop. There must be many men and children who would kowtow to Cheng Yunzhi at night, so they had to prepare in advance.
The two brothers first kowtowed respectfully to the altar and the ancestral statue, burned incense, and lit big red candles. Then the children took turns to kowtow to their elders and receive New Year's money.
Yan Runzhi had already put money in Cheng Yunzhi's pocket. They had agreed to give one dollar to each child, and to treat everyone equally when breaking the bowl, including Wensheng.
When the three children in the eldest wife received their New Year’s money, they were so shocked that they didn’t dare to take it when they saw it was only one dollar.
Yan Runzhi: "Take it. You are all grandchildren, and grandpa and grandma are thinking about you too."
The three of them took it immediately, expressed their gratitude quickly, and were extremely happy.
Dabao and Xiaobao also kowtowed and took the money, thanked them, and whispered to the bowl-beaters, "Do you want to keep the money you kowtowed to yourself or hand it over?"
"Can you still keep it for yourself?" In previous years, they only got a few cents in New Year's money, and even then they couldn't keep any of it, as all of it would be taken away by their mother.
Dabao stuffed it into his pocket proudly, "Of course I keep it for myself, I already have several pieces. My grandparents gave them to me, and my uncle also gave them to me."
The three of them were so envious, wondering how could their grandparents and uncle be so nice.
Sure enough, soon the men and children in the village came to kowtow to Cheng Yunzhi and Yan Runzhi. They didn't need to give them New Year's money, just a handful of melon seeds and peanuts.
Because of the special relationship of the Cheng family, in the past, their children did not need to pay New Year's greetings to others, but only kowtowed to their own elders. Therefore, Dabao and Xiaobao did not need to go out now, and they could just play with Wensheng and the others.
They had a good relationship with the Shang family, so Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan took Wensheng, Dabao and Xiaobao to pay New Year's greetings to Shang's wife in advance. Shang's wife was so happy that she gave the two brothers and Wensheng one dollar each, and asked Shang Zonghui and several grandchildren to pay New Year's greetings to Cheng Yunzhi and his wife.
It was the first year without any constraints, and both adults and children had a great time. Until nine o’clock, the children were still busy on the way to kowtow.
Cheng Rushan held Jiang Lin's hand and walked home. The two walked slowly. Every household had lights on, illuminating the road with a dim yellow light, reflecting the snow at the foot of the wall and the roots of the trees, reflecting a gentle light. He stopped and took Jiang Lin into his arms, and kissed her tightly while they leaned against a big tree.
It was freezing outside. Jiang Lin suddenly remembered what her classmates from Northeast China told her. When the temperature was more than 30 degrees below zero, a child licked the iron railings with his tongue and got stuck. She couldn't help laughing.
When she smiled, Cheng Rushan bit her gently and kissed her more deeply.
She laughed softly: "Will it freeze us both together?"
Cheng Rushan picked her up directly, and Jiang Lin was so scared that she begged for mercy.
His voice was low and hoarse: "Kiss me."
Jiang Lin: "Cool."
Kissing outside in the cold weather, how stupid. He pressed her to him and let her kiss him first.
When she got home, Jiang Lin took out the apples, washed them and gave them to the children. She thought the apple skin was too hard, so she used a knife to peel it, but the knife was not handy and the skin was a little thick.
Liu Honghua was watching with a ache, why did he peel the apple before eating it? If this happened in someone else's house, wouldn't he be scolded to death?
But here, no one tells Jiang Lin what to do, and her family thinks it is justified.
Liu Honghua couldn't help it, so she quietly went down and ate the apple peels in the bowl while no one was paying attention. There was still a thick layer of apple flesh on top, and it would be a waste to throw it away.
Jiang Lin came down to pour water for Dabao and Xiaobao, and saw Liu Honghua put the last piece of apple peel into her mouth. She pretended not to see it and poured water into the house. In her mind, Liu Honghua was the kind of person who took advantage and calculated. If Liu Honghua stole a few apples, Jiang Lin would not be surprised, but she could never imagine that she would eat the apple peel secretly.
After eating dumplings at midnight, when Liu Honghua and the children went back to sleep, Jiang Lin packed a few apples for her to take back.
After the first month of the new year, people visit relatives and both adults and children seize the time to rest and play, because they will start the busy spring season in February.
After all, Cheng Xianglan never returned to her parents' home. Cheng Yunzhi was a little disappointed, but didn't say anything.
After the tenth day, Cheng Yulian, Shang Zonghui and others came to Jiang Lin and said, "Director, when do we start work? Everyone is in a hurry."
They made money together last year, so they had an exceptionally rich and affluent New Year. Having tasted the sweetness, they are now more active than Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin: "All the bricks we stockpiled have been burned. It's not suitable to make bricks now because they haven't thawed yet. Let's wait a little longer and see what the masters say."
The three masters did well here last year and made a lot of money. They were reluctant to leave, and only closed the kiln factory on the day of the Little New Year and went home to celebrate the New Year. According to them, they had to wait until the second day of the second month so that they could be busy until the Qingming Festival and the Spring Festival.
Jiang Lin thought that if there were machines to help with spring plowing and planting, it would save a lot of labor, so he could be freed up to work in the brick kiln factory.
Cheng Rushan did not travel far during the entire first month of the lunar year. Jiang Lin's parents lived in the provincial capital, so there was no need for them to visit them. They had no other relatives, so the family stayed together during the first month of the lunar year and were happy every day.
Cheng Rushan helped Cheng Yunzhi improve the exhibition room, while Jiang Lin studied with Dabao and Xiaobao. Yan Runzhi and her friends could not use needlework until after the second day of the second lunar month, because according to the old people, it would poke the longan and affect the rain, so they gathered together to sing operas, tell lies, and dance Yangko. The Yanghong Brigade also organized stilt walking for three consecutive days, which made the members very happy.
Jiang Lin has been arranging time to read books. She has finished reading the books on hand. She also wrote to Jiang Xinglei, asking him to prepare all the books from childhood to adulthood, especially to prepare two sets of books for junior high school and high school. If she doesn't have them, she can buy them from the scrap collection place. Many people sell their books after graduation. Although Jiang Xinglei didn't agree, he didn't dare to disobey Jiang Lin. He thought Jiang Lin and Meng Yiyi were angry. Meng Yiyi was able to participate in the factory recruitment, and her sister was not convinced, so she also wanted to study.
After lunch on the fifteenth day, Yan Runzhi accompanied Cheng Yunzhi to take Wensheng, Dabao and Xiaobao to the exhibition room to work. They led the children in the Yuhong class to make lanterns and guess lantern riddles. Other primary school students also ran to help.
Jiang Lin was sitting on a table on the kang in the east room, writing her annual plan for the brick kiln factory, embroidery workshop, studying for exams, and so on.
This is her habit. She doesn't like things to be messy and haphazard. She does everything in an orderly manner, with each stage having its own focus. This feeling of being able to control her own life makes her feel more secure.
Of course, the countryside is different from the city. The pace of life in the countryside is too slow. She feels quite casual now. After all, there is not much to do throughout the year.
She was writing when Cheng Rushan came back from outside.
Jiang Lin leaned forward to look at him, "I want to eat an apple."
Cheng Rushan washed his hands and face, washed them with a Guoguang, and peeled the apple with a knife he always carried. He peeled the apple without any waste, a thin layer, and finished it in one go. Liu Honghua probably wouldn't want to eat it after seeing it. He pulled up the apple skin, broke the apple into several pieces, put them in a bowl and handed it to her.
Jiang Lin picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth before she started eating.
Cheng Rushan leaned over to look at what she had written, "Exam plan? Do you want to take the exam?"
Jiang Lin immediately said, "Is it not possible? Maybe I can pass the exam and get a job in the factory."
Cheng Rushan placed his left hand on the edge of the table and looked down at her. "Okay, but I wonder which factory Director Jiang wants to go to?"
Jiang Lin smiled and said, "I need to think about it again."
Wouldn't you be jealous if I talked about the textile factory? Wouldn't Cheng Rushan be jealous? You're kidding! When Lu Hang and Qian Bo wrote to him, he spent half the night discussing "our business".
Cheng Rushan put his big hand on her back and moved it slowly, then he held her towards him, put his chin on her shoulder and blew into her ear, "Wife, are you going to fly?"
Jiang Lin was made weak by him, avoided his lips and smiled, "If you do me a favor, I can consider taking you flying with me."
Cheng Rushan chased her and kissed her, "Tell me about it."
Jiang Lin: "I want to buy a tractor."
Cheng Rushan kissed her and asked, "Would you like me to help you with the loan?"
Jiang Lin: "That's not necessary. We can find a way to get the money, but the quota is a problem. I don't know how many years it will take to get the quota if I follow the normal procedures."
Trucks are expensive, but tractors are cheaper. They are very convenient for short distance travel within the county and can be used with farm tools to cultivate the land. She has already decided to cooperate with the brigade.
Cheng Rushan: "How about second-hand ones?"
"Yes! Is there room for being picky now?" No, I don't.
"Yes! Do you think I am fat or thin?" Cheng Rushan teased her seriously.
Jiang Lin poked his hard chest and said, "I don't think you are fat, you are too skinny." He is thin and shrewd, and no one can fool him.
There was a stove in the room, making it warm. She was wearing a thin and light cotton jacket, but he was only wearing a woolen sweater, which felt nice to the touch.
Cheng Rushan circled her between the table and himself, "Does my wife like stupid people? Then I will be a little stupid in the future." He kissed her, hugged her and looked at the plan in the notebook, and said with a smile: "Your unconventional way has produced quite a lot of products. Such a small brick kiln factory will catch up with the formal factories."
Jiang Lin said proudly: "That's right. This is called being responsible for your own profits and losses and not dragging your feet, working for yourself and not slacking off. You see, everyone knows how to make money for themselves, so who would slack off? Last year, everyone made money." This is still not enough to sell!
Cheng Rushan pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth and said, "I'll contact you tomorrow." His lean and sturdy body pressed against hers, the meaning was self-evident.
Jiang Lin: Oh, what are you doing in broad daylight! She twisted her body and signaled him to behave himself.
Cheng Rushan refused, but quickly unbuttoned her cotton coat, hugged her and rolled onto the kang.
Jiang Lin: "Cheng Rushan, no!"
Not today!
She was calculating rapidly in her mind, such as what day it was, when to give birth if she was pregnant, and the confinement period. There was a calculator in her little head that was typing away rapidly.
"They will be back for dinner." His voice was hoarse and sexy.
"That won't work either." Jiang Lin's voice was soft but firm.
Today is March 4th. She knows that the college entrance examination is at the end of the year, so she absolutely cannot get pregnant this year.
If she had been pregnant last year, she wouldn't have cared. It would have been fine to take the exam after giving birth, since the policy allowed it anyway. Since she didn't get pregnant last year, it wouldn't be possible now. If she got pregnant now, she wouldn't have finished her confinement by the time she took the exam. No, no, it would be too troublesome. She couldn't take the exam with a big belly, that would be so... embarrassing.
And it is said that pregnancy can make a woman stupid for three years! If she is really stupid for three years, how can she go to college?
No, no, absolutely not!
Cheng Rushan saw his wife's face turned pale with fear, and he didn't know what was wrong with her. They had done it before during the day, so why was she suddenly so afraid of him today?
"Reason." He lowered his head and kissed her.
Jiang Lin tried very hard to regain her sanity and grabbed his ear, "Dabao and Xiaobao are still young, it's not suitable for them to have brothers and sisters. Besides, my career has just started, I don't have time to take care of the children."
"My parents will take care of her. I'll take care of her at home." His hands were nimble and unruly, causing trouble everywhere.
"No!" Jiang Lin tried to raise her voice, but it sounded so soft, like a spoiled child.
Cheng Rushan frowned, looked at her in confusion, and asked seriously, "So... can't we do it, or can't we get pregnant?"
His eyes were dark and gloomy, and when he stared at people, people would feel a little uneasy from the bottom of their hearts and dare not look at him. Especially when he was so serious, the gentleness in his eyes would unconsciously fade away, with a bit of scrutiny and suspicion.
Jiang Lin felt uneasy when he looked at her. She bit her lip and gathered some strength. "Of course I can't get pregnant. What are you thinking about?"
He smiled, his dark eyes sparkling, and kissed the tip of her nose, "You won't get pregnant if you don't... stay inside."
Jiang Lin: "This is unscientific! If the woman is ovulating, there is a high chance of pregnancy in vitro."
She had tried her best to avoid the most dangerous days before. Anyway, she didn't want to go to the exam with a bulging belly and be pointed at by others. It would be so embarrassing.
What if I get admitted to university, and then I have to give birth to a baby, have confinement, take care of the baby, and breastfeed? Orz! I will go crazy.
Cheng Rushan saw that her clear eyes were filled with fear, as if being pregnant was a very scary thing. He frowned slightly and thought about it. He was not by her side when she was pregnant and gave birth. It must be very difficult for her to have two children as the first one.
He turned over and lay down, holding her in his arms, thinking that family planning had been implemented in big cities and family planning products were available for purchase. He would find out later which method was the safest and least harmful to the body.
Jiang Lin was relieved to see that he had no intention of forcing her. She was quite satisfied with this. No matter how much he wanted it, as long as she said no, he would basically give up. But sometimes he would play tricks on her and test her. If she didn't resist firmly, he would just assume that he was half-hearted and continue to do bad things.
"Okay, you're safe." He kissed her, then looked very aggrieved, "What should I do?"
Jiang Lin grinned evilly and said, “You’ve been single for so long, so just do whatever you want.”
…
Yan Runzhi came back to cook at around four o'clock. Cheng Rushan had taken Wensheng to the mill and ground some glutinous rice flour, which was just right for making glutinous rice balls. Sesame seeds were directly pounded in a garlic mortar, which was oily, and a little white sugar, peanuts, and rice flour were added to make the filling.
Jiang Lin greeted her and went to the team to discuss something.
Yan Runzhi: "Dongsheng is back, so you should go with Linlin."
Cheng Rushan felt a little aggrieved: "She didn't let me follow her because she thought I was in the way."
Jiang Lin smiled and put on her scarf. "Nonsense, I'm leaving now."
She went to the brigade cadres to discuss buying a tractor together. After the purchase, the brigade would use it for farming during the busy farming season and for the brick kiln factory during the slack season. To be fair to everyone, they could set a price, such as how much is one mu of cultivated land, how much is sowing, etc., and how much is it for a certain distance of hauling goods. Whoever uses it would record it once, and deduct it from their own capital until their capital is deducted, and then continue to use it with the money they paid once. As for repairing the car, everyone would share the cost.
Cheng Fujun was very tempted by this proposal. To be honest, he was jealous of other communes and brigades using agricultural machinery. But his brigade had been using old cows to pull broken carts for so many years, which was really frustrating.
He also knew why, and he had to ask Cheng Fugui. Cheng Fugui was also a strange person. Not only did his own village not help him, but he always wanted to suppress him.
Maybe it was because of the conflict between Secretary Shang and Cheng Fugui, or maybe it was something else. Anyway, whenever they applied to buy agricultural machinery, the commune would not allow it, or would make things difficult for them, so they couldn't buy it even if they approved it. After all, machinery is not that easy to buy. You need to apply and get a note from the higher-ups, and if it's not approved, you can't buy it even if you have money.
If there are tractors to till the land, who would want to drive mules and cows? Who would want to use animals when the labor is not enough? Men are not enough, so women are used? Seven or eight people cannot replace one cow, and their shoulders are covered with blisters from pulling the rope. Whoever is farming knows it. Not allowing agricultural machinery must have ulterior motives!
Now Cheng Fugui has the opportunity to make his own decision and leave. Cheng Fujun, Cheng Fulian and several production team leaders all agree to buy it!
After consensus was reached, a document was written, and the team leaders, Jiang Lin, Cheng Yunzhi, Sun Qinghui and several others signed and put their fingerprints on it, some of them serving as witnesses.
With Cheng Rushan's reputation, she was not afraid of anyone trying to cheat her. She felt comfortable being a small boss. At least no one would deliberately cause trouble, no thugs would deliberately mess things up to collect protection fees, and no unfair competitors would do bad things.
Everyone in their commune now knows how scary Cheng Rushan is. He drove Cheng Xinda crazy and overthrew Cheng Fugui. This is enough to make those people fear him.
In a few days, Cheng Rushan contacted a second-hand tractor. It was handled by a brigade in the county. Their commune wanted to buy a large agricultural machinery together. The brigades in the commune harvested and cultivated collectively, and they didn't need to work on their own. In order to raise money to join the partnership, they sold the brigade's Qianjin-35 tractor.
They bought this one in 1969 for more than 20,000 yuan, and it can be driven for another 20 years without any problem. Now the technology is more mature and the cost is lower, a new tractor plus a set of agricultural machinery costs at least 16,000 or 17,000 yuan, but they are willing to sell it together with a set of agricultural machinery and the truck bed for 5,000 yuan.
Jiang Lin discussed it with the team and they felt it was acceptable, after all, buying a brand new one would be too much of a burden for their team.
After buying the tractor, there is no need to send people to spend money to learn how to drive or repair it, Cheng Rushan can teach them.
A total of five or six young men were selected to learn together with Jiang Lin. Naturally, Jiang Lin learned the fastest. After all, she could drive, so she started working right away after getting familiar with the driving skills.
It is easy to learn to drive at this time, but the hardest thing is to learn to repair a car. You need to judge what is wrong and how to repair it.
After Jiang Lin learned it, the brigade decided to ask Jiang Lin to temporarily serve as the leader of the locomotive team of the Yanghong Brigade, leading five young men to plow and plant the land for the brigade. After the spring planting, they can drive the tractor to the brick kiln factory to concentrate on making bricks and tiles.
On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head and the spring ox is beaten. The brigade ties the strongest black and yellow oxen with red cloth and leads them to the fields for spring ploughing. This year, they also tied a big red cloth to the tractor, with a group of cadres leading the way, and the members of the commune, young and old, following behind, all cheering and watching the tractor and the ox compete in plowing the land.
Jiang Lin took off her cotton jacket and put on a sweater, then put on a homemade work cloth overalls, wrapped her hair with a handkerchief, put on waders, and white gloves, and she was ready to be a pretty and cool female tractor driver.
Vincent, Dabao and Xiaobao were very excited and kept praising her for her beauty.
Xiaobao: "I, Linlin, want to drive a big truck with Dongsheng in the future and catch a Tyrannosaurus Rex on the road..."
"There is no Tyrannosaurus Rex now! It became extinct long ago!" Dabao interrupted him.
Vincent: "Mom is so beautiful!"
Cheng Rushan acted as Jiang Lin's assistant, helping her follow the car. If she could finish the run easily today, he could go out with peace of mind later.
This tractor is a wheeled agricultural machine with a hand-cranked start and a carport. Unfortunately, the glass had long been broken, so there was only a roof with straw curtains hung for sun protection.
The hand-cranked tractor was not easy to operate. Cheng Rushan wanted to start the tractor for her, but Jiang Lin pushed him away, "No, I can do it myself!"
Everyone stared with wide eyes as Jiang Lin picked up the crank to start the big iron tractor. She held the crank with one hand and turned it a few times. The tractor started up, making a whooshing sound and emitting black smoke.
They all shouted, "Wow, Jiang Zhiqing is really strong!"
Jiang Lin got in the car, sat in the driver's seat, and waved to Wensheng, Dabao and Xiaobao.
"Oh oh, mom, I want to go up too!" Wensheng, Dabao and Xiaobao were eager to try. Xiaobao wanted to climb up, but Cheng Rushan lifted him down and handed him to Wensheng.
Cheng Rushan got into the car, leaned next to Jiang Lin, and held her backrest with one hand.
Jiang Lin sat firmly, looked up and smiled at Cheng Rushan, blinked and hooked her finger to signal him to lower his head.
Cheng Rushan lowered his head and listened to his wife's low laugh, "Come on, I'll take you to conquer the country!"
Cheng Rushan: ...Yes, Your Majesty.
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