pdf-ebookys Chapter 209 New Year’s Eve
Chapter 209 New Year’s Eve
"Second brother, you drive and take me to the train station first." Shen Fuyao got down from the driver's seat.
Dong Wushuang was about to ask his daughter to go back after the New Year when he was stopped by Shen Min'e.
"My daughter is stubborn and you can't persuade her. Let her do whatever she wants."
Dong Wushuang sighed and said nothing more.
The group sent Shen Fuyao to the train station, and Shen Peifeng queued up to buy a train ticket. There was no high-speed rail at that time, and the green train from Shanghai to Beijing stopped and started frequently, and it would take several days to get there.
Shen Peifeng felt sorry for his sister and bought her an expensive soft sleeper ticket.
The train was still more than half an hour away from arriving. Dong Wushuang bought more than 20 tea eggs and some roasted sweet potatoes near the train station, and gave some money to his daughter: "Fuyao, take this money, buy food on the train."
"Okay." Shen Fuyao took the food and money. She felt a little bitter in her heart. She knew that Dong Wushuang loved her very much and never favored boys over girls. She also understood that as a mother, Dong Wushuang wanted her to get married and have children for her own good.
But Shen Fuyao doesn't like men or women. She likes to immerse herself in work. The sense of accomplishment she gets from work can make her feel fulfilled and happy. In this life, she is destined not to obey her mother's wishes.
"Mom, I will probably arrive in Beijing on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, and I have to go to the army to handle the handover procedures. I probably won't be able to make it back to celebrate the New Year with you. I'd like to wish you a happy new year first. Your daughter wishes you eternal health and beauty." Shen Fuyao hugged Dong Wushuang with some guilt.
Dong Wushuang burst into tears when her daughter hugged her. She choked up and told him, "Be careful when you go back alone. If you don't want to cook when you get home, go find Lao Wu and ask him to take you to He Lingling's house for dinner."
"Yes. I know." Shen Fuyao let go of Dong Wushuang, and wished a happy new year to Dong Guochang and Shen Min'e one by one.
"Here, take it." Dong Guochang took out a red envelope and stuffed it directly into Shen Fuyao's coat pocket. "New Year's money, I give it to you in advance."
Shen Min'e and Dong Wushuang each took out a red envelope and stuffed it directly into Shen Fuyao's pocket. They were not afraid of being robbed.
Because of Zhan Xinyue’s previous proposal, the law defined robbery as a felony. In addition, there are now many factories providing many jobs, and many unemployed people have jobs and income, so the number of robbers has suddenly decreased a lot.
Moreover, the train station has cameras donated by Ouyang Jie, and police officers patrol from time to time, so no one dares to act rashly at the train station.
Shen Fuyao talked to his brother, younger brother and sister-in-law for a while, and the train arrived on time.
"You guys go back. I'll be back as soon as I finish things over there." After everyone sent the people onto the train, Shen Fuyao waved out the window.
"Have a nice trip and stay safe."
After reluctantly seeing Shen Fuyao off, the group set out again on the journey back to the Shen family's ancestral home.
After three or four hours, we finally arrived at our destination.
The Shen family's old house is a typical Su-style garden with a large courtyard with five entrances and five exits, which is very grand.
Today is the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month. There is no 30th day of the twelfth lunar month this year, so there are only five days left until New Year's Eve.
Dong Wushuang had already arranged for people to come in and do the general cleaning in advance, and all that was needed was to add some big red lanterns and couplets for the New Year.
Due to the reform and opening up, there are now many people selling red lanterns on the streets. Sheng Tunan drove out in an SUV and came back with a full truckload of them in a short while.
"Dad, Peifeng, Zhixian, take a look and see if these are enough. If not, I'll go buy more."
Sheng Tunan stopped the car, and Shen Min'e, Shen Peifeng and Shen Zhixian went to move the lanterns. When the three saw a large car of red lanterns, they all said that it was enough.
"You don't have to hang them on every door. There should be a lot left. You three brothers can hang the extra lanterns in your homes." Shen Min'e said. In the past, there were many servants in the old house, and almost every room was full. Now those rooms are useless, so there is no need to waste lanterns hanging.
"Dad, I'm too lazy to move, so I'll just stay here." Shen Peifeng said. The eldest brother and the fourth brother both have wives and company, so what's the point of him going back alone as a bachelor?
Moreover, the gardens allocated to the three brothers were all courtyards with three entrances and three exits, and were not small at all.
"Dad, Xinyue and I live here too." Sheng Tunan also said that he would have to go back to the army after the second day of the Chinese New Year, so he would take advantage of this time to spend more time with his parents.
"Hong Xing and I also live here." Shen Zhixian also said.
"Okay, it's more lively this way." Shen Min'e started hanging lanterns with a smile. He also wanted to live with his sons. He just mentioned it because he was afraid that the youngsters would want their own space. Now that his sons were willing to accompany him, he was naturally very happy.
"Then let's hang up all the lanterns." Sheng Tunan suggested.
"Row."
The father and his two sons hung lanterns, while Dong Wushuang, Zhan Xinyue, Hong Xing, grandpa and grandma packed their luggage.
After packing their luggage, Dong Wushuang, Dong Guochang and Grandma Sheng went to the kitchen to cook dinner.
Hong Xing and Zhan Xinyue, one was sick and the other was pregnant with triplets, and neither could work, so they helped prepare the four treasures of the study. After Shen Min'e and the others hung up the lanterns, they came to write couplets.
Sheng Tunan can't write calligraphy, and Shen Zhixian didn't learn it because he went abroad early.
It was handed over to Shen Min'e and his son Shen Peifeng to write.
One of them is good at cursive script and the other is regular script, both of them are very good at it, their calligraphy is better than what you can buy outside.
While Shen Peifeng and Shen Min'e were writing, Sheng Tunan and Shen Zhixian were pasting them.
The two were divided into two groups, Sheng Tunan and Shen Zhixian were responsible for climbing the ladder to paste the couplets, while Zhan Xinyue and Hong Xing were responsible for applying paste and helping to check whether they were pasted correctly.
On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, couplets are posted and lanterns are hung.
On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, cook glutinous rice and make rice cakes.
On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, I went to the department store to buy New Year’s goods.
On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, I buy vegetables, rice, oil and condiments.
On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, we made dumplings and prepared braised pork. Grandma also prepared some of the main dishes to be eaten on New Year's Eve the next day.
There are tea oil chicken pot, pig trotter and soybean pot, braised sea bass pot, beef brisket stewed with lentils pot.
These are all dishes for serving in bowls. Put them all in a bowl, cover it with a lid, and just heat them up when you eat them tomorrow.
Everything is ready, just waiting for New Year's Eve tomorrow.
After dinner, the whole family gathered around the stove to chat. Dong Wushuang took out the baked glutinous rice cake, dipped it in some sugar and put it in his mouth. It tasted sweet and sticky, very delicious. He began to recommend it to his family, "You should try it too."
Sheng Tunan took one, put spicy radish strips and fermented bean curd pickled by Grandma Sheng on it and handed it to Zhan Xinyue. He knew that his wife liked spicy food.
The others also took one in their hands and ate it slowly while warming it by the fire.
Grandma Sheng suddenly asked: "What time will we have the New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow?"
Dong Wushuang said, "New Year's Eve dinner, New Year's Eve dinner, must be eaten at night. We used to start eating around 10 o'clock in the evening and then continue eating until 12 o'clock in the evening."
"What time do you want to eat? We can eat earlier." Dong Wushuang said. She thought the old man couldn't stay up so late at night.
"Mom, we in Zhishan County start eating the New Year's Eve dinner before dawn." Sheng Tunan explained: "We call it the New Year's Eve dinner, not the New Year's Eve dinner."
"So early?" Shen Zhixian asked in surprise.
"A long time ago, on New Year's Eve, the able-bodied men in our area would gather before dawn to fight the enemy. In order for them to have a reunion dinner before departure and spend time with their families, everyone would get up in the early morning to prepare meals. Since then, people in our area have started eating before dawn."
"There is also a saying that you should start eating at around 4 or 5 in the morning and continue until 7 or 8 in the morning. The more you eat, the brighter the day will be, which also symbolizes that the coming year will be better and better," Zhan Xinyue added.
"So that's how it is. It's quite memorable. Then we'll have the reunion dinner tomorrow, starting at four or five in the morning." Shen Min'e said.
"Okay. Let's have a family reunion dinner in the morning and eat dumplings to celebrate the New Year in the evening." Shen Zhixian said with a smile. People in the north cannot celebrate the New Year without eating dumplings.
On the second day, New Year's Eve, before dawn, Grandma Sheng, Grandpa, and Dong Wushuang got up early to prepare meals. Yesterday, they prepared four bowls of vegetables and a braised pork, so there were not many dishes to cook today.
Grandma Sheng got four charcoal stoves, placed them on the dining table, and put the dishes on them to slowly simmer.
Dong Guochang cooked chicken stewed with mushrooms and pork stewed with vermicelli. Grandma also cooked plum valley duck.
Dong Wushuang was steaming crabs, prawns and deep-sea fish. When he was about to stir-fry the vegetables, Shen Min'e also got up. He had quietly asked Sheng Tunan yesterday about the custom of eating the reunion dinner in Hunan Province. He knew that firecrackers had to be set off before the meal, so he got up early and hung up the firecrackers.
"Dad, Happy New Year's Eve." Sheng Tunan also got up and came out to get hot water for Zhan Xinyue to wash her face.
"I'll set off the firecrackers." Shen Min'e replied.
"Dad, I'll wake up Peifeng and Zhixian to let them play together." Sheng Tunan brought water for his wife to wash, and then went to wake up his younger brothers.
Before he could knock on the door, the two brothers came out of the room.
"Good morning, brother." Shen Peifeng spoke first.
Shen Zhixian dazedly followed up, "Brother, good morning. Xingxing asked me to get up and help mom cook."
"The food is ready. Let's go set off firecrackers first. Then we can eat." Sheng Tunan said.
"Then I'll talk to Xingxing, please wait for me." Shen Zhixian hurried back to the room and asked Hong Xing to get up and prepare for dinner.
Some time ago, Zhan Xinyue made some pills for Hong Xing, which could temporarily suppress the worsening of uremia. These days, Hong Xing seemed to be feeling better after taking the pills.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with waking up early.
The three brothers walked through the corridor and came to the flower hall to meet Shen Min'e.
The father and his two sons started setting off firecrackers. The deafening sound rang out, fireworks soared into the sky, and fireworks bloomed in the night sky, heralding a prosperous year ahead.
Fortunately, there are no other residents near Shen’s house, so no matter how loud the firecrackers are, they will not disturb others.
After setting off firecrackers, the family sat around a large round table and started to eat the reunion dinner.
The food was very rich, and everyone ate and drank, saying auspicious words. There was a charcoal grill next to each person, so the room was very warm even in the cold and damp winter.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the sky had also brightened. Today was a fine day, with the morning glow rising and illuminating the earth. The rare and precious plants in the courtyard were tinged with red, looking full of vitality.
Everyone worked together to clean up the dishes and played cards at two tables. At ten o'clock in the morning, Shen Zhixian couldn't hold on any longer, yawned and said he wanted to go to sleep for a while, and get up in the evening to eat dumplings and stay up until the New Year.
The yawns spread from person to person. Everyone was tired and went back to their rooms to sleep.
After a good night's sleep, when I opened my eyes again, it was already 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening. Everyone was busy eating dumplings and staying up to celebrate the New Year.
At ten o'clock in the evening, the phone started to ring intermittently. Ouyang Jie, Ouyang Zhenting, Shen Fuyao, Shen Zhiyan and He Yaqin all called to wish each other a happy new year.
In addition, Mr. Wen and the leaders of the base where Shen Min'e was located also called.
At twelve o'clock, the four parents took out red envelopes and gave one to Sheng Tunan, Zhan Xinyue, Shen Peifeng, Shen Zhixian and Hong Xing as New Year's money.
At this point, the lunar year 1978 passed in reunion.
In the blink of an eye, it was 1979. It suddenly started snowing on the first and second days of the Chinese New Year. We couldn't go anywhere, so we stayed in the huge garden and ate and slept.
However, with the company of family, even the most boring days can become beautiful memories.
By the third year of junior high school, everyone has to return to work.
Shen Min'e returned to the Haishi base, Dong Guochang returned to Changbai Mountain, Dong Wushuang and Grandma Sheng followed Sheng Tunan back to Huanyu Island.
It is now February in the Gregorian calendar. Zhan Xinyue is due in early June, and she is only four months away from giving birth. Grandma and mom are both experienced people, and they stayed to take care of Zhan Xinyue during the delivery and confinement period.
Arriving at Huanyu Island and just arriving at the military district, the guard saw Sheng Tunan's car and hurriedly reported the situation, "Commander, a female comrade came here before the New Year and said she was your relative. Brigade Commander Ye arranged for her to stay at the guesthouse. Calculating the time, she should have stayed there for a week."
"Do you know her name?" Sheng Tunan asked.
"It seems to be Shu Wen." The little soldier answered. He had not been to school for many years and could recognize a few words, but not many. He had never read Shu Wen's books and did not know that this name represented a writer.
Dong Wushuang's face immediately darkened. He wanted to get angry at Hong Xing, but when he remembered that she had uremia, he suppressed his temper, lowered his head and kept silent.
"Mom, Xingxing and I will go meet her." Shen Zhixian said, taking Hong Xing's hand.
"No, I can do it by myself. It would be bad if you go." Hong Xing said. She had heard Hong Chen mention Shu Wen, a cold-blooded, extremely selfish, and opportunistic woman.
If I'm not mistaken, Shu Wen came here this time because she must have known that her marriage partner is the son of Academician Shen and the younger brother of Commander Sheng, and she came here to get some benefits.
Shen Zhixian is thin-skinned, soft-hearted, and doesn't like to haggle over small details. If he is allowed to go, he is afraid that he will be ripped off by Shu Wen.
"I'll go with you." Shen Zhixian was afraid that Shu Wen would find out about the sister swap. If he was there, it would help divert his attention.
"No need. If you go, I won't be able to perform well." Hong Xing waved his fist and said with a smile, "If she says something unpleasant later, I will beat her. If you don't go, it will just be a conflict between mother and daughter. If you go, Shu Wen will say that her son-in-law and his family bullied her."
"Don't worry, she's just holding a pen, she can't beat me who holds a gun. Besides, I'm not familiar with her. We haven't seen each other for many years. I guess she doesn't even remember what I look like."