Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 129 Year

Although Zhou Jie was a little disappointed, she was still pleased to see that He Chaoli had become much more lively. Now that everyone was here, they naturally started eating and drinking.

Cui Hongru mentioned that the sausages she had sent to her uncle's family had been received, and they had even written back, saying that the sausages were delicious and that although conditions there were difficult, their basic living needs were not affected.

There was no shortage of food or clothing as rumored, so the family didn't need to worry. Grandma had also sent over some quilts, so they probably didn't lack anything there either.

Grandma was finally relieved. With all the men and boys in the family there, the firecrackers on New Year's Eve were the longest and loudest in the area. He Zhijun even specially dismantled a string of 200 firecrackers for Xiaoli so he could light them himself during the day.

Jingyan scolded the child for this, fearing that he might not light the fire properly or throw it slowly, causing his hand to explode and making it too unsafe. However, it wasn't just He Zhijun who advocated this approach; Xiaoli's own father was also supporting it, and in the end, the women in the family were completely defeated.

He Chaoli was also smiling broadly, lighting one in the yard every now and then. An An followed behind He Chaoli like a little tail, laughing happily every time she heard the sound.

Jing Yan stared at He Chaoli for a while, her heart pounding, before finally relaxing. Playing mahjong was an essential part of any holiday celebration.

Especially now that televisions are still considered a luxury, Jingyan, though not stingy with herself, still couldn't bear to buy one. With more people in the family, the laughter made the house feel less lonely even without a television.

Sister Wang and Jing Yan remained the main force in the kitchen. Even during the Spring Festival holiday, He Zhijun would read books every day and tutor He Chaoli. Zhou Jie was in charge of serving tea and water to the people playing mahjong. The remaining people were just enough for one mahjong table. The manpower allocation was perfect!

Jingyan saw this scene while preparing the food and joked, "Look at you guys playing cards, you've got some credit, and you even have people serving you. That's pretty high treatment."

Grandma chuckled as she touched the cards, "That's right, playing cards requires brains, it's quite tiring."

The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year was truly strong, filled with laughter and joy. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, neighbors would open their doors wide, and children would run around freely. No matter whose door they entered, as long as they exchanged New Year's greetings and said a few auspicious words, they would usually receive a couple of candies or a handful of peanuts and melon seeds. Some families would even give them a penny or two as a small token of appreciation.

In short, the children all loved this day and ran around especially energetically. It was He Chaoli's first time celebrating the Lunar New Year here, and he and An'an were fortunate enough to be taken around by Hu Zi to visit various relatives and friends.

On this day, both Ho Chiu-lai and On-On were dressed in new clothes. On-On wore a red Tang suit top and black pants, along with a tiger hat, looking as cute as a New Year's picture doll. Ho Chiu-lai was also dressed in matching outfits. Standing together, the two clearly looked like a family.

She had a small bag slung across her body. After going out for a while, the bag, which was originally empty, came back bulging. She couldn't stop smiling. An'an would even show off what gifts she had received from other families. Although she was young, she had a good memory and could remember things pretty accurately. He Zhijun found this very rare.

Many children came to Jingyan's house to wish her a Happy New Year today. Peanuts, melon seeds, and candies were mixed together, and each child would grab a small handful and stuff it into their pockets. How many candies and peanuts were inside was a matter of luck.

Fortunately, children are simple-minded and don't think about comparisons. After receiving their gifts, they'll bow and say a few auspicious words, then run off again in a flurry.

Looking at the children's happy smiles, Jingyan couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. People nowadays think that the Spring Festival will be like this for many years to come, but who could have imagined that in just twenty years, the festive atmosphere would fade away?

When everyone shuts themselves away and lives their lives behind closed doors, the feelings between neighbors will gradually fade away. We should really cherish the strong sense of human warmth we have now.

After the New Year, He Zhijun saw that his family was all together. After sending the children away, he discussed his idea of ​​getting a tubal ligation with his family. He Zhicheng really didn't know much about it. Zhou Jie had difficulty getting pregnant, and he thought he should let nature take its course, so he hadn't considered it yet.

Cui Hongru and He Jiaoxu were actually worried about this, but Cui Hongru knew He Zhijun well. Hearing how seriously he waited until everyone in the family was present before bringing it up, she knew that he had given it a lot of thought.

"In our hospital, most women get IUDs inserted; very few men get vasectomies. Last year, there was news about eugenics, and some family members of leaders already came to get IUDs inserted."

I've received relevant training before, and Dr. Qin is absolutely right. The IUD is placed in the uterus, which can easily cause gynecological inflammation. Relatively speaking, male sterilization is the least harmful, but very few men are willing to do it.

"But I have no objection to my son wanting to dote on his wife. However, I still suggest you wait until Jingyan gives birth to this child before making a decision. If it's a girl, you can get a tubal ligation. But if it's another boy, I don't think you'll be satisfied. I'm afraid you'll regret it later if you go for the surgery now."

He Zhijun scratched his head sheepishly and laughed, "Mom, how did you know I wanted a daughter? I don't think I ever said that."

Cui Hongru glared at him: "You are my child, how could I not know you? You always said that girls are good, delicate and soft, and lovable. When you see other people's children, you always have more patience for little girls. Just from this, I can tell that you favor girls over boys, which is the exact opposite of your older brother."

He Zhicheng looked completely innocent: "Mom, you can talk about Zhijun, why are you dragging me into this? I have Xiaoli, that's enough. Childbirth is so painful. Xiaojie went through a lot from pregnancy to delivery, it wasn't just her who suffered, I went through a lot too, so I'm not looking forward to a second child."

Zhou Jie was just observing the situation, but when she heard He Zhicheng complaining about how she had caused trouble back then, she immediately retorted: "How did I cause trouble? You had to go to work back then, and every day the Little Red Guards were arresting people, and everyone was in a state of panic. I was at home alone with a big belly, doing your laundry and cooking for you. How could I cause trouble?"

Grandma looked at Zhou Jie in surprise, then turned to Cui Hongru and asked, "Has this eldest daughter-in-law changed her ways? She never talked back when Zhicheng said those things to her before, but she's really showing some backbone today."

Cui Hongru nodded in agreement: "Since Xiaojie started working, she has become much more cheerful. Now she even dares to ask Zhicheng to do some housework. She is no longer the hardworking ox she used to be. Look, her complexion has improved a lot."

Grandma nodded in agreement: "Indeed, when women have something to do, they have more confidence and won't feel too stifled in life. That's the right way. Otherwise, if a woman always has to be subservient, the family will run into problems sooner or later."

He Zhicheng touched his nose a little embarrassedly: "Grandma, I know I didn't do well before, but I'm changing now. Now I can cook a few dishes and clean the house. In our army, I can be on the list of good men."

Cui Hongru curled her lips in disdain: "You're on the list of good men only because those big men in your army don't know how to pamper their wives at home, and they're proud of it. Aren't they ashamed?"

He Jiaoxu said with some dissatisfaction: "It's not that none of us love our wives. I think I love you quite a bit. I don't even fight back if you hit me."

Cui Hongru's eyes widened: "What, you want to commit domestic violence?"

He Jiaoxu quickly begged for forgiveness: "I wouldn't dare, I absolutely wouldn't dare."

He Zhijun was speechless as the topic of his tubal ligation veered off to this point. "I'll have the tubal ligation surgery after the second child is born. Anyway, I don't want her to get an IUD; it's too harmful to her health."

Cui Hongru waved her hand: "Whatever you want, this is a matter between the two of you, you can figure it out yourselves."

He Zhijun said irritably, "I'm just worried that tubal ligation will affect our sex life. Although Dr. Qin said it wouldn't, I was still unsure and wanted to ask you. Look at you, you don't even care about your precious son."

Cui Hongru was even less concerned: "Dr. Qin is far more professional than me. If she says it won't affect anything, then it won't. Based on what I learned during my training, it really won't affect sexual function..."

He Jiaoxu immediately covered her mouth with his hand: "That's enough, don't be too explicit."

Cui Hongru slapped his hand away: "Xiao Li took An'an out, who else can't listen to him? You're just being nosy. Fine, I won't say anything more."

He Jiaoxu quickly handed her a cup of tea: "Drink some water to soothe your throat."

So, the unspeakable topic that had been lingering in He Zhijun's mind for a month came to an abrupt end. However, since his family did not object, he felt at ease.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the He and Jiao families were returning to Yangzhou. Zhou Jie had been worried about her son before, but now, after staying here for four days and watching He Chaoli exercise, study, and play every day,

Not only did she become more outgoing, but she also developed her own social circle. The shyness and timidity she once had disappeared from her face, allowing her to focus on her work with peace of mind.

After her family left, the once lively house became much quieter. The four adults in the house were just enough to make a table. Jingyan had been playing mahjong for half a day every day recently. Her mahjong skills hadn't improved, but her mahjong-stacking technique had become quite refined.

After the tenth day of the lunar month, He Zhijun took He Chaoli's transfer documents to the school. Although the school had not yet started, some teachers were already back to prepare for the semester, and there were people in the academic affairs office as well.

He Chaoli was the only transfer student this semester. The procedures were completed quickly. The money was paid, and it was agreed that he would officially start school on March 1st. With the school settled, the big family matter was finally settled.

He Zhijun would take He Chaoli for a morning run every day, and many children in the neighborhood followed suit. In just a few days, the morning run team grew from two people to more than a dozen. The group of children running in the streets and alleys every day became a unique sight in the area, something He Zhijun had not expected at the time.

After the New Year, He Zhijun instructed He Chaoli to continue his morning run every day and then return to school. After He Chaoli went to school every day, the house became much emptier again. Foods like braised meat and scallion pancakes had almost no sales during this period after the New Year.

Jingyan was mentally prepared for this, so she didn't prepare much. It was cold, and the braised meat could be kept for two or three days at a time without any problem, so the family had some rare free time.

Sister Wang is a restless person. Every day after tidying up the house, she would dig out the scraps of cloth left over from making quilts and sew a four-sided beanbag. She and Jingyan would often play kicking it in the yard for a while, reliving their girlhood days.

Grandma, seeing how good she was at needlework, thought the colors of the scraps of fabric were quite nice and decided to sew a few sachets. She could put some spices in them and wear them regularly, and then replace them with herbs to repel mosquitoes and ward off evil spirits during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Sister Wang thought these were just small jobs, and since she had nothing else to do, she made a few. Jingyan thought they looked nice, so she hung them on nails behind the door. And then, they caught the eye of the older women who came to buy things, the older women who came to chat with Grandma, and the young wives.

In just a few days, she sold more than ten of them. It seemed that Jingyan had seen a new business opportunity. However, only Sister Wang could make them. An empty sachet cost 50 cents, and if you wanted to add spices, it would cost 1 to 1.5 yuan each. They were selling quite well.

The spices inside were prepared by Dr. Qin at the hospital. Jing Yan still remembers the incredulous look in Dr. Qin's eyes when he heard her request.

In the end, though reluctantly, she still gave him the prescription. Jingyan wanted to pay for it, but Dr. Qin refused, saying, "It would be wrong to accept money privately. It's just a little trinket, not worth much. Take it back and keep it as a souvenir."

Jingyan didn't want to take advantage of him for nothing, so she decided to give him a few pounds of braised meat to take home with his drinks. Dr. Qin initially refused to accept it, but eventually gave in after much persuasion.

Jingyan was unaware that because of the braised meat she had brought, Dr. Qin's wife would often come to buy it to make him snacks with his drinks. However, because Jingyan and her friends didn't know anyone there, they didn't know until much later. But that's another story, so let's leave it at that for now.

He Chaoli adapted to school faster than Jing Yan had expected. The children here had spent the winter break playing together, and after school started, He Chaoli's class also had friends to play with.

With the introductions of these friends, He Chaoli was quickly accepted by his classmates. In addition, his good grades made him popular with his teachers, and He Chaoli finally felt the feeling of being welcomed. This made his enthusiasm for learning soar like never before.

Jingyan admired his studious attitude, seeing that he would read for a while after finishing his homework every day after dinner. She couldn't help but ask, "You've finished your homework, why are you still reading and writing?"

He Chaoli replied to her like a little adult: "Auntie, my classmates all like to play with the ones who are good at studying. A few days ago, the teacher gave us a question, and I answered it right away. After the teacher praised me, some classmates came to ask me questions. I'm very popular now."

The teacher even said my handwriting was nice, and I was put in charge of designing the class bulletin board. Even though it was basically just copying from a book, all my classmates were so envious of me.