"Twenty-three eat sweet melons (when sending the kitchen god, eat a kind of round sweet food made of sugar, very sticky, meaning to use this sugar to stick the kitchen god's mouth, so that he won't speak ill of the world when he returns to the Heavenly Palace), twenty-five sweep the dust, twenty-seven kill a chicken, twenty-eight kill a duck." Amidst the children's eagerly anticipating children's songs, and the adults 'worries and busyness, the lively Spring Festival finally arrived at the Green Pine Ridge with hurried steps.
This year's Spring Festival was especially lively at home. After graduating from National Day, he returned to the village and became an accountant. His younger brother graduated from the nine-year school and returned to the house to farm. His younger sister had her winter vacation, and his father had his annual leave. The family was reunited. His mother was busy preparing food and clothing for the family for the new year. Although it was hard, she was full of energy. At this moment, she was busy steaming buns and preparing New Year's meals. Her father and Guo Qing were lying on the round Kang table on the Kang bed writing couplets. Her younger siblings were following her mother's arrangements and were cleaning and cleaning the house and outside.
Although the whole family was reunited, it was lively and lively. They talked and laughed, but this year's New Year was not easy and relaxed. His father's monthly salary was 38.5 yuan. Other than repaying the loan for the new hospital in Guyao a few years ago, there was not much left. Before the New Year, he had specially saved up 50 yuan. He prepared 20 yuan to tear the clothes for the three children. With the remaining 30 yuan, he went to the county bank to exchange for brand new Mao Mao notes to deal with the neighbors who came to exchange for new money when he returned home. This was a habit that had been formed over the years. Every year before New Year's Eve, the neighbors would come to the father on National Day to exchange for a few yuan in new wool bills, ready to give the children lucky money on New Year's Eve. But this year, he did not. For the first time, his father said something cowardly in front of the villagers. He repeatedly explained to the people who came to his door,"Sigh, I'm sorry. I didn't change the money this year. I heard that our cashier Yonggui has some.”
Under such a helpless situation, the whole family did not have any new clothes to wear during the new year. In previous years, her mother would always go to the supply and marketing cooperative to pull some cloth in advance and ask the tailor in the village to make a brand-new coat for each of the three children to wear over the old cotton coat. On the first day of the New Year, they looked at least new from the outside, but this year, they did not even make a new coat. Her mother had to rummage through the cabinet to look for it. After rummaging for a long time, she finally found an old coat that was not patched for each of them. Her father washed them well, dried them, and found a branding iron to iron them flat. It was considered the New Year.
In order to let the children wear new shoes on the first day of the first lunar month, the mother rushed through the night and only finished the last pair of black velvet cloth shoes at dawn. Her mother rubbed her sore eyes. She wanted to sleep for a while before the sky turned dark. However, the crisp sound of two firecrackers could be heard from outside the window, followed by the sound of firecrackers. The sound of the firecrackers was like a wake-up call. Everyone in the family quickly got up, dressed up, and prepared to make a fire, cook dumplings, burn incense, kowtow, and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. The grand, warm, and festive New Year's drama began.
When the sky was still bright, they had eaten dumplings. The children were led by their father to visit their uncles. His mother placed fried dough twists, dried persimmons, peanuts, and snow-white buns on the table at home, ready to entertain the neighbors. In the middle of the morning, when she saw that no one was coming, her mother quickly closed the door and walked into the cave dwelling where she lived on National Day. She pulled the curtains, closed the door, and went to sleep with the blanket. On National Day, after following his father out to celebrate the New Year, he also went to find his friends to play like his younger brother and sister.
On National Day, he was going to visit his old classmate, Wang Hailong's house. He heard that Wang Hailong was going to get married in January. As his old classmate and good friend, he should go ahead and see if he needed any help. On National Day, he put on his father's small coat with a velvet collar, called his mother, and went to Wang Hailong's house.
Outside the door, there was a pile of " flourishing fire grass " that had yet to burn out, still emitting wisps of smoke. He avoided the pile of ashes and looked back. He saw that the Spring Festival couplets written by his father really attracted people's attention. He couldn't help but stare at it for a while. His father's calligraphy was strong and powerful, square and unrestrained. He felt deeply ashamed of his inferiority. The first couplet was " The firecrackers are bright and filled with joy ", the second couplet was " The dumplings are hot and the whole family is happy ", and the horizontal couplet was " Spring comes to the world ". On both sides of the earth kiln on the wall facing the door, there was also a short and narrow couplet. The first couplet was "Earth can give birth to all things", and the second couplet was "Earth can give birth to thousands of auspicious signs". On National Day, they walked two steps ahead. It was the door of the third aunt next door. On both sides of the door were couplets written by their father. The first couplet was "People work hard and spring brings treasure", the second couplet was "Good weather and grain full warehouse", and the horizontal couplet was "Five grains are abundant".
After reading the Spring Festival couplets on Third Aunt's door, National Day walked out of the alley with light steps on the paper scraps of firecrackers. Not far from the entrance of the alley was the home of Zhang Hongwei, the deputy director of the brigade's Revolutionary Committee. Countless firecrackers had been set off in front of his door. The red paper scraps were actually covered in a thick layer, more than an inch thick. On National Day, when he looked up, he saw the red couplets on his door. It was very eye-catching. The first half was "bid farewell to the old year without forgetting the class struggle", the second half was "welcome the new year and be ready to fight", and the horizontal half was "high morale." At first glance, it was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder and murderous intent. Seeing the Spring Festival couplets on Zhang Hongwei's door, National Day couldn't help but think of a story he heard at a critical meeting in school. It said that a teacher was a right-wing person. In order to attack the good situation of the society, he wrote a Spring Festival couplet on his door during the New Year. The first couplet was "2345", the second couplet was "6789", and the horizontal line was "North and South". In other words, it meant "no one (clothing)","no ten (food)", and "nothing". At that time, National Day was very emotional. He felt that this guy really knew how to use his brain to write such a clever couplet. However, he later found out that this couplet was from the story of Zheng Banqiao, an official of the Qing Dynasty. It was not fabricated by the right-wing. It was just that he wanted to tell his family's difficulties at that time and used the past to satirize the present.
After walking past Zhang Hongwei's door, he hurriedly bypassed the village pond and turned excitedly into the alley of Wang Hailong's house. However, he heard a low, relaxed and cheerful song. He suddenly looked up and saw Guo Zhuye walking toward him. Both sides were a little nervous when they met on a narrow road. Guo Qing couldn't help but stare at her with wide eyes. He saw her wearing a brown woolen coat, a gorgeous yellow scarf with blue flowers around her neck, and a pair of shiny black leather shoes on her feet. Guo Zhuye saw Guoqing. She didn't know whether she was nervous or embarrassed, but she subconsciously reached out to stroke her hair. Just as she raised her hand, a shiny thing on her wrist flashed. Although it was very short, Guoqing still saw it. It was a Shanghai brand watch. At that time, watches were still a rare luxury item in the countryside, but it was really worn on her wrist. For some reason, Guo Qing suddenly felt uncomfortable in his throat, as if he wanted to throw up everything he had eaten in the morning. Seeing Guo Zhuye's attire and behavior, he couldn't help but think of what his old classmate, Lu Youcai, had said. Could it be that what he had heard from his old classmate at the entrance of the credit union before the new year was true? Otherwise, how could a salesperson in a small department store be so rich?
At this moment, what appeared in Guo Qing's mind wasn't resentment because Guo Zhuye had rejected his proposal, because that page had long been turned over. At this moment, it was as if a caterpillar was crawling into his chest and devouring his heart bit by bit. He felt sorry for Guo Zhuye. He felt sorry for her, disgusted, and a little pitiful. How could such a strong, smart, and doting girl become like this? Even so, before Guo Zhuye could speak, he asked her openly,""I heard that you're working at the department store again? Not bad!”
"It's nothing. If you want to buy anything, you can come and find me. What are you doing?"
"I'm going to look for Wang Hailong. I heard that he's getting married!”
"Oh." Guo Zhuye stared at Zhong Guoqing's shabby clothes and the brand new black velvet cloth shoes on his feet. He nodded twice and turned around to leave.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]