On New Year's Eve, there was a rare heavy snowfall. The ground and the houses were all white, and the world was covered in silver. It really felt like "everyone disappeared without a trace".
This heavy snowfall is a bit like saying: "Auspicious snow heralds a good harvest." Next year will be a good one.
There is also a view that this year is the second spring and the low temperature will have an impact on next year's crops.
Everyone has their own reasons, and no one knows the future world.
Now, today is the New Year's Eve, and the sound of "chop" is everywhere, and the aroma is fragrant. People still fight against this God with the joy of the traditional festival. The crackling explosions sound from time to time to welcome a better tomorrow.
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Sister-in-law Ying was busy for a few days, and with Hong Ying's help, a large table of sumptuous dishes was prepared, all in color, aroma and taste.
During the New Year's Eve dinner, Liu Huanzhang held back his health and sat facing south with a smile. Liu Yong and his mother faced west, Yu Hui held Dongmei and faced east, and Sister Ying and Hong Ying sat facing north. This is the seating rule for wealthy families.
Liu Huanzhang smiled and said: My health is not good for drinking. Today is the New Year's Eve dinner. I am really happy and drink some rice wine.
Liu Huanzhang took a sip of wine and touched his mouth with his hand. He then said: I, Liu Huanzhang, never thought that I would be able to live a life like this. This is all the virtue accumulated by my ancestors. Ah Yong, if you lose money in business, it is only temporary.
You can still earn it back; if you make a loss in life, you can earn it back in your lifetime.
Liu Yong said: You always warn me, I will bear it in my heart.
Liu Yongniang pouted and said: If you have a happy New Year's Eve dinner, you will teach others a lesson.
Liu Huanzhang smiled and said: Okay, don't say it, don't say it. Everyone eats, everyone eats.
Xiao Dongmei looked at everyone and Yu Hui for a while, tapping the table with her little hands, making everyone laugh.
During the meal, Liu Yongniang took out a gold chain from her waist and hung it around Dongmei's neck.
Liu Yong also took out three red envelopes, one for each of Ying's sister-in-law, wet nurse, and Hong Ying.
Hong Ying smiled and said: Me too?
Liu Yong smiled and said: Of course, of course. Then he said: You guys eat slowly, I have something to do and I will go out for a while.
Yu Hui looked at Liu Yong strangely and said: Now everyone is having New Year's Eve dinner, what else do you have to do? Then he said: Why don't you go back to reunite with others?
Liu Yong smiled and said: I went to reunite with other people. The "rescue station" was deserted, so I was a little worried, so I went to take a look.
After listening to Liu Yong's words, Liu Huanzhang nodded and said: Well, it should be.
Liu Yongniang then said: Go early and come back early. Be careful on the road.
On the night of New Year's Eve, coupled with the bad weather, I couldn't see my fingers. Only bursts of explosions could be heard in the distance from time to time.
Liu Yong carried a lantern and went to the candy store to buy some candies. He stepped on the thick snow and reached the "rescue station" with one foot high and one foot low.
Liu Yong called to open the door, and Huiying was bringing a basin of dumplings out from the kitchen. When he heard the call, he put down the basin and opened the door quickly. When he saw Liu Yong, he said: Oh, what day is it today? Why don't you come here at this time?
Liu Yong smiled and said: Come and see if you have anything to do after dinner.
Liu Yong looked at the table and saw a bowl of braised pork, a bowl of soy-flavored eggs, a fish, a bowl of fried embroidered noodles, and four dishes.
Sister-in-law Zhen said with a smile: To be honest, I don’t know when I have eaten such a dish. At that time, I didn’t eat braised pork during the Chinese New Year at home. To tell you the truth, one year on New Year’s Eve, everything at home was empty.
No, my father picked up a dead cat that others had thrown away on the frozen river, skinned it, and burned it to become our delicacy.
Liu Yong smiled and said: Then eat more today.
Huiying smiled and said, "Try these dumplings."
Liu Yong picked one up with two fingers, put it into his mouth, and started eating it. He said, "Yes, it tastes good."
Huiying said: The filling is made of mustard greens, a little flat bamboo shoots and dried fragrant spices, so it is very fresh.
Liu Yong said: Oh, no wonder. Here comes another one. He picked up another one and put it in his mouth.
Huiying and Sister-in-law Zhen both smiled and said: If you like to eat, eat more.
Huiying said: In a few days, I will pack it again, and you can just come over and eat it.
Liu Yong said: That couldn't be better.
Liu Yong pointed to a package on the table and said: This is candy. Tomorrow, the first day of the Lunar New Year, you will all wake up sweet.
Huiying and Sister-in-law Zhen would like to thank Mr. Liu's family for their thoughtful consideration.
Liu Yong said goodbye to the two of them, and the two of them wished Liu Yong good luck.
Liu Yong held a lantern and walked back in the snow. Passing by a mulberry garden, he suddenly heard a slight cough, and Liu Yong immediately became alert. Liu Yong shouted: Who is inside?
no response.
Liu Yong illuminated the ground with a lantern. There were deep footprints in the snow. There was also a vague figure in the mulberry field in the distance.
Liu Yong thought: Could it be a thief? So he shouted: Come out quickly, I have seen you, if you don't come out I will throw bricks.
I could only hear the voice inside begging for mercy: Don't throw it away, don't throw it away, I'm just going to rescue it.
When the man came to Liu Yong, he was shaking all over and his teeth were chattering.
Liu Yong asked strangely: On New Year's Eve, you are not at home, what are you doing here?
The man said: I live here in Xundong Village, my name is Wang Baohe. Because my father was seriously ill in the spring, I borrowed two oceans from Li Chaofeng. I agreed to pay three oceans today with interest. He came again the day before yesterday.
, saying that he had to ask for it today. There was no other way, so I wanted to go out and hide. After another hour, he would not come to beg for it. If he wanted to beg for it, it would be past the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Liu Yong suddenly realized it and said: If you stay in this snow for another hour, you will freeze to death here.
Liu Yong asked again with concern: Have you had the New Year's Eve dinner?
Wang Baohe said: No, there is no New Year's Eve dinner, there is nothing at home. My wife and children have not eaten.
Liu Yong pondered for a moment, and then said: I still have five yuan with me, take it and go home quickly. Give three yuan back to Li Chaofeng, and two yuan, go to the street to buy some food for your wife and children.
Wang Baohe took the ocean with trembling hands, knelt down on the ground and said, "Thank you, my benefactor. Please tell me your benefactor's name. I, Wang Baohe, can only return it in the future."
Liu Yong said: Hey, get up, get up quickly. Which family will not encounter difficulties? They are all from the countryside. I, Liu Yong, live in Zhennan Street.
Wang Baohe stood up and said in surprise: The benefactor turned out to be Liu Dong's family. It's better to meet once than to hear for a long time. I have long heard that you rescued a woman from Anhui who fled famine and set up a "rescue station".
Liu Yong said: Those are all matters within one's duties and are not worth mentioning. Then he said: It's getting late, you'd better go back quickly to prevent your family from getting anxious too.
Wang Baohe said goodbye to Liu Yong.
Liu Yong also stepped on the snow, one foot high and one foot low to return home.
I got home late, almost the third watch.
On the Eight Immortals table in the hall, a pair of big red candles were lit, and the flames flickered in the breeze.
There are various kinds of melon seed candies on the table.
Yu Hui was holding the stove and listening to Mrs. Ying and Hong Ying chatting.
Liu Yong blew out the lantern and hung it on the pillar. Then he said: Are you not asleep yet?
Yu Hui said: Sister-in-law Ying and the others have just made glutinous rice balls and finished cleaning them up. The wet nurse went to bed early with Dongmei.
Hong Ying said: This is called "conservatism".
"Da da boring, da da boring," the woodcutter's "third watch" sound came from outside. The crackling sound of firecrackers kept ringing.
Sister-in-law Ying also said: It's midnight and it's time to go to bed.
Hong Ying brought the face wash and foot wash water to Liu Yong to the room. After everything was arranged, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. This chapter has been completed!