On the morning of New Year's Day, it was still dark.
Yang Rui got up and started boiling water.
Nuan Nuan vaguely heard the movement, opened his eyes a little, saw the dimness of the oil lamp, and asked drowsily: "What's wrong? Why did you get up so early?"
Yang Rui entered the room, rubbed his hands that had become warm, and then touched his wife's tender face: "Get up quickly, it's the first day of junior high school today, and I'm a senior in our village! We can't let the juniors get in the way. On the kang!"
Nuan Nuan opened his eyes instantly: "What did you say? Is there anyone here to wish us a happy New Year?"
"I'm sure there is. I'm not too young! There are people who are several years older than me, and they have to call me uncle!" Yang Rui explained, and smiled at Wen Nuan.
Mysteriously, he took out a set of clothes from the hot bed and from under the mattress: "Daughter-in-law, I put the new clothes on the bed. They are still warm now. Put them on quickly!"
Ever since, Nuan Nuan was dressed up as a "big red envelope" while being a little confused!
"Sorrowful" asked: "Is this what I'm wearing today? Is it so red?"
Yang Rui looked at his happy daughter-in-law with a proud face: "Yes, how pretty! I specially asked my aunt in the village to make it for you. Knowing that you don't like big and colorful flowers, I made it for you in bright red. How beautiful and handsome!
My wife’s figure and appearance are really, really good! It is simply like a fairy descending to earth. "
The warmth was praised again. When I woke up in the morning, my head was a little confused. I was even more confused by the praise. I said with a little hesitation: "Then dress like this?"
"You look good in your clothes!" Yang Rui nodded fiercely, and then asked another question: "Daughter-in-law, do you have money in your pocket?"
"without!"
Yang Rui took out a small bag from the kang cabinet and handed it to Wen Nuan: "I forgot to tell you last time. I got back a lot of pennies and dimes before. If someone wishes you a New Year's greeting, look at the closeness and distance. Yes, give me some!"
Nuan Nuan took the money and turned it over, but found that there was not even a single dollar left in it: "How are the closeness and distance divided?"
After getting along for such a long time, Yang Rui also knew that his daughter-in-law was lacking in human sophistication, so he explained directly:
"Tietou, Tiedan, Chunya, Mengyue and Shitou, these nephews and nieces, give me 1 cent! Everyone else can give me 1 cent!"
Yang Rui smacked his lips and felt a bit pity: "The only bad thing about the separation of families is that you have to be the elder. You have to give money during the New Year! We are married in the first year and live alone. Later, the two children in your belly will be able to live alone. I made my money back!”
Nuan Nuan: ...Well, is the effect of having two children reflected in this?
Wen Nuan washed his face with ready-made hot water and was applying cream when the two brothers Tietou and Tiedan came!
As soon as they entered the door, they kowtowed to Yang Rui and Wen Nuan: "Uncle, aunt, happy New Year!"
Yang Rui still looked natural.
Nuan Nuan is different: ...This, this, Tietou's age is the same as the original's!
A little panicked, he asked them to get up, took out money from his pocket, and gave each of the brothers a dime.
The two brothers were quite happy.
After all, Tietou Tiedan rarely encountered money since he was a child. It turns out that their mother, Li Dani, doesn’t have any money, so it’s all in the hands of their nanny.
Even if the family is divided this year and the two brothers' parents are rich, they have no plans to give the two brothers a penny.
All that money is for the brothers to find wives, so how can it be spent for them to have fun?
In an era when one penny can buy a candy, a dime is really a lot.
Yang Rui looked at Tietou: "Why are you two here so early?"
Tietou has been "oppressed" by Yang Rui since he was a child. Yang Rui, his uncle, is like a big devil in his eyes.
Tietou was particularly well-behaved in front of Yang Rui: "Uncle, I asked you to go to the old house quickly. It's time to go and pay New Year greetings! Dad, the second uncle and the third uncle are all here!"
"Got it!" Yang Rui agreed: "You go back first, I will be there in a moment!"
"Eh"
"knew!"
After the two brothers responded, they left!
Nuan Nuan also applied the snow cream at this time, "Shall we go too?"
As he spoke, he put on his hat, scarf and hand covering.
Yang Rui nodded and did the same thing.
After everything is tidied up. Then he carried Nuan Nuan to the old house.
It was still dark outside, and Yang Rui had a flashlight in his hand.
By the time we get to the old house, the dumplings are almost ready.
Sister-in-law Li Dani is bending over the stove to scoop up dumplings cooked in a large pot.
Hearing the noise, he turned his head and saw that it was Lao Si and his wife. Of course, the first thing that catches the eye is Wen Nuan's "big red envelope" look.
"Good fellow, fourth brother and sister, what you are wearing is too bright!"
As he said that, he put down the strainer (a tool used to catch dumplings) in his hand and went up to touch the warm clothes.
Yang Rui quickly stopped him: "Sister-in-law, you just keep talking, why are you doing anything?"
"Hey, fourth brother, what are you talking about? I didn't think anything of it! I just wanted to see how the clothes on the fourth brother and sister are made of good materials and how festive they are!
If Tietou gets a wife tomorrow, he may have to borrow clothes from his younger siblings! "Li Dani was a little unhappy, but she still had her own little thoughts. The second half of the sentence was for Nuan Nuan.
Before Wen Nuan could answer her, Yang Rui said no: "Sister-in-law, since we separated, I noticed how big your face is?
This is the first time my wife has worn this dress. It hasn't been wet yet, so I have to lend it to you! "
"Hey - you" The two of them were about to continue arguing, but they were smoothed over by Yang's mother who was driven out of the house: "Yes, yes, you two, one is the sister-in-law and the other is the brother-in-law. During the Chinese New Year, there is no one who can let others go? Let’s eat in the inner room first!”
After all, it was the Chinese New Year, and Yang Rui didn't want to quarrel with Li Dani, a heartless sister-in-law. The implication was not good.
In addition, he didn't suffer any loss, so he followed his mother's words and helped Nuan Nuan into the back room.
Li Dani curled her lips and entered the back room with the cooked dumplings.
After worshiping the gods of heaven and earth, three generations of clan members set off another firecracker.
The whole family sat at the table and started eating dumplings.
After finishing the dumplings, it’s time to pay New Year greetings to my parents. In the rural areas of Northeast China in the 1960s, most people had to kowtow when paying New Year greetings to their parents and elders.
The procedures are very similar. The whole family, including brothers, sisters, grandchildren, etc., will line up in several lines to kowtow to their parents.
First he kowtows to his father, then to his mother, and they shout in unison: "Dad, I kowtow to you!" "Mom, I kowtow to you!"
The grandchildren shouted even louder, "Grandpa and grandma, I kowtow to you!"
Of course, if you can speak auspicious words, you can also say some auspicious words.
The elderly will happily give out lucky money to their children.
The same goes for the Yang family.
Everyone else kowtowed sincerely, but Wen Nuan did not kowtow. He just knelt slightly and lowered his head. She had a big belly, and no one found fault with her.
Immediately afterwards, he was helped up and received a red envelope belonging to his new wife.
After they sat down, Yang Rui's nephews and nieces, in addition to Tietou Tiedan who had already celebrated the New Year, Chunya, Mengyue and Xiao Shitou also came to kowtow to her and Yang Rui.
After receiving the red envelope, Yang Zhe, the eldest brother, took his younger brothers, sons, and nephews to pay New Year greetings to the homes of elders of the same clan who had not yet left the fifth server, as well as the homes of some respected elderly people in the village.
