The new year has arrived quietly in their anticipation. In the early morning of the first day of the first lunar month, Su Wen was awakened by bursts of firecrackers. He looked at Wang Qianqian who was still sleeping, kissed her gently, then got dressed and got up. He tiptoed out of the bedroom, closed the door, and went to the kitchen. He put a new briquette on the stove, boiled a pot of water, and prepared to cook dumplings for a while.
There are many people in the yard already. Adults and children are all wearing clean clothes, with happy smiles on their faces. Seeing this scene, Su Wen couldn't help but smile. He walked out of the kitchen, took a breath of cold air, and felt refreshed. In the new year, everything is full of hope and possibility.
Su Wen walked to the yard and said hello to the neighbors. They chatted together, talking about New Year's plans and expectations. When he met children who came to pay New Year greetings, Su Wen gave each of them ten cents. I also went with a few people to pay New Year's greetings to the deaf old lady and the second uncle.
After paying New Year greetings, Su Wen returned home and saw that Wang Qianqian had gotten up and was getting dressed. Su Wen walked over, patted her shoulder gently and said, "Happy New Year, Qianqian."
Wang Qianqian turned around with a happy smile on her face, "Happy New Year, Su Wen. You get up so early."
Su Wen nodded, "Yes, the new year must have a good start. Take the time to wash up, the dumplings will be cooked in a moment."
Wang Qianqian nodded, "Okay."
After Wang Qianqian went to wash up, the water in the pot had boiled and the wrapped dumplings were added. He stirred the dumplings gently to keep them from sticking together. After a while, the dumplings floated to the surface and were cooked.
Su Wen took out the dumplings, put them in a bowl, and brought them to the table. Wang Qianqian came in just after washing her face. She saw the dumplings on the table with a happy expression on her face. She walked quickly to the table, sat down and started eating dumplings.
Su Wen felt very satisfied when he saw Wang Qianqian eating with gusto. He asked: "Qianqian, do you have any wishes for the New Year?"
Wang Qianqian said while eating: "I hope we can always be together, live a happy life, and eat white flour steamed buns every day."
The two of them were eating dumplings, chatting, and enjoying the good times of the New Year. The sound of firecrackers and laughter kept coming outside, adding a bit of festive atmosphere.
After eating, the two of them came to the yard together, planning to play in the yard for a while while Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e went to the temple fair together. People were coming and going in the yard. Many people came to pay New Year greetings to the deaf old lady, both from the yard and from nearby yards.
Not long after, Xu Damao and his wife also came out. Xu Damao and his wife looked at Su Wen and Wang Qianqian with guilty expressions. Lou Xiao'e said awkwardly: "Xiao Wen, Qianqian, today... we have something to do today, so we can't be with you. Went to visit the temple fair."
"It's okay, let's go first." Su Wen nodded, then got on his bicycle and took Wang Qianqian out of the courtyard, riding along the east side of Beihai Park. About half an hour later, they arrived at the Changdian Temple Fair. The place is already crowded. Su Wen parked his bicycle at a car inspection stall and spent 20 cents to get two license plates. One was hung on the bicycle and the other was put on his wrist.
He and Wang Qianqian held hands and walked through the crowd. The temple fair here is indeed very large, with all kinds of snacks, toys, and specialties available. They wandered around for a while and were attracted by a stall selling traditional snacks. Su Wen bought a marshmallow for Wang Qianqian and a candied haws for himself. The two of them walked slowly while eating, admiring the surrounding scenery.
"This purse is so beautiful." Qianqian pointed to a beautiful purse and said, her eyes shining.
"Then buy it." Su Wen looked at the price and thought it was not very expensive, so he bought it directly.
Qianqian took the purse and was very happy.
After wandering around, the two came to a stall selling handicrafts. Su Wen was attracted by a beautiful small ceramic bowl. He took it in his hand and looked at it carefully, and asked the stall owner about the price. After some haggling, Su Wen bought six such small bowls.
After visiting the temple fair all morning, Su Wen and Qianqian both felt a little tired. They found a place to rest for a while and then decided to get something to eat.
They were soon attracted by a stall selling traditional snacks.
"Boss, let's order fried noodles." Su Wen said.
"Okay." The boss responded and started preparing food for them.
After eating noodles, they continued shopping for a while and bought some snacks and souvenirs.
Finally, they decided to go home. Su Wen rode a bicycle with Wang Qianqian through the bustling crowd and left the Changdian Temple Fair.
As soon as they returned to the courtyard, Su and Wen were surrounded by a group of children in the courtyard. They kept wishing them happy New Year and asking for red envelopes.
Su Wen took out the change he had prepared in his pocket and distributed it to everyone, one cent per person. After the children took the dime, they ran away happily. The third uncle looked at the remaining change in Su Wen's hand with envy, and was speechless if he really wanted to.
Su Wen noticed the third uncle's expression, so he walked over and said, "Third uncle, Happy New Year."
The third uncle smiled awkwardly and said, "Su Wen, Happy New Year." He paused and then said, "Um...Happy New Year, and good luck in getting rich."
Su Wen smiled, handed the third uncle a dime and said, "Happy New Year, may you get rich. This is for Sister Xie."
The third uncle looked happy after taking the dime.
In the middle courtyard, He Yuzhu is busy in the kitchen, and Yu Li. He Yuzhu and a few children are playing the game of eagle catching chicks. He Yuzhu is the eagle, and Yu Li is the mother chicken. Seven or eight children followed Yu Li and had a lot of fun. It was obvious that their aunt and sister-in-law had a good relationship. During the play, Su Wen saw Yu Li's fair skin from her collar. Su Wen, who felt guilty, glanced at Wang Qianqian, but Wang Qianqian didn't notice anything unusual about him.
Su Wen looked at them and remembered that he often played these games with his friends when he was a child. The happiness at that time was so simple and pure.
Bypassing them, Su Wen and Wang Qianqian returned home together, enjoying the tranquility and warmth of the New Year. They sat on chairs and talked about their experience of visiting the temple fair today and what they bought. Immersed in the memories of visiting the temple fair, we shared our harvests and feelings with each other. They talked about the delicious snacks, exquisite handicrafts, and exciting and lively scenes.
At night, Su Wen and Wang Qianqian were lying on the bed, chatting and waiting to fall asleep. They talked about future plans and expectations, full of expectations and hopes for the new year. Slowly fell asleep.
