The three had just come back from piano lessons, and they quickly washed their hands. Li Xia started boiling water to cook wontons, and dinner was wontons, donkey meat hot pot, and meat pie.
This dinner is definitely hard, and the neighbors will think it is a waste when they smell it. But Li Xia’s family can’t get together at noon and can only get together in the evening. So the old man always asks for a richer dinner.
The family was happily eating in the backyard, and Qin Mu was also in the backyard today. Usually, when Han Jun was there, she would eat with him in the front yard, but today Han Jun was on a business trip, so she ate with everyone.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was very good. The old man took a bite of the donkey meat and praised Qin Mu’s cooking skills. Qin Mu said that more donkey meat was sold this winter, and the old man liked it so much that he would make it again next time.
“I can also make donkey offal soup. I’ll make it for you to try some other day.”
“Okay, remember to add more coriander.”
Yiyilooked up and said, “I don’t eat cilantro.”
Shen Hui also said, “I don’t eat it either.”
The old man touched his two grandsons’ heads lovingly and said, “Okay, I won’t put it in for you two. Put the one in Grandpa’s bowl separately.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
After dinner, the children practiced the piano, and Shen Haiyang played chess with the old man. The relationship between the father and son is not very good, but it is very harmonious. In winter, they often sit like this after dinner.
Li Xia was busy shipping the goods, trying to sell all the clothes she ordered before the New Year. The clothing business is most afraid of overstocking; once overstocking occurs, it is likely to be a loss. So when the twelfth lunar month was approaching, she lowered the price a little bit, and in less than ten days, there was not much left.
“It’s safe.”
Xiao Liu gave her a thumbs up and said, “Boss, you are really courageous. You put all the money into the purchase and reduced the price when it came to shipping. Now we are stable, and I am spending this year with peace of mind.”
“We are in the wholesale business. If we don’t reduce the price now, it will be too late. Look at the next door.”
The store next door is high-end, and its business is not as good as theirs. Moreover, the boss is very strict about the price, and the goods are still piled up in the warehouse when the twelfth lunar month is almost halfway through.
“She said at worst she could sell it next year.”
“Next year? Will her products still be popular next year?”
Regardless of others, Li Xia went home at night and took all the cash back home. After entering the main room, she closed the door, opened the cabinet, and took out all the cash she brought home every day.
Wow, in this era when there were no hundred-yuan notes, her cash flow during this period had piled up into a small mountain. She tied the thick stacks of ten-yuan notes together with rubber bands. Each stack was five thousand, which was very convenient to count.
“wife”
Shen Haiyang called softly from outside, and Li Xia quickly got down to open the door. The curtains were drawn, so she wasn’t afraid of being seen by outsiders. Shen Haiyang came in and saw so much cash, and I reminded her that it would be better to put it in the bank.
“Deposit it in a current account and withdraw it whenever you need it.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll go with you. You…” The man used his hand to pick up the pile of money. “Wife, is this how much you make in business?”
“Of course. The year before last, there were so many people with an annual income of 10,000 yuan in the provincial capital. In the past two years, as long as the investment is appropriate, it will definitely increase several times or even dozens of times.”
“That’s terrible. Who would be willing to work if things continued like this? I can’t make as much as you did in the past six months of my lifetime.”
“The country will adjust. As the economy changes, prices and wages will slowly adjust. Especially for welfare benefits, your company can be said to be guaranteed by the government for life. For businessmen, you may have made money in the past few years, but if you fail, you may lose everything.”
“That’s true. We have a pension and medical care after retirement. I feel at ease knowing that someone will take care of me throughout my life.”
“You are a cadre, and you will have good benefits after retirement. So you should work hard, and you are the backbone of our family.”
Shen Haiyang smiled and nodded. He had no intention of quitting his job to start a business. Not to mention that his health did not allow it; even if he was healthy, he would not be interested in doing business.
The couple took a bag, put the cash in it, and drove to the bank the next day to deposit a large sum of money. They kept some cash at home, and they would have to go south to buy goods in the spring, and they would have to withdraw some more when the time came.
When they got home, Huihua was cutting paper. The bright red paper looked festive. The girl was already itching to cut paper-cuts with scissors while drawing. The little girl had studied art for such a long time and had her own unique understanding of beauty. Now she cuts a lot more patterns. After cutting one, she showed it to Li Xia.
“Mom, do you think they look alike?”
“Yes, it is! It looks like the photo. How can it be cut so similarly?”
“Mom, do you like it? If you like it, I’ll cut one for you too.”
“OK.”
The little girl glanced at Shen Haiyang and said, “Cut the two of you together, like a group photo.”
Shen Haiyang never hesitates to give compliments: “My daughter is very clever and skilled.”
Mom and Dad both praised her. She was so happy that her mouth stretched to her ears when she was drawing with scissors. Her grades in the final exam were not good, but she could draw, cut paper, and play the piano, so Mom and Dad both praised her.
“Huihua……”
Just as her heart was soaring, Fang Zhongcheng’s voice came from outside the house. The little girl’s face fell immediately, and she stood up and stood beside her mother. What was he doing here? He was usually nowhere to be seen, so why did he suddenly appear when the New Year was almost approaching?
When they went out of the house, the person who came was Fang Zhongcheng. Hearing their shouts, the three little ones also came out of the house. At this time, they all came to their parents, and they looked like the big bad wolf.
“What are you doing here?” Shen Haiyang asked.
The five members of their family were becoming more and more close to each other, but Fang Zhongcheng still had a smile on his face. He reached out to pull Yi Yi, but the little guy dodged him.
“Dad bought you new clothes and toys. Come and see if you like them.”
Fang Zhongcheng took out a toy from the bag he was carrying, but his son was not moved at all and reached out to grab the corner of Shen Haiyang’s clothes tightly.
“I have all of these.”
Fang Zhongcheng choked: “But this is what dad bought for you.”
“I have a father.”
Well, is this a change of surname to completely deny his biological father? This is Fang Zhongcheng’s child, a blood relative. If Li Xia hadn’t instigated behind the scenes, the child wouldn’t have been like this with him. This guy doesn’t reflect on himself but only blames others.
“Li Xia, you are ruining your child by teaching him this way. Morality is the foundation of a person’s life. I am his biological father. Is this how you teach your child? You don’t recognize your own blood relatives.”
“Yes, that’s what I taught you.”
If it were the previous Li Xia, she would definitely try her best to argue with him. But now Li Xia was too lazy to bother with him. She said, “I’ll make you angry to death. I’ll say whatever I want to make you angry.”
It’s obviously you who are irresponsible and broke the child’s heart, so the child is like this. But you still want to blame me and talk about ethics and morality. Bullshit, do you have ethics and morality?
“You…” Fang Zhongcheng pointed at her, but Li Xia waved her hand away. “Don’t point your finger at me; it makes me angry. If you do that to me again, I’ll chop it up with a knife.”
“Li Xia,”
Sure enough, Fang Zhongcheng was so angry that he was furious. He could never have imagined that in just a few years, this woman had become a completely different person. She used to be so gentle and considerate, but now she would start to scold him as soon as she opened her mouth, and she would not stop until she was pissed to death.
“Shen Haiyang, you are a public official, but you live with a woman like this? Can she educate the child well? The child will be corrupted by her.”
Shen Haiyang met his gaze and smiled slightly, then spoke gently. His words were not as explosive as Li Xia’s, but the effect was the same, which made Fang Zhongcheng fall backwards in anger.
“I like it this way. I think my wife is pretty good. As for educating children, I think our children are very good. I don’t know what you mean by bad.”
“Shen Haiyang, you have such bad vision; you are totally blind.”
Shen Haiyang remained calm and said, “I should be the one saying this to you. You’re stealing my lines.”
“Ha ha,”
Li Xia couldn’t help it, and the mother and her children laughed. Yiyi was the youngest, and she laughed the loudest. His vision was really not very good. Murong Danling was so cruel to his brother. She was not a good mother.
Fang Zhongcheng was mentally prepared this time, so he took advantage of the open gate to go into the house. With no outsiders around, he continued to coax his son.
“Yiyi, you are still young, so be good and obedient. I am your real father. Come on, spend the New Year with Dad. Dad will accompany you to set off firecrackers and take you to watch fireworks. Dad will buy you whatever you want.”
Shen Ruyi stepped back and said, “No, I don’t want it.”
After refusing, the little guy turned and ran, slipping into the inner bedroom. With that look, I won’t listen to anything you say. Fang Zhongcheng turned to look at his daughter helplessly. Huihua met his gaze, turned, and ran away without waiting for him to speak. She wouldn’t refuse anyone, so she’d better not listen to what he said.
Li Xia rolled her eyes at him and said, “Alright, hurry up and leave. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”
Fang Zhongcheng tried to coax them away for a long time but failed. He turned around and saw Shen Hui, who also ran away quickly. This man is now his stepfather, so just in case, he should have less contact with him and not coax him away. He was not willing to follow them.
He returned empty-handed, thinking that his brother and his children were all happy together during the Chinese New Year, but his wife was infertile. The two of them had three children, but none of them would stay with them.
Furious, he came out and yelled at Murong Danling, who was waiting not far away. “How nice it would be if you came in with me; we could coax them together; who knows who would be willing to follow? Don’t you worry about people laughing at us being alone without a child during the New Year?”
“Fang Zhongcheng, you bastard. What a joke! I’m not afraid of being laughed at. How can you not be laughed at when you eat well, dress well, and enjoy the money I earn? You gave your sister a semiconductor before, but it’s all mine. Now you’re afraid of being laughed at when you think of your child during the Chinese New Year. You can die without a child, right?”
“You woman,” Murong Danling said even more ruthlessly, no less than Li Xia now, and it made him so angry that his liver hurt. “You are right that you can’t give birth, right? If you had given birth to our child, would I have to try to get close to that brat?”
“Why did I lose my child? I earn money for this family; otherwise, how could you live so well?”
“Get out of my house if you have the guts. You lived in my house, and I bought you clothes before; why didn’t you tell me then? Now you make some dirty money.”
“Don’t regret it.”
Before he finished speaking, Murong Danling said something harsh and turned away. The couple parted unhappily. Fang Zhongcheng held his forehead helplessly. He couldn’t remember how many times they had quarreled since remarrying. He was so angry that he pushed the cart slowly and turned to his mother-in-law’s house when he was almost home. He had been divorced once and couldn’t divorce again. Don’t wait for the big sister from the unit to mediate. He should go and pick her up himself.
The two of them were arguing not far from Shen’s house, and Yi Yi, who ran out, saw the scene. The little boy was very cunning, and after running out to watch, he went home to tell his brother and sister, and finally shook his head and came to a conclusion.
“Don’t go with them. They fight so fiercely among themselves, and they will be even more merciless when beating children.”
He didn’t need to tell them that neither of them wanted to go with him. Yiyi was also afraid of such a stepmother and held his brother’s hand distressedly. “Don’t be afraid; Mom and Dad won’t give us to them.”
Shen Hui nodded. “Yes, we both have the surname Shen.”
“Yes, we are the children of the Shen family.”
“What are you doing in the house?” The three kids were talking in whispers when Li Xia came in. She was wearing a cotton coat and a scarf, and she looked like she was going out. “All three of you should wear cotton coats and go out with me. I’ll buy you those new hiking shoes today.”
“What are hiking shoes?” The little ones asked curiously, one by one, as they prepared to get dressed.
“They are just new shoes. Don’t ask; you will know when you get there. If I wasn’t afraid that they wouldn’t fit, I would buy them for you.”
“oh.”
“Put on your cotton clothes and tie your scarves.”
She told the children to get dressed and let them choose any children’s clothes and shoes in the mall. The lively atmosphere in the mall immediately dispelled the previous unhappiness, and the three children were all immersed in the joy of shopping.
Hiking shoes, snow jackets, and popular clothes for the children. Shen Haiyang picked out a particularly eye-catching red down jacket for his wife, which fit Li Xia well and looked fashionable. Her own clothing business mainly follows the low-end route, shipping in large quantities. This kind of clothing is much more expensive than hers and can only be found in foreign trade malls.
“Does it look good?” She zipped up her clothes and turned around, and the four people nodded in unison.
“Mom is so beautiful.” Yiyiis never stingy with compliments.
“It looks good.” Shen Hui and Huihua were more reserved.
Li Xia turned her eyes to Shen Haiyang, and the man gave her a thumbs up. The salesperson also said that she looked good in the dress, and she promptly issued the bill and paid.
Shen Haiyang carried the bag and left the counter. She leaned close to him and asked in a low voice, “Is it really not too eye-catching?”
“It’s great to have a high rate of returning attention. Why should you be afraid of being seen?”
“All right.”
It’s the end of the year, and the days go by so fast that it seems like New Year’s Eve is here in the blink of an eye. The bun shops and shopping malls are open until the morning of the 30th, and everyone has a day off in the afternoon. People who have been busy all year can finally take a break.
Li Xia prepared a cotton-padded jacket for everyone as a year-end benefit. After putting on the new cotton-padded jacket, everyone said happy words. Han Jun said that he could finally go home and have a good sleep, but was immediately besieged by a group of women.
“Men are such a jerk. As soon as they have a holiday, they just want to sleep and rest. Now that the New Year is almost here, don’t you want to go home and help your wife?”
“That’s right. I told my mom that today was a holiday, and she asked me to go home right after getting off work to help chop the stuffing and fry the meatballs. I asked her why she didn’t let my brother help, as my brother had been on holiday from university for a long time. She said that my brother was a man, and men didn’t have to cook or do housework. Why? Women go to work, do housework, and have to give birth to and take care of children after marriage, but men only have to work.”
“It’s a rule passed down by our ancestors. What can we do about it? If I dare not do it, my mother-in-law will stab me to death.”
Han Jun wanted to explain, but since the topic had gone off track, he didn’t need to say anything. The women started to complain about the injustice, not against him. It was just that this period was at a turning point; women had already risen up to be independent, but men couldn’t keep up and still wanted to be masters and wait on women. So he, who knew what women were thinking, went home, tied an apron, and worked with his wife.
Li Xia drove Han Jun home and asked him to leave with Qin Mu after dinner. The custom here is to have a reunion dinner at noon on New Year’s Eve, but Li Xia and her friends were too busy to care about the custom. They were still busy in the morning on New Year’s Eve, so the reunion dinner was arranged in the evening.
Qin Mu arranged it well, saying that they would just have a simple lunch. The couple finished their meal with meat and vegetables in the front yard. Qin Mu stood up to clean up the pots and bowls, and Han Jun helped her. Li Xia came in and took away the pot brush from Qin Mu’s hand, smiling and telling her to go home quickly.
“It’s New Year’s Day, and the children are waiting for you at home. Come back as soon as possible.”
“I’ll clean up the dishes before I leave.”
Li Xia pushed her and said, “You guys go. I’ll do it.”
After seeing them off, Li Xia tied on an apron and cleaned up the pots and bowls. After the two children finished eating in the backyard, they brought all the dishes and chopsticks over to her, and she worked briskly in front of the stove.
“What should I do? What else should we cook for dinner besides dumplings?”
Shen Haiyang came from the backyard with the tea set, and while talking to Li Xia, he took the water to wash the tea set. The old man likes to drink tea, but it is not suitable for heart disease. She didn’t know where he got the tea from, but he said that it was okay to drink less. The father and son will drink together when they have time. Shen Haiyang is responsible for the daily cleaning of the tea set.
“Braised fish, braised pork, chestnut roast chicken, beer duck, hot and sour radish, pork with vinegar, tofu with scallions, vermicelli with bean curd, and winter melon meatball soup—what do you think?”
(Braised fish)
(braised pork)
(chestnut roast chicken)
( beer duck)
(hot and sour radish)
(pork with vinegar)
(tofu with scallions)
(vermicelli with bean curd)
(winter melon meatball soup)
Shen Haiyang smiled and nodded. “I’ll help you.”
He turned to the front yard to cook with Li Xia. After finishing the painting practice, Huihua took the initiative to come over to help. The little girl was very considerate. As long as she saw her mother busy, she would never stand idly by.
“Help mom peel the onions and garlic. Mom will teach you how to roll out the dumpling wrappers. We’ll wrap the dumplings and freeze them outside.”
“Okay.”
In the future, men and women will be more equal, so she doesn’t insist that her daughter can cook. The child is willing to help, and she can’t refuse her kindness. Moreover, if she can cook, she can cook for herself. When she grows up and lives on her own, it’s not good to eat in the cafeteria every day.
“Shen Hui, Yi Yi, come and make dumplings.”
“coming.”
The two boys were called over, and the family of five worked in the kitchen. Fortunately, her kitchen was big enough. If it was a small house, there would not be enough space for so many people.
The dumplings were made in a variety of ways, but Li Xia’s requirement was simple: just pinch them tightly so that the fillings don’t show. She kept smiling, and the children were having a lot of fun.
After making the dumplings, she started to cook. Shen Haiyang helped her. The children saw that they had nothing to do, so they all wanted to go out to play. There were gunshots outside from time to time, and the little ones’ minds had already flown outside.
“Go and have fun. Our firecrackers are placed in the east corner of the backyard. Go get them yourselves. Be careful. Throw them where there’s no one. Don’t let anyone get hurt.”
“Okay…”
The two soms walked out hand in hand, and one by one they made conditions for their brother: “Brother, when we play later, you must play with me, and you can’t let others win all the games.”
“Let’s just have fun on our own and not play the game of winning or losing with them.”
“Ah, I want to win a few more.”
“You are a gambler. You like gambling so much.”
“The winner is free; don’t you like free?”
When the two sons’ voices faded away, Li Xia smiled, pointed at the door, and said to her daughter, “Go and play. There’s not much work left. Your dad and I can take care of it.”
“Okay.”
Grilled fish, grilled meat… busy preparing a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner. When the dishes were brought to the backyard, three firecrackers were set off one by one in the yard. The neighbors nearby also set off firecrackers while eating, and the sound of firecrackers continued for a while. Amid the deafening sound, the old man couldn’t help but tear up when he sat at the table.
After so many years, he finally returned to the land where he was born and raised. Now his family is around him, and his children and grandchildren are around him. Although his youngest son is not around, life is not bad. He should be content.
“Shall we have a drink today?”
The old man turned around and asked Shen Haiyang, who turned back to look at Li Xia. Ever since he was diagnosed with heart disease, Li Xia had not allowed him to drink, and now he had to get his wife’s permission if he wanted to drink.
“How about a glass of wine?”
Both of them have heart problems. No matter how happy we are, we dare not give them white wine. The alcohol content of white wine is too high, and their hearts cannot bear it. It would be bad if the joy of the New Year turned into sorrow.
“Okay, listen to my daughter-in-law; let’s have a glass of wine.”
Li Xia went to the cupboard to get some wine and poured more for herself and less for the two of them. She could drink quite well, but she never drank unless necessary. Today was the New Year, and she was happy, so she drank with them.
“Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year.”
The adults drank wine, the children drank Coca-Cola, and everyone toasted to celebrate the first New Year after the old man returned to China. With the sound of the Spring Festival Gala, the New Year’s Eve dinner was full of joy.
Staying up all night, eating dumplings, and letting the old man feel the long-lost New Year atmosphere. After the Spring Festival Gala ended, Li Xia asked the children to go to bed, and the sound of firecrackers began again in the morning of the next day. In the past two years, everyone has more money in their pockets, and it is much more lively than in previous years.
Early in the morning of the New Year, the children went to pay New Year’s greetings to their elders. The red envelopes given by the old man were generous, and the three little ones were surprised when they saw them. As a result, when they went to pay New Year’s greetings to their parents, the red envelopes given by their mother were also generous.
They came out of the main room and went to the east room, taking out the money and counting it one by one. “Mom is so generous.”
Huihua also nodded. “Mom is so awesome.”
Shen Hui stroked the brand new coins one by one and said, “I want to make a lot of money in the future.” Yiyiimmediately raised his hand to agree, “Count me in.” After saying that, he saw his brother laughing, and he turned back to look at Huihua. “Sister, don’t you want to join us?”
She was a little hesitant, as she didn’t think she could make a lot of money. She was hesitant about what to say, but her elder and younger brother spoke at the same time: “It doesn’t matter; we will make the money in the future, and you just spend it happily.”
T/N :- Hey Guys, thank you so much for all your comments and Ko-fi support. It encourages me to put more effort into my translation and do better for you. Also, it’s been nearly a year since I started translating, and I am really proud of my journey.
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