Chapter Sixteen New Year

  New Year's, the firecrackers rang out all night. In this era, people don't eat dumplings at 12 o'clock, but rather around 4 am when they start getting up to set off firecrackers and eat dumplings. It's called staying up all night, but no one can hold on until it's time to eat the dumplings. They all go to sleep around 11 pm and then get up again after 4 am.

  New Year's Eve, this is the time when children are most happy. After dinner, groups of little kids, wearing new clothes, even those without new clothes are dressed very neatly, holding a small lantern in their hands, running from door to door, sometimes also saying a few auspicious words, it's rare for these two days to be a moment of indulgence for children.

  The adults sat around, chatting and eating melon seeds bought from the market, some of which were even grown in their own fields. They drank tea and talked about their plans for the coming year, especially since Liu He's arrival, life had become a bit better for them. Not only did the men have work to do, but the children also benefited, not only could they learn to read at Liu Dong's house, but they even got to eat lunch there every day, and when they came home, they just needed to add a little more food to make a meal.

  It's really good, Liu Dong is so kind. In order to let everyone have something to do, he plans to work together with us in the coming year to cultivate more land, and his family has more land. Isn't this because Liu Dong wants everyone to live a good life? This person should know how to be grateful and must work hard next year to repay Liu Dong's kindness.

  The common people of this era are too simple-minded, if you treat him with kindness, he will repay you tenfold, unlike later generations where money has blinded everyone's eyes, and all relationships and emotions are disregarded, no money, go play elsewhere.

  The noise of the children gradually disappeared, and even the low voices of the adults were gone. The whole village was plunged into a deep silence, with only two bright red candles burning in the main hall of each household.

  Before long, it was three or four o'clock, and the whole village, even the whole country, was in a state of jubilation. Suddenly, firecrackers burst into the air, and the new year had arrived. In later generations, setting off firecrackers generally occurred around midnight, and later even began at eleven o'clock with eating dumplings.

  However, at that time, everyone would sit around the TV watching the evening gala, and before you knew it, the night was over. It's possible to stay up all night without sleeping. In this era, there is no nightlife in the evening, which means staying up late, just means staying up for the first half of the night.

  After the firecrackers had made a racket for a while, the earth sank into silence again. Occasionally, someone would remember the sound of a string of firecrackers late at night, but this was extremely rare.

  The sky is bright, the first to get up are the children, "Dad, is this my lucky money?" This is what kids care about most, and many kids didn't even get up in the middle of the night to eat dumplings, but they won't forget about the lucky money.

  On this night, every parent will put one or several coins tied with a red string under the child's pillow. Some people are particular about using eight copper coins and weaving the red string into the shape of a dragon. This is considered the child's "lucky money" and represents the parents' good wishes for their children to be safe, healthy, and successful in school this year.

  But in the eyes of children, they can have their own private money and buy things that suit them. However, some parents will also take back the money from their children's hands.

  Liu He got up very late, and when he got up, it was already nearly eight o'clock. He looked at the trash on the ground and smiled helplessly. He had originally wanted to sweep away the trash, but Aunt Li said that they couldn't sweep it away until after the third day of the new year, or else they would sweep away their wealth. Liu He remembered this saying from his ancestors, but he hadn't followed this rule for many years.

  "Happy New Year to the master, Happy New Year." Liu He opened the door and found that all the long workers were waiting in his yard with their wives and children to give him a New Year's greeting.

  "Alright, alright, here, one for each of you." Liu He readily took out a handful of silver coins from the pocket of his new cotton-padded jacket and distributed them to the children who had come. "Master, this is too much, the kids don't need so much money," said a laborer who came over to stop him.

  "This is the New Year, listen to me, it's for the kids, and before the New Year, we didn't buy anything for them, that's what it represents." "Don't thank Dongjia yet." "Thank you, Dongjia." The little ones happily came forward to receive the silver coins, some of whom even bowed their heads to Liu He before receiving the coins.

  "You kid, don't know to knock your head for the master." At this time, a long worker pressed his finger on the forehead of his own child, "Okay, okay, it's New Year's Day, I'm not used to this little kid knocking his head either."

  Kneel down, Liu He wasn't very opposed to it either. Is this a New Year's custom? Even he himself would have to kneel down later. Soon, he let the workers in, "Come on, come on, everyone, don't be polite. There are melon seeds and candies here. Come on, kids, eat some candy."

  Liu He prepared very thoroughly, and before the New Year's Eve, he went to the market to buy a bag of melon seeds and also copied several sugar vendors' stalls, which was considered as buying all the things for the new year.

  At this time, Mrs. Li was displaying the demeanor of a hostess at Liu He's home, helping to pour tea and bringing melon seeds, cigarettes, tobacco leaves, and cigarette paper in front of everyone's face.

  The dog egg also brought the children to eat sugar, "Eat, eat sugar, it's sweet." "Uncle Li, you must do a good job leading everyone this year. Auntie Li, my family's food still relies on you."

  "Little brother, do you need to say this? You don't have a family of your own." Aunt Li said, her eyes fixed on Zhang Zhen. "Aunt Li, why are you staring at me? It's so annoying." Zhang Zhen didn't go back home for the New Year and was still living in Liu He's house. As soon as she opened the door this morning, she followed him in. This is what people mean by "eating off others".

  "Sister, don't you want to find a husband this year? I was already married with a three-year-old daughter when I was your age."

  "Auntie, I'm still young."

  Zhang Zhen's face turned red as she said, "I understand what you mean, Auntie Li. You want me to marry Liu He, don't you? Humph, I won't marry that country bumpkin, even though I have a little crush on him." Zhang Zhen thought to herself, and her face suddenly flushed bright red.

  "Haha, I don't know what you young people are thinking, so I won't intervene. Haha, come and have some melon seeds, drink some water." Aunt Li was laughing and entertaining the crowd. At first, she also had ideas, wanting to marry her own daughter Danni to Liu He. But later, Liu He bought real estate and even brought back a literate woman named Zhang Zhen, so she no longer had that idea. It's still possible for her own Danni to become Liu He's concubine, but she wouldn't let her own daughter be a concubine. This was also Aunt Li being overly modest, because in Liu He's eyes, there really wasn't any distinction between high and low.