novelraw Chapter 62 Family members come to pay New Year's visits
Chapter 62 Family members come to pay New Year's visits
"Third brother, it's the New Year, and you're not even coming home? Why are you sending people to move things? Aren't we going to be laughed at by the villagers?" Sister-in-law Liu finally mustered up the courage to try and persuade him to stay.
The third brother earns seventy or eighty yuan a month. Living with them, his family gets a lot of benefits. Most of the good stuff that his company gives out ends up in their house.
"Sister-in-law, just think of it as me moving out so I can get back to work as soon as possible. I'm afraid those bad people will find out where we live, and if I go back to retaliate, it would hurt my family!"
Liu Fengyi didn't intend to break off relations, since he couldn't find any evidence that the woman had pulled the plug on him. However, it was impossible for him to live peacefully under the same roof as his elder brother's family. Moreover, he wasn't the original owner of this body and had no emotional connection with them.
"What? Those bad guys will retaliate? What if they come after us after you just leave? You need to find someone to protect us!" Sister Liu immediately jumped up as if her butt was on fire.
Liu Fengyi glanced at his elder brother and his second brother's family; their faces showed worry. It was clear that ordinary people were terrified of these bad people.
"Why don't you issue a statement and sever ties with me? Those bad guys are ruthless killers, they even dare to kill police officers!" Liu Fengyi (Tong Linsheng) thought to himself, "It's better if you don't associate with me, so I won't be exposed!"
"How can that be? Third brother, you have a weapon, what are you afraid of? If you run into bad guys again, just shoot them!"
Liu Fengnian also wanted to join the army back then. He passed the physical fitness test, but the recruiters thought he wasn't very bright and didn't approve him. Looking back now, it's probably for the best. Someone as reckless as him might not have even come back!
~
Liu Fengyi (Tong Linsheng) spent a quiet and lonely Spring Festival, lying alone in his dormitory at work, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts were with his wife and children.
Will they be able to adapt to life in the countryside? Will they hesitate to move if the house leaks? Will they have enough firewood? Will any villagers bully them? Will Linglong still get into fights? Xiaoqi is still young; has she caught a cold in the cold weather...?
In Chenjiatun, a family ate dumplings early in the morning. Without the father's company, the New Year celebrations didn't feel as festive. Because it was the first year since their family had a funeral, they didn't visit relatives or friends for the New Year.
The villagers felt it was unlucky for them to have a recent death in their family, and they wouldn't go to them during the Lunar New Year to bring bad luck. They would also consciously avoid going into other people's houses before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and would talk about things in the courtyard.
Given Tong Jiahui's personality, she would rather stay home than talk to others; she'd rather no one see them at all!
The children were the happiest on this day. The adults in the family tried their best not to scold or beat the children. They ran around the village in groups, making the New Year atmosphere even more lively.
Linglong was still a child; she didn't look like a newly arrived educated youth. She and her younger sisters were playing hopscotch in the backyard, having a great time. Some village children were watching from a distance, but without their invitation, they were too shy to join in.
The two sisters, Tong Yuheng and Tong Yuyao, were busy at the stove, helping their mother steam cornbread and vegetable dumplings. The cabbage and radish were produced in her space. They mixed them with pork cracklings, wrapped them in cornbread, and steamed them. They had a complete meal of vegetables and rice. If they also made a soup, the whole family could have a full meal.
"Mom, after the Lantern Festival, I'll go to the county again to see how that Officer Liu is doing. If he wakes up, I'll secretly slip the report letter into his office..." Tong Yuheng told his mother and second sister about his plan.
"Sister, shouldn't we change the note we used?" Yuyao suggested. "I noticed you used rough paper. Shouldn't we use better paper from Yan City to show that the messenger isn't from the village?"
"That's true. If they're convinced there are spies in the village and keep investigating, we'll be in trouble too," Tong Jiahui said.
Tong Yuheng's original intention was to use the paper here to write crookedly, to prove that it was a local who colluded with enemy agents to do it. He wanted to investigate, and there was no need to worry if they weren't bad people. Yuyao's suggestion and her mother's concerns were also reasonable. In those days, it was normal for villagers to keep one or two old items at home, and it wouldn't be good if the G Committee confiscated them.
"Then let's change the note. Mom, what kind of pen do you think would be better?" Yuheng asked.
"Standard regular script in traditional Chinese characters will do. I'll rewrite it. Have your grandfather copy the complaint letter again and add a date."
As the mother and her two daughters were whispering and wrapping dumplings, Cheng Damei's loud voice rang out from outside the door: "Sister Jiahui! I've come to wish you a Happy New Year!"
Tong Jiahui quickly put down the dumplings she was holding and went out to greet them. When she stepped out of the house, she exclaimed, "Wow! Not only her family, but also her three younger brothers have come!"
"Wow, I didn't expect you to come! Welcome, welcome! Happy New Year!"
"Hello, Sister Tong!" The group of people were all carrying things and were all smiling.
"Come in, come in, it's warm inside!" Tong Jiahui hurriedly ushered her in, and at that moment, her two daughters also came out after tidying up the stove.
Happy New Year, Aunt Cheng! Happy New Year, uncles!
"Good, good, good, all good!" Cheng Damei's younger brothers' eyes lit up. They adored their daughter, especially since they all had sons!
Everyone went into the west room and sat around the round table. Tong Yuyao went to call the younger girls who were playing outside to come and greet everyone. They then ran back to wish the guests a Happy New Year. They only brought Xiaojun with them. Yuqi recognized him and pulled him onto the kang (a heated brick bed) to read him a children's book.
Taking advantage of the large crowd, Yu Han and Yu Xuan quietly went to the cowshed to find their cousin Yu Chen to play. Grandpa would surely be worried seeing so many people at home, so the two of them went to let him know what was going on.
"Big Mei, look at you all, bringing so much stuff. It's so embarrassing..."
"Sister Jiahui, from now on we're practically relatives. I brought them here to introduce ourselves. My older brother is in the army, and his wife and child went there to visit him. Otherwise, she would have come too. Let's meet up when she gets back!"
The Cheng family has five siblings. Four adults and one child, Xiaojun, came, each carrying a gift, indicating that her younger brother's family had also made preparations.
"Sister Tong, I see the windows on your houses outside are all broken. Come to our factory in a few days and get some glass. Also, take measurements for the windows inside and replace them there too!"
"Second Uncle, thank you so much! I got some glass approved by the brigade leader, and I was worried it wouldn't be enough. You're a real lifesaver!" Tong Yuheng said.
"Haha, you're quite the talker, my second uncle isn't that good. But getting a few pieces of glass is no big deal!" Cheng Jindong said with a laugh.