Take Arada back to the past

Chapter 510: Sad New Year's Eve Dinner

Inside the room, a group of people were singing and dancing. Yang Xiaole and Qu Ying walked out of the room.

He came to the shelf next to him and sat on the steps of the wooden shelf.

"Is your mom and the others doing okay in the northwest?"

After sitting down, Yang Xiaole asked him a question.

Qu Ying looked up at the starry sky, then retracted her gaze and said with a smile: "They are doing well over there. The army is relatively okay! Before I came here, my mother sent me a telegram when she went to the store at the regiment headquarters to buy something!"

"Ah That's good!"

Yang Xiaole smiled and also looked up at the sky.

On the 29th day of the lunar year, I didn’t see the shadow of the moon, but the stars in the sky nodded.

"Hey, the sky here seems to be better than ours! There are more stars and they are brighter."

Yang Xiaole took a look and then nodded: "Well, the wind and sand over in Sijiu City, there is nothing we can do, it will probably not change in a few decades."

There is sandstorm in the city all year round.

The chances of seeing the blue sky are much smaller than in the Northeast.

After saying that, he looked towards the dormitory door: "What are you peeking at?"

"Hey, no! The rehearsal is over, let's go out and take a look."

Wang Laoer and his group heard the sound and walked out of the living room door, smiling sullenly.

Yang Xiaole rolled his eyes and ignored them: "Don't bother with them, these people are just too idle."

Qu Ying looked back and smiled.

Then he turned around and asked, "By the way, do you want some money? I brought some with me, and I'll put it in my clothes with the national food coupons. I'll give it to you later!"

"Hey, why would I need that thing? No, take it back and use it yourself!"

Hearing him say this, Qu Ying thought about it and nodded.

She also knew that Yang Xiaole might not be in great need of these things, but she still brought them, mainly because she was worried.

Then he said with a bitter face: "Look at you, really, when you were not here, I didn't know what to say to Auntie and the others! Now I am afraid to see your mother, especially your father, I often see him at the factory."

Yang Xiaole smiled nonchalantly: "What's the big deal? I'm just worried that you'll be alone in the city with no one to take care of you. What if something happens?"

"What could possibly happen to me? It's okay! I still have the ID you gave me!"

Hearing this, Yang Xiaole nodded.

Foreign documents are not omnipotent, and it is definitely better to have someone to take care of you.

Looking at the few people lingering at the door, I knew it was time to go to bed.

He came down from the wooden shelf and said, "Okay, go to bed first! I guess you've been exhausted these past few days."

Cars these days are really not that comfortable to ride in.

A man can be exhausted physically and mentally just by sitting for you, and it's winter now, it's really torture.

Qu Ying came down and followed him into the house.

The rehearsal was over and some people had already gone straight into bed.

"Qu Ying, come here, take a shower and go to bed."

Bai Zishan called out to Qu Ying.

"Hey, here we come!"

He agreed, gestured to Yang Xiaole, and followed him away.

Yang Xiaole went to fetch some water to wash up.

"It's so cold, why are you showering? You're not even sweating."

Wang Laoer was muttering there.

Yang Xiaole rolled his eyes.

Over the past month, no one clamors for a bath anymore, and many people even save on washing their face and feet before going to bed.

The reason just didn't come out.

motherfucker.

It’s not easy to sweat in such a cold day, but even if you sweat, it will dry up after a while.

Ignore him.

After washing, I lay on the kang, blew out the kerosene lamp, and the room fell into darkness.

Everyone was chatting there.

I waited for a while and then fell asleep.

……

The next morning, the brigade horn sounded and everyone got up.

Nowadays, during the Chinese New Year, we don’t have to get up early in the morning to put up couplets.

But still prepare delicious food.

After getting up, they all gathered in the yard to wash.

After Yang Xiaole finished washing, he looked at Qu Ying and said with a smile: "How was it? Did you sleep well last night?"

"Well, I haven't had a good night's sleep these past few days, but I slept really well last night."

Qu Ying said with a smile.

"That's good!"

"Yang Zhiqing! They're going to the warehouse to get some stuff and set up the stage! Go and help them."

While I was thinking, Xie Honglin's voice came from the door.

"Hey, good! Here I come."

Yang Xiaole responded, then said to Qu Ying: "I'll go over first, I might be busy today."

"It's okay, just go about your business."

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole said hello and followed Xie Honglin out of the compound.

"People from other production teams will be here this afternoon, so we have to hurry."

Xie Honglin urged.

"Oh, by the way, who is the announcer?"

"Tiehua! She is the one who announces every show."

Yang Xiaole nodded when he heard this.

The frame has been built in the past few days. It is just a skeleton, which is built based on the holes dug previously.

Now all we have to do is collect the red cloth and banners.

When we arrived at the place, we basically saw militiamen from the production team.

These people are also the ones who build the platform on weekdays. As for its previous use, it was naturally used for holding conferences.

After coming here, I started to get busy.

Received red cloth to decorate the venue.

As for the educated youth, they cooked at home. They had a meeting in the afternoon, so dinner had to be prepared in advance.

The morning passed quickly and he finished his work, so he returned to the educated youth site.

At this time, smoke was rising from the educated youth’s site, and it was very lively inside.

Some people are rolling out the dough, making dumplings, transporting them, and freezing them in the yard. Some are also steaming steamed buns. Everyone has a clear division of labor.

Cooking, that's impossible.

The pork and sauerkraut tofu stewed in the previous post filled the pot with fragrance.

The house was bustling with activity and filled with delicious smells.

Feng Aijun was wrapping a mutant dumpling when he came in, and he muttered, "How good you are. You are nowhere to be seen when you are busy, but you come back when we are eating."

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole said unhappily, "You are really good at talking. I am helping the team to set up the stage there, and you are not here. This is not work! The only difference in the work of revolution is the division of labor, not the distinction between high and low."

I watched everyone making dumplings with a smile on my face.

It's simply terrible.

It can be described as bizarre.

There was not much gray flour, so the dumplings were made and eaten in the evening, and corn steamed buns were eaten at noon.

The dishes are ok.

The work is almost done, so let's eat something first.

Because a large group of people have arrived.

He locked the door and carried a bench to the entrance of the village.

The village was very lively at this time.

Because people from other production teams have arrived one after another.

The scene was chaotic.

However, there was order in the chaos and everyone found their own position.

"Wang Lao Er, hurry up, the first match is for our production team, and we are the second group and will be on stage soon."

There were urging voices from the crowd.

Yang Xiaole didn't need to rehearse, so he just took a bench and sat in the crowd.

But soon Xie Hongbing called him over: "Xiao Le, go over there, to the front desk."

Yang Xiaole took a look and realized that the members of the brigade branch committee were sitting in the first row.

Then he smiled and shook his head: "No, I'll just sit here and won't go over. You can talk to the captain."

While speaking, he looked at Qu Ying beside him.

Xie Hongbing took a look and finally nodded: "Okay, I'll go and talk to him."

After saying that, the person left.

Qu Ying looked at him and smiled, "Just go ahead. I'll stay here. All the people at the Youth League Center are here!"

Yang Xiaole shook his head indifferently: "It's okay!"

Seeing him say that, Qu Ying didn't force it anymore.

As the roll call began, people gradually arrived.

Xie Laosi went directly to the stage, where there was a prepared broadcasting equipment.

"Hoo-hoo~~Members, fellow educated youth, please be quiet for a moment."

After blowing it for a while, Xie Laosi muttered something there.

The scene fell silent.

Seeing this, Xie Laosi held the manuscript and squinted his eyes while muttering:

"Supreme directive: prepare for war and famine for the people, save food and make trouble..."

First, he held the newspaper and read it, while at the same time conveying the spiritual instructions from his superiors.

A newspaper is read very slowly.

Almost the same as usual.

Two hours later, he finally finished reading the newspaper amid everyone's impatience.

Next, the stage was quickly removed.

Tiehua came on stage to announce:

"The highest instruction: Never forget... Now, please welcome the first production team of Yunshan Commune to perform "The White-Haired Girl". Let's welcome them with applause."

"Pa bang bang~~"

The applause began at this time.

Yang Xiaole sat down and watched with great interest.

Production brigades used to have similar agricultural propaganda teams.

"The north wind blows, the snowflakes fall, the snowflakes fall and the new year comes.

Dad went out to avoid paying debts for seven days, and he didn't come back on the night of the 30th. Auntie gave me some taro noodles, and I'm waiting for my dad to come home for the New Year."

The song "The North Wind Blows" opened the curtain of the opera "The White-Haired Girl".

What’s more important is that there is accompaniment.

Everyone acted very seriously.

The original play is more than three hours long.

They selected some clips, which are about 30 to 40 minutes long, otherwise it would be hard to make any sense.

The local accent, some of the lines were wrong or forgotten.

But the expressions and movements these people put in their performances are actually really good.

The common people also listened with great interest.

Finally, the performance ended with applause.

Naturally, the educated youth from the first production team came on stage next.

……

Yang Xiaole sat there and asked Xie Honglin, "Lin Zi, where did you get this accompaniment?"

There were not many accompaniers, only four in total.

Gongs, drums, cymbals, and erhu.

Xie Honglin turned around and smiled, "Oh, the one from Team 6, the one playing the erhu was a big opera singer. After the troupe ran away, he was the only one left. Later, he specialized in learning model operas..."

After hearing this, Yang Xiaole nodded slightly.

Except for the erhu, the others are easy to learn.

It's okay as long as the meaning is similar.

Yang Xiaole nodded when he heard this and didn't ask any more questions.

"Hey, Feng Xue seems to care about you a lot! She kept asking about us last night!"

While he was thinking, Qu Ying next to him looked at the stage and suddenly said something.

Yang Xiaole glanced at the other person and smiled awkwardly.

He whispered, "Oh, nothing, we met when we were skating at the Shichahai skating rink!"

"Oh! It's such a small world!"

After Qu Ying finished speaking, she did not ask any more questions and quietly watched the model opera on the stage.

Each squad has one.

The quality is also uneven.

The members also enjoyed watching the show, after all, they had only heard about this team before.

By the time all the teams had finished their performances, it was already dusk.

After the captain came on stage and gave a half-hour speech, the meeting ended when it got dark.

In fact, quite a few people have already run away.

But no one cares anymore.

Anyway, after counting the personnel, work points will be deducted if anyone is absent.

Yang Xiaole and his group then returned to the educated youth site laughing.

Cook dumplings.

As pot after pot of dumplings came up, everyone began to feel the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

The educated youth did not care about the canned meat, peanuts and candies they had been saving, so they donated them all.

Naturally, Yang Xiaole contributed the most.

After the supply and marketing cooperatives’ agency stores reopened, cigarettes and alcohol were naturally the best-selling items.

Naturally, the cheap cigarettes that people don’t want to smoke are snapped up.

The cheap liquor, which was only one pound per person per month, was almost completely bought up by the educated youth.

In the old city, good wine now requires a ticket, and the cheapest wine no longer requires a ticket.

However, or for cheap wine, if you don’t need a ticket, the price is actually not too cheap.

Seventy-two cents a pound.

Ordinary people basically don't spend money to buy it. It's only the people in the village who can make local wine, a corn liquor brewed using traditional methods.

There wasn't much wine, just four bottles in salt water.

That is four pounds, or about three ounces per person.

But it's enough, most people can't drink it.

Eating dumplings and iron pot stew and drinking wine, the atmosphere was harmonious for a while.

"This year, my parents and my little sister are spending the New Year at home."

The originally lively atmosphere was interrupted by a word from Wang Laoer.

In this era, the Chinese New Year means a lot to ordinary people.

They are not afraid of being out for a long time.

But when the Chinese New Year really comes, I can’t help but think of the family members I spent the New Year with in the past. After all, I have never left my parents.

This year I will spend the New Year alone.

It's inevitable to feel a little sad.

Men are a little better, but women are more sentimental.

"My mother, every New Year, she would buy us local smoked fish or red meat!"

Song Wenhui started speaking with a Shanghai accent and later used Mandarin.

She wiped away her tears as she spoke.

Many others had red eyes when they heard this.

Even Liu Jinlian's eyes turned red.

The atmosphere suddenly became much calmer.

"Hey, we are responding to the call of the old man to cover ourselves with mud, cultivate our loyalty and stay in the countryside for the rest of our lives. How can we be defeated by such a small difficulty?"

Then he muttered, "Okay, let's sing together."

"Okay!"

Seeing this, everyone agreed.

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole stood up and went to his bed.

Among the things Qu Ying brought for herself this time was a harmonica.

There is also one in the space, but it has never been taken out. Now is the time.

"Come on, let's sing a song called 'The Sea Sailing Depends on the Helmsman', okay?"

"Oh, sure."

Everyone agreed.

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole smiled and said, "I'll play it, who'll start?"

I took the harmonica and prepared myself.

"I come!"

Feng Aijun shouted with a smile.

Take out your chopsticks.

After getting ready, he said with a smile, "The sea voyage depends on the helmsman. Get ready to sing."

"Sailing the sea depends on the helmsman
All things grow depending on the sun

Rain and dew nourish and strengthen the seedlings

......"

A chorus of people banged on bowls, tables, salt water bottles, and lunch boxes with chopsticks, accompanied by the sound of a harmonica.

In the yard, Xie Laosi stood there smoking a cigarette and waited for a long time.

Seeing that the emotions inside had stabilized, he breathed a sigh of relief and quietly left the compound.

A group of young people sang and danced there for half the night before they quieted down and went to sleep.

……

The next morning, Yang Xiaole took a carriage and took Qu Ying to the county town.

(End of this chapter)