Siheyuan, a comfortable life under Zhengyang Gate

February 5, 1989, the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month of the Year of the Dragon, Chinese New Year’s Eve.

This year, Yang Yukun and Xu Jingping took their children and went to their eldest sister and brother-in-law's home with their father-in-law and mother-in-law to celebrate the New Year.

After breakfast, Yang Yukun and Fan Xiaojun were responsible for preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, Xu Jingping and her eldest sister, Zhao Lili, mother-in-law and Cheng Xueru were responsible for making dumplings, and the father-in-law and eldest brother-in-law were responsible for pasting Spring Festival couplets and doing miscellaneous chores.

As for the little ones, Xiao Zongzi, Pingping, Xiao Yumi, Cai Zhen, and Hou Li, after having breakfast, they stayed with Hei Bao and went to play with other children in the alley.

Xiao Zongzi is the big sister of the kids of the same age in the alley. She runs around in the alley with a large group of friends. Soon, her pockets are filled with melon seeds, peanuts and candies given by the neighborhood elders.

Hou Kui came to the kitchen: "It smells so good, Xiaokun, Xiaojun, do you need help?"

"No, brother-in-law. It's not that we don't like your cooking skills. You'll only make things worse in the kitchen."

Fan Xiaojun smiled and said, "My eldest brother is right, brother, you don't need to help me, just wait and eat."

"Do you two smoke?"

"Brother-in-law, you know I don't smoke."

"Where's Xiaojun?"

"Give me one."

"Give."

Hou Kui handed a cigarette to Fan Xiaojun and lit one for himself.

He didn't smoke before, but because of the need to socialize in business, he gradually started smoking, and now he basically smokes a pack a day.

Fan Xiaojun took the cigarette and put it between his ear. He also smoked, but his addiction was not that severe. If he smoked alone, he could finish a pack of cigarettes in ten days or half a month.

"The dumplings are ready." Cheng Xueru and Xu Huizhen came to the kitchen carrying dumplings.

"Mom, Aunt Cheng, leave it there first, and cook the dumplings when the dishes are ready."

"Okay." Xu Huizhen said, "Hou Kui, where is your father? Where did he go?"

"My dad is chatting with Uncle Guo at the entrance of the alley." Just now, Hou Kui and his father-in-law went to his father-in-law's and mother-in-law's houses and Yang Yukun's house to post Spring Festival couplets.

On the way here, I ran into Uncle Guo from the slum where Yang Yukun's hometown was at the entrance of the alley.

No one knew what was going on, but Grandpa Guo was alone in the alley drinking and sulking on New Year's Day. Seeing this, his father-in-law started chatting with Grandpa Guo about family matters.

Hou Kui was not very interested in the gossip about his neighbors, so he went back first.

"Brother-in-law, please move to the side. Your drool is about to fall into the pot."

Yang Yukun patted his brother-in-law and asked him to stay away from the stove, worried that his drool would fall into the pot.

"It smells so good."

"Here, try it and see if it's cooked."

Goose stewed in the pot.

Yang Yukun scooped a few pieces of goose meat from the pot and handed them to his brother-in-law.

"It smells so good, wow... it's so hot."

Seeing this, Fan Xiaojun laughed and said, "Brother, how come you are even more greedy than Xiaoli and the others? You are over 30 years old, but you really think you are still a child."

"Greedy people know no age, and we can stew it for a while longer."

"Xiao Kun, the phone is ringing." At this time, Xu Jingping walked into the kitchen with a mobile phone.

"Whose phone number?"

"Xiangxiang called and asked if we had eaten the New Year's Eve dinner."

After wrapping the dumplings, Xu Jingping called Ran Xiaoyi, Zhu Jing, Ming Xiaofen, Yao Yulan and others one by one.

Just after finishing the call with Yao Yulan, Dingxiang called.

After chatting for a while, the girl said she wanted to talk to her uncle Kun.

"Hey, Xiang Xiang."

"Happy New Year, Uncle Kun."

"Happy New Year to you too."

"Uncle Kun, what are you doing?"

"I'm preparing the New Year's Eve dinner. How about you? Have you prepared the New Year's Eve dinner?"

"We are doing it too. My grandparents are preparing the New Year's Eve dinner. My dad didn't cut the trachea when he killed the duck just now. After he killed the duck and put it in the basin, it ran away again. It took our family a while to catch it."

"It seems that Lao Ding rarely does these jobs of killing chickens and ducks. He killed a duck and let it run away."

“It’s so fun…”

Yang Yukun listened to Ding Xiang chattering for more than ten minutes, and then Ding Baosong's voice came from the phone. He chatted with Ding Baosong for more than twenty minutes.

After ending the call, Yang Yukun went back to the kitchen to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner.

At around three o'clock in the afternoon, the New Year's Eve dinner was freshly cooked, the cooked dumplings were served on the table, and we sat down to eat.

Cai Zhen said: "Grandpa, grandma, grandma..., let me pour you some wine."

"Little one, be good and fill Grandpa's glass with wine."

"okay."

"Sister, let's drink rice wine. Lily, you should stop drinking since you're pregnant. You should eat more vegetables." Yang Yukun, his parents and others all drank white wine. Xu Jingping served his sister some warmed Jieyuhua.

Zhao Lili was pregnant and couldn't drink alcohol, so Xu Jingping served her a bowl of ginseng chicken soup.

Yang Yukun said: "It's the New Year, Dad, Mom, Aunt Cheng, you are the elders, please say a few words."

Xu Huizhen smiled and said, "Xueru, today is the New Year at your house, you can say a few words first."

"Okay, I'll just say a few words." Cheng Xueru smiled and said, "Today is New Year's Eve, and our whole family is gathered together to celebrate the New Year. I hope that every year in the future, our whole family can be reunited together."

Yang Yukun smiled and said, "Sister, brother-in-law, Aunt Cheng is talking about you."

Xu Jingli said: "Mom, Dad, Mom, don't worry, we will come back every year from now on."

Hou Kui followed suit and said, "Yes, we will definitely come back during the Chinese New Year."

Xu Huizhen said: "We should come back not only for the Chinese New Year, but also more often during normal times."

Cheng Xueru said, "I know you two are busy with work, but I still hope you can try to find time to come back and visit. Otherwise, after a long time, you may not even recognize your neighbors in the alley."

"Mom, we'll come back as long as we have time."

Since Hou Kui and Xu Jingli went to Yangcheng, South Guangdong, and settled down there to do business, they have rarely returned to the imperial capital.

The alleys and neighbors that they were once familiar with have indeed become somewhat strange to them.

Especially the children who were born and raised in recent years, they really don’t know who this child belongs to and don’t know him at all.

"Anyway, you are not children anymore, you are in your thirties, you know it yourself, I won't say more." Cheng Xueru continued: "After today, it will be a new year, I wish you all good luck and good health in the new year.

I wish Xiaozhen, Xiaoli, Xiaozongzi, Pingping and Xiaoyumi grow up healthily and be smart, and that they can all become learned people in the future. "

"it is good!"

"Nothing, Huizhen, I'm done, you guys can say a few words."

Xu Huizhen smiled and said, "You have said everything you need to say. I have nothing to add. I declare that we can have dinner."

"cheers!"

"happy New Year!"

"Eat vegetables, eat vegetables."

"Pingping and Xiaoyumi are the youngest. These two big goose legs are for you to eat."

"Thank you, Grandma Cheng."

"These two duck legs are for Xiao Zongzi and Xiao Li."

"Thank you grandma."

"Xiao Zhen, have a chicken drumstick."

"Grandma, chicken legs are much smaller than duck legs and goose legs."

"You are the older brother, you have to take care of your younger brothers and sisters, eat quickly."

"Grandma, who's going to eat the remaining chicken leg?"

"This chicken leg is for your aunt. She is pregnant."

"Ok."

"Xiao Kun, Xiao Jun, come on, let's have a drink together."

"Walk."

"Jingli and I rarely come home, and you are the ones who are busy with all the household affairs. I offer this glass of wine to you. Thank you."

"Brother-in-law, you've only had two bowls of wine. You're already drunk after drinking just half a catty. Why are you talking nonsense?"

"I know you and your sister-in-law are busy with work, but my brother and I are at home, so you don't have to worry."

"Come, drink."

After the little Zongzi and the others had eaten, they ran out to play with their friends.

Xu Jingping, his father-in-law, mother-in-law, Cheng Xueru, Xu Jingli, Zhao Lili and others also left the table and went to the living room to chat, watch TV and wait for the Spring Festival Gala to begin.

Yang Yukun, his elder brother-in-law, and Fan Xiaojun continued chatting and drinking until the Spring Festival Gala began.

Xu Jingping and his father-in-law and mother-in-law were watching the Spring Festival Gala in the house. Yang Yukun came to the yard with a mobile phone and called He Changfu and others one by one until the mobile phone ran out of battery and turned off.

"Xiao Zongzi, Pingping, Xiao Yumi, Xiaozhen, Xiaoli, let's go set off the fireworks."

"Okay!"

"Set off fireworks!"

“Chiu…Bang…Hua….”

"Mom and Dad... look, it's so beautiful."

"Line up, red envelopes are being distributed."

Yang Yukun took out the red envelopes he had prepared long ago from his pocket and gave them to the little ones.

The little guys were very happy to receive five big red envelopes at once. (End of this chapter)