Restarting life in Siheyuan

Chapter 248 On the ice again
The second child climbed out of bed reluctantly. It was still cold in the room. Without the heating of the old house, it was obviously unbearable.

"Brother, it's already a holiday, so I'm not allowed to sleep in."

"Okay, get up. I have to go out to buy some things later. There are only a few days left for the Chinese New Year. Don't waste time. I've already made breakfast for you."

Seeing that the eldest brother kept urging and standing directly in front of the bed, the second brother had no choice but to lift up his pants, jump out of bed, get some water and start washing up.

"Master, breakfast is ready, are you ready to serve it?"

"Serve them all, the three of you will come together, there are just a few of us, don't eat separately, please, thank you uncle."

"Uncle Xie went to help Uncle Zhang make steamed buns. He said he ate them there."

Breakfast is very simple, including two plates of pickles, a pot of glutinous rice porridge, a pot of steamed buns, a few eggs, and a few pieces of dried smoked fish.

The three brothers and sisters sat down to eat. The three girls prepared the porridge and waited on it, making the brothers and sisters very uncomfortable.

"What are you doing standing here? Take a bowl to make porridge, come over and eat together, and you still want me to treat you."

"Boss, this isn't appropriate, let's wait...".

Zhu Xuefeng didn't turn around, took a bite of the steamed bun, picked up the porridge bowl and took a sip. After thinking about it, he estimated that the few of them would be awkward even when they got to the table, but they couldn't just serve them like this. They were no longer awkward. But the younger siblings are awkward.

"Then you go and eat too. We don't have to worry about it. We'll clean it up later. You guys should hurry up. We'll have to take care of you later."

The three of them heard what Zhu Xuefeng meant and quickly withdrew.

There was a lot of work in the clothes shop before this year, and it is still not finished. Erya and Sanya also have to go there every day. Daya is better, after all, there are very few people who want to carve jade during the New Year.

"Xuemei, won't you go shopping with us later? I'll leave these bowls to you to clean up. Brother, let's go."

Zhu Xuefeng smiled slightly, and the second brother quickly took a sip, threw the bowl and ran away with the elder brother.

Zhu Xuemei stabbed the bowl with her chopsticks twice angrily and looked at her two brothers who were jokingly going out.

"You know how to bully me. I just want to see if the chicken is frozen. It's not like I don't want to go shopping..."

Sanya entered the middle courtyard and saw Zhu Xuemei sulking.

"Third Miss, if you have something to do, just go and do your thing, leave it to us, we have to take care of it too."

Zhu Xuemei was startled and stood up quickly.

"No, no, no, I'll do it myself. I take care of everything at home every day. Also, I'm not some escort girl, I'm a working class person!"

"Okay, I understand, Miss Sanya." Sanya said with a smile.

"I told you that I am not the third young lady. My name is Zhu Xuemei. You can just call me Xiaomei."

"Okay, sister Xiaomei."

...

I clearly remember that before every year, supply and marketing cooperatives, non-staple food stores, and vegetable markets would have a large number of supplies that were usually in short supply and could not be purchased with tickets.

There is also the scene of rush buying at supply and marketing cooperatives and non-staple food items at the end of the year after various units and streets have issued various invoices.

It is said that this year's New Year's goods have already arrived a lot, and Zhu Xuefeng decided to start preparations without waiting for the last few days or notification from the street office.

I have a lot of tickets, so I don’t have to wait for tickets to be issued or to be notified before I buy. There are so many people buying things, and I have to wait in line for a long time to prepare all these things. The key is to grab some places. People line up.

There were obviously a lot more people coming and going outside the grocery store than usual. There were also a few carts coming outside. It was estimated that several people from a certain yard were working together, so queuing up would be more efficient.

Two red lanterns were hung at the door, and four big red characters "Celebrate the Spring Festival" were posted on the windows. The people coming and going were saying hello and laughing from time to time, and the New Year atmosphere was already there.

Nowadays, every household is not well off, but they are very happy. After all, they are in charge of the family and have become the master. No matter how difficult the life is, the mood is still different.

Avoiding the crowds of people going out with large and small packages, the two brothers squeezed in. The shelves were full, and the shelves and counters were also piled with goods. This really was the New Year's goods. After a cursory look, the varieties It is also a lot richer. This is the best thing in the capital. If there is anything, the capital will definitely be the first to protect it.

Seafood that is usually hard to see is also available, all of which are chilled. In the corner of the store, several plastic boxes are neatly stacked. They are full of ice slag and hard-frozen yellow croaker and hairtail fish. There were some frozen shrimps, but none alive, and there were a lot more dry goods.

"Don't be crowded, don't be in a hurry, wait in line, everything is available, and you can buy it. Those who don't line up will not be sold."

Looking at the crowd gathered in front of several boxes, the salesperson had to remind him again and again: "You can buy them all, but you have to queue up. There are many more in the yard behind."

In this weather, it is really not afraid of melting when left outdoors. No wonder these boxes are placed in the store. The feelings are stored outside.

There were a lot more people in the store than usual, but it was still acceptable. It seemed that there were always people who had tickets or had the means to get them in advance.

Peanuts that are not usually seen are also piled up by people of all ages. The salesperson is busy weighing sugar, making wine, and weighing fruits.

The room is filled with the faint aroma of candy and bulk liquor, mixed with the fishy smell of seafood, and full of fireworks. There is no need to queue for other places that require tickets, and there are not many people.

It took a long time to finally gather the necessities such as flour, sugar, bread, candies, and fruits. I also prepared some snacks and food gift boxes. Those who are visiting relatives and friends cannot be empty-handed.

There are no tickets for peanuts, melon seeds, sesame paste, and sesame oil. You can only wait for notification from the street office. Then you can buy them based on the supply book. Remember, they are all based on household and capita.

After shopping for many things, they finally got out of the grocery store. Both of them were sweating on their foreheads. After taking off their hats, a burst of white air rose. There were still many more people in the store than usual.

"Brother, I have to deliver it first. The one with the bag won't be able to queue up for a while. If I drop one or two items, I have to come again."

Take a trip, it's really inconvenient to buy big and small packages, you have to go to the supply and marketing cooperative. For some things, only the supply and marketing cooperative is the most convenient and complete.

The supply and marketing cooperative is even more prosperous. In addition to lanterns and big characters, there are also banners at the entrance of the store. There are many people coming in and out, and many families are queuing up.

Unexpectedly, he discovered that there were also comic strips for children and adults. He didn't have time to choose, so Zhu Xuefeng just bought three copies of each kind and bought a big box with more than 100 copies for more than 21 yuan.

"Whose kid is this? He bought so many novels in one go. He's really struggling. The adults in this family don't care."

Some older people nearby shook their heads, asking the children to buy the New Year's goods by themselves. The adults in this family are really generous. This book is only 20 cents to [-] cents, and a box costs more than [-] yuan. What a waste. What a waste. .

During this period, you can have an extraordinarily sumptuous meal at home for five yuan, and you can invite seven or eight people without any problem. You are guaranteed to have fish, meat, cigarettes, and wine, and you can spend dozens of yuan to buy a small book. What a waste.

The second child asked in a low voice, "Brother, we bought three sets. Is this one for my second uncle, my sister-in-law, and my family?"

"Of course it goes without saying. My younger brothers and sisters are in the mountains and they probably won't be able to buy it. When the time comes, I can take it back and make them happy too."

"Brother, it's you who thinks more. I'll divide it into three bundles and tie them first before putting them in the box." The second brother knelt down seriously and tied up the bundles of little books and packed them into boxes.

Zhu Xuefeng made an unexpected discovery. There were many green potted plants that he had never seen before in the corner. In the middle of winter, these green plants were really lovable.

There were quite a few people asking around, and Zhu Xuefeng liked him too, but he didn't know how to wait on him.

"Brother, do you want to buy this too?" The second brother had some doubts. This thing takes up too much space and is difficult to get home. The two of them didn't bring a cart.

Zhu Xuefeng thought for a while. "Forget it. If you put this at home during the Chinese New Year, it would be quite suitable, but if it gets spoiled, it will ruin your mood."

"That's right, I don't know how to serve this thing. Brother, let's take a look at the fruits. I saw several kinds, but I don't usually have any."

Some things are heavy in supply and marketing cooperatives and non-staple food stores. They probably come from different sources. After all, they are two systems. There are obviously more varieties of fruits here.
Few, they should all be from out of town.

Not to mention the common hawthorns and apples, bananas, grapes, and pears were also packed as high as the hills. The two brothers couldn't resist the temptation and added a lot more. Some of them were rarely seen in normal times, so they took advantage of the transportation of New Year's goods. I just sent it over for the Chinese New Year, so it has to be a little different.

The two brothers made two trips and bought basically everything they could buy. When the two brothers came back again carrying two big bags, the younger sister also came back. She was still pouting. She was probably still angry with the brothers. In the morning Throw it away and she runs away.The second brother put down the big bag and teased the younger sister.

"How is it? Is the new nest made by Uncle Xue useful? Is your chicken frozen to death?"

It was snowing a few days ago and it was fine. It should be even better now. The second brother was just taking advantage of the younger sister for fun.

Zhu Xuemei ignored her second brother and spoke to Zhu Xuefeng.

"Brother, from the Jia family in the middle courtyard, the old woman saw that there was no one in our house. She seemed to want to pick the crucian carp dried by the second brother, but the third aunt saw it."

"She got so angry from shame that if you send her son in, no one will come out, and he will eat two of your fish, so she scolded you in the front yard."

When I got back, I scolded her and ran away. "

After saying that, the little sister looked a little proud, and Zhu Xuefeng was also a little surprised. The little sister was in Changhang City. She could scold Jia Zhang and run away. Did he hear it correctly?
The second child's face was full of disbelief and he directly questioned.

"Little sister, just brag. If you could scold that old godly woman, I wouldn't believe it even if you beat her to death."

"You don't believe it even if I tell you. I said, if you are so reluctant to let go of your son, your son must not be able to let go of you. In a few days, your son and your old man will come to pick you up for the New Year."

"Sister, you are really good at using her words to rebuke her."

"Okay, my little sister is really powerful. She doesn't want to fight with you, right?"

Zhu Xuemei was very proud, it was her first time to confront someone head-on, which was quite refreshing.

"She really wanted to chase me away. Later, Banggeng came out with Xiaodang and said that Jia Qin asked her to go back and help at home, so she left cursing."

"Besides, she is so fat. She can't even touch my side when I run. She doesn't even have to move her hands. She will be exhausted after just two laps."

Zhu Xuefeng gave a thumbs up and said with a smile.

"My little sister is awesome. Next time she makes trouble, we will let her go."

The little sister went in happily. She had something proud to show off today, but the elder brother didn't say it was a trivial matter, and even let her sneak away for fun in the future.

This Jia Zhang family can actually listen to Qin Huairu's words. It's really strange that the sun is shining in the west. It seems that the relationship between the two was not like this before. She was too lazy to think about it and gave orders to her younger brothers and sisters.

"Most of the things for the New Year are almost done. I have to do other things in the afternoon. I will take you two to skate tomorrow, and your sister Xia will go too. You two will stay here today. You don't have to go back if you have nothing to do."

"Okay, big brother finally has time to play with us."

...

We made an appointment yesterday to go skating together today. Early in the morning, after breakfast, the three brothers and sisters were waiting in the old yard for Xia Yuhong to come.

"Sister Xia, you are so beautiful. I wish I were as beautiful as you."

The younger sister had already moved closer to Xia Yuhong, knowing that this might be her future sister-in-law, so she had nothing to be embarrassed about, she just felt friendly.

Xia Yuhong smiled. She had been here many times and was very familiar with the little sister. She touched her head.

"You, you will definitely be prettier than your sister when you grow up. Come on, my sister brought you some hairpins and asked her to pin them on for you. I guarantee you will look better in no time."

The two brothers had already packed up, and Zhu Xuefeng moved out of the car. "Let's go. It's too late and there are so many people there. It will be troublesome then."

Xia Yuhong looked at her schoolbag, hesitated, and held her little sister's hand. "Let's go too. You take my sister's car and let your two brothers chase after you, okay?"

The little sister giggled and followed Xia Yuhong out of the door, followed by Zhu Xuefeng with the cart.

"Xue Feng, I am going out to play with my classmates and my younger siblings."

The third uncle was cleaning the yard, and the yard was also cleaned in turns. Every family had a day, and if any family had something to do, the uncle in the yard would arrange it. It happened that there were uncles in the three yards, and it was their turn to take charge of the rooms in the outer yard.

"Well, let's take our younger brothers and sisters to play on the ice. This year's Spring Festival is early, so we won't be allowed to play then. Let's go play for a while while we can still play."

"That's right, it's a noisy union. It's not a problem to keep the door closed all the time. We need to let them change their minds. You can go first. If you are free tomorrow, I will ask my second child to take his younger brothers and sisters to play."

"Goodbye then."

It's fast with a small pedal, and it's not that far in the first place. A few people parked their cars and came to the ice rink. I really didn't expect it. It's only about nine o'clock now, and there are already a lot of people. They are in groups. At a glance, they are basically there. It's a student on vacation.

There were few entertainment options at this time, and students couldn't stay at home during the holidays. They only skated and watched movies outside, so the skating rink was far more lively than in later generations.

Now that we are here, we have to join in the fun even if there are many people. At least we can still skate now. If there are too many people, we won’t be able to skate anymore.

It's still the same as before, the best areas have been occupied by golfers, and everyone else has their own small circle, and a group of people play in a small area.

There are only four people here, so we definitely can't occupy the territory. We can just sneak in and play for a while.

"Xue Song, help my sister tighten her shoes. Her shoelaces are not tied properly."

Zhu Xuefeng's eyesight was very good. He noticed something wrong with the little girl's shoelaces from afar and warned her loudly.

"Let's go down first."

Xia Yuhong supported Zhu Xuefeng and got off the ice. The skills of his younger siblings were no different from those of his eldest brother. They were just playing around and not knowing any skills. This was because they lived close to each other. teach.

Seeing his younger brother and sister sliding over, Zhu Xuefeng helped his sister straighten her hat.

"Stay away from people and don't run too far. Your sister Xia and I will follow you in a while. If you get lost, just wait here and go play."

There is no territory here, and it is easy to lose track of each other when hanging out. Sometimes we are separated after passing through a group of people. We can only make an appointment and try not to run too far away.

"Brother, let's go."

The younger sister also likes to watch ice hockey, so she and her younger brother slowly skated towards the court. In fact, there was a group of young women playing ice ballet in the middle of the ice rink. They were probably students from a nearby art school.

There were many skills and beautiful movements. Xia Yuhong was dumbfounded and her eyes were full of envy. "I wish I could skate like this."

"Come on, last time I wanted to learn to play ice hockey, and this time I want to do ice ballet. Come on, follow my brothers and sisters."

The two shuttled across the ice, passing through small groups. The younger brother and sister were circling the court, and the two followed.

"I have to leave the day after tomorrow, and I won't be back until after the New Year."

"Didn't I say that your mother is with you, right?"

Xia Yuhong shook her head, "My mother said she is too busy at the end of the year to take leave. Then I will go back with my father, and I will go alone."

For such a beautiful girl, Zhu Xuefeng was really worried about taking the train back to his hometown alone.

"Running around alone without even a companion, your parents can rest assured."

"Why don't you worry? There are police officers in the car. Besides, why are there so many bad people? You're running around alone, and you're talking about me."

"If you are worried about me, just buy a ticket and go with me."

(End of this chapter)