Back to 90s small fishing village

Now that we have entered the twelfth lunar month, I feel like the days are suddenly passing by so fast.

On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, Xu Ping'an returned home early and put down his luggage. Before he could sit down and take a breath, he ran to knock on the door of Xu Caimei's house.

As soon as she saw Xu Pingan, Xu Caimei invited him in for dinner.

"I don't know why, but I got up early in the morning and always thought you would be back soon. The breakfast was always warm in the pot." Xu Caimei said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to come back soon."

After washing her hands and sitting down, Xu Caimei had already come over with a plate.

A bowl of white porridge, a triangular cake, and a small plate of pickles made by Xu Caimei herself.

"It's so rich." Xu Ping'an said with a smile.

"I went to town early this morning to buy New Year's goods. I didn't know why I passed by a breakfast shop and just wanted to eat triangle cakes and fried dough sticks, so I bought them back."

"When did you start talking in a roundabout way?" Xu Ping'an joked.

Xu Caimei's face turned red visibly.

"I don't! Hurry up and eat your food. You have to help me clean the house after eating." Xu Caimei turned her back and packed up the items on the cabinet.

Xu Pingan put down the bowls and chopsticks gently, stood up, and walked behind Xu Caimei.

The cold touch suddenly climbed up Xu Caimei's neck. She shrank her neck suddenly and reached out to touch it.

"What is this?" Xu Caimei picked up the pendant on the necklace around her neck, a little surprised.

"New Year's gift, do you like it?"

Xu Caimei hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron before reaching out to touch the pendant again.

The pendant is a silver-white heart-shaped ring, small, and the fine metal cut surfaces reflect a little bit of crystal luster.

"It might be a little too small. You can wear it first. When the farm gets the money back next year, I will buy you a better one." Xu Ping'an said seriously.

"This is quite good, thank you, safe and sound." Xu Caimei turned around happily, suddenly lowered her eyes and frowned, "But I don't have anything to give as a gift... How about I fry more meat for the New Year?" you eat."

Xu Ping'an put his hand on her shoulder, "There's no need for you to give me a gift. You don't have much money on hand right now, so just save it if you can. Besides, I just want you to be happy when I give you a gift, not for fun." You repay me or something.”

"I am very happy."

"That's enough."

After dinner, Xu Ping'an went home and changed into clothes that were more convenient for work, and helped Xu Caimei move the furniture away so that she could clean it more easily.

This old house had not been taken care of for a long time and was full of dust. The two found two handkerchiefs and covered their mouths and noses.

"You look like the bad guy on TV." Xu Caimei smiled.

Xu Pingan also laughed.

Xu Caimei stepped on the ladder brought by Xu Pingan, climbed to the top, and carefully swept the mildew spots and cobwebs on the ceiling with a small broom wrapped in a rag.

Xu Ping'an watched Xu Caimei carefully from below, holding tightly on the ladder with both hands, fearing that something would happen to her.

When she came down, Xu Ping'an helped her pick the cobwebs from her hair and smiled. "Look at you, you have a spider web on one end, it looks like a spider spirit."

"There is no way," Xu Caimei sighed, "This house has not been taken care of for too long, and it is no longer good. When I have money in the future, I will have to renovate the house."

Afterwards, the two of them worked together to clean other places as well.

It took a whole day to clean Xu Caimei's house, and the next day it was Xu Ping'an's house.

Xu Caimei felt a little embarrassed looking at the large and small pieces of garbage and dust that Xu Caimei swept out from every corner.

Xu Caimei just comforted him and said: "You have to make money to support yourself, but you also have to take time to take care of me. Sometimes the village chief will ask you to help with village affairs, so you will inevitably neglect these things. It's okay, I'll come here at that time." Help you, let’s do it together, we can always clean it up.”

After cleaning the house, Xu Pingan went out to sea on the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, and Xu Caimei took a car to the town to do shopping.

As the New Year approaches, the farmer’s market in the town is extremely lively and crowded with people from surrounding villages going to buy meat and vegetables.

Xu Caimei is also unambiguous. After all, the Chinese New Year only comes once a year, not to mention that there are "outings" in two villages this year. The so-called outings are a unique custom in some areas of Fujian. The specific process will be abbreviated according to the village's own situation. There are different.

As far as Xucun and Yao Village are concerned, in the first month of the year, people will carry out the statues of gods enshrined in the village temples and parade around the houses all night long, which means to entertain the gods and pray for blessings.

It's just that because of the "cold war" between the two villages that has lasted for more than ten years, and because these two small villages are really remote and poor, most of the young adults who have the energy to participate in the preparations are working outside, so it is difficult for a single village to make the trip lively.As time goes by, everyone no longer remembers the specific details of the trip.

As for Xu Caimei herself, during the years when she stayed at Xu Pingcang's house, every year when the Chinese New Year was about to come, Yao Jingui wanted her to live in the canteen in order to ensure that the canteen could be open 24 hours a day during the most profitable days of the year, so the bustle of the New Year was so intense. Son, in fact, he is also very far away from her.

So she only vaguely remembered that when she was very young, the last outing in the village was held, and every family would prepare simple food and drinks to entertain the outing team.

It was obviously midnight at that time, but everyone was at home, chatting, eating meat and drinking, and setting off firecrackers.

This year, Xu Pingli posted an announcement on the bulletin board a few days ago, announcing that the trip will be on the fifth day of the first lunar month. It is still early, so in the past two days, he will fry some meatballs, tofu and fish, and then make some red dumplings and marinate them. As for the meat, the rest will be bought on the morning of the fourth or fifth day of the lunar month, which will only be enough.

After buying five kilograms of pork, three kilograms of beef, two plates of eggs, two live chickens, a few firecrackers, two pairs of couplets, some vegetables, fruits, and dry goods, Xu Caimei returned home with a full load.

In front of the station at the entrance of Yao Village, Xu Ping'an was already waiting for her.

"I bought so many things, let me get them," Xu Pingan said, taking the big bag and small bag from Xu Caimei's hand. The two talked and returned home affectionately.

This trip to Xu Ping'an was also fruitful - excluding the excess that was sold, the family had seven or eight hairtails as wide as four fingers, four or five forearm-long marine fish, a bucket of crabs, shrimps and small miscellaneous fish.

"You take these two big fish back and put them in the freezer to freeze them first. We will take them out to cook and eat them on the evening of the [-]th and the fifth day of the lunar month. I will wash the hairtail fish out for me and I will fry them together with the other things." Xu Caimei was happy say.

Xu Ping'an responded and put things away with Xu Caimei.

The little general in the yard seemed to be greedy and barked at the hung meat.

Hearing its cry, Xu Caimei suddenly remembered something -

"Rhubarb and her other children are still guarding the farm. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, so it's time to bring them back to join in the fun and improve the food." Xu Caimei said.

"Then you go pick them up. I will take the young general to kill the fish first, burn the pig hair, and prepare everything else. I will wait for you to come back and take charge." Xu Ping'an said.

(End of this chapter)