Chapter 1158 Celebrating the New Year

Lin Juhua left.

All the favors from her hometown were taken away by her.

The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month is coming in just a few days.

Common people have a saying: If you have money but don’t have money, you should have a good year first.

Different from the silence during last year's New Year's Day, the festive atmosphere of the New Year seemed to sweep across the entire compound at once, giving off a strong New Year flavor.

Groups of older children came to visit more and more, and the sound of crackling firecrackers in their hands waxed and waned in all directions from time to time.

As soon as it was time for dinner in several families' courtyards, the military family members from all over the world showed off their good skills and began to fry meatballs, twists and rolls, and some steamed bean buns, steamed meat, braised vegetables...

The naughty boys who were busy stealing food, the adults laughing and cursing, the aroma filling the air...

All this makes the compound full of laughter. Entering the new year of the 1980s, it is different after all.

The three Ping An brothers, who are deeply aware of the scenes around them, also intend to make up for the regret that their three brothers were not with their mother last year.

When Zhou Jiao and Miao Lishan went on vacation, the three young men followed the mother and daughter all day long, acting as payment machines and bag carriers.

This series of actions made Miao Lishan beam with joy. In Zhou Xiaozheng's words, he was almost awakened by his wife's laughter even when he fell asleep.

The Zhou family was full of joy, and the Cheng family was no exception.

Although the eldest brother Cheng Sijin, who is far away from home, cannot return to Beijing to be with their old parents as they wish, they each have many descendants in their names.

These children and the three brothers from the Wen family were walking back and forth between the three houses, making the Zhou family very lively, not to mention that the three Ping An brothers also had many friends.

New Year's Eve is the official New Year's Eve.

Early in the morning, the three Ping An brothers first ran to the old house, posted couplets, window grilles, and hung lanterns in various courtyards, and then went to invite Dr. Hu to celebrate the New Year with them.

As in previous years, as expected, their master, Dr. Hu, still refused to enter the compound.

What's the reason?

Still the same, don’t like it!

These three simple words were not forced by the three Ping An brothers. I didn't even look at the New Year's Eve dinner that Aunt Dumb had started preparing, and even the couplets had been posted.

The three brothers happily told the old man that they would come back to kowtow to him on the first day of next year.

By the time they returned from their busy work, it was already noon.

In the kitchen, Zhou Jiao was busy with the New Year's Eve dinner and didn't bother to ask the two brothers for a while.

Instead, they chatted with Miao Lishan for a while, amused their grandma, and rushed into the kitchen after a while.

"Mom, it smells so good."

“Are we having lunch or midnight?”

Ping An patted the hands of his two younger brothers who were eating fried meatballs, and couldn't help but grab one himself.

Zhou Jiao turned around and saw a smile, "Let's have a meal at noon first. After your grandpa and your dad finish attending the party in the evening, our family will have a family reunion dinner."

Wuyi stepped aside and smelled the black jar on the stove. Well, his Buddha jumped over the wall again.

Liuyi raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and took the spatula from her hand, "Mom, I'll come, you take a break. Where is Grandma Chen?"

"Go to the service club."

He safely swallowed the food in his mouth, and when he finished speaking, he asked: "Mom, I heard that there will be more than 30,000 people at the Spring Festival Gala tonight, won't you go?"

Wuyi echoed: "Yes, we can get over it."

Liuyi took a spatula and stir-fried it twice in the pot. After pouring water and covering it, he glanced sideways at his younger brother: "There are many people talking and you have to socialize. It's okay if mom doesn't go."

"Then we'll stay with you at home."

Zhou Jiao looked at Wuyi with a smile, "You don't have any activities at night?"

Wuyi always had a sweet mouth and said with a smile: "What activity is more important than my mother."

"Your dad has said that he will come back as soon as he usually does. You can just play with yourself and remember to go home for the family reunion dinner."

"Oh, my dad beat me to it again."

Zhou Jiao laughed happily when she heard this.

After amusing his mother, Wuyi winked at his brothers proudly and continued: "Mom, all the stamps I bought today are at my old house."

"Hearing what you mean, do you still have to buy it?"

"Hmm, I have this plan. Not many people are buying now. We are contributing to the country."

Zhou Jiao glanced at the faces of her three sons when she heard this, and shook her head with a smile, "Remember to wrap it in oil paper, and it's best to put some lime in the wooden box."

"understandable."

Now that she understood Zhou Jiao, she didn't say anything more. As a result, the second son had to hurry up and have lunch first. A lot of young men and women were late and it was time to come.

After the midnight family reunion dinner, the New Year also ushered in.

In the first month of the year, it is indispensable to visit relatives and friends, and even less to go to various temple fairs to buy snacks.

At this time last year, even Zhang Guoqing went to the front line. Zhou Jiao was really in no mood to hang around for the Changdian Temple Fair, which was once again grand.

But this year, after blending into it, she suddenly realized that the peaceful age was really coming.

Cultural relics and antiques that have never been banned appear in small stalls, and long-vanished painting sheds appear, with works by new and old painters and calligraphers hanging in them.

Spring passed and summer came, and life was going smoothly. Just when Zhou Jiao thought she had nothing to worry about in the short term, a bolt from the blue came.

"What did you say?"

Compared with Zhou Jiao's hurried expression, Zhang Guoqing looked much better. He patted his beloved wife in his arms and told her the unfortunate news again.

"Mr. Cheng is really gone. He left with a smile in his sleep last night."

"How could it be? I was playing chess with him a few days ago." Zhou Jiao closed her eyes, then realized what she was doing and asked hurriedly, "What about the old lady?"

If it weren't for the wrong timing, Zhang Guoqing almost wanted to correct him, "The old lady is fine. She is always in charge of the Cheng family now. Let's go there first."

"Yes, we have to go there first, we have to go there quickly. I thought the old lady would leave first, but I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it... How could she just leave like that..."

When the couple got in the car and rushed to the Cheng family's old house, Zhou Xiaozheng had already arrived with Miao Lishan and was accompanying the old lady in the main room to discuss matters.

At this time, many relatives and friends who came to the Cheng family's old house gathered after hearing the news. Zhou Jiao didn't bother to say hello to them and rushed to see the old lady first.

She understands better than anyone what kind of existence Mr. Cheng is to the old lady. It was like a mountain supporting her behind. Now that he is gone, the old lady cannot fall down immediately.

When he saw the old lady, the situation was better than Zhou Jiao expected. Except for Cheng Ruzhu who was crying, the old lady was very calm and even comforted the crying family members.

"...Silly boy, don't cry. Your father is already in mourning. He slept away without any illness or pain. Many old people can't hope for it."

Zhou Jiao glanced at her father and stepped forward to hold the old lady's hand tightly. It was so cold in the summer that she shivered involuntarily.

Why does she always feel that this is the old lady's vitality declining?

Facing the old lady's eyes, Zhou Jiao didn't know how to comfort her. She could only say one sentence repeatedly, "Auntie, you still have us."