Chapter 154 The Year is Over
Apart from some local customs, Chinese New Year is nothing more than adults getting together to play cards and children playing around, and the island is no exception.
In the small room, a group of people were sitting together. Fang Xianfeng, Xu Zhiyuan and others were playing cards. The sounds of calling cards and slamming cards were endless. The sisters-in-law also gathered together to eat melon seeds, chat and watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV.
Fang Wei and a few others played with fireworks outside until very late before going home. The island, which usually had everyone turning off the lights and going to bed before ten o'clock, was now still bustling at more than eleven o'clock in the evening.
When it was almost midnight, the guests gathered at Fang Wei's house dispersed and hurried home to prepare to set off firecrackers to welcome the new year.
The father and son also carried out a box of firecrackers, and used a bamboo pole to extend from the top of the courtyard wall to hang up the long firecrackers. When it was midnight, Fang Wei took the incense and lit the firecrackers.
Almost at the same time, the sound of lively firecrackers rang out everywhere on the island.
Crackling! Crackling!
Fang Wei covered his ears and ran into the house, standing at the door with his parents watching the firecrackers.
After ringing for nearly half a minute, the new year began with the most grand sound of firecrackers.
"Okay, let's go back to bed early, it's already twelve o'clock!" Fang Xianfeng clapped his hands, took out a cigarette and lit it, then put on a coat.
"Dad, are you going out to play cards again?" Fang Wei asked with a smile.
"Oh, it's New Year's Day, let's go and have some fun, but leave the door open for me."
"You're already old, I wonder how long you can stay up late!" Tian Xilan complained and ignored him.
"hey-hey."
Fang Xianfeng smiled, put on his coat and went out. He would probably play until three or four in the morning before coming back.
Of course I don’t play cards on weekdays, but it’s really a rare New Year’s Day, so it’s understandable to play cards for a few nights.
The guests at home have all gone back, and the ground is covered with all kinds of melon shells and garbage. Tian Xilan, who always likes cleanliness and tidiness, doesn't sweep the floor, for fear of sweeping away the family's wealth and blessings. She usually waits until the second or third day of the New Year to clean the house.
The lights in the house will not be turned off tonight, and the lights in the yard and living room will be on all night.
Fang Wei didn't stay up late anymore. He had gotten used to his biological clock. It had been a long time since he had been awake before midnight. Now he was so sleepy that he could hardly open his eyelids.
He returned to the room and crawled into bed. The sound of firecrackers outside was still going on, but it did not affect his sleep at all. Instead, he slept very soundly.
At about 12:30, the island finally quieted down...
……
Early in the morning on New Year's Day, Fang Wei was awakened by the sound of firecrackers. As it was the first day of the new year, he got up early and went to pay New Year's greetings to his grandparents with his parents.
After paying New Year's greetings and having breakfast, he accompanied his mother to worship the gods at the beginning of the new year. He was busy until after lunch, then he found Cailing, Zhiyi and Asheng to ride bikes to the town to play.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the town was quite lively, with the main streets crowded with people and performances of dragon and lion dances, as well as gongs and drums.
Four young boys and girls moved through the crowd and squeezed to the front to watch the show.
In addition to the performances, there were many activities and games on the street. They were all street games where you could gamble a little money for fun. Fang Wei and a few others did not participate, but just stood aside and watched, which was also very interesting.
Baitan Middle School also opened its doors today. There were naturally no classes at school, but as the largest activity venue in the town, the township arranged activities during the two days of the New Year.
There were basketball games, chess games, and I heard that there were also cultural performances at Baitan Middle School last night.
……
The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day to go back to my parents’ home.
Fang Xianfeng and Tian Xilan started preparing things early in the morning. They brought a chicken, a box of oranges and various food as gifts, and red envelopes, filling their motorcycles.
Fang Wei naturally wanted to go with them to pay New Year's greetings to his grandparents, so the three of them squeezed onto the motorcycle and set off to the pier to take a boat to Nanpu Island.
The pier is particularly busy today. Almost all of the people are returning to their parents' homes to visit relatives. Some are leaving the pier by boat, and just as many are coming here by boat.
Nanpu Island is larger than Pineapple Island and is also under the jurisdiction of Baitan Town. There are four villages on the island. Wang Yushan in the class lives on Nanpu Island.
Wang Yushan was playing with her brother at the gate of the yard. When she saw Fang Wei, she was stunned for a moment.
"Yushan!"
"…Class monitor?"
Wang Yushan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Fang Wei sitting on a motorcycle, sandwiched in the middle. He was waving to her and saying hello.
"Squad leader, why are you on the island?"
"Go and wish my grandparents a happy new year! Yushan, Happy New Year!"
"Ah? Happy New Year!"
Without stopping to talk, the two men greeted each other and the motorcycle slowly drove away.
Fang Wei found it interesting. He just found out where Wang Yushan lived. He had never seen her when he came to Nanpu Island before. Maybe he had seen her before, but they were not classmates at that time and he had no impression of her.
My grandparents’ home is not in the same village as Yushan’s home. You have to go a little further inside.
When we arrived at my grandparents' house, the yard was already quite lively.
There was no room in the living room, so my uncle put out a coffee table and chairs in the yard. My aunt was busy killing chickens and ducks, and my grandparents were also sitting on the bench.
Hearing the sound of a motorcycle, everyone stood up and greeted it with a smile.
"Third sister! Third brother-in-law!"
"uncle!"
"Wow! Ah Wei has grown taller again! He's almost as tall as his uncle!"
"Grandpa! Grandma!"
"Ah Wei, have you had breakfast? Come and sit down..."
My mother's family has many people. Tian Xilan is the third child in the family. She has two older sisters, a fourth younger sister, and a younger brother.
Fang Wei's uncle is the youngest among his brothers and sisters. He got married two years ago. His four sisters are all married, and he stays at home to take care of his grandparents. The older generation wants to have a son for this reason, and they always need someone to stay by their side. Of course, it's not too far away, and the married sisters often come back home on weekdays, but they definitely don't come back as often as when they were single. They will definitely go back to their parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year every year. The sisters made an appointment to come together today to get together.
Including Fang's family, the families of several aunts and uncles, and my grandparents, there were nearly twenty people sitting in the small room.
The happiest people must be the grandparents. This is probably what is meant by having a large family. The two elders had smiles on their faces all the time, and they held a handful of red envelopes in their hands and gave them to their grandchildren one by one.
My mother was not idle either. Although she had been married for many years, this was also the home where she grew up. Coming back was like going home. After drinking a cup of tea, she hurried to help my aunt prepare lunch with her sisters.
My uncle accompanied his brothers-in-law to drink tea and chat.
Now that he is no longer a new son-in-law, Fang Xianfeng feels much more at ease when he goes back to his mother's home with his mother, but his habits remain unchanged. He holds a handful of melon seeds in his hand, and when he has nothing to do after tea, he plays with the dog or walks out for a walk around the village.
At lunch time, there were three large tables set up in the yard.
Fang Wei sat at the table with the children...
……
By the fourth day of the New Year, most of the New Year has passed.
People who come back from working outside to celebrate the New Year have to pack up their hearts and luggage and prepare to go back to big cities to work. Many young people also plan to go out with their fellow villagers after the New Year and find a job outside.
For most people, the mood after the Chinese New Year is usually complicated, with both satisfaction and loss.
Fang Wei rode a bicycle with Xu Cailing to take Sister Caiwei to the pier to catch the boat.
"Sister Caiwei, are you going back so early this year?"
"Yes~ We have to change shifts. Next year, it will be my turn to be on duty, and we won't have a holiday until the fourth day of the New Year." Xu Caiwei said with a smile.
"The boss is so heartless! We have to go to work even during the New Year!" The Pineapple Island Heroine felt unfair!
"Haha, that's how coffee shops are. Holidays are usually the busiest time of the day, so we can't just close down and take a break."
After working outside for two years, Xu Caiwei's mentality has changed from that of a student before. She has become much more mature. In the new year, she has also made a step forward in her goal:
"I, your sister, no longer have to pour tea or clean tables. I'm now the barista in the store! Hehe!"
"Did Sister Caiwei succeed in stealing my skills?"
"Haha, not really. I still have a lot to learn, but it's true that my salary has increased~~"
"It's so bitter and not tasty at all. How can it be sold at such a high price if so many people love it?"
Xu Cailing couldn't understand why her sister personally made a cup of coffee for her and her parents two days ago. Even with sugar added, she still felt it didn't taste good. If it were her, she would definitely not spend so much money to buy this thing to drink.
"You don't know how to enjoy yourself! It's the same with tea. You think tea tastes bad, but why are some teas sold at such high prices? There are always people who love to drink it."
"I'm a coffee drinker anyway!"
"Yes, yes, you are the most powerful."
Xu Caiwei found it funny and took out another two hundred yuan from her small wallet and stuffed it into her sister's hand.
"Here, this is a reward from me."
"I don't want your money!"
Xu Cailing quickly stuffed the money back into her pocket and said, "I don't need any money, just take the money and spend it."
"I gave it to you. Just take the flowers. Don't tell mom and dad. Just take it!"
Xu Caiwei stuffed two hundred yuan into Cailing's pocket without saying anything.
Xu Cailing did not refuse again. She held the money given by her sister in her hand. The two light pieces of paper felt heavy in her hand. This was the affection between the two sisters and the love her sister had for her.
Looking back on their childhood, the two sisters often quarreled and fought together, but after all, she was the closest sister. After she went out to work, all their feelings for her were reduced to longing, and all their expectations turned into hoping that she could live a good life.
"So, when will you be back from work this time?"
"I've just got ready to go, how can I keep thinking about coming back?"
Xu Caiwei was both angry and amused.
In fact, Cailing also knew that her sister was going to work this time, and she would definitely come back during the Mid-Autumn Festival next time.
In the past, Xu Caiwei would always calculate when she could go home, but this only added to her worries. The more she thought about it, the more difficult life felt. She simply stopped thinking about it, went to work honestly, and learned skills meticulously. When the day came when she had figured out the business and saved enough money, she would go back to the island to open a coffee shop or milk tea shop, and then she would no longer have to worry about when to come back.
"Hmph, then when you really open a coffee shop on the island, I will go there every day to eat and drink for free and bankrupt you!"
"hehe."
As we were chatting, a transport boat appeared in the distance and gradually approached the shore with a long whistle.
There were many people at the pier, some of them were people who were about to go on a long journey, carrying large and small bags, and some were relatives who came to see them off.
Fang Wei and Xu Cailing helped carry the luggage and sent Sister Caiwei onto the boat.
"Remember to call when you get there!"
"Okay, let's go back."
"Don't forget to buy me a birthday present!"
"Okay, okay, let's go~"
"Bye~"
Xu Cailing and Fang Wei waved from the fence, and Xu Caiwei also waved back while carrying her luggage.
Another whistle of a distant voyage sounded, the propeller stirred the water, and the transport boat slowly left the shore and went farther and farther away.
Only when the white outline completely disappeared from sight did Fang Wei and Cai Ling slowly turn around and leave.
(End of this chapter)
