Song Qiu quickly took a look at the baskets and saw that they were full of eggs, with thick thatch cushions placed underneath, showing that the owner was careful about them.
Looking at what these people are wearing, they are all old clothes that have been patched with scars. They are not cotton-padded jackets, and they don't look very warm.
Several people's faces are also a little yellow, which is enough to show that life is tight.
She suddenly understood something and said: "You can take all the things back. I can't eat so many eggs."
When the man heard this, he almost burst into tears. He had accepted what the other villagers had given him, but if he didn't accept theirs, wouldn't he be able to farm the land for them again?
Without these crops, their lives would be even more difficult.
Is this a late delivery? I knew it would have arrived that day.
But at that time, several of them couldn't prepare anything decent. This basket of eggs was just managed by cobbling together over the past few days.
No, as soon as we got together, we hurried to Songshan Village.
Song Qiu felt a little sad when he saw that the eyes of the thirty-forty-one-year-old man were red. This was all for the sake of living, right?
Poor people also have their own difficulties.
"You also rented the land in Lishugou for farming in previous years, right? You used to rent the land in the past years, and you continue to rent it after the New Year. You can take these eggs back and eat them yourself."
Song Qiu rarely said a few more words and agreed.
When the man heard that he could continue to plant seeds for them, he immediately beamed, as if he was happy, and thanked him again and again.
Finally, several people came to an agreement, put the basket down, turned around and ran away, for fear that someone would chase them behind.
Song Qiu looked at the baskets with so many eggs, which was a little funny.
This egg is nothing to her, but to the families just now, it is probably more valuable than anything else.
She sighed, turned to look at the New Year's goods, and had a plan in mind.
There are no more than twenty households in Huangjia Village who have rented land in Lishugou, so they won't be able to use it much.
When Du Chuanfu and the others come over tomorrow, Song Qiu will ask them to bring back gifts, including a bag of cakes, a bag of candies, a bag of melon seeds, and a bag of fried meatballs for each household.
This gift is quite important to people from the countryside.
But for her, it's fine.
I have collected so much stuff from others and cannot return it, and it is not good to collect it in vain.
Just returning the gift, she felt more comfortable.
When Lao Yuan saw it, he also sighed and praised her for doing the right thing.
"We are not bad at this now, but life is difficult. Just like in previous years, if we didn't have the bacon from your uncle's family, the chickens from your aunt's family, the glutinous rice cakes from your grandma Deng's family, and the food from several families in the village,
With all the gifts, we can’t even put it on the table for the New Year’s Eve dinner!”
Only those who suffer can understand that kind of suffering.
Song Qiu also felt a little emotional when he heard this.
It wasn't her in previous years, but this year, and from now on, it's her.
She smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mom, from now on, our family will make sure to buy everything for the annual reunion dinner!"
Song Qiu is not just saying this. The emphasis on this New Year’s Eve dinner is to make it a lively one. The more sumptuous the better, it’s better if you can’t finish it all in a few days!
This year is the first New Year's Eve for her and her grandma, so they are extra well prepared.
On the 30th day, Song Qiu got up early in the morning and killed the fish first, leaving old Yuan at home to prepare other side dishes, while he went out of the house with a basket and Aling carrying a basket on his back.
It is customary to visit the grave on the morning of the 31st and invite the relatives below to come back to celebrate the New Year.
In previous years, Song Qiu went alone. His family was not rich, and the things he carried were simple and could be done with just one basket.
But this year Song Qiu prepared a lot of money and had a full basket.
The offerings at the grave include wine, meat, whole chickens, and fruits and snacks, all of which are complete.
There are also half a basket of paper money and incense candles prepared to ensure that there is enough to burn for relatives.
When A Ling is a family, it is appropriate to take her to the grave with her.
Al-Ling experienced this for the first time and found it very novel. Carrying a lot of things on his back did not feel heavy at all.
The two of them went up Songshan Mountain together. The snow stopped last night, but there was still a lot of snow on the mountain and the road was not that easy to walk.
The graves of deceased relatives of the Song family are not far away. They are all in that area, just over the mountain col behind Er'er Mountain.
Only Song Qiu's great-grandmother, her grandfather's grandmother, was buried farther away, behind two mountains.
It was really too far. Every year in Song and Qiu, people would shout and burn paper here in Shan'aozi, because Mrs. Yuan didn't trust her to go so far alone to visit the grave.
But this year, with Aling accompanying me, I will naturally go to school.
Song Qiu planned to go to the grave of Grandma Gaozu first and then burn paper for Grandpa and the others after returning.
It took the two of them nearly an hour to reach Grandma Gaozu's grave.
If it hadn't been for the vertical tablet that said it, Song Qiu wouldn't have been able to find the tomb.
When they arrived at the grave, they laid out all the sacrifices. Song Qiu burned a lot of paper money, lit two candles and inserted them in front of the grave. Then he lit incense and gave three candles to Aling. The two of them kowtowed to the grave.
After bowing, he placed the incense next to the candle.
After paying homage to Grandma Gaozu, the two of them carried their things and returned the same way.
We didn't stop until we reached the foot of the col on the Ear Mountain side.
There are one, two, three, four and five tombs here, all not far apart.
According to their seniority, Song Qiu first went to the graves of his great-grandfather and great-grandmother to kowtow and bow, followed by his grandfather Song Xiaoquan and her father and mother.
After paying homage to several graves and using up the paper money, incense and candles they had prepared, the two of them carried the sacrifices and prepared to go down the mountain to go home.
When I got home, it was almost noon.
Visiting the grave is like this, it almost takes half a day.
For example, the deceased relatives of Liu Laomeng's family in the village are buried on the mountain near Songshan Temple. When visiting the grave in the 30s, it would take half an afternoon for several days before returning home.
Therefore, it is normal to have reunion dinner in the middle of the afternoon or only after dark.
Song Qiu rested, drank a bowl of fermented glutinous rice soup cooked by Mr. Yuan, put on an apron, and began to show off his skills in cooking.
She discussed it with Lao Yuan and decided on a banquet with twelve dishes.
First of all, fish is necessary, and it must be whole fish, not least chicken, and everything will start well.
A dish of plain-cut chicken brings good luck.
A roasted duck with konjac brings you full wealth.
A dish of braised crucian carp has been served for years.
A dish of steamed pork with vermicelli and rice flour.
A dish of tofu balls, round and round.
A dish of leek and eggs, a long-lasting meal.
A dish of vinegar-stuffed cabbage brings wealth from all directions.
A small stir-fried celery dish, hard work brings wealth.
A platter of cured meats, a hit.
A dish of cold lotus root brings good luck.
A dish of cold pig ears is a smooth treat.
A cold mixed vegetable dish that brings joy to the whole family.
Four meat, four vegetarian, and four cold dishes, all together.
Song Qiu was in charge of the ladle, Old Yuan was lighting the fire, and Aling was helping with the cooking.
Although there were only three people, the small stove room was filled with happiness and joy.
By the time the table was filled with twelve dishes, it was already half afternoon.
Pour the wine, set the bowls and chopsticks, and invite the relatives who have returned to eat first.
Song Qiu took firecrackers and set them off in the yard. The crackling of the firecrackers could be heard throughout Songshan Village.
There are many firecrackers going on one after another, so that people will know which family's New Year's Eve dinner is about to begin!