Chapter 435: Saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new
It's the end of the year, and the ice and snow in the sky are already beginning to melt. Soon everything will sprout and revive.
The previous year seemed extremely long to Yunjing. He went on a study tour and experienced too many things, but in terms of his entire life, those experiences seemed insignificant.
On the day of the New Year's Eve, Yunjing's family all put on new clothes. To bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, they must wear something festive.
Grandpa Yunlin was killing chickens and sheep. Now that his living conditions are better, he naturally wants to be extravagant during this most important festival of the year. Thinking back to those days, Yunlin felt sad in his heart. He had to say goodbye to the New Year.
It would be nice to kill chickens and sheep to have two kinds of meat dishes, but at that time there was no way, every family was poor, and the hard days were finally over.
Yun Lin even clearly remembers that there was a time when it took a year for the family to extract a pound of oil. Thinking about it now, he doesn’t know how he survived.
Everyone is obviously very hard-working, but why did he become poorer and poorer in the first place? Yunlin still hasn't figured out why.
Mother Jiang Susu and aunt Jiang Xiaoxi were preparing meals in the kitchen and talking about their daughter's family.
Jiang Xiaoxi lives alone and has no other relatives. How can she be left alone? This festival will naturally be celebrated at Yunjing's house, and having more people can make it more lively.
As for Yun Dong and Yun Xi, they have long gone to the village to play. They are at the age where they love to have fun. No matter how sensible they are, they still need to relax during this festival.
Anyway, on this day, the whole sky over Xiaoxi Village was filled with the laughter and laughter of children.
No matter what the previous days were like, on this day, every household forgets their worries and celebrates the New Year happily...
Yunshan was hanging up lanterns, big red lanterns, just two lanterns. Yunjing really didn’t understand why his father had to hang them up for so long. He hung them up, looked at them, adjusted them, and so on, but the smile on his face disappeared.
Stopped.
In fact, Yunjing really didn't understand Yunshan's mood. Two big red lanterns were hung at the door, which indicated that there were two sons in the family. In addition to being decorative, the lanterns also sent such a signal to the outside world.
The Yunjing family, starting from his father Yunshan's generation, has been passed down by a single family for several generations. Now it can be said that it has spread in his Yunshan area. Can you show it off? Of course, the people you are showing off to are your ancestors. You see?
Have you arrived? There are two boys at home, and the family is getting more and more prosperous.
Looking at the two red lanterns with a grin, Yunshan was thinking in his mind that if his two sons are born, the eldest and the second will have more children. Then there will be a row of lanterns hanging outside the house, which will look festive...
In fact, the main purpose of lanterns is decoration. It is just a custom in small places to convey information about male members of the family. After all, sometimes there are no male members in the family, or when there are only male members, how to hang them? Hanging a single one is not enough.
Symmetry...
So there is no need to worry about this kind of problem, just be happy.
Yunjing set up a table in the yard, wrote a couplets on cut red paper with a pen, and posted it on the door to celebrate.
There is also the custom of posting couplets in this world, and Yunjing is not the first to do so. My family used to be poor, paper was very expensive, and almost no one in the village was literate. Naturally, this kind of thing can be saved if possible. Now, if conditions permit, it is natural to do it.
operational.
Of course, even when everyone was poor, there were always relatively well-off families in the village. They could not write the couplets themselves, but would also spend money to go to the town to buy them and post them up, one to celebrate, the other to express themselves to the villagers.
Life at home is going well.
People from small families actually have a lot of bad intentions, but this kind of bad intentions is not malicious and has nothing to do with the good and evil of human nature.
There was nothing to say about Yun Jing's handwriting. After all, according to his master's standards, he had already been barely able to meet people. The couplets he wrote were more beautiful than the ones in town that specially bought them.
"Dad, don't look at the lantern. You can't see a single flower even if you look at it. Please help me post the couplets." After Yunjing finished writing a couplet, he looked at Yun Shandao who was still looking at the lantern at the door.
Yunshan then walked over and said, "Come on, come on, why are you urging me? Are you the father or am I the father?"
"You are the father, you are the father, how about I take care of it myself," Yun Jing said speechlessly.
Yunshan said: "It's better for me to do it. You write the couplets of other people first and send them to them. It's a big holiday, please help me, and don't let people wait too long. Hey, it's good to be a scholar. I'll have it at home.
The amount of money you earn is incomparable. After all, you are my son, and your face is much brighter."
"I know," Yunjing responded, lowering his head and continuing to write the couplet.
More than a dozen families have asked Yunjing to help write couplets. If they are busy, they have spent money. It doesn’t matter how much. The main reason is that they are embarrassed to let Yunjing do the work in vain, and Yunjing also takes a symbolic fee of ten
Let me pay you a copper plate for writing.
To be honest, with a dozen copper coins, I couldn't even buy the red paper on which the couplets were written, but Yunjing didn't want to make money like this, so everyone just wanted to be happy.
To put it bluntly, a painting of Yun Jing can be fetched millions of taels of silver, and his calligraphy is worth three to a thousand taels of silver, right? If you calculate it that way, it’s simply ridiculous.
When he lowered his head to write the couplet, Yunjing couldn't help but murmured in his heart that he was missing some feeling. He didn't know when gunpowder would spread in the Dali Dynasty and the firecrackers would come out. Then it would be called a New Year flavor.
Complete.
The annual festival can also be called the New Year...
Time always flies when you are busy. When Yunjing delivers the pairs from house to house, dinner is ready at home.
"Xiaodong, Xiaoxi, where are you two crazy? You haven't seen anyone since the morning. Do you still want to eat?" Yunshan stood at the door and yelled at the top of his lungs.
In this era, communication relies on shouting. Yunjing finds it quite interesting to hear his father calling his brothers and sisters.
After a while, Yundong Yunxi came back, but the new clothes she had just changed in the morning were dirty. She was scolded by her mother Jiang Susuhao. The warm and nagging at home made people feel more cordial.
"What are you doing? Why don't you go and serve the food?" Yunshan suddenly became angry when he saw Yunjing enjoying himself alone. It was just a Chinese New Year, and it wasn't like he had never done it before. He didn't understand how his son was happy.
What the hell, he didn't know how much Yunjing enjoyed this peaceful feeling.
How is it like the previous life..., forget it, don't mention it, there was no sense of the New Year at all at that time.
Yunjing shrank his neck, his father was the head of the family, whatever he said was done, just do it.
Unexpectedly, when Yunjing turned around, Yunshan suddenly said: "By the way, Xiaojing, you will be seventeen years old after the Chinese New Year. If you are eighteen years old, is it okay to get married?"
At this moment, Yunshan thought of the lantern at the door, and then thought of asking his children to work harder to expand the family. If he marries his daughter-in-law as soon as possible, the family will be able to have a baby earlier. He will be born once a year, and six children will be born.
Seven years is almost enough...
"Dad, don't worry, Xiao Zizi and I have agreed to marry her when I am twenty years old. After all, I am still young, and she is two years younger than me," Yunjing said with a twitching corner of his mouth.
What kind of thing is this? I am being forced to get married during the Chinese New Year. Strictly speaking, I am not yet seventeen years old. Should I be so anxious? I am still a baby of two years and one hundred months...
No, I haven't heard that this world also has the tradition of urging marriage during the New Year. Could it be that this kind of thing didn't happen to me when I was a child?
"What the hell? You and Xiao Zizi agreed not to marry her until she was twenty years old. Why didn't I know when we agreed? Did I allow it? Why don't you discuss it with me? I was still thinking about marrying you in the past two years.
"My marriage has been finalized." Yunshan quit immediately, feeling that his authority as the head of the family had been challenged. His son didn't tell him such an important thing?
"It has been agreed a long time ago. Anyway, I am sensible about this matter, so don't worry about it, dad." After saying this, Yunjing ran away decisively, and continued to talk about it until he died of depression.
Yunshan muttered: "Our elders need to know this kind of thing, brat, don't think that your wings will become hard after you study and gain fame. Your father and I are still your father. Forget it, just be twenty when you are twenty.
My daughter-in-law can’t run away anyway, and I heard that my father-in-law is a martial arts practitioner and is very strong, so I guess it’s hard to talk..."
In a joyful atmosphere, a large table of sumptuous meals was served.
Of course, there is another process before the meal starts, which is to pay homage to the ancestors. The ancestors eat this meal first, and then it is their turn.
To worship ancestors, you need to burn incense and paper. Yunjing’s family all respectfully offered incense and kowtowed to pray for the blessing of their ancestors.
Um, I have something to say, it is really not easy to be an elder. Even if you die, you still have to protect the living juniors. If you are an elder for one day, you will not worry about it even if you die...
Worshiping ancestors, offering incense and burning paper money to ancestors are all matters for men in the family. Unless there are no men in the family, women are not qualified to worship ancestors. There is no way, the trend of the times is like this, and it doesn't matter if you get used to it.
Then you have to toast the ancestors. When the ancestors are "happy", a bowl of water and rice is thrown out, and the process is almost complete.
Then it was the turn to actually start eating.
"With such a big table, I guess we will have leftovers tomorrow and the day after tomorrow." After serving the table, Yunjing looked at the table full of food and couldn't help but muttered in his heart. Although the family conditions are better now, the frugality engraved in his bones cannot be wasted.
.
Yunjing is now an adult and can drink. In Yundong's envious eyes, he picked up a glass of wine, paid respect to his grandfather first, stood up, knelt down respectfully, and said: "Happy New Year, grandpa, I wish you a long life."
, every year has this day, every year has this day."
A long life is Yunjing's greatest blessing. With him here, talking about living a hundred years is purely a curse on his grandfather. Even though his grandfather cannot practice martial arts to increase his life, but nourished by Yunjing's spiritual energy, he may live to be more than a hundred years old.
Just like my son, there is probably a chance that I can get a life-extending treasure in the future and let my grandpa live hundreds of years.
Yun Lin happily drank the wine offered by Yun Jing, his face glowing brightly. Now his family's conditions are better, his grandson is also prosperous, and his family is prosperous. This life has been worth it.
After drinking the wine, he helped Yun Jing up and said, "Grandson, get up quickly. The ground is cold. Okay. Grandpa has received your message. Come on, this is a red envelope. Take it. Don't be polite to grandpa."
As he said this, Yunlin took out a red envelope and handed it to Yunjing, who happily accepted it and put it away.
A red envelope is really a red envelope, a small amount of money wrapped in a small piece of red cloth. Yun Lin's package was still silver, probably two taels. Now that family conditions are better, it is not bad. In the past, a copper coin would have hurt my heart.
, taking out two taels of silver will cost the life of your family.
After all, things are different now.
Then Yunjing toasted his father, kowtowed and knelt as before, and said something nice to win the prize, then his mother, and then his aunt Jiang Xiaoxi.
Yunjing can receive a red envelope for every person he respects. It doesn't matter how much money he has, it is a gift from his elders. If his family is happy, he will also enjoy it.
"It's my turn, it's my turn, I wish grandpa good luck as long as the east sea and longevity as Nanshan Mountain..." After Yunjing paid New Year's greetings to his elders, Yundong couldn't wait to shout. It should be noted that this was a rare opportunity to ask for pocket money. He
He is still young and not as sensible as Yunjing. Although his family conditions are better, Yundong usually does not have much pocket money.
He paid New Year's greetings one by one, and then Yun Xi. The elders and younger ones were in an orderly manner. Although they were small families, there were still such tutors.
At the end of the round, the family was enjoying themselves so much that Yunjing even gave a red envelope to his younger siblings.
Although Jiang Xiaoxi was very happy during the process, she still felt a little melancholy in her heart. She once had such a happy family, but... alas, fate was too harsh on her.
Fortunately, things are not so bad now. Although Jiang Susu is her cousin, she is also a family member. She regards Yunjing and the others as her juniors. She also has a family, so she will not be wandering alone like in previous years.
Jiang Xiaoxi never thought about getting married again, even though Jiang Susu mentioned this matter to her many times, even though there were many people who were interested in her, her emotions and her love were all buried in the past with the death of her husband.
There is no room for anyone else.
Nowadays, practicing martial arts to improve herself and protecting Yunjing's family has almost become Jiang Xiaoxi's everything. She doesn't think there's anything wrong with it. It's better than before when she didn't even have any goals.
After the family members greet each other for the New Year, they eat and drink to their heart's content.
No matter how happy they are, the family members never get drunk, because after dinner they have to visit the graves to pay homage to their ancestors. On such a day, you also have to go to the graves to pay New Year greetings to your deceased relatives.
In the afternoon, after the family had eaten and drank enough, they went to the grave carrying a basket of offerings. There were quite a few people doing this, and the whole village was involved. The festive atmosphere was probably felt by the deceased relatives as well.
When they came to the grave of their deceased grandma again, Yunjing's family first repaired the grave mound, then placed offerings and kowtowed incense.
At this time, Yunlin was obviously very sad, with red eyes. He stretched out his hand to touch the mottled tombstone and said some thoughtful words to his deceased wife.
"My dear, you've been gone for so many years. Now your family's conditions are better. You no longer have to suffer from hunger and cold. It's just hard on you. You didn't live a good life with me, and you ended up starving to death."
, I'm sorry for you, you must be lonely out there alone, don't be in a hurry to reincarnate, wait for me, wait for the children to get married and start a business, wait for me to be too old to walk, I will go over to accompany you, you must wait.
Me, when you left, you said, if you have a next life, you will marry me. Do you remember what I said at that time? If there is a next life, why will you marry me? Marrying me is just suffering. Now I want to take back what I said at the time.
Let’s just say, if you have a family like this in your next life, you can marry me again and enjoy happiness while you are married to me, okay? If I am poor in my next life, don’t marry me. I have suffered so much in this life, so what will happen to me in my next life?
I still have the heart to harm you..."
Perhaps because of drinking, Yunlin couldn't hold back his chatterbox and kept talking, until his voice choked up and tears burst into his face.
Looking at the grave of his deceased wife in front of him, Yunlin felt uncomfortable. Grandma Yunjing once followed him and never had a good life. Now life is better, but his wife can't enjoy it anymore. She can't even see herself.
What does her grandson look like? If she knows that her grandson is successful now, she will definitely be very happy, right?
In this life, Yunlin owes a lot to Grandma Yunjing. Not only was he not lazy, but he worked so diligently, so why couldn't he fill his stomach?
Yunjing and the others did not disturb Yunlin and asked him to chat with grandma for a while, so that grandma would not be alone.
The worship service was almost done. Yunjing and the others said goodbye to grandma, and then went to other graves to pay New Year greetings to their deceased elders, burning some paper and putting incense, which was somewhat distracting.
After worshiping all the graves in the back hill of the village, Yunjing and the others finally returned to grandma's grave. Grandpa Yunlin had calmed down. It was getting dark and the family went home together.
During the Chinese New Year in this era, there is no Spring Festival Gala, especially in the countryside, where there are almost no entertainment activities. Of course, if you are a wealthy family, you will either invite a theater troupe to have fun at home, or go to a romantic place to have fun, or if you don't have time to find someone to drink with you.
Not bad.
In previous years, everyone would go home after visiting the grave. Those who couldn't rest would go to a certain house together to drink, chat, play cards, gamble and have fun. Such things hardly existed in the countryside, because every family was poor and how could they spare money?
If you lose to someone else in vain, you will be heartbroken.
But now, the conditions of each family have improved, and proper entertainment is still possible, but gambling is still not recommended, and not many people are interested even if it is just entertainment.
However, Xiaoxi Village was particularly lively this year. All the villagers who had finished visiting the graves gathered in the middle of the village. Because the villagers raised funds to hire a small theater troupe, it was considered a luxury.
The small theater troupe doesn't cost much, only five taels of silver is enough, and it's only a few dozen coppers per family, so everyone can afford it.
There were only three people in this troupe. It was obvious that a master and two apprentices were making a living, and they had to work during the Chinese New Year. Life was not easy.
A bright bonfire was lit in the middle of the village, and the villagers gathered around the simple stage in a crowd, stretching their necks with great interest. It should be noted that for the villagers, going to the theater is a luxury.
Now the village can hire a troupe, and it will gain face when it comes to public speaking. It can compete with other villages for a long time. Our village is rich.
On the stage, the three masters and apprentices of the troupe took turns playing, beating gongs and drums, and singing festive programs. I don't say how good they are, but at least they are full of charm. After all, this is what people rely on for their livelihood, and they still have two brushes.
of.
It was the two young apprentices who suffered a bit, their costumes were thin and it was so cold that their voices were sometimes out of tune.
Life is not easy for anyone, and the villagers are not unkind. They prepared hot tea to warm them up.
The troupe sang a few plays and performed some juggling and magic tricks. Well, there was a lot of work. I guess it was because there were so many skills that the body was not overwhelmed.
It was lively until midnight, and the troupe ended its performance while the villagers were still unfinished, and then everyone went back to their homes, and the new year passed like this.
After the performance, the troupe stayed at the villagers' homes. After all, it was not easy for people to go back at night. The villagers who stayed overnight were very understanding and warmly received them. However, if it were more than ten years ago, the villagers probably would not be so enthusiastic.
It's pretty realistic anyway.
"Without the fireworks, it's a bit less interesting." On the way home, Yunjing couldn't help but thought to himself. Of course, he had no intention of making any noise, so that was it anyway.
Gunpowder has already been created in this world. I don’t know when fireworks and firecrackers will naturally develop...
The day after the New Year Festival, it is the turn of the year, ushering in a new year. Year after year, as the days go by, nothing seems to change.
As Yun Jing expected, on the second day of the New Year Festival, the family ate the leftovers from the previous day.
There is still some time before the snow completely melts, and the busy farming season has not yet arrived. On the first day of the new year, every household begins to visit relatives to pay New Year's greetings. Due to the inconvenience of transportation, the New Year's visits are estimated to last for half a month. After all, there are exchanges of favors. If
If you don't leave, you will become unfamiliar.
The Yunjing family is no exception.
But the difference is that there are not many relatives in his family who can go. Jiang Susu's natal family has no one left, and there is no place to go. Yunshan is the only one in his generation, not even his siblings.
Fortunately, there is Jiang Xiaoxi now who can visit us to pay New Year greetings, but in the same village...
After all, the family situation is not personal. The family has no place to go, but the three Yunjing brothers and sisters have no time to spare. They are studying in the town. These relationships with Master and Mr. Master need to be maintained, and they need to go to New Year's greetings and move around.
In short, as this person lives in the world and grows up, he will always establish his own personal relationships bit by bit, and these relationships need to be maintained by himself.
Yun Dong and Yun Jing didn't know it, but Yun Jing himself had been going around to pay New Year's greetings since the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. First of all, he went to his wife's house. This was the first place he went. He brought some gifts, and his wife cooked and entertained them with her own hands, and kowtowed to pay New Year greetings.
, Yunjing got a big red envelope.
The senior brothers and sisters also came back. Yunjing stayed at his wife's house for a day and got along well with her. From the next day, he went to the homes of the teachers from the school to pay New Year's greetings.
Every teacher's home is very lively. After all, he has taught many students over the years, and he will come to visit him during the New Year. Every time Yunjing visits a teacher's home to pay New Year greetings, he will always meet someone who entered school at the same time. Although
I have graduated from school, but when we meet again we are not that unfamiliar, but I feel a little sad that I will never be able to go back to the carefree days in school.
The gentlemen walked around for a while, and then Yunjing went to the homes of Wang Bolin and several of his friends to pay New Year greetings. Then a few days later, Wang Bolin and the others went to Yun Jing's house in Xiaoxi Village to pay New Year's greetings, which really made the house lively.
For a moment.
It’s already the middle of the first month of the new year after finishing all these trivial matters of human relations.
The snow has melted and farming is busy again.
The younger brother and sister returned to the town to study, while Yunjing helped with the work at home.
"It seems to be leisurely, but in fact there are quite a lot of things. It takes time to help the family, and I also have to find time to go to the relief society to apply for funds for road construction. By the way, Master Liu gave me the key, and he put the things that the capital gave me
I haven’t sorted it out yet, and Xiaobai’s side will have to take time to get together, and Xiaoye’s house will have to go and walk around when I have time. What else? Well, it’s different now. There aren’t that many now.
No worries, it’s time to make some changes to the farm tools. Farming is no small matter, it’s a great merit..."
Thinking about it this way, Yunjing found that his life was actually quite fulfilling.
Others are blaming the sky and the earth, but I am just trivial, tsk...
