Time quickly came to the end of 1976 with Qiao Yicheng's busy figure. Although the twenty yuan a month was indeed a bit tight, with the help of his second aunt Wei Shufang and his second uncle Qi Zhiqiang, it was also possible.
Can barely survive.
Although Qiao Yicheng felt like he was struggling to survive, in the eyes of the neighbors, the Qiao family had returned to what it was like before his mother was alive.
The five children of the Qiao family have completely undergone earth-shaking changes. Sanli and Simei go out wearing clean clothes every day. Even Qiao Erqiang, the skinny monkey, is much cleaner, not to mention the white and fat ones they were raised.
Qiao Qiqi.
Every neighbor who knew the situation of the Qiao family gave thumbs up to Qiao Yicheng, the eldest son of the Qiao family, but when they saw Qiao Zuwang, they were extremely sarcastic and despised.
Qiao Zuwang is a very face-saving guy. When he realized that he was being laughed at by his neighbors, he wanted to go home and teach the instigator Qiao Yicheng a lesson, so that they could all know who their father was.
But as soon as I got home, I saw Qiao Qiqi, who was white and fat. After all, Qiao Zuwang was not a beast that had lost all humanity. He unconsciously showed an expression of joy, and the grievances he endured outside disappeared.
"You're a bastard! You're really good at raising children!"
"snort!"
Too lazy to pay attention to the "scumbag dad" Qiao Zuwang, Qiao Yicheng was thinking that since most of his money was spent on Qiao Qiqi every month, could he eat without getting fat?
Looking at Qiao Yicheng who was helping Qiao Qiqi wash diapers, Qiao Zuwang suddenly found that he had nowhere to vent his anger, so he could only hold the cute little white and fat Qiao Qiqi and tease her there.
Although Qiao Zuwang was very incompetent as a father, maybe because of the blood connection, Qiao Qiqi really liked being held by Qiao Zuwang.
...
As the New Year approaches, every household begins to store New Year's goods. In fact, materials in this era are too scarce, so we can only save little by little. It is almost impossible to buy all the New Year's goods at once like in later generations.
There is a big difference between the Qiao family and other neighbors, because Qiao Zuwang is an indifferent person, while Qiao Yicheng wants to ask questions but does not have the ability, so he can only maintain the food and clothing of the five brothers and sisters with difficulty.
“Brother, other families have started to prepare New Year’s goods!
Why don’t our family do some New Year’s shopping?”
"Second Qiang, do you want to eat again?
As long as you stay at home obediently these days and don't go anywhere with Sanli and Simei, I promise to let you have a great time this year!"
"Really? Brother!" Qiao Erqiang showed an expression of surprise.
"Second Qiang, don't be happy too early!
Can you guarantee that Sanli and Simei will not leave our house?"
"I can guarantee it!
Unless eldest brother comes back, I will never open the door!" When Qiao Erqiang heard what his eldest brother Qiao Yicheng had promised, he quickly patted his chest and promised.
"Well! Second Strong, remember what you said today!
I will take Qiqi out with me, and Erqiang, you can stay at home and watch over your two sisters."
"Ah? Brother, you won't sell Qiqi, right?"
Qiao Yicheng tugged Er Qiang's ear angrily, "What are you thinking about?
I took Qiqi out because I didn’t trust you!"
"Oh! Brother, can I ask you something?" Qiao Erqiang rubbed his ears and looked at his elder brother Qiao Yicheng in confusion.
"What?"
“Brother, where did you put our food?
Why can’t I ever find it!”
"Hmph, if you don't let it go, you'll be in trouble!"
After arranging for the three younger siblings, Qiao Yicheng tied his younger brother Qiao Qiqi to his chest with a piece of cloth, and took Qiao Qiqi to a nearby supply and marketing cooperative.
Qiao Yicheng spent all his savings and bought a large roll of red paper, a brush, and ink. Then he went to a busy market and borrowed a table from a state-owned restaurant on the roadside.
Because it is approaching the New Year's Eve, the state-owned restaurants are not too busy, and other legal stalls and state-owned stores are already blocked.
"Auntie, can I borrow your table for a while?"
"Huh? What do you want to use it for?" The middle-aged woman who originally wanted to reject it turned into a question when she saw the strange combination of brothers.
"Auntie, my calligraphy is very good!
I just want to take advantage of the new year to write couplets to others.
Let's see if we can exchange for some New Year's goods." Qiao Yicheng explained with a smile.
"Really? You know how to write calligraphy at such a young age?" The middle-aged woman looked at Qiao Yicheng in front of her questioningly.
He carefully looked at the two brothers in front of him and saw the pen and ink paper in Qiao Yicheng's hand. He guessed that Qiao Yicheng was also a poor child, and then nodded in agreement.
"Just put the table right here in front of my store. If someone chases you away, just call me out!"
"Thank you, aunt!"
"That's right! Don't charge money indiscriminately, otherwise others will accuse you of buying and selling!"
"I know! Auntie, I only exchange food!"
Soon Qiao Yicheng easily dragged an idle table aside and set up a couplet stall at the entrance of the store.
Qiao Yicheng didn't need to shout, just cut the red paper into the size of the couplet, and then started writing furiously.
The strange combination of brothers is the best magic weapon to attract everyone's attention. As Qiao Yicheng wrote hard, many people soon gathered next to Qiao Yicheng.
"Ouch! This kid is just over ten years old, right? Look at how beautifully the writing is!" came the exaggerated voices one after another, and they were absolutely the most qualified "叏yan".
"Bang! Su Laohan, the pole fell down and you didn't even know it was a word.
Can you tell whether the child's handwriting is good or not?"
“You’ve never eaten pork, or seen a pig running?
It’s just beautiful, and it’s a hundred times better than some experts’ ghost painting charms!”
"Hey, I didn't realize that Su Laohan, you are quite knowledgeable!"
"That's right! Little brother, how do you sell these couplets?"
"Not selling! Just exchange for food!
How much you give depends entirely on your mood."
"Haha, this feeling is good!
What do you think if I exchange this bag of candy for your words?"
Qiao Yicheng looked at the bag of candies in Su Laohan's hand, and quickly refused and said, "That's not okay! You have too much candies!
Just give me a few random comments!"
Nowadays, candy is hard currency. Qiao Yicheng was really embarrassed to take too much, so he could only politely refuse.
"Don't mention it, you kid is quite impressive!
Then I’ll give you ten candies in exchange for a pair of couplets!”
"Okay! Thank you uncle for opening it for me!
This couplet just suits you!"
"The first line means that the home will be prosperous in the new year, the second line means that the house will be prosperous and prosperous, and the horizontal line means that the bamboo will bring peace."
"Haha, good! It sounds festive! Boost your spirits!" Su Laohan said happily and inexplicably.
Seeing Qiao Yicheng and Su Laohan complete the deal, Su Laohan's companion couldn't bear it anymore, "Little brother, you wrote this couplet very well!
Just write me an exact picture!"
"Haha, uncle!
I have so many couplets!
There’s no need to write the same thing!”
"Ah? What other couplets are there?" the uncle said with surprise on his face.
"Uncle, I just heard the conversation between you and this Uncle Su.
I feel like there is a couplet that is particularly suitable for you, how about I read it to you first?"
"Okay! Okay! You read and I listen!"
“The first couplet is about celebrating the festival with joy, the second couplet is about decorating with lanterns and colorful decorations to welcome the New Year, and the horizontal line is about family happiness.”
"Okay! Okay! Great!
Little brother, I want this couplet."
With the uncle's consent, Qiao Yicheng wrote the couplet in one go, dried the ink, and handed it to the uncle in front of him.
With the opening of the market by Su Laohan, Qiao Yicheng started writing non-stop. Because it is not fashionable to withdraw money now, Qiao Yicheng did not write couplets about wealth. The couplets about one water are for the whole family.
happy.
Soon Qiao Yicheng finished writing all the red papers and exchanged them for all kinds of New Year's goods. Maybe because he saw that brothers Qiao Yicheng and Qiao Qiqi were both children, there was no need for Qiao Yicheng to say anything, and all the New Year's goods exchanged were just like water.
It's all food.
After appeasing several customers who had not exchanged couplets, Qiao Yicheng gave the couplets he had left in advance to the middle-aged woman at the state-owned hotel.
"Auntie, thank you for your help today! Thank you so much!"
"Young man, you wrote this couplet very well!
Business is booming like the rising sun, and wealth is luxuriant like the spring tide!
Haha, Hengpi is even better and makes you rich!" The middle-aged woman praised happily.
"Haha, Auntie, as long as you like it!"
"I like it! How could I not like it!
Your font is Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy, right?
It looks so comfortable!”
"Auntie, do you also know calligraphy?"
"Haha, I don't quite understand!
But I graduated from high school after all, and I know some common sense about calligraphy!"
"Little brother, will you come again tomorrow? I'll save a place for you!"
"Eh? You should come again! Auntie, thank you in advance!"