Chapter 386 Two more big red envelopes (two chapters still owed)
Feeling the hot radiator in the room, Xia Zekai felt that it was much warmer than the central heating upstairs in Qicheng.
He crawled out of bed, got dressed, and called Luo Xiyun, who was still awake: "Daughter-in-law, wake up."
"What time is it? I'm still sleepy!" Luo Xiyun said with a groan.
Yatou and Tongtong showed no signs of waking up.
Xia Zekai looked at his watch and said, "It's past seven o'clock. Get up quickly."
"Ah...it's so late!" Luo Xiyun was quite surprised. She took out her mobile phone from under the pillow and looked at it twice. It was already 7:23, and she didn't realize it yet.
The next moment, she hurriedly said: "Get up quickly, why are you still hanging around?"
"..." Xia Zekai was speechless, what could he say.
When they both got up, Zhou Yinghong had already made breakfast. Grandpa Xia Shande was slowly drinking corn porridge and eating big steamed buns with cabbage and pork, which smelled particularly fragrant.
"Grandpa, it's time to eat." Xia Zekai greeted.
Luo Xiyun shouted, and she walked to Zhou Yinghong to help.
Zhou Yinghong was still unhappy and said, "Xiyun, you eat first and I'll just clean up."
Father Xia Weicheng was cutting the Spring Festival couplets with a small wallpaper knife.
He made these Spring Festival couplets written one by one on red paper by the best calligrapher in Xiazhuang, and paid him. The only troublesome thing is that the Spring Festival couplets are written on two whole pieces of red paper.
, after the ink has dried, you have to divide it yourself.
Xia Weicheng had just started to do it, and his hands turned red. He didn't care, he raised his head and said to Xia Zekai: "Son, you hurry up and eat. When you finish eating, you and I can post Spring Festival couplets together."
"Okay!" Xia Zekai agreed happily.
He looked around, but didn't see his brother, so he asked: "Dad, where is Zejiang? He's not up yet?"
"Nothing. During the past few days when he came back from vacation, he was not allowed to get up after eight o'clock any day. He is so lazy. I don't know what it is like in school." Xia Weicheng mentioned his second child and started to chatter.
Although his youngest son was his pride in his studies, he was very dissatisfied when compared with his elder son in other aspects. He always felt that he had spoiled his younger son and made him suffer from all kinds of diseases.
He also thought that he should give his second son a good education so that he could aim at his eldest brother and work hard.
Xia Zekai smiled, drank a bowl of polenta, and ate two large steamed buns. He felt very warm and comfortable all over.
"Grandpa, spring will start after the new year. Come and stay at my place for a while. My parents will also go there then. It will be fun living together as a family." Xia Zekai brought up the old matter again.
Xia Shande frowned this time and did not refuse directly.
He looked at his eldest grandson, then at his younger son Xia Weicheng and his daughter-in-law Zhou Yinghong, not knowing what he was thinking.
Unlike before, the eldest grandson specifically mentioned his parents this time and emphasized that he is a family. In this case, he wanted to go.
Zhou Yinghong said: "I can't do it. I still have a few acres of land at home. I have to water it and use big medicine in March..."
"Mom, it's okay, there's no need to delay. Once you finish planting this season, don't plant next season. You won't make much money, and it's not enough trouble." Xia Zekai said.
Zhou Yinghong wanted to give him a kick, but she said, "You know nothing."
Xia Weicheng was a little moved. He said, "It's okay to stay for a few days, but definitely not for a long time. I still have to go to work."
He still has a few years left before retirement, but he doesn't want to lose his job at the last moment.
After all, their company's welfare system is very sound, and the salary after retirement is really not low.
Although the eldest son is said to be prosperous, what is his son's is what is his son's, and it has no direct relationship with him.
Xia Weicheng never thought that he would have to rely on his son to support him for the rest of his life.
When Xia Zekai heard his parents' rejection, he smiled and didn't care at all, as long as he didn't say anything to death.
My younger brother Xia Zejiang really didn't get up until after eight o'clock. Xia Zekai went out of his way to call him out and threatened him that if he didn't wake up, he would pour cold water on his bed.
"Brother, you are so unreasonable. You violated your brother just after you came back. Wouldn't you be heartbroken?" Xia Zejiang expressed his strong dissatisfaction.
Xia Zekai ignored his complaints and said, "Hurry up and eat. We will post couplets later."
At this time, every household is busy posting couplets and preparing New Year's goods.
When you leave your house, you can smell the aroma of meat and other fried things wafting from the street.
After two lifetimes combined, Xia Zekai has lived in a small area of reinforced concrete for thirty years. In the end, Xia Zekai found that he still likes this kind of life where smoke rises from the kitchen, chickens crow and dogs bark, and neighbors help each other.
He also said to Luo Xiyun, who came out to help put the tape on: "Daughter-in-law, if I have enough time outside one day, I will come back to the village and find a place to build a villa, and then I will retire here."
"De Xing, you're not even thirty yet, you talk like you're in your fifties or sixties, and you're talking about what you want to do." Luo Xiyun said to him.
Xia Zejiang, who was next to him, was still cheering for his sister-in-law in his heart, saying that it would be best for his sister-in-law to scold his brother to let him know that he is not the boss in the family yet.
"Hey, Zekai is back. When did you come back? I haven't seen you for a while." The speaker was a neighbor in the alley to the west of their house. He was two generations older than Xia Zekai. He had to call her grandma.
.
"Grandma Shanhe, I just came back yesterday afternoon. Where are you going for a stroll?" Xia Zekai said hello with a smile.
The old lady said: "If you have nothing to do at home, let's go to the Yellow River for a walk."
Despite her age and a lot of gray hair, she still has a strong body and can walk several kilometers without any problems.
Xia Zekai told her: "Then you have to be careful. At this time, it is too cold by the Yellow River and the water is frozen. It is better to stay warm at home."
"What's the matter? It's Chinese New Year. Your uncle Long and your aunt are quarreling again. I'm upset when I hear that. I might as well go out for a walk to clear my mind." The old lady said this way.
Xia Zekai can't comment on this. Every family has its own sutras that are difficult to recite, and he also has many things that he can't handle.
Before they finished posting the couplets, several neighbors passed by their door. Seeing the Xia Zekai brothers and Luo Xiyun busy there, they all greeted them either kindly or casually.
Some people also said that they would have a meal and two drinks with Xia Zekai another day.
"It's better to celebrate the New Year at home." Xia Zekai couldn't help but sigh.
He felt that compared to the house that was divided into matchbox drawers, although life was indeed more convenient in all aspects, and you didn't have to go out to go to the bathroom, it was a little less humane.
After finishing the work, the two brothers also went to the old house across the street that was almost dilapidated and pasted couplets on it. This was the old house of his uncle Xia Weiguo.
But after the uncle got divorced, he went out alone with his two cousins and went to many places. During this period, he became a father and a mother, and suffered a lot. Finally, the two cousins lived in Qicheng.
After getting married and having children, he settled in Qicheng.
His second brother bought his house in Qicheng.
I haven't lived back here for so many years, and the house in my hometown has become dilapidated as time goes by.
Zhou Yinghong planted some seasonal vegetables such as eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, and cucumbers in the yard that can be enclosed by a wall. It is definitely not enough to sell, but self-sufficiency is not a problem.
This is a truly green, pollution-free vegetable, without any pesticides or fertilizers.
"Zekai, it would be great if we could plant a vegetable garden like this in Qicheng." Luo Xiyun said.
She liked this very much. She remembered that when she was a child, there was such a vegetable garden at home.
Xia Zekai replied to her: "What a big deal, I still have some money on my card. When I get back, I will buy a small villa with a yard."
"You will still have a lot of things to do in the factory after the new year. Besides, we just bought a house and haven't moved in yet, so don't mess around anymore." Luo Xiyun said to him.
Xia Zekai smiled and said nothing.
The younger brother Xia Zejiang next to him was listening to the conversation between his eldest brother and his sister-in-law. He felt very sad.
He had never experienced firsthand that "a house" in his elder brother's words meant something he could just buy. It was so easy that he was a little confused. What his brother wanted to buy was not a villa, but just a big toy.
"Damn, it's really annoying to compare people to each other. I've learned in vain." Xia Zejiang complained in his heart.
He has not yet graduated from graduate school, and his elder brother has a college degree.
After pasting the couplets, the hands of Xia Zekai and his brothers turned red. Luo Xiyun, who was assisting in pasting the couplets, also had red finger pads.
After going home and washing their hands, Yatou and Tongtong had just woken up. Zhou Yinghong, the grandmother, had put on clothes for them and was waiting for them to eat.
Seeing her parents coming back, the girl quickly took out a small, rolled-up handkerchief from her jacket pocket and said, "Dad, mom, and grandma gave it to me."
Tongtong said: "Dad, look, I have one too."
Xia Zekai and Luo Xiyun were puzzled and asked them: "Girl, what is this?"
Before the girl could say anything, Zhou Yinghong said: "I gave them two New Year red envelopes worth two thousand yuan each. What, do you have any objections?"
"..."
Xia Zekai touched his nose and felt very depressed. He thought, I didn't say no.
Luo Xiyun taught the two girls: "Girl, Tongtong, have you thanked grandma?"
"Thank you, I told grandma that I like her so much." The girl said charmingly.
Tongtong nodded sharply, indicating that she had also thanked her grandma.
In the end, the money fell into the hands of mother Luo Xiyun, just like the money given by grandma last time. Luo Xiyun told them to save it for them first and then give it to them when they are older.
He also said to the two of them: "When I go back, I will buy you a large piggy bank. Then you can watch your mother put all the money in it for you two, okay?"
