The closer it gets to the Chinese New Year, the livelier the village becomes, with children running and jumping, and laughter everywhere, including in their home. The thing the children look forward to most throughout the year is the Chinese New Year.
Ye Yaodong also took advantage of the wind that prevented him from going out to sea and rode his bicycle to the photo studio in town to find the owner.
Today is only the twelfth day of the lunar calendar. After returning from his mother-in-law's house a few days ago, he has been busy going out to sea. It was only today that he found some time.
Since it is not the end of the year yet, the photo studio should not be too busy. The weather is also good today. I will go there quickly to invite people to take photos. Otherwise, in a few days, there will probably be more people taking photos.
Last year, the first year after his rebirth, he didn’t take a family photo. He only took a photo of the four of them. He felt very sorry about that, so he must take a family photo this year.
Everything else can be discussed later. What to do in the future? Only time cannot be stopped and memory will also fade. If you don’t take more photos now, the fragments of memories in the future will only be vague. With photos, you can still recall the past clearly.
Take pictures of the beautiful moments of the present, and take them out to look at them later. They will be filled with memories, and this is the most precious thing.
Ye Yaodong was pedaling his bicycle, the cold wind blowing towards him rushing towards his sleeves and collar, making him feel very cold. Behind him sat Ye Chenghu, who was shamelessly insisting on following him.
The father and son chatted while riding their bikes, and it wasn't boring at all.
"Can't we just play at home? It's so much fun with so many people playing together. Why do we have to come out and blow the cold wind?"
"I'm not cold! I want to follow! It's not fun to follow them, it's fun to follow you."
"Let me make it clear first. I won't buy you any food. Don't have any bad ideas. Don't think you can have whatever you want just because you follow me out here. I don't have any money."
Ye Chenghu wrinkled his nose and snorted twice, "You took all my New Year's money, and you still say you have no money."
"What's your lucky money? If you don't want it, then it's not mine anymore. That's the lucky money my mother-in-law gave me. What does it have to do with you?"
"No, I was thinking of asking grandma to give me two copies next year so that I can turn in one and keep one. I was so silly that I forgot to tell grandma. She's so mad at me."
Ye Yaodong was amused when he heard this, "Good boy, you think quickly. Are you still thinking of asking your grandma to take it back and give you double the amount next year?"
No wonder when he saw Lin's mother take out the red envelope that day, he hurried forward and pulled her into the house.
"Who asked Hui Hui mother to take them all? She didn't have any when I asked her for them."
"Then if you ask me, I don't have it. This is mine."
Ye Chenghu pouted, feeling wronged. He finally caught his father today, but his hopes were dashed again. He thought his father would be more talkative, and at least give him some pocket money or buy him something to eat.
Oh, when will he grow up
Ye Yaodong heard the silence behind him and chuckled twice, but ignored him. How could a child have so much money in his hand? Giving him three or five cents occasionally was enough to make other children envious.
He is quite spoiled with his children. If other children dare to ask for money, their parents will scold them severely.
Ye Chenghu's depressed mood didn't last long. By the time he rode his bicycle to the town, he could hardly see everything, so he had no time to be angry.
Sitting in the back seat, he stretched his neck and looked left and right, as if he wished he had a pair of eyes on both sides and the back of his head so he couldn't see enough.
There are shops on both sides, vendors setting up stalls everywhere, people coming and going to the market, and the sound of shouting.
The New Year is coming soon, and there are markets in the town every day. The roadside stalls are full of all kinds of things, including food, toys, and daily necessities.
Although Ye Chenghu came here once last year, it is still very fresh to see it again this year. Which child doesn’t like the hustle and bustle? This is not something you can see every day.
"Dad, Dad, we have candied haws and cotton candy for sale~"
"Just sit still, or if I don't keep an eye on you and you get kidnapped by a kidnapper, I won't be able to find you anywhere. It will be too miserable if your hands and feet are broken or your eyes gouged out."
Ye Chenghu shuddered and dared not move. It was not the first time that his father had talked about the tragic situation after being abducted, but this time he felt that he was much more serious.
"If I don't move, I will grab your clothes and stay in the car."
"Well, hold my waist, so you won't be afraid of being carried away. Be good, and I'll buy you something delicious when we get back."
Ye Chenghu nodded like a chick pecking at rice, looking extremely well-behaved, but when he realized that his father couldn't see him, he immediately responded happily, "I knew that you are the best, Dad."
"Don't give me any druggy advice."
Ye Yaodong also looked around while riding, looking at the stalls on the roadside. He felt that there was nothing special about them, but to people nowadays, it was already extremely lively.
The further he went into the street, the more people there were. He couldn't keep riding the bike and had to get off and push it. Ye Chenghu still made him sit steadily on the back seat to prevent him from being squeezed out.
Afraid that it would be inconvenient to stop to buy things on the way back, he thought it would be convenient, so he simply bought some roasted nuts and some candies. When he saw someone selling red dates and longans, he weighed two kilograms and put them all in the basket on the front of the bicycle.
Ye Chenghu's pockets were also stuffed with melon seeds, red dates and candies. He was grinning from ear to ear, eating while sitting in the car, looking very happy. It seemed his father was willing to spend money.
He said it was wise to come out with his father!
Yangyang hasn’t even gotten to eat yet!
Ye Yaodong originally wanted to see if there was anyone selling Spring Festival couplets so that he could buy them all at once to avoid having to find time to buy them again after ten days or so.
I didn't expect that as I walked along, I didn't see anyone selling Spring Festival couplets. I don't know if it was because it was still early and no one had put them out yet.
But if I don't have one, I can just forget it. I'll buy one when I have time. If I don't have time, I'll just ask the fortune teller in the next village to write one for me.
The father and son walked and stopped many times, and by the time they arrived at the photo studio, the basket in front of the car was full, and even the handles on both sides were hung with several paper bags and small net bags, all of which were filled with various foods.
Ye Chenghu was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth. "Dad, I will return the New Year's money to you next year, not to mom!"
"Sure, as long as you can convince your mother, or you can give me all the pocket money you have saved."
"I don't have any pocket money. Mom doesn't give me any. A few days ago, I even used a toothpaste tube to exchange for some maltose. I got one piece and Yangyang and I licked it one by one."
Ye Yaodong: “…”
It's so pitiful, and they lick it one bite at a time...
He almost felt reluctant to give them pocket money.
"When we get back, I'll tell your mother I'll give you two cents a day so you can buy food after school."
"Really?" Ye Chenghu was so happy that he almost jumped off his bicycle, and the bicycle almost tipped over. "Dad, are you serious? You can't lie to me!"
"Sit still and be quiet."
Ye Chenghu was very excited, "Dad, remember to go back and tell Mom to give me two cents a day for pocket money. There will be a lot of food at the school gate after school, it will be very lively, some people can go buy food, we can only stand there and watch for a while, and then go home dejectedly."
"Well, then you have to study hard. If you keep failing the exams, your mother will definitely not agree. It would be good if she doesn't whip you."
Ye Chenghu's face fell again, "Do you still need to study hard?"
"Well, sure. Your mother is not easy to talk to, but if you do well in the exam, I will ask her to give you a reward."
"All right."
Ye Yaodong has good intentions, so that his children won't be like him, losing interest and not wanting to study after a few days.
At least there is some money hanging there. In order to get some pocket money, you have to be more serious, right
This is also a good method for children who are currently lacking in food and clothing.
When he was a child, his mother was too stingy. If she had tempted him with money, he would definitely not drop out of school so early. He would have gritted his teeth and studied for a few more years to avoid being illiterate later.
In those days, they had even less to eat, and they still had to work. They worked during the day and went to school at night. They dropped out of school early just to go to the mountains and seas to catch fish and shrimps, steal fruits to cook their own food, and satisfy their stomachs.
Despite the constant flow of people on the street, the front of the photo studio was still quite deserted, with only two couples queuing up there to take pictures.
People usually take photos at these times during ceremonial moments such as weddings, graduations, and partings.
Most people seldom take photos and are reluctant to spend the money. He thought these two couples were here to take wedding photos, as many people got married before the New Year.
As the saying goes, whether you have money or not, it’s good to have a wife to celebrate the New Year.
Ye Yaodong saw that there were a lot of things in the basket in front of the bicycle, and he didn't dare to put the child and the things at the door, for fear of losing both people and money. So he took Ye Chenghu and waited at the door for a while.
When he saw someone coming out, he immediately stopped the owner of the photo studio and explained his purpose.
The owner of the photo studio also had a good impression of him. Not many people would invite him to take photos at home. Throughout the year, the number of people could be counted on ten fingers. What's more, Ye Yaodong looked decent and could speak well, so it was easy for him to leave a good impression on people.
"Afternoon, maybe? There's a market this morning, and there's a lot of people coming and going. There might be other people who want to take pictures."
Ye Yaodong raised his eyebrows. He didn't want to wait until the afternoon. His time was precious.
"Why don't you wait for these two to finish taking pictures and then come with me? There's no point in taking one or two pictures here. I have a big family, so I need to take a lot of pictures. My brother's family will definitely take pictures too."
"It's still in time to go in the afternoon..."
"When people in our village see us taking family photos, they will definitely invite you to take photos. During the New Year, everyone is willing to spend money to take a family photo. If you go early, you can make more money. If you just wait here, who knows if there will be any customers?"
The owner of the photo studio hesitated for a moment, "Then can you help promote it in your village?"
"This is simple and easy to say."
With his mother here, are you still worried about not being able to promote it
When the time comes, let his mother go to the Women's Federation and say a few words. I guess those women will all rush to take pictures.
It is women's nature to love taking photos, no matter when. Moreover, those who can earn money and have a salary will be more willing to do so than ordinary women.