January 26th, New Year’s Eve.
It was still dark outside, so Li Wei was called out by Liu Chunzhi. After selling the pigs, there was no need to prepare a pig market, but today was a lot of work for the New Year.
Li Wei helped to light the fire and cook, while Liu Chunzhi cleaned the inside and outside of the house again.
The men in the family also got up one after another, washed their faces and rinsed their mouths. After the meal was cooked, we sat around a table and had breakfast.
Li Minghua then said that he was going to visit the grave and prepare the New Year dinner after returning from the visit.
Liu Chunzhi said: "Last year we prepared the sacrifice, this year it's our turn."
Li Minghua said: "Sister-in-law is ready. It's enough for us to go there with the money for the incense candles and paper."
At nine o'clock in the morning, the two rooms of the Li family went out and prepared to go to the mountain to worship their ancestors.
Li Wei followed everyone up the mountain, and his cousin Li Xia walked behind Li Wei. Then Li Xia asked Li Wei quietly: "I'm going to the county town on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. Do you want to go?"
"Going to the county town?" Li Wei had no idea about the county town in this era, but she knew that Li Jianbo was studying in the county town, but she had never been there. She wanted to go, but Liu Chunzhi had agreed with them two days ago that she would go there on the fifth day of the new year. I was going to visit relatives, and I had to go to my aunt's house, so I had to refuse abruptly: "I'm afraid it's not possible, I have to visit relatives."
"Oh, that's it." Li Xia was a little disappointed when she saw that she couldn't make an appointment.
"Is the county fun?" Li Wei asked naively.
Li Xia seemed to be worried, so she said, "It's fun. Do you want to go with me?"
Li Wei had promised Liu Chunzhi to visit relatives before. If he followed Li Xia to the county seat, he would definitely be scolded when he came back. She still knew which was more serious, so she hesitated and said: "No."
After a while, Li Xia quietly asked Li Wei: "Do you have money? Can you lend me a little, not much, five yuan is enough."
"Five yuan?!" Li Wei's eyes widened. In fact, she had more than ten yuan in hand, and she could borrow it. But at this moment, she was thinking more, shaking her head and saying, "I don't have that much money."
"How could it not be? You didn't write Spring Festival couplets to sell before. You should have sold a lot."
Sure enough, when he came up with this idea again, Li Wei said, "I gave all the money to my mother."
Li Xia heard that she had to give up, and the two sisters didn't talk much on the way.
Li Xia is sixteen this year. She has not gone to school since elementary school. She studied sewing in the city for a while and heard that she will work in a garment factory in the future. When Li Xia was still at home, the two sisters were often together. After Li Xia went to the county town, they rarely interacted with each other.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the cemetery. Li Mingguo, Li Minghua and others were busy laying out the sacrifices. Li Wei stared at the tombstone, which was engraved with "Tomb of Li Gong Shaoqian" and then found the names of Li Mingguo and Li Minghua in a row of small characters next to it. The only names for the sword generation were Li Jianzhang and Li Jianping. There is no Jianbo, nor Li Wei and Li Xia.
The owner of the tomb is Li Wei's great-grandfather, and he has laid out the sacrifices. As the eldest grandson, Li Mingguo lit the candle first, and then burned incense and bowed to worship. The juniors helped burn paper money.
The rising green smoke made Li Wei suddenly remember that when he was still in Shangshu Mansion, he would worship his ancestors every New Year at home. The ancestral hall was opened, portraits of ancestors were hung, and red felt was spread. In the early years, it was the eldest uncle who presided over the sacrifices, and the utensils used to hold the sacrifices were a set of silverware passed down from ancestors. There are engravings and inlays on it. When the Chinese New Year is approaching, my aunt will open the warehouse and take out these utensils and wipe them clean. The silver glitter is very beautiful.
Looking at the offerings in front of the tomb, there are also a few porcelain plates. There are cooked whole chickens, cooked square pork belly, vegetarian dim sum, square dried tofu, and a plate of apples. I can't help but sigh that these days have gone by.
After worshiping the ancestors, we went home, had a simple lunch, and then prepared for the New Year's Eve dinner.
Liu Chunzhi and Li Wei do all the work in the kitchen. The men of the Li family rarely go to the kitchen. However, Jianbo is quite diligent and can help with vegetable selection.
I was busy until almost six o'clock, when it was getting dark, and the New Year's Eve dinner was served.
As usual, they first offered food to their ancestors, and then everyone sat around the Eight Immortals table and started eating and drinking.
Li Minghua took the wine bottle and was about to pour wine into the cup in front of Li Jianbo. Before he could pour the wine, Liu Chunzhi glanced sideways: "He is still a kid, why should he drink?"
"What kid? He will be sixteen years old after today. What's wrong with a man drinking a little wine? It's the New Year today, everyone is happy to drink a little."
Li Jianbo didn't give in much. Except for Li Jianbo, Li Minghua didn't even spare his daughter and poured half a cup for Li Wei.
Before the meal, everyone raised a toast to celebrate the end of the year. The wine glasses clinked together and made a crisp sound. At this moment, Li Wei was filled with emotion. A month ago, she was still the Queen Mother in Chongqing Palace. Unexpectedly, she suddenly came here, with a new identity and a new family. Although she has not adapted to this era, she has decided to let go of the past and work hard to survive. Live in this era and try to live a better life.
Li Wei raised his neck and drank the wine in his glass.
But the taste of this wine was different from what I had drunk before, it was spicy on my throat. Her face was red and she was choking and coughing. Everyone else at the table looked at her. When did the Li family's daughter drink like this
Li Minghua smiled and said: "You are still young, why are you drinking in such a hurry? You should drink this wine in small sips."
Li Minghua is an alcoholic, the kind who drinks a few drinks every day.
Li Jianbo hurriedly added soup to the bowl in front of Li Wei and said, "Drink some soup."
As if he had made a fool of himself, Li Wei picked up the bowl and drank the soup in large gulps to hide his embarrassment.
Everyone ate whatever they liked, while firecrackers roared outside. Liu Chunzhi's cooking skills were good and everyone ate happily.
After the meal, Li Minghua and his wife distributed lucky money to the children. Li Wei, like her second brother, received two yuan. She didn't think it was too little and took it happily.
Before going to bed, Li Wei cleared the money again, and there would be 20 yuan soon. When the time comes, what should you do with the money? It must be spent wisely.
When I slept until midnight, I was awakened by the thunderous sound of firecrackers outside. It's time for a new year, right? This moment is the new year.
Li Wei thought to herself, hoping for good luck in the coming year. At this moment, she had put aside all her grudges and grudges against Da Qi.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Li Wei got up early. The family ate glutinous rice balls and said they were going to the temple fair.
Seeing that her daughter was still wearing her usual clothes, Liu Chunzhi frowned and said, "Where's the red coat I bought for you? Why don't you wear it?"
Li Wei had no choice but to change clothes again. When he was about to go out, Li Jianbo suddenly pulled Li Wei and whispered to her: "Let's go into the city together on the seventh day of the lunar month."
There seemed to be no arrangements for Chu Qi, so she hurriedly asked: "Will Mom agree?"
"I've already told her and she agreed."
(End of chapter)