"A bottle of Xifeng wine isn't enough! I'll bring more than half of the bottle of Fen wine that we drank in the past two days. Everyone will have a great time drinking today." Li Deyou said with a smile.

"Then you should drink more today. This good wine is very refreshing! A few days ago, we just took a sip, and we didn't get enough of it." Li Dezhong also said with a smile as the alcohol bug in his stomach was aroused.

"Okay, let's have a good drink today." Li Deyou happily placed the wine bottle and wine cup on the table.

After putting away the melon seeds and peanuts, Li Wen and his eldest brother moved a box of soda out of the old lady's room. Li Wen bought this in the town a few days ago and planned it for everyone to drink together on New Year's Eve.

One disadvantage of winter in the north is that the weather is too cold, and items like water can easily freeze. Get a basin of water and it will freeze you to death overnight. This soda is still warmed by the old lady’s kang.

.

After a while, various cold dishes were placed neatly on the dining table.

Li Wen's family has had a good harvest this year, and the family is really getting up and running.

Last year, their family only served three plates and one meat dish, so everyone just made do with it without feeling embarrassed. Unexpectedly, there were six plates tonight, and two of them had meat. My mother said there were also two hot dishes.

, wait until someone arrives before getting on.

Many cold dishes are mixed with Li Wen's secret seasoning, which tastes sour, spicy and refreshing.

"Fifth Brother, Happy New Year to Dezhong!" At this time, Desheng and Dejun, the two sons of Party Secretary Li Juncai's family, came in with plates in their hands and two children.

"Haha, happy New Year, sit down quickly."

Li Deyou was listening to the radio when he saw the two people coming in and hurriedly stood up to greet them.

"Mom, you don't need to be in the kitchen anymore, my uncle's Desheng and the German army have already arrived." The second uncle on the side shouted hurriedly towards the kitchen.

As mentioned before, it is a local custom that on New Year's Eve, relatives within five groups will walk around with each other carrying dishes to celebrate the New Year. However, they will first go to the eldest relative's house to pay New Year's greetings to show respect.

This year the old lady also wore a new suit, well-tailored and very energetic. In addition, the Li family's life has improved a lot in the past few months. The old lady's face is rosy and her health has improved a lot.

The old lady put down her work in the kitchen and walked out with a smile.

"Happy New Year, auntie!" Li Desheng and the other two came up to greet them one after another, and the children also said hello to grandma.

Because the two families are directly related, they move around frequently, and the children are very open-minded.

After the old lady sat down, Li Desheng and his two children kowtowed to the old lady to pay New Year greetings.

The old lady smiled and gave each of the two children a red envelope. The money was not much, only five cents.

It's not an old lady's fault, five cents is a lot. There will be seven or eight more families coming in a while, and there will be a lot of children by then, so everyone will have to pay.

Within the next ten minutes, it seemed as if it had been agreed. From time to time, relatives would come over with dishes and children, and then repeat the previous process to pay New Year greetings.

"Xiao Li, bring the hot dishes, let's have dinner." Li Deyou shouted towards the kitchen.

When the two hot dishes were served, the eight dishes from Li Wen's family and the seven or eight dishes served by relatives made the table full.

"Okay, everyone is here today. The meal tonight is very rich. Let's use your chopsticks." Li Deyou announced, and everyone started pushing cups and changing cups.

There were so many people tonight that two tables were opened. One table for Li Deyou and his mother, and one for the old lady and her mother.

Because there were so many children, there was no room for the women to sit at the table. Li Wen had to sit at the same table with his father and other adults.

"Come, let's raise a glass together to celebrate the bumper harvest in the new year." The lively atmosphere was stirred up, and the second uncle shouted while holding the wine glass in his hand.

"Cheers and Happy New Year!" Everyone laughed.

At this moment, both the wine glasses on the adults' table and the drinks on the children's and women's tables were raised, and everyone celebrated the arrival of the new year together.

After clinking glasses, everyone sat down to eat the food. However, the adults took a few bites and did not let go to eat, because there were still six or seven places to go in a while.

Half an hour after arriving, everyone said their goodbyes and left. The child didn't mind the ice either, so he drained the soda in his bowl and left with his father.

After all the relatives left, Li Wen's family finally relaxed.

"Come, let's sit down and chat as a family." Father and second uncle led Li Wen and others to the old lady's table.

"Okay, let's meet together." The old lady was really happy tonight.

"cheers!"

Several little ones excitedly held up the soda bottles in their hands and clinked glasses with the adults.

"Okay, Mom, you guys eat at home first, we have to go to the turnstile." Father Li Deyou and his second uncle stood up and said.

"Okay, go ahead. Be careful at night. If you drink too much, let the children come back and call for help." The old lady warned.

"Mom, it's okay. Whose family doesn't have a kang? Don't worry." The second uncle said with a smile.

"Okay, Xiaomin and Xiaoyong, you two are following us to the turnstile." The father said to the little guys who were happily drinking their drinks.

"Oh well!"

The two little guys quickly drank up the last bit of soda. Today, the little guys' mission was to kowtow and receive red envelopes and play with melon seeds and candies, and they were all happy to do so.

Li Wen also went there every year when he was a child. However, when he entered junior high school and his younger brothers had grown up, Li Wen stopped going.

Mother and second aunt quickly filled a meat plate on the table and asked father to take it with him.

After a while, Li Deyou was carrying the dishes, Li Dezhong was holding the wine, followed by two little kids, talking and laughing as they walked out of the house.

In fact, according to custom, all relatives should gather together to celebrate the New Year. But these days, there are too many people in each family and they cannot sit together. They can only send a few representatives to go from house to house to take turns paying New Year greetings.

After father and second uncle left, mother and second aunt went to the kitchen to make dumplings.

Although there are many dishes today, they are all small plates, and there are many people, so you will definitely not be full. And it is a custom to eat dumplings during the New Year. As long as the family conditions permit, every family will make dumplings to celebrate the New Year.

Twenty minutes later, my mother and my second aunt came out carrying a small basin of dumplings.

"Here, let's eat dumplings." Mother and second aunt happily distributed dumplings to all the children.

"Wow, these meat and egg dumplings are so delicious." The little guy Li Tao hurriedly picked up one and took a bite.

This year, Li Wen's dumplings are all made with white flour wrappers, and they are filled with radish and meat, which is very solid and hearty.

"Ah, what is it? It's so hard that it bites your teeth." Little Li Juan bit into something.

The little guy took it out from his mouth and was surprised to see that it was a one-cent coin.

"The lucky person of our family this year is my precious daughter!" Wang Chunmei was so happy that she hugged the little girl and gave her a kiss.

Everyone said good things one after another, and the happy little guy's eyes were filled with laughter.

In the following time, everyone ate the coins one after another, except for one unlucky guy, Li Tao, who couldn't help but groan in anger.

"Oh, I seem to have eaten it!" the little guy said with joy.

"Then take it out and take a look." Li Quan joked with a smile.

"I ate too quickly and I think I swallowed it." The little guy said with a sad face.

"Ah! You're not lying, are you?" The second aunt on the side was immediately shocked. This melon boy did such stupid things.

"Well, I felt a lump in my throat and had to swallow hard." The little guy said pitifully.

"You kid is so stupid in a day. You don't know who you are following anymore. How can you deal with this?" the second aunt said with an anxious expression.

Aunt, it's okay. The one-cent coin is very small, and A Tao will pull it out automatically tomorrow. If not, I'll give you some oil to lubricate it then." Li Wen looked happily at Li Tao, this living treasure.

"It's okay, just scare me."

When the second aunt heard that everything was okay, she sat down and patted Li Tao on the back of the head with a smile.

Today's dumplings are enough for everyone. Even though the little guys are small, they have big appetites.

Little Li Juan is considered to be six years old this year. She has eaten more than a dozen large dumplings and a lot of meat and vegetables.

Tonight was New Year's Eve and everyone had to stay up late, so everyone didn't sleep after dinner. Instead, they all went to the old lady's room.

It's too cold in winter, so I'd better sit on the kang to keep warm.

Li Wen turned on the radio and started listening to the singing on the channel.

There were no Spring Festival Gala programs at this time, and televisions had just been invented, so there were not many of them in the country. The most popular one now was the radio.

The family sat around the Kang with two plates of melon seeds and peanuts in the middle, chatting and listening to songs. From time to time, the sound of children playing with cannons could be heard outside.

More than two hours later, it was already late at night, and the door was pushed open. My father and second uncle came back carrying a little guy on their backs.

"Why did you fall asleep after turning the door?" the old lady asked with a smile.

"Hey! Don't mention it. These two bastards were coaxed to drink some rice wine at my uncle's house." Father Li Deyou said with a smile.

"These two little guys are so cute, come on, let me take off your clothes and sleep." The old lady asked her father to put the two little guys on the kang.

Li Wu and Li Quan couldn't sit down anymore after looking at the kang, so they slipped down. Fortunately, the village got some coal stamps last time and Li Wen's family exchanged some.

Mother lit the stove, and the room became warm in a short while.

My father and my second uncle happened to put the teapot on the stove and brewed pots of tea.

After drinking all night, I wanted to drink some tea to refresh myself.

At this time, the time came on the radio, it was twelve o'clock.

The old lady, her mother and her second aunt got down from the kang and began to burn incense and kowtow in the yard.

"Awen, you can set off the New Year cannons. It's Chinese New Year." His father, Li Deyou, asked Li Wen to set off the New Year cannons.

Li Wen's family also bought a lot of cannons this year. They fired some when posting couplets in the afternoon, and there are still quite a few left.

The eldest brother Li Wu held firecrackers and circled around the yard and the door.

Li Wen, Li Quan and their second sister Li Xia gave up their kicks at the door. Several little ones were already swaying to sleep and could not scream even if they heard the sound of cannons.

With the sound of Li Wen's firecrackers, the entire Sanxing Village seemed to come alive from the dark night.
Chapter completed!