Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12031

Throughout the entire conversation, Yang Ruoqing was whispering to Luo Fengtang. It was unclear what they were saying, but Yang Ruoqing laughed, and Luo Fengtang couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Qing'er, what are you whispering about? You're laughing so happily. Tell us so we can have a laugh too!" As soon as Madam Sun sat down, her gaze swept across the room and then fixed on Yang Ruoqing.

Yang Ruoqing smiled and said, "Auntie, you want to hear all the little secrets between my husband and me? You're just like my fourth aunt!"

Madam Sun let out a hearty laugh, "I was just asking casually, it's fine if you don't want to answer, hahaha."

"You talk too much!" Old Sun glared at Big Sun, his eyes clearly telling her to shut up.

Da Sun pursed her lips, a little rebellious, but just like Xiao Sanzi was wary of Yang Yongjin, Da Sun dared not continue talking under Old Sun's displeased gaze.

Yang Yongjin had just picked up his teacup and taken a couple of sips when Cao Bamei's voice came from the next courtyard.

"What does Eighth Sister want from you?" Da Sun asked.

Xiao Jie's father came in from the outer courtyard and said to Yang Yongjin, "Yongjin, Eighth Sister is calling you. It sounds like Xiu Hong and Sixi are coming to wish you a Happy New Year."

Upon hearing that it was his second daughter and son-in-law, a glint of light flashed in Yang Yongjin's eyes. He then put down his teacup, stood up, clasped his hands in apology to Old Sun and Yang Huazhong, and quickly turned to leave.

No sooner had they left than Da Jie and Huang Mao returned with two children.

Upon returning, the children joined the group of children in the yard, setting off firecrackers and playing games together, while Da Jie and Huang Mao went to the main room to entertain the guests.

Yang Ruoqing didn't actually have much to talk about with Da Sunshi, but the main reason she was willing to stay longer at the Sun family home on New Year's Eve was that she wanted to spend more time with Grandpa Sun.

The kind-faced old man is a warm ray of light and gentle warmth that will forever remain in Yang Ruoqing's and even Pang Ya's memories.

Even though Old Yang and his men seem to be giving Yang Ruoqing a lot of face now, even showing respect, flattery, and even fawning, they seem to be kind and benevolent elders.

However, even if Old Yang and Tan were combined, they wouldn't be as important as Old Sun in Yang Ruoqing's eyes.

Even if Old Sun is the grandfather and Old Yang is the grandfather, so what?

Affection doesn't depend on how you address someone, but on how much the other person gives.

Old Sun did everything he could to help Yang Ruoqing and the others when they were going through the toughest time. Deep in her memory, when the Yang family divided their property, the three siblings, including Fatty, never had a full meal. Even during the New Year, they couldn't expect to eat a good amount of meat.

Back then, what we looked forward to most during the Spring Festival wasn't the New Year's Eve dinner at Old Yang's house, but rather standing on tiptoe and craning our necks to visit Grandpa and Grandma in Sunjiagou on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

In my memory, every year after crossing the mountains to reach Sunjiagou, Grandpa would always be waiting at the village entrance. When we arrived at the familiar little courtyard, we could smell the aroma of chicken soup wafting from the kitchen.

The soup made from real free-range chickens from the mountains is so fragrant that it can be smelled for miles around!

As soon as the group entered the courtyard, Grandma and Auntie would come out of the kitchen with smiles to greet them. Then, Auntie and Uncle would busy themselves pouring tea and serving snacks such as melon seeds and peanuts to everyone.

Meanwhile, Granny Sun was busy in the kitchen making tea for everyone.

The "tea-making" here doesn't refer to boiling water for tea in the traditional sense, but rather to cooking food in the kitchen, which is then used to entertain relatives before the main meal.

In Yang Ruoqing's memory, Grandma's tea was sometimes chicken noodle soup with lots of chicken meat and chicken legs.

Sometimes it's braised duck with meatballs, and sometimes it's poached pork with eggs...

In short, the dishes were varied and the portions were small, just a fist-sized bowl, but the bowls were full of sincerity and heartfelt wishes...

"I really miss visiting Sunjiagou to pay New Year's respects when I was a child, and the tea my grandma brewed! I haven't had it in so many years!"

Yang Ruoqing couldn't help but voice this sentiment, mainly because everyone was gathered together reminiscing about how hard life had been in the past, and how they felt so rich during the Lunar New Year when they could only afford ten catties of pork.

Almost every year on New Year's Eve, people use this way of reminiscing about the past to express how much better life is now than before, and then look forward to the future, believing that it will only get better.

Then, Yang Ruoqing also sighed.

Upon hearing her sigh, Luo Fengtang, sitting next to her, immediately realized that his Qing'er was missing Grandma again.

Luo Fengtang quietly squeezed Yang Ruoqing's hand, silently giving her the warmth between her fingers.

Yang Ruoqing sensed Luo Fengtang's intention, looked up at him, their eyes met, and her eyes were full of tenderness.

Although Grandma Ga was gone, and the world had lost someone who loved her, thankfully, her companion Luo Fengtang continued to treat her as kindly as ever.

Just like when Granny saw Luo Fengtang, she liked him very much. She secretly told Yang Ruoqing that although Tangyazi was quiet and didn't seem to like communicating with others, boys like him were actually the most reliable.

Compared to those boys who are charming and smooth-talking, or those whose words are as sweet as honey, they are more for show than substance. They are the easiest to deceive girls with a few words, making them waste their lives on them.

Looking back now, it's clear that Grandma Ga was indeed insightful and had a keen eye for people.

"Qing'er, you still remember those things. Your grandma didn't spoil you for nothing!" After hearing Yang Ruoqing's earlier remarks, Old Sun was also reminded of many old memories from his childhood, and his expression was complicated.

“Back then, my grandma would urge us to kill chickens and geese during the Lunar New Year,” Old Sun continued to recall. “She had already planned it out in advance. She would decide which chicken to keep for Qing’er and the others to cook for us when they came to pay their respects. She arranged everything in advance, and there was no room for error.”

“I remember that too!” Grandma Sun’s loud voice rang out again. “Back then, during the Lunar New Year, in the twelfth lunar month, your grandma said…”

Well, for the next incense stick's time, no one had a chance to speak again, because the main room was filled with the voice of Madam Sun, who was completely lost in memories of Old Madam Sun.

Everyone tacitly refrained from interrupting Madam Sun, because everyone wanted to remember their departed loved one in this way on such a festive occasion.

Although these words of remembrance and the events that appear in these remembrances have been repeatedly brought up almost every year during the Lunar New Year or other holidays, like leftovers that are constantly being reheated...

However, everyone listened to it as if it were the first time, especially Yang Ruoqing and her brother Da'an, who listened with great interest, as if they had returned to that time.

Da Jie couldn't help but feel his eyes well up with tears, which dampened his glasses. He quickly turned away and, when the elders weren't looking, secretly wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Although he was now a county magistrate, a true local official, in his world, he was still Grandma Sun's eldest grandson. He missed his grandmother…

And Yang Ruoqing and Da'an were even more so.

Yang Ruoqing, in particular, had a smile on her face while listening, but her eyes were already red.

……

A small two-room apartment separated by a wall.

The main room was brightly lit, with large red lanterns hanging high.

Yang Yongjin was inviting his second son-in-law, Sixi, to have tea, and even took out some tobacco he had specially bought to try and offer it to Sixi. Of course, Sixi politely declined.

Cao Bamei pulled Xiu Hong to sit on the other side of the table and started talking. Cao Bamei stuffed all sorts of delicious snacks into Xiu Hong's arms, saying, "Girl, eat more, these are all your favorite snacks."

Upon overhearing Yang Yongjin's conversation, Cao Bamei immediately turned around and scolded him: "Can't you offer some good advice? Why are those young people like Sixi smoking pipes? Their breath stinks! Don't you dare ruin them!"

Yang Yongjin chuckled, "Look at what you're saying, how is smoking smelly? Men can smoke to relieve boredom and refresh themselves, okay!"

"Give me a break!" Cao Bamei was in high spirits. "You don't realize how much suffering it is for us women and children around you!"

Xiu Hong smiled, her heart warmed by her parents' bickering. She felt that this was what a real family should be like.

Unlike the Si Xi family, the atmosphere when Si Xi's father and mother talk and act together is truly suffocating.

Si Xi's father would slap Si Xi's mother across the face at the slightest disagreement, and Si Xi's mother, on the other hand, had an unpleasant personality, especially with her mouth that kept nagging and finding fault with everything!

"Alright, alright, I won't try to persuade you anymore. Sixi, you can eat sunflower seeds, drink tea, eat whatever you want." Yang Yongjin changed his tune.

Si Xi smiled and nodded: "Okay, father-in-law, please sit down, don't bother."

On the other side, Cao Bamei and her daughter Xiuxiu sat down in the fire tub together. The fire tub was warm and cozy, and with a quilt covering their legs, it was incredibly warm.

Cao Bamei squeezed Xiu Hong's hand and said, "Why are your hands so cold? Did you not wear enough clothes last night or something?"

“I’m wearing a lot of clothes.” Xiu Hong tugged at her sleeve so Cao Bamei could see what she was wearing underneath.

They were indeed wearing quite a lot.

"Then why are your hands so cold? Did you catch a chill from the wind along the way?" Cao Bamei asked again, and then pressed Xiu Hong's hands into the fire tub.

"I think so," Xiu Hong said.

She was too embarrassed to talk about anything else. Today was Chinese New Year, and the Sisi family had another bumpy road. The daughters-in-law worked together in the kitchen to prepare a New Year's Eve dinner, but when the dinner was served, Xiuhong barely ate any.

My hands are cold right now because I haven't eaten enough.

As for why she didn't get enough to eat... Xiu Hong was back at her parents' home at the moment. Under the protection of her parents, she felt relaxed and comfortable. She didn't want to recall those things that made her unhappy for the time being.

So she made up a random excuse and brushed it off by saying her hands were cold.

After a while, Xiu Hong asked Cao Ba Mei, "Mother, where are my brother and Yong Xiao?"

Cao Bamei said, "We went to your uncle's house next door to pay New Year's greetings and set off fireworks."

Xiu Hong nodded. "Si Xi, take the things out."

Si Xi quickly got up and carried out a large box they had brought. When he opened it, it was full of fireworks and various small firecrackers.

"Oh my, what's going on here?" Cao Bamei and Yang Yongjin were both shocked.

"Dad, Mom, this is what Sisi and I bought for Xiao Sanzi and Yongxiao."

"My God, this must cost a lot of money!" Cao Bamei felt sorry for Xiu Hong and the others.

Xiu Hong shook her head dismissively: "It's the New Year, let them be happy. I don't have time to make new clothes and shoes, so I'll buy fireworks and firecrackers instead."

Cao Bamei said with a smile, "Fireworks and firecrackers please them more than clothes and shoes."

"How about I go and call them back?" Yang Yongjin asked Cao Bamei for her opinion.

Cao Bamei thought for a moment and said, "No rush, they'll come back when they're tired of playing. There are a lot of children over there, and besides, Xiuhong and Sixi will probably stay here a while longer, right, Sixi?"

Sixi turned his gaze to Xiuhong and said, "I'll go with Xiuhong. I'll go back whenever she goes back."

Xiu Hong raised an eyebrow: "What if I said I'd stay at my parents' house tonight and not go back?"

Si Xi just smiled and didn't say anything, but her eyes clearly told everyone, "If you stay here to sleep, then I'll stay too."

Yang Yongjin and Cao Bamei, being experienced people, could easily see the extent of the affection between the young couple as they interacted.

The couple smiled at each other, both relieved.

"Mother, can Sisi and I stay here tonight to keep vigil for the New Year and then go back?" Xiuhong warmed herself by the fire for a while and felt much warmer. She took Cao Bamei's arm and spoke with a hint of coquetry in her voice.

Cao Bamei stroked her embroidered red hair, her eyes full of doting: "Of course, we can cook dumplings together and stay up late to celebrate the New Year."

"Okay, okay, what kind of fillings do you have for dumplings?"

"Beef and scallion, mutton and radish, pickled cabbage and pork, and chives, eggs and vermicelli – these are the four flavors we've prepared this year."

"Wow, these are all my favorite foods! That's great! I'm going to eat four big bowls later!"

"Haha, whatever you like, as long as you like to eat, six bowls or eight bowls are no problem!"

After a while, just as Cao Bamei had said, Xiao Sanzi and Yongxiao returned, along with Tuantuan, Yuanyuan, Xiaoshunzi, and Jun'er.

"Here are some fireworks for you. Go and set them off in the yard!" Xiu Hong said with a smile to a group of children.

The children cheered immediately.

Tuantuan said, "We're so lucky this Lunar New Year's Eve! We can put things here and there!"

Xiao Sanzi puffed out his chest smugly, "Come on, this time it's my turn to invite you to release them! Come with me to the yard."

A group of children followed along eagerly.

Yang Yongjin and Sixi were worried, so they stayed with them. Cao Bamei and Xiuhong did not go out. The mother and daughter stayed together in the fire bucket to warm their feet. From the open door of the main room, they could see the fireworks being set off in the courtyard.

“The New Year is so great. When we were little, my sister and I looked forward to it the most,” Xiu Hong said while cracking sunflower seeds.

"Not only were there delicious foods and drinks, but also beautiful new clothes and hair ornaments. As soon as December arrived, we looked forward to the New Year. Especially on the night before the New Year, my sister and I were so excited that we could hardly sleep. We would touch the neatly folded new clothes next to our pillows every now and then, hehe..."