Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 553: New Year’s Eve, Beginning of Spring

At noon, the sun did not rise in the overcast sky, but the snow stopped.

The whole world was covered with silver. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were beaten in the morning and had no shame to return to the compound. They did not dare to find anyone to take revenge on the three brothers Xu Qing and Xu Damao.

After all, today's beating is not light.

Liu Guangtian felt that his ribs were about to break, and in his heart he hated and feared Xu Qinghe and Feng Ming for his patriotism.

This time I finally got it.

The unruly energy all over his body disappeared without a trace at this moment.

But you can see clearly that Xu Qing was really angry this time, and you can see clearly.

Xu Qing moved his hands. Not to mention him, he, Liu Guangfu, and the three brothers Yan Jiecheng were probably no match for them.

He still didn't believe Xu Qing's heroic deeds in the face of justice. After many years, today, after learning the lesson in person, he covered his aching chest with his hands, and he no longer dared to have the slightest thought of contempt.

It was not pleasant to be kicked and sent flying backwards.

Xu Qing stopped competing with his father-in-law and sat on the warm Kang, drinking and chatting with his two younger brothers, Silly Zhu and Xu Damao.

If it weren't for the honor of seeing his two daughters-in-law and several young grandchildren, he wouldn't bother to ask the people in the courtyard.

He turned to an intersection alone, left Liu Guangtian behind, and headed to the hospital.

He took me for granted, and my son had already been heartbroken.

Even if Jinghong and Xiaoya don't feel tired, the hired Sanhuzi's wife, Meijuan, and Hui Lihua have their own lives to live, and it is impossible for them to continue working during the New Year.

Today I took a breath and felt happy.

He has been timid and timid since he was a child, and he was unwilling to participate in what he reported a few days ago.

Liu Haizhong, who lived in the same backyard, also asked Xu Qing if he had seen the two boys from his family.

After making a phone call and being beaten, he dragged his injured body to a crowded place on the street without even looking back at Liu Guangtian.

State-owned stores and department stores are open as usual during the Spring Festival, but they are public institutions with the slogan "Serving the People".

Liu Guangtian had to accept it even if he didn't want to.

Originally, he didn't bother to deal with Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu in front of Nian Gen.

Speaking of which, these days are the best times for business.

Since it's not in the compound, you can clean it up as you should.

Silly Zhu was silent, and the edges and corners of his body had been rounded off little by little over the years. He stared at Xu Damao twice, raised his right hand, picked up the bottle, and poured wine for everyone.

Hearing this, Liu Haizhong put his hands behind his back and didn't ask any more questions.

When it got dark at night, Xu Aiguo and Feng Ming were sitting in the main room of their house, drinking with their elder brother, as well as Silly Zhu and Xu Damao.

Silly Zhu didn't follow him out of the courtyard early in the morning. Now, after drinking a few glasses of wine, he opened up his chatterbox and said while eating peanuts:

When the second uncle reported me in the factory, I haven't even settled the accounts with him yet! "

Xu Qinghe Aiguo, Feng Ming, and Xu Damao had returned to the compound early.

If it weren't for Liu Guangtian's prodding and ten courages, he wouldn't have dared to make that call.

But the matter has come to this, and it is useless for Liu Guangfu to regret it.

But Xu Qing's punch was very strong. His body was not as strong as Liu Guangtian's, and he vomited blood on the spot.

Xu Damao was smoking a cigarette. He had already taken off his military coat and threw it aside. He said with contempt:

Plus wear it thickly in winter.

He only received one kick and one punch from Xu Qing. Even now, several hours have passed, and the pain in his body has not diminished at all.

The grain station in Dongdan is also closed these days. It is a holiday before the Chinese New Year.

It hurts more than being beaten by Ai Guo and Feng Ming for a long time.

But today, Xu Damao helped him lock people out.

Xu Aiguo and Xu Fengming turned a deaf ear.

But after a year of busy work, I can’t go 365 days without a break every day.

"Qingzi, you are not interesting today. If I had known earlier, I would have followed you and Aiguo and Fengming out early in the morning to beat up those two boys from the second uncle's family.

And at the same time.

Xu Qingze said nothing.

"Silly Zhu, why are you mentioning that old millet and rotten sesame seeds? It's been so many years, and I haven't seen you and the second uncle do anything."

Last year, a few days before the Chinese New Year, Xu Qing closed the grain station and it will remain the same this year.

In these years, there is no such thing as involution.

Now he was walking in front of Liu Guangtian, and he was filled with hatred for the second brother behind him.

Jinghong hugged her daughter and took her son Hongzhi to the house where Aiqian lived, chatting with her two younger siblings.

Liu Guangfu, who was walking behind, was not much stronger, so he surrendered quickly and received less beatings.

Xu Damao rushed over and said:

"Second uncle, your son, you don't even know where we are going."

Silly Zhu is still Silly Zhu, but he lacks the stubbornness of Fohun.

I have reached the age of forty, and I have become the director of the cafeteria. I have experienced a lot. No matter how immature a person is, he should mature through the little things year after year.

"Qingzi, during the Chinese New Year this year, will Xiaoya come back to our hospital?"

Silly Zhu changed his subject and asked.

Xu Qing thought thoughtfully and said, "Come back."

Silly Zhu groaned, picked up the wine cup, and sipped alone.

Under the dark night outside, the wind blew loudly, and the chill gradually became thick.

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu returned to the compound under the cover of darkness.

But no one dared to make trouble with Xu Qing in the courtyard.

Early in the morning, the sky cleared up. When people in the courtyard saw Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, their faces lit up and they asked what was going on.

These two brothers were too shameless to say that they had been beaten, and they lied and said that it was snowing yesterday and they got it from wrestling.

Of course no one believed it.

But no one asked.

Even Liu Haizhong and his wife only asked a few words, angrily scolded them for not caring about their family, they didn't come back the night before yesterday, they didn't see anyone yesterday, and they stopped caring about them after that.

Xu Qing used a shovel to knock off the ice on the eaves, and paid no attention to Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu.

However, after the commotion caused by the three brothers Yan Jiecheng last year and the troubles caused by the two brothers Liu Guangtian a few days ago.

He vaguely felt that there was no need to stay in such a compound.

He didn't want to move out before. On the one hand, he was afraid that the house left by his parents would be destroyed by people in the yard.

On the other hand, before the reform, renting a house outside was still a large complex, so there was little point in moving out.

But now, it has been more than two years since the country started reforming its housing system on a pilot basis.

Housing reform is on the agenda.

On the Tuanjie Lake side of Sijiu City, Buildings 1 and 2 of Nanyiyi Road were put on sale in November last year. The property rights are private, but the price is high.

Xu Qing was a little tempted, but he knew that the value of the courtyard was much higher than that of the building.

In terms of price, it's just the opposite.

I didn't even think about buying it.

After knocking off all the ice on the eaves, Xu Qing shoveled to the corner of the yard, exhaled, looked up at the warm winter sun, and thought to himself, in the next two years, the business of the meat factory will pick up, and he will have something in his hands. After getting the money, I went to a nearby alley to see which compound was selling it, and I could take it in one fell swoop.

Although speaking, the people in the compound are not too bad or evil, but they are always scheming and making trouble over trivial things, which is quite annoying.

The weather is dry and cold, and yesterday's snow added a lot of youthfulness to the compound.

The sound of firecrackers came from the alley. Xu Qing knew that his son was playing with Yu Li's daughter and several other little ones, so he took the shovel back to his cabin and put it away.

The small room next to the main house has been empty since my grandparents left, and is used to store sundries. The nanny Aunt Feng made the tofu with the people in the courtyard two days ago, put it in the hut, and then went back to her hometown to celebrate the New Year.

Xu Qing put the shovel away, leaned down and took a look at the tofu frozen in the water, then turned around and walked out of the hut and locked the door.

Jinghong and Aiqian had breakfast early in the morning, and then went out with Tang Xiujuan to buy new year's goods.

Aiguo and Fengming had a social event, and before the Chinese New Year, the two factory directors inevitably had to walk around.

After Xu Qing resigned as the director of the Red Star Fifth Factory, he started his own meat factory and grain station, which gave him some time off.

There is no need to keep socializing during the New Year and holidays like before.

But he still had something to do, so the first thing he did was call the two commune secretaries in his hometown, both as a New Year greeting and as a way to lay the foundation for going to the countryside to collect grain and pigs next year.

Some time ago, he mailed a lot of things back, some of which were bought for two communes. In the past two years, collecting grain and pigs has been a lot of trouble, and he will have to continue in the future.

Naturally, this road cannot be cut off.

The rest will be sent back to my grandparents, second dad, third aunt, and fourth aunt.

Living in the city, I rarely have the opportunity to take time to go back to the village to celebrate the New Year.

I can only mail things as I wish.

Secondly, he met his college classmate Chen Xiufang yesterday afternoon when he was shopping for new year goods on the street. They made an appointment to have a meal together at Dong Laishun at three o'clock this afternoon.

Just the two of them said they would go abroad after the New Year.

Xu Qing could not refuse, so he had to agree.

College classmates, although not in the same class, but at least we are familiar with each other.

At noon, Jinghong, Ai Qian, and Xiujuan came back carrying vegetable baskets filled with various New Year goods they bought. Xu Qing peeled open the oranges that were shipped to Sijiucheng for sale every winter, ate them himself, and fed them to his young daughter Qiaoxin.

The civet cat Xiao Hui crawled around and sniffed around him. Xu Qing had no choice but to hold him aside.

Then he told his wife that he was going to have dinner with Chen Xiufang in the afternoon.

Jinghong's face showed a trace of displeasure, and her eyes showed dissatisfaction. She pinched the feather duster used to sweep the kang and said:

"Can't you just go?"

Xu Qing smiled bitterly and said: "After celebrating the New Year, I will go abroad on the sixth day of the first lunar month, not for inspection, but for work."

Ma Jinghong frowned, her expression still showing reluctance, but she sighed and agreed.

These days, going abroad is a big deal, and Jinghong is a reasonable person, so it’s hard to say that she won’t let her man go.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Xu Qing arrived at Donglaishun on time, and Chen Xiufang was already waiting for him in the private room on the second floor.

"Xu Qing, your wife didn't criticize you, did she?"

Xu Qing took off his scarf and said, "How is this possible for my wife, a sensible person?"

"That's good." Chen Xiufang closed the door of the private room with her hand, sat on the chair opposite Xu Qing, brushed her hair, and said with emotion:

"The days go by so fast. I don't feel like it. It's the end of the year."

Xu Qing also put his military coat on the back of the chair, nodded and said, "Indeed."

Then, he took the initiative to ask: "Are you sure you want to go abroad?"

"Well, all the necessary procedures have been completed. I will leave after the New Year and go out to see the outside world."

Xu Qing did not ask any more questions. The idea of ​​reform spread rapidly back to China, making many people fascinated by foreign countries. This is not surprising.

"Have you ever thought about going abroad?" Chen Xiufang said suddenly.

Xu Qing smiled and waved his hand, "I have no ideas and no time. I just opened the meat factory last year and I can't leave."

Chen Xiufang nodded, "I knew you didn't want to go out. You have a wife and children, unlike me. I have been single since my divorce. I can go anywhere I want."

Xu Qing said nothing, took out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking.

The waiter opened the door and came in shortly after, and served two plates of mutton. Xu Qing took the opportunity to order a bottle of wine, which was a practice for Chen Xiufang in advance.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Xu Qing picked up the mutton with chopsticks, put it into the boiling copper pot, and chatted with Chen Xiufang while eating.

There was no reminiscing about the past school days, and no talk about the future.

In the steaming private room, they chatted about their experiences in the past year.

Before parting, Xu Qing stood at the door of Donglaishun and hugged Chen Xiufang.

It's getting late, it's getting cold, the wind is blowing, there are many people on the street, and more people are coming in and out of Dong Lai Shun's door.

"gone."

"gone!"

Xu Qing took two steps back and waved to Chen Xiufang.

Chen Xiufang smiled and waved her hand, then turned around.

One is facing left, the other is facing right. After saying goodbye, we don’t know what year or month we meet again.

Spring begins on the 30th of the year, and it’s New Year’s Eve in the evening.

The weather in the morning was less cold and more warm.

Every house in the compound is busy ironing Spring Festival couplets and putting up window grilles.

This year, Xu Qing gave the task of writing Spring Festival couplets to his second brother Aiguo and his third brother Fengming.

Ma Jinghong and Ai Qian mixed the paste, and Xu Hongzhi was responsible for taking the written pieces to the courtyard for his father to post them up.

Xu Qiaoxin and Xu Hongfu held the civet cat Xiao Hui in their arms, standing outside the door and looking up curiously.

In the front yard, Yan Bugui is writing, and in the middle yard, there are stick men watching and doing.

Silly Zhu is having an easy year this year. Xu Fengming and Tang Xiujuan live in the old lady's house. They don't need to worry about the Spring Festival couplets. They don't come to the backyard to clean the house on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

As for celebrating the New Year in the evening, he spent it at home with his sister and his family of three.

Yuyu told him a few days ago, and Shazhu had a smile on his face every day these days.

Xu Damao took Qin Jingru to his parents' house early in the morning, and he probably wouldn't come back in the evening for the New Year.

Regarding the Spring Festival couplets, Xu Damao took Ping Hua Deng Da Qu and entrusted it to Xu Qing.

In the past, his family's Spring Festival couplets were ghostwritten by Xu Qing every year.

Qin Jingru was a little biased and felt that Banggeng should write it, since she was Banggeng's aunt after all.

A bottle of Daqu costs more than three yuan in a state-owned store, and I write a Spring Festival couplet and give it as a gift. It's not cost-effective.

Xu Damao glared at Qin Jingru and was too lazy to explain.

There is no need for Qin Jingru to tell him what to do.

The two brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, who lived together in the backyard, did not study much and dropped out of high school before finishing high school. They were unable to master calligraphy and did not dare to ask Xu Qing for help like their parents, so they had to Inspiring their respective wives to go to the middle courtyard to find BangGeng for help.

Yan Bugui, the third uncle who helped write Spring Festival couplets for the courtyard, and the two brothers Liu Guangtian would not consider it.

The third uncle is stingy and loves to take advantage. No one in the compound knows about it. If you are looking for a good excuse, you don't have to give anything.

Mrs. Jia Zhang was not happy. Seeing Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu sending their daughters-in-law to their homes and asking their eldest grandson to write Spring Festival couplets, she smiled and said:

"Hey, Guangtian, from the Guangfu family, you should go find the third uncle in the front yard. He is a teacher and his handwriting is beautiful.

And Xiaoqing in your backyard has been writing Spring Festival couplets every year in the past few years. No matter how good the handwriting is, my eldest grandson can only write for our middle courtyard. Look, I don’t have much red paper at home, and I don’t have much writing brush or ink. We’re almost out of them, so I need to put them on my door. I just gave some to my house.”

As Jia Zhang spoke, her eyes looked back and forth at the faces of Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu's daughters-in-law, thinking that these Spring Festival couplets should not be written in vain.

A few years ago, when she asked the third uncle in the front yard to write, she never said that she was empty-handed.

However, Qin Huairu interrupted with a smile:

"It's okay. My son will help you two write it down later and send it to your backyard."

BangGeng lived in the backyard for a long time, so he agreed:

"My mother is right, my grandma is joking, don't take it seriously."

Liu Guangtian's wife and Liu Guangfu quickly thanked them and hurried out of Jia's house.

In the afternoon, Xu Xiaoya and Liu Jianjun met He Yuyu and his family of three on the street, and walked into the compound from the alley together.

Everyone is carrying something in their hands.

Naturally, the Yuyu family came to visit Silly Zhu.

Xu Xiaoya and Liu Jianjun went back to the compound to celebrate the New Year with their eldest, second and third brothers.

(End of this chapter)