Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

The next day was the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and the shop had sold out almost everything.

Therefore, Xu Bei suggested that they simply treat it as the last day of business, and that on the morning of New Year's Eve, they would not have to stay open all morning like state-run stores, and would only close for the holiday at noon.

After all, living in a single-story house means the fire will get cold. In order to sell goods in the morning, you have to go through all the trouble of lighting the stove and starting a fire. It's better to stay at home and prepare for the New Year.

Zhao Fengying and the others were all people who would listen to advice, so naturally they wouldn't object.

Moreover, Xu Li, who is pregnant, has been busy helping to sell goods in the store recently. Even if she didn't actually fall, she should have come down and rested earlier.

In addition, the couple lives with their parents-in-law, and they have some things to do with the Lunar New Year coming up soon.

So, on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, they closed the shop early and packed up the remaining items to take home.

They had already pasted the couplets, hanging money, and the character "福" (fortune) on the shop door in advance using a specially prepared paste.

I can have a peaceful Lunar New Year's Eve tomorrow without having to make a special trip.

After the mother and son arrived home and put down their things, they quickly heated up some food and ate it. Then, they packed towels, soap, bath towels, and other bath supplies and headed straight to the staff bathhouse.

If we're talking about the most bustling and lively places before the Lunar New Year these days, bathhouses definitely deserve a mention.

Everyone wants to wash themselves clean and put on new clothes to welcome the New Year.

Even now, if someone is eligible to live in an apartment building provided by their work unit, it's difficult to find a place to shower at home, so they usually have to go to a public bathhouse.

When the three arrived, it was around dinner time, and there were quite a few people taking a bath in the staff bathhouse.

However, compared to the daytime when it's more convenient for families to come and take a bath, and when many people come after dinner, this time of day is still quite cleverly chosen.

Xu Bei dipped his finger in the water and soaked in the crowded men's bath pool. Then he quickly went to the showerhead next to him and scrubbed himself thoroughly. After getting dressed, he came out feeling two or three pounds lighter and very comfortable.

Knowing that his mother and sister had long hair and would take time to wash, he wasn't in a hurry and waited patiently.

During this time, I looked at the white curtain with red characters printed on it in the women's bath.

Xu Bei suddenly remembered the time when he encountered Zhou Qingwan and her cousin Liang Huihui, who were also taking a bath. He lost his jade pendant, which his mother happened to find. A faint smile naturally appeared on his lips.

As a result, just as he was pondering how to pursue the girl he liked after the New Year, before his mother and the others came out, he first saw Song Guomei and her mother, as well as Song Guozhen, the eldest daughter of the Song family.

Song Guozhen was already married, and Xu Bei had even attended her wedding, so he was familiar with her and politely greeted her.

"Aunt Song, Sister Zhen, Guomei, you're all here to take a bath too? Guodong isn't with us? I didn't see him in the men's bath."

No matter how much Song's mother thought Xu Bei was unsuitable for her youngest daughter, she still acted very kind and amiable on the surface. After all, she had such a close relationship with her son, and she even helped him find a side job selling stools.

"Yes, Guodong plans to come back later with his dad. We just ran into and talked to your mom and sister inside."

Song Guozhen also said with a smile, "Yes, your aunt said that you've probably already come out."

When Song Guomei saw that Xu Bei looked even more energetic and handsome after taking a shower, her heart started pounding again.

But the thought that the other person didn't like him but liked Zhou Qingwan made his eyes flash with sadness and resentment. He deliberately put on a high-pitched laugh and said, "Yeah, Brother Xiao Bei, you've been out for ages since you finished showering, haven't you?"

Hearing Song Guomei's affected tone, Xu Bei's brows furrowed slightly.

He genuinely had no interest in his friend's sister and didn't want to give the girl any false hope or fantasies, so he tried to act as casually as possible, saying, "No, it'll only be a few minutes."

Worried that her daughter would act up again, Song's mother quickly tugged at Song Guomei's arm, then smiled at Xu Bei and said, "Your mom and the others will probably be out in a few minutes. It's cold and the roads are slippery, so we'll head over now. Come visit us sometime!"

Xu Bei smiled and replied, "Okay, Aunt Song, please take your time."

Not long after watching the mother and her two daughters leave through the thick cotton curtain hanging at the entrance of the bathhouse, Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan also emerged from inside, their faces flushed.

The two glanced around outside, and when they didn't see any members of the Song family, they both spoke in unison in a low voice.

"Son, I never expected to run into your Aunt Song and the others inside."

"Yes, brother. I noticed that Sister Xiaomei has lost a lot of weight. When I asked her, I found out that she was sick a while ago."

"There's only one staff bathhouse in the entire forestry bureau, so it's quite normal to encounter this. I know about the illness; Guodong mentioned it briefly."

Xu Bei didn't want to talk about others too much in public, so he changed the subject and asked, "Mom, do you want to rest for a while or hurry up and leave?"

Zhao Fengying knew what her son was thinking, especially since there were quite a few people outside the bathroom. Who knew if anyone recognized them? It wouldn't be good if word got back to them.

"Then why are you resting? Let's hurry home while we're still warm. Luckily, where we're staying now isn't far from this bathhouse. You absolutely mustn't catch a cold before the New Year, especially you, my dear daughter, who's not in good health to begin with."

Xu Juan immediately said with some pride, "I've been eating well every day since winter vacation started, so I've recovered a bit and I'm not that fragile anymore. I won't catch a cold easily."

Xu Bei patted his younger sister's still slightly damp hair twice, "You little brat, don't you know how to talk back? Quickly spit a few times, put on your hat and scarf."

Xu Juan stuck out her tongue playfully. "I misspoke. Pshaw, pshaw, pshaw."

Then she obediently wrapped herself up tightly again.

Xu Bei quickly left the staff bathhouse with his mother and sister on his back, pedaling furiously home in the cold wind.

On the way, it was much easier for the three of them to talk, and they inevitably started talking about Song Guomei again.

"Son, from what I'm hearing, it seems that the young lady from the Song family got sick after she went to our store that day when your company came to mediate a divorce. Could it be related to the misunderstanding that they thought it was your boyfriend's fault?"

Even if Xu Bei suspected there was some connection, he couldn't tell his family the truth. He said firmly, "Definitely not. Getting cold in this freezing weather or being exposed to sudden changes in temperature can easily lead to a cold. Mom, please don't try to pin this on us for no reason."

Xu Juan, who was sitting on the front beam, felt her brother pat her cotton gloves, which were placed in the middle of the handlebars, after he finished speaking, and she tacitly echoed his words.

"Mom, I don't think so either. Don't overthink it. Instead, think about how many dishes we should prepare for our New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow, which is just the three of us."

With the siblings chatting back and forth, Zhao Fengying's attention was diverted, and the topic of the New Year's Eve dinner was brought up.

Although this year is different from previous years, with only the mother and her two children spending New Year's Eve together, they still want to make it as proper as possible.

Xu Bei especially wanted to show off his skills and prepare a unique New Year's Eve dinner, so he had already made a lot of preparations in advance.

Everything is ready now, except for the final push.

That evening, after they returned home, perhaps because they felt refreshed after taking a shower, they seemed to sleep much better.

Before going to sleep, Zhao Fengying made a special trip to Xu Bei's west room and placed the new socks, shirts, and undershirts she would wear the next morning next to her pillow.

Looking at the neatly stacked items, most of which came from the store, Xu Bei couldn't help but chuckle.

But at the same time, I felt a deep sense of maternal love, which I found very beautiful.

People often only realize the value of something after they've lost it.

He was incredibly lucky to have the chance to go back to the past.

Naturally, they cherish all of this.

A good night's sleep.

When Xu Bei woke up around six or seven o'clock the next morning, he was not awakened by sleeping until he naturally woke up. Instead, he was awakened by the aroma of food wafting into the room from the kitchen.

On the morning of Lunar New Year's Eve, the breakfast at home was extremely lavish.

Besides the radish balls that were fried a few days in advance, there were also sliced ​​pork hock that was plated, sprinkled with soy sauce, and steamed in a pot, as well as thawed and reheated potato ribs and freshly cooked frozen dumplings with sauerkraut and oil filling.

The square kang table was covered with tempting food, along with refreshing radishes and egg sauce.

Xu Bei and the others chatted and enjoyed their breakfast, feeling exceptionally relaxed and comfortable.

After the meal, the paste that had been specially cooked on the stove was ready.

Under Zhao Fengying's direction, the brother and sister put up the couplets inside and outside the house, as well as at the main gate.

Next, it was time to start preparing lunch.

Xu Bei only agreed to let his mother and sister help out; he did everything else himself.

By noon, all eight dishes—fried, stir-fried, and braised—had been served.

After setting off a string of firecrackers that fired several hundred shots in the courtyard, the New Year's Eve dinner for the family of three began...