Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 277 Spring Festival (Cumulative Rewards +)

Xiao Jun drove all of his employees' belongings back home, and with that, all the work for the year was done, and he could finally enjoy the New Year in peace.

Around noon, Xia Maosheng came over to wish Xiaowei's parents and Aunt Wang a Happy New Year. Xiaowei gave him a breakdown of his accounts and gave him 3,000 yuan. He had originally planned to give Xia Maosheng 10,000 yuan, but Xia Maosheng refused. He was quite satisfied with 3,000 yuan to have a prosperous New Year. Xia Maosheng knew he hadn't made much money this year, but to be honest, the total revenue was still quite surprising. Looking at it this way, he thought he had a good chance of making a fortune next year.

Old Guan was picked up by Sister Li and taken to Nanpiao for the New Year. Old Guan was satisfied and happy with his job, which made Sister Li very grateful to Xiao Wei's family. To be honest, with her husband and children not around, it was really difficult for her, a woman in her thirties, to work and take care of the elderly. She did office work, which, to put it bluntly, meant doing odd jobs for the boss. There was no clear work schedule; she had to be available whenever the boss called.

The only ones working right now are the boiler operators. Businesses can close, but the boilers can't be shut down. Try shutting it down for ten days and see what happens. There's no such thing as triple pay for working during the Spring Festival right now. If you're so capable, then don't go.

Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng discussed it and decided to give each boiler operator an extra two hundred yuan during the ten days of the Spring Festival. After all, this wasn't a company, and they had to be humane. The new boiler operator in the yard was named Wei Jianguo. It's said that many people of this generation have names like that, so they're easy to remember. He arrived just in time to receive supplies and money, and he was happy to be smiling all day long.

That evening, it was the same train again. Xiaowei, Xiaohong, and Xiaowei's dad went to the train station to pick up Uncle Wang.

Uncle Wang wasn't as unlucky as Aunt Wang; the train had heating, so he didn't suffer much and happily rode back to his courtyard. The two families were reunited, preparing to celebrate this New Year, which was very meaningful for both of them.

The women steamed buns and steamed cakes, made sticky rice cakes, fried meatballs, fried dough twists, and fried small twisted dough sticks, while the men cleaned fish and meat, prepared pig's trotters, pig's head, and pig's hock, plucked the hair, scalded the skin, and boiled them in a pot, making fragrant and tempting pig's head cake slices, braised pig's hock, braised pig's trotters, and stuffed blood sausage, egg sausage, meat sausage, and mixed sausage. For the past few days, the yard has been filled with a mouthwatering aroma that lingers for a long time.

The kitchen at home has been basically out of use. The four elders have moved their battleground to the chef training workshop, where there is plenty of space and many stoves, and the large stainless steel cutting board is so convenient that they can do whatever they want.

"Every year we celebrate the New Year, but this year's celebration was the most enjoyable. This is the place to do all this kind of work," Uncle Wang sighed as he worked.

Xiaowei's mother laughed and said, "That's easy. Just ask your son-in-law to build you a big house, and make the kitchen just as big."

Uncle Wang laughed and said, "That's great! You're not running a restaurant, so why build such a huge kitchen just for this one time a year?"

Aunt Wang said, "I'll stay here next year. Old Wang, you can go back and manage on your own. It's too comfortable here."

Uncle Wang's face twitched as he glanced at his wife.

Xiaowei's mother said, "Look how scared Lao Wang is, his face has turned pale. Don't scare him. Xiaowei, could you find someone to help your father-in-law get a job in Fengtian? This can't go on forever." Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang only have Xiaohong as their child, and Xiaohong will definitely stay in Fengtian in the future.

Xiao Wei said, "After the New Year, once things are settled on Uncle Chen's side, I'll find some time to ask him and see if he has any ideas."

Xiaowei's dad said, "If you can transfer, then transfer. If not, just quit after Xiaohong graduates. It's better to do something in Fengtian than to stay stuck in the county town. These days, as long as you have the skills, you're not afraid of having nothing to do."

Aunt Wang asked, "What about the household registration? Where will we live?"

Xiaowei's mother said, "There's a place to live. Our two families can live together. There's enough space. We can talk about household registration later. Will we starve without it?"

Aunt Wang said, "Of course, even if you don't live here, you have to make room for us. This is the only treasure I have that I'm giving to you."

Little Hong blushed and said to Aunt Wang, "Mom, what are you saying?"

Aunt Wang looked up at Xiaowei's mother and said, "Look, they're not even family yet."

Xiao Wei's mother wiped her hands, turned off the stove, and said, "Of course my daughter-in-law will side with me. Xiao Wei, have you put up the Spring Festival couplets yet?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "It's all up already, all the doors are covered. When I bought the couplets, the seller even asked, 'You have such a big house? Where do you have to put them up?' I said I'd only put them up on the first floor, not the second floor or above, it's too tiring."

The two families laughed together, and sure enough, neither of them had posted them on the upper floors.

Xiaowei's mother said, "Now that conditions have improved, it's like they've forgotten how to enjoy life. I've been really wanting to go back to my hometown to visit these past few days, I don't know why."

Aunt Wang rolled her eyes at Xiaowei's mother: "Showing off, huh? Now that you're rich and living in a big house and driving a car, how can you not go back and show off? You've always been the most show-offy since you were little, always wanting to tell the whole town about everything. Now that you're far away, you can't show off, so you're feeling uncomfortable, aren't you? Luckily, Xiaowei isn't like you."

Xiaowei's mother curled her lip and said, "So what if I'm showing off? My son is successful, so I have the right to be proud. Let those arrogant people see that we don't even look at their worth anymore."

Aunt Wang said, "There's no need. You're a city person now, you have everything you want, why bother arguing with a bunch of country bumpkins? It'll only lower your status. Let's go back together next summer when the roads are better."

Xiao Hong chuckled. Her mother said Xiao Wei's mother was showing off, but actually, she herself held a grudge the most.

Aunt Wang said to Xiao Hong, "What are you laughing at? You're such an ungrateful brat! Set the table and eat. Xiao Wei, go set off the firecrackers."

The sky was already darkening, the wind was still blowing, but the air was filled with a strong festive atmosphere. From afar, the occasional sound of firecrackers and children's laughter could be heard – it's Chinese New Year!

Xiao Wei, Xiao Hong, Xiao Wei's father, and Xiao Bing went outside.

Xiao Wei's father used a long stick to carry a string of five thousand red whips. As the head of the family, he was the one who had to hold the whip up.

Xiao Wei waited until his dad was ready, then went over and lit the firecrackers. After a puff of smoke, the firecrackers exploded crisply, billowing smoke, and red flowers instantly bloomed on the white snow. Xiao Bing covered his ears and stood to the side, jumping and shouting as he watched the firecrackers explode. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

This is the essence of the New Year.

Uncle Wang, Aunt Wang, and Xiaowei's mother stood at the entrance of the old building, looking at the four men on this side, each with a smile on their face.

After the firecrackers went off, the family went inside and began their sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.

"Cheers."

"Wishing us an even better year to come."

When Hao Xiaodong returned to the courtyard after going home for New Year's Eve dinner, dinner was already over, and the two families were gathered in the living room chatting and laughing as they made dumplings and watched the Spring Festival Gala.

Outside, bright red lanterns were lit high, and the courtyard was brightly lit.

(End of this chapter)