The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Jiang Yiqiu returned to Qinghe Village around 3 p.m. Every year, Chen Xing would cook the New Year's Eve dinner.

Wang Xiufen was assisting Chen Xing when she saw Jiang Yiqiu return, so she ran off to play with the children.

Jiang Yiqiu opened the trunk and called Chen Shi to get the fireworks.

Wang Xiufen hurriedly called to Chen Xing: "Stop cooking, it's still early. Hurry up and grab the basket, carry two boxes of fireworks back."

"Why take fireworks back with us when we're celebrating the New Year together? We can set them off here together."

"We celebrate the Lunar New Year here, and we also light incense and candles and set off fireworks at home."

Urged on by Wang Xiufen, Chen Xing picked up his basket and went outside.

"Xiao Shi, I'll carry two boxes of fireworks over."

Chen Shi looked at Chen Xing: "Brother, the fireworks are for you guys to take back; you carry them back."

Chen Shi placed the two boxes of fireworks on his back basket, and Chen Xing carried them back.

Wang Xiufen followed them back, feeling very pleased with herself, having gotten two boxes of fireworks for free.

Back home, Chen Xing put down the fireworks: "Did you give Yi Qiu any money?"

"Her family sells fireworks, and it's very cheap to buy wholesale, so she was too embarrassed to ask me for some."

"Just because she doesn't want it doesn't mean you won't give it to her?"

"If she doesn't want it, why should I give it to her? It's not like I have a lot of money and nowhere to put it."

Chen Xing said sternly, "Don't be greedy for such petty gains."

"We're all family. She'll just take it back and put it away anyway. It doesn't matter where she puts it."

Chen Xing picked up his basket and left. When he arrived at his parents' house, Jiang Yiqiu was washing vegetables. Chen Xing put down the basket and said, "Yiqiu, how much are the fireworks? I'll get them for you."

"Brother, the fireworks were a gift from my parents, they're free."

"They're in business, so we have to pay them at least their cost price. We can't let them lose money." Chen Xing took out two hundred and handed it to Jiang Yiqiu.

Jiang Yiqiu didn't take it: "Brother, it's just two boxes of fireworks, I don't want your money."

Wang Xiufen rushed over and snatched the money from Chen Xing's hand.

"Yi Qiu already said he doesn't want money. We're all family. It would be too formal to give him money."

Chen Xing glared at Wang Xiufen, calling her a brainless idiot.

He said to Jiang Yiqiu, "Yiqiu, you just got back, go and rest. I'll cook the New Year's Eve dinner."

Wang Xiufen chimed in from the side, "Your brother studied to be a chef and worked as a head chef in a hotel. Yi Qiu, let him do it and go rest."

Jiang Yiqiu smiled and nodded, then went to help Chen Shi put up the door gods.

Chen Xing worked at a hotel, but not as a head chef; he was a knife-wielder who prepared ingredients for the head chef.

He prepared twelve dishes, and they were ready by 6:00 AM.

The family sat together to eat their New Year's Eve dinner.

Chen Yanshi was very happy. His youngest son had become the deputy county magistrate this year, which in ancient times would have been equivalent to a county magistrate, in charge of hundreds of thousands of people.

What made him even happier was that his youngest son got married, and his daughter-in-law was also a leader, the principal of the No. 1 Middle School. He was very satisfied with Jiang Yiqiu, and when he came back, he didn't put on airs. He was very respectful to his parents, calling them "Mom and Dad" affectionately.

She's quick and efficient, always eager to do chores, and cooks excellent meals—far better than her second son and daughter-in-law.

Feeling happy, I drank a couple more glasses, my face flushed, and I was getting tipsy.

Seeing this, Wang Guihua asked, "Are you drunk? Go to your room and rest."

"I'm not drunk. It's Chinese New Year today, and I'm having a happy New Year's Eve dinner. My two sons and daughters-in-law both have jobs and work for the government. Yiqiu is even a leader. Our mission is accomplished, and we can be retired old folks. We won't farm anymore; we'll just grow some vegetables for ourselves."

Wang Xiufen wanted to say, "You're only sixty, and you're already thinking about eating for free? Isn't that a bit premature?" But a glare from Chen Xing silenced her. Daring to disrupt the harmonious atmosphere at this moment, Chen Xing would give Wang Xiufen a good beating when they got back. That woman, she gets itchy if she's not disciplined for three days.

Wang Guihua said, "I can't stay idle, I still need to farm some land. We're only sixty, but in the village, people in their seventies and eighties are all working in the fields."

Chen Shi put down his wine glass: "Dad, Mom, you've had a tough life. You suffered a lot when you were young. Now that you're older, things are better. If you want to farm, you can farm a little. If you don't want to farm, you don't have to. I'll give you three thousand a month for living expenses."

Wang Guihua quickly said, "No, we can still work. Besides, in the countryside, we can't even spend a thousand a month. Three thousand is too much."

Xiao Shi, you're a leader, there are many places where money is spent. You need to save your money so that you can use it in case of an emergency.

Wang Xiufen said, "Mom, Xiaoshi and Yiqiu are both high-ranking leaders, earning at least tens of thousands a month. They don't have any children to support, so giving you three thousand a month is the same as giving you three hundred."

Chen Shi looked at Wang Xiufen: "Second sister-in-law, your monthly salary is tens of thousands. Did you pay it for us? As a relative of a leader, you shouldn't speak so carelessly in public. You need to be mindful of your image, understand?"

Wang Xiufen was still afraid of Chen Shi and didn't dare to talk back. She lowered her head and cursed inwardly, "You're a leader outside, but when you come home, you still act like a leader. You take tens of thousands of yuan, but you don't give me a penny. What does it have to do with me?"

Chen Xing added, "When you go outside, don't talk nonsense."

Wang Xiufen said softly, "I'm only saying it at home. I'm not stupid enough to say these things outside."

Chen Yanshi was drunk and very talkative, so the brothers Chen Shi and Chen Xing helped him to rest.

Wang Guihua stood up to clear the dishes, and Jiang Yiqiu said, "Mom, I'll do it, you rest."

"I didn't do much today, I'm not tired."

Wang Guihua and Jiang Yiqiu washed the dishes together, while Wang Xiufen played with the children.

After Jiang Yiqiu washed the dishes, Chen Shi asked her to prepare two New Year's red envelopes for Xiaomi Le and Xiao Huihui.

Make two packets for your parents too, for good luck during the New Year.

Chen Xing also gave two red envelopes to his parents. He originally wanted to give them a thousand yuan, but Wang Xiufen thought that was too much and gave them a hundred yuan instead, just as a token.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, villagers came to visit one after another, and the place suddenly became lively.

All the prominent figures in the village came, including village committee cadres like Tian Guangming, all of whom came to sit down with Chen Shi.

Chen Shi gave each of the villagers who came to visit a pack of cigarettes, and they all spoke highly of Chen Shi when they went back home.

Chen Xing played cards with the villagers, while Wang Xiufen watched from the side. When she won money, she smiled from ear to ear; when she lost money, she had a gloomy face, as if someone owed her hundreds of thousands of yuan.

When Chen Shi returned, he wanted to rest well. He chatted with the villagers until after 11 p.m., then went to sleep. After he went to sleep, everyone else left.

Jiang Yiqiu had gone to bed early, but when he saw Chen Shi coming to sleep, he sat up.

"I'm going to the temple with my mom to burn incense tomorrow. Are you coming?"

"You can go. I'll stay home with my parents for the day, and then go back to the county town early on the second day of the Lunar New Year."

Now when I come back for the Lunar New Year, there's no festive atmosphere at all. I used to look forward to it so much when I was a child, but that feeling is gone forever.

"When I was a child, we were poor and could only eat good food during the Chinese New Year. Now that conditions are better, we can eat whatever we want every day, but of course, we don't have that feeling of the Chinese New Year anymore."

Look how happy your niece and nephew are. They look forward to the New Year just like we did when we were kids, because they get to wear new clothes and play with new toys.

Chen Shi changed into his pajamas: "The most foolish thing I did when I was a child was to look forward to growing up. Once I grew up, I was no longer happy. When I was a child, whether I was poor or rich, I was always happy."

"People have to grow up; they can't stay in childhood forever."

Jiang Yiqiu threw himself into Chen Shi's arms and went back to sleep, as he could never sleep soundly alone.