Chapter 587: , New Year's Eve, the thoughtful little sister-in-law

It was already afternoon when they returned from the town, a bit late. The second sister was busy in the kitchen making New Year's Eve dinner, and grandma and Zijin were helping out.

Tian Rune was killing a chicken in the courtyard, and Yang Yingwen's mother was squatting on the side. The two were plucking chicken feathers while chatting and complaining.

The children at the crossroads had already run wild through the village, and wherever they ran, the sound of firecrackers followed. Several neighbors' manure pits suffered, and several roaring adults holding brooms chased after them.

According to custom, the New Year's Eve dinner in Shangwan Village must have chicken, meat, and fish. Pork blood balls, radishes, and egg dumplings were standard dishes. Other dishes depended on the situation; families with good conditions made more, and those struggling to make a living could only scoop up the same dishes. There couldn't be loaches, eels, or the like, saying that in the eyes of the ancestors, these things were insects and were highly disrespectful.

Li Heng stayed in the courtyard for a while and couldn't help but ask Yang's mother: "Auntie, have you contacted Yingwen?"

Yang's mother's face didn't look good: "I did contact her, Xiao Han helped make the call, but Yingwen is unwilling to come back."

Li Heng asked: "Did you tell her about Uncle's illness?"

"I told her, but she's still unwilling to come back." Yang's mother still remembered her youngest daughter's cold words.

Yang Yingwen said on the phone: If he really dies, don't put my name on it when performing rituals and sacrifices; just act as if I don't exist.

Yang's mother cried on the phone and wanted to persuade her, but was blocked by Yang Yingwen's sentence: "The 11 scars on my back don't allow me to have feelings."

The 11 scars were very deep; the short ones were the length of a finger, and the long ones crisscrossed the entire back. They were all whipped out by Yang's father with great effort when she was a child.

How to put it?

In the words of the neighbors, Yang's father really didn't treat Yang Yingwen as a human being back then. When he had conflicts outside, was scolded as childless outside, he would vent his anger on his youngest daughter when he came back, beating her first regardless of whether he was right or wrong, usually beating her to death.

The old branch secretary once couldn't stand it and took dozens of relatives and villagers to tie Yang's father up, wanting him to write a guarantee to stop beating the child like that in the future. But it was useless; he would still beat her if he wanted to, and no one could stop him.

Tian Rune asked: "What kind of illness is it exactly?"

"He has a stubborn temper, unwilling to go to the hospital. Yang Xinlu came over to see him and said it's very likely lung disease. He has been coughing up blood these past few nights, and in the middle of the night, he hurts like a pig being slaughtered. When he hurts, he gets up and smashes bowls and doors, catching me and scolding me. But last night he had no strength and couldn't get up. I just watched from the side, not sad, and no tears. Rune, you tell me, is my heart made of iron?" Yang's mother rambled on. Regarding this matter of her youngest daughter, she hated her husband to death.

But as a rural woman, Yang's mother had no education and didn't know many characters. If there was no man in the house, she would be easily bullied in the village. After thinking about it, she was conflicted, not knowing whether to hope for her husband to die or to hope for his recovery? But every time she burned incense and divined, she would still kneel before the shrine to pray for her husband.

Oh, Yang Xinlu was the village's barefoot doctor. It is said that he was once a military doctor in the army, but later snatched a wife from his leader. When he couldn't snatch her, he secretly eloped with the woman, giving up his iron rice bowl and becoming a doctor in the village. However, his medical skills were quite brilliant and he was famous in the surrounding ten miles and eight villages.

The eldest brother-in-law sent the bookcase over. Li Heng touched it here and there, feeling it was quite sturdy, and was very happy, immediately calling people to move it to the study on the second floor.

Starting at 4 o'clock in the evening, firecrackers were set off one after another in the village, and they began to celebrate New Year's Eve.

The Li family didn't eat until it was dark. 12 bowls were placed on the table, none of them the same, very sumptuous. Li Heng held the firecrackers, and Chen Zijin used incense to light them several times before they ignited. Amidst the crackling, the family sat at the table and began to eat New Year's Eve dinner.

Before eating, grandma took out red envelopes and handed them to Li Heng and Chen Zijin, "May you have abundance every year, may you be auspicious every year, wishing you two love stronger than gold, and to grow old together."

Chen Zijin received the red envelope with joy, "Thank you, grandma."

Li Heng received the red envelope and touched it; it was about 120 yuan, and he immediately handed it to Zijin: "Wife, help me keep it."

Under the gaze of grandma, Li Jianguo, Tian Rune, and the second sister, Chen Zijin blushed and hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted it. Then she turned around and picked up a piece of bacon with bones for Li Heng.

Bones, on New Year's Eve, represent wealth and joy, and the meaning is extremely good.

New Year's Eve dinner is extremely particular; bones cannot fall to the ground, and chopsticks cannot be put down from the table. If there are children in the family, one must pay attention to these. Often, an adult accompanies them throughout the process to watch.

When they were halfway through the lively meal, crying sounds came from the Liang family next door, it was Aunt Fatty's heart-rending voice. Curious neighbors went to investigate, and soon a piece of gossip spread in the village: Aunt Fatty had worked hard to make New Year's Eve dinner, but when she turned around, her husband and daughter-in-law were gone, and the valuable things in the house were also gone. They eloped!

Er Laizi, famous in the village, put his hand to his mouth and shouted loudly: "It's bad! It's bad! The father-in-law ran away with the daughter-in-law!"

This was the first joke of the New Year in 1989. Everyone was dumbfounded, but they were also not surprised.

After the meal, Li Heng asked Zijin: "Are you going over tonight?"

Going over, referring to going to the Chen family across the street.

Chen Zijin said "um," then took advantage of others not paying attention and secretly kissed him on the corner of his mouth: "I'll be back around 9 o'clock, hubby remember to leave the door for me."

Li Heng touched her hair tips dotingly: "What door to leave, you are my wife, of course I have to wait for you in the courtyard."

"Okay." Chen Zijin kissed him again with joy and returned to the Chen family.

After Zijin left, the second sister "swooshed" and moved a stool to sit beside him, asking with concern: "I heard from Mom, is Yu Laoshi really spending the New Year at Teacher Wang's house in Shaoshi?"

Li Heng said: "Yes."

The second sister reached out her hand.

Li Heng was confused: "What's wrong?"

Li Lan said: "Show me the note Yu Laoshi left."

Li Heng opened her hand unpleasantly: "Do you think I'm stupid? Zijin is by my side, how can I keep that kind of note on me?"

Li Lan felt it made sense and said in an envious tone: "I used to just perfunctorily deal with Yu Laoshi, but this time she made me look at her with new eyes."

Li Heng asked: "Perfunctorily?"

Li Lan stretched: "Of course. A woman from such a family background is so precious, how could she really be with you? She didn't feel as solid to me as Zijin and Xiao Han, but now I don't think so."

Li Heng listened in a daze and didn't speak.

"By the way, I saw Wang Ye last night," Li Lan said abruptly.

Li Heng turned his head, "Why mention her?"

Li Lan said: "This woman is a good hand at doing business. I specially went to learn from her, and by the way, had a meal with Yingwen."

Li Heng said: "That's true, she is a high-achieving student from Harvard Business School, and has been the head of Hong Kong's 'Ming Pao' for many years, so her experience is naturally rich."