Chapter 74: New Year

Firecrackers sounded, bidding farewell to the old year.

Celebrating the New Year with great joy.

In the blink of an eye, it's New Year's Eve.

Those who truly treat New Year as a business.

Only the Yan Fugui family in the front courtyard.

Early in the morning.

Lao Kou flung the door wide open.

The couplets written these days were laid out one by one on the table by the door; besides the siheyuan neighbors buying them, residents of several nearby large courtyards are also Lao Yan's loyal customers.

The only one who can get Lao Kou's couplets for free.

Only Shazhu in the middle courtyard.

Originally Shazhu was a paying customer of Lao Kou, but the Jia family lost his bicycle, and after a string of blows from Xu Daming, the Jia family's sewing machine ended up belonging to He.

Seeing an opportunity for profit.

Only then did Lao Kou list Shazhu as a free recipient.

In Lao Kou's mind, trading a trivial couplet for Shazhu's friendship is a surefire profit, letting the Yan family freely order Shazhu's sewing machine.

Three years new, three years old, three years of mending and patching.

For some, the New Year.

It's merely a special day marking that they've grown a year older.

The truly happy ones are He Yushui and his gang of little brats, whom Shazhu has raised into a little pig‑headed girl; today they unusually didn't sleep in, and early morning rushed to Shazhu's house.

Also a nasty trick learned from Xu Daming.

First, fling the door wide open.

Seeing Shazhu still dazed and not getting up, she dipped her small hand in cold water, ran over to him, and draped her two icy little paws on his face.

His face suddenly felt cold.

Shazhu sprang up from the bed, and a comical scene ensued: the bedboards seemed to collapse, as if he'd punched a hole through them.

"Yushui."

"I'm wishing you a happy New Year." Realizing she'd caused trouble, He Yushui had a bright idea, clasped her hands, and said, "Happy New Year."

"Even though it's Happy New Year, we can't do this; my face suddenly had two cold claws—I thought something was wrong—please close the door."

He Yushui closed the door.

Her little face stared at Shazhu, pouting.

Feigning grievance.

"I know what you want; I left it by your bedside—didn't you see?"

"When did this happen?"

"Last night after ten, I brought over some coal briquettes and, on the side, delivered your new clothes and shoes."

The little girl didn't wait for Shazhu to finish.

She turned and ran to the next room.

Shazhu then heard a cheer.

After that, all fell silent.

He thought of tussling with the bedding, but after a moment's thought he dismissed it, got dressed, got out of bed, opened the door, and almost every household was filled with New Year joy.

The only place lacking New Year cheer.

Only the deaf old lady's home in the rear courtyard.

Since the deaf old lady was taken away several days ago, the siheyuan has heard nothing about her; on the contrary, Yan Fugui in the front courtyard told Shazhu that she was receiving this education on the street, meaning her hoarding fifty jin of flour and fifty jin of rice was meant to smear the authorities.

"When will she return?"

"I don't know."

Without the deaf old lady, the siheyuan is missing a troublemaker.

"San Daye, congratulations on your progress."

"Shazhu, that's not right; we say 'Happy New Year' today, and 'congratulations on your progress' tomorrow." While speaking, Yan Fugui's hands weren't idle, handing Shazhu a couplet: "I'll give you a couplet for free."

He said that last part very softly.

He probably was overheard, which delayed Yan Fugui's spring-couplet business.

"United we build, wholeheartedly eradicate illiteracy." Shazhu, reading the couplet, praised: "Good characters, well written."

"As the person, so the character; as the character, so the person. Before seeing the person, seeing the character reveals a third."

"San Daye, you're truly a cultured person; I'm impressed." Seeing that Yan Fugui's home still had starch paste, Shazhu thought it uneconomical to boil his own just to paste a couplet, and said: "San Daye, may I borrow your starch paste."

"Two taels of flour."

"I'll bring you some water tonight."

"Take it."

Shazhu took Lao Kou's starch paste and, in a few quick moves, pasted the couplet on the door.

Jia Zhangshi of the Jia family deliberately spat toward Shazhu, though she knew the distance was too great to actually hit him.

She just wanted to disgust Shazhu.

During the New Year.

Jia Zhangshi first wanted to make you unhappy.

The Jia family's relationship with Shazhu isn't good; after the transmigration, the notion that Jia Zhangshi was still like a normal person has been exhausted by her recent provocations.

Although they haven't completely severed ties.

But it's about the same.

The fuss gave Yi Zhonghai a headache.

One is the elderly care candidate favored by Yi Zhonghai, another is a backup in the elderly care plan, and the hypocrite stuck in the middle really feels a bit torn between two sides.

Want to ease tensions.

Unless Yi Zhonghai pays for Shazhu's bicycle or buys a new sewing machine for the Jia family, both Shazhu's household and Jia Dongxu's household must have Yi Zhonghai shell out real cash.

Yi Zhonghai isn't yet the future Level 8 Technician who makes ninety-nine dollars a month, and besides, the current banknotes still aren't worth much.

Just two words.

No money.

Shazhu chuckled and greeted the old lady, said a few pleasant words, then shifted the topic to sewing.

"Old lady, I wanted to learn sewing from you that day."

"Shazhu, you're a perfectly good cook—why become a tailor?"

"Xu Damao, where are you headed?"

"Going to the toilet."

"Don't go, it's too crowded—there's a queue."

Xu Damao sized up Shazhu, pointing at his couplet and said, "That couplet was bought by the San Daye household."

Without waiting for Shazhu's reply.

Xu Damao went on to say, "It's the New Year—I'm also going to buy a couplet."

"Xu Damao, take this over to San Daye."

"Shazhu, you really can boss people around."

When Xu Damao took the Jianghu pot, he also glanced at Yi Zhonghai and his spouse beside him.

Shazhu suddenly recalled Xu Damao's earlier mention of wanting to help Yi Zhonghai and his wife adopt a child; after all this time, he had mistakenly thought Xu Damao had forgotten.

It's the New Year.

Xu Damao had previously said he'd give Yi Zhonghai and his wife a surprise.

If he brings a child along.

In Xu Damao's mind, the joy piled on joy turned into this fright.

Want to remind Xu Damao.

Xu Damao took off running toward the front courtyard.

"Zhuzi, the toilet is really full."

"Eldest Master, I'm just messing around with Xu Damao, huh?"

"You little Zhuzi, you!" the old lady laughed and scolded Shazhu, "Right, you just said you wanted to learn sewing?"

Shazhu gave Jia Zhangshi, who was eavesdropping with her ear cocked, a sideways glance, then deliberately brought up the sore point: "There's an extra sewing machine at home—can't just leave it idle; we have to put it to use, or else it'll break."