Chapter 982: New Year

"What is this for?"

"I don't know either. Dad and I just caught a goose. She was sitting on a small stool watching well. When we took straw to tie the goose's wings and feet, Dad took out the kitchen knife, and she suddenly screamed, then rushed over to hug the big goose's neck. Fortunately, I was wearing gloves and holding its head, otherwise it would have pecked her directly."

Ye Yaodong looked at Ye Xiaoxi who continued to hug the big goose's neck crying and shouting with a confused face, tears already hanging all over her face.

"Can't kill Whitey~ my Whitey~"

"When did she get such good feelings for the big white goose?"

Lin Xiuqing also felt confused, "I don't know either."

The old lady said happily, "Probably because she followed me every day to drive the big goose back to the nest, she developed feelings and couldn't bear to have it killed."

"Whitey~ 555~ don't kill~"

"Hurry up and hold her away..." Ye's father held the knife and couldn't start, his face full of crying and laughing, "If this were any other child, they would be happily shouting about having meat to eat. This little girl is quite funny."

"Don't, don't~"

Ye Xiaoxi hugged the goose's neck with one hand and wanted to hit Ye's father with the other, but couldn't reach, so she could only wave several times in mid-air, her face full of tears, looking funny no matter how you looked at it.

The adults on the side also laughed.

Lin Xiuqing reached out to hold her, but she hugged the goose's neck tightly with both hands and wouldn't let go no matter what.

"Stop messing around, kill it and stew it for you to eat meat tonight."

"Don't eat Whitey~ don't eat, bad person..."

She stretched out her hand and went to hit Lin Xiuqing.

Everyone looked helpless and funny.

"Hold her away, hold her away, just don't let her see it..."

"Don't~ don't~" Ye Xiaoxi screamed heartbreakingly again.

Ye Yaodong had a headache looking at it, "How can I kill it? Otherwise kill a chicken? The ducks all ran to the seaside, it's not easy to catch them before they return to the nest at night."

"Don't, my chicken chicken~ duck duck~"

"You are a girl, no chicken chicken." Ye Chengyang said on the side.

"My chicken chicken!"

"Can't kill any?"

Ye Xiaoxi nodded at Ye Yaodong with teary eyes, still hugging the big goose, raising her head. "Can't kill."

"Then what to do? If we don't kill, there will be no meat to eat tonight."

"Can't kill~"

Ye Yaodong looked at Lin Xiuqing, asking her what to do with his eyes.

"Why look at me? I have no way either. Who told you to kill in front of her."

"I didn't know she would be like this, crying like this over killing a goose. I don't know if she will cry like this when I die in the future."

"I don't know if she will cry like this when you die. Anyway, the green chicken Chenghu raised last year died, and he cried like a mess, even found a place to bury it specially, and inserted three sticks of incense, saving his snacks to offer to it. Kill or not, you decide."

Ye Yaodong looked at Ye Chenghu, Ye Chenghu also smiled, "Dad, you..."

"Shut up, I didn't ask you."

He had already anticipated what Ye Chenghu was going to say, interrupted him in advance, and then looked at Ye Xiaoxi.

"Then don't kill, is it okay to kill someone else's?"

Ye Xiaoxi nodded hurriedly with teary eyes.

"Then let go."

Only then did she willingly let go, but still stood in place vigilantly watching.

"Then I will lock it up first, and then let you play with it for a while, is that okay?"

She nodded.

"Then wipe your tears and snot, it's dirty."

She hurriedly stretched out her arms, wiping the tears and snot on her face onto her sleeves. Lin Xiuqing couldn't stop her in time, just watching her sleeves shining, her face full of disgust.

"Couldn't you wipe her?"

"Where do I have extra hands? Didn't I still hold the big white goose? If I let go, this big white goose would peck me."

Ye's father looked at him speechlessly, "Then really don't kill? Then what to eat tonight? Chicken and duck also can't be killed, you are going to spoil them. They are so small, you say don't kill, and you don't kill. When they are a little bigger and want stars, you will also climb to the sky to pick them for her."

"Cough!" Ye Yaodong gave his father a look.

Delaying things! Ye's father glared at him angrily, looked at the little one who was eyeing them like a tiger, and had to carry the knife into the house first.

Ye Xiaoxi was still staring at the spot, and he complied with her wish, took the bamboo basket on the side, and directly covered the goose underneath.

"Is this okay?"

Ye Xiaoxi nodded satisfactorily, "Okay."

He shook his head, also entered the house first, and then said to Ye's father: "Wait until she is not paying attention, or when she goes out to play, then kill it."

"Mm."

Lin Xiuqing also entered the house to continue working.

Ye Yaodong leaned to her side, watching her take the kitchen knife and start chopping fish meat, "Is it to make fish balls?"

"Right, Acai brought two big mackerel this morning, so I thought about making fish balls directly, making a basin to eat for a few days, to avoid finishing it after cooking at night. There will be no fish to eat in the next few days without going to sea. If you have nothing to do, come and chop."

"That's fine."

Ye Xiaoxi was also relieved to see the big white goose was fine, and then squatted in front of it and muttered, not knowing what she was saying, occasionally patting the bamboo basket a few times.

It was almost New Year's, and the old lady was the most idle in the whole family, sitting at the door watching her.

Until she heard the sound of firecrackers set off by children outside, she was attracted, got up and ran outside, and then joined the crazy running.

The old lady hurriedly knocked on the window to report, "Hurry up, hurry up, Xiaojiu ran out to play, if you want to kill the goose, kill it quickly."

Ye Yaodong immediately wiped the fish paste on the knife surface, casually took a rag to wipe it, then carried the knife out, and he and Ye's father hurriedly took the basket away, and then skillfully killed the big goose and let out the blood.

During this period, the old lady stood outside the courtyard gate to keep watch, and took the opportunity to watch Ye Xiaoxi.

It was almost New Year's, and killing chickens, ducks, and geese was quite normal, every household was like this, but their family made it like being a thief, having to kill when the child was not around, and having someone at the door to keep watch.

"You guys be quick, the boiling water in the pot is already burned." The old lady stretched her neck to keep watch while urging the father and son in the courtyard.

Ye's father muttered helplessly, "Made it like stealing someone else's goose, when it's on the table at night, won't it be eaten just the same? Maybe it will be eaten more deliciously than anyone else."

"That's different, if you don't see it, you don't know what meat it is. When she comes back and sees it's gone, take her to the back door to see, there are three more at the back door."

"Hurry up and scald it with boiling water to pluck the hair. It's so big, plucking the hair will take a while, don't let her see it, otherwise she will cry and roll on the ground."

The father and son were really like thieves, even plucking the hair together, making a quick decision, and also pricking their ears to listen to the movement outside.

It was also fortunate that their family enclosed a small courtyard, and the outside couldn't see the inside.

When Ye Xiaoxi was tired of running outside and thought about coming back to find her mother, the father and son had already cleaned up the battlefield, and the big goose was also plucked and put in a water bucket, carried to the table, ensuring she couldn't see a shadow.

"Where is Whitey?"

"My Whitey?"

"Great-Grandma, where is Whitey?"

Ye Xiaoxi turned the whole courtyard over, looking everywhere, every basket had to be rummaged through, even the dog kennel was not spared, grabbing the little black dog's head and pulling it out, sticking her head in to look.

"At the back door, put it at the back door," the old lady smiled and slowly stepped forward to lead her, "I'll take you to see."

Ye Xiaoxi followed the old lady to the back door with a face full of doubt.

Ye Yaodong sat on the recliner with his legs crossed watching television, watching her being deceived with a face full of smiles.

She saw the big geese at the back door strolling leisurely, and sure enough, she was satisfied. After taking a look, she ran out to play again, not knowing at all that one was missing.

Until the New Year's Eve dinner was on the table in the afternoon, it was punctured by Ye Chenghu's sentence that the goose meat was really delicious, and she was teary-eyed again.

"No, Whitey is there."

"Our family has five, Dad killed one a few days ago, and killed one today."

"No~" Ye Xiaoxi's eyes were filled with tears, stubbornly refuting.

Ye Yaodong glared at his eldest son, "Eating can't even block your mouth, which eye of yours saw us kill the goose?"

"Really, I saw the goose feathers you picked up, this basin on the table is goose meat."

Ye Xiaoxi instantly cried out with a wow, but when the meat in her mouth was about to fall, she caught it with her hand and stuffed it back, bit it a few times and continued to cry.

"What are you crying for, you've eaten so much."

"Ye Chenghu, if you speak again, the lucky money will be halved later."

Ye Chenghu immediately covered his mouth, vaguely saying: "I won't say."

Lin Xiuqing also coaxed the little fatty in her arms, "Don't listen to brother's lies, this is someone else's goose, not ours. Didn't you see our family's goose? It's still there."

Ye Xiaoxi chewed the meat in her mouth while shedding tears, "Really?"

"Really, eat quickly, this was bought."

She shrugged her shoulders, slowly retracted her tears, and continued to eat the fragrant meat, eating all the meat in the bowl, and even used chopsticks to insert two fish balls before leaving the table.

"After eating, you must bring the chopsticks back, you can't play with chopsticks, do you know?"

"Mm mm."

Ye Chenghu also hurriedly put down the chopsticks, "I'm done eating too, where is my lucky money?"

"After eating, go take a bath, and I'll give you the lucky money after taking a bath."

"Still have to wait until after taking a bath... I've waited for a day..." Ye Chenghu looked at his mother's eyes, could only suppress his urgency, and went to fetch water to take a bath first. He was afraid that if he protested for a while, the lucky money would be halved again.

Ye Chengyang also hurriedly put down the chopsticks and followed to take a bath, the new clothes hadn't even been put on yet.

"Remember to bring the sleeves, if you roll on the ground again after taking a bath and get the new clothes dirty, you will wear broken clothes tomorrow on the first day of the New Year."

The two responded while fetching water.

They ate the New Year's Eve dinner relatively early. After eating, it wasn't dark yet. Lin Xiuqing was afraid that the two children would play too dirty and wouldn't be able to last until tonight, so she didn't call them to take a bath so early, planning to let them go after the New Year's Eve dinner, so maybe they could last until tomorrow.

After taking a bath, Ye Xiaoxi also put on a beautiful big red flower cotton-padded jacket, tied a small tuft on the top of her head, and clipped a red hair clip, looking extra festive.

It's just that she was still young, Lin Xiuqing was afraid that she would get dirty after playing behind the big children for a while, so she specially put an apron on her before she went out, so that if it was dirty, it was just the apron that was dirty.

She only gave them 50 cents each for lucky money, and Ye Xiaoxi only had 5 cents, just to mean it.

The children next door came over after the meal to call Ye Chenghu and the others. She also took the opportunity to give them one yuan each, as usual, to avoid the neighbors not being able to give.

Before they went out to play, she also urged them that if the aunts gave them lucky money, remember to bring it back and tell her, don't put it in their pockets, it would be lost if they ran around outside.

All three responded well, but until it was completely dark and almost time to sleep, no one ran back.

After the meal, Lin Xiuqing started burning gold and silver treasures, then cleaned up, and had to take advantage of the night to wash all the family's clothes, to avoid piling up for the New Year, and had no time to manage the children.

When she finished, the children couldn't be found, and the husband was nowhere to be seen. She had to look for the children all over the village, not idle for a moment.

After the meal, Ye Yaodong took a bath and went to find friends to play cards, and didn't return until twelve o'clock at night after offering incense at the Mazu Temple.

Just as he pushed open the bedroom door, Lin Xiuqing's chattering sound rang out.

"Slipped away after eating, ran away without a shadow, don't even know how to look at the children."

"Didn't slip away after eating, I also took a bath before leaving. What do the children need to look at? Just play by themselves. Whose children play with adults following behind? Let them play by themselves, anyway, they know to come back when sleeping, and know where the house door opens."

He started taking off his clothes as soon as he locked the door.

"Do you know where those few went to play at night?"

"Where?"

"They went to the dry toilet to set off firecrackers and bomb the shit, causing me to look everywhere and not find them. As a result, other people's children found me to complain, saying that our family's group of children bombed other people's children with shit all over."

Ye Yaodong couldn't help laughing, "Isn't this quite normal? Isn't it fine if they didn't bomb themselves? Anyway, the shit is on other people, at most drag them back and hit them. Taking advantage of before the New Year, tightening their skin is also good, otherwise, if you want to hit them on the first day of the New Year, you can't hit them."

"Playing with everything every day, but on the New Year, everyone has pocket money, your daughter's pocket money I put was coaxed away by the two boys."

"Then really have to hit."

"Even the lucky money given to them by the eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law at night was hidden secretly, and they didn't come back to tell me, for fear that I would collect it for them."

"And then?"

He climbed onto the bed, took a look at Ye Xiaoxi sleeping in the corner, covered her with the quilt, and then pulled the quilt to cover himself.

"I went to the dry toilet to bring them all back, asked them and they didn't say, even ran upstairs to hide. I just asked your daughter if she had a red envelope, she said brother took it away."

"The two children then ran from upstairs to the stairs, threw her two red envelopes down, and stiffly said it was for her to keep, to avoid her losing it."

"When I asked for their red envelopes, they wouldn't say no matter what, and ran upstairs to lock the bedroom door, and didn't come down all night. This is aiming at not being able to hit on the first day of the New Year."

Ye Yaodong couldn't help laughing again, "Quite a lot of heart, even knowing to survive tonight first."

"Wait a few days and hit them together, can hide from the first day, can't hide from the fifteenth."

"Anyway, they have to be hit after being brought back, so it's better to hold the lucky money tighter."

Ye Yaodong had warmth and fragrance in his arms, and his hands were not honest.

Lin Xiuqing slapped his hand away, glared at him, "You taught them like this."

"Where did I teach them, they understood it themselves."

"Unwilling to take out their own money to buy firecrackers, took the five cents I put in your daughter's pocket to buy, but your daughter only said brother took it, and couldn't say specifically. Ah Hai and the others were beaten and jumped around to hide, and told me, only then did I know."

"Then have to hit."

"Don't play hooligan, just finished yesterday..."

"Aren't you looking forward to the cross-year cannon? If I don't perform well at night, won't you be disappointed?"

"The time has long passed, doesn't count as cross-year cannon..."

"That doesn't matter, it was cross-year cannon in previous years, this year changed to the first cannon of the New Year, it's the first day, of course, have to hit the first cannon of this year, this is 1985, cooperate well, exert your young woman's temptation..."

Lin Xiuqing couldn't hear the words young woman now. Originally quite serious two words, when he said them, it made people think of floating..."

The next morning, Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang went downstairs to wash their faces and brush their teeth as if nothing had happened. Lin Xiuqing's cold eyes were ignored by them, and they were still laughing and saying Happy New Year, congratulations on getting rich.

"You two can probably only laugh until the fifth day."

Ye Yaodong also squeezed toothpaste, followed behind them to brush his teeth, and the father and three sons squatted in a row neatly.

"Dad, doesn't everyone say seven days, can't you let us be happy for two more days..."

"Bah," he knocked over with a five-hammer, "Shut your stinky mouth, it's unlucky for the New Year."

"What's wrong? I didn't do anything." Ye Chenghu covered his head, looking at his father blankly, he didn't know what he said wrong.

"If you said that directly to your mother, you don't have to pass this year."

"Why?"

"Wait until after the fifteenth to ask your mother."

Ye Chengyang asked hesitantly: "Dad, will Mom forget about the lucky money in a few days?"

"Do you think she will forget?"

Ye Chengyang blinked, his face full of sadness.

Ye Chenghu said vaguely with a mouth full of bubbles: "Aren't we going to visit mother's family for the New Year? We can stay at mother's family for a few days, and come back after school starts, Mom will definitely forget."

"Thinking quite beautifully, who wants to keep you for a few days? Play well these few days, tighten your skin after the New Year, anyway, everything that should be happy has been had."

"Then I will spend the money, when Mom wants to take my money to marry me a wife, she won't be able to get it, otherwise I will be beaten for nothing."

"Don't want a wife?"

"Don't want, my money is to buy firecrackers."

"Very good, don't ask me for money when you grow up, saying you want to pick up girls."

"Hehe, Dad, we are all wearing new clothes, are we going to take a big group photo today?"

"Yes, wait for your grandfather and grandma to come over, we will take a big group photo after breakfast."

Ye Chengyang said excitedly: "Dad, I want to sit in the motorcycle and take a picture!"

Ye Chenghu also hurriedly raised his hand, "Me too! I also want to stand next to the tractor and take a picture!"

"Okay."

The big items added this year of course have to appear on the scene. If the big boat couldn't dock, he would want to park all the boats in the house in a row and take a picture.

But it doesn't matter, it's only two years away from collecting his ten boats. It will be better to take a picture when they are all collected, more spectacular, more shocking.

On the first day of the New Year, everyone is dressed brand new and tidy, and full of joy, the best time to take pictures.

After the meal, he also remembered, let a few children go to call Huimei and Ah Guang over, this year can be considered a collective group photo, family portrait.

A few days ago, people from the photo studio in the village came to take pictures. Many families took pictures last year, but didn't take them this year.

However, families who didn't take pictures last year also chose to take them this year, especially those who earned big money this year, even more so, they couldn't help but take a few more individual photos for the whole family.

So when their family took pictures, many people watched, but they didn't think about asking Ye Yaodong to help them take pictures like last year.

When Ye Huimei came over, she also took the lucky money to be given to them, one red envelope each.

One by one, they were happy to fly, but not long after their mouths opened to laugh, they were ruthlessly confiscated after turning their heads and taking pictures.

"Brother Ah Hai, aren't you going to marry a wife? Why do you still have lucky money?"

"Nonsense, I'm still a child."

Ye Yaodong laughed and teased him, "Because he hasn't saved enough wife money, so he can't marry yet. Wait for him to save more lucky money, your eldest aunt will marry him."

Ye Huimei also smiled and teased, "Wait for him to save enough money, marry a wife, and have children, you will still have to give his children lucky money by then."

"Ah? Really?"

"Really or fake? Why?"

"Because when his children are born, you are the uncles and aunts, of course you have to give the children lucky money." Lin Xiuqing also smiled and supplemented the children with a knife.

"That won't do, Brother Ah Hai, you still don't marry a wife, I have no money."

"I have no money either, Brother, don't save, don't marry..."

"That's right, I have no money either, you don't marry a wife..."

Ye Chenghai glared at the younger brothers and sisters who were begging him not to marry a wife, "Get lost."

After speaking, he pushed away the crowd and ran hurriedly.

"Brother, let's set off firecrackers together, don't be angry, wife is useless..."

"Brother Ah Hai, wait for me..."

One ran away, and a group behind followed, and they were running and shouting at him not to marry a wife, causing other little partners to almost think he was about to marry a wife, almost not making him jump up in anger and hit them all.

New Year is actually the most boring, from morning to night with nothing to do. The work that should be done was finished before the New Year. The rest is to visit relatives and friends to say various compliments. After visiting, play cards. The whole village is like this, regardless of men and women, either playing cards or playing mahjong.

Playing from morning to night, walking a few steps in the village, there are small tables set up.

Visiting mother's family on the second day of the New Year is the same, just playing cards and waiting to eat, and going home after eating.

Adults are like this, children are the same, equivalent to changing to a village to play, playing until meal time to go home to eat, and continuing to go out to play after eating, just with a little more freshness.

Just when they finished dinner early and were preparing to go home, the Lin family's children were all standing by the tractor reluctantly.

"Little Aunt's husband, didn't you say you would let us go to your place to play for a few days after the New Year?"

"That's right, you just said it when you took Ah Yuan and the others to the city, adults must keep their word."

"You even said you would let us live in a building!"

"Ah? Did I say that?" Ye Yaodong smiled and looked at the group of children surrounding them.

This group of children also nodded, "Right, that's what you said."

"You are an adult, you can't not keep your word."

"Aren't adults specifically for deceiving children?"

"Lying will grow a nose!"

Mother Lin scolded her grandson, "Don't make trouble, it's New Year's, who has time to entertain you, just play at your own home..."

Eldest Sister-in-law Lin also pulled her children's clothes, "Be obedient, just play at your own home, otherwise you will be beaten on New Year's."

Ye Chenghu pleaded, "Dad, just let Brother Ah Yuan and the others go to our house to play, they are too pitiful, just said they will go to the city to sell buns in a few days, they haven't seen the sun."

Lin Guangyuan looked at him eagerly.

"We also want to go, we haven't seen Little Aunt and Aunt's husband's building!"

"Chenghu and Yangyang said they sleep in the building every day, sleep upstairs every day, climb the stairs up and down every day, too cool!"

Ye Ersao Lin also pulled her children's clothes, not letting them crowd up, "There are so many of you, who can stand it?"

"We will be obedient!"

"Obedient my ass, yesterday didn't even pass, a hole was bombed on the body by firecrackers, everyone is wearing new clothes on New Year's, you are wearing broken clothes."

Ye Yaodong smiled and looked at the group of children looking at him eagerly, sighing in his heart, already able to imagine the chicken-flying-dog-jumping days in the next few days.

Lin Xiuqing smiled and said before him: "If you want to go, then go play for a few days, it's New Year's, originally it's visiting relatives everywhere, staying at my house for a few days is nothing, originally the new house hasn't been visited, so it has to be visited."

"They are too noisy, if all seven or eight of them go, your house roof will be lifted by them."

"Then see if they are obedient or not, if they are not obedient, send them back overnight, don't let them sleep in the building." Ye Yaodong also said with a smile.

"We are definitely obedient!"

"Wow, Little Aunt and Aunt's husband both said it's okay, we can go."

"We can go to Little Aunt's house to stay for a few days, live in a building."

"I want to ride a tractor! Finally can ride a tractor!"

"My house also has a motorcycle, it's a sidecar, and has a sidecar, can sit many people, very majestic, I sit every day..."

"Right right, also have a motorcycle, too good, can we also sit..."

"Thinking beautifully, that requires my consent."

A few children jumped up happily when they heard the couple agree, extremely excited.

"Don't be noisy, be obedient, don't break Little Aunt's house things, be obedient, otherwise bring you back overnight."

"Bring your own pocket money to spend."

"Then Mom, can you return my lucky money to me?"

"Then don't go."

"Want to go!"

Ye Yaodong smiled and said: "My house has a building, but there is no bed upstairs. With so many of you, if you sleep upstairs, you can only sleep on the floor. If you sleep downstairs, there is a bed."

"Want the floor!"

"We just want to sleep on the floor, don't want the bed!"

"Then let's go."