Chapter 110: New Year's Greetings

The first day of the New Year passed, and Meizhu never came to my house, nor did my aunt appear. The two of them seemed to have disappeared, and for several days, there was no news.

On the morning of the second day of the New Year, I received a call from Guo Wei asking if I was going to the township government, and I flatly refused. Xue Bing, who was on the side, was very unhappy, muttering that the second day of the New Year was the day for a son-in-law to visit his parents-in-law, and if I didn't go to Suxi Township, it meant I didn't treat her mother as my mother-in-law. I couldn't be bothered to explain, so I went out alone and stood by the street, paying New Year's greetings to the neighbors coming and going.

After breakfast, my mother told me to go to my aunt's house to pay New Year's greetings. By the rules, she should have come first, but since my aunt hadn't given birth yet, her seniority was higher than mine, so I should be the one to pay New Year's greetings to her house first.

The snow outside the door began to melt, and the picture of white mountains and snow dogs suddenly became dirty. The melted snow water flowed wantonly along the street, mixed with firecracker paper scraps, leftover food, and the darkness of coal balls. Icicles under the eaves dripped water, slowly digesting their plump bodies into fine water until they fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The weather was even colder on the days when the snow melted. People coming and going all hunched their necks, hands tucked in their pockets, spraying puffs of hot air from their noses, greeting me enthusiastically.

Most of the people living on our street were laborers and peddlers, and they were also the earliest original residents of this city. The city's high-rise buildings seemed to have a distant relationship with them, and the spacious streets were a hundred thousand miles away from their lives. All the houses on this street were messy, and shacks were everywhere. There was a traditional Chinese medicine shop on the street that still retained its past appearance, but the owner was now a state-owned enterprise. My mother rarely went to the medicine shop; this shop was actually my grandmother's property. My mother grew up in this medicine shop until she was sixteen. By the time my father's troops arrived, my mother was already a beauty on this street, a scene in the medicine shop.

Older people still jokingly called me "Young Master," saying I was the only male descendant of the medicine shop. Although my surname was Chen and I had nothing to do with He Yuankui, the owner of the medicine shop with the "Heqing Tang" plaque, I was, after all, his grandson, and the blood of the old He family still flowed in my body.

My mother was still calling me from inside the house. Xue Bing came out wrapped in a scarf, looked me up and down, and said, "What are you standing there like a fool for? Mom wants us to go to Aunt's house to pay New Year's greetings, didn't you hear?"

I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and said, "We're going, anyway there's nothing to do, we'll be back after lunch."

Xue Bing's gaze glanced behind me, and she immediately skipped past me and ran behind me.

I turned around and saw my aunt and Meizhu getting out of a taxi, both carrying bags of New Year's gifts. They called out loudly, "Chen Feng, come over and help carry things."

I hadn't even gone to her house yet, and my aunt had come first, which was completely beyond my expectations. In my memory, it was always me going to her house first, and then she would follow me back.

"Chen Feng, don't be smug, I'm here to pay New Year's greetings to your parents, not to you." My aunt looked at us with a smile and said lovingly to Xue Bing, "Is the New Year going well?"

Xue Bing pursed her lips and smiled, "Aunt, I wanted to go to your house to play before the New Year, but Chen Feng kept refusing to go."

My aunt scolded, "He's a heartless thing, once he has a wife, how could he still remember his aunt?"

I laughed. I wouldn't take my aunt's words to heart; she was just a woman with a quick tongue. However, ever since I had Xue Bing, I felt that the intimacy between us no longer existed, replaced by politeness and awkwardness.

My father lit a string of firecrackers and threw them outside the house, and the residual snow flew in all directions.

Our house was a small courtyard where some vegetables were planted. In summer, chili peppers and loofahs were planted, and in winter, radishes and Chinese cabbage. I once wanted to plant some flowers and plants in the courtyard, but I met with strong opposition from my father, so I had to give up.

The courtyard was the property of an old long-term laborer of my grandfather's family. The old laborer had followed my grandfather's family for generations. After his only son was conscripted, he died in the Battle of Wuhan. It just so happened that my grandfather's family was driven out of the medicine shop and later sent down to the countryside. After returning, they had nowhere to live, so the old laborer took in his former masters. Later, after my grandfather and the others passed away, the old laborer's end-of-life care was all completed by my mother. When the old laborer closed his eyes, he gave this small courtyard to my mother.

My father made some renovations when he took over the courtyard, tearing down the original small side rooms and building the current two-room house with a living room. The small courtyard was still retained. On the west side, he built two utility rooms to store coal balls and some wood he prepared for his future coffin.

After entering the house, Meizhu didn't say another word except for paying New Year's greetings to my parents, quietly drinking tea and watching us talk.

I was still brooding over Meizhu secretly holding my hand before the New Year, not knowing what the little girl was thinking. Now seeing her calm face without a ripple, my heart was actually restless.

My aunt took out the New Year's gifts one by one and pointed to the two cartons of cigarettes and a pair of wine, saying, "Feng'er, you're going to pay New Year's greetings to your cousin-in-law today, I've prepared these things for you."

My mother immediately agreed, and my father chattered, "It is necessary to pay New Year's greetings to He Zhi. I heard his wife and children didn't come back, and he is spending the New Year here alone."

"I haven't heard that, it's just like that. My old cousin doesn't want to go to Zhangjiawan, and his wife doesn't want to come to Hengyue City. They are both spending the New Year alone, is that interesting?" My aunt said angrily, "My cousin-in-law really shouldn't have done that. When you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; when you marry a dog, you follow the dog. Since she married my cousin, she shouldn't care where he is, she should follow him. How could she leave him alone?"

My mother interrupted her, "Lingli, you are still a child yourself, what do you know? People's family affairs, is it any of your business?"

My aunt said helplessly, "Sister, it's not that I'm talking about you, look at you, cousin has been in Hengyue City for more than a year, have you been to see him?"

My mother smiled, "He is an official, I am just an ordinary commoner, and I have nothing to do, so what should I look for him for?"

"After all, we are relatives."

"Don't I know we are relatives?" My mother said unhappily, "If He Zhi wasn't an official and he was alone in Hengyue City, your sister would definitely invite him to our house for the New Year."

"You, you just have too many ghosts in your heart. So what if he is an official? Officials always need people to be them. If you don't do it, he doesn't do it, who will be the official? Is there anything wrong with him being an official? Your son is also an official now, why didn't I see you not caring about him? You haven't seen him for three days and you're crying and looking for me, don't come to me in the future." My aunt laughed as she spoke.

My mother wanted to hit her, but she turned and threw herself on me, waving her claws and saying, "Did I hit the nail on the head? You're angry from embarrassment."

After laughing for a while, my aunt said seriously, "Chen Feng, since you have already taken this path, you must walk it well. Suxi Township cannot be your lifelong goal. What era is this? People are looking for connections and paths to become officials everywhere, you can't just let this opportunity go."

I nodded hurriedly.

My aunt said, "Being an official requires character, money, and connections. Our Feng'er has nothing to say about character, graduated from a prestigious university, and can start from the bottom. Don't worry about money, Pan Xiaoqin's supermarket, Meizhu's company, are all plans for your future. Connections are right there, the executive deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, everything is ready, you don't even lack the east wind."

My aunt's words made me suddenly understand the inside story of the two dividends. It turned out that she was manipulating it behind the scenes. No wonder Pan Xiaoqin would suddenly return to Suxi Township to open a supermarket, and Xi Meizhu would suddenly set up a company.

I mumbled, "I don't have any big plans."

My aunt pointed to everyone in the house and said, "We are all family, there is no outsider, so I will speak directly. You are a man, can you have some ambition? What do you mean no big plans? Walking the path steadily and well is a big plan. Don't worry about anything, just go to your cousin-in-law's house to pay New Year's greetings today."

I smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm not very familiar with Secretary He, I've only met him once."

"Let me ask you, did he take you with him to eat and drink?"

I nodded.

My aunt pointed out, "Don't think I don't know anything. I know exactly what Secretary He did and said during those few days in Chunshan County."

I widened my eyes in surprise and asked incredulously, "How do you know?"

"None of your business!" My aunt rolled her eyes at me and said, "Pity you're in officialdom, you're not smart at all. If He Zhi had no relationship with you, why would he call you to the county to eat? Why would he want you to accompany him to the Martyrs Cemetery? Does he have to say in person that you are his nephew?"

"So what?"

"So what? Let me tell you, your Chunshan secretary and county magistrate have already figured out your background, just wait and see."

My aunt's words made my heart beat wildly. My aunt is really not simple. It's a waste for her not to be an official!

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but laugh.

My aunt saw my smug smile and knew I must be arranging her in my heart, so she said, "What crooked ideas are you thinking? No ambition."

Xue Bing and Meizhu watched us talk, both with an elusive smile on their faces.

My aunt pulled me and said, "Go to the inner room, I have a few more words to tell you."

She pulled me into the room regardless, locked the door behind her, sat on the bed, and pointed to the chair next to her, saying, "Sit down."

I wanted to laugh at her mysterious look.

My aunt pointed outside the door and lowered her voice, "What are your plans for these women outside?"

I looked at her inexplicably and said, "What plans?"

"Chen Feng, let me tell you, a man's greatest enemy is women. Women can make a man fly high, and they can also make a man fall into an abyss."

"What does it have to do with me?"

"It does, and a lot." My aunt said worriedly, "You are a bystander who is confused, you can't see it. Meizhu, Pan Xiaoqin, or your current Teacher Xue, several women love you, what are you going to do?"

I giggled, "That's a good thing."

"You're a pig." My aunt scolded, "Do you think it's still the old society? A man can have three wives and four concubines. For an official, your lifestyle is very important. If you are not careful, you will never be able to turn over."

I was shocked and said, "What should I do?"

"In my opinion, these women are not the women you need. You need not only a good wife, you need a woman who can help you in your career, understand?" My aunt enlightened me, "Remember, don't be busy getting married. As a man, sometimes you can't just dispose of yourself. As long as you have a successful career, are you afraid of not having beautiful wives and concubines?"

I laughed, "Aunt, you want me to marry a concubine."

She reached out and hit me, saying, "You're talking nonsense."

I said quietly, "If I had a wife like my aunt, that would be great."

My aunt hugged my head and said softly, "I am your aunt, I cannot be your wife, but I will help you, who told you to be my nephew."

My heart moved, and I reached out to hug my aunt's waist and said, "With Aunt, there is a world." ===== CHAPTER 111 =====