Chapter 567: Years Passing By

Holding the couplets in my hand while standing on the main street, I thought for a long time before deciding not to go to Chen Meng's place. With the New Year's Eve dinner about to begin, if I went to find her and then we went together to see Su Ya, a woman who had nothing to do with us, this New Year would certainly not be a pleasant one.

During the New Year, one pays attention to good omens, especially from New Year's Eve to the first day of the New Year; one must be careful with every word and absolutely must not break anything. Any unpleasant event would portend bad luck for the coming year.

I simply turned off my phone and hummed a little tune on my way home.

Qian Youyu invited me to his wedding feast on the eighth day of the New Year; this was a joyous occasion, so I would naturally attend. This old fellow had finally waited for his spring!

Upon returning home, I told Huang Weiwei about Qian Youyu's wedding on the eighth. She smiled and said, "Old Qian's wedding—going is fine, but not going is even better."

I asked, puzzled, "Wife, what do you mean by that?"

Huang Weiwei said without a second thought, "Your status is different now. Although I don't want you to stop acknowledging the common people just because you've become a high official, it is not a good thing for you to be too close to businessmen with your current status."

Huang Weiwei's words were like a sudden enlightenment; why hadn't I thought of this layer?

At present, I am still a cadre who has just finished training, and what position I will be assigned to is still an unknown. Moreover, there is a small-scale public announcement before the assignment. If someone were to shoot a cold arrow at me from behind, in this moment where every bush and tree looks like an enemy, I would surely be defeated.

I smiled and took my son from her arms, teasing him, "Son, look at your mother—she's beautiful and smart. You must choose a wife according to your mother's standards in the future."

Huang Weiwei pursed her lips and smiled, "What are you saying? How old is the child? Why are you talking nonsense?"

Xi Meizhu, who was busy setting the table for dinner, turned back and said with a smile, "Brother, sister-in-law is right. You've just become a father, and you're already thinking about being a grandfather."

The three of us chatted back and forth, making my mother extremely happy. She called for Xi Meizhu to bring out a bottle of fine wine she had been treasuring; she wanted to have a few drinks.

Seeing my mother in such high spirits was something I hadn't witnessed since my father passed away.

Overjoyed, I volunteered to get the wine. Xi Meizhu followed me inside and watched as I pulled a bottle of wine from my mother's cabinet.

Holding the wine, I turned around and saw her, so I asked suspiciously, "Meizhu, why are you still standing there?"

Xi Meizhu blinked, her eyes blooming like flowers, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"Something up?" I asked.

"I want to go home tomorrow to pay New Year's greetings to my parents," she said stammeringly, looking embarrassed.

I said readily, "That's great. Tomorrow is the first day of the New Year; I'll accompany you."

She waved her hands frantically and said, "No, no. What would it look like if you went?"

I said with a smile, "I know your customs—isn't it 'first day for the son, second day for the son-in-law'? If I go on the first day, I'm the son."

Xi Meizhu seemed afraid that Huang Weiwei and my mother in the living room would hear, so she lowered her voice and said, "I can just go back by myself."

I thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have money?"

She hesitated for a moment and said, "I do!"

Ever since Xi Meizhu transferred her tea oil shop, she had been living in my house. She recognized my mother as her own, so she was a part of our family. My ancestors had such a tradition; for example, my aunt was someone my grandmother had picked up.

I didn't know exactly how much money she had earned while running the shop; I only knew that after she came to our house, there were many expenses she covered alone, and she never let me spend a penny.

Of course, I still had to hand over my monthly salary to my mother; I remembered the ancient teaching of "raising children to provide for old age" better than anyone.

Later, when the salary was issued to a bank card, I simply handed the card over to my mother.

All of my mother's and Xi Meizhu's expenses should have been covered entirely by my salary.

I knew well how much my salary was. If it were in the fifties or sixties, my salary would have been enough to support a whole family, but now it was the tail end of the millennium; in the blink of an eye, the new millennium would arrive, and money had long since lost its value!

Whenever money was mentioned, my head would feel a bit dizzy.

Ever since I pioneered the trend of township enterprises in Suxi Town, I had lost all sentiment for money.

Even if Xi Meizhu had money, it certainly wouldn't be much! I thought.

She had stayed in my house without complaint for so many years, serving my mother like a nanny. Without her, I even doubted whether I could have persisted in Suxi Town and Chunshan County for so long.

Her contribution to my family was too great; no matter how I compensated her, it wouldn't be too much!

I took a card out of my pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Take this, go buy something when you go back."

She blushed and refused to take it. I darkened my face and said, "If you don't take it, it means you have an opinion about me."

She had no choice but to take it, carefully placing it in her inner pocket, and made a face at me, saying, "I'm going to go tell sister-in-law."

I knew she was joking; let alone giving her a bank card, even if I hugged her and kissed her right now, she wouldn't go tell Huang Weiwei.

When there are two beautiful women in one house, cracks will naturally appear.

Huang Weiwei was already calling me from the living room, "Husband, did you find Mom's wine?"

I answered, "Found it, coming right now."

Huang Weiwei was breastfeeding and couldn't drink. My mother insisted that Xi Meizhu have a little, and as for me, I was duty-bound and had to drink.

Xi Meizhu didn't refuse either; she was a daughter of the mountain people, and there were no women from Suxi who didn't drink.

Seeing the three of us drinking, Huang Weiwei clamored that she wanted to drink too.

I said with a smile, "Wife, are you trying to turn my son into a drunkard?"

Huang Weiwei sniffed the wine in my glass and said, "It smells so good; my son will definitely like it. Because this is his grandmother's wine."

My mother beamed and said, "Feng, go, pour a little for your wife too. It's the New Year, everyone should drink; it's festive."

Outside, sporadic sounds of firecrackers began to ring out.

In Hengyue City, there was a custom of setting off firecrackers to honor the gods during the New Year's Eve dinner. Although the city had repeatedly issued strict orders banning fireworks and firecrackers, whenever the holidays came around, fireworks were still lit and firecrackers were still set off.

I was someone who leaned toward setting off fireworks and firecrackers. If you don't set off firecrackers during the New Year, there won't be any New Year atmosphere at all.

When I was in Chunshan County, I had an argument with the Political and Legal Committee Secretary over the issue of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival.

The Political and Legal Committee Secretary was in charge of public security, the procuratorate, and the judiciary, and every year during the New Year, a few incidents would occur due to firecrackers. He wanted to learn from other big cities and ban firecrackers in Chunshan County as well. At the Standing Committee meeting, I didn't give him any face at all, arguing strongly for the festive benefits that firecrackers brought to the New Year, and even elevating the argument to the level of boosting the economy. In the end, Chunshan County unanimously agreed with my opinion; Chunshan County did not ban fireworks and firecrackers, and it remains so to this day.

I stood up, took out a string of firecrackers, and opened the door to set them off.

Whoever sets off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is telling others that their family is about to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. After eating the New Year's Eve dinner, one cannot just go visiting; one must wait until the first day of the New Year tomorrow morning, when everyone will pay New Year's calls with a new attitude.

Xi Meizhu was in high spirits and wanted to go outside with me to set off the firecrackers.

We lived in a high-rise building; besides the elevator, there was also a staircase.

I tore open the firecrackers at the stairwell and found the fuse. Xi Meizhu held an incense stick in her hand, the flame trembling and dancing.

I brought the fuse to the incense flame, and as soon as it caught, I ran toward the room with Xi Meizhu in a panic.

People in Hengyue City were all setting off firecrackers in the hallways, and the roaring sound of the explosions could shatter one's eardrums. But even so, we were incomparably happy; every household would light a few strings of firecrackers on this day to drive away the bad luck of the year's end and welcome the good luck of the New Year.

Xi Meizhu ran in front, and I followed closely behind. By the time we giggled our way into the room, the firecrackers in the hallway began to explode with earth-shattering noise.

My mother raised her glass and said, "Come, today is New Year's Eve, let our family have a reunion dinner. After the New Year, my grandson is a year older, my son is a year older, my daughter-in-law is a year older, and my daughter is a year more naive."

I raised my glass and asked my mother, puzzled, "Why is my daughter a year more naive?"

Mother smiled and said, "My daughter is the naive daughter. Weiwei and Xiao Feng are both here; after the New Year, you must all keep it in your hearts: Meizhu must find a husband in the new year."

Xi Meizhu blushed with shyness, called out "Mom," and said, "Mom, I'm not getting married!"

"You're not getting married? Are you going to be an old maid?" Mom laughed heartily, sighed, and said, "I will have a day when I leave. When I'm gone, what will you do!"

I slapped myself in the face and said, "Mom, it's the New Year, let's not talk about these things. Weiwei and I have remembered your words, don't worry."

Mother smiled with satisfaction and tilted her head back to drink a cup of old wine.

I turned to look at Huang Weiwei, who said with a smile, "Husband, Mom has already drunk, let's accompany her."

We ate the New Year's Eve dinner for more than two hours.

It was already dark outside, and the neon lights on all the high-rise buildings were lit, competing in beauty and splendor, dressing the city in a flow of light and color, making it look magnificent and golden.

Huang Weiwei didn't drink, but tonight she insisted on drinking. No matter how I said the son needed to be breastfed, she remained unmoved, constantly clinking glasses with my mother.

I was left between laughter and tears, worrying in my heart about the son's feeding problem.

Xi Meizhu probably saw through my thoughts and whispered, "Don't worry, just let sister-in-law drink. She's happy. As for Niannian's feeding, you don't need to worry, I have a way."

"What way do you have?" I asked suspiciously, while my eyes wandered to her chest. Xi Meizhu was a maiden; surely she wouldn't have breast milk?

Her face turned red, and she quietly turned to the side so I couldn't see.

I was still wondering what way she had when she already stood up to get a milk bottle, whispering, "I'll feed Niannian milk."

I suddenly realized, and remembering that I had just been staring at her chest, I felt a bit embarrassed.

My mother was clearly drunk, waving her hands with a flushed face and shouting, "Meizhu, help me to bed."

I looked at Huang Weiwei again; she had actually slumped onto the table and was already asleep.

I couldn't help but smile. My wife had appeared incomparably reserved and noble from the first day I met her. I didn't expect that after spending a New Year at my house, her true colors would be revealed.

I lovingly took her in my arms and sent her back to the bedroom.

When I settled her down and came out, Xi Meizhu was already cleaning up the table in the living room.

I wanted to help, but she wouldn't let me. She pushed me to sit on the sofa, saying that on New Year's Eve, men should stay up for the New Year. It would be better to nap for a while now to build up some energy.

I willingly went to sit; my family had always had the tradition of staying up for the New Year. In the past, this task was always handled by my father; now that it was my turn, I suddenly felt that I had matured a lot.

Sitting on the sofa, I boredly opened my phone, and as soon as I opened it, a message popped up.

"Chen Feng, Su Ya has been found." ===== CHAPTER 568 =====