Chapter 162: De Geer is the only one who is free from worries
On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, which is New Year's Eve, there are many things to do at home.
As soon as Sun Bomin came back, he distributed the New Year gifts first, some for Uncle Sun Er and Uncle Sun San, and some for relatives in the village.
These gifts must be given out before the Chinese New Year. Such gifts are very important to some poor families and can often help the whole family have a good New Year.
Sun Shan was packing up the things he bought in the city. This time he also bought some souvenirs to give to his family and good friends.
Before I could tidy up, I heard a noisy sound coming from outside. I didn't need to go out to know it was Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun.
De Geer shouted from a distance: "Shanzi, you're back? Where are you?"
He ran hurriedly towards Sun Shan's study and bedroom.
When he really saw Sun Shan, he immediately rushed over to him and said aggrievedly: "Shanzi, you liar, you actually went to the city alone without taking me with you? I treated you as my brother in vain."
She chattered non-stop, like a complaining woman complaining about her husband not coming home all night.
Sun Shan didn't say any more and took out two slingshots.
De Ge'er shut up instantly, stared at the slingshot with wide eyes, quickly took it, and said in surprise: "Hey, Shanzi, is this for me?"
Sun Shan nodded: "This is a new slingshot from the city, the latest model, many people bought it, you like it, right?"
De Geer nodded his head like crazy and said happily, "I like it. Oh, Shanzi, I like slingshots the best. The one I bought in the city last time has been broken for a long time."
I knew yours was broken, so I bought you a new slingshot. I bought two at once. I think I’m a good friend.
De Geer started playing with his slingshot with a smile, and stopped playing with Sun Shan. He came quickly and left quickly, but the slingshot was the only thing he liked the most.
I took out another copybook and put it away. This is a gift for Peking University and Tsinghua University. Even though we are not in the same class or the same school, our friendship is still there.
These are childhood friends. Some of them drift away from you, while some give you the greatest help.
Sun Shan chose to maintain.
After I finished packing my things and walked into the main room, Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun and their family had already left.
Lixia was cooking paste in the kitchen, and would paste door gods and couplets later.
Sun Shan walked into his eldest sister's bedroom and saw her cutting red paper to hold copper coins for making coupons.
Sun Shan handed over Xia Zhiguang's wooden box.
Guyu smiled and said, "Is this what Fucheng brought me?"
Sun Shan shook his head: "No, Brother Zhiguang asked me to give it to you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Guyu's face turned red. She was a young girl in love and was very shy.
Sun Shan didn't even look at what it was and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Guyu holding the wooden box in a daze.
Su and Sun Bomin were butchering chickens and geese.
Seeing Sun Shan coming out, Su said with concern: "Shanzi, it's cold, you should wear more clothes, okay?"
You are wearing three layers inside and three layers outside, and you are round and warm, but mom still thinks you are cold.
Sun Shan didn't say much: "Mother, I know, I'm wearing a lot more."
I wanted to help pluck the chicken and goose feathers, but Sun Bomin and his wife stopped me: "Don't do it, the water is cold, it's not good to freeze your hands."
In fact, the water was warm and there was a charcoal fire next door, but Sun Boming and his wife felt that Sun Shan was weak and would suffer no matter what he did.
Huang came out from the main hall and called out, "Shanzi, come and help grandma prepare the offerings and fold the clothes paper."
Sun Shan said "oh" and ran into the main room, where Huang was cutting paper clothes to be burned for the ancestors.
Sun Shan knows how to cut, so he just needs to cut a piece of paper into the shape of clothes, while Huang is folding gold ingots.
Whether rich or poor, everyone will burn paper money for their ancestors, praying that their ancestors will have money to use in the underworld and will not be bullied or hungry.
Wait until everything is ready and place the offerings.
Sun Bomin’s chickens and geese are also ready.
Especially for the tribute chicken, after it is cut and cooked, a red paper flower should be placed in the chicken's mouth.
Sun Shan watched Huang piously cut red paper and carefully made a red flower, saying, "My dear grandson, watch how grandma cuts flowers, and you can do it next time."
Sun Shan nodded seriously and said crisply, "Grandma, I understand."
People in Guangnan province like to use roosters to worship gods, and they pay attention to the fact that the rooster has a head and a tail. The head of the rooster must be straight, and the tail must not be slaughtered or chopped off.
As for why the chicken holds a flower in its mouth?
The rooster is yang and is known as the phoenix. Flower arrangement represents spring and blooming flowers. It is a new year again, and we hope that our descendants will spread their wings and soar to great heights.
Every step of worshipping God is filled with wishes and blessings, and every step of worshipping God is not redundant.
On Lixia, the cooked paste is brought up, and on Grain Full and Cold Dew, Sun Bomin posts couplets and door gods.
When everything was done, Sun Boming took Sun Shan to the ancestral temple with tributes and worshipped their ancestors. After the worship, they reunited with Su and worshipped at the village's land temple and Minggong temple, and finally came to the Wild Boar Hill to worship.
Sun Bomin carried the basket, and Su followed behind with Sun Shan by the hand. When they returned home, Sun Bomin lit a string of firecrackers.
The sound of firecrackers awakened the ancestors of the Sun family, calling them to go home for dinner and bless their descendants.
Second Uncle Sun and Third Uncle Sun would bring their own chickens for worshipping gods to the old house. On New Year’s Eve, even though they had separated, they would still come to the old house for dinner.
The daughter-in-law and daughter were busy in the kitchen, while the man was chatting in the yard.
Dingqing from his second uncle's family, Dingguang and Dingyong from his third uncle's family surrounded Shanzi and asked him all sorts of questions, mainly about the situation in the provincial capital.
Sun Shan was not good at speaking, so he just said that it was very prosperous and fun. De Geer had been to the capital and started bragging again.
Qing Ge'er asked, "Shanzi, my eldest brother is doing well in the city, right? I heard from my father that he works in my eldest aunt's sweet soup shop and has become very skilled."
Sun Shan nodded: "Ming Ge is doing a great job. My aunt and uncle like him. He also gets along well with the shop assistants."
Qing Ge'er said enviously, "I also want to go to the capital city and work at my aunt's house."
Sun Shan understood Qing'er's feelings. After today, he would be 15 years old tomorrow and would not have to go to school anymore.
I remember that Ming'er went to work in the provincial capital at the age of 14, and Qing'er studied for another year.
Although they are two brothers, their fates are very different. Both Qing Ge'er himself and Uncle Sun and his wife are worried about Ming Ge'er's future.
Aunt Sun did not say anything when she asked Qing'er to go to the city to work, and Uncle Sun did not dare to say anything either. After all, their family had already gotten a great deal, so how could they dare to make further demands?
Uncle Sun was worried about Ming'er's marriage in the city, and also about Qing'er's livelihood in Sunjia Village.
If Qingger stayed in Sunjia Village, he could only follow Uncle Sun to farm and repeat his uncle's fate.
Only then did Sun Shan understand why his uncle and aunt were so sad all day long. As the children grew up, parents had more worries.
Guang'er and Yong'er from Uncle Sun's family also envied Ming'er for being able to work in the provincial capital. Now that they have grown up, they will soon graduate from school like Qing'er and return to Sunjia Village.
As for what I will do in the future, I can’t rely on my parents, so I can only entrust my fate to my aunt Sun in the provincial capital.
Perhaps De Ge'er is the only one who is carefree. One slingshot can make him happy for a long time. Two slingshots mean double the happiness.