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Chapter 201: Annual Review
Chapter 201: Annual Review
That night, after midnight, fireworks echoed across the country, heralding the arrival of the new year.
In Naye Village, the fireworks lasted longer than usual, signaling the villagers' improved economic status over the past year.
In many places, people stay up all night on New Year's Eve, but in Naye Village, it's not so strict. They usually start setting off fireworks after midnight, enjoy some late-night snacks, then sit by the fire to chat and digest. By around two in the morning, they head to bed.
Saying they go to bed is a bit of a stretch; they often just close their eyes for a bit. Around four in the morning, they have to get up and start cooking. Before dawn, the whole family heads to the ancestral shrine to pay respects.
The adults can usually handle staying up all night, but it's much harder for the children. Waking up after just a couple of hours of sleep isn't a pleasant experience.
In later years, to ensure a good night's sleep, the adults would prepare in advance. After setting off the fireworks at midnight, they would take the offerings to the ancestral shrine. This way, they wouldn't have to wake up at five or six in the morning as they did in the past.
Once someone started this practice, the whole village followed suit.
After all, who wants to get up early on a cold, frosty morning when they can sleep comfortably in their warm beds?
To avoid the hassle for his children and daughters-in-law in the morning, Deng Shirong adopted this method. After the fireworks, he led his family to the ancestral shrine to pay their respects.
"Grandpa Jiu, Happy New Year!"
"Uncle Jiu, may you have a prosperous year!"
"Grandpa Jiu, why are you paying respects so early?"
"..."
By the time Deng Shirong and his family returned from the ancestral shrine, his method had spread throughout the village, sparking discussions among the villagers.
It was clear that next year, many more people would follow this practice and pay their respects early.
...
The next day.
It was the grand occasion for new grooms to visit their in-laws. Although the Ou sisters were pregnant, this was a significant event, and they couldn't skip it just because of their condition.
As for Deng Yuntao, though he wasn't a new groom, it was a common practice for men in Bobai County to accompany their wives to visit their parents on the second day of the New Year.
After some discussion, Zhang Xiuping, holding the child, set off with the pregnant Ou sisters on foot to Tanlian Road. From there, they took a bus to Longtan Street and then walked to Poxin Village.
Deng Yuntao, Deng Changyuan, and Deng Changdong, the three men, followed behind, carrying the gifts.
The distance from Longtan Street to Poxin Village wasn't too far, but the journey from Naye Village to Tanlian Road was quite long, and the two pregnant women found it challenging. Especially Ou Guohua, who was due in about three months, found it particularly difficult to walk such a long distance while carrying a large belly.
They left after breakfast and didn't arrive in Poxin Village until around 12:30 PM, which was quite a slow pace.
The return of the three women to Poxin Village naturally sparked a new round of discussions in the village.
After all, it was very rare for three childhood friends to marry into the same place.
...
Last year, on the second day of the New Year, Deng Yuntao stayed at his mother-in-law's house for three days and was treated with great hospitality. This year, he received the same warm welcome.
His children, being the pride of their father, were treated like little princesses.
...
At Ou Guohua's house, Deng Changyuan, the new groom, was also treated with great warmth by his mother-in-law and her family.
Originally, Deng Changyuan worked as a mud stomper at a pottery factory, earning a mere sixty yuan a month, which was already considered quite good in the countryside where few could match his income.
Now, he has become a master potter ahead of schedule, and his monthly income has skyrocketed from sixty yuan to over two hundred yuan. In the rural area, only a select few who owned businesses could rival his earnings.
Moreover, he was considerate to his wife, and which mother-in-law wouldn’t be pleased with such a son-in-law?
...
At the Ou Guofang household, the new son-in-law, Deng Changdong, was also treated well.
This year, their chickens, ducks, pigs, and calves had all yielded a good harvest. The calves, in particular, had grown significantly and would be worth a lot more in about half a year. When they sold the cattle, they would have enough money to build a new house.
Seeing their daughter’s life improving and her marriage going well, the parents were naturally overjoyed and treated their new son-in-law with great kindness.
...
When their eldest son brought his wife back to her parents’ home for the annual visit, his three sisters and two brothers-in-law also brought their families along.
During the casual conversation, the topic of opening a restaurant in the county town inevitably came up.
Deng Shirong said, "I'll start the process right after the fifteenth day of the lunar month. However, opening a restaurant in the county isn’t easy. If we can’t find a suitable storefront, we might have to build our own, which could take several months."
Deng Shilan expressed her concern, "Younger brother, you’re planning to open such a large restaurant. With just Dashu’s skills, how can he handle the position of chef?"
Deng Shirong smiled, "Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll hire a professional chef, and Dashu will start as an assistant. Once he improves his cooking speed and skills, he can take on more responsibilities."
"That’s a relief," Deng Shilan said, feeling reassured.
Deng Shirong then turned to Chen Bangguo and said, "Bangguo, your task is crucial. You’ll be responsible for the restaurant’s procurement. You’ll need to put in some effort to ensure the ingredients are both fresh and affordable. If you do well, you can continue in this role. If not, you’ll have to take on another position in the restaurant."
Chen Bangguo replied with enthusiasm, "Uncle, I’ll do my best."
Deng Shirong nodded and then looked at Chen Bangli and Chen Bangfeng. "As for you two, you’ll start by helping in the kitchen, washing vegetables and dishes. Once you learn to speak the local dialect and improve your customer service skills, you can take on other roles."
Chen Bangli and Chen Bangfeng nodded eagerly. Even the task of washing dishes was a good job for them.
After discussing the restaurant, the conversation turned to Deng Yunheng.
"Sister, why isn’t Yunheng coming home for the New Year?"
"Beijing is too far from here. A round trip would take more than ten days, and the journey during the Spring Festival is especially crowded. It’s too much of a hardship to come back just for the New Year, so I told him to stay at school during the holidays. If he wants to come back, he can do so during the summer."
"I see, that makes sense. No wonder he’s not coming back."
"A round trip takes more than ten days, and most of that time is spent traveling. It’s not worth it."
"..."
(End of Chapter)
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