Chapter Eleven: Yearning

  It's time to celebrate the New Year, what are you all doing? Compared to my previous life, what am I doing again? I lay on my small iron bed thinking and fell asleep. The next morning, the soft sunlight shone through the gauze curtains onto my face, I looked at the alarm clock and it was already 8:30, I quickly got up and put on my clothes, shouting to my mom: "Mom, it's already 8:30, why didn't you wake me up?"

  Mom smiled and said, "Baby, how did you know I didn't call you? It's that you shouted and couldn't wake up, sleeping like a little dead pig, shouting in your mouth to let me sleep for a while, as if you went to steal cows last night."

  I scratched my head awkwardly and said, "Okay, okay, mom. After breakfast, we'll go buy New Year's goods like we discussed yesterday. Hehe, and dad is coming too, he's the laborer."

  Mom said: "Hurry up and eat, I've been waiting for you."

  Around nine o'clock, my parents and I went out happily. Although the street was not crowded with cars, it was crowded with people. My parents first went to a snack store to buy roasted peanuts, watermelon seeds, white melon seeds, and then bought dried plum, hawthorn slices, tangerine peel, and a small amount of Xi Zhi Lang fruit jelly next door.

  Dad saw that I didn't want to eat anything, so he said: "Baby, you're being very quiet today. Is it the same old three things again?" The same old three things? I had no impression of this in my head at all.

  Mom continued: "Of course, look at the baby not saying a word. A box of unified instant noodles, a board of Wahaha and a bottle of Jianlibao, a bag of Wangwang's big gift package. We'll go buy them now."

  It turns out that the old three flavors are like this, and it really suits my taste. I liked eating instant noodles when I was a kid, although they're junk food, but I have a special fondness for them. Originally, I thought they were cheap, convenient, and delicious, but during university exams, I ate them every day, and I got tired of them. Moreover, the price of instant noodles kept rising, from 1.2 yuan to 1.5 yuan, then to 1.8 yuan, 2 yuan, and even 2.5 yuan. [Yu Yu suddenly asked, "Mom, how much does a bag of Uni-President instant noodles cost?"]

  Mom said: "Baby is indeed only concerned with eating, without knowing the price. Retail one bag for 70 cents, wholesale a box for more than 60 cents."

  I arrived at the wholesale department, looking at various snacks, and quickly found my target product, Wangwang's big gift package. My old love, I'm here! There's also Wahaha, but I feel like the taste of Wahaha isn't as good as it used to be after growing up. Although I've always been teased by my roommates for still liking it, I still enjoy drinking it. Jianlibao, this is something that has disappeared from my sight for nearly ten years! With my left hand holding Wangwang's big gift package and my right hand holding Wahaha, I couldn't hold Jianlibao anymore, so I quickly called out to my dad. My dad came over, holding a box of Uni-President instant noodles, saying: "Little glutton, you don't even know how to hold a bag! Come on, put it in the bag and I'll carry it for you." I looked at the box of instant noodles and smiled, saying: "Dad is the best! But there's no need to buy so much instant noodles. Just buying three bags would be enough - one for me, one for mom, and one for dad."

  Mom came from behind and said, "Baby, you really understand now. I've always been nagging you not to eat instant noodles, there are many preservatives inside, but you never listen. Now you finally understand. So let's just say that, but I'll give you one more chance, once you buy it, don't regret it."

  I shook my head repeatedly and said: "No way, no way. That's all, Dad and Mom, let's go pay the bill. Then go buy some fireworks."

  After buying the fireworks, my dad went to buy Spring Festival couplets. The Spring Festival couplets nowadays are not as fancy as before, with many varieties, all with red background and black characters, and some of them were even written by the vendors themselves. Look, I saw an old man with a kind face selling Spring Festival couplets over there, he didn't shout like others, but instead sang a little song leisurely. I think the words on that old man's Spring Festival couplets really looked good, although I don't understand calligraphy, I still know a bit about whether the characters look good or not, after all, in high school and college, there was an eccentric teacher who taught us to practice calligraphy, they were all very particular, but their characters were often displayed in the school's showcase. I walked over, squatted down and looked at them one by one, smiling and saying: "Old man, your Spring Festival couplets look great, did you write them yourself?" The old man said kindly: "Little girl, you have a good eye for this, yes, these characters were written by me myself."

  I said again: "Old man, why don't you call out for sale? Your words look so good, if you call out for sale, they will definitely be snatched up in an instant."

  The old man said with an air of nonchalance, "I'm just here to sell Spring Festival couplets for the excitement. If I were to shout out my wares, wouldn't that be like Wang Baba selling melons and boasting about them himself? I'm waiting for someone who appreciates me."

  I nodded and said: "Oh, it's Jiang Taigong fishing, willing to take the bait!"

  The old man laughed again and said: "Haha, little girl, what's your name? You're indeed a clever child. Seeing you looking at these words with sparkling eyes, do you want to follow the old man to learn how to write?"

  I nodded happily, and my dad and mom had finished buying the Spring Festival couplets. They called me over. I wanted to call them over to buy a Spring Festival couplet for Grandpa as well. Grandpa seemed to see what I was thinking and said: "Girlie, your parents are calling you. You don't need to ask them to come over and buy an old man's Spring Festival couplets. The old man will give you one. Come visit the old man at 111 Fenghuang East Street when you have time."

  I waved goodbye to Grandpa and ran home with Mom and Dad, carrying the Spring Festival couplets.

  It was soon New Year's Eve, and early in the morning, my father woke me up. He used a small shovel to remove the old Spring Festival couplets from the door and paste new ones on it. In the past, we were not allowed to use tape to stick the couplets carelessly; instead, we made our own paste with flour and carefully stuck them onto the door. I saw my father gesturing at the door for a long time, asking: "Baby, take a step back and look, is it crooked? Is it aligned?"

  I backed away, looking left and right, saying: "Dad, it's a bit crooked, tilt the bottom to the left a little, yes, yes, yes, just like that." The large front and back doors were pasted with spring couplets and door gods, and then it was time to paste New Year's pictures on the windows. Hehe, they were so exquisite, with intricate patterns of "surplus every year" and complex flower designs. It was truly a wonder how such beautiful shapes could be cut out by skilled hands.

  After everything was ready, my dad took me to climb the door frame, which was both painful and happy. My mom thought I was too short and had to climb the door frame on New Year's Eve, saying it would make me taller. The height of 1.58 meters in my previous life is a lifelong regret, this life must be fought for a height of 1.6 meters. I used all my strength to climb the door frame, but unfortunately, my arm strength was insufficient, and it was really hard to bear. Although this is a superstitious saying, it actually also conforms to scientific laws, children's bones have not yet grown together, exercise can promote growth.

  After climbing the door, it's natural to eat tube bones. Children must eat tube bones during the New Year, otherwise they will have no waist or hips, no strength and no energy. Hehe, I love eating tube bones, sucking on them makes the bone oil come out, later with experience, one suck is enough. At night, my grandparents, uncle's family and our family gathered together to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. My sister and I ate happily, stuffing our bellies round and full, grandma touched our bellies and said: "Round and full like a watermelon, don't worry about not being able to get up later."

  My sister and I immediately said, "Are we going to give out red envelopes? We'll definitely be able to kowtow." If it were in the past, I would have definitely knelt down to show that I was definitely capable.

  Grandma smiled and said: "You two girls have eaten, find a cushion to start kowtowing and receive the New Year's money." First was my older sister kowtowing, then me. Grandpa and grandma sat there, I smiled and said: "Grandpa and grandma, new year new atmosphere, congratulations on getting rich, red envelope please come."

  Grandma patted my head and said: "Little devil, come here, I'll give you a red envelope."

  The adults were still eating slowly, while my sister and I went to watch the Spring Festival Gala with satisfaction. After it was over in the evening, I sat between my parents watching the Spring Festival Gala together. Although the current Spring Festival Gala is not as colorful as before, it's quite down-to-earth. Unexpectedly, I watched until 12 o'clock, keeping company with my parents to see in the New Year. Listening to the countdown of the Spring Festival Gala, there were firecrackers going off outside, and Dad also got up to set off firecrackers. The next morning, although the weather wasn't sunny, it was still pretty good. Mom said: "Baby, put on your new clothes, come and have some noodles first, this year will be a long and prosperous one, then eat a glutinous rice ball, round and round. After finishing eating, Dad and Mom will take you to visit relatives downstairs."

  After finishing breakfast, I carried a big red bag and followed my parents to pay New Year's visits. Before arriving at one household, I would loudly greet the people, smiling and saying "Gong Xi Fa Cai" (wishing them prosperity). Many households saw that I looked cute but not tall, so they gave me an apple and a piece of cake, symbolizing peace and growth. Of course, I also received some crystal jelly and chocolate coins, although not many. After finishing the New Year's visits and returning home, my harvest was quite rich. My mom said that I have a sweet mouth and know how to flatter people, but fortunately we returned home, or else the bag would have burst from holding too much.

  I pulled out another bag from my pocket and said, "No way, I still have a bag!" Isn't this all just past-life experience? My dad shook his head and called me a little money enthusiast.

  The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day to visit my grandmother's house, but unfortunately, it started snowing, and my mom kept sighing, saying that it was going to be cold, so I had to wear more clothes, she wrapped me up warmly from head to toe, with a mask, hat, scarf, and gloves.

  I don't really care, it's been a long time since I've seen snow. In my impression, it didn't snow every year when I was in elementary school, and after I entered junior high school, it never snowed again. It's all the fault of global warming.

  I catch the snowflakes from the sky with my hands, like willow catkins, like reed flowers, like pear blossoms blown down by the wind. The snowflakes dance in the air like dandelions, and I couldn't help but spin around too. Tomorrow, I can imagine having a snowball fight, eating pickled plum on snow, and walking on icy roads will be even more exciting! It's been many years since I've done these things, and tomorrow I can relive them - how thrilling!

  Today Ka Wei went to her grandma's house, mom urged and left. Hope everyone also goes out to play often.