New Year's Day.
While there was smoke coming out of the chimney, heavy snow fell from the sky.
Homemade red lanterns are hung in front of every house, symbolizing a prosperous new year.
People who got up early were carrying freshly cooked dumplings stuffed with wild vegetable oil residue, and their mouths were filled with fragrance.
Only the first meal of the new year is the most satisfying.
Mu Nannan got up late.
She was sitting on the kang in a daze, eating pork dumplings. Ji Beinian, who came to pay New Year's greetings, had already gotten into the house.
"Nan Bao."
Wearing a black felt hat, he placed a red envelope in front of her, and then curved his lips in a rare way:
"Happy New Year."
Mu Nannan was dazzled by his smile and woke up from her drowsiness. For most of the time, he replied blankly:
"Happy New Year."
The little brother looked very happy today.
The smile on his face is as warm as the sun.
Seeing that her spoon was about to hit her nose, Ji Beinian took off his boots and began to feed her skillfully.
A large bowl of smooth and soft egg custard was finished in a short time.
Mu Nannan touched her round belly and walked back and forth on the kang several times with her bare feet.
When I felt less full, I sat on the edge of the bed and put on my shoes to get out of bed.
"I'll help you put it on."
Ji Beinian held her chubby little feet, put on thick socks, and then put on red cloth shoes that matched the cotton-padded jacket she was wearing.
The cloth shoes are embroidered with flowers, grass, and a few butterflies.
Mu Nannan had long discovered that Ji Beinian enjoyed taking care of her clothing and food.
"Does it look good?"
She stepped on the ground and opened her little arms, letting him admire her festive outfit.
He wears a red cotton jacket and trousers, with a circle of rabbit fur around his neck and cuffs. His hair is tied into two neat little buds, with two red ropes tied to them, and a dark golden bell hanging from the bottom of the red rope.
Paired with her round face, she looks like the lucky baby in a New Year picture.
"It looks good."
Ji Beinian stepped forward and held her hand.
Mu Nannan held him back, then walked to the corner and removed the shielding frame, revealing the red strawberries.
"Are the strawberries ripe?"
Ji Beinian was a little surprised.
It was winter now, and he thought the strawberry seedlings planted by Nan Bao would freeze to death.
But thinking about Nanbao's close relationship with plants, I feel that this is not impossible.
Mu Nannan picked several and gave them to him:
"You give me a red envelope, and I'll give you some red strawberries."
Ji Beinian looked at the red strawberries in his pocket and smiled again.
Mu Nannan poked the corner of his mouth with her fat short finger and asked with a smile,
"Little brother, you seem to be very happy today."
When he smiled, she wanted to laugh too.
Ji Beinian hummed in a low voice.
On the first day of the new year, he deliberately got up early just to be the first person to say Happy New Year to Nan Bao and give her a red envelope.
Now that it has come true and he has received a gift in return, can he not be happy?
"Beinian, Nanbao, are you up?"
Ma Yuehong's voice sounded in the yard.
"Get up."
Ji Beinian led Mu Nannan out.
Ma Yuehong, who had just returned from Mu Wei's country, squatted down with a smile and tapped Mu Nannan's forehead:
"You lazy little cat, you stay in bed during the New Year."
"Have you finished the egg custard that grandma steamed for you?"
"It's done!"
Mu Nannan patted her belly through her cotton-padded jacket:
"Grandma's cooking is so delicious, I can't eat it all."
Ma Yuehong was so happy that she coaxed her:
"You're such a sweet little mouth!"
"Nan Don't you want to see a pig being slaughtered? Today the team will kill the last pig and have a big pot meal for lunch. Grandma will take you to see it later and help with the cooking."
The big pot meal was the canteen run by the commune. At that time, every family Each household goes to the canteen to eat, and the quality and quantity of the meals are distributed according to work.
It started in 1958, was canceled in 1961, and then lasted until the 1980s before it was completely ended.