Two generations of military wives compete for time

“古代将一夜分为五个时间段，称为五更，每更的时间段如下：一更（19点到21点）、二更（21点到23点）、三更（23点到1点）、四更（1点到3点）、五更（3点到5点）。你比对一下，哪一更可以分两年呢？”钱懿臻解释说。

Seeing Han Shiyan swaying around with her big belly to take pictures for everyone, Yang Ruolan's mother walked up to her with a distressed look on her face: "You little girl, you're almost giving birth, be careful, don't fall."

"Hello, auntie. Come here, let me take a family photo for you, with the auspicious snow and icicles as the background. I guarantee you will never get tired of looking at it." Han Shiyan said as she took a photo of Chairman Yang Zhongbang, Yang Ruolan's mother, Yang Ruolan, Feiyan, and Feixiang, all of whom were smiling brightly.

After completing the task of pasting Spring Festival couplets, the working team waved goodbye: "See you tomorrow and on New Year's Day." Then everyone went back to their own homes.

"Mom, is New Year's Eve the same as New Year's Eve?" Junyan asked.

"Yes, what should we do on New Year's Eve? Can anyone answer this?" Qian Yizheng asked.

"Putting up Spring Festival couplets, worshiping ancestors, eating New Year's Eve dinner, setting off fireworks, staying up all night, and getting lucky money." Several children talked at once, answering the questions actively.

Ding-ling-ling, Qian Yizhen's phone rang: "Yizhen, I'm sorry, I can't go home on time for the New Year's Eve dinner tonight. The clearance task here has not been completed yet. It is estimated that I will be home around eleven o'clock."

"Minghui, I understand. Snow removal, obstacle clearing and disaster relief work is very important. Everything is fine at home, don't worry. Mountain rescue is very dangerous. You have been working day and night for nearly a week. You must pay attention to the combination of work and rest, keep warm and stay safe."

At five o'clock in the afternoon, grandma Chen Yalu, grandpa Lu Kaipu, cousin Chen Mengwei, cousin Chen Jinting, and housekeeper Qin Yue'e had already arranged the offerings for the ancestor worship.

The big red lanterns were all lit up, and the big red window grilles on the window glass cast bright red shadows under the light, exuding a festive atmosphere everywhere.

New Year's Eve is one of the most important days of the year for worshipping ancestors. People will offer sacrifices to their ancestors on this day and pray for their ancestors to bless the whole family with peace.

Ming Zhigang and Qian Baogui quietly returned to the bedroom in the Chen Mansion and kowtowed three times each in the direction of their hometown.

Qin Yue'e found some free time and quietly returned to the bedroom in the Chen Mansion. She bowed three times in the direction of her hometown.

After the ancestor worship ceremony, the New Year’s Eve dinner is served. The New Year’s Eve dinner usually includes: (1) Dumplings, which are shaped like gold ingots and symbolize wealth. (2) Fish, which cannot be eaten up, symbolizes “abundance every year”. (3) Rice cakes, symbolize “promotion every year”. (4) Tofu, symbolizes “blessings all year round”, etc.

New Year’s Eve dinner, also known as the reunion dinner, is one of the most important activities on New Year’s Eve. It is a time for families to get together, chat about family life, express gratitude and blessings, and also express expectations and wishes for the new year.

Grandpa Lu Kaipu put "Tusu wine" on the dining table, and Junyan asked curiously: "Grandpa, do you want to drink Tusu wine on New Year's Eve?"

"Yes, in Wang Anshi's "New Year's Day", the "Tu Su" in "One year is gone with the sound of firecrackers, and the spring breeze brings warmth to Tu Su" refers to this Tu Su wine.

Tusu wine is made from Tusu grass or several herbs. In ancient times, the whole family drank this wine during the Spring Festival to ward off evil spirits, avoid plague, and pray for longevity. "Grandma Chen Yalu explained.

"New Year's Day, by Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty, the year is gone with the sound of firecrackers, the spring breeze brings warmth to the wine, the sun is bright in every household, and people always replace the old charms with new ones." Jun Ge also imitated sister Jun Yan and recited "New Year's Day" seriously.

After eating the New Year's Eve dinner, they couldn't wait to set off firecrackers to support, love and strengthen the army. They were reluctant to light a string of firecrackers at once, but to set them off one by one because the number was limited.

The boys lit firecrackers in various ways, inserting them into the snowdrifts and igniting them, which created small black holes on the snowdrifts. They also lit them under copper basins and in buckets, and the sounds of the copper basins, buckets, and firecrackers echoed in the air at the same time.

Junhua led her two younger sisters to light the fireworks and spun around with them in their hands. The laughter of children and the chatting of adults filled every happy and reunited family.

Amid the sound of fireworks and firecrackers, the Chen family members were attracted to the Spring Festival Gala in the living room. The color TV that cousin Chen Mengwei bought from Hong Kong was particularly eye-catching. Color TVs were scarce in the mainland. Most families who could afford a TV had black and white TVs.

The adults and children in the Chen family sat together around the fireplace and on the sofa in the living room. Because there were so many people, a few young people moved the dining chairs into the living room.

As usual, housekeeper Li Xiaoquan stayed alone in the bedroom next to the gate of Chen's house, watching over the safety of the entire Chen's house. At ten o'clock on New Year's Eve, Ming Yuanhui, exhausted, knocked on the door of Chen's house.

Housekeeper Li Xiaoquan saw Ming Yuanhui leaning against the door frame weakly, and hurried forward to support him: "Deputy Director Ming, why are you so tired? You haven't eaten yet, right? I'll help you go to the restaurant to eat something first."

Li Xiaoquan, the housekeeper, took out the New Year's Eve supper prepared by Qin Yue'e, the housekeeper, from the kitchen and handed it to Ming Yuanhui. Ming Yuanhui took the bowl and chopsticks and started to eat voraciously.

"Please eat slowly. I have boiled some dumplings for you. Come and have some more dumplings. These are New Year's Eve dumplings," said the housekeeper Li Xiaoquan.

After Ming Yuanhui had eaten his fill, he felt a little more energetic and said to his housekeeper Li Xiaoquan, "Thank you, Uncle Li. I'm full and satisfied. I'm so tired now that I can't even lift my eyelids. I need to sleep urgently. You go ahead and do your work. I'm going back to my room to sleep."

Ming Yuanhui dragged his tired body, leaned against the living room window, quietly observed the situation in the living room, then staggered back to the bedroom, climbed onto the bed and fell asleep.

Qian Yizheng looked at the time. It was ten fifty. She quietly walked out of the living room and walked towards the front door, thinking that Ming Yuanhui should be back soon.

Housekeeper Li Xiaoquan opened the door and came forward: "Boss Qian, Deputy Director Ming has finished his meal and has gone back to his room to rest. He didn't let me tell you, saying that he was afraid of disturbing you watching the Spring Festival Gala and staying up all night. He just wants to have a good sleep. He said he wants to sleep too much."

Qian Yizhen nodded: "Thank you, Uncle Li, I'll go back to the house to take a look, it seems that Ming Yuanhui is really exhausted."

Returning to the bedroom and turning on the light, Qian Yizheng saw Ming Yuanhui lying on the bed with his clothes on and sleeping soundly. Qian Yizheng picked up the quilt and covered Ming Yuanhui with it. Then he took off the pair of wet military cotton boots on Ming Yuanhui's feet and placed them on the iron stove to let the boots slowly dry.

He casually put a few more pieces of coal into the heating stove, picked up the hook, hooked the ashes at the bottom of the stove, and the fire quickly jumped up. Looking at Ming Yuanhui who was sleeping soundly, Qian Yizhen was about to get up to turn off the lights and continue to watch TV, chat, and stay up in the living room, but he heard Ming Yuanhui mumbling in his sleep.

Qian Yizhen walked over to Ming Yuanhui and touched his forehead, finding that he had a low fever. She hurried out and called her grandfather Lu Kaipu over.

Grandpa Lu Kaipu touched Ming Yuanhui's forehead and took his pulse, then went back to his bedroom and got two Chinese medicine pills for Ming Yuanhui to take, and asked Qian Yizheng to send him to the hospital as soon as possible.