I returned to my hometown after winning the koi lottery.

The Year of the Snake: A Prelude to Reunion and a Prelude to Busy Times

While Sister Xiaotao is busy, her life seems to be quietly disrupted and rewoven by an invisible hand.

The sudden ringing of the phone broke the tranquility of her daily routine of preparing for the New Year.

The first call came from Chairman Li, Li Fugui's father.

On the other end of the phone, the father-in-law's calm voice came, informing them that the old couple had decided to come to Shanghe Village to celebrate the New Year.

Sister Xiao Tao put down the phone, turned to look at Li Fugui who was sorting out the sundries, and said softly: "My parents said they want to come here to celebrate the New Year."

Li Fugui was stunned at first, but then a happy smile broke out on his face, and the worry in his eyes instantly dissipated. "That's great, having mom and dad here together makes this New Year feel more like a New Year, and the whole family will be so lively and cheerful."

Before the two of them could recover from their joy, the phone rang again urgently.

This time, the news came from my mother-in-law's family - the Li brothers decided to bring their families to Shanghe Village to celebrate the New Year.

Sister Xiaotao held the phone, the smile on her face froze slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

After hanging up the phone, she looked at Li Fugui and said helplessly: "It's going to be lively now, your uncles and aunts are coming."

Li Fugui's smile froze. He scratched his head, his face full of uneasiness and anxiety. "What...what should I do? With so many people coming at once, we're even having trouble finding a place to stay."

Sister Xiaotao also began to have doubts in her heart. She had originally thought that the three of them could spend a warm and quiet New Year here, but now that all the relatives were coming, the accommodation problem was really tricky.

There are limited rooms in the house and it cannot accommodate so many people.

Li Fugui paced back and forth in the room, his brow furrowed, and he kept muttering, "How can we arrange this? We can't let everyone sleep on the street."

Just when the two of them were frowning, Sister Xiaotao thought of her uncle.

My uncle is very popular in the village and knows the situation there very well. Maybe he can come up with a solution.

So, Sister Xiaotao quickly called her uncle and told him the whole story.

My uncle laughed heartily after hearing this on the other end of the phone. "That's not that difficult. It's just a place to live. Leave it to me! There are a lot of empty houses in our village. I'll get the keys to a few of them, do a simple clean, and make sure everyone lives comfortably."

After hearing this, Sister Xiaotao and Li Fugui felt relieved.

Li Fugui answered the phone, full of gratitude and a little guilt, saying, "Uncle, I'm so sorry to bother you. This is all my fault for not thinking it through in advance."

The eldest uncle interrupted him with a smile: "What are you talking about? We're all family. We can't usually get together, but now that we're all here, it's lively and festive, and we should be celebrating the New Year like it should be. Don't worry about it, just focus on preparing for the New Year. I'll take care of the accommodation."

After hanging up the phone, Li Fugui and Sister Xiao Tao smiled at each other, their hearts full of gratitude towards their uncle.

However, Sister Xiaotao also knew that after solving the accommodation problem, there would be more things waiting for them to deal with.

With so many relatives coming, food and daily necessities have to be prepared anew, and all kinds of New Year customs and activities have to be arranged properly.

Sister Xiaotao began to think about it in her mind, starting with the purchase of ingredients.

With so many people feeding, we need to prepare sufficient quantities of chicken, duck, fish, meat, vegetables and fruits.

She took out a pen and paper and listed the items one by one, including how many pounds of meat to buy, what kinds of vegetables to prepare, and various seasonings, snacks, and drinks. Nothing could be left out.

Li Fugui also took the initiative to help and added what he thought of.

After making the shopping list, Sister Xiaotao and Li Fugui drove to the market in town.

The market has long been bustling with people, a wide variety of goods, and the constant shouting of vendors, and the strong atmosphere of the New Year is everywhere.

Sister Xiaotao and Li Fugui moved among the crowd, purchasing items one by one according to the list.

They selected fresh pork, beef and mutton at the meat stalls, carefully chose various vegetables at the vegetable stalls, and bought a lot of snacks and drinks necessary for the New Year at snack shops and liquor stores.

After purchasing the ingredients, Sister Xiaotao began to prepare traditional Chinese New Year food.

She recalled her childhood when her mother would always cook all kinds of delicious food for Chinese New Year. Those delicious foods were not only a treat for the taste buds, but also the taste of home and the memory of the New Year. So, she decided to make some traditional food to let her relatives taste the authentic New Year flavor.

Sister Xiaotao started to make rice cakes. She mixed glutinous rice flour, brown sugar and water in a certain proportion, stirred them evenly, then poured them into a mold and steamed them in a pot.

The steamed rice cake exudes a rich sweet aroma that makes people salivate.

She also made dumplings and prepared the fillings herself. The pork and cabbage fillings and the leek and egg fillings were all flavors that everyone loved.

She also rolled the dumpling wrappers herself. Although the process was a bit tedious, she enjoyed it.

At the same time, Li Fugui was not idle either.

He and his uncle took the keys and went to clean the empty houses they had borrowed.

They first cleaned up the dust and debris in the room, then made the bed and put clean bedding and pillows on it.

Then, they went to the market and bought some simple daily necessities, such as towels, toothbrushes, soap, etc., to make their relatives' lives more comfortable.

During the cleaning process, Li Fugui looked at his uncle's busy figure and his gratitude grew stronger.

He said to his uncle, "Uncle, this time we are really grateful to you. If it weren't for your help, we really don't know what to do."

The uncle patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Silly boy, we are all family, and it is only natural for us to help each other. Besides, there is strength in numbers. It will be so lively to have so many people celebrating the New Year together. This is the meaning of the New Year."

As the days go by, the Chinese New Year is getting closer and closer.

Sister Xiaotao and Li Fugui's preparations are also proceeding in an orderly manner.

The house has been decorated by them to look brand new. The windows have been wiped clean, festive spring couplets have been posted on the door, and various red decorations have been hung on the walls. The house is filled with the strong flavor of the New Year.

The day for the relatives to arrive finally arrived.

Sister Xiaotao and Li Fugui were standing at the entrance of the village early to greet them.

As the cars slowly drove by, their faces were filled with joyful smiles.

Relatives got off the bus one after another, hugged and greeted each other, and laughter echoed throughout the village.

Sister Xiaotao and Li Fugui warmly welcomed the relatives into their home and served them steaming hot tea and snacks.

The relatives were full of praise for the home decoration and the delicious food prepared by Sister Xiaotao.

The children were laughing and playing in the yard, chasing and fighting, creating a happy and peaceful scene.

In the evening, everyone sat together to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner.

The table was filled with sumptuous dishes, including rice cakes and dumplings made by Sister Xiaotao, as well as various delicious home-cooked dishes.

Everyone ate and chatted, sharing the details of the past year and the joys and sorrows in life.

Li Fugui raised his glass and said gratefully, "Thank you all for coming to celebrate the New Year with us. I also thank my uncle for his help, which allowed us to have such an unforgettable New Year."

Everyone raised their glasses and wished each other good health, family happiness and all the best in the new year.

On this night full of laughter and warmth, Sister Xiaotao looked at her loved ones around her, her heart filled with happiness and satisfaction.

Although she and Li Fugui had been busy for a long time preparing for this New Year and encountered many difficulties, at this moment, all the efforts were worth it.

This Spring Festival in the Year of the Snake became more lively and meaningful with the arrival of relatives, and also made her deeply feel the preciousness of family affection and the warmth of home.