Colorful years

Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, it's already the 29th of the twelfth lunar month.

On this day, the winter sun shone into Zhang Zhong's courtyard, adding a touch of warmth to the cold air.

The Zhang family, young and old, were filled with joy and anticipation as they awaited the return of their second son, Zhang Cong, for a reunion to welcome the New Year together.

Zhang Zhong sat on a chair in the main room, glancing at the doorway every now and then, his eyes filled with anticipation.

His wife, Shi Daya, was busy in the kitchen preparing a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. Although there were still some ingredients to be processed, her thoughts were already on her son who was about to return home.

The children played in the yard, and every now and then they would run to the door to peek out, hoping that their second brother, Zhang Cong, would appear soon.

However, as time passed and the sun gradually set, the sky grew darker. They waited anxiously, but they never saw that familiar and kind face appear at their doorstep.

The Zhang family's initial excitement and anticipation gradually turned into anxiety and worry.

You should know that this year's Spring Festival is the most lavishly Zhang Zhong has ever prepared for the New Year since he got married and started a family! There are two reasons for this:

Firstly, after years of hard work, the second son, Zhang Cong, finally graduated from university and successfully found a job, which greatly alleviated the family's financial pressure. Secondly, this year's production situation was exceptionally good, and the family not only received a sufficient amount of grain but also a cash dividend of over 100 yuan.

These two happy events greatly improved the Zhang family's life and filled them with hope for the future.

That's why Zhang Zhong gritted his teeth and decided to slaughter the 180-pound fat pig in his home so that the whole family could have a happy New Year.

Zhang Zhong had put a lot of effort into this pig. From spring onwards, he had carefully tended to the piglet, watching it grow day by day, and now it was finally time to harvest it. On the day of the slaughter, several strong men from the village came to help, and together they finally managed to subdue the large, fat pig.

Looking at the tender pieces of pork, Zhang Zhong was filled with joy. He could almost see his whole family sitting around the table, enjoying the delicious food.

In addition, the skillful Shi Daya meticulously prepared many delicious rice cakes and various local snacks. She started preparing the ingredients early in the morning, personally handling every step from grinding rice to steaming cakes, without daring to be careless in the slightest.

She also made fried dough twists, fried rice, and dried summer snacks, each one filled with her deep love for her family and her beautiful expectations for the New Year.

The children gathered around her, watching her busy figure, swallowing hard as they looked on, hoping the delicious food would be ready soon.

All these preparations were made in preparation for the arrival of their second son, Zhang Cong, who made the whole family proud, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Zhang Cong is the hope of his family, and his hard work and achievements make the whole family incredibly proud. Everyone is looking forward to his early return home to share this joy and happiness.

Just as the family was struggling with a complex mix of hope and disappointment, suddenly, a series of unusually rapid footsteps approached from outside the door.

The sound, like the beat of a drum, struck heavily on everyone's heartstrings. Zhang Zhong and Shi Daya quickly stood up, opened the door, and saw Secretary Liu standing in the doorway, covered in sweat, holding an envelope in his hand.

"Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhang, this is a letter from Cong'er to you," Secretary Liu said breathlessly. A hint of apology crossed his face, as if he too was disappointed by the news.

Zhang Zhong took the envelope, opened it, and found a note and a money order inside. The note read: "Dear parents, dear brothers and sisters, I'm sorry I can't come home to celebrate the New Year with you."

The county party committee decided to hold a three-level cadre expansion conference on the tenth day of the first lunar month. I was assigned to the conference secretariat's materials group to rush to write the conference materials, and I needed to work overtime during the Spring Festival.

Please understand and rest assured, I will have New Year's Eve dinner at Minister Wu's house. Enclosed is one hundred yuan as New Year's gifts for the family. Don't worry about me, I will take good care of myself. Cong'er.

Looking at the words on the note, Zhang Zhong and Shi Daya's eyes welled up with tears. Their hearts were filled with complex emotions, including disappointment that their son couldn't come home, but also understanding and support for his work.

Zhang Zhong took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said, "Cong'er is such a responsible child. He can't come home for the New Year because of work, and we should be proud of him."

Shi Daya held the hundred-yuan remittance slip, her hands trembling. "Cong'er is so sensible. She knows we have a hard life, and she still sends us money back."

She murmured to herself, tears welling in her eyes.

It's important to know that 100 yuan in the early 1980s was equivalent to 10,000 yuan today. This amount of money was undoubtedly a huge sum for Zhang Zhong's family. It not only represented Zhang Cong's filial piety but also allowed them to feel their son's growth and progress.

Zhang Zhong also said with deep emotion: "Yes, Cong'er has grown up and become successful. We should believe in him, support him, and encourage him to work harder and achieve even better results."

Although the family was somewhat disappointed, they were mostly understanding and supportive of their son. They knew that their son's work was for the happiness of more people, and they were proud of his sense of responsibility.

The two younger sisters, Chunlan and Juxiang, sat quietly to the side, tears welling in their eyes. They knew that their brother couldn't come home for the New Year because of work, and they were proud to have such a responsible brother.

“My brother is our role model. We should learn from him, work hard, and bring honor to our family in the future,” Chunlan said firmly.

Juxiang nodded and said, "Yes, we can't let our brother down. We have to be as excellent as him."