Reborn in 1985, starting from the mountains of Northwest China

Xiaoyue was woken up by the noise in the inner room and mumbled sleepily, "Dad, is that thunder?"

Xiaoshan explained from the side, "It's not thunder, it's firecrackers."

Xiaoyue snapped awake and sat bolt upright in bed: "Firecrackers? It's Chinese New Year?"

Life in the countryside is tough, but people still buy a few strings of firecrackers to have some fun.

The children didn't have much money, so they would rummage through firecracker casings in groups.

Chen Feng walked in from outside: "Today is the 29th, and the New Year is tomorrow."

Xiaoyue didn't care about anything else, got up and ran towards the door. Halfway there, she remembered something and ran back to put on her new clothes for the New Year.

Lin Xiu, standing nearby, said, "Why wear that? Today isn't the time to wear it!"

Xiaoyue said, "I'll give it a try."

The red cotton-padded jacket was a bit too big for me; the sleeves were so long they covered my hands.

Xiaoyue rolled up her sleeves, twirled around on the ground happily, then turned to Chen Feng, looked up at him, and asked, "Dad, isn't it pretty?"

Chen Feng looked down at her.

The red jacket made her little face look rosy, and her eyes were bright, like two black grapes.

He said, "It looks good."

Xiaoyue looked even more beautiful. She twirled around twice more, then ran towards the door, shouting, "I'm going to show Xiaoshan!"

The two children were about the same age, and Xiaoyue started calling Xiaoshan that too after hearing the adults do so.

Lin Xiu called out from behind, "Put on your shoes! The ground is cold!"

Xiaoyue ran back, stuffed her feet into her shoes, and ran off.

Chen Feng and Lin Xiu exchanged a glance and both smiled.

Today is the 29th day of the Lunar New Year.

People in the countryside have a tradition of steaming buns on the 29th of the lunar month.

Lin Xiu prepared the dough last night and was going to steam it first thing this morning.

Chen Feng was in charge of starting the fire, Xiao Shan was in charge of adding firewood to the stove, and Xiao Yue was in charge of causing trouble on the side.

The family spent the whole morning steaming two baskets of steamed buns, one basket of dumplings, and a few sweet buns with red date filling.

When it came out of the pot, it was steaming hot, and the aroma of white flour filled the whole yard.

Xiaoyue stood by the stove, watching longingly.

Lin Xiu broke off a piece of sweet steamed bun, blew on it, and handed it to her.

Xiaoyue took it, took a bite, and grimaced from the heat. But she couldn't bear to spit it out, so she breathed on it and chewed, and then she laughed.

Xiaoshan also got one, and ate it in a low voice. After a few bites, he suddenly said, "Mom, this tastes better than cornbread."

Lin Xiu paused for a moment, then patted his head: "From now on, we'll have less and less cornbread and more wheat flour."

Xiaoshan nodded and continued eating.

In the afternoon, Chen Feng began to paste up the door gods.

He tore down the old door gods from last year; the paper had faded and the edges were curled up by the wind.

Lin Xiu made a paste and brushed it onto the door panel.

Chen Feng unfolded the new door gods: Yuchi Gong and Qin Shubao, with black and white faces, one holding a whip and the other a mace, glaring fiercely.

He pasted the door gods upright, pressed them down, took two steps back, and looked at them.

Xiaoyue squatted down beside them, looking up at them. After a while, she suddenly asked, "Dad, do they still recognize our house this year?"

Chen Feng said, "I recognize it."

Xiaoyue said, "How did you recognize it? I tore up the one from last year."

Chen Feng thought for a moment and said, "They both have good memories."

Xiaoyue nodded, relieved, and then said to the door gods, "Black-faced grandpa, white-faced grandpa, I will wish you a Happy New Year tomorrow and give you candy."

The door gods didn't speak, they just stared at each other, looking both fierce and simple-minded.

After pasting up the door gods, Chen Feng then pasted up the character "福" (fortune/blessing).

There was one on the main gate, one on the door of the main room, one at the entrance of the kitchen, and even a small one was pasted on the chicken coop.

Xiaoyue asked, "Even the chicken coop needs to be covered up?"

Chen Feng said, "Paste it up. Even chickens have to celebrate the New Year."

Xiaoyue thought about it and agreed, nodding.

In the evening, Chen Feng took out the lanterns he had bought.

The one with the rooster drawn on it is for Xiaoyue; the one with the character "福" (fortune) written on it is for Xiaoshan.

He lit the candle and carefully placed it inside. The lantern immediately lit up, glowing red and warm.

Xiaoyue ran around the yard holding her rooster lantern.

As he ran, he suddenly stopped and said to the lantern, "Rooster, rooster, will you crow tomorrow morning?"

Xiaoshan said from the side, "It's made of paper, it won't crow."

Xiaoyue said, "Then I'll do it for it."

She held the lantern high, tilting her head back: "Oh—oh—oh—"

Firecrackers could be heard from near and far in the village, scattered by impatient children.

Smoke rose from the chimneys of every household, drifting faintly in the twilight sky, a pale blue hue.

Chen Feng stood in the courtyard, watching Xiao Yue run around with a lantern, watching Xiao Shan stand aside trying to suppress his laughter, and watching Lin Xiu go in and out of the kitchen, with pots and pans clattering and clanging.

He suddenly realized that this life was truly wonderful.

Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve.

Chen Feng recalled last year's Spring Festival when he was at the mine, alone in the workers' shed, eating two cornbread buns with a bowl of cabbage soup.

The firecrackers outside were going off so loudly that he didn't even glance at them.

This year is different.

I'm staying home this year.

Lin Xiu poked her head out from the kitchen: "Fengzi, go see Mom and Dad, is there anything you can help with?"

Chen Feng responded, hung up the lantern, and left the courtyard.

When I got to the old locust tree at the village entrance, I ran into Zhang the blacksmith.

Zhang the blacksmith, with his pipe in his mouth, was walking slowly home when he saw Chen Feng and stopped.

"Fengzi, tomorrow is Chinese New Year, why don't you come to your master's house for dumplings?"

Chen Feng smiled: "Master, we have to go to my parents' place tomorrow, it's a whole family."

Zhang the blacksmith nodded: "Alright, then I'll come another day. I'll come over on the first day of the lunar new year and give you a big red envelope."

Chen Feng said, "Master, how old am I? Why are you still giving me red envelopes?"

Zhang the blacksmith glared at him: "No matter how old you are, you're still an apprentice. It's only natural for a master to give his apprentice a red envelope."

Chen Feng smiled and agreed.

Zhang the blacksmith took a few steps, then suddenly turned back and said, "By the way, yesterday when Jianguo went back, he kept muttering that he would never play cards with you again. Your bad luck has scared people away."

Chen Feng smiled slightly, recalling Zhang Jianguo's anxious expression.

Zhang the blacksmith smiled, waved his hand, and walked away with his pipe in his mouth.

Chen Feng continued walking towards his parents' house.

It was getting dark, and the village was filled with the smell of the Lunar New Year.

The aroma of fried meatballs, the fragrance of steamed buns, and a faint smell of gunpowder wafted from the cracks in the doors of every household.

Lights were on in every household, a dim, warm glow illuminating the paper-cut window decorations and the door gods on the doors.

As Chen Feng walked along the village road, a thought suddenly came to mind:

This is life.

No matter how hard or tiring it is, the best days are when the whole family gathers together at the end of the year, eats a hot meal, sets off a string of firecrackers, and puts up new door gods.

He stopped at the door of his parents' house and raised his hand to knock.

A mother's voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

Chen Feng said, "Mother, it's me."

The door opened, and warm yellow light streamed out, shining on him.

His mother stood at the door, smiling at him: "Come in quickly, I was just talking about you."

Chen Feng stepped over the threshold and into the brightly lit room.

Behind me, the sounds of firecrackers, both near and far, began to ring out again.

Crackle, crackle.