Paradise

Watching Tian Osmanthus leave, Lin Bao turned around and went back to the yard with a smile. Huangmao seemed to see his happiness, and leaned over, wagging his tail non-stop. Lin Bao reached out and touched its head, saying, "Brother, I made money, and I will reward you with a meaty bone later."

After selling the lanterns, Lin Bao was very happy. As soon as he entered the house, he shouted, "Brother, Brother Zhou, I just sold a pair of red lanterns. Look, this is the money I just got."

In the room, Zhou Ze was rolling dumpling wrappers in front of the chopping board. This was originally Lin Bao's job. Lin Yu was sitting at the table making dumplings.

Lin Yu heard her younger brother shout, looked up at the palm of his hand, and said, "Xiaobao, didn't you just say that you sold a pair of lanterns? I think the copper plate in your hand seems to be just For a lantern, don’t you remember the price wrong?”

Lin Bao shook his head, "How can I? I have a good memory. I sold the lantern to Aunt Tian just now. She just wanted to buy it when she passed by us and saw that our lanterns were beautiful. She thought our lanterns were expensive. I bought them." I told all about the lanterns in our house, and finally followed what Brother Zhou taught me before, and gave her five renminbi less, so she bought it. She only had [-] renminbi left in her pocket, so I gave it all to me. Brother Dachun will send over the rest of the money in a while."

When it came to the end, Lin Bao asked Zhou Ze with some uncertainty, "Brother Zhou, I gave her five cents off, so you didn't lose money?"

"There is no loss, and you can make some money. You did a good job. This lantern will be sold as soon as it is sold. It is useless to hold it in our hands." Zhou Ze said.

"It's good if you don't sell at a loss." Lin Bao scratched his head, happier, washed his hands, and took over the job of rolling the leather. He does this job often. The rolled leather is round and even in thickness. He rolls the leather by himself. It can make dumplings for Zhou Ze and Lin Yu.

Leaving aside the dumpling-making end of the Lin family, Tian Guihua walked from one end of the village to the other end of the village with two fiery red lanterns. Obviously she could take the trail home, but she didn't, as if to show off It seems that if you want people to see the pair of red lanterns she bought, you'd better praise her good eyesight.

Not to mention, along the way, many people have seen it. When people see new things, they are so lively that they can't help but come to them, have a look, touch them and ask them.

"I said sweet-scented osmanthus, where did you get the lantern, it looks really nice, where are you going to hang it?" Someone asked.

"Of course it's hung on both sides of the gate. It's so festive and beautiful. People in Fucheng hang it like this. It can also be auspicious and ward off evil spirits." Seeing so many people cheering, Tian Guihua's chest was tall and her face was proud show.

"You haven't told us where you got it. This lantern is so well made, I guess it's not cheap." Another person asked.

"That's, of course it's not cheap. This lantern costs [-] Wen. The Lin's shop sells it, and he has a pair hanging in his house. You can go and have a look." Tian Guihua said, she didn't care Telling about the fact that it was five cents cheaper, she felt at ease when she bought the same thing cheaply at home.

"Tsk~ Thirty Wen is too expensive. My family can't afford it. With that money, I might as well cut two catties of meat to eat." Someone said.

"What you said is wrong. If you buy meat and eat it for a meal, it will be gone. This lantern can only be hung for one year. After the Chinese New Year, take it off and put it in a good place. It can be hung again next year." Tian Guihua also said If you love the money you spend, you can buy it if you can, and you can't show your timidity in front of outsiders.

There are people who don't want to buy, and naturally there are people who want to buy, "Then is there still this lantern in the Lin's shop?"

"Yes, I remember there are a few more. Anyway, there are not too many. If you want to buy them, go early and hang up the lanterns while posting the couplets. It's auspicious, and you can get a good fortune for the New Year. Come on. , I won’t tell you anymore, I have to go back quickly and ask Dachun to hang up the lantern, maybe the God of Wealth will come to my house if he sees it, and bless my family to make a fortune next year.” After Tian Guihua finished speaking, she didn’t Arguing with everyone, Xing hurried home.

There are those who are determined to buy, and some who are hesitant. You look at me and I look at you. In the end, they all choose to go to Lin's house. They still remember what Tian Guihua said just now. There are not many lanterns left, so even if they don't buy , and also want to follow the past, they want to see if the lanterns hanging on the gate are really so beautiful and festive.

When people came to the gate of the Lin family, they saw a pair of red lanterns hanging on the gate of the Liu family not far away, which echoed the red lanterns on the gate of the Lin family. They wanted to buy it even more. They regretted that they didn’t expect to hang two lanterns like this. Originally, they also had people watching the lanterns in their shop, but no one thought about buying them. This time they saw someone bought them, so they were interested. , I also want to buy it, everyone has a heart of conformity.

This Lin family, Lin Bao was rolling out dumpling wrappers. Before rolling out a few sheets, there was a yellow-haired cry from outside the courtyard. Listen carefully, there was a bit of excitement in that cry. Wipe off the flour, "This is someone coming to buy things again, brother Zhou, do you think they are here to buy lanterns?"

Zhou Ze laughed and said, "You'll find out when you go and have a look."

Lin Bao stayed there for a while before returning, and he came back with a smile on his face, "Brother, Brother Zhou, all the lanterns in our family have been sold, and there is no one left. You didn't see me. I came to buy lanterns." Wave after wave of people came, and in the end they regretted not coming sooner if they bought something, and this time they didn’t say it was expensive, they rushed to pay one by one, fearing that they wouldn’t be able to buy it.”

"It's great that the lanterns are all sold out. No one bought them at first, and no one asked when they were put on the shelves. I didn't expect that people would be willing to buy them when they were hung on the gate." The lanterns were sold out. Lin Yu was also very happy. What he wanted most to open a shop was to sell the goods and make money.

"Put it on the shelf in piles, people can't see its goodness, hang it on the gate, the real situation, people can really see its beauty, people are more willing to see its real effect." Zhou Ze said.

The lanterns were sold out, and the Lin family was very happy, their hands kept moving, and they finished making the dumplings while talking and laughing.

At noon, the family had a simple lunch and took a nap. There was not much work in the afternoon. Zhou Ze took Lin Bao to clean the yard. Even the small courtyard of the Lin family did not leave behind, and the cleaning was done quietly. , Lin Yu scrubbed the house, and the next highlight was preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner.

The New Year's Eve dinner is a family reunion dinner, and it is the most important meal at the end of the year. It is not only a family reunion to enjoy the fruits of a year's labor, but also a good wish for the new year. Longing for wishes.

The Lin family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was prepared by the three of them together. Zhou Ze made braised fish and chicken stewed with mushrooms. Lin Yu made croquettes and fried rice cakes. The meat stewed yesterday was also taken out, cut into slices, and topped with green onions. The juice made with garlic vinegar and sesame oil is made into a cold dish...

Lin Bao couldn't cook, so he stood by and helped, peeling onions and garlic and picking vegetables. He was the best at cooking fires, and he did the most good jobs this winter.

In the evening, the sky gradually darkened, smoke rose from the cooking in the village, and bursts of firecrackers sounded from time to time. The food of the Lin family had been served on the table, the hot water in the pot was boiling, and the white and fat dumplings were floating and sinking in it.

"Brother, are the dumplings cooked? Are they about to come out of the pot? I'll go and set off firecrackers for our family." Lin Bao said excitedly. According to the custom of New Year's Eve, before the dumplings come out of the pot, there is a firecracker.

"Well, well, the dumplings will be out of the pot soon, you can put them away, remember to stay away, and don't collapse." Lin Yu said.

"Understood!" Lin Bao excitedly carried a firecracker to the outside of the courtyard, hung it on the wall, and took a half-burned firewood to ignite it underneath. As soon as it was lit, Lin Bao covered his ears with his hands, and quickly ran to the yard.

"Crackling..." There was a sound!It completely ignited the atmosphere of the New Year.

On this New Year's Eve, a day of family reunion, looking at my beloved husband and a younger brother called my eldest brother, these two are my relatives, so that I am also a family member, no longer He was alone, and Zhou Ze had never been so full and fulfilled like this moment.

The dumplings were served, and the family of three sat around the dining table. Zhou Ze took a small jar of rice wine and a wine glass, and poured himself a glass. During the meeting, Zhou Ze wanted to have a few drinks.

When Lin Yu saw Zhou Ze pouring wine, his heart moved, and he also took a wine glass and handed it over, "Brother Zhou, pour me a glass too, I want to drink with you."

Zhou Ze hesitated, "Ayu, you haven't drunk, I'm afraid you're drunk."

Lin Yu insisted, "I'm not afraid when I'm drunk, but I'm not afraid of you, Brother Zhou."

Hearing what he said, Zhou Ze smiled and poured him half a glass of wine.

Lin Bao watched Zhou Ze pour wine for the two of them, stuffed a dumpling into his mouth, and muttered, "Brother Zhou, do you want to drink? Pour me a glass too, how about we have a drink together?" "

Zhou Ze glanced at his immature face and said with a smile, "Children, what kind of wine do you drink? Eat more vegetables, meat, and dumplings, and you will grow up in the future."

Lin Bao swallowed the dumplings in his mouth, still staring at the wine glass, and said, "My brother hasn't had his birthday yet, and he's not yet an adult, so I can drink what he can, give me a drink, Just a small cup."

"Do you really want to drink it? Don't think it's spicy for a while." Zhou Ze was happy, took another glass, and poured a small glass of wine. They used small wine glasses, and the little wine poured for the Lin brothers was not enough There is a limit to the height above the bottom of the cup, just a taste.

Zhou Ze was pouring wine for them, and the yellow-haired man gnawed bones and ate dumplings at the door. He raised his head to look outside, and barked twice in the direction outside. After a while, the little mouse blatantly Going out the door and entering the room, the little nose was still sniffing, obviously smelling the real thing, and came directly under the dining table, screaming "squeak".

When Lin Bao saw this guy, he cried out, "This mouse's nose is better than our yellow fur. You see, it comes here as soon as our home cooks delicious food. It's here to eat. "

Zhou Ze and Lin Yu looked at each other, both laughed, thinking, no, this is a greedy little mouse with a good nose.

Lin Bao said, but he didn't really dislike it. He took out the plate that the little mouse used in the past from the cupboard, put several pieces of chicken and a large piece of fish on it, and put a few pieces on it. Put the dumplings in front of the little mouse, "here, eat it, and have a New Year's Eve dinner with us to celebrate the New Year."

The little mouse is also familiar with the Lin family, and has come over several times throughout the winter. It rubbed Lin Bao's hand to express its gratitude, and then buried itself in eating.