One night is two years old, and five watches are divided into two years.

After Chinese New Year's Eve, a new year is coming.

The doors were opened on the first day of the new year, and the form was still grand. Zhao Chenghai, like last night, knelt down to the middle hall to burn incense, bowed to the door again, lit the door lamp, and then opened the door and set off firecrackers.

Breakfast was syrupy eggs, four per person.

After breakfast, Zhao Chenghai said to his son: "In the past, I took you to the village for the New Year, but now you don't study, let you go alone this year." Every family came to say hello to the elders and greet the New Year. ”

The New Year's greeting in Dongwan Village is the New Year's greeting activity in the village on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Everyone did not bring gifts, empty-handed, and went door to door to pay New Year's greetings and say blessings.

Because there are no gifts, just verbal greetings, a local afterword was born: New Year's greetings on the first day of the new year - just say it.

The elders naturally sit at home with a kind smile on their faces, making a bit of an elder's style, waiting for the greetings of the juniors.

In the past, Zhao Chenghai took his son to run from house to house in the three groups of Dongwan.

But this year, Zhao Chenghai felt that his son was already old, and he was also old, so he could be an old lady at home and wait for other people's greetings, so he had the above words.

Zhenhua nodded, went out in a suit and leather shoes, from east to west, and gave New Year's greetings to each family in turn.

The three groups are divided into two rows, the front and back, and Zhenhua lives in the middle of the back row.

He went to the door of every house, walked all the way to the west of the village, and then went east from the front row to the east to pay New Year's greetings, and then turned back to the east of the village.

Everyone greeted and sent greetings and blessings, and it took more than an hour to sit casually for a few minutes and chat a few words.

When he returned home, Zhenhua saw a middle-aged man in his forties sitting at the table of the Eight Immortals, who was delicate and elegant, but it was Zhao Wenle, the elder of his own family who lived in the fourth group.

Zhenhua hurriedly nodded and greeted: "Second grandfather, Happy New Year!"

Zhao Wenle nodded: "Happy New Year." ”

Zhao Wenle is the person with the largest official position in Dongwan Village, and he is a senior party official in Xiangshui Township, a neighboring county.

On weekdays, people in Dongwan Village rarely see Zhao Wenle. But every Spring Festival, Zhao Wenle celebrates the New Year in his hometown, and personally strings the New Year, four groups in Dongwan, and every household runs once.

His seniority in his hometown is also high, Zhenhua should call him an uncle. And his age is several years younger than Zhao Chenghai.

Zhenhua's mother came over to pour tea for Zhao Wenle, and said to Zhenhua with a smile: "The second grandfather is still asking you, it just so happens that you are back, sit here and talk to the second grandfather." ”

Zhao Chenghai also smiled: "Your second grandfather is too 'Taoist', we should have gone to pay New Year's greetings to him, but I didn't expect his old man to come first." ”

The word Taoism, written to describe a person who is pedantic and obsessed with etiquette.

However, in Dongwan Village, 'Taoism' is a positive word, especially used to describe the excessive enthusiasm and humility of the elders towards the younger ones.

"It's not that I'm a Taoist, it's just that I rarely come back a few times a year, and I take advantage of the Chinese New Year to see my old nephew and sister-in-law, and also see the children. Zhao Wenle smiled at Zhao Chenghai, stared at Zhenhua again, and said:

"Zhenhua, I was too busy with work last year, especially in the second half of the year, and I almost didn't come back. I've heard that you've made a lot of news in the past six months, haven't you?"

Zhenhua's face was hot, and he stammered: "Second grandfather, I, I don't have ......"

"No?" Zhao Wenle smiled and said:

"You did it to build your hometown under the gardenia tree, right? You did it? You did it, right? You did it when you set fire to the six grain straws, right? And you won Director Shi 3,000 yuan in three games of chess, right? And last night, I heard that you won one or two thousand in a game of pai gow, right? By the way...... You also wrote a Spring Festival couplet for Song Rengui's uncle and nephew, isn't it?"

"Second grandfather, something ...... It's all a joke...... Last night, I didn't gamble any money, it was all Qi Lei and Uncle Xiang next door......"

Zhenhua was even more embarrassed, like sitting on pins and needles, wanting to explain in a cover-up manner, and was depressed. Zhao Wenle is a hundred miles away, and he will come back for the New Year, how can he be so clear about his own affairs?

Zhao Wenle smiled and said: "There are good things and bad things in these news you have made. I don't have time today, so I'll have a good chat with you when I have some time. But I'll say hello to you first, and I'm not allowed to gamble any more money in the future. ”

Zhenhua nodded: "I know the second grandfather." ”

While talking, there were other villagers who came to string the New Year.

Zhenhua just broke the siege, left Zhao Wenle, and took cigarettes to receive guests.

Zhao Wenle got up, waved goodbye with a few greetings, and continued to go on a New Year's trip.

Zhenhua was not happy, and when the guests at home were gone, he frowned and looked at his father, and asked, "Dad, what the second old man Wenle said, you talked about it again, right?"

Zhao Chenghai shouted injustice, spread his hand and said: "I really didn't say this, and I don't understand how these two old men know." ”

The habit of Dongwan Village is to call the elders of their clan old men, whether they are really old or fake old. With a generation like Zhao Wenle, Zhao Chenghai can call him the second old man, and Zhao Zhenhua can also call him the second old man.

Zhenhua shook his head, carried a box of malt milk essence and two catties of brown sugar, and went to greet Qi Lei's mother for the New Year.

At the end of the year, Qi Lei sent cigarettes and alcohol to Zhenhua's father, and Zhenhua had to return the gift.

Qi Lei also went for the New Year, not at home.

Qi Lei's mother, Lan Yuzhi, hurriedly followed Zhenhua, with a smile on her face, and said: "Zhenhua, you will eat at my house today, have a glass of wine with Qi Lei, and I will cook the dishes." ”

"Auntie is welcome, I'll wait for Qi Lei to come back, chat and leave, and go home for dinner at noon. Zhenhua said with a smile.

Lan Yuzhi hurriedly asked her youngest son to go to the village to find Qi Lei and asked him to come back quickly.

However, Zhenhua waited for a long time, but he didn't see Qi Lei come back.

Seeing that it was almost eleven o'clock, Zhenhua had to get up and say goodbye.

Back at home, Zhenhua found that Qi Lei was sitting in his home, one leg on the ground, one leg curled up on the stool, drinking tea and chatting with his father!

Zhenhua couldn't cry or laugh, squinted his eyes and said: "It turns out that you came to my house, no wonder I waited at your house for a long time and didn't wait for you." ”

Qi Lei grinned: "You go to pay me New Year's greetings, and I will invite you to dinner." Let's go, go to my house for a couple of drinks!"