When Chu Tianqi woke up, his younger brother Chu Lirui had already gotten up and gone out, and his father Chu Yuliang was sitting against the wall, looking at him lovingly. He said hello to his father, then hurriedly got up to wash his face and brush his teeth. Now every time he goes home, Chu Tianqi falls asleep very late, but every time he sleeps very steadily, he sleeps until dawn.

Rural people generally eat two meals in winter, breakfast is eaten late, and my mother and sister have just started cooking.

When I came to the courtyard, I found that the sky was gray and cloudy, and the humidity in the air was much higher than usual. At this moment, his younger brother Chu Lirui came back, holding several couplets in his hands.

Seeing Chu Tianqi in the courtyard, Chu Lirui said, "Brother, it's just right." Now let's post a couplet. ”

"Okay, I'll go make the paste. Chu Tianqi said.

"The eldest sister boiled it just now, and it should be able to be used. Chu Lirui said as he gave the couplet to Chu Tianqi, and then walked into the house. Soon, Chu Lirui came out with a plastic box containing a paste made from flour.

The two brothers began to paste couplets. Chu Lirui stepped on the stool to smear the paste and paste the couplet, and Chu Tianqi handed the paste below, and clearly distinguished the upper and lower couplets, and handed them to his younger brother.

In the countryside, in order to set off the atmosphere, it is also a custom that has been handed down for many years, as long as there is a door, couplets should be pasted, and sometimes the pillars on the window frames should also be pasted. Therefore, inside and outside the main house of their house, including the gate and a few small south houses, a total of eight couplets need to be pasted.

"Lirui, are these couplets still written by Liu Sanye?" Chu Tianqi asked.

Chu Lirui said while sticking to it: "Yes." As soon as he entered the wax moon, the third master took care of the couplet for us. But I never took the red paper, so I postponed it. If it weren't for the emphasis on 'writing couplets on red paper must be provided by the family', the third master said that he would have written it on his family's red paper a long time ago. I brought the red paper the night before yesterday, and he told me to pick it up yesterday and pick up my eldest sister yesterday, so I only got it back this morning. ”

Chu Tianqi nodded: "The third master has to write couplets for more than half a month every year, and there are several bottles of ink alone. ”

"No, when I went to get it, I saw that there were several ink bottles on their cabinet. Chu Lirui responded.

Soon, seven couplets had been pasted, and only the last one remained, which was posted at the gate.

"Brother, the third master specially created a couplet for our family, which is the big one. He said, pointing with his finger, "I looked at it and thought it was pretty well written." ”

Hearing this, Chu Tianqi hurriedly looked at this couplet, only to see that the upper couplet read: The new millennium, the new atmosphere, Vientiane, the old appearance of Liulinbao has been renewed, and the lower couplet is: Love the motherland, love the people, love the world, and the father and son of the old Chu family are all good, and the horizontal criticism is: Love relay.

Chu Tianqi looked at this couplet specially created by Liu Sanye, and it seemed that the battle was neat, but he always felt that something was wrong there. Suddenly, he saw the problem, said to his brother in the chair, "Wait a minute", and ran out with the couplet.

The younger brother Chu Lirui muttered, "What kind of fame", got off the chair, and went back to the house.

……

More than half an hour later, Chu Tianqi came back in a hurry, holding a couplet in his hand, and shouted into the room: "Lirui, come out quickly, paste the pair." ”

Chu Lirui walked out slowly and said, "What are you doing when you go out? I have been waiting for you for a long time." ”

Chu Tianqi smiled and said, "I asked Liu Sanye to change the couplet again. As he spoke, he handed the couplet to his brother.

Glancing at Chu Tianqi, Chu Lirui picked up the couplet and looked at it. He found that the content of the upper link had not changed, that is, the content of the lower link had become "Thank you to the motherland and thank the villagers for the two generations of people's concentric gratitude to the party", and the horizontal criticism has also become "The party's kindness is as deep as the sea".

"Brother, why do you want to change it? I think it was written well from the beginning. Chu Lirui asked suspiciously.

"Changed and corrected, the following couplet written at the beginning was completely to praise us, and it was posted at the door of our house, isn't this Lao Wang selling melons -- selling himself and boasting? This is going to be passed out, and it may not be said what it will be? That is, when the villagers see it, what will happen?" Chu Tianqi said solemnly.

"Is it so evil?" Chu Lirui said disapprerovingly, "Isn't it similar to change to the way it is now?"

"It's not the same. Originally, I wanted Liu Sanye to write us a couplet again, and the content was just ordinary. But he didn't agree with anything, he said that this couplet was written after many times of deliberation, it was his painstaking effort, and it also represented the voice of the villagers. Later, after negotiation, each took a step back, so it was changed to the current state. In this way, the content that originally carried the meaning of self-boasting became the content that we are grateful for, and the emotions expressed were different. Chu Tianqi explained.

Chu Lirui smiled: "Brother, I don't know if you are a junior official with high consciousness, or are you making a gesture?"

knew that his younger brother was joking, but Chu Tianqi didn't feel it: Yes, if it spreads, maybe many people will think so, thinking that he is selling his reputation.

Looking at his brother's gains and losses, Chu Lirui couldn't help but say, "Brother, what's the matter? Don't worry about yourself." There is nothing in the world, and mediocrity disturbs itself. ”

"Go, don't drag the text with me, hurry up and paste it. Chu Tianqi said, motioning for his younger brother to go to the gate of the courtyard to post it.

Soon, this couplet, which has the largest number of words in Liulinbao Village, was posted at the gate. Not to mention, on the earthen wall of the farmhouse, such a couplet was pasted all of a sudden, which immediately looked festive and imposing. Especially Liu Sanye's words, with the style of Wei and Jin, the whole couplet looks smart and elegant, and extraordinary.

After pasting the couplet, it is to hang the lantern. Many of them have been hung up in advance, but the Chu family has not been hung up. One is because Chu Lirui has no time, and the other is that the wind is too strong these days, if it hangs too early, it should be broken before the Spring Festival. Not to mention, the wind has been blowing for several days, but it suddenly stopped today, and the wind is probably ready for the New Year.

Breakfast is very simple, it is all leftovers from the past few days, and as soon as the sorghum stalk paddle in the big pot is hot, it is steaming out of the pot.

After breakfast, my mother and sister continued to prepare dinner for the afternoon. Chu Tianqi and Chu Lirui chatted with their father, and they had to watch TV with Niuniu from time to time, and of course they had to get some firewood or something.

……

At about two o'clock in the afternoon, small snowflakes began to fall, and slowly turned into snowflakes. Later, the snow fell heavier and heavier, and the whole world was white.

Watching the holy snowflakes overwhelming the sky and sprinkling wine from the sky, Niuniu was very excited, and pulled her two uncles to play with her in the yard. The snow on the ground is getting thicker and thicker, and it "crunchs" when you step on it. Chu Tianqi and the three of them, with Niuniu as the center, chased, frolicked, and had snowball fights in the yard. Looking at the little girl doll wearing pink clothes, colorful knitted hats, and a bright smile, in the snowy silver world, Chu Tianqi had a fairy tale scene in his mind.

"Stop making a fuss, eat. Sister Chu Lijuan's shout pulled Chu Tianqi's thoughts back from the distant fairy tale world.

"No! I'm going to play. Niu Niu pouted.

"Let's go, Niuniu, let's eat well!" Chu Tianqi couldn't help but say, picked up Niuniu and walked to the house.

"Uncle is bad, uncle is bad, you and your mother are together, don't let me have fun. Niu Niu kept screaming while kicking her little feet.

"Then you still look forward to his return every day, or uncle. Chu Lirui wasted no time in adding fuel and vinegar to the side.

"Hello uncle, hello uncle, you can go play with me. Niuniu was kicking with her hands and feet, trying to break free from her uncle and go to his uncle.

When Chu Lirui heard that his niece was serious, he hurriedly ignored the little girl and rushed into the house first.

"Uncle is bad, uncle is bad. Niuniu was carried into the house despite shouting.

……

The snow is fluttering outside, and the house is full of wine and food.

Niuniu's hands were oily, and the meat and bones in the bowl were torn into several pieces, and she grabbed a bone with her small hands and put it in the oily twist's small mouth.

Seeing that his daughter was the last to sit on the seat, Chu Yuliang picked up the wine glass in his hand. Unlike previous years, instead of standing up, he sat down in a chair and said: "The new year is coming soon, let us raise a glass together and wish our motherland prosperity." ”

As soon as Chu Yuliang's words fell, the large and small glasses in everyone's hands collided together, making a crisp sound. Even Niuniu is not far behind, holding a bone in one hand and stretching out her arm in the other, touching everyone. Then, everyone drank it all, holding the cup in their hands, reminiscing about the taste in their mouths and hearts.

"Grandpa is like a national leader speaking, that's what he says every year. Grandpa, will you say anything else?" said Niuniu innocently.

The child's innocent words made everyone laugh, especially Chu Yuliang's most happy smile.

"Niuniu, grandpa will talk a lot. Chu Yuliang stroked Niuniu's hair and said.

"Okay, okay, then grandpa will say one more thing, I want to hear grandpa speak the most. Niuniu clapped her little hands and said.

"Why?" Chu Yuliang said lovingly as he looked at this little man of the next generation.

Niu Niu's childish voice said: "Because ...... Because...... I'll have to see if you have any new words. ”

Niuniu's words made everyone laugh and laugh at this "cunning" elf.

"Yes, of course. Chu Yuliang also said with a smile.

After a few bites of food, Chu Yuliang raised his glass again and said, "This year is the new millennium. As the saying goes, "once in a lifetime", but if we meet this millennium, then we are lucky. So I want to say this second cup, it is another spring coming, and this year's festival is even more different, let us wish the land of China smooth wind and rain, and the people of all ethnic groups to live and work in peace and contentment. ”

"Well, that's not bad, I'll do it first. Niu Niu said like a little adult, and drank not a drop of the drink in the cup.

Everyone drank it all with joy.

Chu Lirui looked at Niuniu and said, "Niuniu, you didn't finish what you said just now, it's time to say it." ”

"Well, so be it, I'll say as long as you fulfill one more of my requests. Niu Niu talked about the conditions.

"Heh, you're not big, but you're a lot more exquisite, what other conditions do you have?" Chu Lirui teased.

"I'm going to propose a glass of wine. Niu Niu said seriously.

"It's okay to drink alcohol, then you have to give a reason for everyone to drink. Chu Lirui continued to tease the little niece.

"Of course, I have a good reason. Eat a few bites of food, and I'll be going to drink in a moment. Niu Niu said, learning to make a "please" gesture as an adult.

The third glass of wine was poured. Niu Niu stood up in the chair and held her cup and said, "Grandpa has been in a coma for so long, and he finally woke up on Chinese New Year's Eve last year, and today is exactly a year, and his body has recovered a lot." Let's all raise a glass together and wish Grandpa good health and a long life. ”

Unexpectedly, a child would say such a thing, and everyone was surprised and toasted in response. With the crisp sound of clinking glasses, everyone's eyes glistened with tears. I don't know if it's because I listened to the child's sensible words, or because I thought about what I've experienced in the past year or so.