Zhang Meng and Li Meng got engaged on the sixth day of the first lunar month. But before preparing for my sister's engagement ceremony, there is still a New Year to celebrate!

Li Liang's family had a very lively New Year this year.

Grandpa's family and the second uncle's family all entered the city. Uncle Li Shuangyuan, who came back from Yangcheng, also got off the bus station and arrived at Li Liang's house.

The three-story building facing the street that Li Liang's family built this year is more than enough to accommodate a large family. Li Yin and Li Hao are the happiest, this is the first time they have spent the New Year in the city, and they still live in such a brand-new building.

Whether it is the photo studio and supermarket downstairs, or the clean and tidy bathroom where you can go to the toilet without going out, Li Yin and Li Hao are all excited.

Chinese New Year's Eve, the most important day of the year. On this day, whether rich or poor, every household must come up with the best ingredients and the best craftsmanship to make the most sumptuous Chinese New Year's Eve meal of the year.

Li Liang's family, under the leadership of her grandmother Qian Sanmei, Wang Xiulan and her younger sister-in-law Meng Qingxiu were busy in the kitchen for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. According to the custom of Hekang County, on Chinese New Year's Eve, an ancestor worship ceremony is held in the afternoon. In ancient times, this custom was very popular. Due to the different rituals and customs in various places, the form of ancestor worship is also different, some go to the field to worship the ancestral tomb, some go to the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors, and most of them put the ancestral tablets in the main hall in turn at home, display offerings, and then worshippers worship in the order of the elder and youngest.

The traditional customs of Hekang County are to go to the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors, but the ancestral hall of the Li Liang family, in the village of the early township, this year the Li family and the whole family are all in the county boss Li Shuangzhu's house for the New Year, so it is natural to worship the ancestors collectively in the living room of the Li family.

Ancestors need to prepare three animals, in ancient times, the emperor worshiped the ancestors, using cattle, sheep, pigs three livestock, called "Taijiao". Nowadays, people are not so particular, and the three animals have become pigs, chickens, and fish. The pig refers to a piece of blanched pork belly, the chicken is an equally blanched chicken that has been emasculated, and the fish is a red live carp!

These things were all brought from the village by Li Liang's second uncle's family. Before they set out, a family in the village killed a New Year's pig, and Li Shuangqi bought more than 20 catties of pork and went into the city; the fish was caught by Li Shuangqi in his own fish pond, and in addition to this red live carp, there were also two large grass carp of more than 10 catties; and the chickens were geldings raised by his grandmother herself.

The people of Hekang County pay attention to eating steers, the so-called steers, that is, when one or two catties of small roosters first grow, a professional steer master will do a small castration operation on the chicken, and after removing the ** of the little rooster, it will become a steer. This kind of steer grows fast and has good meat quality, and the people of Hekang County have to prepare one or two for the New Year.

The women were busy preparing to eat, while the men gathered happily in the living room, watching the game between the old man Li Chengxi and Li Shuangzhu's father and son.

The old man Li Chengxi has been teaching and educating people in Zaozhu Township Central Primary School all his life, and he likes to play chess very much in his spare time. Such a hobby influenced his three sons. Li Liang's father, Li Shuangzhu, his second and third uncles, also like to play chess.

"Grandpa, get down here! Go to the army!" said Li Hao on the side.

Li Chengxi glanced at his little grandson and said, "Watching chess is silent~"

"What a gentleman!"

Well, grandpa doesn't like others to disturb him when he plays chess!

Li Hao stopped talking with interest, he took his cousin Li Liang's hand and said, "Brother Liang, let's go play with firecrackers!"

Li Liang shook his head and smiled: "You go, be careful not to hurt your hand!"

When he was a child, Li Liang also liked to play with firecrackers, and every time he went back to his grandfather's house during the Chinese New Year, he had to play firecrackers with his cousin Li Hao, who was two years younger than him. They often do bad things together, sometimes hiding in the corner of the house, outside the toilet, and when they see passers-by coming, they light a firecracker and throw it out, often causing people to scream. If you encounter someone who will sue, sue at home, and Li Liang and Li Hao will naturally have a meal of fried meat with bamboo shoots!

Li Hao saw that his cousin Li Liang was not interested, so he took a firecracker and a lit incense, and went downstairs to play.

Li Yin is the least troublesome, she pesters her cousin Li Meng, and curiously asks Li Meng to teach her to take pictures. Li Meng took a camera from the store, put a roll of color film in the camera, and went around the house to help the family take pictures. Li Yin followed behind her cousin Li Meng's buttocks, watching happily.

Li Liang and his second uncle Li Shuangqi and his uncle Li Shuangyan sat on the sofa in the living room and drank tea.

Second Uncle Li Shuangzhi looked excited, and said happily: "Liangzi, our kiwifruit planting and promotion team has planted 5,000 acres of kiwifruit in the county this year! If we can all have the same growth as I planted last year, in two or three years, we will almost be able to bear fruit!"

Since Li Shuangzhi was in charge of the county's kiwifruit planting, he suddenly had power in his hands. It is said that power is the best aphrodisiac for men, and this sentence is not false at all when applied to Li Shuangqi. Since he was in charge of the work of the kiwifruit promotion team, Li Shuangqi has been busy all day long, and he has even neglected the farm work at home, but he has enjoyed it. And he also became the director of security in the village, and he is a pivotal figure in the village, and he is flattered wherever he goes!

Li Liang can understand the second uncle's mentality of being poor for a long time, Li Liang was assigned to teach in the Xima Township Central Primary School in his previous life, and was transferred to the township government a few years later, and his mentality at that time was exactly the same as that of the second uncle!

Uncle Li Shuangyi smiled and said: "Second brother, the new official has taken office, you have to take it easy! Don't drink too much, pay attention to your body!"

"Don't worry!"

The rules in the countryside are like this, because Li Shuangyang is in charge of the cultivation of kiwifruit, there are people who flatter and invite him to eat and drink wherever he goes.

Li Liang looked at the second uncle Li Shuangzhi looking like he had a second spring, and he was also very happy, he was reborn in a lifetime and was able to seek some benefits for the people around him, what a joy!

Near noon, grandma Qian Sanmei took her two daughters-in-law and prepared a hearty lunch. Before the meal, under the leadership of the old man Li Chengxi, the family sacrificed their ancestors with three animals.

Before moving the chopsticks, Li Chengxi said emotionally: "Our family has been suffering for all these years, and finally the time has come to operate! First of all, Xiaoxiao fought for his anger and was admitted to a famous university, giving our old Li family the first breath; and then there is Liangzi, who not only has good academic performance, but can also take your second uncle to revitalize our Li family together; Erzhuo, you have to fight for breath, don't go to people's houses to eat and drink all day long, you must know that no one is rich, everyone is poor, don't use the power in your hands to engage in this kind of eating and drinking!"

"I know, Dad!" said the second uncle Li Shuangzhi a little embarrassed, "The children are watching!"

Li Hao joked: "Dad, I didn't see anything!"

The family was amused by Li Hao's words, this stupid child!

Li Chengxi's father and son drank the four special old cellars, Qian Sanmei, daughter-in-law, and children drank drinks.

After the New Year, the family began to prepare for Li Meng's engagement banquet.

According to the old tradition of Hekang, there are many processes for both men and women to get engaged!

The sixth day of the first lunar month is the day when Zhang Meng and Li Meng get engaged, and the woman will start to entertain the woman's close relatives one day in advance, which is called waiting for guest wine.

Li Liang's father, Li Shuangzhu, informed his relatives near and far in the family through various means as early as a few years ago. Many relatives who don't usually move around also need to be present when they encounter such a red happy event.

For example, the rooms of Li Liang's grandfather's uncles and brothers, because they are far apart, usually don't move around much, and at this time, they also need to be notified. In addition, there are grandmother Qian Sanmei's maiden brothers, cousins, sisters, and cousins, who also need to be notified in place. Secondly, Li Liang's grandmother, uncle, and aunt will be notified in place.

All in all, red and white ceremonies are the bond that connects the kinship relationship, no matter how little they usually move around, when they encounter this kind of time, these people will sit together, have a reunion dinner, and know that there is a blood dissolved family relationship between each other!

Li Meng's happy event was much easier than the marriage of Li Shuangzhu and Li Shuangqi brothers back then.

The most trouble-free place is that Li Liang's family opened a supermarket by himself, melon seeds, peanuts, tobacco and alcohol, and all kinds of dried fruits.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Li Shuangzhu took his two younger brothers, rode three bicycles, and tied a few bamboo baskets to the back seat of the car, and went back to his hometown where he lived early.

A few years ago, the old man Li Chengxi raised several pigs, in addition to selling them to the supply and marketing cooperatives in the township, he also kept one at home. In the past few days of the Chinese New Year, he asked his neighbor to help feed him for a few days.

On the fourth day of the new year, the three brothers of the Li family rode bicycles and returned to the village, and invited the village's pig killer to the house to slaughter the big fat pig of more than 200 catties and clean it up. They gave the pig to the pig killer Lao Zhu, and chopped about ten catties of fat meat to the neighbors. The bolt's father died early, he and his mother depended on each other, and Li Chengxi's family usually took care of them. This time, all the Li family went to the city to celebrate the New Year at the eldest son's house in the city, and the bolt mother readily agreed to help the Li family feed the big fat pig and more than a dozen local chickens.

The three brothers Li Shuangzhu put a big fat pig and more than a dozen local chickens into the bamboo basket in the back seat of the car, hurried back, and returned to the county seat near dinner. At home, Wang Xiulan and her sister-in-law Meng Qingxiu have already prepared all kinds of vegetables.

Everything is ready, just wait for the fifth day of the new year!

Early in the morning on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the brothers of the Li family got up early, and they followed their eldest brother Li Shuangzhu to Li Liang's old yard to borrow tables, chairs and benches from their former neighbors!

At this time, people are generally at home to do happy events, and when they encounter this kind of borrowing tables, chairs and benches to do happy events, every family is very enthusiastic to lend them out, without the slightest reluctance. This is the custom, I will help you when your family has something, and you have to help me when my family has something, it is customary!

From eight or nine o'clock in the morning, the guests of Li Liang's family began to arrive home one after another.

Li Liang's task today is to stay in the open space on the first floor, watch the fire at the makeshift stove, and be responsible for boiling hot water. The sky is strong, and it does not rain, but except for the sun. Although the temperature is still very low, the sun is basking in the sun, and you will naturally feel warm.

Li Liang's grandmother, three uncles, and his aunt were the first to come, and they all spent the Spring Festival in the small courtyard rented by Wang Fagen in the city this year. After they came, the eldest aunt Ouyang Zhen and the second aunt Chen Mengjun also began to accept the assignment of Li Liang's grandmother Qian Sanmei and began to do the work of washing and cutting vegetables.

Today, the person in charge of the Li family here is Kang Xinghua, Kang Xinghua is the chef of the Wangkelai head office, his master Chen Junhua stayed at the Zhang family to help today, and the apprentice Kang Xinghua came to the Li family to help.

The Li family has a total of nine tables of guests today, and at noon, it is simple, it is six dishes and a large bowl of shredded meat noodles, according to Hekang County, tea is drunk at noon, and in the evening, it is a main meal, nine dishes and one soup. The Li family prepared a whole pig, and the dishes were full of portions, and the guests who ate were smiling, saying that it was rare to eat such a sumptuous banquet!

The relatives who ate on this day and were a little unfamiliar all went back. Li Liang's family left all their close relatives behind and stayed with the Li family for one night.

The next day is the sixth day of the first lunar month, and it is also the first day of the engagement, and I have to go to the man's house for dinner on this day!

Early in the morning, Zhang Qingxiang took his son Zhang Meng, under the leadership of the matchmaker, to Li's house to pick up the woman's guests!

Originally, Li Meng and Zhang Meng were in free love, and there was no matchmaker. But in this era, even if there is no matchmaker, you have to appoint one. So Zhang Meng's aunt Lu Xiulan became the matchmaker between Zhang Meng and Li Meng.

Just like the first time a woman goes to the man's house, she must be led by the matchmaker, otherwise the public opinion in the market will say that the woman licks her face and takes the initiative to go to the man's house.

Li Shuangyuan set off a firecracker to greet Zhang Qingxiang and his party. In the kitchen, Kang Xinghua ordered three bowls of egg noodles, three poached eggs in each bowl of noodles, and entertained Zhang Qingxiang, Zhang Meng and Lu Xiulan to eat.

After eating noodles, Lu Xiulan took Zhang Qingxiang and Zhang Meng, together with Li Shuangzhu, to greet the guests on the first floor of the Li family, and introduced each other's relatives, which is called recognizing relatives.

About twelve o'clock, the relatives of the woman's family almost arrived, and under the leadership of the matchmaker Lu Xiulan, the woman's family went to the main store of Wangkelai.

Today, the Zhang family arranged the engagement banquet at the Wangkelai main store, where there are ready-made pots and pans, and ready-made tables and chairs, which are just used for the engagement banquet!

Before reaching Wangkelai, Wangkelai head office sounded a series of crackling firecrackers, and the children who were not afraid of the sound of firecrackers began to swarm through the firecracker embers, picking up the residual firecrackers that were not ignited, which was the best toy for boys!

Zhang Qingxiang and his family were very well prepared, as soon as they received Li Shuangzhu, Wang Xiulan and the protagonist Li Meng, Chen Chunhua took out three big red envelopes from his pocket, which were respectively a meeting gift for the woman's parents and the woman herself.

The relatives who were watching looked at the three such plump red envelopes, and they all envied Li Meng for finding a good family!

The envy of the relatives is not over, Chen Chunhua asked her youngest daughter Zhang Chenchen to serve a long plate with a red chip at the bottom, on which a complete set of gold ornaments, rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, especially the pair of bracelets, round and heavy, looks like there are at least two or two!

"The old Zhang family is so generous!"

"The Zhang family has made a fortune in the past two years!"

"Mengmeng really found a good mother-in-law, this engagement is so generous, and when you get married, you will have it!"

"I heard that the Zhang family built a two-story building for their son and daughter-in-law in Beimen Village!"

"So reluctant?"

"That's not it, I've been to see it, that building is rare, and it's beautifully decorated!"