Today is the twenty-eighth day of the lunar month, and when I get up in the morning, the family has begun to prepare the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner.

The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is also called a reunion dinner. The custom of the countryside here, the reunion dinner is generally arranged at noon or afternoon on the 28th to 30th of the lunar month, and the family gathers together lively, has a reunion and a meal, and spends an auspicious and peaceful year.

This year, there is no thirty, only twenty-nine, so taking advantage of the joy of Niu Tiangou's return, Niu Tiangou's father decided to have a reunion dinner today.

In previous years, the reunion dinner was handled by my mother alone, but this year, my mother was sick, so the two brothers and daughters-in-law worked for her, the second brother and daughter-in-law were in charge, and the third brother and daughter-in-law were in charge, Huang Chunying insisted on helping, but they didn't let it.

Although it is now known that the eldest brother and sister-in-law have divorced, and Huang Chunying is their new "sister-in-law", after all, they are newcomers, and even if they are guests, they have to be polite.

Huang Chunying didn't treat herself as a guest, tied an apron, rolled up her sleeves, washed vegetables, cut vegetables, killed fish, washed rice, fried meatballs, and helped out in everything, and was very busy.

Alas, it's really hard for her, she usually looks cold and arrogant in the hotel, but at this time she puts down the shelf and obediently becomes a "little daughter-in-law", if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Niu Tiangou would really be hard to believe.

How can this bewitching mother-in-law be so good at "acting"? It's a pity not to be an actor, Niu Tiangou is really a little puzzled.

However, Niu Tiangou felt that although Huang Chunying was "acting", she did contain a true feeling in it, and he completely sensed it from her eyes and body language.

My mother watched from the side, and felt that this girl was beautiful and diligent, with a sweet mouth and tall height, which was a little stronger than the original daughter-in-law Teresa Teng, and couldn't help but feel a lot more relieved.

Niu Tiangou and his younger brothers sat beside his mother and father and chatted, asking about his mother's condition while listening to his father talk about things in the fields.

Of course, his parents inevitably asked him about his work with Huang Chunying, Niu Tiangou could only say that he was teaching in a school, and Huang Chunying was a waiter in a hotel, which was introduced by an acquaintance, and he couldn't say that he was a security guard in a hotel, let alone Huang Chunying was a lady's foreman in a hotel.

With the opening of the outside, the title of "Miss" has become taboo for rural people.

In less than half a day, the three of them completed the reunion dinner.

Pork ribs, beef, and radish were stewed in a big pot, and dishes such as red braised pork, yellow and clear chicken wings, oily duck neck, fatty and greasy fish pieces, fragrant sweet and sour pork ribs, burnt and tender tofu, pink lotus root clips, soft and smooth mushrooms, and green vegetables were placed on the table of the Eight Immortals, and a hot pot was added in the middle of the table, which was steaming.

Dad is superstitious, before eating the reunion dinner, he must "invite" the ancestors, put tributes in front of the shrine, bring candles and incense to light them, and then kneel on the futon and burn the paper money devoutly.

Seeing that his younger brothers were kneeling beside him, Niu Tiangou also knelt next to his father.

After the "please" ancestral ceremony, Dad saw that Niu Tiangou and his younger brothers did not squeak, and explained that the rules of the "please" ancestors were passed down from generation to generation by the elders, first passed on and then taught, showing respect for the ancestors.

Subsequently, Dad set off a string of firecrackers in front of the door, and the whole family of 11 people sat around the table, and the reunion dinner officially began.

So, each person brought a bowl of meat and radish soup from the cauldron. Adults drink and children drink.

The second brother is the most talkative and lively of the three brothers, and after pouring everyone full of wine, he proposed: "This first cup of wine, our brothers and sisters come to pay tribute to the new sister-in-law, and welcome the sister-in-law to become a member of our big family." ”

Huang Chunying was the foreman in the end, so she quickly stood up, smiled slightly, and said, "Thank you for the kindness of the second brother and his family, I will definitely drink this glass of wine." However, the first glass of wine still asked me to toast the two old men first. As he spoke, he leaned forward and raised his glass to Niu Tiangou's parents: "I wish my parents a long and healthy life, and I wish my mother a speedy recovery." ”

"Okay, okay, let's drink." Niu Tiangou's father was happy, picked up the wine glass and drank it all. Niu Tiangou's mother suffered from gastroenteritis, and the disease had not yet healed, so she could only replace wine with tea and drank a small sip.

……

This reunion dinner lasted more than 2 hours, Huang Chunying drank a lot of wine under the enthusiastic persuasion of her two younger brothers and sister-in-law, and Niu Tiangou and her two younger brothers were even more drunk.

Seeing the laughter and laughter of the family, my mother's face was much better and more energetic, and my father was also relieved and satisfied.

After the reunion dinner, the family sat down to chat.

Niu Tiangou looked at the low old mud house, then looked at his elderly parents, and said, "Dad, Mom, you and my younger brothers originally lent me the money to buy a house, and I can pay it back now." Did you tear down this old house and build a new one? ”

When Niu Tiangou returned to the village, he had already seen that most of the people in the village had built new houses, and it was rare to see such old mud houses, and besides, his mother was sick again, and he couldn't bear to watch his parents spend their old age in this low and damp old house.

"We old people are used to living there, besides, how much does it cost to tear it down and build it again? It's not easy for you to make some money outside, so let's keep it for your marriage. Mom hurriedly stopped. It seems that she has accepted Huang Chunying as her "daughter-in-law".

"How much does it cost to tear down this old house and build a four-room, two-story building?" Niu Tiangou turned his head and asked the second brother. The second brother was a mason, and he often followed a group of people to build houses outside.

The second brother thought for a while and said, "Probably...... It will take about 50,000 or 60,000 yuan. As he spoke, his face was a little embarrassed.

"Oh...... You don't have to worry about money. In addition to repaying the more than 20,000 yuan that my parents and you borrowed from me to buy a house, I will give you and your third brother 30,000 yuan each, which is considered as a loan I lend to you. ”

After Niu Tiangou finished speaking, he got up and took out a plastic bag from his travel bag and put it on the table: "I have 100,000 yuan here, and you and your third brother will prepare materials after the New Year, and start construction when you have time." After the house is built, the two of you move in, and the brick house you live in will be simply renovated for your parents to live in. The rest of the money was kept for my mother's treatment. ”

Everyone was taken aback when they heard this, and the second brother glanced at the eldest brother in a daze, got up and opened the plastic bag.

What was displayed in front of everyone was a bunch of brand-new hundred-dollar bills, a full 10 ties!

The whole family was almost stupid except for Huang Chunying!

"You...... Where did you get so much money? Mom stared at Niu Tiangou in amazement, and asked in a trembling voice. Dad was also shocked. In their opinion, Niu Tiangou can't earn so much money in 10 years of teaching.

"Mom, don't worry, this is the salary and bonus from our school, not stealing." Niu Tiangou looked at his parents and smiled. Of course he didn't dare to say that this was the compensation for his leg being broken by others, so that his parents would be worried all day long, and they would not let him go to that "fairy sea" again.

After a while, the second brother and daughter-in-law said, "With so much money, it's not safe to keep it at home." ”

"yes, you have to put it in the bank first." The third brother and daughter-in-law also came up with an idea.