The night is getting deeper and deeper, the sky above Shuangliu Village sparsely sounded the sound of firecrackers, Daddy Liu and Lady Liu were awakened by the sound of firecrackers, Daddy Liu lit the oil lamp, leaned on the kang wall to eat cigarettes, Daddy Liu has not had a chance to say a few words to him since Daddy Liu entered the house in the morning, she moved her body and reclined in Daddy Liu's arms, and said gently, "Daddy Renzhang, have you found our father these days in Tianjin?" ”

Father Liu sighed, "Renzhang Niang, where is it so easy to find?" If I find it, why don't I take his old man back to the Liu family's compound? Our dad didn't find it, but he met a noble man he met when he ran the sea, and he led the way, so that Daai was able to worship the famous horned horse Shaofen of the Xihe River as a teacher, and Daai was talented in quyi, so I let her eat and live in Ma Shaofen's house, and I just went all out to search for our father's whereabouts, but the result was still very disappointed, now looking at it, Jiang Jiuyun should have recognized the wrong person, and his father may have long been gone, so don't mention this matter in the future. ”

"Dad, mother, are you awake?" Aidao broke into the West House while talking, and saw Daddy Liu and Lady Liu snuggling together in rags, so she quickly turned around and said with a smile, "Other people's families have started to celebrate the New Year, sister-in-law asked me to come over and ask Dad, what time is our family?" ”

"You go and tell your sister-in-law, boil the water in the pot first, and then make dumplings later, the Liu family compound is twelve o'clock this year, and it's not even eleven and a half, I will go over with your mother after chatting for a while, remember to scald my wine." Ai Tao said yes and ran out in a hurry.

"Father Renzhang, isn't it okay for the children to see our old couple so tired and crooked together?" Mrs. Liu also felt a little embarrassed when Aidao recklessly broke in.

Father Liu stroked Liu Niang's hair and said with a smile, "Renzhang Niang, you are only forty years old after the New Year, this year is the Year of the Rabbit, and strive for you to give me a 'little white rabbit' again this year, I think it is still a girl's intimacy." ”

"I have given birth to nine children for you in my life, if the second and third sisters behind Aidao had not died early because of smallpox, we have four girls now, every time I think of giving birth to children, I feel like I am in front of me, especially when I gave birth to Yizhang and Lizhang, I didn't expect it to be twins, I still remember the happy look I still remember clearly, you drank wine with Fengyi in the hall for a night, and also learned from your father's vassal elegance and wrote a poem, called Daddy Love Flowers......"

"That's the word card butterfly love flower, and it is written that the righteous chapter and the ritual chapter came to the world at the same time."

"Father Renzhang, recite it to me quickly, after listening to your poems, I won't be so worried about righteousness and etiquette."

Father Liu kissed Mrs. Liu's face, cleared his throat, and whispered, "The willows are flying in spring, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the northern swallows are faintly returning, and there is a spring flood wind blowing slowly, and the willow water is turbulent in the south mountain; In October, she was pregnant with twins, chanting and singing, celebrating Liu Jiarui, drinking all night, why should you be drunk, and from then on, etiquette and righteousness will always accompany you. ”

"Renzhang Dad, don't say that you really have some literary talent, Yizhang is most like you, Xi Wu does not forget to read poetry and books, Wei Ji often accompanies him to read until midnight, by the way, Renzhang Dad, what do you think of Yizhang and Wei Ji? Although Wei Ji is nominally the daughter of the eldest brother Liu Wenzheng, but in fact it is the eldest daughter of my eldest brother Shouchen, and Yizhang has no blood relationship, the two are cousins, cousins and sisters abound in the old society, you see Wei Ji is now better looking than me and Huilan when they were young, she and Yizhang Lang are talented and beautiful, they are a natural pair, Shouchen's business in the Northeast has become bigger and bigger over the years, and he has proposed to take Wei Ji to him several times, Wei Ji did not agree, I think she is reluctant to leave Yizhang, this time Yizhang went to be a soldier, You see Wei Ji is like losing his soul, shouting all day long to join the Volunteer Army, doesn't he understand that he will not marry! ”

"Renzhang Niang, I have already seen Wei Ji's thoughts, and I don't object to my cousins getting married, but what makes me strange is that I haven't found any personal relationship between Yizhang and Wei Ji over the years, it stands to reason that the two are childhood sweethearts, and they are inseparable, and they should have been as good as Renzhang and Liu Zhangyan, but Yizhang seems to be the kind of family affection between brothers and sisters to Wei Ji, we still have to listen to Yizhang in this matter, he is not like Renzhang who has no backbone, especially now, Yizhang is a hero in Huangxian, you see, After the year, the person who comes to the door to protect the media for Yizhang will overwhelm you, I will say hello to you first, no matter who protects the media, they will all refuse politely, unless Yizhang is not looking for it from Huang County, if it is looking for it from Huang County, it is none other than Wei Ji, I am also optimistic about Wei Ji like you, although her heart is not as much as Liu Zhangyan, but she is not inferior to Zhang Yan in other aspects, and the most important thing is that she is sincere to Yizhang's goodness. ”

"Dad, mother, it's almost twelve o'clock, come over quickly, sister-in-law is waiting for Dad's order, it's time to make dumplings." Aidao stood outside the door and shouted loudly, and Daddy Liu and Lady Liu got dressed and came to the main house.

Zhang Yan looked at Daddy Liu and Lady Liu and smiled, Daddy Liu didn't care, took off his shoes and crossed his legs on the kang, Lady Liu was embarrassed by Zhang Yan's laughter, she knew that she must love rice This girl told Zhang Yan about the scene she just saw, in front of her daughter-in-law, Liu Niang still felt very embarrassed, she raised her legs to help in the back kitchen, was hugged by Zhang Yan affectionately, and said with a smile, "Mother, you have a daughter-in-law, how can you still let you cook dumplings yourself?" You just sit on the kang peacefully, and after a while, my brothers and sisters and I will kowtow to you and your father for the New Year, and the red envelopes should be ready. Mrs. Liu patted the pocket on the side of her placket and said with a smile, "Girl, I have already prepared the New Year's money, this year you will first give me and your father a New Year's greeting, and at this time next year, my mother is looking forward to my eldest grandson giving me and your father a New Year's greeting." ”

"Mother, I won't tell you, Dad, the time for the New Year has come, right?" Zhang Yan looked at Daddy Liu shyly.

Father Liu looked at the wall clock and nodded to Zhang Yan, "Xiaoyan, you can make dumplings." Then he said to Renzhang, "Renzhang, you are now married and have a business, starting this year, the rituals such as sacrificing ancestors during the New Year, welcoming the God of Wealth, and greeting the clansmen will all be done by you with Zhizhang and Xinzhang, and I will not show my face." ”

Renzhang stood in front of the kang and said respectfully, "Dad, I remember." Then let Zhizhang and Xinzhang get off the kang, ready to go out to set off the cannonball, Zhizhang happily jumped off the kang, Xinzhang closed his eyes or didn't look like he had woken up, no matter how he coaxed, he didn't want to get off the kang, Xigu suddenly knocked on the window edge, pretending to be surprised and shouted, "Big brother, you see my second brother is back, standing in the yard." As soon as Xinzhang heard this, he stood up from the kang, his eyes opened, and he said excitedly to Renzhang in a dumb voice, "Big brother, take me out to find the second brother to set off the cannon together." Father Liu and Mrs. Liu were also amused by Xigu.

The sound of firecrackers is getting more and more intensive, close to midnight, most of the people have begun to celebrate the New Year, the people who keep the New Year pray in the crackling firecrackers, hoping that the new year will be smooth and rainy, the five grains will be abundant, auspicious, and the year will be safe.

Liujia compound because of the sacrifice of Houzhang, the New Year's flavor is much less than in previous years, in addition to their own family to greet each other, no one walked out of the Liujia compound to the village of the people to pay New Year's greetings, Daddy Liu in addition to kowtowing to Liu Chengzu for the New Year, has been sitting on the kang, Shuangliu Village thousands of Liu's men regardless of seniority, age without exception, a few people came to the Liu's compound in groups or alone to kowtow to Daddy Liu, in addition to Daddy Liu's prominent identity is the patriarch of the Liu clan, Daddy Liu's personality has also won the respect of everyone in Shuangliu Village, Daddy Liu has been sitting on the kang, beckoning the people who come to visit the New Year to drink tea and chat, this wave of New Year's greetings lasted from early morning to more than ten o'clock in the morning, all the ushering and sending was carried out by Zhang Yan, sending away the last group of clansmen, Zhang Yan was so tired that he had no strength at all, Liu Lao Niang, Aidao, Renzhang They went to the West House and the East House early to sleep after breakfast, only Father Liu and Zhang Yan were left in the main room, she smiled bitterly and said to Father Liu, "Dad, our Liu family compound is like catching the sea for the New Year, why is the enthusiasm of our Liu clan so high?" People who haven't seen each other all the year round have also appeared, and people who are usually not good at words have also spoken, and the highest seniority will also come to kowtow to you, a respected patriarch, for the New Year, fortunately let you squint for a while last night, otherwise it wouldn't have exhausted you? ”

Daddy Liu smiled and said, "Xiaoyan, if you want to say that you are tired, you have worked the hardest these days, in order to reward you, I decided to go to your mother's house now to pay New Year's greetings to Mr. Zhang, since the last time I talked all night in the study, I haven't seen him for some days, I really miss him a little bit." Zhang Yan was very moved by Daddy Liu's words, Daddy Liu himself stipulated that no one in the Liu family compound was allowed to go out to pay New Year's greetings this year, and Daddy Liu made an exception for herself, she threw herself into Daddy Liu's arms, and said excitedly, "Dad, this is the best New Year's gift you gave me, which was completely unexpected by me." ”

Father Liu helped Zhang Yan up, and said very seriously, "Xiaoyan, in the new year, there are too many big things to do in the Liu family compound, you are now the hostess of the Liu family compound, countless pairs of eyes are staring at you, you have to be up to the spirit, you must not be like your Aunt Hui Lan who is fearless, even pampered and arrogant, don't say anything unexpected." After listening to Daddy Liu's stern warning, Zhang Yan immediately understood Daddy Liu's good intentions, she stood up straight and solemnly apologized to Daddy Liu, "Dad, I'm sorry, I lost my temper again, and I will never do it again in the future." ”

Father Liu looked at the nervous Zhang Yan and smiled slightly, "Knowing mistakes can improve a lot, Xiaoyan, you find out the two jars of daughter red that I brought back from Tianjin yesterday, and I'll go to Mr. Zhang for a drink now." Zhang Yan happily went to the back kitchen to find out the wine, and asked gently, "Dad, do you go through the back door or the front door?" ”

"Of course it's the front door, and I still have to sneak around when I go to my in-laws' house? Don't worry, Xiaoyan, from the moment you married into the Liu family's compound, no one in Shuangliu Village dared to underestimate the Zhang family, and the Zhang family was officially rooted in Shuangliu Village. ”

At this moment, Zhang Yancai thoroughly understood what his grandfather Zhang Lu had said before, the Liu family compound was like an ancient willow in Shuangliu Village, and it was deeply rooted and unshaken.