The poor may not even see a bowl of meat foam stars in the New Year, but in the Li Mansion, there is everything.

Some time ago, fireworks were banned, but now the ban has finally been lifted, and the sound of firecrackers has not stopped for almost a day.

Seeing that the New Year is approaching, the old men of each house have received the accounts at the end of the year, and naturally they want to celebrate the festival lively.

Today, the wives of the Li Mansion gathered around to wrap dumplings.

In the kitchen, steamed buns and rice cakes are steamed, fresh fish and meat are placed on the stove, and a few cooks are busy, and almost the whole house is filled with fragrance.

In the evening, a stage was set up in the courtyard, and the actors were busy painting their faces backstage.

There were many guests, and the garden was packed, and there were several plates of melons and fruits on the table.

The eldest lady was busy handing out red envelopes to a few juniors, and Li Yao also got a red envelope, this was the first time she had such a lively Spring Festival, and her heart was warm.

With a bang, a ball of fire rose rapidly, dragging a trail of gray smoke, pop! The bright spot exploded in the air, like a flower, split into countless small bright spots, half of the sky was illuminated, the light points were fleeting, and then countless light points gathered in the sky, blooming, colorful, very wonderful.

There was a lot of applause among the guests.

As soon as the fireworks fell, the gongs and drums began to be beaten, the stage began to babble and sing, and the wives and ladies in the audience chatted with melon seeds.

Several masters of the Li family love to listen to operas.

On stage, a play "Catch and Release Cao" is being performed, which tells the story of Cao Cao's attempt to assassinate Dong Zhuo, and was captured by Chen Gong after fleeing in disguise. Cao Cao moved Chen Gong with his words, and the two simply fled together.

As a result, Cao Cao's father and old friend met him, Cao Cao was suspicious, mistakenly thought that his old friend was going to harm him, so he killed his whole family, Chen Gong saw Cao Cao's ruthlessness, regretted saving him, and wanted to kill him while he was asleep, but he felt that it was inappropriate, and finally left alone.

Master Li squinted his eyes, sat intently, shook his head, and gently tapped the board eye in his hand, listening attentively.

A play was performed for an hour, and when it was over, Li Yao saw the right time to give Taotao a look, and he immediately understood.

After waiting for about another five or six minutes, the gongs and drums were beaten again on the stage, and as soon as the curtain was lifted, what came out was not a play, but a child wearing a thick cloth jacket and being wrapped in a round ground.

Master Li's face sank, thinking that he was going to mess around again, so he stood up and scolded, so frightened that the soles of Taotao's feet were weak, and he was stunned in place Whether he was going forward or not going backward.

The second aunt bared her teeth and glared angrily, there are so many guests today, if he makes Master Li lose face in front of everyone, she will inevitably have no good fruit to eat.

However, she couldn't go up and beat him with a feather duster in front of the big guy, so she could only stand there in fear, her face flushed with anxiety.

Li Yao hurriedly gave Tao Tao a look and nodded at him, suggesting that he should not panic.

Tao Tao's little hand supported his legs, recalled what Li Yao taught him, cleared his throat, and said to the people in the audience: "My father often taught me to study hard, and I have always remembered it. ”

His immature and powerful voice caused the audience to laugh, and he forgot what he was going to say when he was nervous, so he simply began to recite the words: "At the beginning of people, the nature is good, the sex is similar, and the habits are far away..." The "Three Character Classic" is very smooth to memorize.

After reciting a paragraph, take out a couplet from behind you, the upper link: know the hardships of parenting, and the lower link: when you work hard to improve yourself.

It's hard to imagine that it was the work of a 10-year-old child, and the guests praised him as a prodigy.

The old man, who was about to lift his shoes and beat him just now, was relieved to blush at this moment, and he was almost moved to tears.

The second aunt looked at the child on the stage who looked uncompetitive a few days ago with a shocked face, and Li Yao gave a thumbs up to the Taotao on the stage.

He blushed and grinned.

The private school gentlemen who invited him before couldn't teach him well, and this time he didn't know what method he used, Tao Tao and the previous one were just like two people, and they also raised their faces in front of so many guests, and Master Li immediately called the second aunt to come over and reward this gentleman.

The second aunt replied too happily: "This gentleman is not an outsider, it is the third girl!" ”

Master Li was taken aback, glanced at Li Yao, who had been sitting quietly behind him, and said, "You really taught it?" ”

Li Yao's attitude was modest, and he just replied: "Guotao is already talented and intelligent, and if you mention a few words, you will learn it quickly." ”

Master Li unconsciously began to look at her with admiration, and said with a smile: "The daughter taught by the third child is unusual!" ”

Guo Tao won everyone's praise and appreciation, his face was flushed, and he sat on the lap of the old man and chewed candied fruit and continued to listen to the play.

The family was all around Guotao, very harmonious, Li Yao looked at it and felt a little envious in her heart, after all, it was not her parents, she couldn't be envious, she was a little disappointed, so she found an opportunity and quietly withdrew from her seat.

She didn't like to be lively, and the sound of gongs and drums shook her brain, so she found a quiet place to watch the night scene for a while.

You can still hear the babbling sound on the stage in the distance, but this place is extremely quiet, and even the lights are a little dim.

There should be a New Year's Eve tonight, but she's already a little tired.

She leaned against a ginkgo tree, and had spent Chinese New Year's Eve with her father in previous years.

She touched the brown bracelet on her hand, and was thinking about things, when there was a sound behind her, and when she got closer, she heard a string of footsteps, Li Yao didn't know why, she couldn't help but panic, and immediately hid behind the big tree, the footsteps stopped beside her, a man's sigh came, a flame lit up in the dark, and it was extinguished in an instant, and then the curling smoke floated up, and the man was smoking with his back to her leaning on the tree.

She couldn't stand the smell of smoke, so she accidentally took a puff and began to cough violently.

The man turned around vigilantly, threw the cigarette butt, and took out a gun from his back, the muzzle of the gun was against Li Yao's eyebrows, the cold pistol flashed in the night, Li Yao was so frightened that his body stiffened, he didn't dare to move, he wanted to shout, but his voice was dumb in his throat.

It was no one else in front of him, it was Lin Zichuan, his eyes were extremely terrifying, revealing a strong murderous aura, and after seeing Li Yao with a frightened face under the gun, he immediately put away the gun, and his eyes softened slightly.

Li Yao was frightened, and when she saw that he had collected the gun, her legs were weak, and she knelt on the ground, but fortunately, Lin Zichuan raised her hand to help her.

Li Yao had never been in contact with any man when she was a child, and Lin Zichuan's powerful hands hurt her, and she frowned.

Lin Zichuan hurriedly let go of her arm, realized her abruptness just now, and said sorry.

Li Yao went from fear just now to panic to embarrassment at the moment, and her heart was complicated, but when she heard him apologize so lightly, she was a little dissatisfied, but she still smiled: "It's okay!" ”

And they were silent, and they separated.

The sound of firecrackers gradually became quieter, the night became thicker, the stage had dispersed early, and the juniors who kept the New Year's Eve took the New Year's money to rest as soon as midnight.

After Chinese New Year's Eve, the New Year is celebrated, and it is customary for juniors to pay New Year's greetings to their elders on the first day of the new year, followed by visiting relatives and friends, and going door-to-door to greet the New Year.

Li Yao felt that although the elders of the Li Mansion treated her kindly, she always felt that she was still a little angry, she knew her life experience, and the people also loved to chew her tongue, so she carefully paid New Year's greetings everywhere, thinking that she would go back to the room after the politeness.

However, the eldest lady seemed to have already seen through her thoughts, probably feeling sorry for this helpless child, and she was really too quiet on weekdays, so she smiled and took her hand: "Your two younger sisters are going to visit the Lin family for the New Year in a while, and you can also go to play together." ”

After saying that, he waved his hand and beckoned the two sisters to come over.

Linglong was naturally not very happy, but looking at the eldest lady's face, she smiled and took Li Yao's hand, and said with a smile: "Naturally, I want to take the third sister with me." ”

The Lin family and the Li family are world friends, and the relationship is very close, Li Yao went to visit the New Year with the two sisters, in front of them is an old mansion, looking at some decay from a distance, only a few people are seen when they enter the door, compared to the Li Mansion It is indeed a lot colder, but the courtyard looks like it has just been renovated, There are many evergreen bonsai trees in all seasons, and the whole lonely mansion is a little more vibrant.

Although the furnishings in the house are old-fashioned, they are also very elegant, the vase porcelain of the former Qing Dynasty is also particularly eye-catching, the red sandalwood furniture of one color, and the huge landscape map, the smell of books blowing in the face, no accident, the forest house must be a scholarly door.

Master Lin came out of the back hall, wearing a pair of gold-framed reading glasses, gray hair and beard, and a kind face, seeing that the juniors were saying Happy New Year, smiling from ear to ear, and wrapping red envelopes respectively, when he saw Li Yao, he deliberately stopped, looked at her, and asked, "You are the third girl of the Li family?" I've heard that you can read and hyphenate words, it's amazing! ”

Li Yao smiled a little embarrassedly, and replied respectfully: "It's just that I have read the book for a few years and recognize a few words, Uncle Lin said that he laughed." ”

Master Lin stroked his beard: "Your father was my student back then, and the daughter he taught naturally can't be wrong!" ”

Linglong listened to Master Lin praise Li Yao so much, her heart was a little unhappy, her mother always told her that girls only need to learn three from four virtues, and find a good husband and husband in the future, so she knows no more than 100 words, and usually only learns to learn from female red, why has the times changed now, and it is great to recognize a few words and read a few books.

Fortunately, a country girl is a country girl, without the temperament of a noble lady, I am afraid that I will not find any good people in the future, she thought so, the corners of her mouth inadvertently hooked up, raised her head, and no longer bothered to pay attention to it.

Ling Li looked around and asked, "What about Brother Zichuan?" ”

"Don't you want to think about your brother Zichuan, don't you want Brother Zichen?"

Suddenly, a girl pushed a man in, and the person who came was Lin Zichuan's brother Lin Zichen.

Just looking at his face, his eyebrows are very similar to Lin Zichuan, but he is not as serious as him, he always looks like no one is allowed to enter, everyone is hostile, in comparison, Lin Zichen is more affinity.

It's just that Li Yao noticed that his leg seemed to be disabled.

As soon as Linglong Lingli saw Lin Zichen, she immediately surrounded her in surprise.

Ling Li said: "I haven't seen you for a long time, and I don't know when you will come back!" ”

Lin Zichen held a box and opened it, the two pearl necklaces inside were very exquisite, exuding a silver luster, and he smiled: "It's not that I miss my two sisters, so I came back to see you, and brought you back the New Year's gift by the way." ”

The two sisters happily took the necklace and looked at it for a while, and Lin Zichen realized that there was an unmasked sister standing on the side, looking at them calmly.

He scratched his head embarrassedly: "I'm really embarrassed, I only found out yesterday that the third sister was back, and I didn't have time to prepare a gift for you, so I will make up for it next time." ”

Li Yao was stunned for a moment and waved her hand: "No, no, I never bring jewelry!" ”

Lin Zichen looked at her for a while, and sure enough, her two delicate and delicate sisters in the same dress were really completely different, except for a brown jade bracelet on their bodies, there was no other jewelry on their bodies, and the sunlight hit her through the window lattice, like a white magnolia flower.

Ling Li still didn't give up, leaned over again, and asked softly, "Where did Brother Zichuan go?"

Lin Zichen pretended to be angry and replied, "After receiving my gift, you don't forget your brother Zichuan." ”

Lingli pursed her lips, and Linglong hurriedly said: "Good brother, tell her quickly, if you don't tell her again, she should cry urgently!" He covered his mouth and smiled.

Lingli immediately blushed and gently pushed her: "What do you say?" ”

How could Lin Zichen not know her thoughts, and said with a smile: "He, he went to work at the police department early in the morning." ”

"Still working on the first day of the Lunar New Year?" Lingli was a little lost.

Lin Zichen replied: "Zichuan has just been promoted to sergeant recently, and he is busy, if you want to see him, I'm afraid you can only go to the police station." ”

As soon as she finished drinking a cup of tea, Linglong shouted that she wanted to take Lingli to the police station to find Lin Zichuan, and as soon as she took two steps, she turned around and said to Li Yao: "It's better for the third sister to go back first, we will go to my cousin's house for New Year's greetings in a while." ”

Li Yao responded, and only remembered that they were gone when their car started, and they didn't know how to go back without the car, and they didn't have any money with them, so they couldn't get in the rickshaw, so they had to sigh, and when they were embarrassed, they saw Lin Zichen coming out with the help of the maid with a cane.

Seeing that she was still standing at the door, with a sad face, he called out to her: "It just so happens that I am going to Uncle Li's house to pay New Year's greetings, you can take my car." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a flute sounded, the car had stopped at the door, Li Yao looked at him with a grateful face, Lin Zichen asked the maid to retreat, and walked straight to the door of the car, he walked very hard, his whole body swayed from side to side as if it was about to fall apart, Li Yao saw this, and hurried over to support him, his face was slightly ugly, frowning, his forehead seemed to be oozing sweat, he barely squeezed out a smile, said thank you, and got into the car smoothly with Li Yao's support.

Lin Zichen and Lin Zichuan have very different personalities, one is cold and unsmiling, and the other is humble and gentlemanly, gentle and elegant, but his face is a little haggard, sick, and incompatible with his tall figure.

After a brief chat along the way, Lin Zichen had been abroad for about half a year and only came back three days ago, so he was still a little uncomfortable, and he didn't know that there was a third lady in the Li family, and she was also well-read, knew foreign languages, went to a girls' school, and was a new-style woman, so she became familiar with it after chatting a few words.