When the year came, Walnut and Xiaobao went to sleep. The rest of the people stayed on watch until midnight, when lively firecrackers rang out in the village. The Yue family was also busy lighting firecrackers, making dumplings, and waking up from the fall asleep to eat a few dumplings.

As is customary, dumplings with dates and peanuts are eaten to mean good omen for the coming year.

After eating the dumplings, I helped Zhao Lan clean up again, and everyone dispersed. The three sisters of the Yue family went back to the small courtyard and fell asleep.

Before dawn the next day, there was a noise outside. Some people who love to walk in the early years are already starting to pay New Year's greetings.

Because there is no elder in the Yue family's sisters, no one will come to pay New Year's greetings, so the three sisters simply slept for a while and got up after the rooster crowed. I packed up and ate some food, each dressed in a new dress, and was about to go out to pay New Year's greetings.

Naturally, the first to go was Yue Fu's family. Because the old lady is from the older generation, there are a lot of people who come to pay New Year's greetings, and there are already two or three party members drinking tea in the house. Seeing the three cherry sisters coming in, they all got up and were polite. The three sisters also greeted people politely, and then slipped into the small room to say hello to the little lady.

The old lady also woke up at this time, and prepared a New Year's red envelope, one for each person. The red envelope is made of neatly cut red paper, and a copper coin lies inside.

The sisters happily put it away, went out of the small room and sat for a while, then left Yue Fu's house and went to Yue Ji and Yue Xiang's house to pay New Year's greetings. The Yue family belongs to the 'new household' in Xiaomiao Village, and there are no relatives except for the four brothers. So after worshipping these families, you can go and visit a few families who are good friends on weekdays.

As for the old Sanyue Ji family, although it has been making trouble year after year, and it is almost to the point that they have not seen each other until now, but in the end, the third uncle of several people still has the etiquette that should be there. And in order, you should go to Yue Ji's house first, and then you can go to Yue Xiang's house.

"Third uncle, happy new year." During the New Year's festival, people generally do not close the courtyard gates. When a few people entered the courtyard, they saw Yue Ji sitting under the eaves against the door, looking at his feet and looking at his face.

"Well, good. Let's get inside. Seeing a few people coming in, Yue Ji came back to his senses and burst out laughing.

The door of the hall was open, and Ding Juhua was on the table with one hand and the other on her lap, also looking at her feet and face. Hearing the voices of a few people, he raised his head, pulled out a smile that was not much stronger than Yue Ji, and said, "How many cotton peaches are here?" Come in and sit down. ”

What's going on? Cherry subconsciously thought, is something happening again? Looking at the cotton peach again, she also saw that it was strange. However, neither of the two sisters asked in tacit understanding.

They don't want to ask, they don't want to know, and they don't want to care.

Seeing that the sisters were at the door of the house and didn't want to enter the door, Ding Juhua smiled bitterly and said, "Let's go, if you don't want to enter, don't enter, and I won't force you." I haven't bothered to clean up these days, and it's dirty and messy under the New Year. ”

"Is something wrong? Why don't you see Sister Lixia? Walnut couldn't help but ask, and made Cotton Peach glare fiercely, only to realize that he had made a mistake, and shrank his neck back.

"Hey, it's not Lizhen's business." Ding Juhua stole her eyes and carefully looked at the faces of Cherry and Cotton Peach, and said cautiously tentatively: "This woman is not angry, she has not given birth to a half after being married for so many years, and this matter has affected your sister Lixia's marriage." After a pause, seeing that the cherry and cotton peach had no intention of leaving, he hurriedly waved his hand outward: "Father child, you go and boil some hot water." Then he took out a few more stools and said, "Sit down, I'll speak slowly." ”

Cotton Peach and Cherry glanced at each other and sat down reluctantly.

Ding Juhua didn't know whether she was flattered or sad when she mentioned this, and her voice began to tremble a little: "Originally, everything has been decided, and we are all ready to make a small three salutes after the New Year." As a result, somehow, the other party knew about Lizhen, and immediately ran to regret it. Lixia didn't eat for a few days, and she was still lying on the kang at this time. ”

Seeing that Cherry and Cotton Peach didn't mean to speak, Ding Juhua continued to talk to herself: "Lizhen's head is not much better." That woman is stubborn, last time I finally begged Mi Tao to intercede, she just wanted to be stubborn, now it's good, the husband's family, has begun to prepare to take the concubine room, I'm worried, in case this little concubine enters the door is a child who can give birth, then Li Zhen can ...... If this kind of thing happens in the New Year, how can you still be in the mood for the New Year's Festival? Your third uncle and I didn't sleep all night last night, so I'm worried. As he spoke, he suppressed his voice again: "This is the first time that your third uncle has not drunk alcohol for a day and a night." ”

After that, he looked at the three sisters with expectant eyes.

Cherry looked down at the tips of her fingers, she wouldn't open this mouth and take care of it. Although the second sister is now living in the Peng Mansion, the matter of Lizhen's family can be solved casually, but this matter is not just a trivial matter, last time, the angry second sister was not light. Now that she's pregnant, Cherry doesn't want to be angry with her about it.

Mian Tao also lowered her eyes slightly and did not make a sound. Walnut looked up at her two sisters, she knew that she didn't have much right to speak, so she obediently kept silent.

"Uh...... Hehe, look at me, what are you talking about in the big year? Ding Juhua seemed to be a little disappointed, looked down, and pulled out a smile: "Wait here, I'll go and give you a red envelope!" It's not a lot of money, don't be disgusted! With that, he got up and went into the small room.

There was a sound of Suo Suo in the back room, mixed with Lixia's somewhat pale and weak voice, and after a while, Ding Juhua came out of it, the corners of her eyes were wet, as if she had cried.

"Come, one for each person." Ding Juhua stepped forward, and one of them gave a copper coin wrapped in red paper: "Don't be too little, don't be too little." ”

After dividing the red envelopes, I sat down again, there was nothing to say, and the atmosphere was a little cold.

Ding Juhua shouted again: "Father, is the water boiling?" ”

"Stop boiling water." Mian Tao put away the red envelope and got up: "It's time for us to go." As he spoke, he stood up.

Cherries and walnuts also hurriedly followed.

"This, this is leaving?" Ding Juhua's words ended with a soft sigh.

"I have to go to the fourth uncle's house." Mian Tao's voice sounded like Gu Jing Wubo, and there was no emotion: "You stay, don't send it." Tell the third uncle not to be busy. Lixia's matter, don't worry about it for the time being, she is not very old, and it is very easy to find her mother-in-law's house. Is there Lizhen...... After a while, I will mention it to my second sister, I dare not say it, I can only see what she says. ”

"Really?" Ding Juhua's face was filled with joy: "That's good, that's good!" ”

"Then we'll go first." Cotton peach walked out first. Cherries and walnuts hurriedly followed.

"Hey, hey, go slowly, go slowly." Ding Juhua hurriedly sent the three of them out of the yard, and watched them enter the courtyard of Yue Xiang's house.

"Why do you ......" entered the courtyard of Yue Xiang's house, and the cherry whispered.

"It's a pitiful look." Mian Tao didn't say much, raised her feet forward, and said loudly: "Fourth uncle? Happy New Year to Uncle Four!! ”

This person, who looks indifferent, actually softens his heart. Cherry sighed softly and followed.

After a walk around their relatives, the three sisters went to several families in the village who were familiar with each other to pay their respects for the New Year.

After going home for lunch, I was about to take a nap, and then I went to the New Year in the afternoon, when there were a few noises in the yard, and someone was shouting: "Three girls? Four girls? Are you at home? ”

"Who" Cherry hurriedly got off the kang to see, the person who came was the groom in the carriage yard of the eldest brother-in-law, the one who often came with star fruit: "Uncle Beard, Happy New Year!" ”

"Hey, Happy New Year, four girls!!" The groom bent down slightly, and said with a bit of urgency: "The owner called me to report the good news, saying that the wife was born, and the mother and child are safe." ”

"Gave birth to ?!!" Cherry screamed. According to her calculations, the due date of star fruit is still a week.

"Yes, yes." The groom nodded.

"Raw?" Cotton peach rushed out of the house, and her voice was louder than Cherry's: "When was it born?" Is it male or female? What about my sister? ”

"It's a big fat boy with six pounds and four taels, and I don't know the details. I was preparing to eat at home, and the host sent someone over and asked me to come over and run errands. The proprietor also said that if the two girls wanted to see it, they would go to the town to have a look. ”

"Oh, oh, good, good." Mian Tao responded, turned around and ran into the house, shouting: "Sakura, Walnut, hurry up and clean up, let's go and take a look." ”

"What's the hurry?" Cherry dragged her and took out some pieces of silver and handed it to the groom, "Thank you for coming to tell the good news." Go back first, and we'll go tomorrow." ”

"Hey, good, good. Thank you, four girls! The groom happily took the money and left.

"Why tomorrow? I'm going to be in a hurry. Why did she give birth to this? I don't know what the little doll looks like. Mian Tao was so anxious that her face turned red.

"It's afternoon. We are not as good as before, now the eldest sister is the daughter-in-law of the Miao family, and the aunt and uncle of the Miao family must already be there. It's not good for us to go to visit people in the afternoon, not to mention that today is the first day of the first lunar month? Cherry was excited for a while, and then calmed down: "Tomorrow is a good day, let's take advantage of the morning, no one can say anything." But one night, can't you bear it? ”

"Yes, yes, you're right." Mian Tao calmed down a little at this time: "Look at me, look at me, I didn't even think of this thing." It's really confusing. ”

Walnut stood at the door of the house, heard the conversation between the two, and was happy: "The eldest sister is born?" Third sister and fourth sister, are we going to see it tomorrow? ”

"Yes, I'm going." Cherry nodded and patted Mian Tao's hand: "I'll go to the uncle to report the good news first, you clean up, and bring all the things you prepared for the eldest sister for pregnant women." ”