On the twenty-third day of the lunar month, Bai Ajinai got up very early, and the sky was not yet bright. It is the coldest time of the day, commonly known as "ghost teeth", which means that the ghosts are frozen to grin, can it not be cold? But Agina was not afraid of the cold, so he swept the yard first. In fact, the yard is already very clean, but he still wants to sweep it, to sweep it even cleaner. After sweeping the yard, before the family woke up, Agina came to the gate and swept the street in front of his house. He was already sweating, and when he took off his cotton hat, it was steaming from his head. Agina took two steps back, suddenly stopped, turned around, and waved his broom to sweep the street in front of the lotus house, he knew in his heart that "those who patronize themselves do not get along with their neighbors", and "those who do not know how to be grateful do not get along with the times".

There was a slight light in the sky, and the gates of the neighborhoods were swept clean by Agina, and he walked back satisfied. He took off his hat again, and let the water vapor swell on his head.

Sweeping the snow in front of other people's doors is a simple expression of Agina's kindness in return.

Agina entered the courtyard, and Toya was already up. Her hands and face were afraid of the cold, and in addition to wearing a scarf, a cotton hat and thick gloves, she went to gather firewood and prepare for cooking. Seeing Agina coming over steaming, he quickly said, "Put on your hat quickly, don't catch a cold."

Agina obediently put on her hat and pushed Toya into the house, where he carried the firewood.

After breakfast, Agina asked everyone to go to the West House, where he had to sweep the East House, where his father-in-law and mother-in-law lived.

Erdemutu walked more difficult, so Aginai picked him up and sent him directly to the Westinghouse. The old man said embarrassedly: You kid, what are you holding me for? Just help me go.

Agina just laughed and didn't speak.

Naren Tuya smiled and said, "Erdemutu, look at your skinnyness, Agina hugs you like a chick."

Erdemutu knew that he couldn't hear her talking, so he glared at his wife.

Toya laughed, but suddenly realized something, and turned to wipe her eyes.

Aginai cleaned the house very carefully, and when he had done all this, he came to Erdemutu's side, where the old man was playing poker.

Aginai said: Dad, today is a small year.

Erdemutu: I know.

Agina wanted to say something, but opened her mouth and swallowed it back.

Silent.

After a while, Agina couldn't help it, and said: Dad, Xiao Nian should sacrifice to the god of fire.

The old man just let out an "oh" and continued to play poker.

Naren Tuya couldn't look at it anymore, poked his wife, and said: Aginai is talking to you, did you hear?

Erdemutu glared at his wife again, and said loudly: My legs are lame, but my ears are not "lame"!

Naren Tuya was so angry that she ignored him and turned to leave.

Agina was silent for a while, and asked, "Dad, are we ready?"

Erdemutu stopped swinging poker, raised his head and said solemnly: No!

Aginay: Oh.

Erdemutu went on to say: "We Mongolians worship the god of fire in the hope of bringing good luck. But what did the fire bring to our family? It's bad luck! What shall I sacrifice it for? No sacrifice!

Agina understood the intention of the old man, and replied simply: Dad, I know.

Agina walked out and was busy with other things.

This year, Matoya's family did not worship the god of fire.

It is estimated that it will never be sacrificed again.

…………

Just before the Chinese New Year's Eve, the twenty-fifth day of the lunar month, Bai Chaolu and Gao Wa came from the lantern gacha to the Sarentai gacha. They brought a lot of beef, lamb and a little dumb chicken that they raised. The chickens are all killed in advance, cleaned up, and only need to be chopped into small pieces before they can be put into the pot. Of course, Gao Wa also brought the bottle of pure honey that her son treasured for her daughter-in-law.

Matoya deliberately ran outside to take a look, and her in-laws were driving a carriage instead of a donkey cart, and her heart was much brighter.

Erdemutu and Bai Chaolu, the two in-laws, used to make a lot of trouble as soon as they met, and the two talked more quickly and energetically than the other. Gao Wa and Naren Tuya knew about the two, so they ignored them and took Toya into the Westinghouse.

Gao Wa took her daughter-in-law's hand and asked this and that, and took the bottle of honey to make a cup. Toya asked her to rest first, and Gao Wa didn't agree to anything.

Gao Wa said: Toya, you have to be obedient, this honey is good. Let Mom make it for you. Alas, mother-in-law, help find a little spoon?

Naren Tuya didn't react, Toya smiled and said: My mother's ears are even more back, she can't hear, I'll go get it.

Gao Wa pressed Toya's shoulders to prevent her from standing up, and said, "Don't move, I'll go, don't you just go in the outhouse kitchen, I'll find it myself." Don't go out in a mess anymore, don't resist the frost.

Gao Wa found a spoon and a bowl, opened the honey bottle and scooped a small spoonful, but did not put it in the bowl, but sent it to Toya, and said: Open your mouth and take a bite.

Toya is embarrassed: Mom, I don't eat.

Gao Wa insisted and said: Take a bite, it's all original, it's called - called - yes, it's called original ecology. Taste it first, and I'll make you water to drink."

Toya couldn't resist her mother-in-law, so she had to eat the honey with her face red and her mouth open.

It's so sweet, it's always been sweet in my heart.

People who have eaten bitterness will be more sensitive to sweetness.

Naren Tuya watched the actions of her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on the side, and she smiled happily. She felt sweet, and although she didn't eat honey, she also felt sweetness in her heart.

Gao Wa poured water into the bowl with a thermos, and said while stirring the water with a small spoon: In the future, you must remember that you can't use boiling water to make honey, otherwise you will scald the nutrition of honey to death. Leave the water to dry and add honey when the temperature drops down a bit, for the best effect. People told me about it, in the newspapers and on TV. You have to remember.

Toya nodded repeatedly, happiness rippling across her face.

…………

Erdemutu and Bai Chaolu didn't have too many jokes at first, after all, this year was very different from previous years. The chat between the two is rarely "formal", chatting about the production and life of the two Gachas, as if the two Gacha branch secretaries are exchanging work experience.

After Erdemutu and Toya's repeated stays, Bai Chaolu and Gao Na decided not to rush back to Huadeng Gacha in a hurry, and wanted to stay overnight in Sarentai.

Erdemutu said: You are an old white, and you are polite to me. I can see that Gaowa has a cold and is not good, and she is too tired to go back and forth a day. What's more, unlike summer, the weather is warm and long, and you have to rush back home in the middle of the night. And it worries Agina and Toya.

"It's the New Year, and there are a lot of things going on at home." Bai Chaolu said solemnly.

"Don't blow it to me, you are a leading cadre yourself? What's the matter, the door-to-door gift-givers are lined up outside your yard? ”

"You just bury me. It's good if we don't give gifts to others, how can anyone give me gifts. ”

"I'll just say, no matter how corrupt it is, it can't be our ordinary people, you have this heart and no power."

The two talked and laughed, restoring some of their original true temperament, adding to the joyful atmosphere of the cottage.