Zhou Xiaoyun’s Happy Life

Chapter 35 Busy Chinese New Year (4)

On the twenty-ninth day, all the corners of the house were swept with feather dusters, and the few furniture, tables and chairs were wiped clean. The New Year's goods at home are all ready, and Zhou's father also bought a few strings of firecrackers to set off on the evening of the 30th and on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Zhou’s father asked a couplet writer in the village to write a few couplets for his family and paste them on the door with batter.

The couplet on the door of the main house is: Spring returns to the earth, and people’s homes are filled with happiness.

 This calligraphy was very large and neat. Zhou Xiaoyun admired it for a long time, thinking that he would practice calligraphy and write couplets for his family next year.

 Time seemed to move very slowly in the anxious hearts of the children. After finishing the thirty-noon meal, Dabao felt that the afternoon had been extremely long. He was looking forward to getting dark soon and was a little absent-minded even when playing.

 As for why?

I believe all children know this, because after dinner is the part they look forward to the most: giving out new year’s money!

In the evening, the whole family went to the bathhouse in the neighboring village to take a bath.

 Speaking of which, bathing is a big problem that cannot be solved in Zhou Xiaoyun's life. When the weather is warm, you can boil some hot water and wash it at home, but it will be troublesome when the weather gets cold. There is no bathhouse in the village, and the nearest bathhouse takes more than an hour to and from the village where my aunt lives. This directly leads to Zhou Xiaoyun only taking a bath once or twice a month. I have no choice but to endure it and don't look too sloppy, everyone is like this.

 Before the Chinese New Year, of course I had to take a shower and be clean for the New Year. Father Zhou also took Dabao and Xiaobao to have their heads shaved. The two children’s hair covered their ears.

There were so many people who expressed this idea that the small bathhouse was crowded with women bringing their children to take a bath. There was no shower, just a hot pool. The water was no longer clear and a little turbid. Zhou Xiaoyun controlled himself not to think about how many people had washed in the pool first. He quickly finished washing and put on clothes, and came out to take a look. , Father Zhou has come out with Dabao and Xiaobao.

 After waiting for a while, Zhao Yuzhen came out with Erya in her arms.

 Father Zhou wanted to take his sons to have their heads shaved, so Zhao Yuzhen naturally followed him to the barber shop.

The usually deserted little room was also crowded today, and it took a long time for the Zhou family and his son to take their turn. The men who shaved their heads were not very skilled at shaving their heads, and they all had their heads shaved short and flat.

 Father Zhou and Dabao and Xiaobaochao stood together. Their heights ranged from tall to short, and they all had crew-cut hair. Zhou Xiaoyun couldn't help but snicker when he saw them.

Zhao Yuzhen’s eyes fell on Zhou Xiaoyun’s head, and Zhou Xiaoyun secretly screamed that something was wrong. Sure enough, Zhao Yuzhen said:

“Da Ya, your hair hasn’t been cut in half a year. It’s down to your shoulders. Go get it cut too!”

 Don’t cut it! It’s finally possible to tie a ponytail!

Zhou Xiaoyun knew very well that he could only save the country by taking a detour if he could not resist directly. He smiled and said coquettishly: "Mom, I won't cut it off. You see, my uncle's business is so good and so many people are waiting for him."

 In fact, many people are waiting for the family to come over and have their heads shaved!

“But your hair is too long. It’s very troublesome to comb it.”

Zhao Yuzhen is busy working in the fields at home every day. She has several children to feed the pigs in the chicken and duck pen in the same yard, so how can she still have the energy to tie pigtails for her children?

“Mom, forget it! I comb my hair myself, so I don’t take up your time. Just let me keep my hair. I like braids, and my hair is short like a boy’s.”

Zhou Xiaoyun has been combing her pigtails with colorful rubber bands since her hair went past her ears, and Zhao Yuzhen never bothers her.

Zhao Yuzhen has nothing to say. Since she doesn’t need to comb her child’s hair, just let her do it!

Zhou Xiaoyun successfully dispelled Zhao Yuzhen's thoughts and kept her pigtails, and she was very happy in her heart. There's no good shampoo to wash my hair with, so it's inevitably a bit dry and yellow, but it's still quite smooth. Zhou Xiaoyun plans to get some sesame seeds to eat in the future to improve the quality of his hair.

 After arriving home, Zhao Yuzhen started busy with the most important New Year's Eve dinner of the year.

Several large bowls of dishes were placed on the square table, including roasted fish, roasted chicken, meatballs and scrambled eggs. The main meat dishes "chicken, fish, meat and eggs" that rural people pay attention to during the Chinese New Year were all available.

The Zhou brothers and sisters all had round bellies after this meal. Xiaobao ate a lot of fish, which made Zhao Yuzhen very happy.

 After eating, Father Zhou went into the house to get something.

Dabao was so excited that Zhou Xiaoyun was also infected by him and looked forward to the new year's money.

I usually have very little pocket money, so I can only buy some pencils and erasers for a dime or two. Who wants to have an empty pocket? Unfortunately, the family is not well-off, and Dabao and Zhou Xiaoyun have very few opportunities to make money.

Father Zhou began to hand out the new year's money one by one. Dabao, the eldest, got the red envelope first. When he opened it and saw that it was two yuan, he shouted "Oh" loudly.

Two yuan is enough to buy a lot of gadgets. Especially the kind of "match whip" that boys love to play during the Chinese New Year. Take out one as big as a matchstick and throw it, making a loud noise. It costs only a dime a box. Dabao has been craving for it for a long time. Now that I finally have the money to buy it, can Dabao be unhappy? At this time, Dabao had a mathematical idea and calculated that he could buy twenty boxes. He could play two boxes a day.

Zhou Xiaoyun opened it and saw that it was only two yuan. She was not as exaggerated as Dabao. She smiled in a cultured manner and planned to buy a writing brush next year to practice calligraphy.

Xiaobao didn't go to school and the New Year's money was only one yuan less, which was enough for Xiaobao to be happy. Holding a brand-new one-dollar bill, I jumped into a ball with my brother.

Erya, the youngest, received a symbolic fifty cents. She happily put the money into her pocket, causing her parents to burst into laughter.

 (End of this chapter)