Life is more than just living

The day before the Spring Festival, Chen Xu received separate calls from Chen Zhigang and Zhou Fenglan. The two had been divorced for more than 20 years. At this time, they all asked Chen Xu where he was going to celebrate the New Year. Do you want to go to his or her place to celebrate the New Year together? Chen Xu said calmly that he wanted to spend time with his grandma. The two of them didn't look too disappointed, as if they were just asking as a matter of routine.

When he was about to get off work that day, Zhang Xiaoli ran over and asked Chen Xu, "Sister Xu, are you going back to Beicheng to celebrate the New Year?" Chen Xu nodded and said yes. Zhang Xiaoli said: "You can take my car back from get off work later." Chen Xu readily agreed. Originally, for safety reasons, I planned to take the early train back tomorrow, but now that there is a car, I can go back earlier.

Zhang Xiaoli very considerately took Chen Xu to the entrance of her alley. After Chen Xu got off the car, he thanked Zhang Xiaoli repeatedly. Zhang Xiaoli said with a smile: "Sister Xu, you are too polite. When you go to work on the seventh day of the lunar month, you don't have to Go one day in advance, and I will drive to pick you up on the morning of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year." Chen Xu said: "If I need to take a car, I will contact you in advance, because I will go out in the first month of the year and may not be here."

When Chen Xu returned home, grandma was happy but worried at the same time because it was not safe for a girl to ride in the car after dark. Chen Xu told his grandma that he came back in a colleague's car. Chen Xu went to the warehouse to take out some of the ingredients he would eat tomorrow and defrost them in advance.

Early in the morning on New Year's Eve, Chen Xu got up and cleaned the yard, and then prepared to start posting Spring Festival couplets. Chen Xu was posting couplets at the door when he suddenly saw Zhang Yong coming back with a bag in his hand. He came over and greeted Chen Xu and said, "Did you make this paste yourself?" Chen Xu nodded, and Zhang Yong said, "If you can't use all of it, give me some. I also want to post a couplet, and there are some It means celebrating the New Year." As he said that, he put down the bag, took the brush used to apply paste from Chen Xu's hand and helped her brush it. The two of them worked together to quickly paste the Spring Festival couplets with the word "Fu" on the door of Chen Xu's house.

Zhang Yong took out the Spring Festival couplets with the character "Fu" from the bag on the ground, and the two worked together again and quickly finished it. Chen Xu asked him: "Have you been to the hospital these days?" Zhang Yong nodded and said: "Yes! I'll do it at night, and my family will accompany me during the day. Not only did I just come back, but I'm going to the hospital again tonight. It usually costs 70 yuan at night, but today's The old man's son said he would give 100 on New Year's Eve and the first night of the Lunar New Year." Chen Xu nodded, Zhang Yong scratched his head, bent down and grabbed a handful of candies from the bag and stuffed them into Chen Xu's hand, "Here are some candies for you! I remember you. I loved eating sweets when I was little.”

For a moment, Chen Xu was in a daze, as if the brother Xiaoyong who used to take care of him was back. She asked involuntarily: "What do you want to eat during the Chinese New Year?" Zhang Yong said: "I listen to you and live a good life. I must celebrate the Chinese New Year in a decent way today. You see, I bought a pig's trotters. A small handful of peanuts, two chicken feet, and two fried fish, making up four dishes. I finished my meal in a while and took a nap. I had to go to the hospital at night. Thank you, I want it Otherwise, I don’t know how to live this year. In the past few days, people have asked me to be a caregiver, and the food problem has been solved. Sister Li is also a very nice person, and she takes good care of me, but I know she only cares about you, thanks is you."

Chen Xu smiled and shook his head, "Don't be so polite, just do your best and everything will be fine." Zhang Yong couldn't help but nodded, "Well, I listen to you." "Chen Xu grabbed a handful of candy in his hand and went back with the remaining paste.

Chen Xu had been busy for several hours, and a sumptuous meal was finally served. Grandma looked at the dishes on the table and kept saying: "I never thought I could have such a good life! When the whole family was together, we didn't have such good conditions, and then I was in no mood." Chen Xu was not sad. She said: "Grandma, even if there are only two of us left, we must have a good New Year." She handed grandma a pair of chopsticks, poured her a drink, and said, "Let's get started!" The two of them faced a large table of dishes. It feels like a Chinese New Year atmosphere.

After dinner, Chen Xu filled two plates with peanuts, melon seed candies and fruits and placed them next to grandma. The two people were sitting on the edge of the kang talking. Chen Xu said: "Grandma, I heard that this area is going to be demolished. When the time comes to live in a building, let's buy a TV so that we can watch the Spring Festival Gala during the Chinese New Year." Grandma nodded, "I'm just looking forward to that day."

When the two of them were making dumplings in the evening, grandma gave Chen Xu a red envelope and said, "Now I don't have to spend any money. You come back every week to give me food and drinks, and I don't have any money left. I'll give you this little money as lucky money!" Chen Xu didn't refuse, he took it with a smile and said, "Thank you, grandma!"

Chen Xu found that his mentality was becoming more and more peaceful now, and he no longer cared about the past. When eating dumplings in the evening, grandma sighed, "I haven't eaten New Year's Eve dumplings in more than 20 years. During the Chinese New Year last year, I was still out picking up rags at night. You called me on New Year's Day. I saw you. I I think it was the best year in more than 20 years. I didn’t expect this year to be even better." Chen Xu looked at grandma with a smile, "Grandma, it will get better and better in the future." Chen Xu was lying on the bed at night. , the sound of firecrackers kept going on outside, and I couldn’t sleep at all. She had a video chat with Liu Jingsheng just now. Liu Jingsheng returned to his parents' house to celebrate the New Year, and Chen Xu paid New Year's greetings to Liu Weiguo and Han Hui in the video. After the video ended, their family of three all sent Chen Xu red envelopes. Chen Xu looked at the amount of the red envelope and didn't want to accept it. Liu Jingsheng sent her a WeChat message and said, "It's the Chinese New Year, and I have to accept the New Year's money given by my parents and brother." Chen Xu had no choice but to obey.

When it was almost 12 o'clock at night, Chen Xu suddenly received a New Year greetings text message, which was sent by Zhang Yong. Now with QQ and WeChat, few people send text messages anymore, but Chen Xu can understand Zhang Yong's behavior because Zhang Yong's mobile phone It is an elderly phone with only phone and text messaging functions. The text message was not long and it read: Xiaoxu, Happy New Year! I hope you will be happy every day in the future, and have the support of noble people every step of the way. You will become the happiest person in the world.

Chen Xu held his phone and looked at it for a long time, and finally sent a text message back to Zhang Yong: Brother Yong, happy Spring Festival! Brother Yong must be happy too!

Zhang Yong stood in the ward and looked at his phone uneasily. Suddenly a text message alert sounded. He clicked on it and read it over and over again, even though there were only a dozen words. His eyes were moist, Xiaoxu, I must be a good person to be worthy of you helping me regardless of past grudges.

Chen Xu looked at the roof and was filled with thoughts. When he was a child, he looked forward to the New Year. He could wear new clothes during the New Year. In the first year of junior high school, his grandma would take him to a neighbor's house to pay New Year greetings. But those memories became very blurry later on, and for many years to come, the Chinese New Year was the most miserable. I spent the Spring Festival of my freshman year in the hospital, just like Zhang Yong now. During my sophomore year, I ate bread alone in Meng Xiangyu's dormitory. The Spring Festival of my junior year was at my grandma’s house. The Spring Festival that year had a Chinese New Year atmosphere, but after all, it was someone else’s house. Last year, Han Yidao was busy with the company's affairs. Although Chen Xu forced himself to celebrate the New Year with his grandma, he was not in a good mood. Although there are many regrets this year, he helped his grandma find the feeling of celebrating the New Year. Chen Xu truly feels that being needed and being able to give to others is far more happiness than receiving.