Siheyuan: Starting from Building a Village

Time soon arrived at the New Year's Eve on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month. The weather was not very good. The clouds in the sky were very low and were getting thicker. It was about to snow.

Everything for the festival has been prepared already.

After lunch, Master Yuan, Nan Yi and Liu Xiaolong began to prepare for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

The children were running, jumping, and making noises, setting off firecrackers from time to time. The few dogs in the village were scared and ran to the entrance of the village.

Several people of the older generation also came outside, looking up at the low sky with expectant looks on their faces.

"Go on, go on."

With the falling of the first snowflake, the curtain was completely opened. The snowflakes fluttered in the air, dancing in various postures, flying, circling, falling among the crowd and on the ground.

"Oh. It's snowing. It's snowing."

The children gave up their favorite firecrackers, stretched out their little hands, caught the snowflakes falling from the sky, watched the snowflakes melt in their palms, their faces filled with youthful smiles.

"Oh my God, you finally opened your eyes, hahahaha."

"Rain more, and there will be a good harvest next year."

"Hahaha."

The depressing atmosphere disappeared, and the air was filled with a fresh breath, or it could be said to be the breath of hope.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, like goose feathers, flying like smoke, covering the distant mountains and nearby trees in a hazy state.

"Guo Zheng, Guo Zheng, look, it's snowing, it's snowing."

"Yes, Uncle Yang, it's snowing. This year must be a bumper year."

"Yes, it will definitely be a bumper year, and every year from now on will be a bumper year."

Liu Guozheng fell silent. He also hoped that every year in the future would be a bumper year, a real bumper year, not just a bumper year on paper.

Obviously, such things only exist in beautiful hopes, in Liu Guozheng's second world.

In reality, it is obvious that it can only be a beautiful hope.

Even in later times when the economy and technology are highly developed, whether or not there is a good harvest still depends on God's favor.

"Oh my god, are you finally willing to let it snow?"

“Hahaha..woooo…”

Liu Mancang opened his arms, looked up at the sky, and let the snowflakes fall on his face, melting into "hope" and dripping at his feet along with tears.

"Uncle Liu, it's snowing, which is a good thing. Why are you crying?"

"Guo Zheng, I...I am happy, so happy."

Liu Mancang's lips were trembling, his eyes were red, and his face was covered with water droplets. It was hard to tell whether they were tears or snow water. It was probably both.

"Auspicious snow heralds a good year."

It’s a good thing that the snow fell this time. It took away bad luck and brought hope in this day of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

This is not the hope of one person, but the hope of a country and a nation.

Of course, it also heralds the end of the disaster year.

“Pah…”

A snowball hit Liu Guozheng, interrupting his reverie.

"Brother Zheng, Brother Zheng, let's have a snowball fight."

"Brother Zheng, look at my big snowball."

Unexpectedly, in a moment, the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow.

"Xiao Nian Nian, I'll let you run."

"Haha."

“Crackle…Crackle…”

The innocent laughter of the children, accompanied by the crunching sound of snow under their feet and the snowballs of different sizes flying in the air, inspired Liu Guozheng's childishness. So he also laughed and joined the snowball fight.

Everyone's face was filled with happy smiles, and laughter spread throughout the village.

"It's nice to be young."

"Yeah, it's great to be young."

Yang Youde and several other elderly people walked slowly in the snow with smiles on their faces, occasionally making a snowball and throwing it far away.

..................

"Brother Zheng, let's start."

"start."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of firecrackers was heard, and the children who were playing snowball fights came back one after another.

The sound of firecrackers marks the beginning of the New Year’s Eve dinner.

As in previous years, Liu Guozheng spoke a few words and officially started this year's New Year's Eve dinner.

"Uncle Yang, I respect you. You have worked hard this year."

"Uncle Liu, we must drink this wine this year. Not only must we drink a lot, but we must also drink well. If not for anything else, just for today's snow, we must get drunk."

"Hahaha, yes, Guozheng is right. Just for today's snow, it's really worth having a drink."

"Come on, let's drink together."

"Okay, done."

"Dry."

Men drank wine, and women and children drank juice.

"Guo Zheng, I respect you."

"Lao Nan, you've worked hard today. Let's have a drink together."

"Brother, I really want to thank you."

"Brother Nan, we are brothers, so let's talk about this."

Liu Guozheng naturally understood what Nan Yi was going to say. On the day of the Little New Year, Nan Yi and Zhang Qingfang officially got their marriage certificate, and the wedding banquet was held in the village.

Because Nan Yi and Zhang Qingfang had no other relatives at home and wanted to have some fun, they finally decided to hold the banquet in the village.

All the things they needed were prepared by Liu Guozheng, so Nan Yi was very grateful to Liu Guozheng.

"Brother Zheng, I toast to you too."

"Oh, and me, Brother Zheng."

"Erlang, Dabao, let's not do this, let's drink together."

"Brother Zheng, that won't work."

"Don't be so stupid, kid. What's wrong? Look at all the people behind me. Do you want to get me drunk?"

"Brother Zheng, I know your alcohol tolerance, there will definitely be no problem."

"Dabao, don't make trouble. If you drink too much, your sister-in-law will be dissatisfied."

"Hahaha, Brother Zheng, if you're afraid of your wife, just say so."

"Da Mao, can you speak? This is respect, you know what I mean?"

"Brother Zheng, we understand. We brothers all understand."

"Come on, let's go together, brothers."

"..."

This year, there are a lot more people celebrating the New Year in Hope Village, including Li Dabao and his wife, Zhang Qingfang and her two kids, Xu Damao's family, Xu Fugui and Li Jinzhi all came, just to make it more lively.

Some time ago, Xu Damao had already prepared all the films to be shown during the Spring Festival. Now it is snowing and we can't go out to play, so we might as well watch movies in the village and enjoy ourselves.

Not to mention anything else, this year's Spring Festival Sports Games will definitely not be held.

"Big brother, drink some wine."

Two-year-old Wang Heng came to Liu Guozheng with a wine glass.

"Erlang, this is your idea again, right?"

"Brother Zheng, this time it's really not the case. Look, my wine glass is right here."

As he said this, Erleng raised his wine glass.

"Uncle Zheng, drink some wine."

Li Wenhao from Li Xiangdong's family also ran over with his short legs and a wine glass in his hand.

"Hahaha, okay, I'll drink these two bottles of wine. I enjoy drinking this one."

Liu Guozheng also didn't expect that the milk powder with fortified capsules was so effective that the two-year-old baby was comparable to a four or five-year-old child.

"Big brother, give me some candy."

"Uncle Zheng, I want one too."

Well, now Liu Guozheng understood that these two guys came here to exchange wine for candy, and they must not be allowed to eat candy at home.

"These two guys are smart."

"It's not easy. A two-year-old baby has grown up to be amazing."

"Erlang, Xiangdong, your family is blessed."

"......"

The two little guys got the candy from Liu Guozheng, put it directly into their mouths, and then walked back to their parents with their short legs.

"Guozheng, let's have a drink together."

"Brother Li, done."

"Brother Zheng..."

"Come on, come on, everyone, wish everyone a happy new year!"

"Happy New Year!"