Rebirth alone

On New Year's Eve, the servants would get up before full light, sweep the gates, post Spring Festival couplets, and hang red lights. It was a busy and joyful scene.

Ye Tao was woken up by the sound of firecrackers. He squinted and saw that it was only past six o'clock. Zhou Ziqian had already woken up and was washing in the bathroom. Ye Tao had nothing to do when he woke up early.

When Zhou Ziqian returned to the bedroom after washing, he saw Ye Tao sitting on the bed with his clothes on, and was still wrapped in the brocade quilt from the waist down.

"Pretending to be a mermaid?" Zhou Ziqian kissed Ye Tao on the forehead, "It really looks like it."

Ye Tao looked at the quilt wrapped around his body, noncommittal.

Zhou Ziqian came to the closet, took out the clothes one by one, took off a bunch of red textiles, and gave them to Ye Tao to wear.

It's normal to wear red during the Chinese New Year. This red satin jacket was made before coming to Huizhou. Ye Tao had already prepared to wear it as a little red man during the Spring Festival, but even red underwear is a bit exaggerated, right?

"Uncle, this year is not my birth year."

"Your grandfather can find someone to forget, saying that you have been a villain for three years in a row, and you wear red to block evil spirits."

"...The villain is a Sha? A type of Sha?"

"Ask your grandpa, maybe you can chat a little more about this topic." While talking, Zhou Ziqian handed him a pair of red socks.

Ye Tao silently dressed while watching Zhou Ziqian stuff the red insoles into his shoes in a rather speechless manner. All he felt was a string of extended ellipses.

The Zhou family’s ancestral home was in Huizhou. Since Zhou Ziqian’s generation moved to the capital, there was nowhere to check the ancestral house in Huizhou. Outside the city, the house is built along the water. It is a small villa in the Hui style. Although it is not as spacious as the mansions in the capital, it is also high-walled and deep, with four kilns.

No one cares about the poor living in the busy city, and the rich have distant relatives in the mountains. Although Mr. Zhou lives in a remote place, and the relatives here in Huizhou are distant relatives who are out of Wufu, the Zhou family has no shortage of visitors. Since childhood, the guests have been in twos and threes. Many came to the door one after another, including distant relatives, close neighbors, and local dignitaries.

Mr. Zhou was in poor health and didn't like to make noise, so he left the reception and thanking guests to his son and the housekeeper. Zhou Ziqian was busy with receiving guests during the day and taking care of his nephew at night, becoming a spinning top, while his precious nephew It was like whipping him around with a small whip, and he was whipped until the end of the year in one breath, and then dressed as a little red man, and asked him with a calm and beautiful little face: "Uncle, next year will be the next year!" Do you still come to Grandpa's place?"

He couldn't help but smiled wryly: "What are you doing here? To see your grandpa or celebrate the new year?"

Ye Tao was silent for a while, and said with a painful determination: "I don't want to come."

The nephew who was always looking forward to going out said he didn't want to go out, Zhou Ziqian was surprised and puzzled: "Baby, what's wrong with you?"

"You are busy with work, and you are usually very tired. I don't want to make trouble for you during the New Year's Eve, so that you can't rest. I got sick when I came here, and my grandpa was worried when he saw it. The New Year is a restless life."

Zhou Ziqian took over the orphanage of his elder brother at the age of 21. The child is not in good health. As a parent, he must devote more time and energy to take care of him. He has worked tirelessly and never complained to anyone. This has made him very popular in the outside world. Gao, he has heard so many compliments that he has long been numb to them, but today he is a little moved by a nephew's words that are neither praise nor sensational.

Zhou Zi hugged Ye Tao in his arms and kissed him. He felt funny while being moved. To be precise, it was because of his funny face that he let this little thing toss about enough, and the little thing warmed his heart by moving his mouth. , this is too easy to fool.

On New Year's Eve, three generations of old and young sat together to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. The old man drank two more glasses and went back to his room to rest after the twelve o'clock bell struck. , the old man left the table not long after he left.

Firecrackers were blowing outside the window, fireworks filled the sky, red lights were hung in front of and behind the house, and there was a lively scene of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. However, the Zhou family could not enjoy the excitement because of the small number of people. room.

The housekeeper arranged a large sunny bedroom for Ye Tao and his wife. Elder Zhou likes the traditional Chinese style. The room is full of pear wood furniture, and four screens are placed in the center. Behind the screen is a bed cabinet, and in front of the screen is a A wooden couch with a small table on it, Zhou Ziqian and Ye Tao sat on the wooden couch to watch the Spring Festival Gala, one on the left and the other on the right, no one was going to watch the new year, if it wasn’t just after eating something and couldn’t fall asleep immediately, Ye Tao would go to bed up.

After twelve o'clock, there were all kinds of programs such as singing, dancing and joint singing. It was festive and lively, but it was also lackluster. Ye Tao was not interested in watching it, so he grabbed a small handful of nuts and peeled them. After peeling, he did not dare to eat them. Handed it to Zhou Ziqian.

Zhou Ziqian took the small handful of white and fat nuts, and said with a smile: "It's really rare, usually only babies get this kind of treatment."

"He is young, so he should take care of him more." Ye Tao patted the debris on his clothes, took out an old book from under the small table, and flipped through it. There is a light and pleasant smell on the body and a faint herbal smell.

Zhou Ziqian looked at Ye Tao thoughtfully, and felt that some of the changes were miraculous. This child who used to worry him not only became calm and peaceful, but also passed this emotion on to those around him. Zhou Ziqian Qian walks around in the intriguing shopping mall all day long, and peace and tranquility are something he yearns for but is rare, so he likes staying with his nephew more and more.

Before going to bed, Zhou Ziqian gave Ye Tao a red envelope and a brocade box, saying it was lucky money. Whether it was Zhou Yunxi in the past or Ye Tao today, they rarely had the opportunity to spend cash. Inside is a piece of mutton fat jade tablet, the jade is delicate and oily, and the front and back are carved with scriptures using micro-carving techniques.

Ye Tao Jianyu is a layman, and he is not an orthodox believer. He can't tell what is good about the jade brand, but he has an inexplicable eye-sight. The latter is jade, how beautiful should a stone be so that people will fall in love with it at a glance?

"I originally wanted someone to carve a statue of Avalokitesvara. The jade carver said that it is a folk custom for men to wear Avalokitesvara and women to wear Buddha statues. Orthodox Buddhism does not advocate wearing Bodhisattva statues, so I carved the Shurangama Mantra. Please have Master Rongjin consecrate it and wear it close to your body." Let's go." Zhou Ziqian took off the emerald nostalgia around Ye Tao's neck, hung up the jade plaque engraved with scriptures, held it in his hand to warm it, and then put it into Ye Tao's pajamas.

Ye Tao shook the jade tablet through the cloth: "Don't you not believe this?"

"I have put in so much effort that I can't even get you a smile, and you still question my sincerity." Zhou Ziqian scratched the tip of his nose, "You are really filial."

"I just said it casually." Ye Tao raised the corners of his lips, showing a shallow but sincere smile, "Thank you, I really like the stuff."

Zhou Ziqian stared at him until that smile turned into faint doubts, as if he was asking what was wrong with him, then he leaned over and kissed Ye Tao on the forehead, and sighed with a light smile: "Finally, the effort was not in vain. "

Zhou Ziqian drank wine during the New Year's Eve dinner, and was very busy these days. He fell asleep not long after lying down. Ye Tao lay beside him, staring at the dim roof in a quiet trance, and turned his head to look at him for a long time. The man next to him, in just a few seconds, turned over and closed his eyes with his back to him.

People living in the world must have something to ask for, and if they want something, they will not be able to get what they want. Since you know you can't get what you want, don't yearn for it, so as not to add to the suffering.