Chapter 26: New Year

Mi Xia was prepared, after all, this stamp was rarely issued, so she said: “It’s okay, keep collecting, collect as much as you can, it’s okay if you can’t collect it, cigarettes and alcohol are fine too.”

Zhang Xiaoyu was still afraid of Mi Xia before, thinking that his work ability was not good, but now he has finally relaxed.

Mi Xia put the cigarettes, alcohol, and stamps handed over by Zhang Xiaoyu into her backpack, and then said: “Old rules, I’ll go first, you go in half an hour.”

After saying that, Mi Xia turned and left. When she reached the small woods, Mi Xia put the backpack directly into her space and placed the supplies she had prepared last night on the ground.

After the transaction, Mi Xia went to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought new clothes and shoes for everyone in the family, and then went home.

During the New Year, how happy the children would be if they had new clothes and shoes, so since the children had bought them, the adults couldn’t be left out.

When she got home, it was already 12:30 p.m. Mi Xia took a shower in her space and had lunch.

Next year will be 1976, we need to study hard, in two years, the reform and opening up will begin, and we can open businesses.

So now we need to seize the time to study independently. Mi Qiu and his family didn’t get home until 4:30 in the afternoon.

Mi Xia heard a knock on the door and went out to open it.

Mi Xia: “Brother, sister-in-law, you’re back.”

Zhang Hongxia felt that this year was the happiest time she had ever returned home in recent years, and Mi Qiu also felt that his mother-in-law seemed like a different person.

On New Year’s Eve, every household set off firecrackers. The children ran away in a flash, running around here and there, so happy.

When it was time for dinner, they all ran back. Mi Qiu set off the firecrackers at the door, and the family drank drinks and ate a sumptuous lunch.

Zhang Hongxia thought about the changes in their family this year. They were city dwellers, wearing thick new cotton-padded jackets and warm new cotton shoes.

The quilts at home were all new, and except for a few patched clothes they brought when they first moved in, everything else was new.

The children were also going to school, the head of the family had a stable job, the family’s food was getting better day by day, and they were living in a small western-style building that they had never dared to dream of before.

All this was brought by the younger sister, the younger sister was truly their family’s lucky star.

Zhang Hongxia looked at the children, then at the head of the family, and then at her younger sister, and she smiled happily.

In the evening, Mi Xia went to bed early with her daughter, only Zhang Hongxia and Mi Qiu stayed up late.

Mi Xia studied late into the night before going to bed. She needed to seize the time, as she would have even less time when she went to university.

The next day, the children got up early.

Mi Xia gave each child a red envelope, one yuan each, making them very happy.

In the past, their New Year’s money was only one or two cents. Unexpectedly, Mi Xia gave so much. Zhang Hongxia only gave each of them ten cents.

“Little aunt is the most beautiful little aunt in the world.” Several children nodded in agreement, making Xia Xia laugh.

Zhang Hongxia pretended to be angry: “Isn’t your mother beautiful?”

“Mom is a little less beautiful than little aunt.” After saying that, the children ran out.

Mi Xia couldn’t help but chuckle, and Zhang Hongxia smiled helplessly.

By noon, Zhang Hongxia and Mi Xia had already made more than ten dishes.

The cold dishes included cold pig ears, cold fungus, husband and wife lung slices, etc., a total of eight cold dishes.

Mi Xia would slow down and explain when she encountered dishes that Zhang Hongxia didn’t know how to make.

The stir-fried dishes included braised pork, braised fish, oil-braised prawns, winter melon and pork rib soup, etc., a total of ten hot dishes.

After dinner, the children seemed to have agreed beforehand that they all wanted to go to the supply and marketing cooperative. Mi Qiu and Zhang Hongxia also wanted to take the children out to play, so they agreed.

The family locked the door and set off for the supply and marketing cooperative. The people they met along the way were all cheerful, and their clothes were much better than usual. Many children were wearing new clothes.

However, there were few people like Mi Xia’s family, where everyone was wearing new clothes, so many people along the way stared at their family.

At the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, you could see a sea of people inside, and there were many people outside trying to squeeze in. Mi Xia immediately flinched.

It would definitely be very uncomfortable to squeeze in, not to mention being sweaty, the children would also get lost.

“Let’s not go in, if we go in later, we’ll be separated by the crowd.” Mi Xia frowned, looking at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative.

Mi Qiu also agreed: “What my younger sister said is right, why don’t we go for a walk around the county town? Since we came here, the whole family hasn’t had a good walk.”

This suggestion was unanimously approved. On the road, there were children playing in the mud together, some families were just starting to set off firecrackers, and there were young couples walking hand in hand.

This era was so simple, and the New Year atmosphere was very strong, unlike in the past life, when every household’s living conditions improved, but the New Year atmosphere was gone.

Children now looked forward to the New Year, because during the New Year, there was not only New Year’s money, but also delicious food.

When they got home, it was already 7 p.m., everyone was quite tired, after walking around for the afternoon, they washed up and went to bed.

The second day of the New Year was the day Zhang Hongxia returned to her parents’ home. When Mi Xia and her daughter got up, their family was about to leave.

Zhang Hongxia: “Little sister, I’ve warmed up the rice in the pot, you can just eat it.”

Mi Xia: “Okay, I know, sister-in-law.”

“Wuwuwu, aunt, I want to go too, I want to play with my sister.” Mo Zhixia suddenly started crying.

Since living with her elder brother’s family, Mo Zhixia had been with Mi Xiaohuan almost every day, except for the half month when Mo Haoyue came back, they were inseparable. Mi Xia was amused.

Zhang Hongxia quickly ran over and hugged Mo Zhixia: “Oh, Xia Xia, don’t cry, aunt will take you, take you with us, okay, don’t cry.”

While saying this, she wiped away Mo Zhixia’s tears.

“Really, aunt?” Mo Zhixia, probably because she had cried too hard, kept hiccuping.

“Sister, don’t cry, sister will take you, anywhere we go, okay?” Mi Xiaohuan also ran over to comfort her.

Mo Zhixia hugged Mi Xiaohuan.

Mi Xia felt heartache, maybe she didn’t spend enough time with her daughter. During the day, it was mostly the sister-in-law and Mi Xiaohuan who kept Mo Zhixia company.

Mi Xia: “Sister-in-law, thank you for your trouble, Xia Xia may be having too much fun with Xiaohuan, she doesn’t want to be separated for a moment.”

Zhang Hongxia saw that Mi Xia was in low spirits, so she said: “Little sister, just spend more time with Xia Xia when you have time, it’s nothing to be troubled about, Xiaohuan also likes to play with Xia Xia.”

“Then we’ll go first, the food is in the pot, remember to eat, you can heat up the dishes at noon, I’ll pass by the state-run restaurant and buy Xia Xia two meat buns.” Zhang Hongxia said worriedly again.

“Okay, I know, sister-in-law, you go ahead.” Then she said to Xia Xia: “Xia Xia, don’t be naughty, follow sister Xiaohuan, okay?”

Mo Zhixia nodded obediently: “Bye, Mom.”

“Bye, Xia Xia.”

After they left, Mi Xia had breakfast and went to Zhang Xiaoyu’s place.

Every time Zhang Xiaoyu saw Mi Xia, it was like seeing the God of Wealth, he couldn’t wait to worship her.