Chapter 144: The Firecrackers

Zhang Lan had already finished cleaning the inside of the house. The women went in together to take a bath. The room was filled with thick fog, and the windows were covered with a thick layer of frost. Although it was winter, the temperature inside the room was quite high, and there was no feeling of cold while bathing. The water in the large pot was still boiling, and the bath was already filled with warm water. The four of them sat in the bath, waiting for the water to cool down a bit, at which point Zhang Lan would pour in the hot water from the pot.

Having a hot water bath in winter was still a luxury for rural people at this time. Not every household had the conditions like the Wang family.

Zhang Lan and Hao Lianchun thoroughly washed the two little girls before letting them go out to get dressed. After they were dressed, the two women stayed behind to add more water to the large pot, ensuring that the two inside could continue to enjoy their bath.

“Qianqian, Xuan’er, wait until your hair is dry before going out,” Zhang Lan reminded them, concerned.

When the women came out together, the sound of firecrackers had already started outside. The three boys in the house couldn’t sit still. Wang Zhenhe took out some fireworks specifically for the children to play with. He placed a basin on the ground, lit a spinning firework, and placed it in the basin. The small firework spun around and emitted sparks, creating a beautiful display.

“Its great, Dad, let’s light some ourselves,” the three boys were captivated by the fireworks and ran to light them on the ground.

As the women entered the house, the boys were having a great time. “Qianqian, come and play with this. It’s so much fun,” they called out to their sister.

Wang Qian had just finished bathing, and her delicate little face looked even more adorable. Even Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but lovingly pick her up. “Our daughter is so lovely.”

Zuo He was waiting below to play with her. When he saw his sister being carried away by his uncle, he pulled on Wang Zhenhe’s clothes, feeling a bit disgruntled. “Uncle, I haven’t played with my sister yet. Put her down quickly.”

Wu Changyong chuckled and said, “Zhenhe, look, someone is already trying to steal your daughter. While she’s still young, you should hold her more. When she grows up, she won’t let you hold her anymore.”

Reluctantly, Wang Zhenhe put down his daughter. “I haven’t held her enough, and you’re already trying to take her away. Let’s play with your sister.”

The spinning firework in the basin also caught Wang Qian’s attention. She had never seen anything like it before and found it very interesting. Mingcheng simply handed two sparklers to his sisters to hold and play with.

“Dad, it’s time to set off the firecrackers. Listen, there aren’t many outside,” Mingyuan was eager to set them off. Wang Zhenhe also didn’t insist on waiting until midnight. He brought out a tray of 5,000 firecrackers from inside. “Alright, let’s set them off. Mingcheng, make sure you all wear warm clothes and shoes. Don’t get cold.”

The men in the house went outside to watch the firecrackers being set off. Wang Xuan and her sister were a bit afraid of the loud noise, so they leaned against the window and looked outside. Soon, the crackling sound of firecrackers filled the air, and the red light from the firecrackers illuminated the entire courtyard.

The tray of 5,000 firecrackers didn’t last long. Mingcheng and the others felt a bit unsatisfied. “Dad, let’s buy more next year. It was over too quickly.”

Indeed, everyone present felt that there were fewer firecrackers set off this year. Each household set off firecrackers to bring good luck and celebrate, but it couldn’t compare to modern times where people are more willing to spend money. Even so, modern times have lost some of the strong traditional New Year atmosphere and other customs.

“Oh no, there’s a fire to the west,” Zuo Zhanshan said, seeing the flames rising from the street to the west.

Wang Zhenhe looked up and saw the flames. It seemed that someone’s haystack had caught fire.

“Zhenhe, grab some buckets. Let’s go help put out the fire,” Zuo Zhanshan said.

In no time, the sound of hitting metal buckets echoed through the street. “Fire! Everyone, let’s go put out the fire.”

In the same village, as soon as people heard this sound, men ran out with buckets of water. Some fetched water from their own wells, while others carried water from the public well. The street became lively with activity.

“Mom, let’s go out and see what’s happening,” Wang Qian said, curious about the situation outside.

Zhang Lan and Hao Lianchun quickly put on padded jackets and accompanied the two sisters out of the house. Many people were already helping to put out the fire, and there were also many women and children standing outside watching the commotion.

“Auntie, you’ve come out. Look, it’s the Teng family’s haystack that’s on fire. Ah, I’m afraid there won’t be much left of it,” someone said.

As they were talking, thick smoke rose into the sky from another street ahead, and Zhang Lan suspected that another fire had broken out.

Another group of people went to help put out the fire, and the street was filled with noise and commotion. After watching for a while, Wang Qian pulled Wang Xuan and carefully inspected their own haystack.

It takes time for the fire to catch from the firecrackers igniting the kindling. After checking and not finding any issues, Wang Qian was still worried. “Sis, go home and bring me Dad’s old padded jacket. I want to stay here and make sure our haystack doesn’t catch fire. I’ve spent so long collecting this hay, I can’t bear to lose it.”

Both sisters had spent a lot of time collecting the hay, so they knew how hard it was. Wang Xuan ran inside to get the padded jacket, and Wang Qian stayed to watch.

When Zhang Lan turned around and didn’t see her two daughters, she thought they had gone home because of the cold. However, when she saw her eldest daughter stumbling and carrying something as she ran to the east, she quickly pulled the elderly lady over to see what was happening.

When they reached the haystack, they saw the sisters staring at it while wearing the padded jacket.

“What are you doing, girls?” Zhang Lan asked.

“Mom, I’m watching the hay to make sure our haystack doesn’t catch fire. This is the hay we’ll use for burning next year, and we can’t afford to lose it,” Wang Qian replied, turning her head.

At that moment, Mingcheng arrived with his two brothers, panting. “Mom, is our haystack okay?”

Zhang Lan couldn’t help but smile. Her children were so responsible, even at a time like this, they were thinking about the haystack.

“It’s fine. Our haystack is safe. How about the one in front?”

“Mom, the fire has been put out, but there’s not much hay left. It’s mostly burned. I heard that the neighboring families haven’t set off their firecrackers yet, and they suspect that someone intentionally started the fire,” Mingyuan relayed what he had heard to everyone. Zhang Lan couldn’t help but sigh. “Who could be so malicious? It’s so hard to gather a bit of hay, and it’s all gone in a flash. Sigh.”

In rural areas, it’s a common occurrence that if someone offends another person, the offended party might seek revenge by setting fire to their haystack during the New Year’s firecracker celebrations.

Although a haystack isn’t worth much money, it’s still a frustrating situation. It’s not worth reporting to the authorities, and the affected families usually have to swallow their anger and let it go.

“Mom, my brother and I will stay here and watch. You all should go back home. It’s too cold outside, and we don’t want our sister to catch a cold,” Mingcheng urged everyone to go back, but Wang Qian didn’t want them to get cold.

“Brother, I’ll stay here for a while. You can come and take over later,” Wang Qian said.

However, Zhang Lan disagreed. “Children, let’s all go back home. It’s the New Year, and no one would come to start a fire. Let’s not worry about it and go back home to avoid catching a cold.”

During the New Year, Zhang Lan didn’t want the children to worry about the possibility of an arsonist, so she led the siblings back home. Wang Qian was genuinely concerned about the hay and kept looking back as they walked.

When Wang Zhenhe and the others returned from fighting the fire, they also discussed the incident. Everyone had their suspicions. Old Zuo and Old Wu were also worried about the haystack at their home and would occasionally go outside to check on it.

As midnight approached, another round of firecrackers went off. The family playing cards on the kang leaned against the window to look outside. This was the last round of firecrackers. New Year’s was about to arrive. Wu Changyong glanced at his watch and said, “Old  Zuo, it’s only ten minutes until ’73 arrives.”

Before Old Zhan shan could respond, he saw two figures floating past the door. Old Zhan shan shouted, “Oh no!” and quickly jumped to the ground. He ran out without even putting on his shoes. The people on the kang realized something was wrong and quickly jumped down to follow him. Zuo He was still holding his grandfather’s shoes as he followed behind.

Fortunately, Zuo Zhanshan arrived just in time, and the individuals hadn’t had a chance to start the fire. They were scared off and fled when they saw that the situation wasn’t in their favor. Zuo Zhanshan, who wasn’t wearing shoes, couldn’t chase after them. By the time Wang Zhenhe and the others came out, the two individuals had already disappeared.

“Damn it, if I ever catch you again, I’ll crush your balls,” Old Wu realized what had happened outside and couldn’t help but curse angrily.

“Old Zuo, did you see who came?” Wang Zhenhe asked.

Zuo Zhanshan put on the shoes his grandson handed him and muttered, “I didn’t get a clear look, but it seemed to be two young kids. Probably just a prank. But people like that should be given a good beating. Damn it, they won’t even let us have peace during the New Year.”

It was rare for Left Zhan Shan to use such strong language. If he hadn’t come out in time, the fire would have been uncontrollable. In winter, a fire in dry hay is almost impossible to put out and can only be left to burn itself out.

Wang Zhenhe looked around the haystack and didn’t notice anything unusual. However, he felt relieved. If Left Zhan Shan hadn’t arrived in time, it wouldn’t have just been the haystack at stake. If the fire had spread to the house, he would have been in debt for the rest of his life.

“Uncle, everything seems fine now. Let’s go back. You’re not wearing a padded jacket. I’ll come out later to check again. I’m worried that someone might set the house on fire. That would be a bigger problem than the haystack,” Wang Zhenhe said.

Thanks to lizzie110 for the gifts. Thank you.