A common saying goes: “Once the Laba festival is over, it’s the New Year.”

Laba is an important festival. On this day, Ping ger did not go to the town shop, and neither did Cui Yuanjiu. They stayed at home, preparing Laba porridge and managing the festive details.

Dad Chen and Father Chen took their youngest son to town. The marinated meat had been seasoned the night before, and the flatbreads were easy to make, Dad Chen was fully capable of handling it. All the food left in the shop had been prepared in advance, so even though Ping ger didn’t go to the shop, business was still thriving.

There are many ways to make Laba porridge. Ping ger chose ingredients based on his family’s preferences, using all home-grown produce and purchasing a few items from town.

When dawn broke, he got up to start preparing. By the time it was almost noon, the rich aroma of porridge filled the Chen household, wafting through the village with the wind.

Neighbors came by to buy food, and someone asked, “Ping ger, are you selling your Laba porridge?”

“No, but you can come trade for some.” On Laba day, the more porridge a family receives, the better their luck will be in the coming year. Ping ger specifically cooked a large pot of porridge, expecting many to come and bring some. In return, the Chen family would have to send back a bowl, as a gesture of reciprocity.

Liu Guixiang laughed, “Ping ger, with your words, it seems our home will be lively today.”

“Liveliness is good, I just hope it’s not quiet.”

As they spoke, someone brought a bowl of porridge.

“Ping ger, the Laba porridge my family made might not be as fragrant as yours, but it’s well-prepared. Give it a try.”

Ping ger smiled and complimented, “This porridge looks very thick and fragrant, it’s well-cooked. It must taste great.” He poured the porridge into his own bowl, quickly washed it, and filled another bowl with his Laba porridge: “You should try my Laba porridge too.”

“Your skill goes without saying, everyone in your family is in for a treat.” The neighbor happily walked away with his bowl.

Just as he sent the guest off and hadn’t yet entered the kitchen, someone shouted, “Ping ger, I’m here to bring Laba porridge!” The voice was excited, lively as if the person was bouncing while talking.

It was the younger son of a family relative.

“Take it easy, don’t spill the porridge.” Ping ger teased, inviting him inside.

“Ping ger, my mother got up early to cook porridge, it’s really tasty.” He placed the bowl on the stove, chuckling.

Ping ger praised him again, then took out a bowl to pour some porridge, cleaned it, and filled it with his Laba porridge.

One wave of visitors left, and another arrived, the delivery of Laba porridge was even more bustling than the shop’s business.

Sometimes, with so many people, several groups would come, prompting Cui Yuanjiu to call for his second sister-in-law to watch the stall while he helped in the kitchen.

Later, when they ran out of bowls, they had to wash a large basin and pour the remaining porridge into it.

“I was thinking about whether I should bring some bowls over,” Liu Guixiang smiled, her eyes sparkling, “Everyone’s craving for Ping ger’s good cooking.”

Cui Yuanjiu added, “With the kitchen this lively today, next year will surely be prosperous.”

“I planned ahead, I made a big pot of porridge, and it’s nearly gone now. It’s already noon, there shouldn’t be anyone else coming. I need to prepare lunch.” Ping ger looked at the various porridge bowls: “We’ll be drinking porridge all day. I’ll cook a couple of dishes to go with it.”

Chen Yuchun came over in the afternoon, carrying a basket filled with a bowl of porridge and a plate of Laba porridge.

He was holding onto Dazhuang, while Zhang Zhiwei was carrying An ger.

“Is Dad at the shop today?” Chen Yuchun asked, surprised not to see him. “I was thinking of coming over in the morning, but there were too many things to do at home.”

An ger was excited to see the other children playing on the bamboo bed and crawled over, giggling with them.

Ping ger brought out tea: “You arrived just in time. I was thinking of going to Big Brother’s place later for dinner. There isn’t much to eat, for Laba, we’ll just have Laba porridge, and I’ll cook a few dishes to liven things up.”

Zhang Zhiwei quietly glanced at Chen Yuchun.

“The house is busy enough, and you still have to worry about dinner. I think it’s fine to just cook a couple of dishes, it’s just family.”

Ping ger listened to his brother, thinking he didn’t want to. Unexpectedly, the conversation took a turn, and he laughed: “What’s there to worry about? I’ll make whatever we have at home.”

Not long after, Dad Chen, Father Chen, and Chen Yuanqiu returned, and the old house filled with laughter and joy.

Seeing that it was nearly time, Ping ger entered the kitchen to start dinner preparations, with Dad Chen and Liu Guixiang helping. Chen Yuchun tried to enter the kitchen but was stopped outside, and told to watch the four children.

“They’re with Yuandong and Yuanjiu, I don’t need to watch them.”

“Of course you do! With three people in the kitchen, if you come in, it’ll just make things chaotic.” Dad Chen spoke directly, then worried that his eldest son might take it the wrong way: “Otherwise, you can check the vegetable garden and bring back some greens.”

“Alright, I’ll take a look.”

Chen Yuchun went to the vegetable garden, and as soon as he entered, he saw his husband following him.

“What are you doing here? Go watch the kids.”

“Did you forget? We’re eating at the old house tonight,” Zhang Zhiwei said, helping him pick vegetables.

Chen Yuchun remembered, that’s why he stayed at Chen’s house for dinner: “If you’re going back to the old house, you still have time to return now.” If he went back, the task of preparing dinner would fall on him.

“If you don’t go, I won’t go.”

Chen Yuchun snorted coldly, tugging the basket of vegetables as he walked out.

After a lively dinner, the sky grew dark, and it was hard to see the path.

Father Chen hitched up an ox cart: “I’ll take you all back.”

Though it was in the same village, it was a bit of a distance, and they needed to think about the children too.

“I can see the path just fine,” Chen Yuchun said, holding Dazhuang tightly as they climbed onto the ox cart.

Dad Chen stood under the eaves: “It’s winter now. With not much to do, you should come back with the kids often. We’re neighbors, it’s not far.”

“Dad, go inside, it’s cold out here.”

The ox cart moved slowly on the quiet road. Each household had oil lamps lit, casting dim orange-yellow glows. They could faintly hear various voices, some cheerful laughter, and others scolding children. Regardless of whether the sounds were good or bad, it all created a lively scene, filling the air with warmth.

Chen Yuchun hugged Dazhuang tightly, feeling a slight sting in his eyes.

If he listened to Dad Chen’s words to wait a bit longer, and not rush to marry, or perhaps insisting on building a new house next to Chen’s, wouldn’t life have been easier?

The ox cart stopped at Zhang’s doorstep.

As Dazhuang prepared to get down from the cart, Father Chen grumbled, “What’s the rush? Wait for Zhiwei to light the lamp before getting off.”

“I’ll go light the lamp.” Zhang Zhiwei handed the sleeping An ger to Chen Yuchun.

The dim light soon flickered to life inside.

“Father, come sit for a while?”

Father Chen looked at Zhang Zhiwei standing under the eaves, annoyed and not knowing what to say: “Do you need to walk a few more steps to break a leg? You’re standing by the cart, and your ger is still sitting on the cart with the kids.”

Zhang Zhiwei forced a smile, finally realizing he should hold Dazhuang’s hand, and moved the lamp closer to Chen Yuchun.

Once the family of four entered the house, Father Chen said, “I’m heading back now.”

On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, it started to snow lightly at midnight, and the cold temperature added a few more degrees of frost.

Ping ger, half awake, heard the faint sound of snow falling, not quite like rain. He vaguely sensed it was probably snowing.

In his dream-filled mind, he suddenly recalled what Lao She had written: “The gentle snow has covered the ground in white.”

He thought, when he woke up tomorrow, would the world be dressed in silver?

Dad Chen felt the temperature drop again. He got up quickly, dressing himself in the dark: “Is it getting colder?”

“Maybe it’s snowing,” Father Chen said, glancing at the dark window. The rooster was just crowing, and in winter, it was still quite early before dawn.

“Is it snowing?” Dad Chen exclaimed, rushing outside. As he opened the door, a gust of cold wind with a sharp bite hit his face, making him shiver fiercely: “It’s really snowing. I have to go to Ping ger’s room to see if the quilt is thick enough.”

It looked dark inside the room, but outside, there was still some daylight.

Dad Chen walked along the corner of the wall, pushed the door quietly into the third son’s room, came to the bed, squinted his eyes and looked carefully. Fortunately, the dad and son were sleeping soundly, and the quilt was tucked tightly, so there should be no problem. He quietly left the room again.

“How about letting Ping ger and the others stay at home today?” Father Chen and his wife discussed: “It’s too cold, the two of us can go to town and take care of it.”

Dad Chen nodded: “We have to take youngest one with us.”

“He’s young and hot-tempered, don’t worry, I’ll go and wake him up.”

Even in winter, when it was snowing, Chen Yuping still woke up at about the same time. He had been waking up at this time for more than a month, and it had become a habit.

It was getting light outside, and it looked like it was getting brighter than a few days ago.

Cao ger hadn’t woken up yet, his little face was rosy from sleep. Chen Yuping looked at him for a while, kissed his forehead, put on his clothes and left the house.

It was snowing, indeed.

Chen Yuping thought he had a dream last night, but he actually heard some noise.

“Ping ger.” Cui Yuanjiu came over with a smile, stood beside him, and looked at the white world: “It’s snowing.”

“It’s the tenth day of the first lunar month, and it should snow.”

Cui Yuanjiu looked at him, his eyes soft and warm: “On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, I saw the snow with Ping ger.”

“Is this called seeing the snow?”

“Well, it’s the first time I saw snow with Ping ger.”

Seeing that he was serious, Chen Yuping stopped joking. This man sometimes looks very calm and experienced, and sometimes he looks very simple and pure, like a child.

“Aren’t you cold?” Chen Yuanqiu asked curiously. He rubbed his hands while breathing, and stamped his feet: “I feel so cold.”

Chen Yuping rolled his eyes and found it very funny. His bright eyes were curved like a crescent moon.

He entered the kitchen.

Cui Yuanjiu walked to Chen Yuanqiu and stopped. After a moment of silence, he said, “Maybe you feel cold because you are alone.”

“????” Chen Yuanqiu, with a face full of question marks, was stunned for a long time and didn’t understand what this meant.

 Dad Chen said to his third son, “Why did you get up? Cao ger hasn’t woken up yet? He will wake up soon if you are not around. By the way, your father and I will go to town today, and you stay at home to look after the stall.”

“No need, father and dad stay at home. Yuanjiu and I will go to the shop.” Chen Yuping washed up and drank a bowl of warm water: “I will go see Cao ger.”

Cao ger woke up, and he was the only one in the bed. He didn’t cry or make a fuss. His big round eyes looked left and right, and his chubby little arms were still hidden in the warm quilt, without even a little finger showing. He looked so well-behaved. Chen Yuping saw it, and his heart was warm and soft. He wanted to give the best in the world to his Cao ger.

“Daddy.” A soft and tender baby voice.

 “My dear Cao ger had woken up. Do you miss your dad?” Chen Yuping rubbed his hands until they were warm. Then he stretched out from the quilt and dressed his son skillfully.

“When you were not here, I knew he would wake up.” Dad Chen filled a basin with warm water and wiped his grandson’s face and hands: “Is the quilt thick enough? It will be colder and colder after the snow. Do you want to make it thicker?”

“It’s enough. It’s uncomfortable to cover too thickly. It’s already very warm.”

Cui Yuanjiu rubbed Cao ger’s little head: “His little face is still red, and his hands and feet are also very warm.”

Cao ger is already used to him, but he doesn’t know how to call him. The Chen family didn’t teach him, and Cui Yuanjiu didn’t teach him either. Cao ger just smiled at him, grinning, with curved eyebrows.

Every day when Chen Yuping and his family went out, Cao ger, who was held by his grandfather, would always look at him eagerly.

 “Dad, go inside.” Chen Yuping lowered his head and kissed Cao ger’s forehead: “I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

“It’s windy outside and snowing. Bring Cao ger in.” Father Chen stood at the door, ready to close it at any time.

“Let’s go, let’s go.” He carried his little grandson into the kitchen.

“Next year, when Cao ger is older, we can take him to the shop.” The older the kid gets, the more he will express his dependence and attachment. Chen Yuping feels that he loves Cao ger more and more. This is his heart and lungs.

“You can take him with you, but the shop is a little small, and he can only sit against the wall.”

Chen Yuping thinks this is not a problem: “Let’s see when the time comes. Maybe we will change to a bigger shop. There’s enough money to buy a shop.”

Chen Yuanqiu quietly served as the background and drove the ox cart honestly.

 Father Chen and Dad Chen said that when Third Brother and Brother Jiu were talking, he should keep his mouth shut and not speak if possible, so as not to ruin the atmosphere.

It was so tiring, sad and lonely.

On a snowy day, there were few pedestrians on the street and no queues could be formed. It was too cold.

The business in the shop was not affected. The roujiamos were sold out quickly after they came out of the oven.

“Looking at the whole South Street, only your shop was not affected by the snow.” The owner of the shop next door was envious.

Chen Yuanqiu smiled and said, “My third brother has good skills. There is an old saying: Food is the first necessity of the people.”

“That’s true.” The owner said listlessly and went back to his own shop.

The excitement was next door, and he could only watch.

Alas!

After noon, all the food in the shop was sold out.

 Chen Yuping suggested: “Why don’t we just go home for lunch?” It’s a little late, but it’s better than arranging things in the store.

“No problem with me.” Chen Yuanqiu answered first.

Cui Yuanjiu smiled at Ping ger, his handsome eyes warm and soft: “Let’s go home for lunch.”

The words were ordinary, but there was an inexplicable arousal. Chen Yuping’s heart trembled violently, as if it was pricked by an electric current, a little painful and a little itchy.