207: New Year's Eve

February 7 was the day before the Spring Festival, and New Year's Eve. Every family was beaming. A group of children dressed in new clothes ran around the street, as their parents reminded them not to run too far. Children took care of their younger siblings.

The couplets written by Papa Wang himself were also affixed on the two sides of the door of Wang Cheng's house. His calligraphy was very beautiful. The Spring Festival couplets were written by Papa Wang every year. When he was in the Wang’s Village, nearby villagers would keep them to save money. They’d bring their red paper over and ask Papa Wang to write a pair for them.

No one here knew that Papa Wang would write Spring Festival couplets, and he was not as free as he used to be to run around to find friends to chat and play chess freely, so no one came to their house with red paper this year. The jam shop was open all morning, and many people were preparing to go home to celebrate the New Year. Wang Cheng received a call from Wang Ziyu, saying that their eldest brother was back.

Wang Ning'an rarely came back. The people in the village almost forgot that there was such a successful person in Wang Cheng's family. When they saw Wang Ning'an in a suit and leather shoes, everyone was envious of Papa Wang and Mama Wang. They did not know what good things the Guan Lanfang couple had done in their past life, but each of their children in this life were better than the next.

Seeing that there were no guests, Wang Cheng closed the jam shop.

Except for persimmon fruits, the fruits should not stay in the shop for too long. Fortunately, they had sold a lot of fruit these days. Wang Cheng moved the ones that were sold to the car. When he locked the door, Qiang Zai’s grandmother suddenly appeared.

Their shop had not yet closed, when Qiang Zai’s grandma led Qiang Zai, who was dressed like a little golden boy, over. Her eyes lit up when she saw Wang Cheng.

"Isn't this Wang Cheng? I haven't seen you for a long time." Qiang Zai’s grandma led Qiang Zai to him. Wang Cheng hadn't even spoken, when she said a lot of gossip from some time ago - related to the shop.

Wang Cheng patiently listened to her.

Liang Youshan had been yelling that day before returning to the place they were renting to pack his luggage. When Guan Jiahe rushed over, he was scolding Wang Cheng and was not guilty when he was found out. He also cursed a few sentences in front of Guan Jiahe. Not only that, but he also kicked the door vigorously. If it was not Guan Jiahe, he would have probably destroyed the furniture of the rental house on purpose.

Wang Cheng had always felt that since his wife came up with those rumors, Liang Youshan's IQ had also been infected to decrease below the average level. It was not unreasonable for the two to become husband and wife.

When he went back to Chengping, Liang Youshan was very unreconciled, and Qi was also the kind of person who could not die before the Yellow River. She also encouraged Liang Youshan to use this to spread rumors. Wang Cheng would not let them get the better of him, and they wouldn't let him get the better of them. Liang Youshan was also stupid, and agreed quickly.

[T/N: not die before the yellow river = won’t give up until they achieve their goal, even if they know it’s hopeless.]

But the people in Chengping had long known about Liang Youshan and his wife’s affairs. Qiang Zai’s grandma lived up to Wang Cheng's expectations of her, and publicized it after he returned to Chengping.

Qi thought that everyone didn’t know, and started to talk to a few village women who usually had big mouths. However, she was interrupted just after starting. They gloated and told her that they had already heard all about it. Qi wanted to explain, but how could they listen? Qi’s mouth was full of nonsense, and every sentence she said had to be discounted; they had all experienced it firsthand.

Yesterday, some people argued that if one wanted to hire employees in the future, one must never invite Liang Youshan. Those who opened a door to do business attached great importance to reputation. Liang Youshan deliberately spoiled the reputation of the store - who dared to invite such a person as an employee? After Liang Youshan spoiled his reputation, no one wanted to ask him for a job.

Qiang Zai’s grandma talked endlessly, and when Wang Cheng was wondering how to end the conversation with her, the unhappy Qiang Zai began crying ‘wawawa’. Qiang Zai’s grandma had to end the topic and leave with Qiang Zai.

Wang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. He received a call from Mother Zheng on his way home. Recently, he had been busy on both ends, so Mother Zheng had to take the initiative to call him.

At this time, Wang Cheng did not return to the Imperial Capital and had already determined that he was going to spend the Spring Festival here. Mother Zheng understood in her heart, but she was still a little unwilling. How could she not spend the first Spring Festival together with her newly-found son?

"Chengcheng, your father and I want to go to Shanhai City to find you. Will this trouble you?"

After connecting, Mother Zheng first asked about his current situation, and then carefully mentioned this matter. After all, they hadn't met Wang Cheng's adoptive parents before, for fear of embarrassment.

Wang Cheng was a little surprised. "You are coming?"

"Yes. Last time I said I would like to thank your adoptive parents, but never had a chance to meet them, so your mother wanted to take this opportunity to thank them well. I am just worried that it will be too abrupt and scare your adoptive parents."

"This should not be, my parents are still very hospitable. However, Mother, do you not have to go visit relatives for the Spring Festival?" Wang Cheng asked.

"We will naturally visit relatives, but your father and I will not spend too many days there." Visiting relatives did not necessarily have to be on the first day of the first lunar month.

"I see. When are you going to come? I'll pick you up then."

Hearing her son's consent, Mother Zheng became excited, saying quickly: "Your father and I are going to take a plane at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, so we should be there at eleven."

When Wang Cheng came home, he told Mama and Papa Wang about this. They were no less surprised than him. Tomorrow they would meet their son’s real parents - they were a little nervous. The first one to calm down was Mama Wang. Since guests were about to come, they couldn’t neglect them, they should be prepared.

The arrival of Father Zheng and Mother Zheng also had a little influence on Wang Cheng, because Chu Yifeng had originally wanted to come to his house tomorrow. However, Father Zheng and Mother Zheng were not like Papa Wang, and Zheng Jingen never told them about Wang Cheng and Chu Yifeng's affairs. When they suddenly see Chu Yifeng appear in Wang Cheng's house, maybe they would think of something themselves.

Tonight was New Year's Eve.

Wang Cheng didn’t know how city people spent New Year's Eve, but the Guan’s Village's New Year's Eve was very lively. The hearty New Year's Eve meal was prepared by Mama Wang and Wang Ziyu, the former being the chef and the latter being the help. For this meal, Mama Wang did almost everything she could.

Papa Wang took out his own cut out lucky characters and New Year's pictures and pasted them all over the house, while the brothers Wang Cheng and Wang Ning'an prepared the sacrifice for ancestors.

Rural people's ancestor worship was more complicated. Unlike people in big cities, who only needed to prepare a bunch of flowers, rural people had to prepare a large table of delicious things to worship with, and finally burned paper money. In addition, there were many things that could not be mentioned on New Year's Eve. Wang Cheng had stayed in the mountains before, and had no chance to experience it. Now it was different. He didn’t pay attention to the forbidden things, such as mentioning death, and Papa Wang knocked on his head without saying a word.

"How many times have I said it, these kinds of unlucky words are not allowed to be said." Papa Wang also rose.

"I see, Dad, you didn’t have to knock so hard," Wang Cheng covered his head and cried with grief.

Papa Wang immediately stared at him. "This expression is also forbidden. People who don’t know will think that our family is doing a funeral...ah, pei pei pei." He suddenly realized that he had said something that should not be said, so Papa Wang immediately stopped, saying that he was guilty of a few sins and for the ancestors not to blame him, and for the gods to continue to post upstairs.

Wang Cheng glanced at the expression of his elder brother, and said casually, "Elder brother, how many days are you going to stay home this time?"

Wang Ning'an was putting a bottle of juice on the table when heard him say this. He replied: "I will stay home for a little longer this time, more than half a month."

"Why is your boss so good to you this time?" Wang Cheng remembered that he had been assigned by his boss to stay at the company during the Spring Festival before. That is, New Year's Eve and the Spring Festival must be spent in the company; it was a very rigid, unfair rule. At that time, he felt that since the employees were counting on the Spring Festival holiday, and as a result, were not given the holiday, they resigned long ago.

"Thanks to your help, my value is higher. If other people value me, naturally, their attitude will be different." Wang Ning’an laughed.

Wang Cheng seemed to understand. Although Wang Ning'an was originally talented, he was still not acknowledged by his superiors. However, after attending his birthday banquet, his boss found that his value was different, so his attitude towards him was a lot better than it used to be. In short, it was ‘if you are just an ordinary elite, I like you, but you are not qualified to sit on an equal footing with me’. Such was the reality.

"Congratulations, then, elder brother." Wang Ning’an didn’t bring up the past, just raising his brows and exhaling. Wang Cheng was still very happy for him.

Wang Ning'an nodded and said, "You brought this problem up for no reason, or did you have anything else to say?"

"You really are my elder brother."

Wang Cheng glanced in the direction of the kitchen, making sure that Mama Wang would not come out before whispering, "I also accidentally heard this. You are my brother, so I decided to tell you, but you can’t tell Mom I told you.”

When Wang Ning'an heard this, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not you."

Wang Cheng snorted twice. He didn't quite understand what he meant. Was he the kind of person who didn't believe in his words?

Seeing that he seemed to have forgotten, Wang Ning’an reminded him: "Our parents know about Yu Jing because of you, right?"

Wang Cheng coughed, "What? Anyway, didn't you intend to accept Yu Jing? After listening, our parents didn't take it to heart. Don’t say anything, this is what I wanted to tell you: mom said that you haven’t come home much, so she wants to let you go on a blind date while you are here. You have to be careful, I was forced by our mother to go on a blind date twice; the first one was fine, but the second was simply ‘superb’. "

After speaking, he realized that he had accidentally exposed himself a little bit - Mama Wang generally would not force him to go on a blind date for no reason, so there would definitely be a problem with that.

"Why did mom force you to go on a blind date?" Wang Ning’an asked.

Wang Cheng wanted to punch himself in the mouth. His brain turned quickly. He chose a reason that he felt was quite reliable. "Mom longs for a grandson. At that time, the niece of a friend she knew came back, and the condition of the niece was pretty good, in both character and appearance. Mom thought that such a person was her ideal daughter-in-law and misled me into a blind date, while the other was cheated by a matchmaker."

Wang Ning'an didn't ask anymore, as Wang Ziyu came out with a dish. He didn’t know if he believed it or didn't.

After burning paper money in the yard, Wang Cheng's family gathered around the table and happily ate the New Year's Eve reunion dinner. In a year, their family of five rarely got together like they did now. After eating, Papa Wang and Mama Wang did not go out to visit relatives, so they asked the three to accompany them to the living room to chat.

Wang Ning'an was the one who was taken care of the most by the couple. He was away from home all year round, for many years. Papa Wang and Mama Wang didn't say anything, but they indeed really cared about him.

Wang Cheng made an excuse to go out. The New Year's Eve night was more lively than the Mid-Autumn Festival. Lights were on in every home, and the street lights were turned on ahead of time. Children ran around under the poles while adults chased after them. They were all acquaintances and said hello to each other.

Wang Cheng walked a short distance. He didn't realize where he was until he heard a noise, and found that he had accidentally walked near his uncle's house.

After a while, Wang Xiaoyan came out with a bag of garbage.

Wang Cheng's gaze fell on her belly, which would not originally be obvious, but she was stroking her belly with one hand as if she was pregnant.

Wang Ningkai then came out, shouting and taunting, his attitude completely different from when they were dating or when they were just married. Although Wang Xiaoyan was angry, she unexpectedly did not refute. Her sullen expression was completely different from before.

Wang Cheng suddenly remembered that he seemed to have heard from his parents that Wang Xiaoyan’s father's company had an accident. It had been so long since it happened, but it was very likely that things hadn’t been resolved. However, he had no sympathy for Wang Xiaoyan. Call it retribution. If one could form good relationships with the people around them when they were rich, one would not cause everyone disgust after falling into disgrace. The cell phone in his pocket rang, Papa Wang was asking him where he was and telling him to go home.

Wang Cheng put away his phone, looked at his uncle’s house again, and turned to go home.

Many children liked the Spring Festival because they received red envelopes. They liked making such money. His parents still gave such auspicious gifts. Wang Cheng received the red envelopes they gave, with the big words of joy printed on it. Every year, he received such a red envelope - even when following the old monk, his parents would find a way to give him the red envelope.

***

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