A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 62 New Year Greetings

After Zhang Niu's three fortune-telling sessions, his father's luck with the cards also improved. By dinner time, he had won a little bit, not much, but his father was still very happy.

Dinner was quite lavish, and everyone ate quickly. That evening, a gambling den was set up in the small meeting hall of Zhangjia Village. This happened every year; after all, there were quite a few wealthy people in the village, and everyone would go there to gamble on New Year's Eve. If you were lucky, you could win quite a bit. Those who arrived late could only squeeze in from the outside. Most of the village's young and old went, including quite a few fierce older women. They were even bolder than their husbands when gambling, and often left with a full belly.

Zhang Niu actually agrees with the saying, "A little gambling is harmless, but excessive gambling is harmful." Although he occasionally plays cards himself, he's not addicted. That evening, he went over with his uncle and the others to see which companies were running the bookmaker this year.

It was a little past seven in the old meeting hall. The gambling battle had already begun. Zhang Niu, who was on the outside, could still hear the constant shouts.

"Third Uncle. I'm betting on the underground gate. Fifty."

"Myna. Help me guard Tianmen. Thirty."

"Bet on the four gates." He tossed out several old men's bills.

The scene was quite lively, with people constantly placing bets. Zhang Niu and his group were practically unable to get in. High stools were already stacked up outside. The crowd was dense and powerful. Through the crowd, you could see four or five six-person tables pushed together. The dealer had a large pile of red hundred-yuan bills in front of him. Zhang Niu, observing from the outside, estimated that there was at least two hundred thousand yuan involved.

Two years ago, the bookmaker lost eighty or ninety thousand; I wonder what will happen this year. After checking out the venue, Zhang Niu said goodbye to his uncle and went home. There were just too many people; he wasn't interested, and besides, he couldn't even squeeze in.

Walking down the alley, you can hear the "pop" of firecrackers. You don't need to guess to know it's the village kids running around with fireworks and other toys.

Zhang Niu, passing by the village entrance, saw a group of children playing "rolling on the ground." The colorful toys were tumbling around. The little girls watching nearby clapped and cheered.

In the crowd, Zhang Niu spotted his younger sister carrying a red bag. He knew it contained the small fireworks Zhang Niu had picked out for her during her last visit home.

Since his little sister was playing there, Zhang Niu didn't go over. He just wanted to make sure she wasn't in any danger when he released her.

As soon as I entered the house, I saw my aunt and uncle gathered around the table making dumplings. The television was on CCTV-1. The Spring Festival Gala hadn't started yet.

When Zhang Niu's aunt, who was making dumplings, saw him return alone, she asked, "Why are you back so early? Where's your uncle? Didn't he come back with you?"

Zhang Niu, sipping hot water, laughed and said, "Yes, it's lively over there. It looks quite exciting."

"Your uncle-in-law just loves to join in the fun; he's lost a lot of money this year."

"It's only reasonable if there are wins and losses. If you could win everything, you'd be a gambling god. Who would dare come here?"

"You're really good at talking. Even your aunt can't keep up with you."

Bored, Zhang Niu rummaged through a box and pulled out a bundle of small rockets. He grabbed a box of matches from the stove, ran to the door, grabbed the fletching of a rocket, held out a match, lit it, and released it. Just then, a stray dog ​​wandered past Zhang Niu. Seeing the dog, Zhang Niu had an idea. He aimed at the dog and fired a few small rockets with a whoosh. The dog barked loudly, twitched its tail, and ran away.

Zhang Niu was a little unhappy watching the stray dog ​​run away. He had expected it to turn back and bark a few times, but it turned out to be a cowardly little dog. Disheartened, Zhang Niu ran out of his little rocket. Sigh. He'd better go home and watch the Spring Festival Gala. He considered going to Xiao Er's place, but it would be troublesome to go there in the dark.

I sat down and made myself a cup of sweet tea. I peeled some peanuts. Watching the funny comedy on TV made me feel much more relaxed.

When I arrived at ten o'clock, my uncle and the others had already returned. Before even entering the house, they exclaimed, "You had good luck tonight! You won six or seven hundred dollars in the blink of an eye!"

After drinking a cup of hot water, Uncle Shuai said first, "Those three bookmakers really had bad luck tonight. I think their luck was at its worst when we were placing our bets."

"After we left, we ran into Uncle Zhang on the road, and he said their luck had improved again. They even won every time. Luckily we left early," the uncle said.

"You all, stop talking and come eat dumplings!" Auntie, carrying a bowl of dumplings, called out.

"Coming! We just wanted to chat." Uncle called out.

"Let's talk about your whole family of problems."

The dumplings for dinner included celery and chives. The celery was homegrown, and the chives were picked from a small slope by the stream. The tender yellow sprouts tasted fresher than those at the market.

After devouring two large bowls of food, Zhang Niu's belly was quite bloated. Looking at his stomach, he thought it looked like it was on its way to developing into a beer belly. He stood there grinning foolishly.

At exactly twelve o'clock, Zhang Niu's family brought out a large bucket of fireworks and firecrackers. The whole stack hung on a bamboo pole in front of the door, just touching the ground. They lit cigarettes, and the crackling sounds filled the air, symbolizing the new year. Zhang Niu himself had also grown a year older.

Outside, firecrackers crackled, and dazzling fireworks burst in the night. Red. Green. A kaleidoscope of colors mingled together. The entire village was brightly lit.

On New Year's Eve, people usually stay up all night, which means they don't sleep. However, Zhang Niu hadn't planned to stay up all night; his uncle and the others continued their battle after midnight.

When I arrived at six o'clock, firecrackers went off in the lobby. The smoke also drifted into Zhang Niu's small house. This was part of the New Year's Day tradition of welcoming good fortune; the firecrackers were placed inside the house and then moved outside to be considered officially completed.

My little sister put on her new clothes and new pants early in the morning. She was all brand new. My uncle and the others went home early too; they had to stay home on the first day of the Lunar New Year and couldn't go out. Breakfast was noodles and eggs, two in each person's bowl.

After finishing their meal, the younger sister received a red envelope. Zhang Niu also made one for her. He hoped she would study harder this year. The younger sister nodded happily.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, you can't wash dishes or do laundry. The men in the family have to do all the chores. It's also a way to give the women who have worked hard all year a day off. My dad is really good at this; he makes the noodles and such in the morning all by himself. He faithfully follows this once-a-year rule.

The little girl, dressed in her new clothes, went out early. At this time, the children would gather together to see whose clothes were prettier and whose red envelopes were bigger.

After a day off on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people start visiting relatives and friends, with children eagerly following along for the tempting red envelopes. Zhang Niu, having eaten meat for several days in a row, really wanted to go back to Happy Little Abode for some whole grains.

The first month of the lunar calendar passed quickly. Zhang Niu went from house to house with his relatives, and before long, he had gained a lot of weight and his complexion was ruddy. In a few days, it would be the Lantern Festival celebrations in the surrounding villages—dragon dances. Every year, the nearby villages would send out several dragons, but the cloth dragons were usually carried by the elderly. Only the large board dragons carried by the strong young men of the village were truly lively, with dozens of sections carried from beginning to end by the young men. Those who weren't strong enough couldn't keep up. Zhang Niu was naturally among the group who weren't strong enough.

The village's dragon dance was completed before the New Year and placed in the meeting hall. When performing the dance, the dragon could be joined together simply by connecting the pieces.

Third update. Please recommend and add to your favorites. Also, I recommend my friend Dou Yiguan's *The Rise to Power in the Tang Dynasty*, a very exciting historical novel worth reading.