New Year's Eve was for staying up late, and New Year's Day was for paying respects.
Those who could afford it would put on new clothes to welcome the New Year, and even those who couldn't would at least wear clean attire.
Young children would receive red envelopes containing two copper coins, which, if their parents didn't confiscate them, could be used to brag for the entire year.
The village opera that hadn't been performed last year, still wasn't happening this year.
On New Year's Day, the villagers uniformly burned a lot of yellow paper at the graves, praying to the heavens and ancestors for protection.
On the second day of the New Year, Qin Junyao returned to her maternal home.
After the newlywed couple paid their respects to Qin's father and mother, they each received a red envelope.
Each envelope contained a banknote worth five taels of silver, which was likely the entire earnings of the small noodle shop over the recent period.
Everyone gathered around, talking and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
While Qin's mother and Qin's second aunt went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, and Zhao Liangcai was pulled away by Qin's second bull to inquire about when he would go into the mountains again, Qin Junyao secretly gave Qin's third bull and Qin Xiaoyu a small red envelope before finding Qin's grandmother.
"What are you doing here? I was just about to lie down for a bit," Qin's grandmother said, reclining on the kang and cracking melon seeds.
"Grandmother, Happy New Year," Qin Junyao said, pulling a red envelope from her sleeve and placing it before Qin's grandmother.
Qin's grandmother reached out, snatched the red envelope, and sat up. With nimble hands, she opened it and drew out a banknote.
"How much?"
"Grandmother, you guess."
Qin's grandmother clearly grew impatient. "Guess what? Just tell me quickly."
Qin Junyao held up five fingers.
Qin's grandmother's eyes widened, and a smile spread across her lips. "Fifty taels? Not bad, not bad."
"Grandmother, it's five hundred taels."
Hearing that her eldest granddaughter had given her five hundred taels of silver, Qin's grandmother became even more delighted. She folded the banknote, tucked it into her embrace, and, smiling, took Qin Junyao's hand. "Is there anything you want to tell Grandmother? Grandmother has time."
Qin Junyao suppressed a laugh. "Grandmother, aren't you going to lie down anymore?"
"Now that you're here, why would I lie down? I can lie down all night later."
Qin Junyao took off her shoes, climbed onto the kang, and sat opposite Qin's grandmother. "Grandmother, you look well. Have those children been taken care of?"
"They have cotton-padded clothes and enough to eat; they won't die. Don't send any more fine grains; I won't give them to them even if you do."
"Why, Grandmother?"
"It's none of your business," Qin's grandmother glared at Qin Junyao. "Do you have something else?"
Qin Junyao chuckled and told Qin's grandmother about Zhao Liangcai's arrangement for the large sheep farmer Hu Minglang to have Qin's father serve as village chief.
"This matter hasn't been finalized yet, so I haven't told my father. If it falls through, it would be a wasted hope."
"Hu Minglang?" Qin's grandmother repeated the name. "Is he also called Hu Zi?"
Qin Junyao looked surprised. "Grandmother, do you know him?"
Qin's grandmother waved her hand. "I don't know him. Your second uncle wanted to raise sheep and heard that Hu Zi's sheep were good, so he wanted to buy some lambs. Many people advised him not to go, so he never did. I'll ask my grandson-in-law about it later."
Qin Junyao felt a bit warm and shifted closer to the edge of the kang. "His sheep do look good, but I don't know much about them."
Seeing that Qin Junyao hesitated, as if there was something else on her mind, Qin's grandmother touched the banknote in her embrace and held back her impatience, not scolding Qin Junyao for her slowness. Sudannovel.com
"Grandmother, after the New Year, Zhao Liangcai will be leading troops to the Northwest City."
"War?" Qin's grandmother sat up straight and asked sternly.
Qin Junyao bit her lip. "He said it might not come to war, but I don't know if he's telling the truth."
"Tsk," Qin's grandmother smacked her lips. "Then, while your grandson-in-law is away, let's deal with Qian Duo. She has no family, and she's always out. People would believe it if we said she went out and never came back."