Chapter 72: Minor New Year (Part 1)
The twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month was the Little New Year. Li Xiu was up bright and early doing laundry and cooking. After helping his beloved wife and daughter wash up and eat, his little girl fell asleep again.
Zhou Lian lay on her stomach on the kang bed, watching Li Xiu busy himself with cleaning. Feeling quite bored, she said, "Li Xiu, I don’t have anything to do. Want me to help you with something?"
Li Xiu, who hadn’t stopped working since morning, saw his wife lying on the kang bed, bored to tears. He smiled and said, "Bao’er, you must be bored. How about I find a book for you to read? Just don’t read for too long!"
"Thank you for working so hard, honey," Zhou Lian said, delighted that he was letting her read.
And so, Li Xiu worked, Zhou Lian read, and their plump little daughter slept. The family of three was the very picture of harmony. This was the scene that greeted Grandma Li when she arrived, and she felt a deep sense of relief. Seeing the smile on her grandson’s face, she knew he was doing well—not like before, when he wore a blank expression every day like a wooden man who only knew how to work.
Setting her book aside, Zhou Lian smiled and greeted her. "Grandma, what brings you here?" ’Isn’t today the Little New Year? Shouldn’t she be busy with Aunt?’
Grandma Li sat on the edge of the kang bed and said with a smile, "Your aunt was a little worried. She was afraid you two might miss something, since this is your first time preparing for the New Year on your own, so she sent me to check on you."
"Thank you both for your concern, Grandma. I can’t help with anything right now, so Li Xiu is doing all the preparations himself," Zhou Lian said gratefully. ’This aunt truly cares for my husband, her nephew. It’s so thoughtful of her to always be thinking of us.’
"Grandma, when you go back, please tell Aunt not to worry. I have it all under control," Li Xiu said. He had mostly finished cleaning, so he washed his hands, sat down, and took a drink of water. "If I’m really not sure about something, I’ll go over and ask. Everyone’s busy preparing for the New Year, and since this is my sister’s first year visiting after getting married, Aunt has plenty to deal with!"
"You’ve prepared everything already?" Grandma Li asked with a smile.
"The house is all clean. A couple of days ago, when Li Bao went to the supply co-op, I had him help me buy some pastries, candy, and firecrackers. Everything’s ready, Grandma, so you can rest assured. I’ve been the one preparing things for the New Year for the past few years, so I know the customs. Don’t worry. Stay for lunch before you go back. And could you have Li Cui bring Li Bo over? I have a task for them." After speaking, Li Xiu got up and went to the kitchen to cook.
"No need, I’ll eat at home," Grandma Li refused.
"Grandma, please stay for lunch. You can play with Nuonuo for a bit, too. She’s been awake around noon these past couple of days and needs to play for a while before her nap," Zhou Lian gently persuaded.
Looking at her big, plump great-granddaughter sleeping on the kang bed, Grandma Li ultimately couldn’t bring herself to leave. ’The child is being raised so well. Zhou Lian and Li Xiu are so attentive. Her clothes are spotless, her diapers are changed promptly, and she always has a faint, milky scent. She’s just so endearing.’
After lunch, Grandma Li played with Little Nono for a while. As soon as Nuonuo fell asleep, Grandma Li headed straight home.
A short while later, Li Cui and Li Bo arrived. Seeing the siblings, Li Xiu didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He handed them a basket filled with things he had prepared earlier: about three pounds of meat, two bottles of wine, and two packets of pastries. These were the New Year’s gifts for Uncle Li’s family.
"You two, help me take this to Uncle Li’s family. Then have Li Guo and Li Miao come here," Li Xiu told them.
"Got it, Big Brother. Should we come back afterward?" Li Cui asked with a grin.
"Yes, come back. There’s more to do, and I can’t get away. You, Li Guo, and the others will all have to run some errands for your big brother," Li Xiu said with a smile.
Li Cui nodded with a smile and led Li Bo off to Uncle Li’s house. Watching them go, Li Xiu turned back to Zhou Lian and said, "Li Cui isn’t a little kid anymore, but she’s still such a tomboy."
Zhou Lian rolled her eyes at him. "Li Cui’s personality is great. She’s decisive and efficient, which is way better than your own sister’s fussy, petty attitude."
Zhou Lian genuinely liked Li Cui. She was straightforward and never tried to be sneaky or avoid work—what you saw was what you got.
Li Xiu thought for a moment, then smiled too. "That’s true. Someone like Li Xin really isn’t very likable. Li Cui is much better."
As the young couple chatted idly, Li Xiu started chopping the dumpling filling. Today was the Little New Year, and they had to offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God in the evening, which meant making dumplings and six dishes. That’s why Li Xiu had started preparing so early.
Before long, Li Cui, Li Guo, and the others arrived. Li Xiu had Li Cui and Li Miao take a delivery to the old family house, while Li Guo and Li Bo went to Uncle Li and Grandma Li’s place. Even though Grandma Li lived with Uncle Li, Li Xiu had given her a separate portion ever since the family property was divided last year.
Over the course of the afternoon, Li Cui and the others ran several errands, delivering gifts to Ge Dayu’s family, the team leader’s family, and the matchmaker Ge Ye’s family. By the time they were done, Li Xiu had finished making the dumplings and preparing the other dishes. Everything was just waiting to be cooked.
The cousins sat on the kang bed, chattering to Zhou Lian about their delivery runs. Li Xiu just smiled and went to the kitchen. He heard Li Miao say, "Sister-in-law, you have no idea. Our Second Aunt’s face... it was darker than Big Brother’s face used to be."
Seeing Zhou Lian smile, she continued, "Really! When Fourth Sister and I got there, she was scolding Li Xin, calling her lazy and greedy for secretly eating all the pastries meant for the Kitchen God sacrifice tonight. When she saw us carrying the basket, she snatched it, saw the pastries inside, and just grinned. She took everything out, handed the empty basket back to me without a word, and went into her kitchen."
Li Miao unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it in her mouth. "Second Uncle was sitting on the kang bed and asked us if Big Brother sent them. Fourth Sister said yes, and... that was it. Nothing else."
Zhou Lian chuckled at Li Miao’s blunt way of speaking. "And the others?"
Li Cui grimaced. "They followed Second Aunt into the kitchen with the stuff." ’No wonder no one likes the second branch of the family except for Big Brother. Just look at how petty they are. Not a single one of them, young or old, knows how to act properly. Even Second Uncle. Sister-in-law is almost done with her postpartum confinement, but her own mother-in-law and sister-in-law haven’t even come to see her or said a single word. And even if they don’t care about Sister-in-law, what about their own niece? They don’t even ask about her.’
Zhou Lian was speechless too. ’The young ones don’t know how to act, and the old ones don’t either. This is just ridiculous. Li Cui and Li Miao are their own nieces, aren’t they? And my own father-in-law... what would it have cost him to say a few more words?’
Seeing Zhou Lian fall silent, Li Guo shot a look at Li Cui and Li Miao. ’Fourth Sister and Little Sister really can’t be trusted. Why are they telling Sister-in-law all this? She’s still in her confinement month; she can’t get upset.’
"Sister-in-law, don’t be angry. It’s not worth getting angry over them. Besides, Big Brother has already split from their household. Let Second Uncle and his family do whatever they want. Nowadays, even Grandma and Uncle Li can’t be bothered with them. As long as they don’t stir up any major trouble, we should just let them be!" What Li Guo said was blunt, but it was the truth.
Nowadays, among the three branches of the Lao family, the second branch would only ever make a brief appearance whenever something happened. They acted as if nothing had to do with them, just showing up to prove that the Lao family had three branches, and that besides Li Xiu, the second branch still existed.
Li Xiu, who had heard everything from the kitchen, came in and said with a smile, "Li Guo is right. Just ignore them. As long as they don’t cause some huge disaster, Grandma and Uncle Li can’t be bothered with them anymore."