The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 163 The Mother and Daughter's New Year's Eve

The next day was the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. After spending nearly two months on Hong Kong Island, the temperature suddenly dropped from over 10 degrees Celsius to minus 5 degrees Celsius. Even though it was his hometown where he had lived for more than 20 years, Jian Zheng found it difficult to adapt.

He wrapped himself up in the blanket like a bamboo tube, his exposed nose was icy cold, and the tip of his nose was red. Fortunately, he felt at ease and relaxed when he got home, and slept soundly until almost noon.

"Jian Zheng, get up! Get up! It's almost noon."

Jian Zheng was woken up by being nudged. He opened his eyes sleepily and saw Chang Xidi's face gradually looming in front of him. "Mom? You didn't go to work?"

Chang Xidi said, "Why should I go to work? I've been on sick leave the whole time. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, why should I go to work? We'll talk about it after the New Year. Get up and help me put up the couplets."

Every year around this time, starting from the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, our house becomes deserted as people come to deliver New Year's gifts in an endless stream. My father also prepares the gifts well in advance. Whenever someone comes to give a gift, he always reciprocates with a considerable amount of New Year's goods, such as Chinese ham, cured pork ribs, bluefish, mountain products, and even American ginseng. My father always says, "Most of the people who come to give gifts are doing so for your mother. Your mother's job is special, and we shouldn't accept them, but it's the New Year, and when they come to give gifts, it's to offer their blessings. It doesn't seem right to refuse them."

My parents discussed this. My dad talked about the principles of human relationships and social interactions; my mom, on the other hand, emphasized principles and discipline in her strict way. They argued endlessly, their tone heated, but the atmosphere was one of tacit understanding and harmony.

Jian Zheng had been listening to this since he was a child. As a child, he would be so scared that he would hide in his room. As an adult, he would occasionally act as a referee for the two of them. This kind of noisy, lively atmosphere was what the New Year was all about. Every time they argued, his mother would always say one thing at the end: "Old Chu, don't regret it. You'd better figure it out yourself." And his father would really do figure it out himself, because he took his mother's words as an affirmation, and he was just making excuses for himself.

My dad implemented this policy thoroughly. He stocked up on New Year's goods and gifts, and for every gift-giver who came, he returned a gift—the value of the returned gift far exceeding the value of the received one. This way, he didn't violate any principles and felt at ease. It just took a toll on my parents' wallets; every year during the New Year, our family's finances would run into a deficit.

Years have passed, and the same thing has been done year after year. My mother thinks it's still quite appropriate.

Recently, Jianzheng heard from her father that these things have become problems. When her mother was writing her self-criticism, she also included the issue of receiving gifts during the Lunar New Year in her report, and she was required to list everything clearly without any omissions. Her mother racked her brains and finally managed to create a table, which she submitted, only to have it returned in less than a day, requiring revisions. But these were all true facts, so how could she revise them? The feedback from above was: "You were asked to write about receiving gifts, not giving them."

When they were discussing giving and receiving gifts, Mom always said, "Don't regret it," which hit the nail on the head. Dad regretted it, but what could he do?

Jian Zheng walked out of the bedroom and saw that the New Year's goods in the entryway and living room were piled up like small mountains. "Mom, why did you buy so much stuff? No one's coming to visit..." He wanted to say that no one was coming to give gifts this year, so naturally their family didn't need to return the favor. But he swallowed the words back. He shouldn't have said such things to upset his mother.

Chang Xidi was carrying a piece of pork belly and a raw chicken foot towards the kitchen, smiling as she said, "No need to return the gift this year, we'll keep it for ourselves."

While complaining, Jian Zheng picked up a bluefish that was at least a meter long and walked towards the kitchen. "How can we finish all this food? How did you bring it back by yourself? Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Didn't we agree to go shopping for New Year's goods together today?"

Chang Xidi quickly stopped Jian Zheng, "Don't bring the bluefish in. Just leave it at the door. If your Uncle Zhang comes to deliver New Year's cakes, we'll give him this bluefish. It's auspicious for 'abundance every year'."

"Uncle Zhang? It's almost New Year's Eve, and he's still coming to deliver New Year's cakes?"

"They will come. Every year they come on the day before or two before New Year's Eve. They make their own rice cakes at home, saying that if they send them too early, they won't taste good if they're left for too long. They send them before New Year's Eve so that they can eat rice cakes on the morning of New Year's Day, which is auspicious for rising higher every year. This year the weather is bad, so they're probably delayed on the way."

Uncle Zhang was the gatekeeper where my mother used to work in the district. He was a local countryman who came to the city to work with his wife. He worked as a gatekeeper, and his wife worked as a cleaner. They lived in a simple house built behind the gatehouse, next to the courtyard wall.

One year, also in winter, Lao Zhang's wife was about to give birth. According to the experience in the countryside, they would give birth on their own bed. The couple had a child in middle age, so they asked an aunt to come and help. However, when the aunt saw that the pregnant woman was having a difficult labor and was bleeding heavily, she was so afraid that she would die that she ran away.

At that time, Chang Xidi was the only one in the entire district compound who hadn't left work yet. Hearing the commotion, she rushed over to check. Old Zhang's wife was lying on the bed, covered in blood, and was about to lose consciousness. Old Zhang was terrified and kept pacing around in circles.

Chang Xidi decisively pushed over a bicycle and had Lao Zhang lift his wife onto the back seat. He supported her from behind, and Chang Xidi pushed the bicycle all the way to the health center. Later, the doctor said, "Fortunately, she was brought in in time. If she had been a few minutes later, it could have been a double tragedy."

......

On New Year's Eve, Jianzheng and his mother ate their New Year's Eve dinner together.

Chang Xidi prepared a table full of dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Jian Zheng's favorite was the braised pork. He stuffed a piece of fatty and lean meat into his mouth, chewing with oily mouth, and said, "Mom, the braised pork is delicious, even better than Aunt Pei's. It seems that you not only inherited the true recipe, but you are even better than Aunt Pei."

Chang Xidi laughed and said, "You don't know, I'm the one who created our family's braised pork. You loved it when you were little, but you don't even remember it. I taught Aunt Pei how to make it. She inherited my true skills, okay?"

"Yes, I remember now. I ate this when I was little, before Aunt Pei came to our house."

As they were talking, the phone in the living room rang. Chang Xidi stood up. "It should be your dad calling."

She went to the living room to answer the phone, and soon the call came through: "Hey, Lao Jian, I'm having New Year's Eve dinner with my son. Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, everything is taken care of. I'll have him go there as soon as possible, maybe in the next couple of days."

"I hope everything goes well on your end. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

"Do you want to say a few words to your son? Sure."

When Jian Zheng heard that it was his father calling, he wiped his mouth hastily, stood up, and walked towards the living room. "It's my dad on the phone? I'm here to wish him a Happy New Year."

Chang Xidi hung up the phone and said to Jian Zheng, who was walking over, "Your dad is busy right now. He said he'll see you in a couple of days, so he's hanging up now."

Jian Zheng muttered in disappointment, "What could possibly happen during the New Year? He can't even make a phone call. Ugh, what's Dad up to?"