Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 590 - 469: New Year’s Spring Festivities

For children, celebrating the New Year is always joyful. Eating the rare meat dishes, wearing long-awaited new clothes, making paper lanterns, and setting off small firecrackers can make the joy last for a year.

The next morning, Ping’an woke up early. Today, Zhang Guoqing had already promised to take the children of friends and family to the street to buy firecrackers.

Opening his eyes, Ping’an found he was the only one who slept in again. He rolled his eyes, climbed off the kang, and with tremendous effort, finally put on his coat and pants. Holding the sweater and wool collar he couldn’t manage in his arms, he dashed out of the bedroom to the room of Lin Lishan and her spouse.

As soon as he pushed the door open, Ping’an was delighted—his grandma was indeed a big lazy cat.

"Oh dear, little treasure, how did you come over by yourself, aren’t you cold?" Lin Lishan said as she tucked him into the bed.

"Grandma, Xiao Wu and his wife accompanied Grandpa to exercise."

Lin Lishan laughed heartily, fully awake, "Good child, you shouldn’t call your dad that. Do you want to go to the street? Wait for Grandma to take you to Mr. Mo’s on my day off."

Ping’an smiled mischievously and glanced outside, "Mr. Mo’s is too expensive, Grandma just buy me an ice pop. Don’t let mom know I eat ice pops, she will get angry."

"Then I dare not, what if your stomach aches? Grandma will still treat you to ice cream at Mr. Mo’s."

"I’ll just taste the flavor."

Lin Lishan cheerfully bargained with the child, dressing him again. She was very impressed with her grandson’s intelligence, many times admitting defeat herself.

"Do you want to go to the troupe with Grandma? The aunties have prepared many little gifts for you."

Ping’an shook his head immediately when he heard this, "I can’t randomly accept things from others, it will cause trouble for Grandma. Dad says we have everything at home, my things are more than enough, I should save them for my own son."

Lin Lishan laughed uproariously on the bed.

After washing up, the grandparents left the house, Zhou Jiao was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

Ping’an saw this and laughed gleefully—after eating, he could go out. Leaving Zhou Jiao and her mother in the kitchen, he himself strode to the main gate.

Occasionally passing people would smile when they saw him, Zhou Family’s little darling was so polite, greeting everyone he met, always cheerful just like his dad. Especially seeing such a young child knowing to run back and forth to drive away the cold was even more amusing.

When Zhang Guoqing and the father-in-law returned, they saw several toddlers already gathered at their gate. Without anyone saying it, they knew Ping’an was definitely among them.

Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at his son-in-law with a hint of amusement—like father like son, little Ping’an was already starting to gather friends, the family would be even livelier in the future.

The father-in-law and son-in-law intentionally slowed down to enjoy watching the children play and frolic.

"Little Ping’an, a string of firecrackers has 100 explosions. Last year my dad bought a string, and each time I carried 10 to set off from the first to the fifteenth, it was such a blast."

"You’re lying, last year 100 explosions only lasted me five days."

"Little girl, what are you doing playing with firecrackers, go... go, I’m talking with my buddies, none of your business."

"You little boy, I’m older than you, I’m six years old, I could be your sister. You don’t reason, you’re not a good child, I won’t play with you anymore."

"Who cares! We boys don’t play with them girls. Little Ping’an, Little Wanzi is a tigress, don’t play with her."

"Sister, give me candy."

"Well... then I’ll give you a chocolate. My aunt secretly gave it to me, am I nice to you?"

"Two pieces! I’ll play with you in the morning, and with sister in the evening."

"Ping’an, don’t care about his lousy chocolate, that stuff’s bitter, tastes awful. I have money, we’ll eat ice pops together." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Zhang Guoqing saw those two children about to start fighting, hurriedly speeding up to stop them.

"Everyone’s a good child, no fighting. Go home and find your moms first, come back in the afternoon, Uncle will help you make lanterns, each one a piece, okay?"

"I want a rabbit."

"Xiao Wu Uncle, you know how to make lanterns? My grandpa doesn’t."

Zhang Guoqing hugged his son, touched his small hand, thankfully not frozen. He nodded cheerfully at the children, promising they could definitely have lanterns.

As for paper lanterns, ice lanterns, regardless of the craftsmanship, fooling a few kids wouldn’t be a problem.

After breakfast, taking advantage of the time before the Cheng Family’s kids came over, Zhang Guoqing brought out a pile of canned bottles, stained various colors of clear water with drawing paint, poured it into the bottles, trimmed a few large candles into small sections, making simple lanterns.

Ping’an was so excited he didn’t want to move, eyes shining as he watched his dad. When he heard Zhang Guoqing say to put them in the courtyard, freeze them in the afternoon and have colorful little lanterns by night, he was thrilled.

If it weren’t for the temptation of going to the street being too great, Ping’an really wouldn’t want to leave. Before leaving, he reluctantly looked back a few times, even reminding Zhou Jiao to keep an eye on his lanterns.

This New Year was a happy one for Ping’an. Colorful, transparent ice lanterns, various animal paper lanterns, firecrackers set off by father’s little hands, the lively laughter and joy of New Year’s dinner, the song and dance performance at the big hall.

All these made Ping’an, when able to experience life’s hardships outside, understand all his parents’ efforts. Compared to his peers, he had a warm family. No matter how tired he was, as long as he thought of his nurturing grandfather and parents, it stirred endless courage deep in him.

Compared to Zhou Jiao’s family’s joyful New Year in Beijing, the Zhang Family’s old parents in the Northeast were not very satisfied.

In the county courtyard, apart from Zhang Guoqing’s family not being in the Northeast, the Zhang Family’s children and grandchildren gathered at the knees of Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang for New Year’s Eve.

The wealth in life made Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang happier and looking younger. Seeing life getting better and better, the families of three sons and two daughters, although living on basic food, had no worries about keeping warm and well-fed. Without the need for the youngest son to use family savings to support them, Mr. Zhang and his wife were secretly happy.

But this happiness didn’t last long. Just after the fourth day of the New Year, Old Zhang’s family had a big gathering in the third room, and trouble came.

The Zhang Family Courtyard started bustling with people, distant relatives flocked every day without stop to come visit for New Year, while the cordial Mother Zhang couldn’t bring herself to send them away.

This led to many distant relatives hearing the news and incessantly visiting, shouting for the second nephew, staying in the county and not leaving, giving Mr. Zhang quite a headache.

In just two or three days, the coarse grain in the rice bin quickly ran out. Apart from the East Wing being locked, the study couldn’t be spared, and every night there was a row of heads on every kang.

After the seventh day of the New Year, the villain Zhang the Second, wearing a uniform, donned a straight face, took along Zhang Guofu to send away Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang. As soon as the parents left, he without saying a word walked straight into the kitchen, packed up the remaining food, and carried it home, leaving the so-called relatives dumbfounded.

Turning around, Zhang the Second hired two ox carts, picked up those children and threw them in the carts, finally sending away the distant cousins and aunts who clung to the courtyard gate.

Luckily, there was Zhang the Second the villain, otherwise Zhang Guoqing would have had to rush home to handle it himself. This move earned the applause of Aunt Wang next door.

Aunt Wang had long disliked Mother Zhang’s way. Whose family had grain to help others, it’s good enough to feed oneself well, if not for Zhang Guoqing occasionally sending back food coupons, could Mother Zhang and Mr. Zhang live so comfortably?

Not to mention distant relatives coming, even Aunt Wang herself didn’t dare return to her maiden family. Such turmoil only led to the children suffering.

Faced with jumping lice and fleas on the bedding, quite a few emptied cabinets, since then, Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang hung up the keys every day, visiting their two sons’ homes during the day, even if home, no longer dared opening the door casually.

In the face of survival, what is status worth? A lot of compassion turned worthless in the new spring of sixty years. This disturbance until many years later was unintentionally learned by Zhang Guoqing from his nephew. By that time, not to mention compassion, refraining from kicking someone when they’re down was already considered kind.