The 70s Novel: The Supporting Character Just Wants to Lie Down-Chapter 119: New Year’s Greetings and Village Gossip

"Miaomiao, are you ready? Come out to have breakfast..."

"Coming..."

Wang Miaomiao finally adjusted her bangs, making sure they covered the faint pink scar on her forehead. She looked at her little face in the mirror, rosy and pretty, and couldn’t help but smile indulgently before she walked out of the room.

Last night, the family stayed up, and Wang Pandi suggested playing card games out of boredom. Wang Miaomiao had never played before, but once she understood the rules, she got hooked.

At midnight, the family exchanged New Year’s greetings and blessings, hoping for a prosperous and thriving new year at home...

Tomorrow, Liu Yulan and Wang Baoxing have to go to work, so everyone dispersed to sleep. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

In this era, they experience a "revolutionized Spring Festival."

What is a "revolutionized Spring Festival"? Simply put, there are three points. First, "promote production through revolution", meaning not returning home for the festival but actively participating in production labor, turning idle winter into busy winter; second, banning all so-called "feudal customs" during the Spring Festival; third, no indulgence in food and drink, and certainly no gambling. The most representative is "no ceasefire on New Year’s Eve, continue working on New Year’s Day."

But now, with family together, doing something secretly isn’t much of an issue. After all, it’s a culture that’s lasted for thousands of years; it’s impossible to change it overnight, making everyone completely different.

The saying "you have Zhang Liang’s wisdom, I have the means to climb the wall" implies that as long as it’s not too outrageous, everyone is from the same village and knows each other well, so who would really keep a constant watch over others’ business? Making others unhappy won’t mean your life will become better, right?

Early today, they had taro, red date, and longan soup with added brown sugar, sweet and delightful, hoping their family’s days ahead would be sweet and harmonious.

After breakfast, Wang Baoxing led the children to visit the village elders and offer New Year’s wishes. Wang Baoxing’s parents were already deceased, leaving only a great-uncle alive within five generations, whom they visited, and received a penny-red envelope from him. After sitting for a while, they left.

Visiting other elders in the village, they collected a few handfuls of snacks like seeds and peanuts before Wang Baoxing joyfully took the children home.

Wang Baoxing was very pleased today because he noticed the villagers were particularly warm towards him this year.

Returning home to find quite a few guests there, Liu Yulan was serving them seeds, peanuts, and candies. The adults and children were chatting noisily, with endless flattering and pleasing words spoken. The joyous scene left Wang Baoxing and Liu Yulan grinning from ear to ear; who wouldn’t wish for a good omen in the new year?

But, they couldn’t chat for long, they had to go to work, and the villagers needed to start their labor too. In winter, the work isn’t plenty, mostly going to the fields to leisurely work and chat about gossip.

"Miaomiao, come over." Wang Miaomiao saw her junior high school classmate Li Xiaohua among the crowd. Since she went to school in the city, she hadn’t seen Li Xiaohua much.

Wang Miaomiao walked over smiling, finding Li Xiaohua with her cousin Li Xiaodan and a girl from Zhang Family, Zhang Cuihua.

After greeting each other, they began chatting about the village gossip.

Li Xiaohua mysteriously leaned over and whispered, "Miaomiao, do you know who Zhang Hongfang is going to marry?"

Wang Miaomiao shook her head. She hadn’t been following Zhang Hongfang’s case; the Wang Family hadn’t specifically inquired, and even when gossip reached Liu Yulan, she was uninterested in discussing it with a daughter who only came home once a month. After all, it was about someone irrelevant; bringing her up, she found a bit unlucky.

"It’s a divorced man from a neighboring village with two kids, and Zhang Hongfang will become a stepmother." Li Xiaohua sounded gloating. Though Zhang Hongfang’s matter wasn’t widely publicized, the villagers who needed to know already knew.

Wang Miaomiao found it hard to believe. "How come? Why wouldn’t her parents find her a good match?" Zhang Hongfang looks quite nice, still in her prime; she shouldn’t have to settle for a divorced man.

"Oh... She’s too troublesome." Zhang Cuihua said, "Previously, her mom asked my mom to introduce someone. My mom didn’t mind her being a bit foolish, considering we’re of the same clan, and introduced a young man from my grandma’s village. But after meeting, she didn’t like him, complaining that he wasn’t a worker, and saying she’d rather stay home cleaning the pigsty than marry someone who’s not a worker."

"She’s got ambition." Wang Miaomiao couldn’t help but give her a thumbs up. "Is that divorced man a worker?"

"Yes!" Zhang Cuihua displayed a big gossip-filled smile, somewhat enviously adding, "And he’s a steel factory worker, entered at the same batch as your parents. I heard the steel factory will distribute housing this year, so you can live in apartments. Miaomiao, is it true?"

The group looked at her with eager curiosity. Wang Miaomiao could only innocently shake her head. "I don’t know, I haven’t heard my parents mention it..."

Li Xiaohua and the others exchanged disappointed glances, failing to get concrete news, but the gossip continued.

"Miaomiao, do you think Zhang Hongfang still hasn’t given up?"

"Why do you say that?" Wang Miaomiao asked, confused.

Li Xiaohong winked mischievously, speaking of an unspeakable speculation, "She agreed to marry the divorced man, probably expecting him to get an apartment, taking her to live in the factory’s building, and getting closer to Director Jiang..."

"I don’t think so..." Wang Miaomiao couldn’t believe it. Could there really be women this foolish?

"Why not? My mom heard that at first, when her mother learned he was divorced, Zhang Hongfang didn’t agree, wanting to choose more. Later, hearing he was a steel factory worker, she relented and agreed after one meeting." Zhang Cuihua pursed her lips as if quite disdainful towards her, "And the rumor about steel factory distributing housing also came from their family..."

Wang Miaomiao remained silent, unable to understand that person’s mindset...

When Liu Yulan came home from work, Wang Miaomiao seized the opportunity to ask Liu Yulan, "Mom, does your factory also have housing allocation?"

"Who told you that?" Liu Yulan replied casually. "There’s allocation, the houses are still under construction, estimated to be ready by summer." She seemed pleased about this matter; there’s no such thing as too many houses.

Wang Miaomiao pursed her lips and shared the rumors she heard with Liu Yulan.

After listening, Liu Yulan said, "I know the person they’re talking about, also a pitiful soul. If Zhang Hongfang marries him and settles down living well, it wouldn’t be bad. Alas..."

Wang Miaomiao didn’t dare mention Li Xiaohua’s speculation anymore. Oh well, whatever happens with her doesn’t concern her, and as for Jiang Yan... Wang Miaomiao couldn’t help but snicker; a man who attracts gossip, let him deal with his own messy romantic entanglements.