Chapter 58 Thirteen, I celebrate the New Year ①

① The original title is "Remembering New Year's Day". The Lunar New Year is the biggest festival of the year for Chinese people. Compared with other festivals, it seems to lack the integrity of the holiday spirit.During the five days, people all over the country put on their best clothes, closed their shops, loitered, gambled, beat gongs and drums, set off firecrackers, paid New Year's greetings, and watched plays.This is a great day, everyone is looking forward to getting rich in the new year, everyone is happy to add a year old, ready to say something auspicious to his neighbors.

In the New Year, even the humblest maids can be pardoned without worrying about being beaten. The strangest thing is that those women who work all day are also leisurely, eating melon seeds, unwilling to wash and cook, and even refuse to take a kitchen knife.The reason for sabotage is that cutting meat during the New Year is equivalent to cutting up good luck, pouring water into the ditch is equivalent to pouring out good luck, and washing things is equivalent to washing away good luck.A pair of red couplets are pasted on each door, containing the words of fortune, happiness, peace, prosperity, and spring prosperity.Because this is the festival of the spring return of the earth, and it is also the festival of the return of life and wealth.

In the courtyard and in the street, the sound of firecrackers and the smell of sulfur are all day and night.The father lost his dignity, and the grandfather became more lovely. The children played the flute, wore masks, and played with clay dolls.The country girls wore their best clothes and ran three or four miles to the neighboring village to watch a play, and some dude boys would take advantage of this to make fun of them wantonly.This is a day when women are liberated from the menial labor of cooking and washing.If the men were hungry, they could eat a few fried rice cakes, a bowl of egg noodles with ready-made soup, or steal cold slices of chicken from the kitchen.

The national government has already ordered the abolition of the Lunar New Year, but we still celebrate the Lunar New Year, and everyone refuses to abolish it. I am very modern, and no one can accuse me of being conservative.Not only do I agree with the Gregorian calendar, but I also agree with the universal calendar with thirteen months and four weeks in January.In other words, my point of view is very scientific and my understanding is very reasonable.But it was the pride of science that was badly wounded.Because in the recognized New Year people just pretend to celebrate, without sincerity, I have failed greatly.I don't want Lunar New Year, but Lunar New Year finally comes on February 4th.My scientific sense tells me not to experience New Years as usual, and I promise I won't.I firmly said to myself: "I will never let you follow me." However, at the beginning of the first month of the first lunar month, I felt that the Lunar New Year had arrived.When the servant brought a bowl of Laba porridge at breakfast one day, it clearly reminded me that it was the eighth day of December.A week later, the servant came to advance his extra wages due at the end of the year.He took half the day off and showed me a package of new clothes for his wife.On February 1st and 2nd I had to divide the money for the drinks among the messengers, the milkmen, the coachmen, and the bookstore boys.I feel like everything is coming.

On February 3rd, I still said to myself, "I will never celebrate Lunar New Year." That morning, my wife told me to change my underwear.I said, "Why?" "Mom Zhou wants to wash your shirt today, but she won't do it tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow." For the sake of favor, I couldn't refuse. That's how I got into the water, and after breakfast the family was going down to the river because there was a nice picnic going on there, but in violation of the government's order not to observe the Lunar New Year.My wife said, "We called a car and went first. You can come back after you get your haircut." I don't want to get a haircut, but taking a car is quite a temptation. I don't like running by the river, I like taking a car.I really want to go to Chenghuang Temple to buy some things for the children.I know it's the season of spring lights, and I want my youngest to go and see what a revolving lantern is.

I shouldn't have gone to the Temple of the City God.Go there during this period and you'll know how it turns out.On the way home, I found that I had not only brought revolving lanterns, rabbit lanterns and a few packs of toys, but also a few plum blossoms. After returning home, I saw someone sent a pot of daffodils from my hometown. Narcissus is famous all over the country.I don't feel like recalling my childhood.When I come into contact with the scent of narcissus, my thoughts go back to the red couplets, New Year's Eve dinner, firecrackers, red candles, Fujian tangerines, morning congratulations and my black satin coat that I only wear once a year.

At lunch, the aroma of daffodils reminded me of a kind of Hokkien carrot cake. "No one gave us carrot cake this year." I said angrily. "It's because no one came from Xiamen. Otherwise, they would have sent it." My wife said. "I remember buying the exact same cake in a Cantonese store on Wuchang Road once, and I think I can still find it." "No, you can't find it." My wife challenged. "Of course I can find it." I was unwilling. At three o'clock in the afternoon, I bought a basket of two and a half catties of rice cakes and took the bus home from Beisichuan Road.

At five o'clock, we were eating fried rice cakes, and the rich aroma of daffodils filled the room, and I felt terrified that I had violated the commandment. "I don't want to celebrate New Year's Eve, I'm going to the movies tonight." I said firmly. "How can you? Haven't we invited Mr. TS—to dinner?" asked the wife.Things seem to be screwed up. At half past five, the youngest child ran out in a new red dress. "Who put her new clothes on?" I asked.Clearly agitated, but dignified. "Mama Huang put it on for her." At six o'clock, I found red candles burning brightly on the mantelpiece, and their layer upon layer of flame cast a triumphant irony on my scientific consciousness.At this time, my scientific consciousness has become vague and unreal.

"Who lit the candle?" I asked again. "Mom Zhou ordered." was the answer. "Who bought the candle?" I asked again. "What, didn't Mr. Morning buy it himself?" "Oh, I bought it?" That's impossible.It's not my scientific consciousness, it must be some other consciousness. I thought it was a little ridiculous, and looking back on what I did in the morning was not as ridiculous as the conflict of my head and heart at that time.Immediately I was awakened from the psychological conflict by the sound of firecrackers from my neighbor.One by one, these voices penetrated into my consciousness.They have a power that shakes the hearts of the Chinese people that Europeans cannot understand.The challenge from the east neighbor then aroused the west neighbor, and finally it got out of hand.

I am unwilling to be knocked down by them.I pulled a one-dollar bill out of my pocket and said to my child: "Ah Jing, take it and buy me some high-rise firecrackers, pick the loudest and loudest ones. Remember, the bigger the better, and the louder the better." So I sat down to eat the New Year's Eve dinner amidst the "peng-pat" sound of firecrackers.But I seem to feel very happy unconsciously.