NOVPUB
Chapter 526: 516
During the Chinese New Year period, since Sister Li’s family and Dashuan’s family were both staying in the courtyard house, Yunfang simply cleaned up the main room a bit and moved into the courtyard house with her children.
Having several families together made it quite lively.
On the morning of the first day of the New Year, it was time for adults to give children their red envelopes. This year, Yunfang prepared generous red envelopes for the children of both families, one hundred yuan for each child. During this period, both Sister Li and Dashuan had helped her sell a lot of fireworks, and Dashuan, in particular, had followed her around in the freezing cold, so she wanted to give them some money as a reward. But given their relationship, she knew if she directly mentioned the money was a token of her gratitude for their help, they would definitely refuse to accept it. Arguing about it during the New Year would also be pointless, so she decided to simply give bigger red envelopes to the children, taking that opportunity to express her thanks.
The kids were thrilled beyond belief. Of course, the adults complained about Yunfang giving so much money in the red envelopes. If it had only been a small amount, they’d let the kids hold onto it themselves, but with the amount she gave, they couldn’t possibly let the children handle it all. Not to mention if they spent it carelessly or, heaven forbid, lost it, it would be painful to think about. Therefore, as parents, they had to come up with ways to take the money from them, which greatly increased the tension between the parents and the children.
Dashuan’s two children were still young and it was easy for his wife to trick the money away from them. But Shuanzi from Sister Li’s family was a slippery one; these last few days, it was common to see him suddenly dash out of the house with his mother hot on his heels, chasing after him.
As for who eventually ended up with those red envelopes, it came down to who was the wiliest in their family.
The instigator, Yunfang, felt not the slightest remorse; in fact, she found the whole thing very entertaining. She didn’t have this kind of trouble because she had waited until Dashuan and Sister Li had finished giving red envelopes to her children before she gave them to Xiaojuan and Shitou.
Dashuan and Sister Li gave their children modest yet standard amounts in their red envelopes, two yuan each, which was already considered generous in an average household.
Of course, even if Dashuan and Sister Li had given more, it wouldn’t have mattered much to her. Pangpang and Manman were very obedient and trusted their mother immensely. If Yunfang said she would keep the money safe for them, they would definitely hand it over without a fuss.
By the third day, Shuanzi came to his aunt, sniffling, "Auntie, my mom took all the New Year’s money you gave me." He would have been better off with just one yuan for his New Year’s gift. With just one yuan, his mom wouldn’t have chased him every day to take it away, and he could have at least spent a little before handing it over. But with a hundred yuan, he hadn’t managed to spend a single cent.
The poor lad, thinking about his misfortune, couldn’t help but burst into tears.
Seeing Dashuan crying so miserably, Yunfang couldn’t help but laugh, finding the child incredibly funny. However, she didn’t dare to laugh out loud, fearing she would hurt his feelings, so she hastily hugged him to hide her smiling face. Of course, she made sure to comfort him as she should.
She patted the boy on the head and consoled him, "Don’t worry, don’t cry. You’re a big boy now, can you really cry over such a small amount of money? If your mom took your New Year’s money, Auntie will give you more." Saying that, she really reached into her pocket, ready to give the child a little more money.
Yunfang did feel sorry for the kid; unlike other children who didn’t resist, after Sister Li took their New Year’s money, she at least gave them fifty cents to spend for the holiday. But this little one was disobedient and ended up not only getting a good scolding but also had every single penny taken away, winding up with nothing in the end.
Shuanzi felt a bit embarrassed, but seeing the money in his aunt’s hand, he also felt a sense of longing and hesitantly said, "Auntie, don’t give me too much, just twenty cents will do." He was afraid his mom would take more if it was more than that, and besides, he felt it wasn’t right to ask his aunt for New Year’s money twice.
Yunfang smiled and handed over twenty cents, "Here you go, but don’t spend it recklessly, okay?" This was a typical parental admonition, lacking any real significance.
"Mm, definitely won’t spend it recklessly." He had already planned what to buy, how could it be called reckless spending?
Shuanzi received the money and, like a thief, skirted around the western wing, fearing his mother would see him. After bypassing the wing, he leapt a meter high in excitement and ran off to show off to his younger brother and sister.
Shen Yunfang watched as Shuanzi, with two dimes in hand, ran ahead, followed by several other children, of course including her own Pangpang and Manman. A group of kids joyfully ran out the door, presumably to buy treats at the supply and marketing cooperative on the street.
Ah, children at this time were truly fortunate. Their childhoods were so carefree, silly in play and mischief, each child awaiting the New Year with anticipation because they knew that was when they would have delicious things to eat, only then would they receive New Year’s money. Although they might not have been materially affluent, they were rich in spirit. This stood in stark contrast to children of later generations, who had plenty of pocket money on regular days and had no expectations for the New Year, considering New Year’s money trivial, and they didn’t quite have a childhood either, because parents were busy with work, because there were too many dangerous people outside, and because they couldn’t be outdone by others, so they almost had no time to play, their days filled with nothing but study and tutoring classes.
Alas, they were rich in life but impoverished in spirit.
After the third day of the New Year, Shen Yunfang tidied up, preparing to start vending. After all, there were still many fireworks in the storeroom, and she had to sell them during the New Year period.
"What, you’re going out to sell goods tomorrow?" Wang Danni was incredulous.
Shen Yunfang nodded. She understood why Wang Danni was so surprised; older people adhered to the belief that one shouldn’t work or go out before the fifth day of the New Year, but being from the future, Shen Yunfang didn’t care much for these old traditions.
But Wang Danni was traditional, and she definitely didn’t think like Shen Yunfang.
"Danni, I know our old customs say not to go out or work until after the fifth day of the first lunar month, but I really need to sell these fireworks now. Don’t worry, I won’t go far, just around our neighborhood."
After all, Wang Danni wasn’t Shen Yunfang’s actual elder, and although she didn’t quite approve of Yunfang selling fireworks at this time, she didn’t have the heart to strongly discourage her. Thus, she eventually watched helplessly as Yunfang rode off on a tricycle, her own son in tow.
Indeed, both Dashuan and Liu Jianjun did not feel comfortable letting Shen Yunfang wander the streets and alleyways alone, and since they had nothing pressing to do at home, they didn’t bother with Wang Danni’s traditional views. Each pushed a tricycle and followed right behind Yunfang.
Before the fifth day, there was no market gathering in the lower brigades, so Shen Yunfang took the two men through the streets and alleyways of nearby villages. As the fifth day was fast approaching—the significant day for welcoming the God of Wealth—fireworks were an essential item for every household, and so their fireworks sold quite well.
Moreover, the children, having received some New Year’s money, were envious of Shen Yunfang’s popping fireworks and sparklers, and many bought some as well.
After the fifth day of the New Year, the three of them resumed their routine of pushing three tricycles to the big market gatherings.
After several days, before the fifteenth of the first lunar month, all the household’s stock of fireworks had sold out.
