ing to soothe her grandson who was becoming restless due to needing to use the toilet. 。"The old woman asked me to watch her luggage," Song Weihong recalled, "So I patiently waited, but when she came...She gently touched it with her thumb and forefinger, first pressing lightly. There was no movement, so she then tried to push inward. With a faint "click," the box lid quietly opened, revealing a hidden compartment. 。The compartment was neatly stacked with two piles of crisp People's Bank Notes. However, what truly caught Jiang Lei's eye was a half-palm sized blank piece of paper, on which a complex pattern was drawn. 。In Jiang Lei's memory, this pattern had been seen once by chance on a mysterious figure who had been rescued. 。This pattern, this gang, even that manor hidden deep in history, what exactly is their connection to the Jiang family, or more precisely, to Jiang Lei These questions swirl around my mind like a mystery. 。Despite the many doubts, the festive atmosphere was not diminished. 。At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, the village notice clearly stated that a collective pig slaughtering ceremony would be held for the Little New Year. 。On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, villagers gathered in the courtyard of the village committee to share this traditional custom. 。The team raised four pigs in total, two males and two females. Today, they will slaughter two males and one female. 。

Qingganggou has a small population, so one pig can allow everyone to enjoy plenty of pork. Besides the basic allocation, leftover portions can be purchased with work points or cash, without needing meat coupons and at prices more affordable than market rates.

Although the educated youth point wasn't short of meat these days, He Minghua had brought back a large bag of delicacies previously. 。He and Jiang Lei often explored the mountains, occasionally catching a few rabbits or wild chickens. 。Although she couldn't indulge in extravagant feasts, Lu Hong was a skilled homemaker. Every day, her dishes were filled with savory aromas. Even a single chicken could be transformed by her skillful hands into chicken noodle soup, shredded chicken, and stewed potatoes. She carefully processed every part of the chicken—bones, feet, and innards—either for the men to enjoy or to make delicious sauces. 。In the art of life, Jiang Lei had to admit her own shortcomings. 。On her way to the town, Jiang Xiao casually took out some of her private stash from her spatial storage. A bag of handmade dried noodles and a small pack of selected tobacco. She nonchalantly mentioned that she had found them by chance, and everyone tacitly understood that no matter what time it was, there were always capable individuals and shrewd businessmen around. 。They readily agreed, adding these items to public funds and promising to return them in kind the following year. 。Instant noodles were seen by them as emergency rations, while cigarettes were divided equally among the three companions. The rest was generously given to Uncle Niu by Jiang Xiao. 。Uncle Niu, overcome with gratitude, gave her a strong hen in return. The eggs laid by the hen became Lu Hong's daily little surprise. 。"Coming here, I feel like life has a sense of anticipation now." 。Lu Hong sighed, saying she would never forget the bowl of noodles her mother had prepared for her before she left. But her younger siblings got to it first, leaving only the vegetable broth. 。Mother's loss and admonitions, like a pain in her heart, are etched into her memory. 。Because we live in a place where Zhang Qingfang often shares the hardships of other places, compared to here, which is peaceful and harmonious, we should cherish it. 。Jiang Xiao reminded Lu Hong that if the conditions here weren't so good, her grandfather and Zhang Qingfang's family wouldn't have gone to such lengths to send them over. 。Not only is she a popular choice, but both Zhang Changqing and Liu Aimin also expressed agreement with Jiang Xiao's opinion. 。Hope that such beauty can last forever. 。A sudden squeal from the pig interrupted their conversation. Although Jiang Xia had witnessed slaughtering animals in her hometown village since childhood, her memories were vague. 。At this moment, she curiously asked her uncle, "Uncle Three, the pig is already dead, why are you blowing air into it" 。This is for removing the skin, some people don't want to keep pigskin, thinking it takes up space and consumes fuel. 。

The purchase station buys pigskin, and there is no need for meat tickets at the city market.

"Uncle San patiently explained, looking at Jiang Xiao's bright eyes, he couldn't help but smile. Although this city girl is smart and quick-witted, she is not familiar with some common sense in the countryside. Otherwise, how could she have easily parted with that precious tobacco" 。If Jiang Xiaozhi knew her third uncle's observation, she would retort that those cigarettes were already the cheapest goods in their household for her. As for more expensive ones like Panda Chinese, she had never touched them. 。While there are many high-quality cigarettes in the city, they are expensive and far surpass what she carries. 。Jiang Xia's move was actually intentional, showing off her newfound wealth. She had been too low-key for too long, and now it was time to show off a little, hinting to others that she was no worse than Zhang Qingfang, while also hoping to cause some unexpected changes. 。Her heart was filled with longing for the idle time of winter, those unrealized artistic ideas—spheres, calligraphy, and tattoo designs—buzzed inside her like ants on a hot stove, churning her up. 。However, Jiang Yan's heart still remained cautious. She understood that if she truly wanted to, she could have found a large gold deer bicycle in town or the county long ago. 。All the people in Quanshan Valley had no bicycles. If she brought one back, it would undoubtedly become the center of attention in the village. Wherever she went, she would attract attention. It would no longer be low-key, but rather seem naive. 。She looked forward to the day when her maternal uncle would go back into the mountains. The memory of the cave containing the mysterious little sphere filled her with a conviction that it held clues. 。"Third Uncle, when are we going to visit the mountain again" 。She asked with a sly smile, that unwavering determination, not even shaken in the face of a horde of rats. 。"When you're out foraging for mountain goods in the spring, girls, aren't your bodies already plump enough" 。Uncle Three looked at her dejected expression, tapped her forehead lightly with his pipe, and smiled helplessly. 。Jiang Yan could only temporarily put aside her thoughts. Not to mention the danger of finding the mountain path alone, she didn't have the courage to challenge it either. 。Thus, she decided to focus on preparing for the Lunar New Year first. 。Passing by Lingzhi's house, she saw Lingzhi carrying a basket and went forward to ask: "Lingzhi, is your new outfit ready" 。A new year brings fresh hope. Putting on new clothes is a traditional custom, from the ancient practice of "respecting the elderly and honoring the virtuous" to modern celebrations. New Year's Eve dinner, firecrackers, and new clothes are all symbols of the New Year. 。"I got it, grandma already prepared it for me. She said I grow fast and specially chose a bigger one." 。" Jiang Yan smiled, her heart filled with deep gratitude for Jiang Han and his wife. Especially Grandma Jiang, who made meticulous preparations before her passing, all to see her granddaughter get married that day." 。She made up her mind that next year, she would go home to pay respects to her ancestors and retrieve those precious dowry items. 。The festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival became increasingly intense after the 23rd day. For the first time, four people celebrated the festival together at Lulin Valley. 。From the beginning of the first lunar month, invitations poured in from all around. From Uncle Niu's house to Lingzhi's parents' house, and finally to her in-laws', they politely declined every invitation on New Year's Eve and decided to host their own grand New Year feast. 。In the morning, everyone bustled about, washing and dressing themselves, sticking up couplets and window decorations with revolutionary spirit. The village was filled with festive cheer thanks to Jiang Yan's initiative. 。Southern families often have their reunion dinner in the evening. They meticulously prepare a variety of delicacies 。Peanut-spiced soup, wild mushroom chicken stew, spicy rabbit stir-fry, pickled cabbage, braised pork with radish cake, and dry fern vegetables fried noodles. Simple yet plentiful. 。He Jian Guo took out a bottle of wine from somewhere and announced, “Let’s have a toast to our family!” 。“To a brilliant future, cheers!” 。“ ”e coveted the sect's blessed land, while another plotted its destruction.However, the elder, with his wisdom, turned danger into safety and accomplished some grand undertaking. 。In the last two senten...