Back to 1978

Chapter 103 Don't Treat Them as Human Beings (Monthly Ticket plus extra)
There is no New Year's Eve in the twelfth lunar month this year. The 29th day of the lunar calendar is the Spring Festival. When Xie Hushan woke up early in the morning, he felt that the air of the Zhongping Production Brigade was filled with the unique flavor of the New Year overnight.

The bubbling sound of stewed meat or fish in the iron pot and the delicious aroma it emits, the noise of firecrackers being lit and the smell of gunpowder, and the loose liquor that the children bring for their fathers, the noise of the liquor swaying in the barrel and the evaporating aroma.

There are also the laughter and chatting of women delivering food to each other from door to door, the shouting of men smoking and playing cards, and the laughter... or crying of children running and playing in the streets.

Daxiu didn't cry. Instead, she was standing at the door of Han Hongbing's house, laughing like a barbell with glee.

The one crying was Han Laosan. Even though it was the Spring Festival, his mother couldn't hold back her anger and chose to beat her son up on the day when she was least willing to beat her child.

"I told you to let them go! Soak them all in the water!" Aunt Han said with a stern face, giving orders to Han Laosan who was in tears.

Han Lao San, with trembling hands, dug out a few disassembled firecrackers from the pocket of his new clothes, but he was reluctant to throw them into the water tank of the water well as his mother requested. He could only cry and beg for mercy:
"Mom, I was wrong..."

Xie Hushan happened to see this scene when he came to Han Hongbing's house.

"Hu San'er is here?" Hearing the footsteps, Aunt Han turned around and smiled at Xie Hushan, then turned her head and looked at her son:

"Throw it in! Hurry up! Or I'll beat you up again later! You little bastard! You're not yours after the New Year?"

"Auntie, it's Chinese New Year, what's wrong? Calm down. It's a festive day. Why are you angry with your child?" Xie Hushan handed a small pot of bean sprouts to Auntie Han:
"My grandma asked me to bring you some bean sprouts. She sent them specially two days ago for you to have as a dish today."

The aunt took the bean sprouts and walked into the main room: "Okay, your grandma won't let you send it, but I'm going to go get it. I'll clear the basin for you first, and calm down. You can ask the third child what this kid did!"

"What did you do?" Xie Hushan looked at Han Laosan, who took out a bunch of disassembled firecrackers from his pockets as soon as his mother entered the house, and waved to Daxiu to come over to help and move the tools used in the crime, and asked with a smile.

Han Lao San concentrated on taking out the firecrackers and didn't say anything. Daxiu transferred the firecrackers into his own pocket while explaining the battle situation to his brother:

"Uncle Han just went down to the cellar to look for cabbage, and Han Lao San didn't know about it, so he threw firecrackers into the cellar."

"That's not such a big sin. These firecrackers are not very powerful. How could his father be afraid of such small firecrackers?" Looking at the size of the firecrackers, Xie Hushan felt that even if he threw them into the cellar, it might not scare people. At most, it would be slightly louder than a fart, just to make the children play with it.

"One of them landed right on his dad's head. It was a stinky one, and it made a dent. His dad had just shaved his head the day before yesterday, and the stinky one made a long dent in his hair. It smelled like burning pig hair." Daxiu stuffed all the firecrackers into his pocket and said to Xie Hushan:

"The old man went to queue up for a haircut again. I guess he'll have to go bald this time. He kept cursing himself as he walked, saying that it was all his fault. Why should he buy himself some wine with that money instead of buying firecrackers for this brat?"

"You must keep the firecrackers in good condition for me." Han Laosan only cared about his own firecrackers and instructed Daxiu in an earnest tone.

Daxiu patted his pockets in a very righteous manner:
"Don't worry, come to me after you get beaten up, I won't give it to anyone but you, but let's make it clear, I'll keep it for you, and you can give me four out of ten."

"What! Didn't we agree that you would get two out of ten? Why don't you go rob people?" Han Lao San said to Daxiu dissatisfiedly.

Daxiu looked at Aunt Han who was about to come out of the main room:

"Then I'll give these firecrackers to your mother. If she throws them all into the water, you won't get any..."

"Deal for four!" Han Laosan closed his eyes and agreed to Daxiu's high storage fee.

When Daxiu heard Han Laosan's agreement, he ran out with firecrackers in his pocket.

At this time, Aunt Han had already taken all the bean sprouts out of the pot, but what she returned to Xie Hushan was not an empty pot, but a handful of coriander and green onions that had been preserved in the cellar:
"Take it to your grandma. There's more in the cellar than you can eat."

"Got it. Thank you, Auntie." Xie Hushan was already numb to this situation. He walked out the door holding the dish, and smiled at Han Laosan:

"Third brother, what made you feel that Daxiu is more trustworthy than your mother?"

However, he could not hear Han Laosan's answer, because behind him, he soon heard the crackling sound of Aunt Han picking up the broom to sweep her son.

During the morning of the Spring Festival, Xie Hushan's life was very fulfilling. He pasted up blessing characters and spring couplets in the morning, and also delivered dishes to each household.

The end result is that the dishes of each of the three teams are basically the same.

Just to Han Hongbing's family, Xie Hushan delivered vegetables three times in the morning, and helped Aunt Han deliver vegetables to other families three times. Of course, he also watched Han Lao San get beaten three times.

The first time was when his mother beat Han Lao San. The second time was when his father came back after shaving his head and beat him again.

The third time was when Han Laosan tried to get the firecrackers back from Daxiu, but he felt that the quantity was wrong and questioned whether Daxiu had charged too much for the storage fee. Daxiu, who was angry and humiliated, beat him up again.

Han Laosan truly had an unforgettable Spring Festival.

There was no big celebration for lunch. After everyone woke up from their afternoon nap, the women from each family would show off their cooking skills and make dumplings, using the various ingredients collected in the morning from the three teams to do the final cooking for the evening meal. The aunt and the second aunt came to the yard to help grandma with the cooking. The three daughters-in-law of the Xie family prepared the food before dark, and then the whole family gathered together to happily eat dumplings for the New Year.

After dinner, there was actually no entertainment activity. The old man and the women sat on the kang and chatted, and went to bed early if they were sleepy.

Staying up all night to celebrate the New Year is the job of men. What men do when the New Year comes is nothing more than playing cards together, drinking with leftovers until midnight.

When the brigade's loudspeaker started playing music as a signal to tell everyone that it was twelve o'clock, they all went out to hang up firecrackers and light them. Then, amid the deafening sound of firecrackers, they bowed to each other and wished a happy new year to other neighbors who had also gone out to set off firecrackers.

What Xie Hushan found particularly interesting, as he had never seen it in his previous life, was that on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, all the elderly people in the brigade, both men and women, would get up much earlier than usual.

For example, grandma would get up at about five o'clock, put on her clothes, stand in the yard with her walking stick, look up at the still dark sky, without saying a word, just looking up at the sky changing from dark to bright, then slowly walk out of the yard. Then you could find that the old ladies or old men from the third team seemed to have made an appointment, and they all walked out of the house at this time, dressed neatly.

A group of old people gathered together with smiles on their faces, talking to each other about their fortunes this year based on what they had just observed by looking up at the sky.

It's not that these old people are feudal and superstitious. To Xie Hushan, it's more like a good wish. In the eyes of the old people, if the weather is clear and cloudless on the morning of the first day of the New Year, it means that the whole year will be good weather and life will be smooth.

If it is windy or cloudy in the morning, it indicates that this year may be bumpy and not very smooth.

This year, the elderly people who looked at the sky unanimously agreed that it was sunny, the weather was good, the country was peaceful and the people were safe, and it would definitely be another year of bumper harvest.

After chatting, the old people went home, waiting for their younger generations to come and wish them a happy new year. For Xie Hushan, the work of traveling around to wish them a happy new year has officially begun. He even feels that it is more tiring than the Spring Festival travel rush. The record is as follows:
The first day of the New Year was very fulfilling. As a junior, I walked around the village and neighboring villages to pay New Year's greetings to the relatives of the Xie family and the elders of the neighbors. I received a total of eight yuan in New Year's money.

The second day of the Chinese New Year was a very fulfilling day. I carried New Year gifts and squeezed into a bus to visit my eldest uncle's house which lived forty miles away. I was forced to drink and stay overnight for two days. I got two yuan as a lucky money. I was found out of cheating because of drinking and was kicked three times on the buttocks and hit on the head five times.

The fourth day of the New Year was a very fulfilling day. I carried New Year gifts to visit my aunt's home. I was forced to drink and stay overnight, and I got two yuan as a lucky money.

The fifth day of the New Year was a very fulfilling day. I carried New Year gifts to visit my second aunt's home. I was forced to drink and stay overnight, and I got two yuan as a lucky money.

The sixth day of the first lunar month: It was a very fulfilling day. I carried New Year gifts to visit my second uncle in the neighboring county. The journey was far and we only saw each other once a year, so I was forced to stay overnight for three days. I was given two yuan as a lucky money and was kicked three times. When I asked my second uncle why, he replied that there was no reason, it looked like I deserved to be kicked and the journey was far. If I didn't kick him in 1979, I would have to wait until the Spring Festival of 1980 if I wanted to kick him again.

……

Xie Hushan left home on the second day of the first lunar month to pay New Year's greetings and did not return home until the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. During this period of time, he was either paying New Year's greetings and drinking, or on his way to pay New Year's greetings and drink.

After returning home, he lay on the kang and rested for three whole days. He didn't want to move at all. He felt more tired than after an autumn harvest. Of course, it was not without gain. He, who was accustomed to sending New Year greetings via video on his mobile phone in his previous life, finally felt the strong New Year atmosphere and family affection in this era.

On the 16th day of the first lunar month, when the Spring Festival was over in the eyes of the rural people and the production team had not yet resumed production, Xie Hushan had already called everyone to hold a meeting at the entrance of the Yaowang Temple team office.

Han Hongbing, Chen Daxi, Ma Saner, Wu Shuanzi, Wang Chong and other eleven silly boy commando members of Production Team 3 were lazily standing in the open space in front of the team office. They didn't understand why Xie Hushan called them over. It was not the time for spring ploughing yet and the ground had not thawed yet.

In addition to them, Han Hongzhen, Xie Hushan's second aunt Zhou Hongmei, Lao Meng, and Aunt Han were also waiting nearby.

Even standing outside, one could hear the sound of Xie Hushan slamming the table and Ma Laowu and Accountant Zhao arguing with each other in the team headquarters. It seemed that they could not agree on the price of something. Xie Hushan scolded Ma Laowu and Accountant Zhao for treating him like a local rich man, and Ma Laowu and Accountant Zhao scolded Xie Hushan for being a traitor and forgetting his roots after getting a wife.

In the middle, there was also the sound of Yang Liming angrily trying to stop the fight.

After arguing for a long time, Xie Hushan was the first to walk out of the team headquarters, followed by Ma Laowu, Yang Liming and Accountant Zhao. Judging from their faces, Ma Laowu and Accountant Zhao had won.

"Fourth girl, starting today, you have to hand over the braised pork stall at the market to my Second Aunt and Aunt Han." Xie Hushan glared at Ma Laowu and Accountant Zhao with a sullen face and spoke to Han Hongzhen first.

Han Hongzhen was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Xie Hushan suddenly drove her out of the braised pork stall? Was it because he asked Dahei to steal his bellyband and she ignored him, so he was retaliating?
Your girlfriend has a bellyband, and I sewed it for her. Wouldn’t you steal it from her?

If you want to make yourself surrender, you’re dreaming!
Han Hongzhen said immediately: "I understand. I will give the things to Aunt Xie and Aunt Han later, and then go to the labor group."

"Fuck the labor group!" Xie Hushan cursed irritably:
"If you leave, I will have no one to use you. You will be the deputy leader of the sideline group. There are a lot of things waiting for you in the sideline group."

Han Hongzhen was a little bit incredulous when she heard that she had suddenly become the deputy team leader: "Huh?"

"Commander Xie, your sideline group is having a meeting. Why did you call us over here?" Han Hongbing asked Xie Hushan in extreme boredom.

Xie Hushan's tone sounded very angry: "Hold on, listen! You'll know why later!"

After saying this, he walked down the stairs and stood beside Han Hongzhen, who had not yet recovered from the shock of being promoted. He pointed at Han Hongbing and the other eleven militiamen and said loudly:
"Our sideline team spent a lot of money to buy these rice buckets from the labor team with Ma Laowu. Just remember one thing: never treat them as people, but as animals."

(End of this chapter)