Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 158 Lantern Festival

After Xu Bei finished using the toilet, he quickly ran into the house from outside.

Zhao Fengying quickly wiped her slightly damp hands on her apron and asked with a smile, "How is it, son? Isn't it much prettier than that plain, unrefined ice?"

Xu Juan, who was sitting next to the stove adding firewood to the fire pit, also stared expectantly at her brother.

As Xu Bei warmed himself by the fire near the stove, he smiled and said, "It does look much better, and the red color adds to the festive atmosphere."

The mother and daughter's modifications and creations were appreciated by Xu Bei, and the two were very happy.

While Zhao Fengying went to the outer storeroom to get something, Xu Juan whispered a complaint.

"Brother, you were asleep and didn't even know. I wanted to dye it black, but Mom wouldn't let me."

Xu Bei rubbed his temples helplessly. "Black really doesn't look good. But if you like it, you can dye your little lantern."

Xu Juan glanced subconsciously at the ice lantern, about the size of a tin can, on the windowsill outside. "Then let's do something else. I was thinking of adding colored paper inside."

Xu Bei smiled and shook his head, feeling that his teenage sister was becoming more and more lively and adorable.

After having breakfast, the mother and her two children locked the door and left home.

However, Xu Bei did not take Xu Juan with him to the city today, but left her at the Forestry Bureau's shop.

After all, he had already bought almost everything he needed to buy at the new place, and he needed to find someone to scrape the walls and install safety railings on the windows, so there was really no need for him to take his sister back and forth again.

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, half a day has passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Bei returned to the Forestry Bureau around 4 p.m.

As I passed by the small square in front of the bureau building, I saw that the lanterns made by various departments were lit up.

In the still-dark night, a dazzling array of colorful lanterns of all shapes and sizes created a beautiful scene.

There was also a platform set up for guessing lantern riddles.

Some organizations' Yangko dance teams had already changed into their costumes and were flocking to this place from all directions. Those who had arrived gathered in twos and threes to chat and laugh.

Xu Bei estimated that once many people had finished dinner at home, they would come out to see the lanterns and watch the Yangko dance.

In addition, there is a custom in the forest area of ​​rolling ice on the river, also known as "rolling ice".

The meaning is to stick all bad luck and illness on the ice and snow, so that when the ice and snow melt in the spring, they will be washed away by the river, and the new year will bring good health and success in everything.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, the squares with lanterns and the river will be the most crowded places.

When Xu Bei arrived at the shop, Xu Li had already gone to Zhu Wenliang's cousin's house to hide from the lights before it got dark, leaving only the mother and daughter who were already prepared to close the shop.

The three hurried home and cooked frozen dumplings with sauerkraut and pork filling and frozen glutinous rice balls with black sesame filling. They also heated up the pork ribs and potatoes they had frozen earlier, as well as stewed carp.

By the time they finished their fairly substantial and quick dinner, it was already completely dark outside.

The sounds of firecrackers and fireworks could be heard intermittently, growing louder as they approached.

Meanwhile, outside the gate, some adults and children from families who had finished eating early were already chatting and laughing as they headed into the street.

Xu Bei placed several of his homemade ice lanterns in the yard, and also placed two more on either side of the entrance.

He saw that other households on the street, besides those displaying ice lanterns at their doors, also had small bonfires made of sawdust mixed with diesel fuel lit in front of their houses or in their yards, stretching far into the distance, truly filling the air with the festive atmosphere.

After Xu Juan got dressed, she came out of the house carrying her little canned jar lamp. When she saw this scene, she laughed.

"Brother, the neighbors around here are all really nice. They even put a little fire in our yard. They haven't said a word to us while we've lived here. Will we still have such peaceful neighbors when we move to the city?"

"Who knows? You'll only find out what it's like once you move in. But if you like it, spend more time with them; if you don't, just see them less often. It's really not a problem."

Xu Bei didn't care about the neighbors' relationship at all. Anyway, it was a rented house, and he would definitely move into his own house in the future.

At this moment, Zhao Fengying locked the door and came over.

Xu Bei and Xu Juan also ended their conversation.

Because it was too troublesome to find a place to lock the bicycles when there were so many people, the three of them walked together into the street.

Along the way, we encountered many families, young and old.

Almost all the children were carrying homemade lanterns, some exquisite and some simple, but all of them were beaming with happy smiles.

Xu Juan secretly compared her little ice lantern with everyone else's, and no matter how she looked at it, she felt that hers was still more beautiful.

"Brother, can you make it for me again next year?"

"No problem, I can make it for you every year if you want it."

Zhao Fengying was smiling as she looked at her two children, but when her gaze swept over the people walking ahead, she saw a figure that resembled Xu Dashan. Her smile faded, and her mood became complicated.

Xu Bei, who was walking in the middle, noticed his mother's unusual behavior. "What's wrong, Mom?"

Zhao Fengying pointed ahead, "When I first glanced at that guy in the black cotton-padded jacket, I thought he was your dad, but upon closer inspection, his walking posture was different."

Xu Bei and Xu Juan exchanged a glance. "Mom, are you still thinking about him?"

Zhao Fengying sighed softly, "To be honest, after so many years together, how can I not miss him at all? Especially today is a holiday—but when I think about what he did, I feel disgusted and heartbroken."

Besides, they're workers, they earn a good income every month, I don't need to worry about them. We just need to take care of ourselves.

"Mom, if that's really what you think, then I won't say anything." Xu Bei understood his mother's complicated feelings, but he had no intention of trying to reconcile them. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, "I wonder if Dahei and the others have come out of the house yet, and whether we'll run into them later."

Zhao Fengying understood her son's thoughts to some extent, and went along with him, saying, "There are so many people, it's not easy to meet. It would be better if you arranged to meet somewhere in advance."

Xu Bei also adopted a "whatever happens, happens" attitude, saying, "It doesn't matter whether I run into them or not, the main thing is to make sure you and my little sister have a good time tonight."

Xu Juan shook the small ice lantern in her hand. "Let's go see the lanterns and then head towards the river. If we go too late, it might be hard to find a wide spot to ice-climb."

"Okay, let's listen to Xiaojuan. We'll just take a look at the lanterns as we go by."

Xu Bei readily agreed, willing to listen to his sister's opinion.

As a result, when they reached the vicinity of the bureau building, Xu Juan discovered that the tree branches on both sides of the street were covered with all kinds of colorful lanterns, including traditional fish scale lanterns, revolving lanterns, octagonal palace lanterns, and so on. The colorful lights and shadows intertwined and danced on the snow.

A huge riddle-solving platform was set up in the center of the square, covered with hundreds of colorful riddles, and it was now packed with people.

The little girl was as excited as a bird released from its cage. She immediately changed her mind and, pulling Xu Bei and Zhao Fengying, squeezed her way to the most crowded area where people were guessing lantern riddles.