I couldn't take it anymore; when I went home for Chinese New Year, the family genealogy book ha

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, the dough is prepared.

There are only two days left until Chinese New Year's Eve.

The festive atmosphere in the village reached its peak on this day.

Every household is carrying out a final cleaning before the Spring Festival, preparing to welcome the New Year with the cleanest and tidiest appearance.

Inside the Jiang family compound, a busy yet warm scene unfolded.

Mother Wang Xiuying was humming the DJ dance music she had been dancing to last night, and was diligently wiping the set of mahogany furniture in the living room with a brand new rag.

Since the home was renovated, she finds everything pleasing to the eye and has much more energy to clean than before.

The father, Jiang Jianjun, stood on a small stool and carefully wiped the glass on the window.

Sunlight streamed through the bright glass, illuminating the gleaming floor tiles and making the whole room bright and airy.

Jiang Chen wasn't idle either.

He moved a sturdy wooden ladder and stood carefully at the entrance of his grand mahogany house, pasting up the newly bought couplets and the character "福" (fortune).

First line: Wealth flows in from all directions.

The second line reads: "Business prospers and reaches all corners of the world."

Horizontal scroll: Everything is renewed.

The golden "福" (good fortune) character, paired with the brand-new mahogany gate and gilded couplets, exudes an extraordinary sense of wealth and grandeur.

The family was busy and enjoying themselves immensely.

Sudden.

A steady yet loud voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Jianjun, are you home?"

Jiang Chen was pressing the large "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character onto the door when he heard the sound. He leaned out from the ladder and looked outside.

The village chief, Jiang Shunde, a distant uncle of high seniority in the Jiang clan, stood at the gate with his hands behind his back and a warm smile on his face.

Behind him were two village committee officials.

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Jianjun, who was inside the house, quickly put down the rag he was holding and hurried out to greet them.

His face was filled with a warm and respectful smile.

"Oh! It's Uncle Shunde! What brings you here? Come in and sit down, come in!"

Wang Xiuying quickly wiped her hands on her apron, took out the best sunflower seeds and peanuts from the newly bought snack cabinet, and then deftly brewed a pot of good tea.

They all knew that the village chief was usually very busy and wouldn't come to their door without a reason.

One doesn't visit the temple without a reason.

Jiang Shunde walked into the courtyard with his hands behind his back and steady steps.

His gaze first swept over the newly renovated courtyard, where the floor tiles were so smooth that one could see their reflection in them.

Then, they looked Jiang Chen's newly renovated house up and down.

Finally, his gaze fell on the gleaming black Audi A6L parked quietly in the center of the yard.

His eyes were filled with undisguised praise and emotion.

"Jianjun, your family's life is really different now!"

Jiang Shunde exclaimed sincerely.

"Now that's what you call thriving and full of hope!"

Jiang Chen then climbed down the ladder.

He dusted off his hands, took out the pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, and respectfully handed it to Jiang Shunde.

"Uncle Shunde, please stop praising him. If you keep praising him, my dad will lose his bearings."

Jiang Chen said with a smile, and casually lit a fire for Jiang Shunde.

"What's wrong? Just tell me."

Jiang Shunde took the cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a beautiful smoke ring.

His cloudy but shrewd eyes lingered on Jiang Chen's face for a moment, then he nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with Jiang Chen's neither humble nor arrogant attitude.

Then, the smile on his face faded slightly.

He glanced at Wang Xiuying and Jiang Jianjun, who were busy serving tea and water, and sighed heavily.

There was a complex emotion in his tone.

Jiang Jianjun's heart skipped a beat, and the smile on his face vanished. He asked nervously:

"Uncle Shunde, is something... happened in the village?"

Jiang Shunde waved his hand, signaling him not to be nervous.

He walked to the stone table in the courtyard, sat down, picked up the hot tea that Wang Xiuying had just brewed, and took a sip.

Then, he slammed the teacup down on the table and scanned the faces of Jiang Jianjun and his son Jiang Chen back and forth.

Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he slowly revealed the true purpose of his visit.

"Jianjun, Jiang Chen."

His voice became serious.

"I'm here today to discuss something with you."

"The day after tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve. As you all know, we in Jiangjia Village have the custom of offering the first incense stick."

"In previous years, this first stick of incense was offered by your uncle Jiang Jianguo's family."

Jiang Shunde paused here, then changed the subject.

"But this year... things are different."