novelIn the First Month of the Month
| ← Ch.067 | Ch.069 → |
The heat from the water gradually dissipated, Lei Tia passed the blue foottowel to Qin Mian and picked up his own grey foottowel to wipe his feet.
After Qin Mian went to the latrine to drain the water, he washed his hands and went to his room. In the first month of January, he had asked the Sister Zhang in advance about all sorts of taboos. He opened the wardrobe, sorted through the items, and took out the new clothes, shoes and socks that he and Lei Tia would be wearing the next day, and put them away properly.
Lei Tia locked the door and entered the room.
"Come, play chess." Qin Mian waved to him, he could not sit still, he had to find something to do to pass the time.
Lei Tia took the Go Board and set it up.
"You have to let me have a few." Qin Mian said rudely as his chess skills were average.
Lei Tia nodded.
At first, Qin Mian was very calm, but after that, the time that each person spent was longer and longer thinking, and his sitting posture had changed from cross-legged to slanted, with his left arm leaning on the brick table, and his legs stretched out straight. He folded his legs together and swayed, his head lowered while frowning in deep thought.
Lei Tia's gaze swept across his bare feet, extended his hand, and grabbed one of them, gently pinching it.
Qin Mian raised his head to take a glance, he attempted to shrink his leg and let him go, thinking about how he should lower his foot for a moment.
Without even thinking about it, Lei Tia picked up a white piece and looked back at Qin Mian's feet. His fair feet did not have a single flaw, his smooth nails shone a smooth light light light, and his five toe bones were protruding out. He was still too thin, so he couldn't help but pinch it.
Qin Mian looked at the chess board as if nothing had happened, his face turning hotter and hotter. What's with a pair of stinky feet.
The temperature of his palm was increasing. When Lei Tia looked at Qin Mian, he realized that he was feeling uncomfortable.
Qin Mian pushed his head away and said with a straight face, "Play chess well."
Lei Tia squeezed his leg again to release his grip.
Qin Mian immediately retracted his foot.
The night was long and Qin Mian was unable to hold it in, he yawned.
Lei Tia placed the chess piece he had picked up back into the chess box, "Go and sleep."
Qin Mian shook his head, "I'll guard it with you." This was their first New Year's Eve, and he did not want to leave behind a trace of regret.
Lei Tia moved the table away and hugged him, wrapping him in a quilt."Sleep, I'll wake you up when it's time."
"Fine." Qin Mian caressed his scarred cheek. He hid his hands under the blanket and leaned against his chest.
After an unknown period of time, a string of popping sounds could be heard from outside.
The little white dot that was sleeping soundly suddenly jumped up from the ground. He looked around cautiously, shook his head, and lay back down.
Qin Mian opened his sleepy eyes and asked vaguely: "Is it the right time?"
"Yes." Lei Tia stood up and wrapped him up tightly, "I'll go light up the firecrackers."
Qin Mian watched him walk out. Very quickly, the courtyard resounded with the deafening crackling sounds of firecrackers, and only stopped after a long while. The village seemed to be awakened as the sounds of firecrackers rang out one after another, sometimes close by, and even further away, the rhythmic sounds of fireworks could be heard.
Qin Mian's sleepiness was blown away. He took off the thick clothes on his body and yawned, then crawled back to his original position and covered himself with the quilt.
After about two quarters of an hour, the village regained its tranquility.
Lei Tia extinguished the light and took off his clothes on the brick bed, pulling his into his embrace.
In the darkness, Qin Mian touched his face, held it, and kissed him on the lips."Happy New Year."
After the two started talking, many things were done naturally.
Lei Tia grabbed the back of his head to deepen the kiss, "Happy New Year."
"Good night." Qin Mian adjusted his sleeping posture and closed his eyes.
However, Lei Tia was not sleepy at all. Through the thin undergarment, he caressed his wife's back. At the tip of his nose, his wife's scent was even stronger than before. He held his wife's waist tightly with one hand, allowing the two to be inseparably close to each other. His other hand involuntarily extended to the fleshy part of his wife's waist.
His hand was suddenly grabbed and pinched.
Qin Mian replied lazily: "I'm only fifteen."
Lei Tia returned to his waist, sealed his lips and fiercely kissed them. With great difficulty, he gasped a few times, then gradually calmed down and patted his back lightly, "Sleep."
Qin Mian laid his arm on Yue Yang's waist, unmoving, and very quickly fell asleep.
A good night's sleep.
When they woke up in the morning and put on new clothes, Qin Mian had even tied a red cloth around his neck that was a little bit white.
After heating up the leftovers in the pot, the two went out together. The snow had stopped, but it hadn't melted at all, and there were overlapping, jumbled footprints everywhere on the ground. The wind was even colder.
Along the way, they met other villagers who went to pay their New Year respects. Whether it was those who were on good terms with each other or those who were not, they all greeted each other with smiles on their faces.
The young girl was hiding behind her parents. When she saw Qin Mian from afar, she secretly blushed and her heart raced, unintentionally meeting Lei Tia's blade-like eyes, she quickly lowered her head.
Inside the Lei Family old house, the junior generation was kowtowing to the senior generation and bowing to them for the new year, while talking and laughing non-stop.
Lei Daqiang, Madam Du and Madam Wei were all seated on the upper seats. Lei Daqiang was wearing an olive green cotton-padded jacket with the word "blessing" on it. Thanks to the treatment given by Madam Wei, her face was rosy, her aura was extremely good, and she looked to be four or five years younger than before. With her hair tied up in a bun, she wore a silver hairpin on her left hand, and a golden splay on her right foot, she was also dressed in a new set of clothes. Lei Daqiang would glance at her from time to time.
After Qin Mian and Lei Tia entered, everyone's gaze unconsciously fell on them as they took in a deep breath.
Lei Tia's hair was tied up in a jade band, his long black hair was scattered behind him, he was dressed in an indigo satin robe with a wide red belt. He wore a black robe with gold stripes around the edges, and on the outside, he wore a tall, upright, noble and imposing figure. Although Qin Mian was young, he was tall, wearing a white embroidered robe with bamboo leaves, and around his waist was a red belt.
The two of them were man's sons and wives, and kowtowed to Lei Daqiang, Madam Du and the Zhao Family.
"Father, Mother, and Little Mother, we offer you our New Year greetings."
Lei Daqiang was in a good mood, "Good, good, quickly get up."
The Madam Du said indifferently.
The Madam Wei invited Qin Mian and his sister to sit down and have some tea and some peanuts.
The Lei Xiangren brothers and sisters brought the three children over to celebrate New Year.
The three imps swiftly knelt down and kowtowed, beaming with joy, and crisply shouted, "Greetings to uncle and aunt!"
Qin Mian's face was smiling, his heart was twitching, he patted the heads of the three little ghosts, and took out three red seals from his bag and stuffed them into his pocket.
Mrs Zhao secretly opened two red envelopes, counted the copper coins inside, and put them away with a smile. Usually, people would give their relatives red packets with six pieces of gold. Qin Mian and Lei Tia who had the money to open a shop, were considered rich to Madame Zhao. If they only gave money with six pieces of money, she would definitely have something to say.
Madam Qian secretly weighed Lei Xinxin's red packet, pursed her lips and smiled, before putting it away.
Qin Mian and Lei Tia sat for a while before they got up and went to Lei Dagang's home.
Lei Dagang had his opinions towards Lei Daqiang, and did not have any prejudice towards Lei Daqiang's children.
Qin Mian gave each of their child a red packet, which also contained sixteen gold coins.
Coming out from Lei Dagang's house, the two of them went to the other elders and peers without stopping to stop to celebrate New Year. The first to go was Precinct Head's house.
Qin Mian was a talker, and happily chatted with the Precinct Head. Precinct Head's daughter-in-law also praised him and Lei Tia's good looks??
After walking around the village and returning home, the two of them opened the door and carried all kinds of snacks to the table, waiting for the village's juniors and juniors to come to pay their respects. This was etiquette. As for whether the other party was willing to come or not, it was impossible to force.
Not long after, a few carrots wearing new clothes ran in, giggling. A few of them were wearing red jackets, very unpleasant. The ones leading them were Xiao Hu and Goudan.
"Uncle Lei, Uncle Qin, happy new year!"
Lei Tia nodded lightly.
Qin Mian brought them into the house with a smile on his face. Each of them was given a small red packet containing a single coin. He pointed at the various snacks on the table, "Take a look and see what you like."
The children's eyes lit up as they drooled. They excitedly ran to the table, grabbed a handful of snacks and stuffed them into their pockets. They didn't even realize that the red packets in their pockets had fallen to the ground.
Qin Mian found it fu y to help them pick it up and put it back.
Xiao Hu was the most well-ma ered one, he said "Thank you Uncle Qin" and ran over to grab some sweets.
Each child filled his pockets before leaving in satisfaction.
People came in groups after groups of adults and children to pay their respects. Less than an hour later, when no one else came to visit, Qin Mian and Lei Tia finally had breakfast.
The lively first day passed just like that.
The second day of the first month was the day his wife returned home.
The sounds of packing up and scolding children for getting dirty were heard from a few nearby households. Lei Tia looked at Qin Mian, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Qin Mian pondered for a long time before he finally reacted, and said sternly to Lei Tia: "I really don't remember my parents."
Lei Tia held him by the waist, lowered her head and kissed him on the lips, "Today, I will go pay New Year respects to Grandfather and Grandmother. You are at home. I'll take you there after the snow has melted."
Qin Mian was shocked, "Your grandfather is still here? This is the first time I've heard you mention it."
Lei Tia was silent for a moment, "Grandfather and Grandma are both here. Grandfather, Grandma, and Second Uncle treated me very well. When I left home, they secretly gave me a tael of silver. They secretly gave me two taels of silver when we were separated."
Qin Mian felt that it was strange, "The Warm Room and the others did not come??"
Lei Tia said, "Grandfather and Grandmother lives together with First Uncle. First uncle doesn't like me marrying men. Second aunt always thought that I was a burden to second uncle."
Qin Mian understood and stood up, "I will go prepare?? Grandfather, Grandmother, and Second Uncle's new year gifts."
He prepared bountiful a ual gifts for Lei Tia's maternal grandparents. He packed a bag of fish balls, meat balls, lotus root pills, and bean dregs pills respectively. Ma Hua, Mu Zi, and the fried hemp leaves were a little hard for the elderly man, but the taste of cooking them together was also very good. These things filled a basket.
The a ual gift to second uncle was not bad either: a packet of hotpot seasonings, a packet of bean curd pills, and a pheasant.
Lei Tia saw that he was wrapped in oil paper one after another, and his chest was filled with warmth."My two aunts are coming today, if they were to come to my house, you would only have to entertain them."
"Don't worry, I won't lose out." Qin Mian said in an unconcerned tone. In this era, etiquette and reputation were important, and unless one had a deep grudge against them, it was impossible to completely sever all relations between them. Otherwise, it would be unpleasant to hear about it. In the future, they would not break off all relations with Lei Xiaoyun's family, but all they needed was to maintain their relationship with him.
Lei Tia drove the ox-cart out, Qin Mian was alone at home, eating melon seeds while reading his books, he was not bored at all. He had finished all the food that he had not finished at noon, and had not treated himself unfairly.
Lei Tia hurried back after having lunch at his uncle's house.
| ← Ch. 067 | Ch. 069 → |