Chapter Seventeen: Spring Festival (Part One)

The day before New Year's Eve, Linjiawan was already bustling with excitement. Brothers and sisters from every household had returned to their ancestral home to reunite. As they strolled through the village, each house was lively and busy, unlike the usual quiet and desolation. After all, Spring Festival is the grandest of all traditional festivals in China.

In Linjiawan, the custom is to drink soup on the twenty-ninth evening, and to eat the New Year's dinner at six o'clock on New Year's Eve. "Drinking soup" refers to chicken broth, duck broth, lotus root soup, or pork rib soup—whatever one prefers, all simmered and ready by the afternoon of the twenty-ninth.

Lin Lang's family was no exception. Lin Nan's eldest uncle, three aunts, and Lin Lang's family had all returned. The only misfortune was that the elderly couple were no longer alive. Yet, this did not affect the unity and intimacy of the Lin clan. Coincidentally, the customs in the families where the three aunts married were different; their reunion dinner was held on the twenty-eighth, so every year, they spent the twenty-ninth and New Year's Eve in Linjiawan.

Five couples, six children—a total of sixteen members gathered in the old house, yet it did not feel crowded. The five women moved constantly between the living room and the kitchen, preparing dinner. The five men chatted under the big tree by the gate, discussing work. The six children dashed about, causing a commotion.

Lin Lang was the second eldest among his siblings, while Lin Nan was the fourth among the younger generation, with only the children of the second and youngest aunts being younger. Lin Nan's eldest uncle, Lin Hu, and his wife ran a clothing business in Lingnan City. Their son, Lin Yang, and daughter, Lin Meng, were both in their second year at Qingshui No.1 High School, with outstanding grades.

The eldest aunt, Lin He Di, also lived and worked in Lingnan City, employed at a state-owned factory. Her daughter, Jiang Hong, was a first-year student at Lingnan No.1 High School, with even better grades.

The second aunt, Lin Chun Di, lived in Qingshan Town, near Linjiawan. Her son, Qiu Xiao Man, was a first-year student at Qingshan Middle School, with average grades. Because of this, Ye Xinlan often remarked that his poor performance was due to following Lin Nan's example, saying that with three older siblings setting such a high standard, Lin Nan should study hard and be a role model for his younger cousin.

The youngest aunt, Lin Zhen Di, resided in Luoshan City, near Lingnan, and her daughter, Cheng Dou Dou, was still in the third grade at elementary school.

At seven in the evening, a large round tray was placed on the square table in the living room, covered with a tablecloth. Sixteen people fit perfectly around it, a bit cramped but all the more lively. Chicken, duck, fish, greens, and various soups were brought out in succession.

Lin Hu and Lin Lang, the two brothers, sat at the head of the table, while the others took their seats at will. Sitting at the head, eating and drinking with Lin Hu, Lin Lang glanced over his complete family and slipped into reminiscence.

In his previous life, it seemed only Lin Nan and Qiu Xiao Man caused any worry; the other children all studied diligently, worked hard, and no major events happened at home. Life was steady, progressing calmly, right up to Lin Lang's journey across time.

Seeing Lin Nan eating fish and drinking soup, the confidence and vigor on his face markedly different from the past, Lin Lang felt gratified—his efforts over the past month had not been in vain. Turning to Qiu Xiao Man, who sat beside him, engrossed in a phone of unknown ownership, head down, playing away and ignoring his meal, Lin Lang reflected on the meaning behind his name: "Xiao Man," a modest satisfaction, and so his parents were not as strict about his studies as the other families.

In the past, Lin Nan would surely be playing alongside him, both enjoying themselves immensely. Now, Lin Nan was indifferent to games, and cared only for study and basketball.

Having returned once more, Lin Lang intended not only to nurture an outstanding Lin Nan, but also harbored an educational plan for children throughout China and even the world. As for Xiao Man, he naturally wanted to help him as well.

Yet Lin Lang pondered whether to guide him back onto the path of study, or help him succeed even further on the road he took in his previous life.

In that past life, Qiu Xiao Man attended Qingshui No.3 High School. Upon entering high school, he became a wild horse, constantly skipping classes, spending nights at internet cafes, where gaming became his entire world. Unexpectedly, he later carved out a niche online, seizing the opportunity during the mobile gaming boom, forming a team and, leveraging years of gaming experience, successfully developed a popular mobile game, earning a tidy sum and establishing himself in the industry.

By then, Qiu Xiao Man was already in his thirties. Lin Lang remembered him saying, “Uncle, my greatest regret is not studying hard in school. If I could have attended a good university and majored in computer science, perhaps my path would have been much smoother.”

Now, watching his young relative clutching a phone, Lin Lang silently promised, “This time, you’ll have the chance to study computers well, and that day won’t be far off.”

For the other children, Lin Lang decided not to interfere too much. Not everyone’s life is filled with regrets, nor does a glamorous life necessarily carry more meaning.

The lively soup dinner lasted only about half an hour. Red envelopes would be given at the New Year’s Eve lunch the next morning, and the Spring Festival Gala would be watched the following evening. So the meal was eaten quickly.

After dinner, the adults generously let the children clean up: wiping the table earned twenty yuan, mopping the floor another twenty, washing dishes twenty more. These tasks were quickly divvied up among the six children.

Once finished, Ye Xinlan checked the quality and, finding it satisfactory, promptly handed out their wages. The children stuffed the money in their pockets and headed to the room with the television, each grabbing a chair to sit and watch. In this era before smartphones, the sight of everyone holding a phone was yet to appear; television remained a daily entertainment.

The adults played cards or visited neighbors, each busy with their own affairs. Thus the night passed.

New Year's Eve, 5:30 a.m. The adults were already up, preparing breakfast, while the children lingered in bed. When Lin Nan was awakened by a loud clap of spring thunder, he groggily dressed and wandered into the living room, nearly seven o’clock.

There, Lin Hu and Lin Lang were burning paper money in the living room, paying respects to their grandparents. Upon seeing this, Lin Nan hurried over, knelt before the fire, and bowed his head—a Linjiawan tradition, observed every year without exception.

Prayers for the ancestors’ blessings, wishing safety and health for future generations.

Once everyone had bowed, the fire was nearly out, and all took their seats, beginning the most important reunion meal of the Spring Festival.

The seating was the same as the previous evening, but today, they waited for the children to offer toasts before starting the meal.

Usually, Lin Yang took the lead as the other children were too shy. But this time, before Lin Yang could gather his words, Lin Nan rose from his seat, picked up a glass of ginger cola, and offered toasts to each elder in turn.

“Wishing Uncle and Aunt health and prosperous business!”

“Wishing eldest aunt and uncle smooth work and peace!”

“Wishing second aunt and uncle happiness and harmony!”

“Wishing youngest aunt and uncle a happy family and progress in their careers!”

“And finally, wishing Mom and Dad eternal youth, and always handsome and beautiful!”

A string of childish yet confident greetings left the elders slightly surprised.

When did Lin Nan become so outgoing?

Lin Hu laughed loudly, “Nan Nan, this isn’t very fair! Why are our toasts so formal, and your parents’ so special?”

Lin Nan replied with a grin, “Because I prepared your toasts in advance, but my parents’ was improvised at the last moment.”

“Ha ha, that’s a good answer!”

The uncles and aunts were all pleased—when had this boy become so lively and quick-witted?

With the ice broken, the other children soon followed: Lin Yang, Lin Meng, Jiang Hong, Qiu Xiao Man, Cheng Dou Dou. The order generally followed their ages, and the greetings were similar each year, variations on the same theme.

The red envelopes increased year by year—a sign of everyone’s growing prosperity.

After the meal, the children again received their task wages and swiftly completed the post-meal cleaning.

Then Lin Yang and Lin Nan produced a new pair of couplets from the drawer, pasting them with clear tape on either side and above the front door.

Left: Joy dwells in this blessed place for a thousand years,
Right: Fortune shines upon the family, bringing prosperity in all things.
Banner: Welcoming the New Spring.

With this, their morning tasks were complete.

The six children, their pockets full of red envelopes, headed to the market.

The three boys each bought a toy gun, planning to hunt birds in the woods behind the house. Though they bought new ones every year, by the next New Year they’d vanished without a trace.

Lin Meng and Jiang Hong each bought a pretty hair clip to wear in their hair.

Young Cheng Dou Dou bought nothing—her red envelope had already been handed over to her mother. But Lin Yang bought her a new schoolbag, Lin Nan gave her a pencil case, Lin Meng a box of colored pencils, Jiang Hong a comic book, and Qiu Xiao Man a pack of candy.

The older siblings doted on the youngest sister. Surprisingly, her favorite was the three-yuan sweet candy...

Finally, they bought two large bags of fireworks and several sticks of sugarcane, and grandly hired a motor tricycle to take them back to the village.

Returning home, they found Aunt and Ye Xinlan with the other aunts still playing mahjong at someone else’s house, while Lin Hu, Lin Lang, and the uncles were off fishing, yet to return.

During the festival, the house couldn’t be locked, so someone had to stay. Feeling sorry for Aunt alone at home, the children volunteered to help her prepare lunch.

In reality, they simply reheated the leftovers from breakfast. At such an early hour, no one had an appetite for fish and meat; it was all about the atmosphere and tradition.

Some aunts ate elsewhere, and those fishing often lost track of time. The children and Aunt decided not to wait, ate first, then covered the dishes for the others to help themselves upon their return.

After lunch, Lin Yang, Lin Nan, and Qiu Xiao Man grabbed their toy guns and headed into the forest on the hill behind the house.