Comfortable life in Siheyuan

Early in the morning of the first day of the new year, the courtyard was already filled with laughter and joy. Everyone was talking about the Spring Festival Gala last night, with some expressions of wanting more.

Liu Qingshan got up early, set off firecrackers and went out to greet people. When he got home after chatting for a while, the dumplings were already in the pot.

Everyone slept late last night, but everyone except Xixi had already gotten up. Liu Weidong and the little girl had already gone out to the yard to set off firecrackers.

Liu Qingshan washed up and just put down the towel in his hand when someone came in at the door.

"Uncle, Happy New Year! I wish you good health and all the best!" Niu Niu said the auspicious words somewhat stiffly.

"Okay, I also wish you academic progress and success."

Liu Qingshan looked at Niu Niu who was hesitant to speak, and smiled knowingly, "You should go back first, Xixi is still asleep! This girl went to bed late last night!"

"I, I don't want to look for Xixi, I want to look for Aunt Feng to wish her a happy new year!"

"Okay! Go by yourself, they are all in the kitchen!" Liu Qingshan said with a smile without exposing his little thoughts.

After paying New Year’s greetings, Niu Niu ran out of the house quickly.

Seeing this, Liu Qingshan smiled and shook his head.

By the time Liu Xixi got out of bed, it was almost noon.

Feng Yu looked at his daughter with disdain, "Girl, you're still lying in bed on New Year's Day. How can you be so lazy? Niu Niu has come here twice this morning, why don't you go and wash up!"

Xixi was also a little confused when she heard it, "Mom, what time is it? I slept too late last night. I didn't even hear the firecrackers this morning!"

"What time is it? If you sleep a little longer, you don't have to eat lunch!" Feng Yu said unhappily.

Xixi picked up the watch from the bedside and took a look at it, then quickly put on her clothes and went to wash up.

In the afternoon, Liu Xixi went out to play with Niu Niu. The only unpleasant thing was that Liu Weidong shamelessly followed them, and Xixi kicked him twice but it was no use.

When Xixi came back from shopping, the boy's belly was full.

"Xixi, where did you go with Niu Niu today? Did you have fun?" Liu Qingshan asked with a smile.

Xixi's face was puffed up. She glanced at Liu Weidong and started to complain, "Happy, why not? My brother is so shameless. He keeps eating all the way. I am embarrassed to ask Niu Niu to pay. I rushed to give him money, but Niu Niu didn't want it."

"What did he eat? How much did he spend?" Liu Qingshan was a little curious about how much this kid could eat.

"Braised pork, stir-fried liver, donkey rolls, and Aiwowowo. The most infuriating thing is that he pestered Niu Niu to call him brother-in-law and asked Niu Niu to buy him a string of candied haws!" Liu Xixi angrily put her hands on her waist and recounted the heroic deeds of Liu Weidong in detail.

"Weidong, can you still eat dinner? Let's have mutton hotpot at home tonight!" Liu Qingshan looked at the child's round belly and swallowed unconsciously.

"Dad, what I meant was that he calls Niu Niu brother-in-law! Did you hear that?" Xixi came over and pulled Liu Qingshan's arm and complained.

"Ah! Did you say that just now? He was just joking! Just don't take it seriously. If you are really unhappy, just beat him up later." Liu Qingshan said indifferently.

"You said it, don't stop me from beating him!" After saying that, Liu Xixi took out a wooden scratcher from the house and ran after Liu Weidong.

Liu Qingshan was also shocked when he saw this, and shouted loudly: "Liu Xixi, be careful, don't get hurt!"

"Dad, you just said you don't care, why did you change your mind again?" Liu Xixi stopped and stared at Liu Qingshan. Liu Weidong also ran behind Liu Qingshan at this time.

"Uh! That's not what I meant. I wanted to tell you not to break the thing in your hand. This is made of Huanghuali wood, and I quite like it!"

Liu Qingshan looked at Liu Weidong with a hint of apology, then took off his belt and replaced the Huanghuali scratcher in Xixi's hand.

"Hahaha!" Feng Yu on the side almost laughed out loud!

It was too late for Liu Weidong to run away, so he could only look for something to block his way, but he was still hit by the belt several times.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, Liu Qingshan's family did not go to his father-in-law's house to pay New Year's greetings, but went directly to his sister's new house. This year, his sister and brother-in-law moved to a new house, and before the New Year, they had made an appointment with everyone to have a party at their home on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

The family of seven rode three bicycles. Liu Weidong rode his sister's women's bicycle, carrying Liu Xixi, and kept talking all the way.

"You two, slow down and be careful." Feng Yu looked at the two unruly people and shouted loudly.

When we arrived at my sister's new house, we were all sweating from riding.

My sister's house is a courtyard house with nearly 300 square meters, located deep in the alley. The gate of the courtyard house is obviously newly painted and very bright.

Walking through the gate, a spacious courtyard came into view, with bluestone slabs on the ground. The surrounding houses had obviously been renovated, and the wooden doors and windows were painted with tung oil.

There is a pomegranate tree planted in the corner of the courtyard. It seems that the original owner of the courtyard was quite particular. The old Beijing people planted pomegranates in their courtyards, which symbolized many children and good fortune.

"Mom, Dad, uncle and aunt are here. Let's go inside and have a cup of tea." The brother-in-law came over enthusiastically and took the gift from Liu Qingshan with a smile.

My sister, this is a new house. This is the first time Liu Qingshan comes here, and he doesn’t come empty-handed.

He took out two bottles of Maotai that had been stored in the cellar at home for a long time, brought two packs of cigarettes, and also picked out a rosewood ornament from his collection as gifts.

"Wow! Qingshan, you've spent a lot of money. This wine is quite old." My brother-in-law took the bag and saw the two bottles of Moutai at a glance.

"This was something you paid for me before. It's been in my hands for almost ten years!" Liu Qingshan explained with a smile.

"This wine must be more than 20 years old. I can't bear to drink it. Let's drink something else at noon and keep this wine." My brother-in-law held the wine in his arms like a treasure.

"Brother-in-law, you are too stingy. On this day, you are reluctant to take out the good wine!" Feng Yu teased with a smile!

"It's not that your brother-in-law is stingy, it's that your husband is too generous. This wine may not be available even if you have money now. I'm keeping it as a collection!"

My brother-in-law didn't care about anything else at this moment. He just wanted to send the wine back to the room as soon as possible and put it in a safe place.

"Take another look, there are good things inside!" Liu Qingshan reminded with a smile.

"Nothing else matters. I'm satisfied with these two bottles of wine!" After saying that, my brother-in-law went back to the house with his things. He didn't even turn back when my sister came out and called him.

"Where have you been? I asked you to come out and pick someone up, but you ran away. I called you? Didn't you hear me?"

"Stop talking. My brother-in-law just got two bottles of good wine and is looking for a place to hide them now!" Liu Qingshan joked with a smile.

"Why are you hiding it? There are so many people at home at noon, you have to take it out and drink it!" The second sister looked confused. Her brother-in-law has always been generous and he doesn't have a stingy habit!

My brother-in-law had put the wine away by then, and came out again with the rosewood ornament in his hand.

"Those are two bottles of 20-year-old Moutai. How can I just drink them like that? I plan to keep them as a collection!" said my brother-in-law with a serious face.

"Twenty-year-old Moutai, hasn't that thing been drunk up yet?"