Reborn in 1977

January 27th, the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, New Year's Eve.

The sky was just beginning to brighten when Chen Fan got up to wash. His little apprentices wouldn't be coming today. They wanted to, but their master didn't allow it, so he had to do all the sweeping, cleaning, and cooking himself today.

He couldn't very well let his uncle and cousin do it, even if they knew how.

He got dressed and went downstairs, checking the rooms on the first floor. Both doors were tightly closed. Chen Fan perked up his ears and could clearly hear the sounds of breathing from inside the rooms.

They were all sound asleep.

Fine, no need to rush to make breakfast.

He put on the big-toed leather shoes that Captain Xiao had given him the year before, pulled open the door, and a expanse of white filled his vision.

Well, it had only been clear for a few days, and last night it had started snowing again. In half a night, the earth was covered in white snow again.

He stepped over the threshold, closed the door behind him, and walked through the eaves gallery towards the back of the house.

At this moment, the kitchen door suddenly opened inward, and a dog's head poked out. Looking at Chen Fan's back, Duoduo happily wagged its tail and chased after him along the eaves gallery.

Qiuqiu followed closely behind, but neither dog barked, only whimpered, their tails wagging like fans, clearly very happy.

When he reached the back stable, the two horses and two sheep were sleeping soundly. However, as soon as Chen Fan walked up to them, the two horses snorted and opened their eyes to look around. When they saw who it was, they immediately turned over and stood up, even letting out soft neighs.

Chen Fan stepped forward, first patting the heads of the two horses, then pulling some fodder to feed them.

After they had eaten enough, he put saddles on both of them.

Although he had been busy these past few days, eating out every day, Chen Fan still worked overtime when he got home at night to make a new saddle. One new and one old, he put them both on.

Then he rode the small horse towards the front yard.

When he reached the front, several birds were startled awake. The hobby and the gyrfalcon circled in the air, and even the myna bird peeked its head out of the nest, cooing a few times, but not calling out.

Only the panda enclosure remained quiet as ever. The three giant pandas were sleeping soundly in their house, comparable to Zhou Yali and the two golden monkeys beside her pillow.

Wearing gloves, Chen Fan lightly shook the reins, and the little horse immediately ran down the slope, then turned east and went onto the levee.

The small mare followed closely beside, half a body length behind, lightly treading through the snow.

Following the levee north, it wasn't long before they reached the Lujiawan Wharf of the 7th Team.

Although a wharf had been built downstream due to the Lujiawan Industrial Park in Nanhai Commune, this wharf of the 7th Team was still in use, mainly for the transportation team to supply the prefectural committee and Gufeng County with poultry, braised food, vegetables, and other materials, as well as to supply large units such as the machinery factory and the cotton mill.

Every morning at 7 o'clock, a boat would depart from here, delivering goods to the Chengnan Freight Wharf of the Prefectural Committee and the wharf in the county town.

So it was very lively here in the morning.

When Chen Fan arrived, the transportation team was loading cages of poultry onto the boat.

The two horses were particularly conspicuous in the snow. Before he could get close, two people came up to greet him. Chen Fan saw from afar that they were Yang Jiamin and Xiao Huaqiang, who had gone to Shanghai with him before.

After returning from Shanghai, the two of them got married not long after, and then retired from the militia company, giving up their status as members of the direct militia班 under the brigade and becoming full-time transportation team members.

It was also good luck, avoiding the hustle of being conscripted.

A little closer, Yang Jiamin shouted, "Teacher Chen, why are you here so early today? Is something the matter?"

Chen Fan dismounted, threw the reins on the horse's back, didn't bother to tie it up, and walked straight over, "I need your help with something."

He walked up to them, took out a cigarette and handed it over, lighting one for himself as well.

Yang Jiamin took the cigarette and lit it, laughing, "Don't say you need our help, I'm scared. Just tell us what's up, we'll do whatever you say."

Chen Fan looked at him, then at Xiao Huaqiang, and smiled, "I remember you guys use vans to deliver goods, right? When you come back after delivering the goods later, please go to the cotton mill to pick up my girlfriend."

After a pause, he explained, "I didn't want to bother you, but it's snowing, and I'm worried it's not safe for them to come by bus…"

Chen Fan nodded, "That's good, when the Lujiawan Industrial Park develops in the future, you'll be busy."

After chatting for a while, all the goods had been loaded onto the boat, and Yang Jiamin and Xiao Huaqiang said goodbye and left.

Chen Fan could park his car at the Chengnan Freight Wharf of the Prefectural Committee, but Secretary Yang and the others were reluctant, so every time they delivered goods, they would put a gangplank on the boat and drive the car onto the boat to take it with them.

Watching the two of them steadily drive the car onto the boat, and the freighter slowly leave the shore, Chen Fan waved goodbye to the people who came to deliver the goods, and then rode away.

He didn't go back to the 6th Team, nor did he go from the 7th Team, but went through the small paths in the fields, straight to the 5th Team.

Today's situation was special. He wouldn't enter other people's houses on New Year's Eve. When he met people watching the door, Chen Fan would just smile and greet them, but wouldn't go inside.

He didn't dismount until he reached the gate of Fourth Master Lu's house.

Fourth Master Lu was quietly busy at home. The old man was alone, but he didn't look lonely or desolate at all. The door of the main room was open, letting the wind and snow blow in, while he was busy in the kitchen, obviously preparing the New Year's Eve feast.

Chen Fan walked in, craned his neck to look, and laughed, "Life is good, you got such a big rooster."

Fourth Master Lu turned around and held up a ball of egg rolls, "Your rooster lays eggs?"

Chen Fan wasn't embarrassed, and said with his hands behind his back, "Your hen has a big comb, almost as big as a rooster's."

Fourth Master Lu snorted twice, put away the cleaned chicken, then washed his hands clean, and said at the same time, "I heard that your uncle has come, you're not busy with the reunion dinner at home, what are you doing here?"

Chen Fan smiled, "I'm here to take you over for the reunion."

"Reunion?"

Fourth Master Lu wiped his hands clean with a rag, looked at him in surprise, "Even if you recognize me as your master, you should come to pay New Year's respects on the first day of the new year, what kind of reunion are you talking about? This is unreasonable!"

Chen Fan followed him out, and said with a smile, "The truth is also determined by people. There was no Spring Festival a hundred years ago, but now people are used to celebrating the Spring Festival."

In ancient times, people celebrated "New Year's Day", not January 1st in the Gregorian calendar, but the first day of the first lunar month, which was called the sacrifice to the year's beginning, and there was also the saying of celebrating the "first month".

Even the "first month" was not fixed at the beginning. The Xia Dynasty used the first month as the first month, the Shang Dynasty designated the twelfth lunar month as the first month, and the Zhou Dynasty designated the 11th month of the Xia calendar as the first month.

The Han Dynasty was even more outrageous. Xu Shen explained the word "year" in "Shuowen Jiezi" as: "Year, the grain is ripe."

That is, when the grain is ripe, it is "year".

According to this statement, the Lunar calendar in August and September is the New Year.

The "Book of Songs · July" also has the record of "In September, the frost is cleared, and in October, the threshing floor is cleaned. Friends drink and feast, saying that they kill lambs. Climb to the public hall, call that rhinoceros horn cup, and live forever."

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it was officially determined that the first month of the Xia calendar was the first month, and the first day of the year was the first day of the first month. From then on, the first day of the first month as New Year's Day has been used until the end of the Qing Dynasty.

In July 1913, Zhu Qiqian suggested to Yuan Shikai that four festivals be established annually based on folk traditions: the first day of the lunar year as the Spring Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival as the Summer Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival as the Autumn Festival, and the Winter Solstice as the Winter Festival, with a one-day holiday for each festival.

However, Yuan Shikai only approved the Spring Festival.

This marked the beginning of celebrating the Spring Festival on the first day of the lunar new year.

So, the history of the Spring Festival is not very long. Of course, if you include celebrating New Year's Day and "New Year's Eve," then the history is longer. In fact, the Spring Festival is an evolution and continuation of ancient festivals such as New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, and the Lantern Festival. It's a direct lineage, so it's not an exaggeration to say that the Spring Festival has a history of more than four thousand years.

Chen Fan was just arguing with Grandpa Lu.

Grandpa Lu didn't want to bother with him. He sat upright in his chair, picked up the ceramic pot from the stove's iron plate, took a delightful sip, and then slightly raised his forehead, "I'm not going."

Seeing that the old man was unyielding, Chen Fan was in a difficult position. He pulled up a chair and sat beside him, frowning as he said, "My wife will definitely come over for the reunion dinner today, but it's not convenient to bring her here. She'll only be paying her respects tomorrow.

But you're not willing to go either. Does this mean you're planning to go back on your word?"

When Grandpa Lu heard this, even his beard couldn't help but twitch a couple of times. He shot an icy glare over, "Go back on my word? I think you're the one being outrageous."

Chen Fan clapped his hands together and sighed, "If you don't go, they can't come. Is it that you're unwilling to give, or they're afraid to take? Isn't this a confusing debt?"

The old man's eyes twitched as he listened. He finally managed to catch his breath, took another gulp of tea, and without saying another word, got up and went into the bedroom.

He came out a little later, wearing a newly changed cotton-padded coat. The coat was bulging, and who knows if there was anything hidden inside.

Chen Fan quickly stepped forward, bowed, made a gesture, and said with a smile, "Grandpa Lu, shall we go?!"

Grandpa Lu waved his hand, "Let's go."

When leaving, Grandpa Lu closed the door but didn't lock it. Then, with Chen Fan's support, he was easily helped onto the horse.

Chen Fan jumped onto his horse and still didn't take the main road, instead heading back along the small path through the fields behind.

Back at home, Chen Fan first invited Grandpa Lu to sit down in the living room. He lit the fireplace, moved it next to the sofa, then turned on the TV and made tea, asking the old man to wait a moment.

He turned and left the living room, listening carefully for any sounds. His uncle was getting up, and as for Zhou Yali, she was probably awake, but she was just tossing and turning in bed, unwilling to get up.

Looking at the time, it was exactly eight in the morning, which was still quite early, right?

He didn't bother them, first leading the two horses to the stable in the back, removing their saddles, and adding a trough of fodder before returning to the front.

By this time, his uncle had already come out, finished washing up, and was chatting with Grandpa Lu in the living room.

He didn't know what they were talking about, but they were both smiling, and the atmosphere was pretty good.

Chen Fan turned and went to the kitchen, first washing his hands and then starting to prepare breakfast.

A steamer of big meat buns, mixed with a few steamed buns, a pot of millet porridge, a plate of sliced braised meat, two warm pots of yellow wine, and two bowls of refreshing pickled vegetables, and that was it.

There was still a big meal for lunch, so breakfast could be simple.

Zhou Yali came out smelling the aroma. When she saw Grandpa Lu in the living room, she immediately blushed and quickly ran to the bathroom to wash up and tidy herself up. After that, she ran to the kitchen to question him, "Why didn't you tell me in advance that Grandpa Lu was coming? I would have gotten up earlier."

Chen Fan chuckled, "I was afraid of disturbing your sleep."

Zhou Yali covered her face, "If Grandpa Lu knows I sleep in, I'll lose all my face."

Chen Fan said, "It's okay, you don't have any face anyway."

Zhou Yali was immediately furious and was about to explode when Chen Fan stuffed a big meat bun into her mouth, "It's New Year's Eve today, no anger allowed."

She could only swallow her anger and remember it in her heart, waiting to settle the score later.

After breakfast, Chen Fan was busy preparing the big meal.

Zhou Yali didn't want to get involved in her dad's and Grandpa Lu's conversation, so she hid in the kitchen to help, but seeing her younger brother doing things haphazardly, she couldn't get involved. She could only stand aside and watch the fun.

Then she was ordered by Chen Fan to go to the panda enclosure to feed the three pandas bamboo.

Time passed little by little, and unknowingly it was 11 o'clock.

All the ingredients that should be steamed were steamed, and everything that should be fried was fried. Everything was ready, waiting only for the little wife to arrive.

Just then, the sound of a car starting came from the embankment. Chen Fan walked out of the kitchen and whistled at the myna.

The myna immediately flapped its wings and flew out.

Soon it flew back and landed on the eaves, shouting, "The wife is here, the wife is here."

Chen Fan's eyes twitched slightly. He raised his hand as if to hit it, and the myna was so frightened that it immediately flew up and hid in the forest, not daring to make a sound.

After a while, Chen Fan heard the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow and walked to the hillside to wait.

Just as Zhou Yali saw the movement and wanted to come out, leaving the pandas, two figures turned out of the woods and appeared at the bottom of the slope.

A white cloak, with the hood up, covered the whole person. Brown leather boots stepped on the snow, reflecting a rosy face, like an elf walking out of the wind and snow.

One person was at the top of the slope, and two people were at the bottom of the slope. Across the long slope, their faces were full of joyful smiles.

When the two sisters walked up the slope, Chen Fan looked at them, grinned, and said, "You're here."

Jiang Lili smiled and nodded vigorously, turned her head to look at her sister with a flushed face, and then turned back, just about to speak, when she was pounced on by a figure, "Oh, you're finally here. I've been waiting for you for so long."

Jiang Lili steadied herself, took a deep breath, looked at her cousin hanging on her, and said with a helpless smile, "Cousin, you've been waiting for a long time."

Zhou Yali let go of her, grabbed one person with each hand, and said with a smile, "It's good that you're here. Was the journey smooth?"

As she spoke, she pulled the two of them into the house, "Let me tell you, my brother made a lot of delicious food today, and Grandpa Lu is here too. Hey, do you know Grandpa Lu? You should know him, right?..."

Chen Fan turned around, watched the two sisters being pulled into the house by someone, and helplessly rubbed his head.

Okay, let's get ready to eat.

No need for anyone to help... it seems like no one is helping.

Grandpa Lu and his uncle are both elders and definitely won't move. If Zhou Yali wasn't here, Lili and Tiantian would definitely come to help, but now they are both held hostage by her, so Chen Fan can only reluctantly do it himself.

Fortunately, Teacher Chen is omnipotent, cooking and stir-frying himself. Before long, a table of sumptuous reunion dinner was on the table.

Chen Fan ran to the living room and invited everyone to take their seats in the dining room.

Then, from the storage cabinet, he found a plate of 5000-shot electric firecrackers. This is the longest firecracker currently available. In later generations, the starting point is 10,000 shots, which will not appear until the late 1980s.

He unpacked the firecrackers and spread them out in a straight line on the threshing floor. Chen Fan took out a cigarette, lit it, took a puff first, and then squatted down, preparing to light the firecrackers.

At this time, Zhou Yali ran over, "Brother, brother, can I light them?"

According to the old rules, the head of the family should light the firecrackers, but no one stopped her at this time.

Zhou Yali didn't know these rules. Zhou Zhengdong wanted to correct her, but seeing that Grandpa Lu didn't care, his future niece-in-law didn't change her expression, and Chen Fan directly handed over the cigarette, so he didn't say anything.

Chen Fan turned around and handed her the cigarette, "Be careful, run as soon as you light it."

Zhou Yali took the cigarette, squatted on the ground, and stretched it out from afar.

As soon as the fuse was lit, she turned around and ran.

Accompanied by the crisp sound of firecrackers, it was officially announced, Happy New Year!