He was reborn and I wasn't!

Time passed quickly, and it was the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month in a blink of an eye.As the new year was approaching, Jiang Yan had already removed the quilt from the bed and threw the quilt in the basin outside. He was now staring at the exposed cotton wool in a daze.

Today is a rare sunny day in the continuous cloudy and snowy days in the past two months. Jiang Yan thought that he would have to renew and clean up during the New Year.Therefore, taking advantage of the good weather today, he took the quilt apart and took the cotton wool out to dry in the sun.

It's a pity that it's a pleasure to remove the quilt for a while, but it's heartbreaking to sew the quilt.Sitting on a chair, Jiang Yan looked solemnly at the large spread of thick cotton wadding on the kang, several large pieces of cotton cloth and scattered needles and threads.He frowned, and his bright red lips pouted unconsciously. Looking from the side, he could see the full bead of his upper lip more clearly.

This is what Shang Ning saw when he entered the door.

He couldn't see his senior brother's distressed appearance, so he stepped forward and said, "I'll do it." After saying that, Shang Ning threaded the scattered needlework and put it on the table beside him.Then he picked up several large pieces of cotton, put one in the center of the cotton, and covered each of the four corners, just covering the entire cotton.After covering it, he took the needle and thread from the table beside him, and began to sew carefully according to the laid shape.

Shang Ning seemed to be focusing all his attention on the work in his hand, he stared at the joint of the quilt, and kept moving the needle in his hand.He sewed very carefully and meticulously, the stitches were dense, and each piece was about the same length.After finishing one stitch, he was about to bite the thread with his teeth when he felt his chin being gently grasped.Shang Ning raised his eyes, and saw his senior brother looking at him with a smile, resting his chin with one hand, and cutting the thread with scissors in the other.

Jiang Yan smiled and said: "Cut it with scissors. This thread has been exposed outside and left in the cabinet for so long, you don't think it's dirty, so be careful of worms in your stomach."

Shang Ning smiled and said, "Okay." Jiang Yan let go, and he took the scissors and put them on the table, and tied the end of the thread near the quilt.Shang Ning's hands were extremely dexterous, and when he lowered his head to do things, his eyelashes drooped, straight and long.His face is still a little childish, but judging from his bones and facial features, he has begun to look like a young man.

Jiang Yan really became happier and more satisfied the more he watched.Such a good seedling turned out to be his junior brother!It's just that he looked at it, and found that Shang Ning's ears were quietly turning red, and the movements of his hands became a little unnatural.Jiang Yan sighed secretly, his little junior brother was still so shy easily, and he would blush when he looked at him twice.

In order not to delay Shang Ning sewing the quilt, Jiang Yan had no choice but to give up the opportunity to watch it, picked up the old quilt that was abandoned aside, and pretended to be nonchalant: "I will take this to the big basin outside. Come, let her wash together."

Shang Ning hummed in a low voice.

When Xiao Hua came, Jiang Yan just brought out a large basin full of clothes.He glanced at the other party and saw that her hair was not as messy as usual, and was tied up neatly.Although the clothes on her body were old, they were clean and tidy, and looked much warmer than the previous one with holes everywhere.

Jiang Yan thought that Xiaohua's life should be better than before.He placed the basin near the well and asked casually, "Where have you been staying these days? It's getting colder and colder now, do you have a place to go? If you don't mind, you can sleep in the firewood room next to my door." .”

Seeing that he didn't give too many surprised glances at her change, Xiao Hua dissipated a little of the lingering tension in her heart.She smiled and replied: "No, no, I'm in the monk's temple. It's almost Chinese New Year, and some rooms in the temple are open for us to live in. I also help the monks cook, so I got a separate room, and I also have quilts at night." build."

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "That's good."

Xiaohua poured the well water into a big basin, and sprinkled a handful of firewood ash into it. She picked up the mallet and hammered it while laughing: "Yes, I think my life will get better and better!" It is full of ignorant longing and yearning for the future.

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "Yes."

Xiaohua has washed her clothes at Jiang Yan's place for more than ten times in the past two months, and now she has quick hands and feet, and it didn't take long for her clothes to be washed clean.Although it was sunny today, the snow on the ground had not yet melted, so she hung all her clothes to dry in the side room.

After she finished her work, she saw Jiang Yan walking over with something in one hand and a red envelope in the other, and smiled at her: "You usually do a good job with me, and I didn't give you any rewards. It’s New Year’s Eve, so let’s take these as lucky money for you, and there’s also the key to the firewood house. Although you have a place to live now, if you need it in the next two months, you can go in.”

As he said, he put the cotton hat he was holding on Xiaohua's head with one hand, and stuffed the red seal into her hand with the other.Inside the red envelope was a key and fifteen copper coins, five of which were Xiao Hua's money for washing clothes, and ten of which were the lucky money Jiang Yan gave her.He bought the cotton hat before. He thought that he and Shang Ning had new clothes to wear, so he also bought a hat for Xiaohua to keep out the cold, and gave it to her when she came to wash clothes for the last time years ago.

This was the first time in Xiaohua's memory that she received lucky money and such a formal gift, and the other party still believed in her and was willing to give her a shelter in case of emergency.She was so happy that she even wanted to cry a little.She didn't want to make people feel unlucky before the new year, so she solemnly took over the red seal.Xiaohua carefully put it into her lapel, straightened her hat, suppressed the emotion in her heart, waved her hand and ran away: "Thank you, my son, a good man has a safe life! See you in the next year!"

Jiang Yan smiled and waved goodbye to her as she watched the shrinking figure.

He didn't close the door until he couldn't see the little dot any more, and locked it up like other households, preparing to welcome the New Year in the house.

***

It was New Year's Eve, and Shang Ning woke up early in the morning.

The heat on the kang was extremely warm, even after a night there was still warmth.A small pot of charcoal fire was placed on the open space of the small bedroom, and it was almost burning at this time, with a faint red light that was not exhausted inside.Shang Ning and his senior brother slept together under a thick quilt, the edges of which were tied tightly.He slept very warmly and soundly throughout the night, and was not affected by the cold poison on his legs at all.

Shang Ning got up, put on his clothes and got out of bed.The clothes on him were chosen by his brother. The fabric is soft, the cotton inside is thick, and the color is red.He is actually not used to wearing such bright colors, but Jiang Yan said that he should wear festive ones during the New Year.He specially chose a darker maroon red for Shang Ning, saying that Shang Ning is not too white, and wearing too bright red would make her look darker.

Shang Ning didn't understand these things, so he would wear whatever his senior brother asked him to wear.He just felt that the clothes were really thick and comfortable, and it was easy to move around.Although it looks bulging, but no outsiders in the house can see it.

He didn't disturb his senior brother when he got up, Jiang Yan was still huddled under the blanket, quietly, his face flushed from sleep due to the heat.He seemed to be very afraid of the heat, and quietly pushed the quilt open a crack.Seeing this, Shang Ning fished his brother back a bit, then covered him with the quilt carefully, sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him for a while, then gently opened the door and went out.

It was very bright outside the door, and when I looked up, there was a vast expanse of whiteness.The ground is thick white, the branches are heavy white, and there are swirling snowflakes like goose feathers in the sky, and the breath is dry and fresh.Shang Ning's body was still hot from the bedroom, and he was wearing thick clothes, with wrapped cotton shoes on his feet, so although he felt the chill hit his face, his body was not cold at all.

He got up to make breakfast for his senior brother, the kitchen was just across the wall, and Shang Ning only took two steps to get there.

The kitchen was a bit gloomy and cold, Shang Ning opened the stove door, poked the fire with tongs, and saw that Martian spit out a little red tongue, and began to add firewood inside.After a while, the inside of the stove burned up.

Jiang Yan woke up to the smell of food.He was attracted by the smell, but he was addicted to sleep and refused to wake up.Jiang Yan reluctantly opened his eyes until he heard the door being pushed open and then closed, and his junior brother came over and shook him gently.

Shang Ning sat on the bed and looked at him. Seeing that his senior brother had woken up, he hurriedly said, "Get up and eat. I steamed steamed buns and bacon, and fried a hot and sour cabbage."

It sounds delicious, Jiang Yan thought in a daze.

Then Shang Ning saw his senior brother sitting up, his black hair draped down his back, and his inner garment was also wrinkled from sleep, revealing the slightly thin chest of a young man inside.His senior brother's face was still red with the blush of just waking up, and his eyes were misty looking over.

Jiang Yan managed to find Shensi back, but at a glance, his junior brother looked at him and blushed: "..."

His junior brother is too easily shy, he is just a little disheveled!

Shang Ning turned his eyes away, walked over and lifted the covered bowl.For a while, the aroma in the room became stronger, and even Jiang Yan breathed an alluring fragrance that made people's index fingers move.

Jiang Yan felt a little hungry.

Shang Ning said: "Brother, get up and get dressed, I'll clean up the kang, and we'll have dinner."

Jiang Yan nodded, got out of bed, and stood beside the kang to get dressed.

Shang Ning climbed onto the kang and folded the bedding, then pulled a small table, and served the meat, vegetables and steamed buns on the tray.

Jiang Yan was too lazy to cramp, so he didn't even comb his hair. He tied it loosely behind his head and went to the kang with his junior brother to have breakfast.

After breakfast, the two of them take a shower.Jiang Yan still didn't intend to ask Shang Ning to help him tie his hair, but just found out the new clothes the two of them wore when they left the house.

After Shang Ning and his senior brother got dressed, they went to the yard and stood for a stick of incense as usual.

Jiang Yan wasn't able to persevere like this originally, but his junior brother is a person who can really practice Sanjiu in winter and Sanfu in summer.As a senior brother, although he has a thick skin, he couldn't stand his senior brother getting up early to cook him breakfast.He eats people and has a short mouth, so he stands up with him.

After standing up, Shang Ning practiced boxing for a while, and the two went back to the house, changed their clothes, and sat on the kang together to pass the time.

Jiang Yan read the stories in the storybook to Shang Ning.

The story is about a fox fairy who fell in love with a scholar.The fox fairy was born extremely beautiful, and the scholar was also very handsome.One person and one fox became neighbors by chance, and after several visits and helping each other, they developed into a love affair between humans and foxes.

They love each other and live happily for a while, but it is a pity that the scholar will go to Beijing to take the exam in the next year.The fox fairy made a lot of troubles for the scholar, and he made a promise with the fox fairy that he would marry her dignifiedly in the coming year and let her be the wife of the number one scholar.As a result, the scholar passed the exam, but married the daughter of the prime minister's family.The fox fairy who waited idly was heartbroken upon hearing the news, and ran all the way to the capital to see the scholar, hoping to ask for an explanation.In the end, he saw the scholar was seriously ill in bed, and the fox fairy tried his best to save the scholar. He lost his life span of thousands of years and could only become an ordinary woman.The daughter of the prime minister's family was moved by her true feelings, and finally agreed to her husband to take a concubine, and the three of them lived a peaceful life from then on.

This story is very clichéd. After Jiang Yan read the beginning, he basically knew the ending.He said: "This is not interesting, it seems that three copies of a copper plate are not good."

Shang Ning seldom heard such stories. He thought for a while, and said, "Why did the scholar not keep his word? He treated the fox fairy so badly, why did the fox fairy save him?"

Jiang Yan always felt that this kind of story was very nonsense, so he immediately said: "Maybe the person who wrote this story is an unsuccessful scholar. What, the more I like to think about it."

Shang Ning nodded.

Jiang Yan continued: "If I were a fox fairy, I wouldn't care about this heartless guy. I have magic powers, and I'm good-looking. I can find many more men than scholars."

Shang Ning blinked: "But this fox fairy likes scholars."

Jiang Yan smiled and said: "This is the most unreasonable part of the whole story. The writing is really ugly. No one can't help but want to live and die for the other party once they see the other party's good looks."

Shang Ning said: "Isn't there a saying of love at first sight?"

Jiang Yan said with a smile: "There is still a difference between love at first sight and deep-rooted love."

The two talked for a while, and Jiang Yan calculated that it was almost noon, and it was time to cook the New Year's Eve dinner.

So Jiang Yan and his junior brother went into the kitchen, Shang Ning was cooking, and Jiang Yan helped him.The two of them have a lot to do. After all, tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and they can't use a knife to make new dishes. Naturally, they need to prepare more today.

Jiang Yan used one of the pots to boil water, and was going to wash the vegetables with cold water later.After waiting for the water to boil, he thought for a while, turned back to the bedroom and brought in the burning charcoal basin, and said with a smile, "This way it will be warmer next door."

Shang Ning nodded.

He was taking down the bacon and salted fish hanging on the wall, and was going to slice the meat and chop the fish into pieces, and steam them both.Shang Ning has been practicing martial arts for less than half a year, although the cold poison in his body has not disappeared much, but his strength has improved.The frozen bacon was a bit hard, so he asked him to cut it into pieces with a razor blade to reveal the bright color inside.After cutting, he put the meat slices and fish pieces on a plate, put them together with the steamed buns into a large steamer and steam them on the left pot.

Just at this time, Jiang Yan also boiled the water. He poured the water into the bucket and emptied the pot for Shang Ning.Jiang Yan took a basin and poured some cold water in the tank, then poured some hot water in the bucket, and began to pick and wash the cabbages, shake them after washing, and put them all into the small basin on the side. a pot.

When Jiang Yan was washing the cabbage, his eyes caught sight of the potatoes piled next to the cabbage, and he remembered that he had eaten potatoes buried in ashes in Liangzhou in the northwest.After thinking about it, he also picked up a few and prepared to bury them in the charcoal basin, thinking that he could eat them with sauce later.

Just as Shang Ning finished handling the chicken, he put it into a pot with water and stewed it. He turned around and saw his brother squatting in front of the charcoal basin to bury the potatoes.Jiang Yan stuffed a few gray potatoes into the bottom of the basin, and then pulled the ashes back with a spoon.

He was very happy when he did this, and his eyes were full of anticipation for cooked potatoes, full of longing like a child.Shang Ning watched in silence for a while, then chopped some ginger and garlic, poured some oil and vinegar, and prepared to deep-fry and make sauce for dipping potatoes.He is currently stewing chicken in the pot, and he is going to make broth later and stir-fry hot and sour cabbage.Including the steamed bacon, steamed pickled fish, and his brother's steamed potatoes, there are six dishes in total. It's not bad for two people, and there will be a lot left for tomorrow.

The kitchen was very quiet for a while, only the sound of the fire in the stove and the splashing of water in the pot.However, neither Jiang Yan nor Shang Ning felt embarrassed by the silence, and they both looked at each other with the joy of having a good meal for a while.

After all the dishes were ready, Shang Ning and Jiang Yan each had a tray and carried the dishes and steamed buns into the bedroom.

The two of them sat down on the hot kang again, with a few small bowls in front of each of them, the one for soup, the one for adding vegetables, and the one for steamed buns.

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "It's starting!"

Shang Ning also nodded with a smile: "Well, let's eat."

Jiang Yan picked up the chopsticks first, then showed a happy expression, and said with a smile: "Little brother, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"

Shang Ning smiled and said, "It's just as long as you like to eat."

Jiang Yan said with a smile: "I'm serious, I remember when we were still in the mountains, you didn't have such a good craft."

Shang Ning said with a smile: "If you do too much, you will be fine."

Jiang Yan disagreed: "No way, some people have cooked the meal many times and it still tastes the same. Let me tell you, when I was out in the rivers and lakes, I made a lot of friends. One year, I and two or three I was celebrating Chinese New Year in Liangzhou in Northwest China. At that time, I was the only big man who didn’t know how to cook. But so what? They bought a bunch of vegetables and cooked them, but there were not many who could eat them. , either it was too hard to chew, or it was too salty, but they still thought I was squeamish, but it pissed me off. You don't know how desperate I was at that time. When the so-called heroes gather together, the smell in the room is unbelievable, but I'm still eating."

When he said this, he had an unbearable look on his face.

Shang Ning suddenly asked, "Are you celebrating the New Year with many people?"

Jiang Yan thought about it, and said: "I guess, I celebrate the New Year with my parents at home, and I also spend it with Liang Zhiping. When I went out to the rivers and lakes, I spent the New Year with others for two years. Now I will celebrate the New Year with you, little brother."

Shang Ning said: "I can't remember many things clearly in the past, but now I only remember celebrating the New Year with you."

Jiang Yan was stunned for a moment, wondering if his junior brother had thought of the sad things about his parents.He rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "Remember how good I am. Apart from my parents, I will have the happiest New Year with you. So my younger brother must be very happy to celebrate New Year with me!"

Shang Ning smiled, and said, "Yes."

The two were talking while eating the New Year's Eve dinner. Candles were already lit in the room, the kang was very warm, and a charcoal basin was still burning in the bedroom.Although only two people are celebrating the new year, they still have a comfortable and happy time.

The two ate for a while, and Jiang Yan felt that it was almost done, so he said: "I will stop eating, and I will make dumplings for the New Year later. Let's eat some dumplings and go to sleep after the time is over."

Shang Ning nodded.

So the two of them packed up the dishes and took them back to the kitchen.The sky outside the door was already dark, and the moonlight was still glowing in the snow. Jiang Yan had hung a bright red lantern at the door as early as yesterday, and it was lit before eating. The individual's shadow stretches very long.

The two of them brought the dumpling stuffing and dumpling wrappers that had been prepared before from the kitchen, and brought them to the small table in the bedroom together.Jiang Yan and Shang Ning talked while making dumplings on the kang, and Jiang Yan told Shang Ning some anecdotes about the world.What he said was full of wit and wit, without rambling at all, and Shang Ning always had a smile on his face when he listened.

Jiang Yan doesn't know how to make dumplings very much. In previous years, he just sat on the table during Chinese New Year, and someone brought him dumplings.Now it's his turn to wrap the dumpling. Looking at Shang Ning's wrapping method, he found it troublesome, so he simply stuffed a little more filling into the round dumpling wrapper, and then grabbed it with both hands, directly pulling the round dumpling wrapper into the shape of a bun.It's just that he didn't have the skills to twist the ends into flowers, so he had to pull them thinly, and a large portion protruded from the ends, which looked a bit like a money bag.

Jiang Yan was not ashamed, but rather proud, and proudly said: "Look, little brother, you made dumplings, and I made money bags. From this point of view, I will definitely be a person who can make a lot of money in the future."

Shang Ning just laughed, but didn't answer.His senior brother is the only son of the richest man in the south of the Yangtze River, and he will do nothing in the future. The inheritance left by Jiang's father is enough for him to squander his whole life. This is another way to make a lot of money.

The two wrapped up slowly, talking from time to time, as time passed, there was a sudden sound of firecrackers outside.

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "It's time!"

Shang Ning also smiled: "I'll steam the dumplings."

Jiang Yan said: "Okay, then I'll take out the firecrackers. After you steam the dumplings, we'll set off firecrackers together. Go back and eat the dumplings."

Shang Ning smiled and nodded.

Firecrackers are actually burning bamboo in the courtyard to make it crackling, which is said to drive away evil spirits and plague gods.Jiang Yan didn't really believe this, but it was a good thing, not to mention that Shang Ning was still sick, so he would rather believe it, and bought firecrackers to set off.

The two of them watched for a long time in the cold night the sparks burst out from the bamboos and they burned for a long time. When it was finally burnt out, Jiang Yan let out a long sigh of relief and said with a smile: "The bad things of this year are over, and the next year will be the same." Good luck! May we all be safe and healthy!"

Shang Ning looked at him, his brows softened unconsciously, and he smiled, "Safe and healthy!"

The two of them went back to the house to serve dumplings, which filled a large plate.When the two of them sat down, they made each other a dumpling in unison.When the chopsticks collided with each other, Jiang Yan and Shang Ning smiled tacitly, biting together, and sure enough, they both ate a copper coin from the dumpling given to them by the other party.

At this point, the lottery was almost finished, and the two began to eat dumplings wholeheartedly.They made pork and cabbage dumpling, and the filling made by Shang Ning was a bit bland, so it went well with the dipping sauce in the bowl.Jiang Yan and Shang Ning were steaming from their heads as they ate, and finally finished the whole plate.

According to the custom, on New Year's Eve, one has to keep the year old until the fifth watch.Jiang Yan didn't think it was necessary, and he and his junior brother couldn't stay up that late, so it's better to go to bed early, so as not to feel sleepy the next day.Thinking of this, Jiang Yan and Shang Ning cleaned up the dishes, washed and washed, lit the kang, lighted the charcoal basin, and went to bed.

A good night's sleep.

The next day, Jiang Yan and Shang Ning woke up to the sound of a new round of firecrackers.It was rare for Jiang Yan not to stay in bed, and after getting up to eat and stand up with his junior brother, he was ready to put up Spring Festival couplets together.The Spring Festival couplets were written by Jiang Yan himself, and he has gained a little fame by copying books. At least the neighbors in this room know that he can read, and they all bring bright red strips of paper to ask him to write.Although Jiang Yan's literary talent is not very good, a few couplets of blessings can still be handled, and he wrote several couplets on the spot.His handwriting is beautiful and has a strong character. At least he didn't disappoint the illiterate neighbors just from his appearance.

Jiang Yan and Shang Ning planned to put one pair on the gate and one pair on the bedroom door.The two of them first pasted it on the door of the bedroom, and after it was finished, they walked to the door with the red Spring Festival couplets and paste.

I didn't expect to find something wrong in this walk.

Jiang Yan has internal strength, and his ear power is far better than ordinary people.Before he reached the gate, he heard some movement in the firewood room next to the gate, and there were faint voices, and it seemed that there was more than one person.

Jiang Yan was suspicious, and quickly stopped Shang Ning.It's the New Year's Eve, or the first day of the new year, so who can go to other people's woodsheds?

Jiang Yan said: "Little brother, you wait here for a while, I'll go and have a look."

He was about to leave when he finished speaking when his sleeve was grabbed.Jiang Yan looked back and saw Shang Ning looking at him.Although the situation was unclear at the moment, Jiang Yan thought it was a bit funny, his padded jacket was so tightly cuffed, it was hard for his junior brother to grab it.

Shang Ning said, "I'll go with you."

There was no expression on his face, but Jiang Yan insisted on seeing the firmness of "I'm going" from his little junior brother's eyes.

He smiled helplessly: "Okay, follow me closely."

Shang Ning nodded.

The two approached the firewood room carefully all the way. As soon as Jiang Yan walked to the door, she heard an immature female voice: "Wake up, don't freeze to death!"

The voice was familiar, it was Xiao Hua!

Jiang Yan and Shang Ning looked at each other and stepped in together.

There are tall piles of firewood in the firewood room, and Xiaohua is wearing the clothes she saw Jiang Yan last time, talking anxiously in front of a man leaning on the pile of firewood, as if trying to wake him up.

Jiang Yan said: "What's going on?"

Xiaohua suddenly raised her head, saw him as if seeing a savior, and said in a hurry: "Young Master Jiang, look at Uncle, he is motionless, is it, is it freezing..." She sobbed a little and didn't say anything .

Jiang Yan took a step closer and took a look. Although the man's eyes were closed, his breathing was steady, his inner breath was long, and his temples were bulging.Although his clothes were simple and messy, they were thick, and he wore a long knife at his waist. The scabbard was thick and simple, with fine lines.

Jiang Yan was a little secretly startled, and at the same time a little annoyed by Xiaohua.After all, he originally thought that Xiaohua's uncle was a reckless man, but he didn't expect that he turned out to be a master insider.Although he gave Xiao Hua the key to the firewood house, he never told her to bring someone else back. If this person has other purposes, it's not certain what will happen between him and Shang Ning.

But he looked at Xiao Hua anxiously tearing up, and didn't say these words for the time being.He smelled a strong smell of alcohol from this unshaven uncle, thinking that he had never heard of a martial arts master who was frozen to death for nothing, and seeing the smell of alcohol must be drunk, he relieved Xiaohua said: "No, he's not frozen, he's—"

Before Jiang Yan finished talking, the man in front of him suddenly opened his eyes.Jiang Yan's face was reflected in those eyes, he was confused at first, and then flashed a huge surprise.He shot like lightning, grabbed Jiang Yan's wrist very quickly, and shouted: "Wanwan!"