PFC Chapter 282 marks a new beginning.
Chapter 282 marks a new beginning.
The morning light on the first day of the Lunar New Year, enveloped in firecracker debris, gilded the green tiles and red walls of the capital with a layer of gold leaf.
Yuan Bao and his elder brother Bao Guo were planning to take their cousins to the Chen family to pay New Year's respects to Old Master Chen. They had already discussed this with Old Master Chen yesterday.
Yuan Bao specially changed into a dark blue woolen overcoat, with the jade brooch that Old Master Chen had given him last time pinned to the collar, while Bao Guo wore a neatly pressed Zhongshan suit, beginning to look like a handsome young man.
Xiaoshan and Pingping couldn't wait any longer, while Xiaoshi and Zitong nestled inside their woolen hats, peeking out curiously.
The group of four arrived at the Chen family mansion.
The vermilion gate of the Chen family mansion was half-closed, and red silk was wrapped around the bronze door knocker.
As soon as the door knocker was sounded, Butler Wang Bo came out with a smile: "We've been waiting for our little darlings! The old man has been talking about them since dawn!"
Passing through the hanging flower gate, the Taihu stones in the courtyard are adorned with lingering snow, and the winter plum blossoms are in full bloom, their subtle fragrance mingling with the scent of sandalwood.
In the main hall, Old Master Chen, wearing a melon-shaped hat, sat upright in a grand chair. Upon seeing Yuan Bao enter, he immediately stood up, leaning on his carved cane: "Yuan Bao, my dear granddaughter! It's been such a long time since I've seen you."
His hands, covered with age spots, gripped Yuan Bao tightly, and tears welled up in his cloudy eyes. "If it weren't for you, how could this old man have celebrated this New Year with his family?"
"Grandpa, please don't say that!" Yuan Bao quickly introduced his eldest brother Baoguo, his cousin Pingping, and his younger cousin Xiaoshan to Grandpa Chen one by one.
"Good, good, good. The children are all very energetic and good kids."
As he spoke, he took out several heavy red envelopes from the mahogany box and handed them to each person: "Take these and buy some candy!"
Xiaoshan and Pingping immediately went over to wish him a Happy New Year, and their crisp "Happy New Year, Grandpa!" made Grandpa Chen's face crinkle with laughter.
He beckoned to Uncle Wang to bring over a box of pastries, inside which Daoxiangcun jujube paste pastries and Zilaihong pastries were neatly arranged: "Come on, children, eat as much as you want, there's plenty!"
Xiao Shan had just taken a bite of the pastry when Xiao Shi reached out his paw to grab it, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Bao Guo stood to the side, rubbing his hands nervously.
Grandpa Chen looked him over and nodded, saying, "He's a reliable lad!"
He turned to Chen and instructed, "Go and bring Yuan Bao's family here! Let's have a good get-together today!" Chen immediately agreed and turned to arrange for a car.
Half an hour later, Yuan Bao and his family arrived in the Chen family's black sedan.
When my grandparents were helped out of the car, they stared at the magnificent mansion in amazement.
"This threshold is higher than our stove!" Grandma muttered softly, making Aunt Yuan and her sister-in-law cover their mouths and laugh.
Grandpa Chen personally greeted him at the second gate, and grasped his maternal grandfather's hand: "Brother, from now on we are family!"
Then he led everyone into the reception room.
Upon arriving at the reception room, Old Master Chen and Boss Chen greeted everyone and asked them to take their seats.
Old Master Chen gently pressed his grandfather into the carved chair beside him, his withered fingers patting his grandfather's calloused hand lightly: "Old brother, we have to have a good chat today!"
Turning to Uncle Wang, he instructed, "Bring tea! Bring out my thirty-year-old Pu'er tea!"
Before long, the tea was served.
Mr. Yuan picked up his celadon teacup, gazing at the clear tea liquor, and said with a hint of restraint, "Mr. Chen, it is our Yuan family's good fortune that Bao'er has won your favor. She is young and may not know any better, so please bear with her."
"What are you saying!" Old Master Chen slammed his hand on the armrest, causing the teacup on the table to tremble slightly. "If it weren't for Bao'er, I would have lost my life long ago!"
He looked at Yuan Bao sitting opposite him, his cloudy eyes filled with affection, "Now she is my Chen family's granddaughter, who dares to say a word against it!"
Chen, standing to the side, smiled as he poured tea for Yuan's mother, the tea rippling in the white porcelain cup: "Auntie, if you need any help in the future, just let me know. Beijing isn't that big, but it's not that small either, so it's convenient for us to step in on some things."
......
Soon it was noon. In the banquet hall, the carved round tables were covered with festive red silk. There were three large tables, each with twelve hot dishes already prepared.
The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in the center is steaming, with sea cucumber and abalone appearing and disappearing in the rich broth;
The roast duck chef carves the duck on the spot, and as the knife flashes, glistening pieces of duck skin fly off.
Grandpa Chen insisted that Yuan Bao sit next to him, and then pulled Xiao Shan and Ping Ping to his lap: "Come on, before we eat, would you like to put on a show for us?"
Xiao Shan scratched his head, then suddenly burst into singing a nursery rhyme he'd learned at school: "New Year's Day is here, wear a flowery jacket, firecrackers pop and crackle..."
Pingping clapped along to the rhythm, and Zitong meowed in response.
Grandpa Chen laughed until tears streamed down his face, then pulled a handful of fruit candies from his pocket and scattered them on the table: "Good! Good! The children are all wonderful; the future rests on your shoulders..."
After a few rounds of drinks, Old Master Chen looked particularly happy and raised his glass again to emphasize, "The reason I'm able to live a few more years is all thanks to Bao Ya."
He looked at Mr. and Mrs. Yuan, somewhat confused, and said, "From now on, Bao'er will be my granddaughter. If you have any difficulties, just let me know!"
Mr. Yuan quickly stood up, holding the wine glass with both hands: "Mr. Chen, you flatter me! It's Bao'er's good fortune to have you value her!"
Fueled by alcohol, the uncle mustered his courage and mentioned that his family planned to move to Beijing to develop their business, and that he wanted to start a freight company.
Boss Chen put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "I know this stuff! I'll have someone take you to the warehouse in the outskirts of Beijing and find the supply channels!"
Yuan Bao looked at his uncle with surprise, but his uncle's ears turned bright red as he lowered his head and ate his rice with gusto.
Xiaoshan and Pingping had already slipped off the table and were playing hide-and-seek with the kitten in the corridor.
Xiao Shi chased Zi Tong into the artificial hill, but was startled by the sudden appearance of Chen's big orange cat, which made him bristle and leap up to the treetop, amusing the old servant who was watching the yard.
After dinner, Grandpa Chen beckoned to Uncle Wang to bring a fishing rod, and took the children to the ice pond in the backyard to fish: "Catch a live fish for the New Year, and you'll have abundance every year!"
As the sun set, the Chen family's kitchen served fried glutinous rice balls again.
The piping hot glutinous rice balls are coated with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts; when you bite into them, the syrup oozes all over your hands.
Yuan Bao looked at the two families sitting around the round table. Grandpa Chen was serving food to his maternal grandfather, while Boss Chen, Yuan's father, uncle, and aunt's husband were chatting enthusiastically. Xiao Shan and Ping Ping were chasing a kitten with glutinous rice balls in their hands. Suddenly, Yuan Bao felt his eyes welling up with tears.
Before parting, Grandpa Chen stuffed a heavy red envelope into everyone's hands, and then asked Uncle Wang to bring over two baskets of Beijing white pears: "These are from our own orchard, have a taste!"
As the car started, Xiaoshan rolled down the window and shouted, "Grandpa, next time I'll bring Xiaoshi to show you how to catch mice!" Grandpa Chen smiled and waved, his white hair fluttering in the wind like a warm cloud.
On the way back, the car was still filled with the aroma of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
As Yuan's mother touched the red envelope, she exclaimed, "I never dreamed that we could become relatives with the Chen family."
As Yuan Bao gazed at the lanterns gradually lighting up outside the car window, he recalled the plaque with the inscription "Harmony in the Family Brings Prosperity in All Things" hanging in Grandpa Chen's study. Suddenly, he felt that this New Year was not only about reunion, but also about a new beginning.