"Chinese New Year's Eve Night" Zhang Laohan put the few hard as stone steamed buns into the bamboo basket, hung them on the wall, and then sat on the old dragon circle chair that was faded and smoked leisurely

"Chinese New Year's Eve Night"

Zhang Laohan put the few hard as stone steamed buns into the bamboo basket, hung them on the wall, and then sat on the old dragon circle chair that was faded and smoked leisurely.

Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, the old clock on the table crisply rang eight times, eight o'clock, the night is already very dark, there is no light in the house, in order to save electricity, Zhang Laohan rarely turns on the lights, but he still feels that at this time the whole room is full of festive atmosphere. He was particularly happy today, because when he went to the market during the day, he met neighbors who were praising his three sons for their ability and prosperity. Neighbors also told him that his three sons had bought many new year goods and must have prepared his share. So Zhang Laohan went around the market for a long time, but he didn't buy anything and went back. In fact, the old man does not have too high requirements, according to the custom, in the Chinese New Year's Eve night the children who became a family are to send dumplings to their parents, the old man is old, eat less, he counts the three sons of the family to send a bowl, his year will pass. The old man was very happy in his heart, he thought, if his wife was still there, it would be better, her life is short, and she can bear the long sin. In the past, the family was poor, in order to let the children eat enough, the wife was starved to death, and now the children are grown up and out of work, but she can no longer see. alas! How nice it would be if she were! The old man had more regrets in his happiness.

The bell on the table interrupted him, and at nine o'clock, the old man thought to himself: Come soon, just come soon, maybe smoke another bag of cigarettes, the sons will bring the dumplings, so the old man poured another bag of cigarettes. The old man was still happy in his heart, he was guessing what kind of dumplings the sons sent were stuffed, the best boss sent the shallot stuffing, the second brother sent the leek stuffing, the third sent the radish filling, so that he could taste everything. He just sat, smoked, thought, waited, and before he knew how much he had smoked.

The clock on the table rang again, perhaps because it was too quiet outside, and this time it felt a little desolate. The old man lit another bag of cigarettes, maybe the children were too busy today, not cooked yet, wait, come soon, it is coming, the old man kept thinking in his heart, because only in this way can he forget hunger. In fact, this feeling of starvation is too familiar to Zhang Laohan, when the children are young, in order to let the children eat enough, he often works in the field hungry. That year's Chinese New Year's Eve, the family only pushed and grinded two bowls of white noodles, wrapped three bowls of dumplings, three children one bowl, he and his wife only nibbled on one nest head, alas! That year! He was too poor, but he suddenly felt that something more terrible than poverty was coming at him!

There was a heavy bell ringing on the table again, and the old man took a hard breath of his cigarette, perhaps because he smoked it too hard, and then the old man kept coughing, coughing very badly, and in such a silent night, the coughing sound seemed so desolate. "I smoked too much today." The old man talked to himself. Then he slammed the cigarette bag on his shoe twice, and a small fiery red ball fell to the ground, and the fireball was very red and bright, and it seemed that the whole house was lit up and warmed up, but it soon darkened and then went out. The old man remembered his wife again, maybe the wife was living very happily over there now, yes, it must be, anyway, it must be much better than this side, Zhang Laohan began to envy his wife, but she was also too cruel, even with Zhang Laohan did not consult with zhang laohan and left, walking was so hurried, and never came back, Zhang Laohan silently thought about all this, two lines of muddy old tears slowly fell from between his old wrinkles.

At this time, the bells on the table and the firecrackers outside rang at the same time, and the New Year has arrived! It's the beginning of another year! Zhang Laohan tried to get himself excited by the atmosphere of this festival, but the sound of firecrackers outside could not hide the heaviness and desolation of the bell on the table. Zhang Laohan sighed deeply, then turned on the light, and the room was full of white smoke, and the light seemed much darker than ever. He stood up slowly, took a heavy step to the wall, raised his head, looked silently at the bamboo basket hanging on the wall, and then held out his hand helplessly to it.