I'm back in 1990

Chapter 302: A Continuous Lineage

At the end of August, Zeng Hong and her sister Zeng Xia came to Shanghai.

The eldest sister, Zeng Hong, was already quite pregnant, while Zeng Xia was only three months along and hadn't shown any signs of pregnancy yet. The two sisters had arranged to come to Shanghai together for a prenatal checkup.

The couple's babies are only four months apart, which means that by the end of this year or the first half of next year, there will be two more little ones in the family.

The addition of a new member to the family is a joyous occasion. Originally, this had little to do with Huang Xiaochuan; by blood, the two children were merely his cousins.

However, in Huang Xiaochuan's heart, the two children who are about to be born are his own nephews, because Huang Xiaochuan has not forgotten that when he was in the most difficult time in his previous life, his aunt and two older sisters gave him 500,000 yuan.

At that time, my uncle was seriously ill and had been in the intensive care unit. The money was going out of control. Fortunately, my uncle had acquired some businesses in his early years and had some savings to support the expensive medical expenses. Huang Xiaochuan only visited my uncle a few times during his illness and left him a little money.

Although Huang Xiaochuan is not his aunt's biological son and is only a cousin to his two older sisters, they sent him money without hesitation after learning about his situation.

Huang Xiaochuan still remembers his older sister saying to him apologetically, "Little brother! Don't think it's too little. If we didn't have so many things to do at home, we could have put together some more for you."

Huang Xiaochuan squatted on the ground and wailed, lamenting that he was a worthless and incompetent person who had caused his aunt and two older sisters to worry about him. He had always kept this in mind, but unfortunately, he was unable to repay them in his previous life. Fortunately, he had this life to give him the opportunity to repay their kindness.

Furthermore, Huang Xiaochuan was much closer to his two older sisters, Zeng Hong and Zeng Xia, than to his two older brothers. In Huang Xiaochuan's heart, Zeng Hong and Zeng Xia were his own sisters. Since he treated them as his own sisters, he naturally had to take better care of them. In the future, this place would naturally become the two sisters' maternal home.

It was Huang Xiaochuan who suggested that Zeng Xia and Zeng Hong have their postpartum confinement at the old house. Firstly, it was winter when the eldest sister was confinement, and the old house had complete and convenient living facilities, and the medical conditions at Shanghai Hospital were much better than in their hometown.

Secondly, the aunt wouldn't have to run back and forth so much. After all, the mother is the one who feels the most pain when her daughter gives birth, so having her by her side to take care of her would be the best option. Moreover, Huang Xiaochuan also loves children, and he very much hopes that the two babies who are about to be born will be the same two nieces from his previous life.

One was mischievous and clever, the other was emotionally stable from a young age. The mischievous one had a sweet tongue and could charm anyone to death, while the emotionally stable one was always the "other people's child" and her parents never had to worry about her.

Huang Xiaochuan sometimes wonders, if the parents are still the same, then the child should also be the same one, right?

"Hey bro, could you peel an apple for me?"

"Little brother, I want to eat grapes."

"Little brother, I want to eat KFC."

"Little brother"

Huang Xiaochuan, who was being bossed around, was unhappy.

"Second sister, you let your husband enjoy himself at home while you order other people's husbands around everywhere. Isn't that going too far?"

Sitting on the sofa, Zeng Xia leaned against her aunt, looking completely at ease.

"The doctor told me to keep a happy mood. Let me tell you, don't make me unhappy, or I won't be responsible if your nephew has to shave his head in the first month of the lunar year."

Well! Pregnant women are not to be trifled with! Especially when it's my own sister, she's even more untouchable.

They're both pregnant, so why is there such a big difference?

Look at your older sister, her belly is so big, but she does everything herself and never pampers herself.

But these words can only be thought in one's heart and must never be spoken aloud. You should know that many pregnant women suffer from postpartum depression, so you can't be careless.

Huang Xiaochuan quickly changed the subject.

"What does my uncle do at home?"

"What else can we do? Now that the old house has been demolished, he's living and eating at the factory. The new house is scheduled to have its roof beams put up in October, so don't forget to go back then."

"So fast? They're almost ready to put up the roof beams?"

The custom of raising the beam is a major event in the countryside of southern Jiangsu, as it relates to the family's prosperous business and the family's wealth, health, and peace.

This event usually requires advance preparation. First, an auspicious date and time are chosen, and then relatives and friends are invited to attend the ceremony.

Especially for the maternal aunt's family, it would cost a lot of money, because the beam-raising tray needed for the beam-raising ceremony was prepared by the maternal aunt's brothers.

The "shangliangpan" refers to the gifts placed on plates, which are used for the "shangliang" ceremony. Usually, there are two plates of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), stacked layer upon layer to a height of more than one meter, and the middle is reinforced with straw, just like a tower.

There were also plates of green rice dumplings, white rice dumplings, yellow rice dumplings, and red rice dumplings. They were actually glutinous rice balls, and the fillings were different depending on the color. They were stacked layer upon layer, forming a tower-like structure that was more than a meter high. The thing was so heavy that it took two strong men to lift it with a carrying pole.

There were also plates of green rice dumplings, white rice dumplings, yellow rice dumplings, and red rice dumplings. They were actually glutinous rice balls, and the fillings were different depending on the color. They were stacked layer upon layer, forming a tower-like structure that was more than a meter high. The thing was so heavy that it took two strong men to lift it with a carrying pole.

Of course, steamed buns are also indispensable. In southern Jiangsu, the meaning of steamed buns is different from that in the north. They are actually baozi, which are stacked in layers like zongzi and tuanzi to form a tower.

Other items include various pastries and fruits, carp and pork. In addition, depending on the season, when sugarcane is available, two sugarcane stalks are carried and wrapped in red paper. If there is no sugarcane, two bamboo stalks are cut from the mountain instead, symbolizing a happy and prosperous life.

The day before the roof beam is raised, these items are delivered by boat or truck to the new house of the married daughter, which is a very grand and impressive affair. This is to show the strength of the bride's family and their support for the married daughter. Therefore, in the southern Jiangsu area, daughters are also highly valued.

If Zeng Hong and Zeng Xia were to build a new house in the future, they would inform Huang Xiaochuan in advance, since Huang Xiaochuan is their brother from their maternal side. Huang Xiaochuan would then prepare all the aforementioned items and deliver them on the day chosen by his sister or younger sister.

The saying "a mother's brother is more important than her own brother" isn't just empty words; it requires real money.

However, this custom was simplified in later generations. The cakes and dumplings were no longer homemade; they could be ordered from a cake and dumpling shop and delivered directly to the door according to the appointed date.

However, Huang Xiaochuan still prefers the scene of making cakes and dumplings at home, which requires dozens of people to help. The glutinous rice is carried home in baskets, and people make rice dumplings, steamed buns, and steamed rice cakes.

Several diesel-powered stoves were set up in the drying yard in front of the door, and high-quality coke was used to heat the fire to steam the zongzi, rice dumplings, and steamed rice cakes.

The freshly steamed dumplings are incredibly delicious. They come in both meat and red bean paste fillings. To distinguish the different fillings, chopsticks are used to dip red yeast rice into the dumplings and apply it, making them quite attractive.

There was so much work that it was impossible to finish it all in one day. At night, we had to work through the night with a 200-watt light bulb on. The scene was incredibly lively; that's what you call the warmth and vitality of everyday life.

Auntie then smiled and said, "Your Uncle Qian will be bringing the beams over, so you should go back early to help receive them."

Huang Xiaochuan readily agreed: "Okay!"

The Zeng sisters, Zeng Hong and Zeng Xia, also felt that their aunt's arrangement was perfectly reasonable.

Generally speaking, this is the son's job. Since the aunt and uncle don't have a son, Huang Xiaochuan is the obvious choice to step forward. He is also the most suitable. The "Uncle Qian" that the aunt mentioned is her younger brother.

When Huang Xiaochuan was little, he followed Zeng Hong and Zeng Xia around calling each other "uncle" so often that they got confused. So his aunt asked him to add a surname in front of the name to distinguish them.

This Uncle Qian is also a very good person, hardworking and honest. He contracted a piece of land in Dongshan and planted a lot of bayberries, loquats and oranges. His total income in a year is not bad.

Later, even during summer vacation when he started elementary school, Huang Xiaochuan would often stay at his house for a few days, playing wildly in the mountains and lakes until he got tanned. When he returned to Qingjiang, his mother, Zeng Lijuan, would complain about him. For several years after that, Huang Xiaochuan was not allowed to go back home for summer vacation.

While listening to the conversation, the grandmother's hands were busy preparing diapers and clothes for her great-grandson (granddaughter). According to tradition, these items are made from old clothes. The older generation believes that clothes should be made of old, pure cotton so as not to irritate the child's skin. This is an experience passed down from generation to generation and is very practical.

Grandma was very pleased to see her grandchildren getting along so well. Four generations living together was a great happiness for an elderly woman with traditional values. The continuation of the family line is how the Chinese people have passed down their traditions from generation to generation.