Chapter Thirty-Eight New Year

  He bought a ticket to Quancheng and after swaying on the train for more than five hours, Qin Feng arrived in this city that was both familiar and strange to him.

  Without any hesitation, Qin Feng took a map and first went to the Quanzhou cargo distribution station. This was the terminal of the warehouse state train, where Qin Feng had escaped from Quan City with his sister years ago.

  However, after inquiring with many people at the station, Qin Feng was unable to get any news about his sister. They were very certain that they had never seen the Qin Jia that Qin Feng mentioned. He stayed here for two whole days and left disappointed.

  On the third day, Qin Feng arrived at the place where he had lived seven years ago. This was a university teacher's dormitory building in Quancheng, where Qin Feng had lived from birth to departure.

  Looking at those familiar old men and women, and the children running around in the courtyard, Qin Feng seemed to hear his parents' calls, and scene after scene of familiar scenes made Qin Feng's eyes fill with tears.

  For a child, seven years can change many things. At the very least, Qin Feng's appearance was already greatly different from when he was seven years old. Even if he didn't do anything to disguise himself, no one would be able to recognize him anymore.

  After wandering for five years, and following a scoundrel like Zai to learn from him for so long, Qin Feng was still very familiar with dealing with people. In just half a day's time, he had already inquired about the situation at his home.

  However, the result was still very disappointing to Qin Feng. Those old neighbors who had not changed much in appearance did not know what had happened in their homes back then.

  According to Wang's mother, seven years ago, several cars came here and moved all the Qin family's belongings away, saying they were moving, but where they went, those people didn't inform.

  Most of the people living in this courtyard are school teachers, and some teachers who had a good relationship with Qin Feng's parents also asked the school about it, but they didn't get any response either, only knowing that he seemed to have been transferred to work in Beijing.

  Disheartened, Qin Feng sneaked into the school's archives room in the dead of night and flipped through all the files related to the job transfer seven years ago, but what made him even more disappointed was that he couldn't find his parents' names.

  Apart from the memories of old neighbors, it seems that Qin's life in Quancheng has been completely erased, without leaving a single clue.

  Helpless, Qin Feng boarded the freight train and followed the delivery stations along the way to find his sister's whereabouts, but what he brought back was still disappointment.

  Hu Baoguo was also a worldly person, and after taking over from Qin Feng, he didn't ask much, and took Qin Feng, who had changed his clothes, directly back to the detention center, and finally managed to get this matter over with.

  Whether he had given up or believed in Master's divination, Qin Feng returned to the juvenile detention center with a much more cheerful personality and took over all the work such as drawing newspapers on the blackboard.

  With the help of Hu Bao Guo, and Qin Feng's own efforts, he had his sentence reduced twice within three years, totaling eight months. By the time Chinese New Year 1997 was approaching, Qin Feng only had two months left on his sentence.

  The New Year is a festive day, in order not to let the young people in the dormitory miss their homes, the dormitory also posted red couplets everywhere, filled with a festive atmosphere.

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  "Master, we're going to Hu's house for New Year's today. This is a new set of clothes that Brother Hu bought for you, let me help you put it on!"

  On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, Qin Feng came to Zai Yi's private courtyard with a big red dress in hand, his face full of joy.

  The whole police station knew that Hu Dajun had a good relationship with Qin Feng, and as early as half a year ago, he often invited him to his home, even using his connections at the local police station to get Qin Feng's household registration transferred to his home.

  It just so happens that Hu Baoguo is not on duty this Spring Festival, so he has to take Lao Yezi and Qin Feng to his home for the New Year. In this detention center, there will inevitably be a lack of atmosphere.

  "Hey, Master, is this festive outfit only worn during weddings?"

  Compared to two years ago, the Zai Yi lying in bed looked even older, with white hair hanging on his forehead, old age spots all over his face, and thin hands like twigs, but those eyes were still bright.

  "Master, where's your wife?" Looking at the old man's good mood, Qin Feng smiled and started joking.

  "Your wife? She's probably dead already?"

  After hearing Qin Feng's words, Zai Ye was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to say something, the big gate was pushed open from outside again. Hu Baoguo walked in and said: "Old man, are you ready? Let's go?"

  "Alright, let's go, this place has a heavy atmosphere, and the old man should change his location too!"

  Zai Ye supported Qin Feng's arm and slowly stood up, then shook off Qin Feng and walked to the door with slow but firm steps.

  Looking at the trembling and withered figure, Qin Feng's nose was slightly sour. In just two or three short years, his master had become old and frail, life was about to reach its end.

  Hu Baoguo glanced at Qin Feng and said: "What are you standing there for, hurry up and bring the old man's coat, let's go!"

  "Right, let's go, we'll celebrate the New Year!"

  Qin Feng came back to his senses, hastily grabbed the fox-fur coat that his master usually used to cover his legs and chased after him. When he reached the door, regardless of whether his master was willing or not, he directly wrapped the old man up in it.

  When Hu Bao Guo accompanied him out of the prison gate, Qin Feng did not encounter any difficulties. Firstly, his sentence was about to end, and secondly, everyone knew about his relationship with Hu Bao Guo, whether it was the guards or the armed police, they were all used to it.

  Hu Baoguo's old home was in the countryside, more than an hour away from Shaoquan. As soon as the police car entered the village, a group of half-grown kids playing with firecrackers immediately surrounded it.

  Every household in the village is filled with couplets and Fu characters, the sound of firecrackers ringing out from time to time, and the fragrance coming from each family's kitchen, everywhere is filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

  "Master, slow down."

  When the car drove into the Hu family's courtyard, Qin Feng jumped out of the car first and carefully helped Zai down.

  "Old man, how's your body? I brought my son and grandson to give you New Year's greetings!"

  As soon as the car stopped, a group of people who had been waiting in the yard suddenly knelt down, and even Hu Baoguo, who had just parked the car, was pulled to his knees.

  "Alright, alright, everything's fine!"

  His spirit was quite good today, after letting go of Qin Feng's hand, he trembled with his right hand and took out a red envelope from his pocket, handed it to Qin Feng and said: "You're almost going to see your ancestors, let me indulge in my habit again, reward!"

  This single word "good", the old man shouted with full energy, as if he had returned to his youthful years. Every New Year's Day, people who came to pay their respects at home were endless.

  Qin Feng handed out a red envelope one by one, while Zai Yi was welcomed to the inner room by several elderly members of the Hu family who were also in their seventies and eighties. It could be seen that the old man was in high spirits today, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to have decreased a lot.

  At dinner time, Zai Ye drank several cups of Hu's family self-brewed old wine, which made Qin Feng worried, and he stayed up all night to guard his master, fearing that something might happen.

  "Master, are you awake?" Qin Feng, who was dozing off at the foot of the bed, heard the movement and quickly lifted his head, just in time to see his master taking clothes from the bedside.

  "Woke up, as people age, they can't sleep well anymore."

  I don't know if it's because of the wine I drank yesterday, but Cai Zhi's face is flushed with a layer of redness, and under the light, he looks particularly spirited.

  Qin Feng lifted the thick curtains and took a glance outside, saying: "Master, you can sleep for a while longer, it's just dawned, it's still early!"

  "A year's plan is made in the spring, a day's plan is made in the morning!" Zai Yi smiled and said: "According to the old calendar, today is already the beginning of spring. Let's celebrate the old calendar's Spring Festival together!"

  Li Chun is the first of the 24 solar terms, so in ancient times, people celebrated the festival on this day, equivalent to the modern "Spring Festival", which is also known as "Yuandan" or New Year's Day.

  In July 1913, Yuan Shikai designated the first day of the lunar calendar as "Spring Festival", which was implemented from the following year (1914), and since then, the beginning of the summer calendar has been called Spring Festival.

  This year coincidentally, the Beginning of Spring was on the day before the Spring Festival. Qin Feng didn't know how his master remembered it so clearly. Looking at the white snow outside the window, he shook his head and said: "Master, the frost won't thaw for five more days after the Beginning of Spring. It's really too cold today, let's just stay in this room and chat."

  Qin Feng didn't come because he was afraid of the cold, but rather because he was worried that his master's body wouldn't be able to withstand it. This northern winter is bitterly cold with howling winds, and with the heavy snowfall from the past few days, it's especially chilly outside.

  "What's with all this nonsense you're spouting? The Hus are still a decent family, the old man can't be unreasonable!"

  He stretched out his hand and patted a mark on the disciple's head, then lifted the quilt with one hand. Qin Feng could only help his master put on his clothes and support the old man as he walked out of the house.

  Rural people get up early, and they also need to prepare for the New Year's goods. Although it's just dawn, every household is already making a noise.

  After walking around the small village with Master, people were already rushing to the market in horse-drawn carriages. It was the last day of the year and also the busiest day at the market.

  The Hu family's New Year goods were not fully prepared, and Hu Baoguo took people to the market early in the morning. The yard became much quieter, and several old people who feared the cold all huddled in their rooms.