Chapter 47: Happy New Year. Preparing for the

New Year wasn't… not much. On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, He Feng finally finished knitting Song Qingshu's sweater. Shoes weren't so easy. Beginners always make mistakes. He Feng consulted Mrs. Liu several times, but he was still missing one shoe.

Song Qingshu had just finished taking his medicine at noon and was now hunched over in bed.

He Feng cut the yarn. "Want to try it now, babe?"

Even with the charcoal fire burning, the room was still a bit chilly. Song Qingshu stuffed two hot water bottles under the covers, one for warming his hands and stomach, the other at his feet.

Blinking slowly, he said, "Wear it tomorrow. I'm sure it'll fit."

He Feng would test Song Qingshu's sweaters when he had nothing else to do. If they felt too short, he'd tear them apart and start over.

In the end, Song Qingshu hadn't learned anything to cook this winter. When bored, He Feng would place all sorts of dried fruits and candies in front of him. There were many varieties, but only a few in quantity, so he wouldn't feel sick from eating too much.

At most, he'd help He Feng a little while he prepared New Year's food.

When He Feng was steaming buns, he'd give him a couple of dough balls and let him try making two himself, letting him play with the rest.

Song Qingshu's buns had the folds pinched a bit askew, and he'd pinch off any extra dough, otherwise the buns would be cooked and the folds would be raw.

But when they came out, the filling was visible, and He Feng, with wide eyes, praised their beauty. It was impressive for his first time making buns, but that was impressive.

The two buns Song Qingshu rolled looked better than He Feng's, because He Feng's weren't quite as round, but rather oval. Song Qingshu worked with both hands until he finally had a plump, round bun.

His buns were small and round, and they looked great when steamed. In the steam, he smiled and said, "One for me and my brother."

But he only helped with the pasta. He Feng handled everything related to meat and vegetables alone, while Song Qingshu sat behind the stove, chatting with He Feng.

While frying meatballs and fish fillets, Song Qingshu was immediately chased out of the kitchen because of the huge smoke inside, which was very suffocating if he stayed there for too long.

He Feng asked him to go to the room to get the eggs that had been boiled the day before, which he was going to fry and then stew with braised pork. He took them and told him to go back to the room to play.

Song Qingshu blinked, but He Feng did not waver. He found a big White Rabbit and stuffed it into Song Qingshu's mouth, saying, "Be good, little one."

Only then did Song Qingshu go back to the room.

He Feng got on the bed, touched Song Qingshu's body, but it was still cold. He immediately pulled him into his arms and kissed his eyelids.

"Little one, Chinese New Year is tomorrow."

He felt that the hot water bottle was between their stomachs, so he took it out and placed it on Song Qingshu's lower back, hugging him tighter.

The hot and soft belly pressed against He Feng's abdominal muscles, and He Feng's breathing hitched, but he quickly adjusted himself.

"The hot water bottle is not placed between clothes, what if it gets burned?" He pinched the soft earlobe of the person in his arms, rubbing it until it turned pink.

"I didn't use it during the perm. It's only been on for a while."

Song Qingshu raised his eyes, lying in his arms, looking at He Feng's profile. It looked the same as when they first met, except for the prickly beard that had disappeared.

It was because Song Qingshu had pushed him away when he'd kissed his neck that he'd noticed the new beard had pricked him, leaving tiny red spots on his already fair skin.

Since then, he'd shaved almost every day, using a razor blade when he had nothing else to do. Then, turning his gaze to Song Qingshu, "Baby, he doesn't seem to have much hair."

Except for a tiny bit on his head. That night, Song Qingshu was completely bare, completely hairless.

He was so frightened that he huddled in He Feng's arms, crying and shaking. He Feng kissed and soothed him, but that still kept him away for two days. Only

when he fell asleep in the middle of the night could He Feng bring the huddled-up boy into his arms to warm him.

From that day on, they shared two quilts, one weighing two kilograms, the other five, squeezing him so tightly that even turning over was exhausting.

He Feng stuffed his newly knitted sweater and the cotton trousers he was going to wear the next day between the two quilts, draped his cotton jacket over the quilts, and then turned off the lights and went to bed.

"Last time when He Zhenxing was at home, I saw how grape fish was made. I'll make it for you tomorrow night."

Song Qingshu kissed He Feng on the lips, his beautiful eyes sparkling. "Hmm!"

He Feng lowered his head and kissed his lips, slowly grinding and kissing him gently. Song Qingshu's light breath fell on his face, with a unique fragrance.

He Feng took a deep breath, loosening his hands on his waist a little. One hand gently patted his back, occasionally stroking down along the butterfly bones, the movements were very light and slow.

Every time this happened, Song Qingshu would hum a few times in pleasure, closing his eyes and falling asleep in a short while.

Today was no exception. He fell asleep while kissing. He Feng was so amazing that he didn't respond. He sucked the moisture from his lips and looked down at the person sleeping peacefully in his arms.

His face was a little paler than yesterday, and his lips had turned bright red from the kiss just now.

His fluffy black hair hung on his forehead, and his raven-feather eyelashes were very straight, with the ends curled up a little, casting a small shadow, looking fluffy and soft.

He Feng reached out and touched Song Qingshu's adorable face, and couldn't help but pinch it gently, because he had gained some weight recently and looked easier to bully.

The person was whimpering in his sleep, and He Feng put his lips to the place he had pinched and kissed it, and took a sip with his lips. It was soft, and because he had rubbed it with perfume during the day, he could still smell the faint fragrance.

He Feng rubbed Song Qingshu's neck with his warm scent, and they fell asleep with their necks intertwined.

...

In the morning, the charcoal fire in the room was extinguished, and Song Qingshu almost huddled himself in He Feng's arms, holding him tightly.

He Feng had long been accustomed to holding a soft person in his arms, and his chest did not feel heavy, but only felt fond of it.

Because he was going to cut two bamboos in the bamboo forest south of the bridge, He Feng didn't sleep much. He gently peeled off Song Qingshu's hands, put on his clothes and got out of bed.

When he turned around, he saw Song Qingshu blinking in confusion and pulling the clothes under the quilt.

"I can sleep a little longer."

Song Qingshu shook his head, "I have to put up the door couplets."

He tossed and turned in the quilt with one hand, and the sleepiness had not subsided. Seeing that he was about to lie down again, He Feng came over and held his face, helping him find autumn clothes and sweaters.

The collar, hem and hem of the sweater were knitted with a circle of yellow wool. It was not pure white, but had some style. Even Mrs. Liu said it looked good.

Putting the sweater on Song Qingshu, He Feng was very satisfied. It was just right, the hem was not tight, so it would not be uncomfortable, and the bright color made Song Qingshu look like a good student.

He Feng kissed his face and put the thick cotton jacket on him.

"Stretch out your legs." Song Qingshu stretched out one foot, and when he felt the warmth in the air, he immediately retracted it, shuddering.

He Feng reached in and grasped his slender ankle, pulled it out, put on cotton socks, tied up his autumn trousers, and then put on his cotton trousers. After

the cotton trousers were on his legs, Song Qingshu finally woke up completely. He stood up and tried to pull up his half-put on trousers. He Feng couldn't help but patted his butt.

Song Qingshu was like a frightened cat, his eyes widened, and then he quickly pulled up his cotton trousers.

Even wrapped in thick cotton pants, his originally slender legs could be seen. He Feng carried him down from the bed and asked him to put on his shoes.

He Feng finished washing up first. He scalded a towel with hot water and wiped Song Qingshu's face after he rinsed his mouth. "Brother is going to cut two bamboos and bring them back. Do you want to go?"

The smell of mint spread around the two of them, a little cold. Song Qingshu's muffled voice came, "Yes."

Some of the snow melted on the road and froze into ice. He Feng did not ride a bicycle, but took Song Qingshu's hand and walked towards the South Bridge.

The two were one tall and one short, wearing the same clothes. Song Qingshu also wrapped a scarf, but He Feng did not use it for fear of delaying his work.

The road all went to the south. The bamboo forest there grew very fast. Every year during the New Year, everyone went to cut two bamboos and put them in front of the gate for good luck.

In the vast expanse of white snow, the emerald green bamboos looked tenacious, with a layer of white frost on the long, straight bamboo joints. He Feng asked Song Qingshu to stand further away, and he took the machete and started chopping at the bottom.

He picked two bamboos of similar length, not too thick, with a hollow in the middle. He cut deeper on one side, and then chopped it from the opposite direction, and the bamboos fell down.

Song Qingshu watched the bamboos fall, and the snow on top fell down and merged with the ground.

It didn't take long for He Feng to finish chopping. He Lishu came over while talking to He Zhenxing, "Why are you here so early?" "

I didn't eat breakfast this morning, so I came to chop first, otherwise there would be too many people stepping on the mud." He Feng pulled the two long bamboos and cut off the branches and leaves on the ground to save the trouble of pulling them back on the road.

"I drove here to pull them, you can just put them on and I'll pull them back for you," said He Zhenxing.

He Lishu, carrying bamboo, echoed He Zhenxing, "Well, uncle, you should go back and eat first."

He Feng, looking at the cart by the roadside, cut two marks on the bottom of his bamboo. "Okay, I'll leave the marks."

He then pulled the two bamboos and placed them directly on the cart. "Have you two eaten yet? If not, I'll make some more."

"Yes, yes," they replied as they continued cutting bamboo.

He Feng said okay and walked away again, hand in hand with Song Qingshu. He Zhenxing even smiled, "Teacher Song is standing next to me like a young wife, and we have to hold hands."

Just as he finished speaking, Song Qingshu, who was walking like a little penguin, stumbled and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, He Feng was holding his hand and pulled him back.

He Lishu looked up and saw this and smiled, "What if he falls without holding your hand?"

The two of them continued chopping bamboo while He Feng held Song Qingshu's hand all the way home. He Feng hadn't decided what to eat that morning, and there was still beef stew in the small pot from last night.

"Let's have beef vermicelli soup in the morning and two hot buns, okay?"

Song Qingshu rubbed his hands while breathing out air, his eyelashes frosted, and walked into the kitchen and said, "Okay."

Yesterday, because of the medicine he took, he had no appetite. He Feng wanted to cut a few pieces of freshly cooked beef tendon for him to try, but he didn't.

Xiao Hei and Xiao Hua all ran to the back of the stove and slept in the straw, squeezing out two nests, one big and one small. Song Qingshu sat on a small stool and pushed the firewood.

As soon as the pot heated up, the aroma of beef soup spread.

He Feng took out several large pieces of beef. He bought them for 18 yuan. He stewed them and cut them up to eat. It would last for a long time.

When He Lishu and He Zhenxing came over with the cart to deliver the bamboo poles, He Feng had just finished blanching the vegetables and dried tofu, and cut a few more pieces of beef and put the beef tendon, which had been stewed for a while and was already very soft, into the bowl.

"What's so delicious?" He Zhenxing said with a smile.

He Feng put down his bowl. "Beef soup, shall I serve you some?"

Song Qingshu finally understood why He Feng had added so much sweet potato vermicelli.

"No, no," they pulled down the bamboo pole and placed it under the gate, refusing.

"No problem, there's just enough soup, so I'll add more vermicelli."

They both had children and usually worked on the farm to earn money. Even if they could have a nice New Year's meal, they couldn't be as carefree as He Feng. They still had to prepare food for the children and visit relatives.

They only had chicken and duck raised at home, but they couldn't eat much. They only bought a few yuan worth of beef to exchange for food.

"Here it is. Wash your hands and eat. I'll cut you some beef when we leave to take back for the children."

After saying this, the two of them didn't hesitate. Having been He Feng's henchmen since childhood, they still respected him deeply.

"Okay, let's eat some," they smiled.

When they left, He Feng cut each of them a piece of stewed beef, but didn't give them any tendon because there wasn't much, and Song Qingshu liked it.

The two praised He Feng's delicious cooking and happily left with two pieces of beef and a few candies given by Song Qingshu.

He Feng was about to make some paste after they left when Liu Xianghe walked in again, "Uncle, don't make the paste anymore, I'll bring it to you."

"It's so early, have you eaten yet?" He Feng came over to take the paste.

"Yes, I'm leaving now. I still have to put up the door couplets at home." He waved his hand and was about to leave.

"Son, put up the door couplets,"

Song Qingshu replied, and came out of the house with the red paper he had bought, two pairs of door couplets, and a bunch of blessing characters.

Holding two lanterns in his other hand, He Feng remembered that he still had lanterns to hang.

"Put up the door couplets first." He used the bowl of paste to paste on the wooden door frame of the main hall, then held the door couplets and pasted them up. He was tall, so he didn't need to stand on a stool; he could just lift his hand and apply them.

Then he asked Song Qingshu to stand further away to check if the paste was straight. In this way, the two of them worked together to put up the door couplets for the main hall and the main door.

The Chinese character "Fu" (meaning "blessing") was stuck on the door frame above his head, right above the door scroll.

He Feng would get bumped on the head whenever he walked by, but it was a blessing bump, and he had to hold Song Qingshu so that he could get bumped as well.

The lantern was hanging on the beam at the door on a ladder. There was an old swallow's nest on it, but He Feng didn't move it. He said to Song Qingshu, "It should come back to live here in spring."

After everything was done, the yard looked festive, and He Feng placed the bamboo against the door, with the bamboo poles standing on both sides and the branches bent up to form an arch.

Song Qingshu hung the small lantern he bought on the branches of the bamboo poles, which also looked festive.

The two of them ate not too late in the evening. On the table was a bowl of braised pork, fish with grapes, sliced beef and two pieces of pig's trotter tendons, a plate of cooked dumplings, and the vegetables were stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts and stir-fried lettuce, as well as a dish of cold-mixed shredded dumplings.

It was really too much for two people.

He Feng also killed a chicken and a duck on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. He couldn't cook so much today and planned to eat it tomorrow.

There were two more people standing in the room with their bowls of rice. Song Qingshu didn't like fatty meat, so he chose pure lean meat for the braised pork, and gave a piece of fat to Xiao Hei and Xiao Hua respectively.

He Feng poured two glasses of white wine for himself, and poured a glass of honey water for Song Qingshu to clink glasses with him.

The custom in Hejia Village is to get up at midnight on New Year's Eve to cook dumplings and set off firecrackers. Only when there are three or two-year-old children at home will they not get up in the middle of the night.

So during the New Year, everyone would go to play cards and set off firecrackers. No one would sleep, and only take a nap when they couldn't stand it anymore.

Someone came to ask He Feng to play cards, but He Feng refused. He bought some fireworks and set them off in the yard with Song Qingshu. Song Qingshu didn't dare to set off firecrackers, so He Feng lit a long incense stick and handed it to him, asking him to light the fireworks.

Song Qingshu squatted down and lit the fireworks with trembling hands. As soon as the fuse was lit, he ran to the eaves where He Feng was standing. When he turned around, he ran directly into He Feng's arms.

He Feng hugged him and stepped back a few steps, "Don't be afraid, look up, baby."

The colorful fireworks exploded in the dark night sky, and the colorful colors were reflected in the eyes, which was very beautiful.

The falling cannon fodder hit the ground, and the smell of fireworks also spread. Other houses outside also started to set off fireworks, one after another. Song Qingshu stood in the yard with He Feng in his hand, looking at the sky excitedly.

He Feng rubbed his head, "There will be fireworks on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Buy more to play with then."

When he was no longer so excited, He Feng carried him back to the house.

Two red candles lit beside the statue in the main hall, and the incense burnt brightly from the incense burner.

He Feng pressed him down on the bed and kissed him, murmuring "baby, baby.

" Song Qingshu's lips were blocked, and he responded with moans and groans. His soft tongue was repeatedly kissed and bitten, and the gentle sounds that escaped his lips made He Feng's eyes blaze.

The kisses continued, He Feng gently biting his delicate Adam's apple. His delicate collarbone tinged shyly with pink, and his thumbs caressed and kneaded the soft flesh of his neck. (He was kissing his neck!!!)

So close, He Feng could clearly hear Song Qingshu's previously slow heartbeat accelerate as he did.

Song Qingshu tilted his head to avoid the bite, clutching He Feng's hair tightly, his white fingertips reddening from the pinch. "Mmmmm."

He Feng's scalp tightened from the pull, and as if insensitive to the pain, he lowered his head to kiss Song Qingshu's lips, licking and biting them in circles, as if he were chewing a candy. (Kissing the mouth)

He Feng stood up only after he became drowsy.

His rough thumb rubbed Song Qingshu's bent knee, and his gaze fell on the protruding ankle. It felt slightly cool to the touch, and he warmed it with the warmth of his palm. (This is called warming the ankles, nothing else.)

Song Qingshu hugged him and begged in a soft voice, "Brother, kiss my baby."

He Feng's hot breath sprinkled in his ears, with a playful smile, "Baby, you are so proactive today."

"Well, no." Song Qingshu twisted his slender waist, trying to escape He Feng's iron-like arms that were holding his waist, but he couldn't get away.

He Feng began to kiss his mouth again, not wanting him to be rejected. He pulled the quilt to cover them completely, and his hand searched for...place.

After Song Qingshu's eyes were red and soft from the kisses, He Feng took the cream and rubbed it into his palms. He stared at Song Qingshu's beautiful face, the bulging cheeks itching to grab and bite them.

Song Qingshu's eyes were half-closed, thinking He Feng looked like a chef meticulously preparing a feast, full of patience.

But the shimmering tears in his eyes and the hot, heavy breathing betrayed his impatience.

Suddenly feeling a little flustered, Song Qingshu raised his arms to hug his neck, nuzzling into the crook of He Feng's neck, letting out a soft snort as he felt He Feng's breath. The soft, meowing sound

was like a cat's meow, practically tempting He Feng to indulge.

He Feng couldn't resist the temptation and leaned in to kiss him closely, his legs barely able to support him.

He Feng's breath on his neck sent goosebumps flying all over Song Qingshu's body, and before he could even stop, he was completely dizzy.

Someone in the distance had just finished dinner, and fireworks shot up into the air and exploded. He Feng kissed Song Qingshu's earlobe and licked it with his tongue, "Baby, look outside."

Song Qingshu's eyes were full of crystal tears. When he opened his eyes, everything was foggy and he could only see vague colors.

The next second, the fireworks in his mind exploded first.

The ambiguous atmosphere entangled with each other, and the air seemed to be full of mist. Song Qingshu wanted to get into the quilt. He was really a little tired, but the quilt was so hot that he could only raise his head to breathe the air outside.

He Feng held his waist tightly, and he frowned at his thin waist that was not even a hand's length.

"Has he eaten enough tonight, babe?" (He really was just concerned about whether he'd eaten enough!)

Song Qingshu nodded repeatedly, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. "Oh, I'm full."

His voice was broken and intermittent, like a drowning man crying for help. "I'm so full."

"Then rub it for me, it'll help digest."

As his rough hands kneaded him, Song Qingshu couldn't even speak. His breathing was intermittent, and when it was still a little stiff, He Feng kissed the tip of his nose.

"Would you like me to hold you while you sleep?" (He really was just sleeping!)

"It won't be uncomfortable, babe."

Song Qingshu couldn't hear anything, only agreed, and then he was enveloped by the overwhelming heat, shivering with pleasure, hugging He Feng's neck, his eyes red and saying he was tired.

It was midnight.

The other families who had gotten up early were setting off firecrackers again. It was twelve o'clock, time for dumplings.

As soon as the old-fashioned clock struck the first note, He Feng leaned close to Song Qingshu's earlobe, which was covered with teeth marks, and said in a hoarse voice: "Happy New Year, darling."

Song Qingshu raised his eyelids and almost whispered back: "Happy New Year, brother."

He Feng was in a good mood and rubbed his waist, gently coaxing him: "Go to sleep."

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Qingshu obediently tilted his head and closed his eyes, then lay down on the pillow and fell asleep.

He Feng went to boil the pot again, helped him clean it up, put some dumplings in, and set off a string of firecrackers when the pot boiled.

When the pot boiled, he took three bowls for one bowl.

One bowl contained the first spoonful of dumplings out of the pot, which was to be used to worship the gods.

He Feng had never believed in this before, but this time he knelt before the statue and kowtowed three times devoutly, wishing in his heart: "Please, please, keep him healthy, happy, and let us be together forever."

The remaining dumplings were a bowl each for the two of them. He Feng called out to Song Qingshu to open his eyes, and he reluctantly did, whimpering and unwilling to eat.

"Be good, just eat two and then go to sleep." There were only three dumplings in the bowl, and one had to be left at the bottom for the deity.

Song Qingshu practically closed his eyes as the dumplings were fed to him, stopping mid-chew. He Feng smiled and kissed him on the mouth, "Baby, chew and swallow, and you can sleep."

Even in sleep, he was obedient, his chubby cheeks moving again, like a little squirrel storing food, so adorable.

He Feng finished cleaning up and returned to bed. Song Qingshu was startled by his movements, and suddenly opened his eyes in shock, only to have his swollen lips licked again.

He Feng held him in his arms, feeling the warmth and scent of his surroundings. "Just put it in there. Don't make any more noise. Just sleep peacefully.