He harbored some resentment, his elder brother's family was in the city, and after finally returning, they didn't even call him over for a visit.
But then again, who was to blame?
The two brothers had reached this point, and his family had more issues, so he couldn't blame his elder brother's family.
Some feelings, once estranged, could never be rekindled.
From now on, they would live like this!
His elder brother would walk his sunny path, and he would walk his single-plank bridge.
Su Shan had this thought, suddenly realizing that his elder brother's family was no longer the same as before.
The entire Su family was unaware that Su Shan was undergoing a profound self-reflection.
They delivered the braised meat they were supposed to, then busied themselves with the final tidying of the house, making sure everything was clean and neat, ready to paste the couplets.
Su Xiao Ba, Su Xiao Jiu, and the others took the paste to the main entrance to affix the couplets, only to see Su Chang Jiu also approaching with red paper.
"I heard your family's Ci Liang is writing couplets, so I came to ask for some help," Su Chang Jiu said to Grandpa Su, very politely.
Grandpa Su quickly smiled and said, "Chang Jiu, you're being too formal, there's no need to ask."
"Ci Liang's calligraphy is beautiful, much better than mine!" Su Chang Jiu praised.
His own calligraphy was truly not presentable, but since no one else in the brigade could write, he had to step up.
Now it was great, the brigade had produced a talented person.
Speaking of which, only the children of the old Su family were successful in the entire brigade.
After the brigade leader arrived, many more people came to request couplets.
Anyway, Su Ci Liang spent the entire day busy writing couplets.
Some families brought their children, and they even said enviously, "If only our children could be as accomplished as Su Ci Liang."
Poor Su Ci Liang, who had won national awards, spent his first time writing so many characters contributing to the Spring Festival couplets for the Hongxin Brigade.
Fortunately, most people in the brigade were considerate. When requesting couplets, they not only brought red paper but also a handful of candy, an egg, or something similar, just to show their appreciation.
But there were a few exceptions, like Liu Xiuying.
Liu Xiuying always had a sense of entitlement, especially towards the old Su family.
She heard that Su Ci Liang was writing couplets and went to his house without any hesitation.
"Ci Liang, write a few couplets for our family too. After all, my old man is your grandpa's own brother."
Su Ci Liang maintained a gentle smile, his youthful, radiant smile was dazzling.
"Alright, Second Grandma, how many do you need? Which doors will they be for? Do you want me to write some 'Fu' characters as well?"
Liu Xiuying suddenly felt that the young man wasn't so annoying after all, and was quite sensible.
Liu Xiuying thought she was getting a great deal today and started counting on her fingers.
"The main room needs them, the east and west side rooms, the kitchen, the wing rooms, oh, and don't forget the main gate. Since you're writing, the woodshed door needs one too, and the chicken coop and pigsty doors as well..."
Liu Xiuying chattered on, and Grandma Su, who was sitting on the kang and making dumplings around the table, couldn't stand it anymore and was about to get up and argue.
"Okay, Second Grandma, no problem!" The young man smiled faintly, but he remained standing tall and elegant, not even slightly bending.
Liu Xiuying watched for a while before asking doubtfully, "Why haven't you started writing yet? Are there any other requirements?"
What the clear and sunny young man said was not what Liu Xiuying wanted to hear.
"Second Grandma, you can have as many couplets as you want. As your grand-nephew, I will definitely write them carefully and beautifully."
"However, where is your red paper? Without paper, I can't write."
"Red paper? What, you need red paper to write couplets for your own great-uncle?"
Liu Xiuying's slanting eyes widened, and she slapped her thigh in disbelief.
Her demeanor was as if Su Ci Liang had done something unforgivable.
Su Ci Liang glanced at the sky; it was getting late, and the sun would soon set.
He stretched his waist and arms, then spread his hands and said, "You didn't say earlier. If you had said earlier, I could have prepared more red paper. But you didn't say, and I didn't prepare in advance."
This, of course, was just a casual remark.
Even Liu Xiuying knew that he was just saying it casually.
But this kid's reasoning was actually quite sound.
Every household had a limited ration of red paper; who would have extra to give to others?
"How about this, Second Grandma, shall I ask my elder brother to go to town to buy some? It's just that our family's quota has been used up, and we'd need to use yours. What do you think?"
Su Ci Liang still had a gentle, jade-like smile on his face.
This made Liu Xiuying feel a pang of pain.
She knew that no one in Su Chuan's family was good. They wanted his family's red paper just to write a couple of couplets; did they think she was a fool?
In the end, Liu Xiuying brought her own red paper to have the couplets written, but she didn't get them for the chicken coop, sheep pen, or woodshed as she had initially requested.
Watching Liu Xiuying leave, grumbling, the people still waiting at the Su family's house to have couplets written burst into laughter.
"Ci Liang's calligraphy is truly excellent! He's a college student, so accomplished!"
The other brothers in the Su family: "..."
They were also college students, but they couldn't write calligraphy, so how did that count?
The custom in the Hongxin Brigade was that the couplets had to be pasted before sunset, and the house had to be tidied up neatly.
Therefore, the couplets had to be finished before sunset.
After seeing off the last person, the busy Su family finally quieted down.
At this moment, a half-red sun cast its golden rays across the entire village, adding a touch of brilliance to the ancient village.
Grandpa Su took out firecrackers and smiled, "Boys, come out and set off firecrackers! Wishing you a bright and prosperous new year!"
This was Grandpa Su's proudest moment. Although he doted on Su Xiao Tian, Grandpa Su knew that his sons were the roots of the family.
Especially at times like this, having many children and much happiness was very eye-catching.
The family followed Grandpa Su in reciting auspicious phrases like "prosperous and flourishing."
Especially Su Xiao Si, the money-grubber, after reciting these, he wondered if they should worship the God of Wealth.
When Su Xiao Si brought up this topic, Grandma Su stopped him.
Grandma Su solemnly took incense and paper money to the river to worship the Dragon King.
That's right, in Grandma Su's heart, no matter how important the God of Wealth was, could he be more important than the Dragon King?
Su Xiao Tian looked at Grandma Su's actions and began to doubt whether she had been right to deceive people in the first place.
She then remembered the jade dragon she had brought down from the mountain and thought that she should mention this matter to Grandma Su.
Su Xiao Tian saw that Grandma Su also had paper money and guessed that her grandmother was going to burn paper money for her aunt, so she pestered Grandma Su to go with her.
Grandma Su initially didn't want to bring anyone else from the family; she missed her youngest daughter and wanted to cry.
But Su Xiao Tian's reasoning was sound, so she had to bring her.
Grandpa Su, on the other hand, tidied up the paper money, offerings, and other items, and took his sons and grandsons to visit the graves.