CHAPTER 766: CHAPTER 595: FANGFANG IS HERE

At the dining table, Xu Qianqian suddenly spoke.

"When is the Spring Equinox?"

"Spring Equinox," also known as "Beginning of Spring" or "Welcoming Spring."

In ancient times, there was a performance to welcome spring... beating drums and announcing the arrival of spring. There were also sacrificial ceremonies to welcome the spring.

Different places have different customs.

Zhen Nan belongs to the Hakka, and they value the moment of the Spring Equinox. In the past, they calculated it using a traditional almanac, now they just check their phones.

The general process is quite fixed, including balancing an egg. At the Spring Equinox, firecrackers are set off to proclaim and sacrifice to heaven and earth to welcome the spring.

"I don’t know, no one set off firecrackers today," Jiang Nian said, checking his phone with amusement.

"You’re in luck, don’t sleep too heavily tonight."

Xu Qianqian asked, "What time?"

"Two o’clock in the middle of the night. If you can stay up, then stay up," Jiang Nian said. "Or sleep early, and wake up then go back to sleep."

At the Spring Equinox, there are firecrackers going off all around the house.

If you don’t wake up, it’s this (thumbs up).

"Then I’ll stay up for a while," Song Xiyun said and looked at Xu Qianqian, "Qianqian, are we going to welcome the spring?"

"Let’s not..." Xu Qianqian instinctively looked at Jiang Nian.

"We could all welcome it together, it’s not a hassle," Jiang Nian said. "It’s just going through the motions, it’s all the same."

"Oh, oh." The two women were a bit puzzled.

There was still a long period of time until the Spring Equinox at two in the morning.

Jiang Nian went back to the other side, sat at the desk in his room. Before preparing to write the test paper, he casually flipped through the class group chat.

The group chat was still over 99+ messages constantly rolling, most of them were boys eager to join in.

Lin Dong: "I’m waiting to set off firecrackers!"

Wang Yuhe: "I’ll do it too."

Sun Zhicheng: "We can’t do it in the neighborhood, maybe we can in the old part of town."

Liu Yang: "@Sun Zhicheng, you can balance an egg."

Zeng You: "Did anyone really manage to do it?"

Luo Yong: "Last year, as the time approached, my dad couldn’t get it to stand no matter what, he got so anxious he made a small dent in the egg."

Jiang Nian: "That’s some strength."

Chen Yunyun: "@everyone, are you all going to welcome spring?"

"Yes."

Zhang Ningzhi: "(tilting head)."

Yu Zhiyi: "@Jiang Nian, setting off firecrackers at two in the morning is so annoying."

Jiang Nian: "(sweat) Zhen Nan and An Town are twenty kilometers apart, how do you have supersonic hearing?"

"But it’s really disturbing."

"Let Chi Shi do it."

Li Hua popped up, and his first words were trying to mediate.

"Let me say something fair."

Ma Guojun: "Haha, you big idiot."

Li Hua: "Chi Shi!"

Jiang Nian browsed the group chat for a while, then put down his phone. He worked on his exercises until late at night, only looking up when the alarm rang.

There was half an hour until the Spring Equinox, and rustling could be heard coming from the living room.

Li Hongmei was preparing offerings, Old Jiang pulled out an old table, and there was a ring of red firecrackers in the living room.

The two of them heard the sound of the door opening and turned to look at Jiang Nian.

"Who’s going to welcome spring, you or your dad?"

"I’ll go," Jiang Nian said, patting his chest in assurance. "I know the process well, I won’t mess it up."

Old Jiang had no objections, quietly preparing red paper for his son.

The family busied themselves for a few minutes, carrying the offering table downstairs. There were already people in the courtyard, some neighbors were setting up tables.

"Old Jiang, you’re here."

"Yeah."

"Your son is all grown up, you’re truly blessed."

After all, it’s a 20-year-old house, and the neighbors had a good relationship, but they didn’t engage in much small talk.

First, there were important matters, second, money is always a sensitive issue.

Among the downstairs neighbors, some had sons who were bosses. They usually lived in villas and occasionally stayed in their old houses.

The economic differences made it less intimate than before.

....

Knock, knock, knock.

There was a knocking sound, Song Xiyun opened the door cautiously.

"Qianqian just woke up."

"Oh, oh, did she really sleep?" Jiang Nian said a bit speechlessly, glancing at the time, "Xu Qianqian, get out here."

"Ah!!"

"You pervert!!"

"I told you to be ready, it’s almost time to welcome spring."

"Got it, got it!!"

Jiang Nian left the room, nodding slightly. Although unexpected, Xu Qianqian had hidden depths.

The three headed downstairs, the yard had grown more crowded.

"When do we start?"

"When the egg balances." Jiang Nian said.

Upon hearing this, Song Xiyun hesitated a bit.

"Can it really balance?"

"Hard to say, I haven’t succeeded before," Jiang Nian whispered, "When you see others manage it, just follow and set off the firecrackers."

Suddenly, an old man walked over with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Your two families..."

Old Man Ma was an elementary school teacher in the town, he used to like hitting students’ palms when he was young, and even as he aged, he bragged about it.

He usually liked to act up because of his age, bragging about his son who was a contractor.

He came over, "...why is it just you kids welcoming the spring? That’s not following the rules."

Song Xiyun felt a bit awkward, unfamiliar and unsure how to respond.

Xu Qianqian glanced at Old Man Ma, put her hands on her hips, and retorted, "Who made the rules, you?"

Old Man Ma hadn’t expected Xu Qianqian to snap back, "Of course not, the old rules were passed down by the ancestors."

"Hehe," Xu Qianqian mocked, "Your ancestors crawled out of the ground and told you personally?"

Jiang Nian gave her a glance and yawned.

This Old Man Ma wasn’t a good person, having offended Xu Qianqian before.

A few years ago, he told Xu Qianqian, "If your mom were still here, your family might have a BMW by now."

Xu Qianqian was furious, and every time she saw Old Man Ma, she would snap back a few words.

"You kid, mind your words," Old Man Ma got angry, pointing at Xu Qianqian, ready to say something.

Jiang Nian suddenly said, "The Spring Equinox is about to start, miss it, and you won’t catch the good fortune."

Hearing this, Old Man Ma’s expression changed.

"Forget it, forget it, I’ll go get fortune for my son. I won’t stoop to the level of you kids, truly no manners."