Rebirth to Save Myself

Chapter 116 First Day Goodbye

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Chunqi got up very early and cooked noodles and vegetarian soup with Chen Jianguo. Just as she was about to call for help, she saw Lu Lu come out of her room. So Chen Chunqi smiled and said, "Our custom here is to eat vegetarian food on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. You can try it first, and if it doesn't work, Auntie will cook something else for you."

"Okay, sure." Lu Lu nodded and went to the kitchen to get the bowls and chopsticks for Chen Chunqi.

"Good morning, I didn't expect I wasn't the first one here. I even set an alarm." Su Xia yawned as she walked. She had been having trouble sleeping last night and the alarm went off after only a short while. Now her head was buzzing.

"No way, I'm last again this year!" Chen Yuan ran out when she heard Su Xia's voice, only to find that everyone was already up.

"Hurry up and wash up and have breakfast." Chen Chunqi picked up a bowl of noodles for Lu Lu, poured soup on it, and put two boiled eggs on top before handing it to her.

"I suggest you finish this within five minutes, otherwise you'll end up with a completely new bowl of noodles," Su Xia kindly reminded her, before quickly finishing her bowl of noodles.

"Why?" Lu Lu was a little confused. These noodles were just ordinary noodles, only a little thinner than the ones she had seen before. Although the soup was vegetarian, it smelled quite good.

"Because this noodle will multiply." Chen Yuan quickly washed up and ran out, then said to Chen Chunqi, "I haven't poured soup into my bowl yet, have I?"

"No, pour it yourself, two eggs." Chen Chunqi ate his noodles, completely ignoring Chen Yuan's little scheme.

"That's good, that's good." Chen Yuan first made herself two eggs, then poured the soup on top, sat down and quickly started eating, not touching any vegetables or eggs, and just gulping down the noodles.

"Why don't you eat it with other dishes?" Although Su Xia and Chen Yuan both reminded Lu Lu, she had never witnessed the power of this noodle dish, and she preferred to eat slowly and carefully. She was puzzled by Chen Yuan's behavior of only eating noodles without drinking the soup or eating any other dishes.

"Ignore them, eat slowly." Chen Chunqi said to Lu Lu after seeing the two of them quickly finish a bowl of noodles and sit there slowly eating eggs and drinking soup.

"All right."

Ten minutes later, Lu Lu looked at her bowl in confusion. Why did the noodles seem to have decreased, but the soup seemed to have decreased? If she hadn't been holding the bowl the whole time, she would have thought Chen Chunqi had added more noodles for her. But now there was no soup in the bowl, and the noodles were sticking together, making them even more unpalatable. She definitely needed to add more soup.

"Lulu, you've already had the soup added three times. I suggest you finish it quickly, otherwise you'll have to have it added a fourth or fifth time," Su Xia kindly reminded her.

"That's right, that's right, they can reproduce!" Chen Yuan and Su Xia finished eating early and are now sitting on the sofa watching TV and eating fruit.

"Why are you rushing people to eat on the first day of the Lunar New Year? Lulu, don't listen to them, eat slowly, there's more soup in the kitchen if you don't have enough." Chen Chunqi glared at the two of them, then turned to Lulu and said gently.

"Mmm." Lu Lu nodded.

Five minutes later, Lu Lu felt full, but when she glanced at the bottom of her bowl, there was still half a bowl of noodles left. She almost cried; how could she feel like she'd eaten so much noodles and yet the bowl wasn't empty?

"Lu, take three bites at once and finish it off," Su Xia whispered as she leaned on her shoulder.

“Otherwise, you’ll end up with another bowl of noodles,” Chen Yuan said from the other end.

"Okay, okay." Lu Lu finally believed Su Xia and Chen Yuan's words at this point, quickly finished eating it, and even forced down the rest of the soup.

"Now that everyone's eaten, let's head out." Chen Chunqi waved, signaling everyone to gather.

"Where are we going?" Lu Lu had finally managed to swallow half a bowl of noodles, and now her stomach was very full.

"Let's go to the temple to pray." Su Xia went back to her room to get her coat. The weather looked pretty good today, so it shouldn't be too cold.

"Do you all have to go on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year?"

"Yes, everyone has to go."

The group got into the car, and Chen Jianguo drove for half an hour to a large temple, where they were queuing to enter. A long queue had also formed at the exit. Lu Lu was quite shocked by this and asked Su Xia, "Is this like this every year?"

“Yes, every year on the first day of the Lunar New Year, we eat vegetarian food and go to the temple to pray for peace.” Su Xia nodded.

"We're considered lucky. Some leaders and big bosses came yesterday, just to be the first incense stick of the new year." Chen Yuan shook her head. The competition for that first incense stick is really fierce!

"Wow, the atmosphere for Chinese New Year is so good! Back home, we just visit relatives and have a meal at most." Lu Lu was shocked. Why are there so many activities during Chinese New Year?

“We’ll go too, but most of my parents’ relatives aren’t here, so they’ll just be walking around with friends,” Chen Yuan replied after looking around.

"Oh, do you have any other customs?" Lu Lu couldn't help but ask curiously, as the New Year celebrations here were clearly different from those in their hometown.

"I remember there's a procession of deities on the fifth or sixth day of the lunar new year. I'll take you to see it then," Su Xia replied after thinking for a moment.

"Great! What is a procession of spirits?"

"The procession of deities is an ancient traditional folk activity that originated in the southern region of China. According to historical records, this activity can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. At that time, the southern region was frequently attacked by natural disasters and man-made calamities. In order to pray for peace and ward off evil spirits and disasters, people began to hold processions of deities."

The procession of deities usually takes place during the Spring Festival each year. During the event, people organize themselves to carry the statues of deities through the streets and alleys, while also holding various cultural performances and sacrificial activities. These statues are usually historical figures, gods from mythology or legends, or local deities, such as Guan Yu, Mazu, and the Earth God.

During the deity procession, people dress in their finest attire, carry incense, and follow the statues of the gods, chanting slogans and praying for divine blessings. The procession typically consists of a drum team, a flag team, and a float team, creating a spectacular scene. Along the way, there are also cultural performances such as dragon and lion dances, stilt walking, and Nanyin music, allowing people to experience the charm of traditional culture in a festive atmosphere. Su Xia flipped through the descriptions she found online, recounting them word for word.

"Simply put, it's when people invite the gods to visit the human world for a short while in order to pray for good weather and a bountiful harvest in the coming year. It's a very lively affair, with every household setting up an offering table and offerings, waiting for the gods to make a brief stop in front of their homes." Chen Yuan explained again, worried that Lu Lu might not understand.

"Oh, that sounds exciting." Lu Lu nodded, then looked forward to seeing such a scene.

“It happens to be on the sixth day of the lunar new year, we’ll go then.” Su Xia handed her phone to Lu Lu, showing her the picture on it.

"Wow, I can't wait! Are there any taboos?"

"No, usually not. People like us just go to take a look and join in the fun. But just don't make any boastful statements or do anything disrespectful."

"That's true. Even if you don't have your own faith, you shouldn't tarnish someone else's faith."

As they spoke, Chen Jianguo had already found a parking spot. Everyone got out of the car and took out the candles, firecrackers, and incense they had prepared from the trunk, then headed towards the main hall. Many people were already heading back, while others were just setting off. The temple was halfway up the mountain; looking back, one could see a dense line of cars at the foot of the mountain, and clusters of high-rise buildings in the distance. The sounds of chanting and bells from the temple filled the air; at that moment, it felt like escaping the noise of the city and the crowds, and the heart slowly calmed down.

Arriving at the main hall, lighting candles, burning incense, and praying to Buddha, Su Xia repeated these actions from the main hall to the side halls, her heart unmoved. Watching everyone chanting and expressing their heartfelt wishes, she felt she had already been given a second chance. To ask for more would be a loss if Heaven took back this blessing.

As they continued their prayers, the incense in their hands dwindled until they finally shoved the remaining sticks into the large incense burner in front of the main hall. Chen Jianguo lit the firecrackers, which exploded rapidly and made a loud noise before the banging subsided.

"You two go wander around, your dad and I are going to donate this year's incense money." After saying that, Chen Chunqi pulled Chen Jianguo to the side hall to find the monks.

"I remember there are some good spots for taking photos at this temple, let's go check them out!"

"Great! I just happened to bring my Polaroid camera, let's clean up the film."

Because they left late, after Su Xia and the others had finished their walk, Chen Chunqi called to say that they were going to have a vegetarian meal at the temple and asked if they wanted to eat together or take a taxi back to the city to eat.

Chen Yuan opened the ride-hailing app and saw that there were 300 people in the queue ahead of her, with an estimated wait time of three hours. She decisively exchanged a glance with Su Xia and Lu Lu, and decided, "Let's go! Let's eat vegetarian food."

"Why are you all here? I was thinking you kids had already eaten this morning and probably wouldn't want to eat lunch. I was even thinking of asking your dad to give you some money so you could go out to eat." Chen Chunqi looked at the group in surprise in the restaurant.

“Oh dear, Ms. Chen, you’re right. Vegetables have their own deliciousness too,” Chen Yuan said warmly, moving closer to Chen Chunqi’s left and taking her hand.

“Yes, we came out together, so of course we should go back together!” Su Xia immediately moved to Chen Chunqi’s right side, took her hand, and echoed Chen Yuan’s words.

"Mmm." Lu Lu nodded in agreement.

"Then you can go to the entrance and buy a ticket, then you can come in and eat. Never mind, Lao Chen, you go ahead." Chen Chunqi thought for a moment, realizing that if he sent these kids over, they would have to wait in line for ages.

"Okay." Chen Jianguo listened to everything Chen Chunqi said and immediately got up, grabbed his phone, and walked out.

"Go and get whatever you want to eat; it's a buffet here," Chen Chunqi said, pointing to a row of food stalls not far away.

"Okay, Ms. Chen." Chen Yuan happily pulled Su Xia and Lu Lu over.

After lunch, everyone took a break to digest and had a passerby take a group photo before heading home. Since Chen Jianguo's friend said he was coming to visit, they felt it inappropriate to stay any longer.

"Dad, can you drop us off at the mall later?" Chen Yuan asked Chen Jianguo, sticking her head out from the back seat.

"What?" Chen Jianguo stared straight ahead at the road, his tone filled with displeasure.

“We want to go sing karaoke!” Chen Yuan handed the group-buying interface on her phone to Chen Jianguo, gesturing for him to take a look.

"No way." Chen Jianguo was unaware of her little trick and refused without even looking at her.

"Ah, Dad, it's no fun for you guys to go back and chat. We're bored in the room too!" Chen Yuan immediately started to sulk when she heard Chen Jianguo refuse.

"It's the first day of the Lunar New Year today, don't make your dad beat you!" As soon as Chen Jianguo said this, Chen Yuan immediately fell silent.

Chen Yuan sat back down and looked at Su Xia with her eyes, as if to say, "Look at him, threatening me!"

Su Xia immediately replied with her eyes, "There's no other way, let's go back."

"What are you two exchanging glances about in the back? Are you secretly cursing me?" Chen Jianguo glanced at the rearview mirror and then asked.

"No, how could that be?" Chen Yuan replied with a forced smile.

"When you see someone, remember to call out to them," Chen Jianguo instructed, and then fell silent.

After they returned, Chen Chunqi washed the fruit and boiled water, and then the guests arrived. Su Xia, Chen Yuan, and Lu Lu stood at the door and sweetly greeted, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt!"

"Oh, three daughters! Old Chen is truly blessed!"

"Yeah, they're much better than my two brats. When I asked them to come out together today, they locked the door from the inside."

"Hahaha, not at all. But that's my daughter's friend, not my daughter. I'd be overjoyed if she agreed to let me be her dad!"

"Boys can be a bit mischievous, but that's a good thing."

The four exchanged pleasantries for a while, then went inside to make tea and chat about the renovations and the children. Chen Yuan couldn't stand it any longer, so she quickly tugged at Chen Chunqi's sleeve. Chen Chunqi glanced back and understood that the three children were restless, so he said, "You guys go to the supermarket and buy me some star anise. We ran out yesterday."

"Alright!" Chen Yuan immediately jumped up upon receiving the order, then grabbed Su Xia and Lu Lu, and also took the car keys, before rushing out the door.

"Luckily we're out now. Let's go back later. Where do we go now?" Chen Yuan patted her chest. Being in front of her elders meant she couldn't use her phone, couldn't eat snacks, and couldn't sit too casually. It was so restrictive.

"It's the first day of the Lunar New Year today, so I doubt many shops will be open. You decide, I want milk tea." Su Xia didn't care; being out or at home was pretty much the same, she could just daydream.

"Let's go to the mall then. After buying the milk tea, we can just stroll around." Chen Yuan made the decision, and the three of them took the elevator.

"Should we go buy the star anise that Auntie mentioned first?" Lu Lu asked, after all, they had a mission to complete.

"No need, that's an excuse. I had a whole bag of star anise with me when I was braising things yesterday. Besides..."

"Besides, my mom has an unwritten rule that we don't spend money on the first day of the Lunar New Year. It means we'll have money to spend all year. I don't really understand it, but she hasn't forced us to follow it, so it doesn't matter!"

"Okay, let's go out then."

Su Xia, Chen Yuan, and Lu Lu strolled along, stopping frequently to eat and drink, and even caught a New Year's movie. Seeing that it was almost dinnertime, Chen Chunqi allowed them to continue shopping, but since they had guests at home, they couldn't leave without eating. So the three of them headed back.