32: Chapter 32 Chinese New Year

It was a little past 7 PM, and the whole family was gathered together, waiting for the start of the Spring Festival Gala.

At exactly eight o'clock, the familiar opening music began to play.

"It's starting, it's starting!" Chen Tong put down her orange and leaned closer to the television.

On the screen, hosts Zhou Tao, Zhu Jun, Dong Qing, Zhang Zequn, Ren Luyu, and Ouyang Xiadan walked out in sequence; the six of them stood in a row and offered New Year greetings in unison.

The stage background was a dominant shade of bright red with golden auspicious cloud patterns, and in the very center was a giant character for "Spring."

Looking at this familiar scene, Chen Fan felt a bit sentimental.

He didn't know when it started, but in his previous life, after he began working, he rarely watched the Spring Festival Gala anymore.

It wasn't just Chen Fan; many young people had stopped watching the Spring Festival Gala as well.

On New Year's Eve, the Gala would be playing on the TV, while people played cards or messed around on their phones.

The Spring Festival Gala had become more like a ritual.

Unlike now, where every household gathered together to watch the Gala and enjoy the atmosphere of the New Year.

This year's Spring Festival Gala was actually not bad.

Faye Wong made a comeback to sing "the legend of mir."

There was also Liu Qian, showing off his magic again.

Chen Fan still really liked Liu Qian's magic; even after many years, no other magician on the Spring Festival Gala had reached Liu Qian's level.

As one program after another passed by.

Time quickly approached 12 o'clock.

"Xiaofan, get ready to set off the fireworks."

Every year around 12 o'clock on New Year's Eve, every household would set off firecrackers, and those who could afford it would set off fireworks.

This year was no exception.

As the only boy in the family, the task of setting off the fireworks naturally fell to him.

Chen Fan had specifically bought an especially large firework this year.

Chen Fan carried the large firework out from the house and walked to the center of the courtyard to set it down. Chen Tong stood at the doorway watching the excitement, holding an incense stick in her hand.

"Xiaofan, use this, it's safer." Chen Tong handed the incense in her hand to Chen Fan.

"It's fine, this will do." Chen Fan waved the lighter in his hand.

Dense sounds of firecrackers came from the distance, crackling and popping in a continuous stream. Chen Fan turned his head to look—everyone from inside the house had come out. His grandparents were at the doorway, Chen Jianjun and Wang Mei were beside them, and Chen Jianguo and Sun Hongli were there too.

"Light it!" Chen Jianjun shouted.

Chen Fan bent down and brought the lighter close to the fuse.

"Sss—" The fuse sparked as it burned inward.

He turned and ran back. Just as he reached the doorway, a "bang" sounded behind him, and a streak of golden light shot into the night sky. Immediately following that were continuous "bang, bang, bang" sounds as colorful fireworks exploded overhead—red, green, gold—one after another, illuminating half the village.

Chen Tong took her phone out of her pocket and started filming.

After setting off the fireworks, it was time to eat dumplings.

The dumplings had been wrapped together by Chen Fan's grandmother, Wang Mei, and Sun Hongli.

They had wrapped nearly 200 of them.

It seemed like a lot, but actually, on average, it was only about thirty per person.

Chen Fan alone ate nearly 50. Chen Tong had a small appetite, and having eaten those snacks and fruits, she was full after eating a dozen or so.

...

It was past 1 AM, and Chen Fan was lying in bed.

His eyes were tightly closed, but his consciousness was immersed in the system within his mind.

Following his daily routine, he opened the wealth store to check if anything good had refreshed. He hadn't held out much hope, but to his surprise, when he saw one of the items, Chen Fan's eyes instantly lit up.

[The Tribulation of Ten Thousand Races] 500,000 wealth points.

Chen Fan hadn't expected such an unexpected surprise this time; it had refreshed a novel from over a decade in the future.

And it was a wildly popular novel at that.

This novel was also in the style of the High Martial Era, and in terms of performance, it was even higher than the High Martial Era.

If he copied this for his next novel, it would be perfect for continuing this style.

Chen Fan estimated that by next month, which was early March, the High Martial Era would be finished.

Once this book was finished, he would wait three months, which would be after the college entrance exams, and it would be just the right time to continue by publishing The Tribulation of Ten Thousand Races.

Of course, he would continue copying novels, but Chen Fan wouldn't miss out on other ways to make money either.

Now that he had capital, if the wealth store refreshed with some items that could help him make money, like that [Three Squirrels Business Plan Guide] from the beginner's gift package.

Then, once he got to college, he could consider starting a business.

Right now, Chen Fan was still in high school; even if it did refresh, in the environment of this county town, starting a business would be useless.

He couldn't just open a milk tea shop in the county town—not to mention whether it was high-class or not, the key point was that it wouldn't earn as much as he made in a day from writing novels.

With a thought from Chen Fan, 500,000 wealth points instantly vanished, and the entire content of the novel The Tribulation of Ten Thousand Races appeared in his mind.

...

The first day of the Lunar New Year.

Because they had to go pay New Year's visits in the morning.

Chen Fan got up at a little past seven.

In previous years, he would have slept until nearly 9 o'clock and still had to be forcibly woken up by Wang Mei; unlike now, he woke up naturally at a little past 7, and he was full of energy.

After washing up and coming to the living room, he found that the elders were all already up and were chatting in the living room.

When his aunt Sun Hongli saw Chen Fan, a smile appeared on her face. "Xiaofan, you're up so early today, unlike that big lazybones of a sister of yours, who is still lazing in bed right now and can't be woken up no matter what."

"It's still early, let my sister sleep a bit more." Chen Fan smiled and said.

Just then, Chen Jianguo walked over to Chen Fan holding a red envelope. "Come, Xiaofan, here is your red envelope."

"Uncle, I can't take this." Chen Fan waved his hands, hurriedly refusing.

"Xiaofan, you must accept this." Chen Jianguo said in a deep voice, "Don't think that just because you are making money now, you aren't still a child in the eyes of your uncle and your dad, so the red envelope is a must."

"Alright, thank you, Uncle."

Chen Fan took the red envelope and, with a slight squeeze, knew the amount.

500 yuan, it was the same every year, and this year was no exception; it wasn't more or less just because Chen Fan was making money.

Immediately after, Chen Fan's grandfather, Chen Jingshan, also gave Chen Fan a red envelope containing 100 yuan.

After Chen Tong got up, Chen Jianjun gave her a red envelope as well.

Although Chen Tong was already in college, Chen Jianjun only had Chen Tong as his niece, so he still treated her like a child.

In the past, Chen Jianjun's financial situation wasn't very good, so it was always 200 yuan, but this year it had become 500 yuan.

Chen Jingshan still gave 100 yuan.

The old man didn't have the habit of favoring boys over girls; he treated everyone equally.

After the red envelopes were distributed, they ate a little something.

Then it was time to go pay New Year's visits in the village.

In this place called Chenjiapo, almost everyone had the surname Chen; hundreds of years ago, they probably were one family.

So they were almost all relatives, although most were beyond the fifth degree of kinship.

Every first day of the Lunar New Year, they had to go from door to door to pay New Year's visits.

As for the New Year's visits, generally the women didn't go; it was the men and the children who went to pay the visits.

So on Chen Fan's side, it was the two brothers Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun, plus the two siblings Chen Tong and Chen Fan, totaling four people.

Compared to other families with groups of seven or eight people, they were indeed not very conspicuous.

After all, Chen Jingshan only had two sons, unlike some families who had five or six sons directly, and with the next generation of children, the people paying New Year's visits could easily form a soccer team.