On New Year's Eve, Zhou You felt unwell, his whole body chilled. There was no air conditioning at home—he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or if he'd caught something. He burrowed under the covers, wrapping himself completely, only his head poking out. With two layers of blankets, he still felt cold, so he called his parents to add a third. He dared not move a muscle, as if any motion would let the warmth escape. Lying still like that, after about ten minutes, he finally felt a hint of warmth. A few minutes later, something seemed to seep out from inside him—fine beads of sweat spread across his body, gradually swelling into large droplets that trickled down, soaking the blankets through. Yet Zhou You still didn't dare move, afraid that stirring would let in cold air, letting the chill invade and worsen his cold. He curled up, holding that position in bed for an hour, only daring to shift when he felt the sweat had mostly passed.
This was also why Zhou You liked Shi Tiesheng—only when sick do people consider the fundamentals. What do people seek in life? Health is the foundation; without it, all fame and fortune are like sandcastles on the beach, washed away by the smallest wave.
While Zhou You lay in bed, his parents were chatting. "Once spring comes, we'll build the house. Xiaoyou lives in the city now, used to the urban environment, so he can't adapt to the countryside. We don't even have air conditioning, and the bathroom is freezing. Look, he's caught a cold this time. If something else happened, it'd be hard to even see a doctor," his mother scolded his father. "Alright, who doesn't want to live well? I do too, but I'm not capable enough. If I could earn money, I'd have built it long ago, making you suffer with me here. Look around—how many families haven't renovated? It's just us, spending all these years supporting Xiaoyou through school, never saving up," Zhou You's father said, smoking with his head drooped. It took courage for a man to admit his own inadequacy.
The next day, Zhou You felt better. Youth was capital—in his past life, with his sub-healthy body in his thirties, a cold like this would take at least a week to recover.
On the first day of the new year, the village tradition was to pay New Year's visits. Everyone got up early, boiling dumplings in the morning. It was still popular to wrap a one-yuan coin in a dumpling—whoever got it would have good luck all year. As a child, his parents always made sure he got it; now grown up, he still ended up with it every time. Parents, from the moment they have a child, worry about them for a lifetime.
In their village, it was customary for clans to visit familiar households together. Zhou You's father, as the eldest of three brothers, led their nephews—a group of seven or eight, marching grandly through the village to pay respects. Women didn't participate in this. At each house, they'd kneel, kowtow three times to the ancestral tablets, then once to the elderly of the household. Call it a bad habit or a folk custom—Zhou You had grown up with it. Later, chatting with others, he learned that many southern cities had abandoned such traditions.
Walking through the village, they only visited close relatives and daily acquaintances. From the east end to the west end, it took about an hour. As a kid, he'd tag along hoping to snag some sunflower seeds. Now, following along brought a different feeling—seeing these elderly folks, some of whom would pass away in the coming years, still present now.
Since he'd been sick last night and missed the Spring Festival Gala, he found a place to watch the replay after the visits. How many years had it been? Zhou You couldn't remember what was so great about the gala. In later years, almost no one watched it. The young ones were glued to their phones; the elders turned on the TV, glancing at it occasionally out of habit. No one stayed up for the New Year anymore—everyone went to bed early. The festive atmosphere of Spring Festival was fading, and the busy holiday only made young people more exhausted. Society's pace was speeding up; slow down even a little, and you'd be left behind.
Other young people in the village had long gathered to play cards. After a year of hard-earned money, some would lose it all in those few days of the holiday. In the past, everyone roamed far and wide, only meeting during the New Year. With few entertainment options in the countryside, cards were the only thrill. In the city, you could watch a movie or go to the mall, but going to the county town from the village was a hassle.
"Zhou You, come play cards!" a familiar voice called him over, but he wasn't interested, and the smoke-filled room was too much for him.
At noon, as usual, his entire extended family gathered at the old house for a meal. Relatives reunited, enjoying a hearty mixed vegetable stew, harmonious and joyful. This was how rural communities maintained cohesion. The mixed vegetable stew—a blend of various vegetables, meats, beans, and mushrooms—was typically served to guests or at family gatherings.
Many people romanticize rural life as peaceful and idyllic. Those people had likely never lived in the countryside for long. The countryside was the most basic level of social organization, where the law of the jungle reigned. Without male heirs, your land and homestead would have no one to inherit them. When farming, weeding, or watering, you'd be outcompeted—especially in the old days, when farming was simpler and rougher, relying almost entirely on male labor; women couldn't handle it all. Not to mention petty disputes and fights. In the past, brawls in the countryside were common, with no one to intervene or manage them. That's why so many rural folks insisted on having a son—it was a practical consideration.
Later, as young people chose not to marry or have children, that too was a practical consideration. When marriage and children made life worse, no one would willingly take that path. People flock to where there's profit; they avoid what brings none. If there's a benefit, everyone rushes in; if not, even a dog wouldn't take it. Eventually, childbearing relied mainly on rural residents and the upper class. Many in the middle class didn't marry, or at most had one child, just enough to enjoy family happiness.