China News Service, Jilin, February 7th: Title: The taste of the New Year in Shulan New Village, Jilin: Life as usual means happiness

　　China News Service reporter Cang Yan Shi Hongyu

　　On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Qingsong New Village, covered with heavy snow, became a "snow town". Rows of red lanterns hang under the eaves, and each house is covered with thick "cake snow." The sound of firecrackers that goes off from time to time gives this village surrounded by mountains a sense of New Year.

Qingsong New Village is like a "snow town". Photo by Cang Yan

　　All the items recorded on Zhao Guifeng's "New Year's Goods List" have been purchased. The new clothes she bought for the whole family are hung neatly in the cabinet, and the red down jacket is very festive.

　　In early August 2023, many towns and villages in Shulan City, Jilin Province suffered floods. During this period, Qingsong Forest Farm became an "isolated island" for a time - communications, electricity, and transportation were interrupted, and it lost contact with the outside world for 36 hours. A large number of houses were washed away.

　　Zhao Guifeng is an employee of Qingsong Forest Farm, and her house was also damaged in the flood. At that time, like most forest farm employees, she joined the flood fighting team to defend their homes, and received a certificate of honor for this.

　　After the floods, local housing reconstruction work began. At present, 78 simple European-style bungalows have been delivered and 20 households have moved in.

Every household hung up red lanterns. Photo by Cang Yan

　　The Year of the Dragon is the first New Year that Zhao Guifeng’s family welcomes in their new home. "I'm going to make eight dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner, and my children are thinking about this big meal every day." Zhao Guifeng converted the porch into a storage room, filled with fresh pig's trotters, vegetables, and rice noodles.

The storage room is full of new year's goods. Photo by Cang Yan

　　After moving into a new home, many relatives and friends from out of town came to congratulate them. The Chinese New Year is approaching and it is the peak time to welcome guests. Zhao Guifeng and her lover Yang Shulin show off their cooking skills in the bright kitchen every day.

　　Yang Shulin is a forest ranger at a forest farm and has deep feelings for the forest in his hometown. It was very hard to walk over the mountains and ridges in knee-deep snow to complete the mountain patrol mission, but he never complained.

　　Mountain patrols are also required during the Spring Festival. This is the daily routine of the 17 rangers like Yang Shulin. For them, life as usual is happiness.

　　Life for 56-year-old Yu Fengyun has returned to normal. On the morning of February 7, Yu Fengyun heated up the kang in advance, and the 60-square-meter cabin was steaming. According to the annual custom of "Twenty-eight, give out noodles", Yu Fengyun decided to give out a large bowl of noodles. "The steamed buns are steamed the next day and topped with jujubes, which symbolizes a prosperous life."

　　Li Shiji, Party branch secretary and director of Qingsong Forest Farm, is the driving force behind the transformation of Qingsong Forest Farm. From standing on the "isolated island" waiting for rescue to the completion of his new home, Li Shiji cherishes the "quietness of the past" very much.

　　These days, Li Shiji is busy delivering new year's goods to residents. According to the shift plan, he will stay on duty at the forest farm on New Year's Eve. "Set off firecrackers and watch the fireworks with everyone." After the new year, Qingsong New Village will build a small square, a large comprehensive supermarket, a health room, and an activity room, and every family will have its own courtyard. Li Shiji will also have a busy schedule - Qingsong Forest Park folk health and wellness tourism project and hazel mushroom specialty planting project will be launched one after another. "The forest farm will be better tomorrow."

Mushrooms grown by Zhao Guifeng at home. Photo by Cang Yan

　　It snowed all night. Zhao Guifeng cleaned the house in front of the house early in the morning and shook off the snow on the red lanterns. "Have a good New Year" is what she looks forward to most right now. (over)