Chapter 128 Spring Festival Couplets

Prepare a spice packet with star anise, cinnamon, dried tangerine peel, and fennel seeds according to the recipe in the book. Wrap the spice packet in cheesecloth and put it in the pot.

I didn't stock up on dried tangerine peel when I was hoarding goods. It was only later, after I ate oranges, that I stored the dried peels.

While adding the spice packet, add an appropriate amount of salt and sugar, stir well, and then add the peanuts.

I braised all the peanuts except for the seeds.

Once the fire boils, there's no need to add more firewood. Let the peanuts soak in the braising pot for two hours until they are fully flavored before taking them out.

The peanuts that were scooped out were put directly into the baskets they had woven themselves and spread out in the yard to dry.

Once the skins are dry, put them in a large pot to stir-fry. As you stir-fry, the aroma of the five-spice powder becomes stronger and stronger. Crack open a peanut shell and taste the peanut inside. It's very flavorful, but still a little moist, so continue to stir-fry for a while.

Once it's completely dry, transfer it to a container and seal it for storage.

By the time the peanuts were fried, it was already dark. The rest of the ingredients were saved for the next day.

I woke up naturally when it was broad daylight, and then leisurely started a fire to make breakfast and feed the livestock.

After breakfast, I lit my grill again, and while it was heating up, I prepared the food to be grilled inside the house.

The same honey bread rolls and cookies, plus some new items.

If we don't eat the sesame seeds soon, they'll probably spoil.

Fill a small bowl with sesame seeds, add some raisins, and chop up some red dates and put them in as well.

Pour in an appropriate amount of flour, a few egg whites, and an appropriate amount of sugar, and mix well.

Stir until it becomes a thin batter, brush a baking pan with oil and spread a thin layer evenly, then put it in the oven to bake.

Freshly baked sesame crisps are caramel-colored, thin, and make a crisp sound when broken. They are crunchy and fragrant when chewed, full of sesame aroma and sweet taste.

I made a bit too much dough for the honey bread rolls, so I baked a few more large loaves of bread.

Place the dough on a work surface, press some dates and hazelnut pieces onto it, and then bake it directly in the oven.

I didn't eat much of the jam I made before, so I'm going to spread it on bread slices to eat.

The baked bread had a hard crust; it was more like rye bread than regular bread.

It was a little hot when it came out of the oven. When you cut it with a knife, the outer layer of the bread was hard, but the inside was soft with fluffy air pockets. It looked delicious.

Wrap the bread in a plastic bag and put it on the shelf in the back room; for a long time, I won't have to bother making breakfast.

After baking things for another day, I made a pot of tofu and some soy milk the following day.

Keep a few pieces of tofu fresh, cut the rest into pieces and freeze them into frozen tofu, and make some into dried tofu and tofu puffs.

For the remaining three days, I leisurely prepared some other dishes.

Fried dough twists, fried meatballs, steamed buns and mantou, braised pork skin, fried potato chips and sweet potato fries—when you really can't think of anything else to make, the Spring Festival is just around the corner.

On New Year's Eve, I got up a little early and, for the first time ever, fed the pigs and chickens a meal of pure cornmeal.

I heated up the house to eliminate all safety hazards, dressed the dogs in red sweaters, and put a red sweater on myself too.

We drove to the Baizhen base with New Year's goods and our four dogs.

The New Year's gifts I brought included roasted hazelnuts, spiced peanuts, honey bread rolls, three bottles of homemade fruit wine, three pieces of tofu, and hand-rolled meatballs.

When the car arrived at the gate of the Baizhen base, the patrolmen already recognized me. I didn't need to go inside to call for help; they just conducted a routine check on the car and let me through.

Aunt Liu must have heard the car from afar, because by the time I drove into the yard, she was already standing at the gate to greet me.

As soon as the car door opened, the four dogs jumped out and went to find Little One and Little Two.

I took the bags of food down and closed the car door.

"Why did you bring something again? It's cold, come inside quickly."

As Liu Xiao spoke, she didn't stand on ceremony and took the things from my hands, then went into the house with me.

The room was much cleaner than last time I came. No one was home; Brother Liu wasn't there.

Where is Brother Liu?

I looked around and asked Aunt Liu.

"He's gone to help put up Spring Festival couplets at the base. We haven't put them up at our own homes yet. By the way, do you not have any Spring Festival couplets? I'll ask your Brother Liu to get you a pair later."

Since we didn't have any at home, I readily agreed.

"Oh, I don't have any at home. Where should I put them? Can I go and see what's going on?"

"Go check the base center, they should all be around there. I won't go with you, I need to start cooking soon."

After listening to what Aunt Liu had to say, I strolled around the center of the base.

Before even reaching the door, I could hear a group of people talking in the distance.

Upon closer inspection, the base elder was writing couplets with a calligraphy brush. His calligraphy was quite good, with sharp strokes and a proper structure. A group of people watching from the side were full of praise.

Once a chapter is written, someone will pick it up and post it on the corresponding door.

"Hey girl's here! Come on over and see, the base commander's handwriting is absolutely amazing."

Brother Liu was pleasantly surprised to see me, and then invited me to get a closer look at the base chief's calligraphy.

The base commander looked up and saw it was me. He smiled slightly but didn't say anything. He continued writing the painting.

The couplets were mostly about wishing for peace or longevity, but the style of the next one written by the base leader suddenly changed.

"There is joy in living in one's own home, and one can always find peace of mind in quiet places."

This couplet really touched my heart; I love it.

Just as I was about to offer my praise, the base commander spoke up: "This one is yours, not bad, right?"

Her tone was slightly smug, as if she was waiting for my praise.

"It's really good. The font is strong and powerful, and I also really like the content of the couplet."

After the ink dried a bit, I picked it up and admired it while praising it.

After the couplets were pasted up, everyone went home, and I followed Brother Liu back home as well.

"New Year's Eve dinner is a meal for everyone to eat together. Each family cooks some dishes and puts them together. Nowadays, each family has fewer people, so it's more lively to get together and avoid the house feeling lonely."

Brother Liu was probably afraid I was shy, so he spoke cautiously.

"That's great! It's really lively to get together like this, just like the last time we had the pork stew."

"Yes, yes, it's still the same group of people."

I actually quite enjoy getting together occasionally, watching everyone chat and having fun, which helps to alleviate the loneliness of living alone.

When I got home, Aunt Liu had already started cooking. A braised pork knuckle was simmering in the pot, and the whole house smelled delicious.

When Aunt Liu saw me return with a couplet in my hand, she immediately grinned and said, "You're back, girl. You really do have a couplet."

"Wait until I put it inside, then I'll come help you."

He rolled up the couplets, tied them with a small rope, and turned back to the kitchen to help Aunt Liu cook.

"Help me wash the cabbage."

Aunt Liu didn't stand on ceremony and took a large cabbage from the kitchen and handed it to me.

What dishes are we planning to cook?

While picking cabbages, he asked Aunt Liu about her plans.

"Braised pork knuckle, hot and sour cabbage, stir-fried pork slices, and I'd like to make another stew later."