"Anyone can start the fire, but the important thing is to get the tofu back quickly."

Su Mengmeng and Jiang Yanxia quieted down after Zhuang Zhimeng spoke up and stopped making trouble.

The three of them carried the tofu home. Zhuang Zhimeng planned to soak some of the tofu in salt water and store it in a cool, ventilated place to eat it fresh, while making the rest into pan-fried tofu so that it could be stored for a longer time.

As Zhuang Zhimeng instructed, Jiang Yanxia soaked some of the tofu in salt water, and then went to start a fire. Frying tofu required simmering over low heat. Su Mengmeng was responsible for cutting the tofu into pieces, and finally Zhuang Zhimeng fried the tofu.

While Jiang Yanxia and Su Mengmeng were busy, they were also learning how to fry tofu. They said they were serious about learning to cook, not just talking about it.

Zhuang Zhimeng shared some tips on frying food, and the two listened and watched, nodding occasionally. Zhuang Zhimeng was quite satisfied; at least their earnest attitude was commendable.

Place the fried tofu in the kitchen cupboard with a cover, and you can process it again when you want to eat it.

After making the tofu, it's time to stew the pork.

Previously, Zhuang Zhimeng had made all the pork she received into cured pork, but she still had pork in her warehouse, so she took out a pound of it and made braised pork.

Eating braised pork on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month symbolizes the hope for a prosperous year ahead. People also take baths, wash clothes, trim their nails, and cut their hair, all of which signify bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.

Next, we'll slaughter the New Year's chicken.

The rooster we raised has to be slaughtered. A family can only raise two chickens, and they can't be treated specially. Now that it's grown up, it has to be slaughtered.

None of the three could kill a chicken. Zhuang Zhimeng couldn't get over it in her mind, Su Mengmeng had never killed a chicken before and her hands trembled, and Jiang Yanxia was completely afraid to kill a chicken.

In the end, Zhuang Zhimeng gritted her teeth and went for it, but she couldn't bring herself to do it with the knife. She picked it up several times and then put it down again.

As a result, the roosters would run far away whenever they saw her with a knife, and almost pecked her several times.

Su Mengmeng felt sorry for the chicken: "Boss, just grab it, close your eyes and give it a quick death! Look how scared you've made the chicken!"

"Then you do it!" Zhuang Zhimeng said, about to hand the knife to Su Mengmeng.

"My hands are shaking, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold the knife!"

Zhuang Zhimeng then looked at Jiang Yanxia, ​​"Zhimeng, don't look at me like that. You expect me to kill a chicken? I'm afraid I still won't have killed one by next year, and I'll scare myself half to death."

Helpless, Zhuang Zhimeng could only continue to hold the knife, raising it high and then lowering it again. It was only when An Qingbai came over that she was rescued. "Zhizhi, what are you doing?"

"I want to kill the rooster, but I can't bring myself to do it! I raised it myself. Brother Qingbai, you've come at the right time, can you help me kill the rooster?"

"Okay, then don't look, don't scare you."

"good."

Zhuang Zhimeng and the other two obediently turned around.

An Qingbai watched as the three of them turned around, then grabbed the rooster and slit its neck with a single stroke, killing it swiftly and cleanly. He even complied with Su Mengmeng and Jiang Yanxia's request to slaughter their rooster as well.

The slaughtered chicken is plucked with hot water, its internal organs are removed, it is cleaned and frozen. This chicken is to be saved for the New Year's Eve dinner and cannot be eaten now.

After slaughtering the chicken, you need to prepare the dough.

From the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, you cannot light a fire to steam buns; you must prepare the dough for steaming buns before the New Year.

Zhuang Zhimeng prepared to steam jujube buns, sugar buns, and oil and salt rolls. She kneaded the dough and placed it in a warm place, where it rose overnight.

Afterwards, Zhi Meng and the others from Hehao Noodle Shop started putting up New Year pictures, the character "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune), and Spring Festival couplets. Su Mengmeng even climbed a ladder to hang red lanterns for each of the families.

The next morning, Zhuang Zhimeng made steamed buns from the risen dough.

Once all this is done, the production team will be settling the work points.

Zhuang Zhimeng received a bonus of 300 work points, which eventually amounted to 800 work points. Jiang Yanxia received 600 work points, and Su Mengmeng received 900 work points.

The production team's annual net income minus the retained amount divided by the total work points of the entire brigade equals the production team's points value. This year, the points value is 10 work points and 4 jiao (0.4 yuan).

A male laborer earns 10 work points a day, a woman 8 work points, and children and the elderly 6 or 7 work points. That is to say, a male laborer can earn 40 cents a day.

The commune members were allocated grain by the production team according to the number of days they worked and the work points they earned. The grain was distributed according to the principle of more work, more pay; less work, less pay; no work, no pay.

The grain reserves should be sufficient for seeds and national tasks, with reserves, feed grain, fertilizer, etc. The remaining grain should be distributed according to a 70% per capita work share and a 30% per capita share. Oil crops should be distributed according to population.

That is, after paying enough to the state and leaving enough for the collective, the remainder is what the members keep for themselves.

Those with strong labor and many work points were allocated more than 420 jin of grain per year, while those with weak labor and few work points were allocated 380 jin of grain.

Those with more labor and more work points received more surplus grain, while those with less not only received no grain but also owed the team grain, a situation commonly known as "inverted households".

When the score is low, there are more "households with inverted grain" in the team. If there are many people but few laborers, they will owe the production team grain. Conversely, if the score is high, they will be "households with surplus grain".

The "Five Guarantees" households do not receive work points, and all their food, clothing, and daily necessities are provided by the production team.

After the grain is distributed, the advance payment for the following year is deducted. Any remaining amount is the money that the commune members receive; if there is no remaining amount, the commune members do not receive any money.