Chapter 130 Reunion Dinner

On the morning of Lunar New Year's Eve, the Huo family courtyard became lively.

Zhong Yulan gets up before dawn to clean, wiping the inside and outside of the yard spotless, even polishing the stone mill in the corner until it shines.

Lu Mingyue, along with Leilei, Yaoyao, and An'an, sat around the table cutting paper snowflakes.

The red paper was folded and turned in the children's hands. Although the cuts were crooked and uneven, some looked like little ducks and some like five-pointed stars, but they exuded a lively and joyful atmosphere.

"Mom, look what I cut!" Yao Yao held up an asymmetrical "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character and presented it to Lu Mingyue like a treasure.

Lu Mingyue smiled and took it, then helped her tidy up the edges: "It looks really good, let's stick it on the window of the main room."

Huo Zheng brought over a stool, and Lu Mingyue stepped onto it to carefully paste the cut-out paper-cut window decorations onto the glass. Sunlight shone through the red paper, instantly adding a festive atmosphere to the room.

After breakfast, preparations for the New Year's Eve dinner were put on the agenda.

Zhong Yulan and Wen Yuexian were chopping dumpling fillings in the kitchen: cabbage and pork filling, chive and egg filling, the cutting board was full of them.

Lu Mingyue was in charge of kneading the dough. The dough was smooth and elastic in her hands. The children helped by handing her water and occasionally tried to knead it themselves, getting their hands covered in flour.

"Huo Zheng, go to the roast duck shop of the state-run restaurant and pick up the two roast ducks you ordered."

Zhong Yulan wiped her hands and said to Huo Zheng, "Remember to go early, or you might have to wait in line."

Huo Zheng agreed, pocketed the money, and went out, saying, "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

When celebrating the Chinese New Year in Beijing, roast duck is an indispensable main dish. I ordered it a few days in advance, just waiting for the family reunion dinner that night so that everyone could enjoy it.

After helping out in the kitchen, the children went to play happily in the yard.

Leilei and An'an were "fighting" with wooden toy guns, while Yaoyao cut the leftover red paper into small pieces and scattered them all over the ground, like a layer of red snow.

Lu Mingyue kneaded the dough, looking out the window at the commotion in the yard. She couldn't help but smile. The three children were all quite lively when they were together.

Not long after, Huo Zheng returned carrying two glistening roast ducks, oil droplets seeping from the oil paper bag, and a faint aroma of fruitwood wafting in the air.

"The roast duck is back." He waved the bag in his hand, and the children immediately gathered around, standing on tiptoe to try and see the roast duck inside.

Zhong Yulan smiled and said, "Don't rush, we can eat it tonight. Let's wrap the dumplings first, and then we'll have dinner when Grandpa comes back."

Even on Lunar New Year's Eve, Huo Zhenping still had a lot of work to do. He knew his family was waiting for him, so he wanted to finish his work as soon as possible and go home to be with them.

As evening approached, the New Year's Eve dinner was finally served.

Two roast ducks were neatly sliced ​​and arranged on a blue and white porcelain plate, their glossy skin shining. Next to them were shredded scallions, cucumber strips, and sweet bean sauce.

There were freshly cooked dumplings on the table, plump and steaming hot.

Zhong Yulan also cooked several dishes, including braised pork and stir-fried vegetables, filling the table with food.

The Huo family does not have the custom of not speaking while eating or sleeping. They are usually busy with work, and mealtimes are a rare opportunity for everyone to get together.

Chatting together can deepen relationships.

Fearing the children would go hungry, Huo Zhenping quickly urged everyone to start eating.

Huo Zheng picked up his chopsticks and first distributed roast duck to the children.

He picked up a piece of duck meat with the skin on and put it in Yao Yao's bowl: "Yao Yao, try the roast duck, it's very fragrant."

Yao Yao didn't eat right away. Instead, she stared at the duck leg on the plate and tugged at Lu Mingyue's clothes with her little hand: "Mommy, I want that duck leg."

Huo Zheng smiled and placed a duck leg on her plate: "Here, eat slowly, don't burn yourself."

We bought two ducks in total, and there were enough duck legs for the children to share.

But Yao Yao picked up the duck leg and put it into Zhong Yulan's bowl: "Grandma, you eat the duck leg. You chopped the filling for a long time today, you must be tired."

Zhong Yulan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and patted her head: "Our Yaoyao is so good. Grandma won't eat, you eat."

"Then Grandpa will eat."

Huo Zhenping said with a smile, "Grandpa doesn't like duck legs, Yao Yao can eat them."

Yao Yao couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like duck legs, but she shook her head and put the duck leg on her mother's plate: "Mom, eat some too. Mom helped make lots of dumplings."

Lu Mingyue smiled and pushed the food back, saying, "Auntie doesn't eat it either, Yaoyao should eat it. Yaoyao is growing and needs to eat more meat."

Huo Zheng and Lu Mingyue couldn't help but laugh when they saw Yao Yao's adorable face.

Lu Mingyue put the duck back on her plate: "Okay, eat up, there's still a lot of roast duck left, everyone can have some."

Yao Yao nodded, picked up her chopsticks and started eating. Her little mouth was stuffed full, and her face was covered with sweet bean sauce, making her look like a little kitten.

The chef who made roast duck at the state-run restaurant had worked in the palace before, so his skills were impeccable. Lu Mingyue ate to her heart's content and didn't even eat many dumplings in the end.

The people at the table chatted and laughed, the children scrambled to eat dumplings, the adults toasted each other, and the aroma of roast duck mixed with the steam from the dumplings filled the whole house.

The dishes for the reunion dinner had just been put away when the children chased after the adults to the yard to set off small fireworks, leaving only Zhong Yulan and Lu Mingyue inside the house.

Zhong Yulan took Lu Mingyue's hand and led her into the inner room: "Mingyue, come with me, I have something for you."

The wooden box in the inner room was opened, and Zhong Yulan carefully took out a jade bracelet from the bottom red cloth bundle.

The bracelet gleamed under the light, its texture as delicate as solidified cream. When viewed against the light, the inner patterns resembled faint flowing clouds, and the edges were polished smooth and rounded.

“This bracelet was passed down from my mother-in-law, from generation to generation to daughters-in-law. When it came to me, I thought I’d give it to you two, my sister-in-law.”

Zhong Yulan handed the bracelet to Lu Mingyue, her voice soft, "One for you and one for Yuexian."

Lu Mingyue held the bracelet, the cool jade slowly warming in her palm. She was somewhat surprised: "Mom, this is too precious, I can't accept it."

"Why can't I accept it?"

Zhong Yulan interrupted her, took her hand, and said earnestly, "Now that you've married into the Huo family, you're a member of the Huo family. This bracelet should be yours. As for Yuexian, I already gave it to her."

She paused, then said, "I know you two have different personalities, but we are family. This bracelet is not just an object; it's a reminder that no matter what happens in the future, you two sisters-in-law should get along well and help each other so that our family can live in harmony."

Lu Mingyue gripped the bracelet tightly and nodded to Zhong Yulan: "Mom, I understand. Don't worry, my sister-in-law and I will get along well."

Zhong Yulan smiled and helped her put the bracelet on her wrist. The silver bracelet gently touched her knuckles, making a soft tinkling sound. "Wear it. You can pass it down to our granddaughter-in-law in the future, so that this memory can continue."

Just then, cheers came from outside the courtyard, and fireworks exploded in the night sky, making the red window decorations inside the house shine even brighter.

Lu Mingyue stood by the window watching the children's smiling faces, then went down to join the game.