Chapter 412 New Year's Eve

"Today is New Year's Eve. You should go back and reunite with your families. These are holiday gifts for you." Su Ying pointed to the things on the table.

"Yes!" Huang Cui'er and his wife, Afa's siblings, and the two wet nurses said happily.

Each person received a holiday gift, which included two pieces of brown sugar, ten kilograms of mutton, fifty kilograms of rice, five kilograms of soybean oil, as well as advance wages and New Year's money, as well as fried crispy meat and vegetable meatballs.

"I'll have someone take you home later, Sixteen can come back.

"But Huang Si Niang and Mo San Niang, you have to come back on the fourth day of the New Year. We have two babies crying for food at home." Su Ying ordered.

"Here are some old clothes. Take them back and give them to the children!"

As a mother, what she cares about most is her own children. Su Ying can't do much, she can only try her best to make up for it.

These days, my family has been making a lot of clothes for my younger brothers and sisters. Those old coarse linen clothes are useless, so it’s better to give them to my wet nurse’s children.

"Yes, sir!" The gifts were distributed according to the number of people. Huang Cui'er and his wife, and Ah Fa's siblings received double portions, while the wet nurse received a single portion.

Su Ying bought two sets of cotton clothes for each person. Although they were not very warm, looking at the entire Wu County, this treatment was comparable to that of a wealthy family.

"Okay?" Zhang San and Li Si were waiting outside to send these people home.

Huang Cui'er and his wife returned to the county town and had their own home. Afa's siblings and two wet nurses lived in the countryside not far from the county town.

The Su family is generous. Not only are the wages high and the food good, but the welfare benefits are also good.

The two wet nurses' families were the poorest and they were worried about how to celebrate the New Year and whether their children could survive. These things were really timely.

"Thank you for giving me a ride, uncles!" Su Ying paid the fare and left some extra.

He also gave me a piece of brown sugar, some crispy meat, and some vegetable meatballs. "It's Chinese New Year, take it home and try it!"

Zhang San and Li Si were beaming. Brown sugar was a precious commodity, and they never thought they could eat it. "Good luck to the master, and may you be promoted step by step!"

Su Ying laughed, "Go back quickly, send everyone off and go home early to have the New Year's Eve dinner!"

The ox cart carried several people away.

"Sister!" Xiaotao and Atang looked at Su Ying eagerly.

There are no servants at home, so I can only rely on my sister for meals.

"Okay, let's have a good meal today!" Su Ying pinched the little faces of her two sisters. They were chubby and felt really good.

You can’t pinch a baby’s face, but it’s okay to pinch these two sisters’ faces.

"Sister!" Xiaotao rubbed against her sister.

Go back to the kitchen, light a fire and cook.

"Oh, Aying, are you busy so early?" Madam Zheng and several other ladies came to help. Everyone was used to having dinner at the Su family.

After the children in the family went to Chang'an, there were fewer children in the village, and the family was not lively anymore.

After a year of hard work, everyone gets together to reward themselves and also to be popular.

"Well, sister is here! Come on, I can't handle it alone!" Su Ying was cutting a fish.

We steamed the preserved vegetables and pork with sand that we prepared yesterday, and also cooked some bacon that was half fat and half lean.

Young peas and mustard heads picked from the fields...

Xiaotao and Atang were busy and having fun following their sister.

With the joining of Madam Zheng and the others, Su Ying felt much more relaxed.

"Uncle Wang, come on, show us your unique skills!" Su Ying saw Wang Sanlang and others coming in and pointed at the cut fish.

"Wow, such a big fish!" Wang Sanlang was surprised when he saw several grass carps weighing seven or eight kilograms.

On this day, the fish in the river are difficult to catch and the price is not cheap.

"The driver, Uncle Zhang, and his people from the village caught it!" Su Ying said with a smile, "We're lucky. The fish is fresh, perfect for making pickled fish."

People from the Yang family came over soon. Dalang's wife and Erlang's wife helped in the kitchen, while Gao and Old Lady Su went into the house to look after the children.

People from the village came one after another. The men were outside repairing roads and burning cement.

They are all managers, each leading a few people to form a technical team to guide the road construction in various counties.

Everyone was talking about the interesting things that happened outside in the past few months, and everyone was in high spirits.

There was a certain aura in his every move, and he was no longer the worried poor villager of last year.

Several managers from the Ministry of Works had nowhere to go, so they all came to the Su family to celebrate the New Year. They became familiar with the men and stayed at their homes.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Su Laosan came back with a group of people. All the officials from Lingnan who had nowhere to go during the New Year also came to the Su family to have a reunion dinner.

The yard was filled with tables and pots of hot dishes were served.

Pickled fish, pea pod fried bacon, preserved vegetable braised pork, Gaza braised pork, mustard greens with water, cabbage meatballs and vermicelli soup, fried crispy pork, cold shredded pork, pork tripe and chicken soup...

The hot rice wine was filled and everyone raised their glasses to celebrate.

"Wow, Aying, this castrated pork is really delicious!" The men picked up the plump pork with preserved vegetables and took a bite.

It was my first time eating this amazing dish, it was so refreshing.

At the dinner table, everyone was the first to grab all the pork with preserved vegetables, which cost ten yuan per plate.

Next is the braised pork with sand filling, which consists of two pieces of half fat and half lean meat with brown sugar and mung bean paste mixed with chopped walnuts, and a base of glutinous rice underneath.

For men who haven't eaten much meat for a long time, this piece of fat and sticky sand-filled pork is even more delicious. It's so satisfying to take a bite.

The elderly villagers were also amazed by these two dishes. It was really good to make pork into such a delicacy.

Then there's the pickled fish, which is sour and spicy, just the right amount to relieve the greasiness...

Everyone was eating, drinking, talking and laughing, it was very lively. Next year will be a peaceful, festive and fruitful year.

Yang Chunhua, who was still in confinement, listened to the noise outside and ate her confinement meal in silence.

The confinement meal was very rich, and I even got two pieces of pickled fish, which was sour and spicy and went very well with rice.

Both of my brothers have returned, but my husband is not. It would be a lie to say that I am not disappointed.

But my husband is repairing Dayuling Mountain, so even if he comes back, he won’t be able to get home today.

"Aunt, don't worry, uncle will definitely come back to see his younger brothers and sisters!" Su Ying comforted Yang Chunhua when she saw that she looked lonely.

"Once Dayu Ridge is completed, my uncle's name will go down in history. Perhaps I can even earn you the title of a county lord!"

"What do I need that false reputation for? I just hope he is safe and sound!" Yang Chunhua said with a smile.

"A noble husband brings glory to his wife! How can we not have one?" Su Ying teased.

"Second uncle is promising, and my younger brothers and sisters will have a bright future! When Second uncle comes back, the names of my younger brothers and sisters can be decided."

The two little ones are still called Dabao and Xiaobao, and have not been officially named yet, which is left to their father.

"Returning to Chang'an, I will go to the Imperial College and take the imperial examinations in the future. It's wonderful to think about it!" Su Ying said happy things to cheer up her second aunt.

"Well! I just hope they have a smooth, peaceful and happy life!" Yang Chunhua said with a smile.

There are too many variables in a person’s life. Who knows what will happen in ten or twenty years?

No matter whether life is smooth sailing or turbulent, she only hopes that her children can grow up healthy and safely.

Don’t live a life full of ups and downs like hers!

She reached out and gently stroked the two children, her heart was soft and her eyes were gentle. If only Abao were still here, how great it would be!