Chapter 37 Homecoming
On New Year's Eve, Lin Yunxi got up early and began to prepare frying New Year's goods and making dumplings.
In modern times, people’s living standards are getting higher and higher, but their expectations for the New Year are getting lower and lower, and the festive atmosphere is getting weaker and weaker.
Although there is no Spring Festival Gala and no fireworks now, Lin Yunxi can still truly feel the strong festive atmosphere.
In the village, every household was happily pasting spring couplets and preparing reunion dinners.
The children called their friends and went in groups from house to house looking for unlit firecrackers. Their laughter and cheers lingered over the village for a long time.
On this day, the adults were particularly tolerant and easy to talk to. As long as you didn't poke a hole in the sky, you could play however you wanted.
Speaking of fried New Year's goods, it can be said to be a feature of the New Year in many places. It is a delicacy that has been passed down from generation to generation, implying prosperity in the coming year.
After Lin Yunxi got up early in the morning, she began to prepare the food. This was her first New Year since coming here, so naturally she wanted to celebrate it in a grand manner.
After some consideration, Lin Yunxi decided to make fried vegetarian meatballs stuffed with radish, pure meatballs, fried spare ribs, fried crispy pork and fried eggplant boxes.
Before starting to fry the New Year's goods, she prepared the fillings and stirred the sweet potato flour batter for frying the spare ribs and crispy pork.
After all the ingredients were prepared, Lin Yunxi poured most of the soybean oil into the pot and started frying.
Today, Gu Jiahao did not take Yanyan out to play. Instead, he sat obediently at the stove and helped to light the fire.
Yanyan also sat next to his brother and helped put firewood into the stove.
The main reason was that his family only planned to steam a pot of steamed buns and make some dumplings this year, but did not fry any New Year's goods, which made Gu Jiahao very disappointed.
It just so happened that his second aunt invited him to have lunch at her house yesterday. So after breakfast, Gu Jiahao came over early to help light the fire.
Because his mother had said that he should not eat or take things for free at Second Aunt's house, and should help Second Aunt with work within his ability, Gu Jiahao kept it firmly in mind.
Besides, the job of making fire was so easy. Every time his second aunt fried a pot of meat, she would serve him and Yanyan a small bowl and ask them to help taste it.
By the time all the New Year goods were fried, the two little ones were full and their bellies were plump.
Seeing this, Lin Yunxi did not make any lunch separately. She just ate some fried pork and fried spare ribs and drank a bowl of hot milk.
Because the two children behaved very well in the morning, she did not plan to keep them at home to make fire in the afternoon.
Before going out, Lin Yunxi packed two bags of snacks for Gu Jiahao and Yanyan respectively, and asked them to take them with them and eat them when they were hungry after playing.
After sending the two children away, she immediately started kneading dough to make steamed buns, dumplings and dumpling skins.
After being transformed by spatial food and spiritual spring water, Lin Yunxi now has much greater strength and arm strength.
After a short while, the whole bowl of flour slowly turned into a smooth dough.
While the dough was resting, Lin Yunxi began to prepare the fillings. She made four fillings in total: fresh meat filling, cabbage and vermicelli sauce meat filling, pork and shepherd's purse filling, and shrimp and three fresh fillings.
The first two are used to make buns, and the last two are used to make dumplings.
Lin Yunxi's fingers were nimble and her movements were very fast. She wrapped and pinched the dough, and in an instant a round dumpling was ready.
After wrapping the dumplings, place them in a large natural refrigerator outdoors for half an hour and they will be frozen hard. You can keep them and eat them later.
Lin Yunxi continued to be busy in the kitchen. By the time the last pot of buns came out of the pot, most of the afternoon had passed.
Although the Gu family has split up, they still have to have the reunion dinner together on New Year’s Eve.
Lin Yunxi heated up the oil in the wok again and cooked three of his signature dishes: Four-Happiness Meatballs, Sichuan-style Steamed Pork with Rice Flour, and Braised Pork.
In addition to the meatballs, crispy pork and pork ribs platter fried in the afternoon, there are four meat dishes in total.
Considering that there would be many people eating in the evening, she prepared large portions of these dishes.
In addition, Lin Yunxi also stewed some tiger skin eggs in the braised pork, and the egg skin was crispy.
After being simmered for a long time, the color has blended with the braised pork and looks very tempting.
In the evening, after Lin Yunxi took Yanyan to wash up, they went to the old house.
When the two arrived, several children had already set the table and prepared dishes, and there were several dishes on the table.
Gu's mother, Zhou Chunfen and Liu Qiaoqiao were busy in the kitchen, and the children were waiting anxiously at the door.
The men in the house were also busy sweeping the house and pasting up couplets. Everyone was busy.
Seeing this, Lin Yunxi also rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen to help.
Perhaps because it was the New Year, Liu Qiaoqiao did not respond as sharply as usual.
He even asked Lin Yunxi with a smile how to cook. Lin Yunxi was not such a petty person, so he taught him politely.
“Dinner is ready!”
The New Year’s Eve dinner officially began, and everyone sat at the table, listening to Mr. and Mrs. Gu’s speeches.
"This year our family has made progress in all aspects. The eldest and third sons have taken on the responsibility of supporting the family, and the daughters-in-law have also taken good care of their own families."
"I hope to continue working hard next year and live a prosperous life like this year. I wish everyone a happy new year."
"Happy New Year!" Everyone raised their glasses to celebrate the New Year.
It is said that the happiest people during the Chinese New Year are the children, as the table is filled with food that they cannot eat on ordinary days.
Braised fish, fried bacon with garlic chives, boiled prawns, pork with potatoes, braised pork, four-happiness meatballs, Sichuan-style steamed pork with rice flour, fried meat platter, and a few cold dishes to go with wine.
Of course, the four dishes made by Lin Yunxi were more popular, and half of them were finished in a short while.
After a small bite, the men started bragging, playing finger-guessing games and drinking, while the women ate together and talked about their children and family matters.
"Knock, knock, knock..." Just when the atmosphere in the house was lively, someone knocked on the gate.
"Who is it? Why are you visiting on New Year's Eve?" Gu Feng was closest to the door. He muttered something and then stood up to open the door.
Then, his surprised voice came from the yard: "Second brother, you are back!"
Inside the house, after hearing the noise, Gu's father and mother couldn't wait to get up and go out.
Lin Yunxi was stunned for a second, then carried Yanyan and went out with everyone.
Once Gu Zheng came back, the family was truly reunited and the whole family was extremely happy.
Father Gu's eyes turned red as he looked at his handsome, tall, lean and strong son, while Mother Gu wiped her tears.
"You are finally back, my child. I can finally put my heart at ease now."
Gu Zheng comforted his parents in a gentle voice, but in the end it was Lin Yunxi who stood up and spoke.
"It's so cold outside, let's go inside and talk."
Gu Zheng followed the direction of the voice and immediately locked onto Lin Yunxi who was standing behind the crowd.
Just one glance, and he couldn't move his eyes away anymore.
After not seeing him for more than two years, his wife seemed to have become even more beautiful.
As the saying goes, men are visual animals, and Gu Zheng is no exception.
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