As evening approached, the village was filled with the aroma of food.
This year, everyone in the village has made some money, and every family is all smiles.
Pan Jinhua's family was even more so.
In the courtyard, an earthen stove was built, and a pot was burning on it. The fragrant aroma of chicken soup wafted out, making one's mouth water.
In the fire, there is a beggar's chicken completely covered in mud, undergoing a breathtaking transformation with the help of the flames.
The pots in the kitchen were also busy. They steamed rice, cooked fish, and then made pork belly. Dried green beans were thrown into the pot together, absorbing the meaty aroma and adding a unique flavor.
There's also tofu, and bean sprouts are waiting in line behind.
Two bowls of chicken blood congealed into lumps. Pan Jinhua instructed from the side to stir-fry them with chili peppers, ginger, and garlic, making them incredibly fragrant.
Li Xushi and Li Xuchang also stir-fried a plate of chicken offal with pickled cabbage, using the prepared chicken innards.
I made a few extra portions of spicy strips and sent one portion to each of the other three households.
When Pan Jinhua said the beggar's chicken was almost ready, Li Qing couldn't wait to scoop it out with a wooden stick.
He kept a close watch, turning the beggar's chicken over from time to time, afraid that any part of it might not have been heated by the fire and would be a waste of good meat if it wasn't cooked.
The clods of earth that were dug out were very hot.
Li Qing actually picked up a stone and smashed it against the clod of earth, burning the hard shell until several cracks appeared.
A fragrance mingled with the scents of earth, lotus leaves, and meat, creating an intoxicating and mouthwatering aroma.
"It smells so good!"
Li Qingjun took a deep breath, jumped up, clapped his hands and shouted, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
"It smells so good! This beggar's chicken smells delicious. It must be a success!" Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi exclaimed. They were the ones who mixed the mud and covered it up by hand!
"Success! Success!"
Li Qingtong clenched her fist, also extremely excited.
Li Qing became even more impatient and pounded the clod of earth a few more times, finally revealing the beggar's chicken wrapped in dried lotus leaves.
The beggar's chicken was piping hot. Pan Jinhua took a damp cloth and put the chicken, which had just been removed from the clod of earth, into a bowl.
Lifting the lotus leaf reveals a golden-yellow chicken with delicate meat.
Li Qingjun followed behind, drooling uncontrollably. Not only him, but none of the children below could resist. It smelled so good, and it was made by their own hands. Who could resist?
Fortunately, the dishes were almost ready.
The children quickly went to help serve the dishes and set the table.
The menu wasn't extensive, but the portions were large, because the Li family is large.
Everyone had a smile on their face, including Wang Jiao.
The children happily picked out their favorite dishes.
Beggar's Chicken is the most popular dish, since they are the ones who made it themselves!
The chicken blood and chicken giblets that had previously intimidated everyone were not missed. After overcoming their mental barriers and trying them for the first time, they simply couldn't stop.
It has a rich flavor.
After the family enjoyed a delicious dinner, Liu Yun and the other two cleared the table, as they would be keeping watch that night.
The three Li brothers, Xu Ming and Li Wei, played cards with Pan Jinhua, while the children also took cards and played their own games.
The room was brightly lit with candlelight, and filled with cheers and jubilation.
Dozens of candles flickered outside the house amidst the mountains, creating a tranquil and beautiful scene.
After playing for a long time, Pan Jinhua couldn't stay awake any longer and went to sleep.
The adults also dispersed, each busy with their own affairs.
The three Li brothers, Xu Ming and Li Xuming, started drinking.
This year marks the first time since my third brother got married that he has been separated from his wife for so long. He and my second brother were afraid that the sight of her would trigger his nostalgia, so they took some wine and chatted while drinking.
Li Qingruo and her two younger sisters huddled together in front of their mother, eating pastries bought by the family. Liu Yun, Mo Qiaoniang, and Yan Shi, on the other hand, took an embroidery stand and embroidered, chatting about the recent changes in the children to pass the time.
The brothers got tired of playing with bamboo tiles and started playing musical chairs, with the loser drinking. Li Qingjun was excluded and yelled angrily, but he remembered that he couldn't cry during the New Year, so he could only squeeze next to Li Qingzhang and cheer him on.
Li Qingyao and Wang Jiao avoided the crowd and stood by the window watching the snow falling from the sky. The snowflakes were crystal clear, like willow catkins fluttering in the air.
A few days ago, the Li family dug a cenotaph for Li Qingyao's father and Wang Jiao's family on the back mountain of Shuxia Village and performed a religious ceremony.
They can say that they have finally put one thing on their minds.
This year is the first New Year without any relatives by his side, and Wang Jiao does miss them somewhat.
Li Qingyao quietly stayed by his side, and he also missed his own father, that tall and strong figure who had always sheltered him from the wind and rain.
"At first, I resented my father."
Li Qingyao did not respond, and Wang Jiao did not care.
"I resent my mother even more."
“I don’t know how she could be so resolute, without ever considering the future of my sister and me, before choosing to commit suicide.”
“I was a bastard back then, living in a daze. When I came to my senses, my sister… Actually, I wanted to die with them back then, but she kept begging me, saying she hoped I would live. She sacrificed so much just to let me live, but I still often feel that my existence is a sin.”
"you·····"
"No need to say anything, Brother Yao."
Li Qingyao remained silent, and Wang Jiao also stopped speaking.
The two of them quietly looked out the window as heavy snow fell, covering all traces of their past.
It snowed all night, and when I woke up in the morning, everything outside was covered in white, a silver-white world.
The snow crunched and squeaked underfoot.
The sunlight shines on the snow, making it golden and radiant, which is a joy to behold.
Li Xuming put on the new clothes made by Liu Yun.
Mother said that the New Year brings new beginnings, and everyone in the family should wear new clothes.
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