With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, the festive atmosphere in Qingshui Town is growing stronger.
Large red lanterns were hung in front of shops and houses in the alley, creating a very festive atmosphere.
Lu Qiqi also asked Zhu Zi to buy a few red lanterns. Two were hung under the eaves of the noodle shop, and two were hung in front of the wooden house in the veteran village.
Since it was almost Chinese New Year, Lu Qiqi gave Aunt Niu and Aunt Zhao a holiday in advance so they could go and buy some New Year's goods.
The cured pork is ready. Each piece weighs a good six or seven pounds. It's dark and shiny, with a smoky aroma that makes your mouth water.
On the first day of the holiday, Lu Qiqi gave Aunt Niu and Aunt Zhao two pieces of cured meat each as year-end bonuses.
They also gave everyone a red envelope containing a month's salary as a year-end bonus.
Aunt Zhao blushed as she accepted the red envelope and cured meat, thanking them repeatedly.
Aunt Niu took the red envelope, weighed it in her hand, her eyes crinkling into slits as she smiled, and said a few auspicious and pleasing words.
With business at noodle shops and street stalls, Lu Qiqi's purse was always bulging.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to buy New Year's goods, she added a lot of nice things to her home.
When Madam Lu saw the cart full of stuff, she didn't complain about Lu Qiqi spending money recklessly.
He directed a group of little kids to unload the items, just like opening a gift box, with surprises everywhere.
Lu took out a bronze mirror as big as a plate from her cloth bag, looked at herself in it again and again, and couldn't put it down.
She laughed and said, "This bronze mirror is so bright that I can see even a small black spot on my face clearly."
Lu Qiqi said, "I bought quite a few; one in each room is enough."
He added, "Auntie, we won't be doing business tomorrow, so why don't we all go to town to buy New Year's goods?"
Upon hearing Lu Qiqi's words, Madam Lu was stunned for a moment, then looked around at the things she hadn't yet checked and said, "You've already bought so much stuff, and you're still going to buy more? Are you planning to move Qingshui Town back here?"
If it were really possible, Lu Qiqi would dare to dream about it.
But she doesn't have the money to buy a town and become its mayor.
Lu Qiqi said, "I only bought everyday items today; I didn't buy any food or toys."
Lu's expression softened slightly, and Li joined in the fun, saying, "What good food is there on the street? We've been in Qingshui Town for so long, but we've never really been out and about. We don't even know what's sold in the East Market, South Market, and North Market."
Lu Qiqi immediately understood and joined Li in putting on a show, since it wasn't the first time the two of them had fooled Lu Shi.
She said, "There are so many delicious food stalls selling candied hawthorn, sugar figurines, candied fruit, maltose, and water chestnut flour cakes."
“It’s not Chinese New Year, but we need to make meat dumplings. We also have sauerkraut in the kitchen. Let’s go to the market to buy meat and make sauerkraut and meat dumplings.”
When Lu heard that the sauerkraut dumplings had completely surrendered, she realized that it was already a rare treat to be able to eat vegetarian dumplings during the Lunar New Year, let alone meat dumplings.
Whether she was still a young woman waiting to be married or already a married woman, Madam Lu had never eaten meat dumplings during the Lunar New Year. How could this not tempt her?
Mrs. Lu said, "Then let's buy a little less, not too much, because we still need to save money for the boys' education."
“Okay, I won’t buy too much,” Lu Qiqi agreed readily, but once she started buying, it was a different story.
In Qingshui Town.
Lu Qiqi led a group of little kids around, shopping here and there. As long as the children liked it, Lu Qiqi would buy it for them without hesitation.
It was as if she had taken over the entire market; today's expenses were paid by Miss Lu.
Passing by a cosmetics stall, Mrs. Lu glanced at the stall a couple more times, but didn't want to go in.
Li was the first to notice Lu's gaze, and chuckled, "Seventh girl, let's go take a look at that family's rouge. I saw Sister Fang draw her eyebrows the other day, and she looked so energetic."
"With the lipstick you gave me, we'll look pretty this Chinese New Year too."
“Sister-in-law, let’s go take a look,” Li said with a smile. “The way you put on lipstick makes my brother’s eyes light up.”
Madam Lu knew that Madam Li had teased her, and she blushed a little when she thought of the way Li Qingshan was staring at her.
She said angrily, "Little sister, Changlong is already of marriageable age, how can you talk like that, so irresponsible?"
“Your older brother isn’t a wolf, so how can his eyes be shining? You’re getting more and more absurd. I’m not talking to you two anymore.”
After saying that, Madam Lu went up to the cosmetics stall to look at eyebrow pencils.
Lu Qiqi never wore makeup when she came into this world; she only did some basic skincare.
She was also curious to see the cosmetics of this era.
As soon as I approached, the stall owner, seeing that a customer had arrived, kept showering me with flattering words.
He managed to persuade the Lu and Li families to buy quite a lot, though of course, it was still Lu who paid for all of these things.
Otherwise, these two frugal women, who had saved every penny for half their lives, would never have been willing to buy a month's worth of food, which was equivalent to a bottle of rouge and eyebrow powder.
Lu Qiqi bought a lot of snacks, candied fruit, and maltose for the children, and they all had sweet mouths.
Before leaving, Lu Qiqi bought several large sheets of red paper, intending to write couplets at home for good luck in the New Year.
Lu Dahai and Li Qingshan went to Nanshi and bought two fish and pork. The family gathered at a noodle shop and returned home with their purchases.
...
On New Year's Eve, children took bubble solution and blew bubbles outside.
Lu Dahai and Li Qingshan were busy chopping dumpling filling and making dumplings for Lu Shi and Li Shi.
One good thing about their family is that they don't have the saying "a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen."
As devoted family men, Lu Dahai and Li Qingshan felt sorry for their wives and got up early to chop dumpling filling in the kitchen.
Lu Qiqi was woken up by the sound of chopping filling.
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