Chapter 30 The business of the New Year's food stalls has always been booming...
The food stall's booming business lasted until the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. Today, they closed up shop and went home. They won't be back until after the 15th day of the first lunar month next year.
I worked hard before the New Year and earned enough money to last me through the whole spring.
Having money in hand makes you feel at ease.
When it came to preparing for the New Year, Qiu Yuruo was very generous. She and Yun Che were busy making money at the food stall, while the preparations at home were left to her second sister.
Su Jingshu started making New Year's clothes for the whole family as soon as December arrived. After the clothes were made, she started making food to store for the New Year.
After half a year of cooking instruction from Qiu Yuruo, Su Jingshu's cooking skills have caught up with the average person. The food prepared for the New Year is mostly steamed, boiled, or fried. Qiu Yuruo simply fried the fried items while making fried pastries. Su Jingshu also does a good job with simple steaming and boiling.
On New Year's Eve, except for Su Yunting who was bedridden, the whole family worked together to make dumplings.
There were firecrackers going off outside. Qiu Yuruo suddenly remembered the scene of setting off firecrackers with her friends when she was a child in her previous life. She suddenly felt restless and wanted to go out and set off firecrackers for a while.
Before the New Year, a considerable amount of money was allocated to Su Jingshu's second sister for the holiday. Su Jingshu went to town with Aunt Shuncai and bought all the things to eat, use, and play with for the New Year. Firecrackers were naturally an indispensable item.
Since they had already made enough dumplings for the next two days, Qiu Yu decided to take the three of them to the alley to set off firecrackers.
Yun Che took a firecracker, lit it, and threw it into the distance. The firecracker exploded in mid-air, and then he lit a second one.
The two younger sisters didn't dare to play it, and watched from the side with their ears covered.
Because Qiu Yuruo's hand had been blown up in her past life, she advised him not to hold it in his hand and to put it down.
Yun Che easily tossed another firecracker, saying with a hint of pride, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I've been setting off firecrackers since I was three years old. I won't hurt my hand."
Qiu Yuruo: "I don't believe you still remember when you were three years old."
Yun Che chuckled: "Anyway, I've been holding firecrackers in my hands since I was a child."
The boy's brows and eyes no longer showed any signs of melancholy; when he spoke, his eyebrows were slightly raised, and he regained some of his youthful spirit.
It was a rare sight to see him so radiant, and Qiu Yuruo didn't want to spoil the mood. He'd always been like this since he was little, so let him stay like this.
She herself doesn't dare to hold the firecrackers in her hand, light them, and then throw them away. However, she dares to put the firecrackers on the ground, stretch out her arm far away, and use a lit incense stick to light them.
They lit the firecrackers, covered their ears, and ran away.
The firecracker exploded with a loud 'bang'.
With that sound, Qiu Yuruo felt a surge of joy in her heart, and the happiness of the New Year rushed straight to her chest.
Yun Che lit another firecracker and threw it out. The firecracker exploded in mid-air, and Qiu Yuru clapped her hands and shouted, "Good!"
Yun Che said, "Sister-in-law, you take a firecracker and light it too. Let's see who can throw it the farthest."
Qiu Yuruo: "That's a good idea."
Yun Che thought she was going to agree, but to his surprise, Qiu Yuruo's next words were: "You win, I admit defeat."
Yun Che was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
After having enough fun, they went home together to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner. While other families stay up all night on New Year's Eve, their parents have all passed away, so there's no one for them to pray for. The night was the same as before; when it was time, they went to sleep.
On the first day of the new year, the whole family put on their new clothes for the holiday.
Early in the morning, they had to pay New Year's visits to the elders in the village. Since someone couldn't be left at home, Qiu Yuruo left her second sister at home and took Yunche and her younger sister to meet up with Aunt Shuncai's family. Yunche went with Uncle Shuncai, while Qiu Yuruo took her younger sister with Aunt Shuncai, and they went from house to house to pay New Year's visits to the families with elders.
We visited every household in the village with elders, except for the alley where Old Man Su lived.
Although everyone had laid out straw mats, Qiu Yuruo still felt pain in her knees. When she got home, she immediately regretted forgetting to make and wear knee braces.
The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day to go back to one's parents' home. Qiu Yuruo had already told Uncle Qiu that she would not go back on the second day, but on the third day.
On the day she returned to her parents' home, Qiu Yuruo still left her second sister at home and took Yun Che and her younger sister to Qianqiao Village.
There were three people when they went, and four people when they came back. Qiu Yuru brought Ersheng from her third uncle's family.
When the food stall was first set up, Ersheng came to Sujiazhuang and told him to come and stay for a few days after autumn. However, Qiu Yuruo and Yun Che were busy with the food stall and didn't have time to pick him up. Now that they have time, it's a good opportunity to bring him over to stay for a few days.
It's easy to arrange accommodation for them; they can just stay with Yun Che.
Children's friendships are easily formed. Ersheng and Yunche had only known each other for two days, but they were already good friends. So when Qiu Yu asked him to come back to Sujiazhuang with her, he readily agreed.
Third Aunt didn't want Ersheng to go and bother Qiu Yuruo, but Third Uncle said to her, "They are siblings who want to be close, don't stop them."
The two students cheered and ran inside to pack their things.
After returning from Qianqiaozhuang, there were no more relatives to visit.
From the fourth to the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, there's no need to set up a stall or visit relatives; it's truly a rare day of rest during the year.
Qiu Yuruo lay relaxed on the bed, talking to her 'rag doll' about what happened that day.
“Our family has cut off contact with your grandfather’s side and also with your maternal grandmother’s side.”
Everyone needs a few close relatives or friends. My third uncle is alright, and Ersheng and Yunche are about the same age, they've known each other since childhood, so he'll be a help to me in the future.
Su Yunting agreed with Qiu Yuruo's words. He understood all too well the feeling of having few constraints in life. Having a few close relatives and friends was a blessing.
...
With nothing to do during the Chinese New Year, Qiu Yuruo stayed home and cooked all sorts of different dishes.
She used to have a weak stomach, but after half a year of recuperation, her appetite has improved significantly.
Yun Che and the other two were in a similar situation. Although they used to have a good appetite, they had been living in fear every day since their mother passed away. They also couldn't cook, and each of them looked pale and sickly.
Since Qiu Yuruo married into the family, the three of them have long since regained their appetites. Children rarely grow faster in autumn and winter than in spring and summer, but Yun Che and his younger sister have grown quite a bit in the past six months, especially Yun Che, who is now half a head taller than when Qiu Yuruo first married into the family.
The family consists of four people who are able to move around. Except for the second sister, who was already quite tall, the other three have grown quite a bit.
There are four people in my family who can eat a lot, and with the addition of Ersheng, it seems that no matter how much I cook, it will all be finished in the end.
Although food consumption is high, the family has prepared a lot of food before the New Year, and Qiu Yuruo also occasionally makes some new dishes, so there is no shortage of food at home.
Once school resumes, Yun Che will go back to study, so he has been reviewing his old lessons since the New Year.
While Yun Che was reviewing his lessons, Qiu Yu Ruo taught the two students to recognize characters.
Ersheng is a rare honest child in the Qiu family. Qiu Yuruo decided to get along well with her third uncle's family and treated Ersheng with sincerity.
Regardless of whether his third uncle allows him to go to school or not, teaching him to read will be beneficial and harmless to him.
A few days later, Yun Che went to school, and Ping An came to help out at the snack stall. Thinking of his thin and small appearance, Qiu Yu suddenly suggested that Yun Che call Ping An over as well.
Before the Lunar New Year, I agreed with Ping An to ask him to help out at the food stall after the New Year. However, Ping An went to help out the very next day. During the Lunar New Year, no matter how much money or gifts I offered him, he absolutely refused to accept them.
Qiu Yuruo felt that Ping An was worth observing. If he had a talent for cooking, she would take him on as an apprentice.
Yun Che called Ping An over under the pretext of letting him familiarize himself with food preparation.
When Qiu Yuruo arrived at his home, she did ask him to help in the kitchen, but after he finished cooking, she wouldn't let him leave. She made him eat with her, and in the afternoon, she even made him learn to read with Ersheng.
After studying for half an hour, everyone put down their books. Yun Che went to turn his brother over and massage him, while the others came out of the house to chop wood or fetch water; everyone had something to do.
After finishing their work, the others went back to their rooms to continue reading and writing, while Qiu Yuruo helped Ping An prepare dinner.
Ping An was forced to eat dinner before being allowed to leave, and was told to come back early the next morning.
Ping An felt like he was practically floating home. He had been so happy that day. He knew that Qiu Yu Ruo's request for his help was just an excuse; she really just wanted him to come to her house for dinner out of pity.
He knew he should refuse to come again tomorrow, but the delicious food and generous portions made him reluctant to say no.
Back home, seeing his grandmother, Ping An snapped out of his blissful state of fullness. He cried and confessed to his grandmother that he shouldn't have been so spineless, only thinking about taking advantage of others.
“Yun Che’s father has helped us a lot in the past, but this year when his family had this trouble, we couldn’t help them at all.”
The thought that he was still taking advantage of other people's homes made Ping An feel extremely ashamed.
Grandma gently patted his back with her thin arms and said, "Our Ping An is not a child who likes to take advantage of others. Yun Che's sister-in-law is kind-hearted. We have received her kindness now, and we will repay her a hundredfold or a thousandfold in the future."
Ping An felt much more at ease after listening to his grandmother's words. He knew that Sister Qiu was a good person, and since his grandmother said he could accept Sister Qiu's kindness, Sister Qiu would be the second most important person in the world to him from now on.
The most important person in Ping An's heart is, of course, his grandmother.
Little did he know that his grandmother had clearly felt her health decline this winter.
But Ping An hasn't grown up yet, and she's really worried about her.
When Ping An told her that Qiu Yu Ruo wanted him to help out at the food stall, Ping An's grandmother immediately offered incense to her husband and son, telling them that even if she went to find them, Ping An would be taken care of.
One's own child is the most honest. If Qiuyu is kind-hearted, she will make plans for Ping'an's future after she is gone.
...
Leisurely days always pass quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival is almost here.
Before the Lantern Festival, Qiu Yuruo took Su Yunche to the home of his former private tutor.
Su Yunche's talent for studying was not much worse than his older brother's, so the teacher naturally welcomed him back to school. He accepted tuition fees and allowed him to start school with his classmates after the Lantern Festival.
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