On New Year's Eve, the Lu family gathered at Yu Yin's farm.
Brother Lu's family of five, Sister Lu's family of five, and even Lu Shukang's family of five came, along with his daughter brought by his wife.
Although Yu Yin disliked Lu Shukang, she wouldn't go so far as to kick him out during the Lunar New Year.
Uncle Hu and Aunt Hu are not young, so Yu Yin didn't ask them to cook. They had hot pot for breakfast during the day and dumplings for dinner. More people meant more work, so it wasn't difficult. The dumpling filling was chopped in advance, and they just needed to cut some vegetables.
"Second Aunt, can we put more ham sausages in our hot pot?" Cheng Laosan looked at Yu Yin, his greedy expression quite adorable.
“Sure, why not?” Yu Yin was happy to grant her little nephew’s small request.
"Second sister, there are boxes of ham sausages over there, some with lots of meat, some with little meat, and some chicken. Peel up a lot, add plenty of oil, fry them, and sprinkle some seasoning on top. They'll be delicious."
There's still some time before lunch, and the children get hungry quickly, so let them eat a little something first.
"You just spoil them. They use so much oil to fry the sausages, how could they not taste good?" Although Sister Lu complained, she was quite proactive and had already started peeling the sausages.
"Second sister, make a few more cuts with the knife, it will taste even better if the flavor penetrates." Grilled ham sausage is still loved even decades later.
Sister-in-law Lu and Lu Shukang's wife were washing vegetables. Listening to Yu Yin's words, they sighed at how good their lives were. Today's vegetables were truly a mix of everything imaginable—things that fly in the sky, swim in the water, and run on the ground.
The lamb and beef were all sliced thinly, looking very appetizing. The portions were also huge, weighing several dozen kilograms, piled up like a small mountain. There were also some ingredients I'd never seen before, and I had no idea how to cook them.
"Mom, what are you making? It smells so good!" I quickly followed the smell inside. He's a grown man now, but he's still so greedy.
"Your second aunt is frying ham sausages."
"Second Aunt, once the sausages are fried, put on my mom's barbecue seasoning, otherwise it won't have any soul!" Hurry up and come over, find my mom's barbecue seasoning, wait for the sausages to be fried, sprinkle the seasoning on top, and it'll be unbeatable.
"This is the taste! The grilled sausages outside our school are nowhere near as good." He quickly grabbed a large plate; his second aunt had grilled quite a few, and he was thoroughly enjoying it.
Leave some for the workers in the kitchen quickly, and take the rest away.
Before long, the sound of children shouting and yelling could be heard; they must have started fighting over it.
After a busy morning, all the vegetables were washed and the ingredients were prepared. An'an and the others had already set up the table.
Adults sat at one table, and children sat at another. Both tables had separate hot pots, and the hot pot base was sent by Yang Xiaomei—authentic Sichuan hot pot base.
"Pingping, be careful not to knock over the charcoal brazier." There are no electric pots like in later generations; they use old-fashioned copper pots with charcoal burning underneath.
The pot boiled, and Mr. Lu said a few simple words. He wasn't a talkative person to begin with. In this kind of situation, saying too much was useless, and saying more wouldn't achieve anything, only adding to the trouble.
Father Lu started eating, and everyone began to cook meat, vegetables, seafood, mushrooms, bamboo shoots... dozens of kinds in total. Eating a little of each was enough to fill you up.
Yu Yin ate quite a bit in the kitchen and isn't very hungry anymore. She picks up her chopsticks and occasionally takes a bite.
Lu Shukang ate a lot; his family usually doesn't get to eat this much good food. It was worth it to come all this way, even though he had to swallow his pride.
As people reach middle age, saving face becomes less important, especially after his mother's death. With no one to support him, Lu Shukang's life is far from easy. He has three children to feed and care for, and his monthly salary is almost entirely spent.
Mr. Lu was getting old and couldn't eat much, but he had a few drinks and chatted with Uncle Hu. Looking at the room full of his children and grandchildren, he was in a very good mood.
After moving to the farm, Yu Yin provided all the food and drink, and Lu's father's standard of living improved significantly. He, Uncle Hu, and Aunt Hu lived together, growing vegetables, raising flowers, and fishing—the three of them were living a wonderful life.
Brother Lu is fifty years old. Perhaps because being a doctor is so tiring, he has lost a lot of hair. He is five years older than Lu Shurui, but he looks much older.
Lu Xiangyi graduated from university and was assigned to a government department, which was the advice given to him by Lu Shurui and Yu Yin after consulting with them. A government department means being a civil servant, a stable income regardless of circumstances, not too strenuous work, and the opportunity to gradually build seniority with room for advancement—much better than working in a factory.
Brother Lu's second child is a girl who studied to be a teacher and has already started working. Only the third child is still studying.
Influenced by Yu Yin in recent years, Sister-in-law Lu has also bought two houses, which are not big, but in good locations.
Lu Erjie's son, Zhuangzhuang, is a skilled car mechanic. He's quite studious and has even learned some advanced knowledge from Lu Shurui. He's planning to open his own shop after the New Year.
Duoduo just graduated from university and works at a bank, while Cheng Laosan has a long road ahead and is still a high school student.
Lu Shukang's two sons, the elder of whom went to a technical school to study hairdressing, which he likes and is currently working in a barbershop. His next plan is to open his own shop.
The second child is doing well in school and is in high school, preparing for college entrance exams.
My brother-in-law had worked at the department store for many years, but only reached the position of manager, which left him somewhat disappointed. He was planning to take a leave of absence without pay to open a supermarket, which was also part of his old profession. Yu Yin had given him some advice, and he was full of confidence.
My second sister never had any grand ambitions. She did a mediocre job at the factory and planned to work her way up until retirement, when she and her husband would open a supermarket together.
Lu Shukang's second wife was rather introverted. She was utterly disappointed in her previous marriage, and this time, it was all for the sake of the children. She didn't treat her two stepsons as well as her own daughter, but she hadn't mistreated them over the years, providing for their basic needs.
Lu Shukang's two sons have no complaints about their stepmother, and the family gets along well. They are lucky to have such a good stepmother. They haven't been in contact with their biological mother for a long time and don't know where she is.
The meal took a long time to finish. Afterward, the children were responsible for cleaning up, while Yu Yin and the others drank tea and rested.
The dumplings for dinner were made by Lu Shurui, the men, and the children, with the filling prepared by Uncle Hu.
Although the dumplings weren't very pretty and came in all sorts of shapes, the atmosphere was right, and everyone was quite happy.
After welcoming the gods and eating dumplings, Yu Yin asked Kuai Kuai and the others to take out fireworks and set them off in the yard.
"Bang bang..."
The dazzling fireworks lit up the sky above the farm, attracting people from nearby villages to watch, creating quite a lively scene.
Yu Yin bought a lot of fireworks and set them off for half an hour.
Next year, the children will all be busy with their own things and won't be able to get together. Let's take advantage of the fact that we're all here this year and relax properly.
The eve of the Lunar New Year in 1992 has passed, but the fireworks in everyone's hearts have not faded away.
Years later, I can still recall the sky that night, with fireworks exploding overhead—beautiful, vibrant, and dazzling…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com