On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Grandma Du and the Mao family cleaned the yard inside and out.
On the 29th, every household starts frying New Year's goods. Since there's so much work to do, there's little time for dinner. I put the leftover broth from the previous day's mutton stew back into the pot and cut up a white radish I'd asked Grandma Du for. It's a little wrinkled, probably from storage in the fall.
When the radish smell comes out, put the rolled noodles in and sprinkle with chopped green onions when it comes out of the pot.
A perfect quick meal.
Just as several people were eating and sweating profusely, Gu Wenjing, the daughter of the eldest aunt of the Gu family, arrived.
He greeted them in a whisper, and when he saw several people eating, he felt embarrassed and wanted to turn around and leave.
Mao quickly put down his chopsticks and grabbed the little rabbit that looked like it was about to run away:
"Wenjing, have you eaten yet? Shall I get you a bowl of noodles?"
Gu Wenjing smelled the mutton smell coming from the tip of her nose, and shook her head like a rattle. She was afraid that her overreaction would hurt others, so she quickly changed the subject:
"My wife asked me to tell you to go to her house for a New Year's Eve dinner."
Seeing her resistance, Mao didn't force her to eat. After all, eating mutton requires a process.
Nodding:
"It's like, even though we're separated, we're still a family. We'll go over there when the time comes."
Gu Wenjing got the news and stood up to leave, then seemed to remember something and mentioned:
"Madam said that if possible, everyone should bring a plate of food."
Mao hadn't responded yet, but Gu Wenjing, who was speaking, felt embarrassed. It was as if she was treating the guests and asked them to bring food.
"You're right. Life is tough for everyone. With so many people going, how much will they eat in one meal? It's a good idea for everyone to bring food. It's a great idea."
Gu Wenjing felt a little relieved after hearing Mao's words. She was afraid that Mao would be like the second concubine and sneer at the notice. She would say that the lady was poor and immoral, and that she had no money but was still an official's wife.
After Gu Wenjing left, Wen Xi couldn't help but sigh:
"Gu Wenjing is really sensitive. Anyone who is with her will be exhausted."
Mao rolled her eyes at her:
"You're disrespectful. That's your sister. She's a pitiful person, too. Her aunt was always busy trying to please the Madam since she was little, and she didn't care about her at all. Besides, at that time, apart from the legitimate son and daughter, there were only her and her brother, two illegitimate children, in the mansion. They couldn't play together. Over time, she became withdrawn. And with this incident in the mansion, the matchmaking we had planned for this year has fallen through. She's almost at the age to get married, but now she's here. How can she possibly marry into a good family? That's why she's become even more silent and sensitive. When you have nothing to do in the future, go spend more time with her and give her some advice."
Wen Xi pouted and said:
"I'm just a kid! I have to keep busy playing."
After saying this, she ran away, foreseeing that she would be slapped hard by her own mother.
Mao was so angry that he was speechless. Sometimes he couldn't help but complain in his heart, please take this monkey away and give back my gentle and well-behaved daughter.
On New Year's Eve, Mao and Grandma Du discussed spending it together. After all, it would be heartbreaking to see her, a lonely old woman, living alone in the same courtyard. As for Fang Qiang and his sister, they were outsiders, so it wouldn't be appropriate for them to mingle constantly. So, they brought them a portion of the prepared meal as a token of their consideration.
Although Mrs. Du knew that Mao's life was better than hers, she didn't want to come and eat and drink for free, so she still did her best to prepare a few dishes.
When sticky rice dumplings, glutinous rice cakes and steamed flower buns were served on the table, everyone was delighted.
This is inheritance! Exquisite and unique, the crystallization of wisdom from generations of ancestors.
The New Year's Eve dinner at noon was a collection of all the women's contributions. Besides Mrs. Du's sticky rice dumplings, glutinous rice cakes, and steamed flower buns, there were Xiangye's meatballs, Mao's braised fish, and finally, Wenxi's braised pork.
Because I didn’t want the meat to be too greasy, I also fried some stir-fried cabbage with vinegar and some cold shredded cabbage.
There really wasn't any other vegetables, only cabbage. This really affected Wen Xi's performance!
The food on the table was not as good as the ordinary meals at the Gu Mansion before, but it was indeed more enjoyable and unrestrained than before.
Mao picked up a fish eye for each of Wen Xi and Gu Shengmo, and waited for them to eat with a smile.
Gu Shengmo was used to it, so he just buried his head in the food. But Wen Xi didn't like it! But she had to eat it, because in her original body's memory, it was like this every year.
The local custom is that fish eyes are the best part of the fish, so families usually reserve them for the most important people. And in every family, children are the most important. So, almost every household has formed a tradition of feeding fish eyes to their children.
So Xiangye and Old Lady Du didn't feel neglected and both looked at them with smiles.
Wen Xi had no choice but to bite the bullet and eat the dead fish eye.
Although it was a reunion dinner for three groups of people who were not related by blood, they were surprisingly harmonious.
You give me a meatball, and I give you a steamed bun. It's very comfortable.
Moreover, Wen Xi's braised pork was loved by everyone.
Old Lady Du kept praising Wen Xi's culinary talent and her future husband, saying they would be blessed. Then they talked about Wen Xi's marriage when she was nine years old. This made Wen Xi feel guilty, and only after she brought up Xiang Ye's marriage did she feel better.
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