Chapter 217 New Year and News of Death
The reason Liangliang was called back was because when Qin Suisui came over to pull him, she heard the baby's stomach growl.
Since returning from the island, Shen Shen has been temporarily suspended from his duties. Qin Suisui has run into him several times, and he's always been dead drunk. According to the other wives, Shen Shen has been drinking almost every day lately and neglecting his children.
Looking at the empty yard, I guess the children haven't had breakfast yet, and it's uncertain whether they even ate dinner last night.
Aunt Tang sighed as well. A once happy family was gone, her brother had been arrested, and she might even lose her job because of him. Her own mother was causing trouble every day; no wonder Shen Shen drowned his sorrows in alcohol. But no matter how much pain he was in, it was no excuse to abandon his children.
Qin Suisui then realized that Shen Shen's mother had actually come to cause trouble.
Sister-in-law Tang nodded: "We live at the other end of the family compound. You don't come here often, so you probably don't know."
"I heard it from other sisters-in-law. They said that some comrades went to Shen Jian's house to search his belongings, which is how his mother found out that Shen Jian had been arrested. The old lady always favors her younger brother, and when she found out, she made a scene and went to Shen Jian's house to demand that he get his younger brother out."
Qin Suisui sighed, "Doesn't the old lady know that the organization is investigating Shen Jian, and that Shen Shen has been suspended from his duties because of this?"
"How could she not know? She doesn't dare to cause trouble at the organization, so she comes here to cause trouble at Shen Shen's place."
"Let them make a fuss. Their whole family is being secretly monitored. If things get too serious, they might as well all go to jail. Liangliang might as well be sent to his maternal grandmother's house. Even if he's not well received there, at least he'll have enough to eat."
Qin Suisui and Aunt Tang both turned their gazes to Liangliang, who was sitting at the small wooden table in the courtyard, drinking Laba porridge and eating rice cakes with Zanzan. The little guy was clearly starving; he had finished the whole bowl of Laba porridge, a bowl that would make even an adult feel full.
Fearing he would have indigestion, Qin Suisui quickly took out two hawthorn pills from the medicine box and gave one to each of the two children.
Then they were sent off to do their homework.
Pei Jiuyan didn't return until late afternoon.
Qin Suisui didn't pay much attention to him. Although he was on vacation during this period, he sometimes needed to cooperate with investigations.
She ignored Pei Jiuyan, but Pei Jiuyan came over on his own.
His eyes lit up, as if he were asking for praise: "Wife, Xue Jiao will never bother you again!"
Qin Suisui was taken aback: "Why?"
“I reported her for misconduct, and the organizers have already sent someone to talk to her.”
Qin Suisui: ...
That's really... well done!
Xue Jiao's behavior wasn't just improper; it was downright deviant.
Although the current social atmosphere is strict and traditional funeral customs are being promoted to change and simplify funerals, Xue Jiao should at least be more low-key if she doesn't wear mourning clothes for her brother, but she dresses up in a flamboyant manner every day.
According to Qin Suisui's incomplete count, she had already worn no fewer than five new outfits in just half a month, buying clothes more frequently than Qin Suisui herself, showing no signs of grief over her brother's death. On the other hand, Xue Ziming, who used to be a chubby little dumpling, had become much thinner, probably because Xue Jiao hadn't taken good care of him. One wonders if Xue Shan, in the afterlife, regrets his choice.
For many days afterward, until the New Year, Xue Jiao was indeed never seen in front of him again.
Indeed, Xue Jiao is now only able to live in the family compound with Xue Ziming because of Xue Shan's merits. If she makes another mistake, she might be kicked out of the family compound. How could she dare to disobey?
On New Year's Eve, Qin Suisui stood at the entrance of the family compound early in the morning to welcome her master and senior brother.
A few days ago, when Parman came to deliver marinated wild boar meat, Qin Suisui told him to come over with his master for the New Year's Eve reunion dinner. Parman didn't refuse. Now that they had accepted the organization's reorganization, they naturally had to respect the local customs. They could no longer hold sacrificial ceremonies during the New Year as before.
Fortunately, the organizers allow them to participate in certain activities during their most traditional and important festival, the Shanlan Festival.
Qin Suisui waited until she had almost finished eating the melon seeds in her hand before she could see the figures of Paman and Palong gradually appearing in the distance.
Upon seeing the two men carrying large baskets on their backs, Qin Suisui's eyes widened: "Senior brother, didn't you just send over some cured meat a few days ago?"
A few days ago, Parman brought over the cured wild boar they had hunted. The cured meat and sausages weighed more than 60 pounds, and they also brought over four cured pig legs, so the total weight was probably close to 100 pounds.
Parman nodded and patted the basket on his back: "It's not cured meat, it's fresh pheasant, rabbit and pigeon. I also picked some fresh wild vegetables in the forest this morning."
After saying that, he patted Palon's basket and said succinctly, "Tea, wild honey, and gifts."
Qin Suisui coughed lightly, surprised that her master had prepared a New Year's gift for her, and secretly looked forward to it. She didn't notice at all that Palon glanced at her, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his old eyes.
When they got home, Pei Jiuyan was asking Aunt Wu for help, using an apron made from an old pink dress, to work at the stove. Song Yunlai was sitting by the stove adding firewood, while Chi Donglin stood beside him helping to chop vegetables.
Qin Suisui went to the kitchen door and called to Song Yunlai: "Brother Yunlai, go to the brigade and pick up Sister Yunyi. I'll just add firewood."
Song Yunlai clapped his hands and stood up. Before Qin Suisui could sit down next to him, Paman plopped down and said to the bewildered Qin Suisui, "You don't need to. Go out and eat some grapes. We picked some for you on the way here."
Qin Suisui's eyes lit up. She had never eaten grapes before. It was only after Paman picked some for her that she learned they were edible and tasted even better with a little salt.
The family worked from morning until after 5 p.m. before finally finishing preparing all the dishes for the reunion dinner.
Qin Suisui only provided some ingredients for the brine; she didn't worry about anything else.
Pei Jiuyan made pheasant stew with mushrooms, eight-treasure duck, braised yellow croaker, braised beef, and salt and pepper shrimp. Of course, most of these dishes were produced in Qin Suisui's space.
Chi Donglin also made a dish of boiled salted pork and shredded radish mixed with jellyfish. Song Yunlai, the "glorious ancestor" of the Song family, naturally couldn't cook, but he helped by serving pickled vegetables and arranging them on a plate. He also poured sweet rice wine and mountain orchid wine for everyone, which can be considered his "contribution".
When Su Yunyi came, she also brought her homemade smoked duck and eight-treasure rice, which are local specialties from her hometown of Suzhou. They do have a unique flavor.
Qin Suisui's house was spacious, and she had prepared several quilts in advance. Everyone stayed at their house that night to celebrate the New Year.
But unexpectedly, before the New Year arrived, we received news of Ophiopogon japonicus's death.
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