Chapter 333 New Year's Eve Dinner

"Dad, you know what's going on outside now. The price of grain won't go down until the autumn harvest. As the price of grain goes up, the prices of restaurants and wine shops have all gone up too. There are fewer places to eat that are affordable. I can't even find one in Chang'an, let alone in the town. Let's wait a little longer."

Jiang Lingu didn't want to go.

We finally waited until winter, it's time to rest.

Even if you go, you have to go out during the busy spring farming season.

The conversation between father and son ended unpleasantly.

"Erniu, there is not enough firewood. You and Sanniu go to the foot of the mountain and pick some back." Zhou Gaier shouted into the yard.

The New Year's Eve dinner is coming soon.

The cabbage soup is ready.

Even though there was still snow outside and the dry firewood had already been wet and would be useless, she still asked her two daughters to collect it.

"Oh, I see. I'll go now." Jiang Erniu has been sensible for a long time.

No matter how unreasonable her mother's words were, she would obediently carry the bamboo basket and go out with her sister who looked impatient.

Not long after the two left.

Zhou Gai'er said to Chen Qiuju in the kitchen, "Mom, Erniu is already so old, you should find a husband for her. Just accept two taels of silver as the betrothal gift, just follow the crowd. Our family lives such a hard life, Yao'er hasn't eaten meat for a long time, don't you feel bad for her?"

"Feeling sorry? How can I not feel sorry? I only have this one grandson. Do you think I don't want him to look like that loser in Zhang's family, fat and white? Erniu is only nine years old. What's the point of marrying her?

Unless they want to find a child bride, but in this situation, no family will have an easy time, no one will marry. As a mother, I don’t know what you are thinking every day. Do you think that people are as stupid as you, marrying a child and raising her for five years in vain?"

Chen Qiuju rolled her eyes at her.

The second granddaughter is only nine years old.

You are still five years away from fourteen, don't you think others are stupid?

The betrothal gift is two taels of silver.

Why not marry an older girl? Why do you have to bring a half-grown kid home?

Can't do anything.

"What should we do? It's fine if the year is bad, but we can't starve until the autumn harvest. Will we really be left with no money at all?"

Zhou Gaier looked at her mother-in-law with suspicion.

"No more! If I really had money, why would I lie to you? Damn it, the fourth and fifth girls both died in the mountains. What a pity. If I had known earlier, I would have sold them to human traffickers and earned some money. It wouldn't be a waste of our time to support them."

If it really doesn't work, wait until the New Year and sell Sanniu. This girl is sneaky and cunning. It's because of her that our family has become enemies with the Zhang family. Otherwise, how could we be living like this now?"

Times are tough.

Chen Qiuju took out her anger on her granddaughter.

They thought it was the third granddaughter who caused trouble everywhere, which caused Jiang Fubao's family to hate them.

"Okay, let's do as mom says. No matter how much we sell, we just need to get through this hard time. After a few consecutive rains, the land will no longer be dry, and we can plant rice next year. I just hope that next year will be a good year, and we can eat a good meal of meat and be proud of ourselves."

As Zhou Gaier spoke, he sniffed like a dog looking for food.

The rich smell of meat outside passed through her house.

Even the kitchen can smell it faintly.

Then he looked down at the cabbage soup in the pot.

I have absolutely no appetite at all.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law determined Jiang Sanniu's future with just a few words.

And Jiang Sanniu herself.

Lazing around.

Her second sister had already reached the foot of the mountain.

But she found all kinds of excuses to procrastinate on the road.

Arrived outside Jiang Fubao’s house.

Her attention was drawn to two big red lanterns.

These two lanterns are unique in the village.

No one can afford it.

The lantern is particularly red, as red as fire, and looks even more brilliant against the white snow.

Jiang Sanniu's pupils were dyed red.

The sound of children laughing and playing could be heard in the yard, with Jiang Fubao's voice being the loudest.

Jiang Sanniu's dazed expression suddenly came back to her senses.

She walked over, hid her body outside the door, and quietly put her head in.

Peek inside.

But Jiang Fubao saw it the next second.

"Hey! Little thief, what do you want to do!" Jiang Fubao was just playing the monster-catching game with his brothers and sisters.

Jiang Sanniu was suddenly possessed by Wukong, and was so frightened that she fell to the ground.

"Hahaha, why don't you fall to death? You're hiding at the door. You must want to come to our house to steal something. Grandma, Jiang Sanniu has done something bad to our house." Jiang Tongtu shouted, and scared Jiang Sanniu so much that she ran away with her piss and her shit flowing.

She was afraid that the Jiang family would chase her out and beat her.

"If it wasn't New Year's Day, I would have closed the door anyway." Zhang Jinlan came out of the kitchen with a spatula in her hand.

I just happened to see Jiang Sanniu running away.

"Grandma, why can't we close the store during the New Year?" Jiang Fubao was puzzled.

She has no experience of family life.

I grew up in an orphanage in my previous life.

I don't really know much about these customs.

I just so happen to be in the body of a child, so it doesn't feel awkward to ask.

So in the eyes of his family, Jiang Fubao is just a curious baby.

There are hundreds of why questions asked every day.

Zhang Jinlan wasn't bothered at all.

No matter what her granddaughter asked, she answered gently and patiently: "Little fool, we can't close the door during the Chinese New Year because if we close the door, blessings and wealth will not be able to enter."

"Oh, I get it. Thank you, grandma~" Jiang Fubao nodded obediently and continued to catch "monsters".

“Crackle, crackle—”

“Bang, bang, bang—”

The sound of firecrackers rang out outside the Jiang family's door.

The sound was as loud as thunder.

It scared many families who were having New Year’s Eve dinner.

Although their lives have improved a lot, they are still reluctant to spend money on firecrackers.

In Jiangjia Village, only Jiang Fubao's family set off firecrackers.

Two strings of firecrackers were held high up by several bamboo poles.

Looks like a swimming dragon.

It lasted for a full quarter of an hour before it ended.

"I hope the sound of firecrackers can drive away the evil spirits, and next year will be a good harvest." Zhang Jinlan looked outside the door.

Muttering quietly to oneself.

Jiang Fubao, who was standing next to her legs, heard it.

"Let's go into the main room to have the New Year's Eve dinner." Jiang Shoujia shouted.

Before Jiang Fubao could come to her senses, she was picked up by her grandmother.

The two fat legs were kicking in the air.

"Wow! What a rich meal, grandma. You cooked so many dishes." Jiang Fubao was stunned when he saw the dishes on the table.

Eighteen in total.

There are sweet and sour spare ribs, cabbage meatballs, braised chicken, pickled vegetable bamboo shoots, steamed fish, mushroom chicken soup, steamed salted meat, lamb stew with baby potatoes, lamb hotpot, etc...

Not only that, there were two bottles of wine on the table.

And a pot of hot green plum drink.

"Jiang Meng and Jiang Cheng, you two should sit down too. It's New Year's Day, so don't go eat at the small tables next to you. There's always room at the new table."

Zhang Jinlan said to Jiang Meng and Jiang Cheng who were standing beside her.

Because there were too many people at home, the old table could not accommodate them all.

Leading to every meal.

We have to eat at two tables.

Children are not allowed to sit at the table.

So we built a big round table at home.