County Magistrate Zheng's carriage drove away, and Xia Manni swung her axe at the carriage.
These days, there are all kinds of dogs.
Forget it, she has money now, so she can just use that damn county magistrate as a tool.
Later, Xia Manni paid for it, and Da Wa took the five of them and Constable Zhou to have a meal at the bun shop.
From then on, the rumor spread that the Xia family, who sold mountain products on the street, had connections in the government office.
Xia Manni didn't think too much about it. She felt more at ease than ever before.
This makes me happier than getting a year-end bonus in modern times.
After a long wait, the clouds finally cleared and the moon appeared. Although it was not entirely earned by her, she would be able to live a better life with these children.
The anxiety that has always been weighing on her will also ease a little.
As the year comes to an end, the days pass faster and faster.
With the Chinese New Year just a few days away, Xia Manni began to prepare things for the New Year. This was her first year in the Xia family, and she planned to spend a prosperous Spring Festival with her children.
On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, we start preparing stewed meat, on the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, we make morning cakes, on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, we stew fish, and on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, we make noodles.
These were all arranged by Xia Manni herself, but the village also has its own customs.
But Xia Manni didn't care. After all, cooking meat early allowed her to have a few meals earlier.
Xia Manni bought pork and two chickens for the stew. On the day of the stew, many people came and went in the yard to watch the fun.
"Oh my, the Xia family just got a little better, and now they're being extravagant like this."
"Yes, after all, she is a little woman who doesn't know how to live."
"But you know what, the meat she stews is really good."
…
Later, when they were busy preparing for the New Year, no one came to watch their fun anymore.
When it was time to make the date cakes, several children circled around Xia Manni.
"Hey, hey, hey, stop turning around. I'll give each of you some noodles and you can shape them into shapes. Then you can steam them and eat them yourself."
"Okay..." Sanwa clapped his hands and said he wanted to pinch a little rabbit.
The dough that Xia Manni gave to the children was already kneaded. They just needed to put wild dates on it and shape it.
The eldest and second child also joined in the making with great interest. One said they wanted to make a mouse, and the next said they wanted to make a wild boar.
When it was taken out of the pot, the date cake was a mess.
"Mom, where's my rabbit?"
"Where's my tiger?"
"Where's my fox?"
…
How come it all turned into a big pot of pancakes...
"Hahahaha..." Xia Manni couldn't help laughing.
The four children had bitter faces at first, but when they heard Xia Manni's cheerful laughter, they all started laughing.
When it was time to stew the fish, it was the big carp that Xia Manni bought at the market.
After she bought it, she specially placed it in a water tank and waited until today to kill it.
It is a must to eat fish during the Chinese New Year. The saying "abundance every year" means this.
While stewing the fish, Xia Manni felt a little emotional. How did she transform from a young person who knew nothing to the head of the family who was in charge of the New Year's Eve dinner?
Perhaps it was because of the Chinese New Year that made her feel a little more homesick.
When stewing fish, the fish is fried in advance and then put into the pot to stew the soup on New Year’s Eve to make it tasty.
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Xia Manni prepared meatballs, vegetarian meatballs, fried dough sticks, and fried cakes.
These things are not popular here, and Xia Manni was very careful when doing them, for fear that others would discover that her loopholes were too big.
"These foods are what I ate when I was little. I made them according to my memory. Don't tell anyone when you eat them. Just eat the delicious ones in secret."
While Xia Manni was talking, the four children had already started eating.
"Mom, this fried cake is so delicious. Can we sell it at the market?" Sanwa was thinking while eating.
"Sanwa, this is a good idea, but it's not suitable for our family right now. We can do it later."
She is not good at cooking, but she is good at making snacks and noodles.
Soon it was time for the New Year’s Eve dinner that the children had been looking forward to. In the evening, they lit firecrackers first. No one in the village had money to buy fireworks.
In the county town not far away, fireworks were constantly being launched into the sky, and the children in the village could watch them to their heart's content from a distance.
Xia Manni has made full preparations for tonight's New Year's Eve dinner.
She made chestnut stewed chicken, braised pork, braised pig's trotters, braised carp, and stir-fried cabbage with meat.
In addition, I put the meatballs, vegetarian meatballs and fried cakes that I had made earlier together in a plate.
In the modern age of overnutrition, people pay attention to the nutritional balance of meat and vegetables.
However, in ancient times when people were completely unable to get enough food, especially for the Xia family who had not had enough to eat half a year ago, eating meat was still more practical.
The full table indicated that the Xia family’s New Year’s Eve dinner had begun.
"Come, come, come and have the New Year's Eve dinner."
Before this, the four children of the Xia family had already washed their hands and waited by the side.
Xia Manni's words were like turning on a switch.
The four children immediately picked up their bowls and chopsticks and bowed to Xia Manni first.
Xia Manni took a symbolic bite with her chopsticks, and then the children started eating.
For a while, the food on the table was full of praise for how delicious this or that was.
"Mom, I want to celebrate the New Year every year from now on, is that okay?" Erwa said this and actually started crying.
"Second brother, why are you crying?" Sanwa held the meatballs and laughed at Erwa while wiping his tears.
"It's New Year's Day, don't make mom unhappy." Da Wa picked up a piece of fish with chopsticks and spoke with a sob.
"Mom, you eat." Sinier picked up a piece of chicken with chopsticks for Xia Manni, but there were clear traces of tears on little Sinier's face.
The children could no longer hold back their tears and began to cry.
Xia Manni was also moved. These children had suffered for too long.
Especially Sanwa and Sinier, who have never seen their father since they were born.
With a mother and grandmother like that, perhaps in their young hearts, the word "relative" is no longer a nice word.
"Big boy, second boy, third boy, fourth girl, be good. After the New Year, you will all be a year older. Mom promises that now that we have money, everything will get better and better every year."
But they didn’t know now that it was too early to say this, and they didn’t have such a New Year’s Eve dinner for many years to come.
"Okay, Mom." The children snuggled in Xia Manni's arms. Now they finally knew what it felt like to have a mother.
The children laughed and cried during the meal, and they forced themselves to stay awake until the end.
"Big boy, you will be seven years old after the New Year. I have found a few names for you. Please see which one you like."
Anyway, there is nothing to do during the New Year's Eve, so I might as well decide on a name for the eldest child.
Da Wa picked out one of the names Xia Manni had written down and said, "Mom, this is it."
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