The Qin family's New Year's Eve dinner was very lively and happy. Originally, Qin Qingman was a little polite to Wang Chengping and several division leaders, but after the New Year's Eve dinner, they had become very familiar with each other and were able to get along like family members.
After eating and drinking, time passed and it was nine o'clock. At this time, Wang Chengping and Political Commissar Zhang and others were preparing to return to the division headquarters.
As for Du Hongyi, Zuo Gaopeng and the other two, they had no plan to leave at this time. Instead, they wanted to wait until they had finished eating the dumplings in the early morning before leaving. Anyway, Kaoshantun was close to the division headquarters and they could reach there in a short walk.
When Wang Chengping and his companions left, everyone sent them to the gate of the courtyard.
Qin Qingman originally planned to send the four people to the entrance of the village, but Wang Chengping stopped her. They were not young girls, so there was no need to send them off like this. Wang Chengping patted Wei Ling on the shoulder and said auspicious words for the New Year to Qin Qingman and her brother. Then the four of them left together.
After seeing them off, Qin Qingman and the others returned to the house again.
"Wife, don't do anything, let us do it."
Wei Ling stopped Qin Qingman from cleaning up the dishes and took Du Hongyi and others to the kitchen to clean up.
Qin Qingman in the kitchen had already cleaned up the place briefly after cooking, so they just had to wash the dishes and start making dumplings later.
Chu Chu also actively followed to help.
Although it was already nine o'clock, the children still had to help with the chores while trying not to sleep on New Year's Eve, the only time of the year.
With Du Hongyi and three more people working, it was not Chu Chu's turn to do anything.
Chuchu simply stood in the kitchen and told Du Hongyi and others where to put the washed dishes and where the things they needed were.
After clearing the dishes, Wei Ling took out the flour and prepared to knead the dough.
During the Chinese New Year, their family also indulged themselves and did not add anything else to the flour, but only used pure white wheat flour.
After the dough was kneaded, Wei Ling began to chop the meat filling for the dumplings.
"Old Wei, the commander left a message. We have to bring some dumplings back for them." Du Hongyi reminded Wei Ling quickly when he saw him chopping meat stuffing. He was even very enthusiastic and went to the freezer to get some more meat back to the kitchen.
His ulterior motive is to seek benefits for himself by pretending to bring good things to Wang Chengping and others.
The food at the Qin family was so delicious that even though he was already full, he still wanted to eat a little more.
Seeing Du Hongyi's actions, Zuo Gaopeng and Yuan Xiangyang did not object at all, and even responded positively.
Wei Ling did not complain about Du Hongyi and the other two having too much work to do today, and naturally chopped the meat that Du Hongyi brought into stuffing. At the same time, he told Du Hongyi and the other two to quickly wash the sauerkraut and mushrooms.
These things will be chopped up and mixed into the meat filling, and eventually wrapped into dumplings.
"A Ling, knead some more dough. In addition to making dumplings, we can also make some buns. They can be kept aside in cold weather and then steamed in a pot when ready to eat." Qin Qingman, who had nothing to do, wandered into the kitchen and gave an order while looking at the bustling scene.
"Got it, wife, I'll do it right away."
Wei Ling obeyed Qin Qingman's orders without hesitation.
Du Hongyi and others were also very smart and scooped out flour and kneaded the dough again. Everyone was extremely happy to be able to help make dumplings.
Everyone has to get involved in making dumplings on New Year’s Eve to feel like it’s Chinese New Year.
"It's a pity that we didn't buy firecrackers." Qin Qingman couldn't help but sigh as she watched Wei Ling and the other men busying around.
Actually, the Chinese New Year nowadays is not as grand as it was in later times.
The main reason is that we have just gotten rid of the four olds and established new rules. For example, ancestor worship and worship of gods during the New Year are not allowed. Pasting couplets and hanging lanterns are the most festive things. Firecrackers are also sold in the supply and marketing cooperatives, but in small quantities. It is difficult for ordinary rural people to compete with city dwellers because they do not have a geographical advantage.
Knowing this, Qin Qingman did not go to the town supply and marketing cooperative to queue up to buy.
"Wife, I have firecrackers in my car." Wei Ling suddenly said to Qin Qingman.
He could have gone home earlier after get off work today, but because he went to town, he got home later than Du Hongyi and others.
"Yeah, there are firecrackers!"
The happiest person is Chuchu. There is no child who doesn’t like firecrackers.
Wei Ling looked at Chu Chu who was very excited, and said softly to Qin Qingman and her brother, "Put the firecrackers in the car, go get them, and we'll set them off after midnight."
"Sister, let's go get some firecrackers."
Chuchu ran to Qin Qingman and held her hand. Then, seeing Huang Wanqing following behind Qin Qingman, she enthusiastically invited her, "Sister Wanqing, let's go get some firecrackers. I tell you, setting off firecrackers is fun."
Huang Wanqing looked at Qin Qingman.
Her family would also set off some firecrackers during the Chinese New Year every year. Although she was a girl, she could still get some firecrackers to play with during the Chinese New Year.
"Walk."
Qin Qingman looked at the desire in Huang Wanqing and Chuchu's eyes, smiled at Wei Ling, and took the two of them to the yard.
The jeep was parked in a corner of the yard and did not block the road.
"Sister, I found it."
Chuchu was the first one to rush into the car. He saw a lot of firecrackers without even having to look around.
The firecrackers in the 1970s did not have as many varieties as those in later generations, and there were no fireworks. They were simply small firecrackers tied together like a braid. This kind of firecracker is used both now and in the future.
Because it explodes loudly enough.
"Be careful, don't tear the wrapping paper, as the fuse will easily get wet if it is torn." Qin Qingman still knew the process of setting off firecrackers. Seeing Chuchu excitedly pulling the firecrackers, she couldn't help but remind her.
"Sister, I understand."
Chu Chu got out of the car with a lot of firecrackers in her arms.
"Anything else?" Qin Qingman leaned over to look at the car.
"Sister, that's all. That's all." Chuchu planned to share the firecrackers in her arms with Qin Qingman and Huang Wanqing.
"No need to divide them, take them all back and divide them when you set them off in the evening." Qin Qingman didn't plan to take over the firecrackers when she saw that there weren't many.
"Okay." Chuchu ran into the hall with the wolf cub, holding firecrackers.
He hasn't slept yet today, and the wolf cub hasn't slept either, and is running very fast at the feet of everyone.
Qin Qingman didn't care about the two little ones. She returned to the living room, reminded Chuchu to be careful with the firecrackers and not to keep them too close to the fire, and then led Huang Wanqing to the west room.
When she made cotton-padded clothes for her family, she also made a set for Huang Wanqing.
Fortunately, there is a sewing machine at home. If not, she wouldn't be able to make a set for each person even if she wanted to.
"My... mine?"
Huang Wanqing was so excited that she stuttered when she saw the new cotton-padded jacket handed to her, and her fair face was flushed. She really didn't expect that Qin Qingman actually prepared new clothes for her for the New Year.
To be honest, she is already 23 years old and no longer a teenager. Since she turned 20, her family no longer prepares new clothes for her during the Chinese New Year.
So she hasn't worn new clothes during the Chinese New Year for three years.
You have to know that wearing new clothes during the Chinese New Year and wearing new clothes at other times are two different concepts and also two different mentalities. The long-lost feeling of the Chinese New Year came over Huang Wanqing, and she felt so happy that she was about to faint while holding the clothes.
The way he looked at Qin Qingman was as if he was looking at an elder.
Huang Wanqing used to regard Qin Qingman as a good friend and sister, but at this moment she felt that Qin Qingman was her sister-in-law, her real sister-in-law.
No!
Even better than my own sister-in-law.
Because ever since she came here secretly without telling her family, she not only hasn't seen her family, but she hasn't even received a letter from them. Maybe her family is blaming her for changing her place of residence without her permission and is angry with her.
"Wanqing, try it on and see if the clothes fit you."
Qin Qingman looked at the excitement in Huang Wanqing's eyes and knew how uneasy this girl was inside. She made clothes for Huang Wanqing not to make her grateful to her, but she just made a set for Huang Wanqing naturally when she was making clothes for her family.
After all, Wei Ling has already recognized Huang Wanqing as his sister.
She is Wei Ling's wife, and Huang Wanqing is her sister. She cannot say that she treats her relatives equally, but she can still treat them relatively equally.
"Sister-in-law, I..."
This was the first time Huang Wanqing called Qin Qingman sister-in-law.
"Wanqing, today is New Year's Eve. You don't need to say anything. I understand. Try the clothes on first to see if they fit you. I made this dress myself and I estimated your body shape. If it doesn't fit, I will make some changes immediately. I guarantee you can wear your new clothes tomorrow."
Qin Qingman smiled and stopped Huang Wanqing from speaking excitedly. At the same time, she was very satisfied that Huang Wanqing called her sister-in-law.
"Um."
Huang Wanqing saw that Qin Qingman didn't want to hear pretentious words, so she didn't say anything. Instead, she nodded heavily and changed her clothes.
The curtains in the west room had been drawn long ago, giving the entire space great privacy.
Huang Wanqing quickly changed into new cotton clothes and trousers.
The tender pink color instantly makes Huang Wanqing look even more beautiful.
"Sister-in-law, it fits me perfectly. You have great skills. I wish I could be half as good as you." Huang Wanqing moved her limbs and didn't feel any tightness. She checked the position of the buttons and found that they were not tilted or twisted. She immediately reported to Qin Qingman excitedly.
"Turn around a few times and let me see."
Qin Qingman stood a little further away and gave instructions to Huang Wanqing.
"good."
Huang Wanqing stood there obediently and turned around slowly. She knew that Qin Qingman was checking the overall effect of the clothes after putting them on.
A minute later, Qin Qingman nodded and smiled confidently, "Not bad, the clothes and the person are very beautiful."
"Sister-in-law, you are not allowed to tease me like this. It's so embarrassing." Huang Wanqing took off her clothes with a smile.
The temperature in the house is high and it is too hot to wear cotton clothes. More importantly, this new clothes must be worn on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
"Okay, I won't tease you." Qin Qingman saw that Huang Wanqing was a little shy, so she stopped teasing her and instead said, "Wanqing, take your clothes back to the east room. You can wear them when you get up tomorrow morning."
"Okay, thank you, sister-in-law."
After changing her clothes, Huang Wanqing hugged Qin Qingman tightly before going to the east room with the clothes in her arms.
During the few days she lived in Qin's house, the east room had become her bedroom. Qin Qingman even gave her a box to store her personal belongings, so Huang Wanqing opened the box as soon as she returned to the east room.
She didn't put the coat in immediately, but started rummaging through her things.
It's the New Year, and Qin Qingman gave her a New Year gift. She had to express her gratitude, otherwise she would feel guilty.
The better Qin Qingman treated her, the more she feared losing him.
After all, any relationship needs to be maintained.
Huang Wanqing was rummaging through her boxes and drawers looking for her things. She took a lot of good things with her when she left the capital. These things were accumulated by her over the years, and she had absolute control over them.
After rummaging through the documents, Huang Wanqing found a pair of gold earrings.
It's small and delicate, but it's indeed made of gold.
This pair of earrings was given to her by her grandmother, and she had never worn them. Looking at the cotton coat in her hands, Huang Wanqing knew how valuable this coat was in an era when fabric was hard to buy. After thinking about it, she decided to give this pair of gold earrings to Qin Qingman.
It can be considered as a New Year gift, and also as a gift for Qin Qingman's wedding.
The longer Huang Wanqing stayed in the Qin family, the more she realized how difficult Qin Qingman's life had been. At least when she got married, she did not receive any wedding gift from any relatives in the family.
Touching the gold earrings, Huang Wanqing knew that her grandmother would not be angry even if she knew that she had given the earrings to Qin Qingman.
Because things are dead, but people are alive, gifts are more valuable when given to the right people.
After putting away the cotton-padded clothes, Huang Wanqing took the earrings and went to the west room again.
Qin Qingman was a little surprised that Huang Wanqing came back, and when she saw Huang Wanqing handing her a red velvet box, she was stunned.
Even though she didn't know what was in the box, she could guess that it must be jewelry.
"Sister-in-law, this is the gift I give you for your wedding. You have to accept it." Huang Wanqing looked at Qin Qingman very seriously.
Qin Qingman made clothes for Huang Wanqing because Wei Ling recognized her as his sister and they were family. She did not expect to accept a return gift from Huang Wanqing, but Huang Wanqing's words were very serious. If she did not accept the gift, it would not only hurt Huang Wanqing's sincerity but also appear hypocritical.
After thinking about it, she finally took the box handed to her by Huang Wanqing.
"Sister-in-law, please open it and take a look." Huang Wanqing leaned over. She really wanted to see Qin Qingman's expression when she saw the jewelry.
"Okay." Qin Qingman did not disappoint Huang Wanqing's expectations and opened the box directly.
Under the dim light, the golden earrings sparkled charmingly.
After seeing the color of the earrings clearly, Qin Qingman's expression became serious. She had no doubt about the quality of the earrings at all, because she believed that if Huang Wanqing dared to give them to her, she must have given them the best.
Originally Huang Wanqing was looking forward to Qin Qingman's expression, but when she saw that Qin Qingman looked very serious, she immediately felt a little at a loss.
I even felt like I was in trouble.
Qin Qingman didn't want to scare Huang Wanqing, but there were some things she had to say, "Isn't this made of bronze and gilded?" In the 1970s, there was a state-owned jewelry factory in Beijing, and the glittering jewelry there was made of bronze and gilded.
Huang Wanqing shook her head obediently, hers was pure gold.
It was given to her secretly by her grandmother.
Her grandmother's ancestors were well-off and had some wealth, but after liberation they donated all their property to the country. In addition, she had no uncles, only a few aunts. Otherwise, her grandmother's family might not have had an easy time after liberation.
Fortunately, her mother and several aunts married into meritorious families, so they were not implicated.
When Huang Wanqing heard Qin Qingman's cryptic question, she immediately understood the seriousness of the matter.
"Sister-in-law." She was really scared.
"Anything else?" Qin Qingman asked Huang Wanqing.
Gold is now a bit troublesome for ordinary people to handle.
In terms of family background, if one is a poor middle peasant who is innocently poor, it is impossible that his ancestors had such a thing as gold. If the family really has such a good thing, then he is definitely not a poor peasant.
The reason why poor farmers are poor farmers is because they are poor, extremely poor.
"There is also a gold bracelet. My grandmother gave it to me a few days before she died. She said it was a wedding gift for me." Huang Wanqing did not hide anything in front of Qin Qingman and told her everything with great trust.
"Take them all out. I'll keep them for you."
Although Qin Qingman didn't know whether there was any conspiracy behind Gao Yefang's arrival, she had already sensed something wrong from the things Huang Wanqing took out.
"good."
Huang Wanqing didn't ask why, nor did she hesitate. She hurried back to the east room and took the gold bracelet and handed it to Qin Qingman.
To be honest, she hasn't even told her family about these things since she got them.
Qin Qingman looked at the golden thing in her hand with a more serious expression. She said to Huang Wanqing, "Are you sure no one knew when your grandmother gave these things to you?" She had to rule out all possibilities.
Huang Wanqing thought seriously after hearing what Qin Qingman said.
After a while, she said uncertainly: "I can guarantee that there was no one around when my grandmother gave me these things, but I can't guarantee that no one really knows about it." Her grandmother passed away seven years ago, which means she passed away in 1964.
"Does Gao Yefang know?"
Qin Qingman immediately thought of Gao Yefang, who was extremely high-profile on the farm.
"I hid it very well. My cousin probably doesn't know." Huang Wanqing didn't dare to say anything final.
Qin Qingman asked from a different angle: "Is it possible that your grandmother gave these things to your other cousins as well?" It's hard to say. They are all granddaughters. Unless Huang Wanqing is extremely favored by her grandmother, it is impossible for her to treat the granddaughters differently.
At this moment, Huang Wanqing couldn't answer Qin Qingman's words.
Her grandmother was very good to her, and seemed to be pretty good to her other cousins too. If she could receive gold jewellery as her dowry, it was certainly possible for the others as well, after all, her grandmother's family was quite wealthy.
Qin Qingman had an idea of what was going on when she saw Huang Wanqing's expression.
In fact, any smart person would not expose wealth like gold, after all, the current national environment does not allow it. However, it is not ruled out that some relatives of the Huang family were coerced, or they dragged others into the water when they were desperate.
Qin Qingman figured this out and said to Huang Wanqing, "Forget about it, forget it completely."
"It's dangerous, isn't it?"
Huang Wanqing's voice was very soft, and she felt a sense of imminent crisis.
"Yes, maybe it will not only affect you, but also your parents." Qin Qingman knew how dangerous such things were in this era. This was an era where people could arbitrarily put a accusation on others as long as they got a little evidence.
"Qingman, will this cause you any trouble?"
Huang Wanqing was worried about Qin Qingman while worrying about her family. She didn't want Qin Qingman to be in danger.
"Nothing, I've never seen these things."
Qin Qingman calmly put the gold bracelet and gold earrings into a box, then wrapped them in cloth and threw them into the closet.
There are endless mountains here, and anyone can hide without a trace.
As long as she doesn't admit it, it will be useless even if Huang Wanqing confesses.
Because she has plenty of ways to clear herself of the charges, and more importantly, the people in Kaoshantun are really very nice.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will completely forget about this matter and erase it from my memory." Huang Wanqing could feel Qin Qingman's protection for her and immediately understood what she should do.
"Um."
Qin Qingman held Huang Wanqing's hand and soothed her, "Don't be afraid. Today is New Year's Eve. If you still want to change, change from now on and forget it completely."
"I see."
Huang Wanqing held Qin Qingman's hand back, and when she felt the warmth of Qin Qingman's palm, her heart sank.
The two reached a consensus and left the West Room.
Just like that, they heard Wei Ling and others returning to the hall.
The dough for the dumplings has been kneaded, and the filling has been chopped, all it takes is for the chef Qin Qingman to mix the filling together. Don’t think it’s just a simple matter of mixing the filling together, but mixing the filling is the key to whether the dumplings will taste good in the end.
"Sister, come quickly and fill the dumplings."
Chuchu greeted Qin Qingman eagerly. He only trusted Qin Qingman and her cooking skills.
Wei Ling, Du Hongyi and others also looked at Qin Qingman.
Wei Ling had sharp ears, and he actually vaguely heard the conversation between Qin Qingman and Huang Wanqing in the west room just now. Seeing that Qin Qingman took the initiative to stir up trouble again, he looked at Huang Wanqing with great dissatisfaction.
Huang Wanqing, who was already afraid of Wei Ling, was even more frightened.
Du Hongyi and the other two who witnessed all of this said: …It seems being Wei Ling’s sister isn’t easy.
Zuo Gaopeng looked at Du Hongyi.
Du Hongyi is more familiar with Huang Wanqing than he is with Yuan Xiangyang, so of course Du Hongyi should be the hero who saves the damsel in distress.
Du Hongyi was almost angry to death!
Is Wei Ling so easy to mess with? If Wei Ling is so easy to mess with, wouldn’t the three of them be able to defeat him if they join forces?
Besides, he is not stupid. Wei Ling obviously dislikes that his wife is too good to Huang Wanqing. Why should he, an outsider, get involved in such family affairs? It's not like he has been kicked in the head by a donkey.
Seeing that Du Hongyi was not fooled, Zuo Gaopeng and Yuan Xiangyang immediately laughed.
Du Hongyi glared at his two friends.
"Wife, you prepare the stuffing and I'll help you." Wei Ling ignored the looks of Du Hongyi and the others, gave up his seat and looked at Qin Qingman.
"good."
Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Qin Qingman walked over to Wei Ling and started mixing the stuffing.
Wei Ling and Chu Chu often saw Qin Qingman and Dumpling, and knew what seasonings were added. They were very active and proactive in passing the seasoning bottles without being asked.
Huang Wanqing didn't dare to offend Wei Ling, so she carefully moved to Chu Chu's side and helped.
There is strength in numbers, and the stuffing will be mixed in no time.
At this point, it was time for Du Hongyi and a few other men to show their skills. They began to knead the dough to remove air, and when it was almost done, they began to cut it and roll out the dough.
The dumpling skin does not need to be fermented much, but the bun skin must be fermented.
Set aside some dough for making dumplings, cover it with a wet towel and place it close to the fire to speed up the fermentation process. Others start making dumplings.
Everyone participates in making dumplings on New Year’s Eve.
Even Huang Wanqing, who was not good at making dumplings, was not rejected by anyone.
While making dumplings, everyone talked in low voices about the customs and practices of their hometowns. It was lively and happy. Even Huang Wanqing forgot her previous worries and joined in with great interest.
There were a lot of dumplings and it took everyone almost an hour to finish making them.
The dumplings were wrapped and the dough for the dumplings was fermented. Everyone was busy for a while before starting to clean up.
Set aside the dumplings to be eaten tonight, and freeze the remaining raw dumplings and buns outside. The temperature outside is low, so they will be frozen in a short time and can be put into the freezer.
With the protection of the refrigerator, the food is not only clean and hygienic, but also neatly arranged.
The Qin family's freezer is really practical. After seeing it, some families in the village have copied it in their own homes.
Wei Ling, Du Hongyi and others all had watches, and they all set the time to cook dumplings in the pot.
The dumplings were put into the pot, and it was only a few minutes until midnight.
Qin Qingman and the others could already vaguely hear the bustling noises in the village, as every household began to go out and set off firecrackers.
It is hard to get firecrackers from the supply and marketing cooperatives, but people in the countryside with skills can also make homemade firecrackers that can explode. During the Chinese New Year, you always have to make some noise when the old year turns to the new year to create a Chinese New Year atmosphere.
A group of men from the Qin family brought Chu Chu and the wolf cub to the Qin family courtyard.
Chuchu held the wolf cub tightly in his arms, worried that the sound of firecrackers would scare the wolf cub.
Wei Ling and his companions did not plan to set off too many firecrackers, so they did not take out many.
Only a few.
Open the packaging paper to reveal the fuse inside that looks like a centipede's leg.
"Tie several of them together. If you want to listen, listen loudly. They are soft and dull." Wei Ling instructed Du Hongyi while covering Chu Chu's ears with his hands.
If you stand this close, you'll be startled by the sound of firecrackers if you don't cover your ears.
Wei Ling covered Chu Chu's ears, and Chu Chu quickly reached out to cover the wolf cub's ears.
The first family to sound firecrackers in Kaoshan Village was not the Qin family, but Zheng Anguo's family who lived in the center of the village.
As the sound of Zheng Anguo's firecrackers rang out, like a signal, firecrackers were also set off in every household. The Qin family also started to set off firecrackers at this time, and the person who lit the firecrackers was Chuchu.
Wei Ling was worried that the child might be frightened, so he covered the child's ears with his hands.
But when he saw the eager excitement in the child's eyes, he realized that Chuchu preferred to set off firecrackers herself rather than scare people.
Knowing this, Wei Ling took the wolf cub from Chu Chu's arms and asked Chu Chu to light the firecrackers.
There was a flame on the lit wooden stick, and as soon as the flame touched the fuse of the firecracker, it exploded immediately.
Chuchu jumped up to avoid it immediately, and was then pulled over by Du Hongyi to cover her ears.
In the early hours of the night, candles were lit in lanterns in every household.
Not only the candles in the red lanterns were lit, but the candles in the ice lanterns were also lit. In the star-like light, the exploding firecrackers were particularly eye-catching in the night, and what was even more exciting was the intense sound.
The wolf cub was so frightened in Wei Ling's arms that his whole body froze.
This was the first time it heard such an intense and loud noise. It was a little scared. If it hadn't been held in Wei Ling's arms, it would have definitely hidden itself and covered its head at the first moment.
What a terrible sound.
As the firecrackers exploded, not only did a yellow smoke rise into the air, but also a strong smell of sulfur.
This is the effect after firecrackers explode.
"It's so beautiful." Qin Qingman said softly as she stood beside Wei Ling.
She was originally cooking dumplings in the house, but after adding cold water, the water was still not boiling. The noisy sounds in the village made her want to come out and take a look, so she took Huang Wanqing out.
In fact, no one sets off fireworks in this era, and simply setting off firecrackers is not that beautiful.
Qin Qingman thinks that what is beautiful is the quiet mountain village without any pollution.
"Yeah, very beautiful." Wei Ling had known that Qin Qingman was coming. When he heard his wife's voice, he reached out and held that soft hand tightly in the dark.
Qin Qingman's palms are not big, and her fingers are slender, giving a soft and boneless feeling when she holds it in her hands.
Wei Ling turned his head to look at Qin Qingman.
The daughter-in-law is extremely charming in the red night.
Although the Qin family has more firecrackers than other families, because they are tied together and lit, the sound is definitely the loudest in the village, but the explosion time is not the longest.
In half a minute at most, all the Qin family’s firecrackers would have exploded.
Hearing the sound of firecrackers still going off in the village, Qin Qingman invited everyone into the house. She estimated that the dumplings in the pot were almost cooked.
Because we had just eaten the New Year’s Eve dinner, no one was actually hungry.
But dumplings are a must during Chinese New Year.
Everyone sat at the table and prepared to eat the dumplings on it.
Qin Qingman prepared the dipping sauces in front of them according to different tastes of each person. For example, Du Hongyi is from Sichuan and can eat spicy food, so she prepared a spicy dipping sauce for him. Wei Ling and Huang Wanqing are from Beijing, so Qin Qingman prepared a mild vinegar sauce.
"New Year, new atmosphere. I put some copper coins in the dumplings, which means good weather, good harvests and a better country in the coming year." Qin Qingman was worried about giving people a chance to talk nonsense, so even if they were all acquaintances, she still said auspicious words according to the current slogan.
Everyone also understood the current situation and understood Qin Qingman's point very well.
"I must eat copper money." Du Hongyi was the first to express his wish.
"It's not certain who will get to eat it. The loser will have to wash the other person's socks for a month." Zuo Gaopeng took the opportunity to make a bet with Du Hongyi.
It's just a fun thing anyway, just liven up the atmosphere.
"I'm joining in too." Yuan Xiangyang joined in unwillingly. If he was lucky, he estimated that he wouldn't have to wash his socks for a month.
Qin Qingman and Huang Wanqing couldn't help laughing when they heard the bet made by the men.
Wei Ling looked at Du Hongyi and the others with disdain. It was a warm reunion dumpling, but these three guys were good at making trouble.
"Me, I want to join too!"
Chu Chu, who had been dozing off, was awakened by the bet made by Du Hongyi and the other two, and immediately announced his decision loudly.
“Puff——”
Du Hongyi and others couldn't help laughing when they looked at Chu Chu.
The child was young and thought they were just playing a game. He never imagined that Du Hongyi and the other two were actually playing a tragic farce about being single.
"Okay, you'll participate too, approved."
Chuchu was still young, so Du Hongyi and the others were reluctant to explain it clearly, and they immediately agreed to let the child join.
As a result, the atmosphere suddenly became a bit serious.
Everyone stared at the dumplings on the plate, thinking about which one to pick up. To be fair, each person only had one chance to pick up the dumplings.
Wei Ling, who did not participate in this boring game, naturally picked up a dumpling and put it into Qin Qingman's bowl.
When the others saw Wei Ling start eating, they stopped thinking and just picked up their chopsticks based on their instinct.
Even Huang Wanqing got a dumpling.
Although she did not join in the fun of Du Hongyi and the others, she also hoped that she could get some copper money from the first dumpling.
No one dipped the first dumpling in the sauce, but just put it in their mouths.
As they chewed, everyone's expression changed.
Everyone looked at each other, but no one opened their mouths to reveal the answer.
"Wife, we didn't participate, so let's ignore them and eat our own food." Wei Ling was the first to speak, and his words proved that he was not the first person to eat the copper money.
Qin Qingman thought carefully about Wei Ling's words and felt that they made a lot of sense. Then she opened her mouth and spat out a copper coin.
The crisp sound of copper coins hitting the edge of the bowl was heard, and everyone's eyes were focused on it, and then they were all jealous.
“I didn’t get any.”
Du Hongyi was willing to admit defeat.
"I didn't get to eat it either." Zuo Gaopeng picked up a dumpling helplessly.
According to their previous gambling rules, only the first dumpling to be eaten with copper coins will count, and the subsequent ones will not count.
Yuan Xiangyang didn't say anything, but smiled helplessly and started to pick up a dumpling and eat it.
In this way, everyone's eyes were focused on Chuchu's face.
Judging from the number of people placing bets, Dudu is among them.
"I... I ate it." Chu Chu excitedly spat out the copper coin that had been in her mouth for a while, and then cheered excitedly, waking up the wolf cub who had fallen asleep on the mat.
Wolf cubs are still milk-drinking wolves and sleep much more than adult wolves.
Du Hongyi and his friends never expected that besides Qin Qingman, Chu Chu also got some copper coins.
Seeing Chuchu's excitement, Du Hongyi smiled and agreed: "Chuchu, remember to gather all your socks for a month, and we will wash them for you at once."
"Hold...hold a pair of stinky socks for a month?"
Chu Chu was stunned.
All the clothes in his house are washed as soon as they are taken off, so how could he possibly save up socks for a month?
"Hahaha--"
Seeing her cute and silly look, everyone started laughing.
Huang Wanqing smiled as she watched everyone having fun. She didn't get any copper coins just now, but she felt that celebrating the New Year at the Qin family this year was the happiest thing. Everyone was fun and harmonious.
After eating the dumplings, Du Hongyi and his companions had to return to the division headquarters.
The Qin family's home is not big. If Huang Wanqing wasn't there, the kang would definitely be able to accommodate several people. But with Huang Wanqing's presence, Du Hongyi and the others couldn't let Wei Ling and his wife sleep separately during the New Year.
So they said goodbye to Qin Qingman and her husband while carrying dumplings and buns.
Chuchu could no longer hold on and went to sleep on the kang with the wolf cub in her arms, and even began to snore happily.
"Come to my house for dinner tomorrow."
Qin Qingman gave instructions to Du Hongyi and others.
Several people brought a lot of meat and food. Since we were celebrating the New Year with their family, we had to have a reunion dinner on the first day of the New Year.
"Okay, we will be there tomorrow." Du Hongyi answered on behalf of the others.
"Not too early, not too late." Wei Ling does not have to go to the division headquarters for rotation tomorrow and can stay at home for a day.
"Got it. We'll find a good time to come back tomorrow." Du Hongyi and the others smiled and patted Wei Ling on the shoulder before leaving the Qin family's courtyard.
Qin Qingman's face had already turned red during the conversation between Wei Ling and Du Hongyi.
So embarrassing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
