Before dawn the next day, Old Lady Song carefully selected four pounds of soft dates, removed the pits and chopped them up, mixed them with coarse flour, kneaded them into dough, and steamed them in a pot.
Soon, the house was filled with the sweet aroma of dates.
The Song family members got up one after another and were about to go to the yard to fetch water to wash up when they smelled a tempting sweet fragrance.
The adults were fine, but the kids couldn't help it and ran to the kitchen without even putting on their clothes.
"Grandma, what did you make? It smells so good!"
"Grandma, can I open the steamer and take a look?"
"Can I have a taste, please?"
"Milk, is it for us or for Little Sister Xiaoqi?"
The oldest Song family boy heard this and waved to his younger brothers:
"Everyone, go back. You're all so grown up and still fighting with Little Seven for food. It's shameful."
The boys sniffed and thought that as the older brothers, they should give in to their younger sisters.
Old Mrs. Song opened the steamer with a smile:
"Hey gluttons, let me show you, it's a date cake."
Old Man Song had just been awakened by the fragrance and came to the kitchen in a daze. When he heard what Old Lady Song said, he shuddered:
"Date cake? Where did the dates come from?"
At this time, the sons and daughters-in-law also crowded into the kitchen. When they saw the steaming date cake, they stared with their eyes almost popping out.
Everyone is asking when I bought the dates and what day it is today?
Coarse noodles are common and not rare, but dates are rare.
They can't grow it here. I heard they have to buy it from other places, but it's very expensive.
How come my always stingy mother is willing to spend money to buy dates?
And looking at so many date cakes, they must have used quite a few dates, right?
The old lady said nothing and asked them to wash their hands and eat breakfast.
But the son and daughter-in-law both knew that the family was in financial difficulty and that they had to save as much as possible on food, otherwise they would have nothing to eat during the New Year.
So even if the old lady, the head of the family, asked for it, the adults refused to take it.
When the boys saw that their parents didn't take any, they were so greedy that they drooled but didn't dare to reach out.
Old Mrs. Song took the lead and picked up a date cake and gave it to her sixth daughter-in-law Duan Dinglan.
Then he gave it to the eldest daughter-in-law who married the earliest and was the most diligent and enthusiastic.
The second and third daughters-in-law work the hardest, washing clothes for the whole family in winter.
Then there are the fourth and fifth daughters-in-law who are responsible for the family's three meals a day and are around the stove all year round.
Finally, he gave it to his son, grandson and spouse.
After the distribution, Old Lady Song said, "Eat, and then I'll tell you something."
Everyone held the soft date cakes in their hands, the sweet aroma went straight into their noses, and their expressions were a little conflicted.
Things are really difficult at home.
Why is my mother still so ignorant? The New Year is almost here, why should I buy dates or make date cakes?
How can I eat this?
On the one hand, they were worried about the future, and on the other hand, they felt sorry for the money they spent on buying dates and for their younger brothers who were working outside to earn money.
But I dare only keep these complaints and worries to myself, because I am the local tyrant at home.
Old Madam Song glared at him and asked, "Do you want to eat?"
Everyone was afraid that the local tyrant would get angry, so they quickly lowered their heads and kept their mouths shut and ate the date cakes.
You know what, it smells so good!
After eating a date cake, although everyone felt sorry for the money, their hearts were warmed.
It would be great if I could eat such delicious date cakes every day.
The boys ate voraciously.
Song Xiaowu and Zhu Bajie ate the ginseng fruit, but after two bites, they felt that it had no flavor.
Seeing that he was staring at him with his mouth watering, Song Xiaoliu had no choice but to hand him his.
As a result, Song Xiaowu just took it with a laugh and opened his mouth halfway when his mother slapped him on the head:
"You're still stealing your brother's?!"
After saying that, he snatched it away and stuffed it back into Song Xiaoliu's hand.
Song Xiaowu was only half a year older than Song Xiaoliu and was still a child. He burst into tears out of grievance.
The precocious Song Xiaoliu quickly stuffed the date cake into his mouth to stop him from crying.
After that, he said to Aunt Wu: "It's okay, Aunt Wu, you can eat it every day from now on."
Fifth Aunt laughed awkwardly at Duan Dinglan:
"...Xiao Liu is really good at talking. How can he possibly eat something this precious every day? Xiao Liu is really giving in to his fifth brother."
It's so embarrassing. They are the same age, but how come Xiaoliu is so smart and sensible, while her Xiaowu is like a fool who only knows how to complain about being hungry.
Ouch, the more I look at my son, the angrier I get.
Then she slapped Xiaowu again, causing him to almost choke after he had just finished his second date cake. He looked at his mother with tears in his eyes.
Old Madam Song raised her eyelids and scanned the surroundings. Seeing that everyone had finished eating, she dropped a bombshell:
"I didn't buy these dates, and of course I didn't steal them. They were given to our Xiaoqi by the gods. Xiaoqi felt sorry for you uncles and brothers, so I gave them all away voluntarily."
After saying this, without even looking at the petrified people, he winked at Song Xiaoliu.
The clever Xiaoliu immediately understood and called his fifth and fourth brothers to carry out a big package from the house.
Then he untied it in front of everyone, and a small hill of dates appeared before their eyes.
It looks like it weighs at least several dozen kilograms.
The boys screamed, their eyes lighting up.
There were not many snacks and candies in the countryside in the 1980s, especially for the Song family, who could only enjoy something sweet during the Chinese New Year.
Therefore, the half-grown boys were so greedy for snacks and fruits that they were about to cry.
The sudden sight of so many sweet and crispy dates was as surprising as a dream.
The sons and daughters-in-law were also stunned.
Originally, they were still immersed in my mother's unreliable "godlike" remarks.
Previously, my sixth brother’s wife said that she would give birth to a daughter if she dreamed of a phoenix, so they might believe it for now.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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