It was like a thunderclap out of nowhere!
The windows in Li Jin's house even shook a few times!
"What exploded?"
"Why is it so unsettled during the Lunar New Year?"
Li Jin told his mother and the others to continue eating, then put on his clothes and went out to see what was going on.
A short while later, Li Jin returned. "The neighbor across the street bought a box of firecrackers, and Xiao Xiangzi accidentally lit the fuse, causing the whole box to explode in the side room!"
"Did anyone get hurt?"
"No, Xiao Xiangzi ran fast and he's alright. But your seventh uncle is spanking him right now!"
Li Jin took off his clothes and went to eat on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Sure enough, a short while later, the sound of Xiao Xiangzi wailing and howling could be heard from outside.
I could still faintly hear Uncle Qi cursing, "You little brat, I finally gritted my teeth and spent money to buy a box of firecrackers, planning to set them off on New Year's Eve. Why did you have to be so greedy!"
"If I see you secretly setting off fireworks again, I'll chop off both your hands!"
Li Xiangdong chuckled. Xiao Xiangzi was daring and loved setting off firecrackers. In his past life, he lost an eye when he set off fireworks on the Lantern Festival.
It's good to teach him a lesson this time!
Li Xiangdong said to Li Jin, "Dad, everyone has money this year, so we'll definitely need to buy firecrackers for the New Year. Please remind everyone tomorrow to be careful when setting off the firecrackers!"
"This is the important matter. When your seventh uncle was a child, he was naughty and lit a firecracker and threw it into an overturned tin basin. As a result, the tin basin exploded and went straight for your seventh uncle's head. In the end, the tin basin landed right on his head!"
Li Jin recalled his childhood and shook his head with a smile, "Xiao Xiangzi is just like your seventh uncle."
After the family finished eating, washed their faces and feet, and rinsed their mouths, they snuggled into their warm beds. Soon after, Li Jiabao started snoring softly.
Unable to sleep, Zhang Huan quietly leaned close to Li Lan's ear and whispered, "Mom, Second Uncle is so powerful, even the police are afraid of him. He can definitely keep my dad in check."
In the darkness, Li Lan reached out and grasped her daughter's small, warm hand. "It's definitely possible!"
......
The next few days were peaceful, and everyone was busy with preparations for the Lunar New Year.
Steamed buns, steamed dumplings, stewed meat, stewed ribs, stewed fish, steamed pork with rice flour, fried crispy pork, radish balls, tofu balls...
In short, the entire village of Lijiapo was filled with the aroma of oil and meat.
Li Xiangdong's family has two more items than others: fried lotus root sandwiches and fried lotus root cakes.
Eggplant and lotus root are fresh vegetables that other families would be reluctant to buy, but these fresh and vibrant vegetables in his family were all given to him by Aunt Lan.
On the morning of the 31st day of the twelfth lunar month, before the roosters crowed, firecrackers were already popping and crackling.
Zhao Sufang got up early. There was white rice being cooked in an iron pot, along with red dates, peanuts, and soybeans. In another iron pot, there was stewed meat with vermicelli and tofu.
There's a reason for this: eating white rice and stewed meat on the 30th symbolizes a prosperous and perfect end to the year.
Even when life was tough, Zhao Sufang always stuck to this tradition, adding more cabbage and less meat.
On New Year's Eve, according to tradition, people should visit their ancestors' graves. However, nowadays, feudal superstitions are not allowed, and even if someone does visit a grave, it's done secretly.
After finishing breakfast, Li Jin smoked a pipe, then picked up a large broom to sweep the yard. After sweeping the yard, he went to sweep the main road outside the gate.
Li Ping and Zhang Huan pasted the cut-out paper-cuts onto the windows, while Li Zhen led Li Jiabao to paste up the couplets.
The couplet was written by Li Xiangdong. The first line reads, "May your career be brilliant year after year." The second line reads, "May your future be bright and your career advance step by step." The horizontal scroll reads, "May all your wishes come true!"
Zhao Sufang helped Li Lan make dumplings; Zhao Sufang kneaded the dough, and Li Lan prepared the filling.
First, soak the wood ear mushrooms, daylily buds, shiitake mushrooms, and glass noodles. Then, chop the fried dough sticks into small pieces, crumble the tofu, add some squeezed-dry cabbage, and drizzle with sesame oil. You'll have a big bowl of fragrant vegetarian filling.
They need to make several more trays of dumplings, and cook them to eat at midnight tonight. They will also cook dumplings to eat on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year and at dawn on the second day of the Lunar New Year to welcome the God of Wealth.
Li Xiangdong, carrying a large basket of food, rode his bicycle straight to Quanshui Village.
He had invited his master, Grandma Jiang, to his home to celebrate the New Year a few days ago, but his master refused no matter what.
"Your house is too cramped, where would I stay? It's just the New Year, I'm more comfortable staying in my own spacious house!"
Unable to dissuade her, and with her third sister and brother-in-law repeatedly assuring him that they would bring Grandma Jiang home for the New Year, Li Xiangdong finally felt at ease.
After breakfast, he went to put up paper-cut window decorations, couplets, and hanging decorations for his master, cleaned the yard, and delivered food along the way.
In Huichuan County, the locals usually just have a quick and easy lunch on New Year's Eve because they don't even have time to rest before they have to start preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner.
Li Xiangdong's family is having hot pot for their New Year's Eve dinner this year.
They used a copper pot that Li Xiangdong specially bought when he went to Yanjing City, along with Donglaishun hot pot ingredients.
The water in the copper pot was constantly boiling, and next to it were two large plates of thinly sliced mutton, a large plate of grass carp slices, a large bowl of bok choy, cabbage, lotus root, vermicelli, tofu, cilantro, and so on.
Other cold dishes include tomatoes with white sugar, cold pork head meat, smashed cucumber, and Qianlong cabbage.
On the kang (heated brick bed) sat roasted peanuts, roasted melon seeds, fruit candies, and frozen persimmons.
Zhao Sufang couldn't contain her satisfaction. Thinking back to last year's New Year's Eve dinner, there was only a big bowl of cabbage, vermicelli, and minced meat. How abundant the food was now!
Before eating, Li Xiangdong lit a string of 1,000-shot firecrackers.
Just then, Xiao Xiangzi from across the street also went out to set off firecrackers. He was holding a long, lit incense stick, and as soon as he lit the fuse, he dodged far away.
Li Xiangdong nodded inwardly, it seemed that Uncle Qi's beating had been very effective!
On New Year's Eve, every household keeps their lights on all night.
Looking at the brightly lit streets and smelling the sulfurous fumes, Li Xiangdong felt a genuine sense of peace.
Happy Chinese New Year!
This is his first New Year since his rebirth.
all is well.
It will continue to develop in a better future.
Li Zhen watched through the window as the firecrackers finished going off, but Li Xiangdong was still standing there, dazed. She called out to him, "Xiangdong! Come in and eat!"
"Hey! Coming right now—"
Li Xiangdong rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, stamped his feet, and hurried back into the house.
Happy New Year, everyone! Cheers!
Li Xiangdong picked up a teacup of orange juice and raised it to everyone.
Li Jin chuckled and picked up the small wine cup filled with baijiu. "Cheers!"
Zhao Sufang's glass also contained Moutai, while the rest, starting with Li Lan, drank orange juice. The family clinked glasses in a lively atmosphere!
"The lamb is cooked, eat quickly!"
"Hey, don't take my seasoning! I just finished mixing it!"
"Eat mine, eat mine. This is prepared exactly as you just said!"
The family's laughter and chatter drifted outside with the steam from the hot copper pot.
At that time, there was no television or mobile phone, and it was still six years before the first Spring Festival Gala. People did nothing but eat and chat, which made the atmosphere even more lively.
We had barely eaten half of it when several loud voices came from outside.
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