Chapter 168 Engagement Ceremony
Sheng Xiping and his group came down from the mountain around 9 a.m. after having breakfast.
Back at the forest farm, I took a shower and got a haircut first. It was almost one o'clock when I got home.
Winter vacation has started, and children don't have to go to school. Most families eat two meals a day.
Especially today, the Little New Year, my family is making dumplings, so we need to save room for lots of dumplings tonight.
So, although the Sheng brothers were busy and their stomachs were a little empty, none of them said a word.
While Sheng Xiping was fishing, he instructed Sheng Xi'an and Sheng Xikang to break another ice hole elsewhere.
No matter what kind of fish it is, big or small, bring them all home. It's good to save them for the New Year.
I must say, Sheng Xiping found a really good spot; there were indeed quite a few fish there.
Even the other ice hole that Sheng Xi'an and his group smashed could yield quite a few fish.
The guys spent the whole afternoon working on the ice, and by around five o'clock, they had caught quite a few fish of all sizes.
So they found a bag, put it in, and the guys dragged the bag back.
It was freezing cold outside in the dead of winter, and by five o'clock there was hardly anyone around.
Some have already eaten, and some are about to eat. Who would bother to come outside and show off?
So when the brothers entered the village, they didn't encounter many people, which saved them a lot of trouble.
The brothers dragged sacks into the yard, and then Sheng Xiping found a wooden bucket, filled it with some snow, put the fish in, and then covered it with another layer of snow.
In the north, the outdoors is a natural refrigerator in winter, freezing everything.
However, there are some tricks to freezing things.
For frozen meat, you should sprinkle some water on the surface, or put the meat directly into the water and roll it around before freezing.
This effectively retains the moisture in the meat, preventing it from drying out due to prolonged freezing.
The fish have scales, and they had just been out of the water, so there's no need to water them; just cover them with snow.
Put snow and fish in a wooden bucket, then cover it with a wooden board and weigh it down with a stone.
This is to prevent stray cats or other animals from coming and stealing the fish by smelling its scent.
Sheng Xiping was busy in the yard when Sheng Liancheng came in from outside carrying a bag on his back. He had just come down from the mountain.
The whole family was together, and Zhang Shuzhen put the dumplings into the pot.
"You two, hurry up and put down the firecrackers so we can come inside for dinner."
During the Lunar New Year, we always set off a string of firecrackers, but not many, just about two hundred, just to make a noise.
After a series of crackling sounds, the yard was filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Just then, the dumplings were cooked, and Zhang Shuzhen scooped them out while calling her husband and children to eat.
In winter, the temperature is low, and the steam from boiling water fills the entire house.
The dim light reflected the pervasive mist, accompanied by the aroma of cabbage and pork dumplings—this is the taste of home.
"Oh, are you making cabbage and pork dumplings? I've been craving them."
Sheng Liancheng entered the room, sniffed, and laughed.
"Perfect timing. You two don't close the door completely; leave a crack so the heat can escape."
Over the years, Sheng Liancheng had been living on the mountain for long periods of time each year, and Zhang Shuzhen had long been used to it, so there were no particularly emotional scenes when the couple met.
As Zhang Shuzhen brought dumplings into the house, she urged the father and son to eat.
Sheng Liancheng responded, then placed the stove hook under the door and left the outer door slightly ajar.
As cold and warm air alternate, with cold air being heavier and warm air being lighter, mist quickly rose and floated on top.
Sheng Liancheng entered the house and took off his winter work clothes from the forest farm, which were those big blue cotton-padded coats.
He came back late, unlike Sheng Xiping who had time to go to the bathhouse to clean up.
So when he took off his hat, he was covered in stubble, and at first glance, he looked almost like Lao Shan Gouzi.
"Come on, come and eat. After you finish eating, hurry up and go to the bathhouse to get a scrub and a haircut."
"We have to go down tomorrow for our son's engagement; you can't be like this."
Zhang Shuzhen glanced at her husband's expression and quickly offered a reminder.
"Oh, okay, I'll go after I finish eating." Sheng Liancheng knew that he couldn't look presentable in public with his current state.
Getting your son engaged is a big deal; whether someone is good-looking or not is something you can't choose based on their birthright.
When going out to run errands, you must be neatly dressed and presentable; you can't embarrass yourself.
Northeasterners rarely cook other dishes when eating dumplings, so there were only a few plates of steaming dumplings on the table.
There was also a bowl of garlic sauce, a small bowl of chili oil, and a vinegar bottle next to it.
Each person has a small dish in front of them. Whoever wants garlic sauce can just scoop a spoonful, and whoever wants to add vinegar can pour it themselves. Everything is up to their own taste.
When Sheng Xiping eats dumplings, he usually eats a few plain ones first, then scoops a spoonful of garlic sauce and eats a few more dipped in garlic sauce.
Then add chili oil and vinegar, basically you can eat anything, so you can try them all.
"Mmm, it has to be my mom's dumplings, they smell so good."
The cabbage dumplings were so fresh and juicy, and the pork tasted delicious these days.
Zhang Shuzhen's filling preparation skills are excellent; the aroma of pork and the fresh sweetness of cabbage blend together perfectly.
Sheng Xiping ate this dumpling without any dipping sauce with great satisfaction.
At this time of year, no chemical fertilizers are needed when planting vegetables or crops; the cabbages will only be sweet and not bitter.
In another twenty or thirty years, unless you grow your own vegetables, the cabbages grown with chemical fertilizers will taste bitter.
"Eat as much as you like. We made a lot tonight, so you two can eat as much as you want."
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