The children had a great time playing all day and didn't take a nap. Around ten o'clock, Chen Feng got a little sleepy and sat there nodding.
"Aren't the frozen pears and persimmons in the outer room thawing? Lao Liu, go and see if they've thawed yet."
"Bring this over, you and Xiaofeng can have some to cheer you up." Zhang Shuzhen saw this and quickly told her youngest son to get to work.
Those frozen pears and frozen persimmons were from when Sheng Xiping went to Songjiang River to deliver pork to the Zhou family, and Wang Chunxiu picked up two bags of them and brought them back.
Before the Lunar New Year, the bureau brought back a batch of frozen pears and persimmons from other places, which were distributed as welfare to various units.
Zhou Mingyuan and Wang Chunxiu, two employees, received two portions, and one of them was brought back to the Sheng family.
The forest farm is located in a remote area, and it is inconvenient to go to Songjiang River. Everything we eat is supplied by the supply and marketing cooperative.
Frozen pears and persimmons are only available to the forest farm in years when a lot of them are transported in. If few are transported, the forest farm will not get any.
If you think about it, Sheng Xitai has only eaten frozen pears twice in his life, and he has never even seen frozen persimmons.
So when Sheng Xitai heard there was something delicious to eat, his eyes widened immediately, and he dragged Chen Feng to the outer room.
The two of them found a straw hat and an enamel basin, picked up four or five frozen pears and two frozen persimmons, and happily returned.
Sheng Liancheng and Zhang Shuzhen are both this age, how could they possibly argue with the children? They made an excuse that the stuff was too cold and their teeth couldn't handle it, so they didn't eat it.
Sheng Xiping wouldn't hesitate to fight with his younger siblings for a bite, but he still wouldn't eat it.
So Sheng Xi'an and the others each took a frozen pear and took a bite.
Those frozen pears were made from flower-covered pears, and their skins were dark and not very appealing.
Biting through the skin reveals the snow-white, delicate pear flesh inside. A gentle suck releases the sweet and sour, icy pear juice, instantly invigorating the senses.
Chen Feng, who was eating frozen pears for the first time in his memory, had his eyes light up the moment the pear juice entered his mouth, and his face showed a look of surprise and disbelief.
For children in Northeast China these days, frozen pears are one of the few fruits they can eat; they are a rare treat and very delicious.
"Uncle, this frozen pear is so delicious!" Chen Feng said, taking a bite of the pear and speaking indistinctly.
"Oh dear, that's not how you eat a frozen pear. You should suck out the juice first, and then eat the pear flesh."
"Otherwise, all that water will be wasted, which is a real shame." Sheng Xitai saw that Chen Feng was eating incorrectly, so he quickly taught him the correct way to eat it.
Chen Feng said "oh," and following his uncle's instructions, he first sucked on the pear juice a few times before eating the pear flesh.
A frozen pear wasn't very big, but Chen Feng has quite a big appetite these days, and he finished it in no time.
The freshly frozen pears were icy cold, with ice crystals still clinging to the center.
After eating a frozen pear, Chen Feng was no longer sleepy, so he and Sheng Xitai took some firecrackers and went outside to set them off.
The dumplings were almost finished being wrapped. Zhang Shuzhen glanced at the clock on the wall; it was not yet 10:30.
"Second and third brothers, hurry up and boil some water, finish your dumplings early and go to bed early."
With so many kids at home and no naps during the day, I'm about to collapse from exhaustion. I'd better finish eating soon.
Just now, after Sheng Xiping finished frying the pine nuts, he cleaned the pot, filled it with more than half a pot of water, and there was still charcoal at the bottom of the pot.
At this point, just throw a few pieces of thin, dry firewood into the pot, and the fire will soon be blazing. The water in the pot, which is already warm, will also boil quickly.
Zhang Shuzhen covered the two trays of dumplings with white cloth and carried them to a high place in the storeroom. These were to be frozen and cooked for tomorrow morning.
The rest, once the water boils, can be added directly to the pot.
Inside, dumplings were being cooked, while outside, Sheng Liancheng led his sons to set off firecrackers.
Sheng Xiping didn't go out, but went to the west room and covered his son's ears, afraid that the sound of firecrackers would frighten the child.
Surprisingly, the little guy slept soundly, completely undisturbed.
The dogs of the Sheng family were used to the sound of gunfire and were not afraid of the noise of firecrackers.
Even the two little dogs, Zhaocai and Wangfu, wagged their tails calmly, watching their family members set off firecrackers outside in a lively atmosphere.
If it were an ordinary dog, especially a puppy from back then, it would probably be cowering in some corner, trembling with fear.
After setting off a string of firecrackers, Sheng Liancheng led the children to set off some flashbangs, double-bangs, and sky rockets.
Chen Feng dared not release anything else, but he could release a firecracker.
Seeing the rocket shoot up with a squeak and explode in mid-air, Chen Feng was overjoyed. He jumped and cheered, clapping his hands.
"This is so much fun! This is so much fun!"
"When you're a few years older, Grandpa will teach you how to set off flashbangs. That's even more fun."
Sheng Liancheng patted Chen Feng on the head with a smile and said kindly.
"Yes, yes, I will definitely eat well and grow up quickly." Chen Feng nodded happily.
At this time, the dumplings inside were cooked, and Zhang Shuzhen called the people in the yard to come inside and eat.
Upon entering the house, Sheng Liancheng discovered that the rules had indeed changed this year.
Unlike previous years when dumplings were scooped into a bowl along with the soup using a spoon, this year dumplings were scooped into a plate using a strainer. Sheng Yunfang and Sheng Yunfei were carrying the plates into the house.
Last year during the Spring Festival, everyone in the family except Sheng Liancheng objected to eating dumplings with soup.
Zhang Shuzhen said at the time that the rules must be changed next year. Unexpectedly, this year she actually put her words into practice and changed it to eating it dry.
Sheng Liancheng sighed. Well, if it's changed, it's changed. What else can we do? This is her first year in the family; we have to let her get used to it.
Therefore, Sheng Liancheng didn't say anything, stepped into the house, and sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
Several boys went inside, washed their hands, and helped put dumplings on the table.
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