Chapter 69: New Year's Eve Dinner
Huo Qingqing felt very embarrassed and warned Han Jianwu to be more careful in the future and not to think that the child was too young to know anything. But the man acted as if nothing had happened and said that he would move the baby to the bed in the small room to sleep when the weather got warmer.
Huo Qingqing, "You should move to the bed and sleep!"
Han Jianwu, "The bed board is not as solid as the kang."
“…”
In previous years, the Han family had a lively and harmonious New Year's celebration. This year, the family has split up, and the north room no longer has the festive atmosphere and laughter of previous years. However, each small family is in a good mood. The eldest lady was also in a depressed mood. I heard that they had already talked to a girl from a neighboring province. She came to visit their home on the sixth day of the first lunar month. Everything was almost settled, and this time the eldest lady was giving a sky-high dowry. The girl's family was poor and had many children. Although it was a formal marriage, it was basically like selling her daughter. All they had to do was give her money and food, and nothing else mattered.
On New Year's Eve, the brothers and their families would go to the north room to celebrate with their parents. Each family would cook one or two dishes and then bring them to the table to make a large table. Give red envelopes and buy gifts for the two elders, even a pack of cigarettes or a packet of tea will do.
During the Chinese New Year in previous years, no matter how lively the Han family was, Huo Qingqing would always stay in the house alone to play with the children. Her excuse was that the children were too noisy and that the excitement had nothing to do with her anyway.
This year, after the family split up, everyone must behave like filial piety. This is the case for all families with many sons in the village after the family split up. When they were living together, they might fight and quarrel every few days, but after the family split up, it is a different story.
In previous years, the four families of the Han family would have a reunion on New Year’s Eve, and they would basically celebrate it at the old family’s home. This year was the same, so Han Jianwu got up early in the morning and started cooking, while Huo Qingqing looked after the baby and occasionally helped out.
Han Jianwu discussed with Huo Qingqing and said, "Can we cook four dishes for the north room?"
Huo Qingqing didn't think too much about it. After all, she didn't know much about the customs here. She was stunned for a moment before saying, "Just do it as you see fit. Whatever looks good will do."
Han Jianwu said, "Prepare one cold dish and stir-fry three hot dishes. I bought a woolen coat and non-slip cotton shoes for the old man last month. For the New Year, I'll give him a bag of tea and a bag of sugar. Is that okay?"
Huo Qingqing, "I don't know either. Just figure it out for yourself!"
The old woman now dislikes the couple. She is worried that Han Jianwu will work hard to cook a few dishes and bring them over, but the old woman will deliberately make things difficult for him in front of his uncles and cousins. That would really dishearten him.
Han Jianwu opened a snack bar and a store this year. The old woman must be feeling unhappy, after all, not a penny of these benefits went into her pocket.
Han Jianwu said, "You take care of the baby at home, I will handle it alone."
Huo Qingqing was struggling in her heart. What if Han Jianwu asked her to go with the two children? How should she refuse? He actually said they didn't have to go?
"Then you go alone. What if the old lady makes things difficult for you?" Huo Qingqing said.
Han Jianwu, "Don't worry, she won't embarrass me today if she's so concerned about her reputation. I can probably guess what she's going to say in front of the uncles and aunts today."
Huo Qingqing, "What did you say?"
Han Jianwu said: "She will definitely feel sorry for me. It's not easy for me. After all, she agreed to adopt me and became rich. Our family built a house and our lives gradually became better. When I grew up, I made money to subsidize them to build a house. Several aunts, who were my aunts back then, regretted it. Because of this, they have been estranged for many years.
During the harvest season this year, we had a falling out with the old lady, and the villagers just watched for fun, but the aunts really laughed at the old lady. ”
Huo Qingqing, "So, with a few aunts present, the old lady won't embarrass you, but will protect you instead?"
Han Jianwu, "I think so."
As a result, there were so many people for the reunion dinner at noon that they had to set up several large tables in the front yard. Huo Qingqing had to take her child out to show her face, so as to avoid being accused of being arrogant and looking down on a family of peasants. She just didn't want to listen to the old lady and Liu Chunyan's sarcasm.
Every family brought their own cooking to the reunion dinner, but the staple food had to be provided by the Han family themselves, as was the case in previous years. Since the family was divided this year, it should be the fifth brother's family that makes the staple food, but Liu Chunyan resolutely refuses to do so. With so many people eating, a bowl of noodles or two steamed buns per person would eat up all the food in her family.
Liu Chunyan suggested, "Si Ge is very profitable and has his own shop and snack bar, so he must have a lot of surplus. Let him make it the staple food for his family."
The same is true for the eldest son. The eldest sister-in-law said, "The fourth son's wife is from the city and eats less. The two children usually eat some broken biscuits and drink milk powder. They can't eat much rice, so it's up to him to make the staple food."
The third and fourth brothers' families usually have a good relationship with the fourth brother's family, but when it comes to giving up their own interests, they all fall silent.
The old man took a few puffs of his pipe and said, "Aren't you ashamed to say this? Since we have split up the family, why should he have to pay the biggest share? I was herding livestock for the team in such a cold weather, and the fourth brother saved up money to buy me a coat and a pair of non-slip cotton shoes. Has anyone of you ever thought about the life and death of your old man?
If you ask me, every family should provide a large porcelain bowl of broken steamed buns for the New Year, and that’s it. ”
During the Chinese New Year, every household in Hanjiagou will steam walnut-sized buns or flower rolls.
The other restaurants only have one or two dishes, which are basically cold dishes, at most stir-fried shredded potatoes, and then a large porcelain bowl of steamed buns. Han Jianwu brought four dishes, but there were so many people that the staple food was obviously not enough.
Huo Qingqing didn't eat. She just said a few auspicious words to the other female relatives and spent the rest of the time looking after the children. Han Jianwu leaned close to Huo Qingqing and whispered in her ear, "Go back and steam a dozen mixed-flour steamed buns in the small jar and bring them here." He prepared two kinds of steamed buns, pure white rice steamed buns and mixed-grain steamed buns.
Huo Qingqing gave Han Jianwu enough face and soon came with a plate of multi-grain steamed buns. "Come, serve everyone a plate of steamed buns. Don't be disgusted by the multi-grain buns. They are rolled in walnut oil and are delicious!"
Who would reject the delicious multi-grain steamed buns these days?
A plate of more than a dozen steamed buns was quickly snatched away.
Before the end of the party, adults start giving New Year's money to children. No one cares how much, they just want good luck.
One cent is already a lot, most of them are worth a few cents.
Han Jianwu couldn't show off, so he gave each child a red envelope of five cents.
The second son of the second uncle's family works in the county cement factory. He is considered the richest person in the Han family and belongs to the working class. He did not bring his wife and children when he came back for the New Year because his wife did not like to go back to Hanjiagou for the New Year. He gave 5 cents to each of the other children and 1 cent to each of the two children of Huo Qingqing's family. This was arranged by his wife. She said that the two children of Huo Qingqing's family would go to the provincial capital sooner or later, so he had to establish good relations with their family.
Is it really unwise to do this favoritism in front of the whole family, or is it intentional? The sisters-in-law have already begun to urge their cousins to curry favor with the fourth brother and his wife and look down on them.
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