Early in the morning, Buyi prepared breakfast, put it in the pot, and went downstairs. This morning he had to go to the grassroots level with his superiors, and at noon he would be making dumplings with the soldiers. He was busy all day and wouldn't have time until the evening.
When Bu Ling woke up, it was already ten o'clock. She opened her eyes, sat up, and yawned. She had stayed up late reading novels yesterday, and felt a little tired this morning.
After clearing her mind for a while, she slowly got out of bed. It was New Year's Eve, and early in the morning, children were running around and making noise in the hallway, keeping her from sleeping well.
However, it's Chinese New Year, so of course she wanted to be happy. After finishing the breakfast her brother had left for her, she cleaned the house inside and out.
We had a simple lunch of steamed buns, and in the afternoon we started preparing ingredients for the family reunion dinner. Of course, Chef Buyi was in charge; even though there are only two people in his family, they couldn't be careless during the Lunar New Year.
She was thinking about the recipe while preparing the food.
Braised fish is a must, for it symbolizes abundance year after year; braised pork belly is a must too, that's a real main dish; then there's chestnut stewed chicken, stir-fried wild rabbit, and then stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, for a vibrant and prosperous look; followed by stir-fried eggplant, potatoes, and green peppers, and eggplant sandwiches.
There are also the meatballs that Buyi fried earlier, and the lotus root sandwiches that I prepared, which can be counted as two dishes. That's enough. Eight dishes in total, wishing you a prosperous New Year!
In the late afternoon, Bu Yi came back and saw the neatly arranged side dishes. He smiled knowingly and said, "Lingling, there's a performance at the military region tonight. Do you want to go see it?"
"Yes! What kind of performance?"
"There are performances organized by the soldiers, as well as by the military spouses, and the cultural troupe is also here. There are quite a lot of programs." Bu Yi took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and helped Bu Ling prepare the fish.
"That sounds great! When can I go too?" Bling was particularly interested.
"Let's have our family reunion dinner at eight o'clock, and then we can go there." Bu Yi skillfully scraped the fish scales.
"Great, great, I've never seen a performance before." (This is a quote from someone from that era.)
Buyi's nose tingled again. Her younger sister had seen it when she was little, but she had forgotten. If she had lived in the family compound forever, these things wouldn't have seemed so strange to her.
Unaware that her words had triggered such heartache in Bu Yi, Bu Ling was still dreaming about the evening's performance, her model being the 1981 Spring Festival Gala.
It's only a ten-year difference, it shouldn't be that big of a difference, she thought uncertainly.
After a short while, Liang Boda arrived.
"Old Bu, you're not being fair, you sneaked out without telling me," he accused.
Bu Yi glanced at him sideways: "Really? I see you're enjoying being surrounded by women, so I didn't bother you."
Bu Ling's gossip radar kicked in, his eyes sparkling: "Brother Liang, what's with all the women surrounding us?"
"No, nothing, don't listen to Lao Bu's nonsense." Liang Boda scratched his head sheepishly.
"The female comrades in the cultural troupe." Bu Yi coldly exposed their dissent.
"Looks like Brother Liang's good news is just around the corner!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? It's not even close to being settled yet, don't start this up." Liang Boda blushed slightly.
"Oh~ you're blushing, Brother Liang. You said you didn't have a stroke yet, but you're almost there now."
Liang Boda forcefully changed the subject: "Stop fooling around. If there's anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask." He was going to mooch off the New Year's Eve dinner anyway.
"Go chop the chicken into small pieces and peel the chestnuts." Buyi was quite impolite.
Liang Boda took immediate action
Two hours later, the three of them sat at the dining table, looking at the dishes laid out before them. Under the lamplight, their smiles seemed somewhat forced.
Buyi raised his glass first: "Come on, Happy New Year!"
Liang Boda and Bu Ling raised their glasses at the same time, but one contained alcohol and the other milk powder.
Bling wanted to protest, but was ruthlessly suppressed by the two men.
The three of them spent their first New Year together and ate their first reunion dinner. Bu Yi and Liang Boda were both filled with emotion, realizing that there really needs to be a woman in the family.
He and Lao Bu had spent so many New Years together before, but none of them felt as warm as this one. Before, the two of them, grown men, would spend the New Year in the military camp, which was also happy, but it didn't feel like home.
The two have been good friends since college and have worked together for so many years. Liang Boda has never seen Bu Yi so affectionate before.
Buyi also had mixed feelings, but overall, things were much better.
Bling wasn't so sentimental; she was busy showing off her food, head down. It was getting late, and she needed to eat something so she'd have the energy to watch the show later.
At 7:30, the three of them went downstairs on time and walked together to the open space in the residential compound. There were quite a few people like them.
Thanks to their positions, Buling also managed to get a good spot near the front, sitting between them with soldiers all around her, making her feel incredibly safe.
"Commander Bu, is this your sister?"
"Hello, Sister Bu!"
"Your little sister is so pretty, how old is she?"
"Does your sister have a boyfriend yet?"
"...."
"Get out of here! Don't embarrass yourself and scare your sister!" Liang Boda was even more agitated than his own brother, Buyi.
Buyi glanced at his soldiers, who immediately became obedient, sat up straight, and stared straight ahead.
"Lingling, don't pay attention to them, are you cold?"
Bling shook her head. "I'm dressed very warmly, I'm not cold at all."
"Remember to tell your brother if you get cold, okay?"
The soldiers, who had been sitting upright, secretly pricked up their ears. They hadn't expected their regimental commander to have such a gentle side; well, to be honest, it was a little intimidating.
"I understand, bro." (This is a question about what it's like to have an older brother who always treats you like a six-year-old.)
The performance started soon after we hadn't waited long. There was no fancy opening, just a soldier announcing the names of the programs.
"The first program is a chorus of 'I Am a Soldier,' performed by the soldiers of the Sixth Battalion of the Fifth Regiment."
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