Chapter 74 Chapter 74 A sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner
"Don't worry, I will keep the secret for you." Jiang Qiuyue said.
Bai Xiuxiu also nodded and assured, "I won't tell anyone else either."
Even when Lin Zhengrong asked about the meal, Jiang Qiuyue didn't say anything, "Sister Shuangshuang didn't let me tell you, so don't ask me, and don't tell Lin Rong either."
Lin Zhengrong was not a very curious person, so he did not ask any more questions.
As time goes by, the New Year atmosphere becomes stronger and stronger, and people in the family compound are preparing New Year's goods.
Jiang Qiuyue was the same. After Xiao Li brought the meat coupons, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy pig's trotters, and exchanged them with the village brigade of Grandma Wang for half a pig's head. Two days before the Chinese New Year, the supply and marketing cooperative still had beef for sale. Jiang Qiuyue bought a pound of beef, fried half of it that day, and saved the remaining half for the Chinese New Year.
On New Year's Eve, after Lin Zhengrong and his two children had finished pasting Spring Festival couplets, Xiao Li came to pick them up.
"Beibeinannan, do you remember what your mother said?" Jiang Qiuyue asked as she walked to the door with flour on her hands.
"Remember, mom, if Grandpa Yu doesn't come, we won't come back." Lin Beibei assured her mother, "I will definitely be able to get Grandpa Yu to come!"
Jiang Qiuyue also believed that her son had this ability. She was kneading dough and instructing Lin Zhengrong to add some charcoal fire to the small stove. "I gave half of the ginseng that Sister Juanjuan gave to Sister Shuangshuang, and the rest is in this pot of chicken. You should drink less later, otherwise you won't be able to sleep at night."
She really regretted giving Lin Zhengrong ginseng chicken soup last time. It was too nutritious!
Lin Zhengrong looked aggrieved, "Do I not need to make up for it?"
"You're well enough." Jiang Qiuyue put the noodles in a bowl and used them to make dumplings. She prepared mushroom and meat stuffing, cabbage and pork, and shrimp and pork. Lin Zhengrong chopped the stuffing and she was in charge of seasoning. "It's great to celebrate the New Year. Every household is making delicious food. When the dumplings are ready, you can send one to Sister Shuangshuang's house. I've agreed with her that I'll make the dumplings and she'll fry the meatballs and send them to you."
If Wu Shuangshuang's parents-in-law hadn't been around, she would have definitely dragged Wu Shuangshuang to celebrate the New Year together. It would be so lively with so many people around, and they could all drink and eat together and give the children New Year money. How nice it would be.
Lin Zhengrong was helping on the side, and red songs were playing on the radio, which made people feel energetic.
Around noon, all the dumplings were wrapped. Lin Zhengrong took the dumplings to the store opposite, and Wu Shuangshuang also gave Lin Zhengrong the fried meatballs.
When Lin Zhengrong came out with the meatballs, he saw Bai Xiuxiu coming with salted tofu.
"I'm here." Bai Xiu Xiu made halved tofu and brought it to Jiang Qiuyue and the others for them to taste.
The population of the Bai family is similar to that of the Lin family, but Bai Yong needs to send money back home. Not all people in the family compound are in this situation. Not only do they have to support their parents, but they also have to help their brothers and sisters. There are very few people like Jiang Qiuyue and Lin Zhengrong who only have to take care of their own small family.
Seeing Bai Xiuxiu coming in, Jiang Qiuyue packed the dumplings that she had prepared long ago, "I was just about to ask Zhengrong to deliver it to you. And here's the smoked fish, you can take it back as a side dish."
Because of Bai Xiuxiu's relationship, Jiang Qiuyue bought half a bag of small steps at the supply and marketing cooperative, which was just enough to make socks and soles for her family. This is how friends and neighbors work, everyone helps each other and everything goes well.
Jiang Qiuyue looked at the time and felt a little hungry. "Go and check on her by bike. Why hasn't she come yet? Lin Beibei is not doing her job well today. Her efficiency is too low."
At this time, Yu Guanghui and a few others had not left the house yet. It was not because Yu Guanghui was too embarrassed to do so, but because he was looting things from the house.
Before the Chinese New Year, the army sent many gifts. Since we were going to celebrate the New Year at someone's house, we had to bring some extra things. Usually, Yu Guanghui didn't pay attention to what was in the house. It was Xiao Li who helped to put it away.
"Dried shrimps, dried grapes, dried bamboo shoots, dried squid, and this dried duck, take them all." Yu Guanghui took them all out, put them in a bag and let Xiao Li carry it. "By the way, I asked you to send some back home before, have you sent it?"
Xiao Li smiled and said nothing. The leader said so, but he dared not do it. It was too shameless.
Seeing Xiao Li like this, Yu Guanghui took out another copy and told Xiao Li to send it after the Chinese New Year. "When you come out to serve in the army, you should also think about your family."
Without relatives around him, Yu Guanghui missed his family more and more, and paid more attention to the people around him.
"I got it, Chief!" Xiao Li was a little touched. He didn't expect that the Chief still remembered to ask him to send something to his home.
Lin Beibei was already hungry, so she came over and pulled Yu Guanghui, "Grandpa Yu, let's go quickly. Mom must have prepared dinner and is waiting for us to eat."
"Okay, okay, let's go now." Yu Guanghui smiled and went out with Lin Beibei and the others.
Although his own house is bigger, it feels cold. Yu Guanghui still likes the small house where Lin Beibei and the others are, which is lively and bustling.
We met Lin Zhengrong on the way and we went back together.
Jiang Qiuyue saw someone coming before she dared to put the dumplings in. "Hurry up and wash your hands and get ready to eat. Have a simple meal at noon, and then have a big meal for the New Year's Eve dinner."
After cooking the dumplings, Jiang Qiuyue brought the chicken soup to the table. The dumplings in chicken soup were so delicious.
"Chief, there's no one else at home, so don't be polite to us. Otherwise, you and Xiao Li will be cold and my home will be less popular." Jiang Qiuyue said as she served chicken soup to the two children. "You can't eat so much at night, so eat the chicken first. Today is the most abundant day of the year."
Lin Beibei wanted to add chili oil, while Lin Nannan just drank the chicken soup in small sips first.
The chicken soup is stewed with ginseng. It has a slightly bitter taste but is also sweet. After drinking a bowl of it, I feel warm all over.
In the afternoon, Jiang Qiuyue was busy in the kitchen while the others were sweeping the yard.
The pig's trotters are brined in advance, and then soaked with pickled mustard greens to make pork trotters with pickled mustard greens. Cut the bacon and sausage into a bowl and steam them. For the smoked fish, stir-fry the chili peppers. The spicier the better, so add more chili peppers.
It’s not enough to just eat meat, Jiang Qiuyue also fried squid vermicelli. This dish needs more oil to be fragrant.
The main dishes were almost ready, and when they started cooking, Lin Zhengrong washed his hands and came to help serve the dishes.
Yu Guanghui watched Lin Zhengrong busying around and said with a smile, "People say that men don't go into the kitchen, but you seem to be happy to do this."
Because he felt sorry for Jiang Qiuyue fetching water, Lin Zhengrong would get up half an hour early every day to fetch water. He wiped the dining table with a smile, "You should love your own wife. Those people don't understand how much I love my wife. Besides, Qiuyue has been preparing the New Year's Eve dinner since early in the morning. If I don't help her, she will be so tired."
"Yes, it's good that you have this realization." Yu Guanghui looked at Lin Zhengrong with admiration.
Lin Beibei was playing chess with Xiao Li, while Lin Nannan and Yu Guanghui were listening to the radio together.
As the dishes were served, firecrackers started to sound outside, and the Lin family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was ready.
Lin Zhengrong took Lin Beibei to set off firecrackers. After the "crackling" sound, Lin Beibei ran to pick up the firecrackers, but was pulled back home by his father.
"Let's eat first!" Lin Zhengrong said.
The whole family sat down and raised their glasses to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
Yu Guanghui took out the red envelopes he had prepared and handed them to Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan. The two children went to see their mother first, and only accepted the red envelopes with a smile after their mother nodded.
Lin Beibei: "Thank you, Grandpa Yu. I wish you good fortune as vast as the East Sea, longevity as vast as the South Mountain, and happiness every day!"
Lin Nannan: "I wish you good luck, health and safety."
The Lin family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was the most sumptuous. Everyone ate until their bellies were full. Jiang Qiuyue even drank a glass of rice wine, her cheeks flushed, and she asked Lin Zhengrong to wash the dishes.
Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan went to the house next door to ask Lin Daya and her sister to pick up firecrackers. Many of them didn't go off, but they were rare toys for them during the first month of the year.
All the kids in the compound were picking them up. Lin Beibei was afraid that if he was too slow there would be none left, so he ran as fast as he could.
When he turned a corner, he saw Zeng Junjie pushing Tang Hai and shouted "Stop".
Lin Daya also rushed over, "What are you doing, Zeng Junjie, do you still want to be beaten by us?"
Seeing Lin Daya raising her fist, Zeng Junjie got scared and took a big step back. "Humph, I won't play with you. My mother said that you are just barbarians from the countryside and will never be able to show up on stage."
"Bah, you are not worthy of being on stage!" Lin Daya punched Zeng Junjie in the stomach, and Zeng Junjie ran away crying. She looked at Tang Hai on the ground again, and said angrily, "He pushed you, didn't you know that you pushed him?"
"He...he is taller than me." Tang Hai said in a low voice.
"Are you scared because he's taller than you?" Lin Daya said in a loud voice, "What's there to be afraid of? The more afraid you are, the more he will bully you."
"Sister Daya, stop talking." Seeing that Tang Hai was about to cry, Lin Nannan pulled Lin Daya's hand and said, "Let's go pick up some firecrackers."
Although Lin Nannan didn't dare to set off firecrackers, her brother liked them, so she was willing to help pick more.
Speaking of picking up firecrackers, Lin Daya realized that she had delayed time, so she pulled Tang Hai to join in, "Come and play with us. If you pick up firecrackers, I'll take you to blow up the ditch tomorrow!"
She acted like a big sister and pulled Tang Hai to pick up firecrackers together.
The children went door to door to pick them up, and if adults who knew them saw them, they would give them a handful of peanuts and sunflower seeds.
Lin Beibei is a sweet-talker and when he sees the familiar uncles and aunts, he is very flattering. When they go home, his pockets are full.
Seeing that Tang Hai had nothing in his pocket, Lin Beibei gave Tang Hai a handful of melon seeds and peanuts, "My mother said that children need to be sweet and generous to be loved. Don't always keep your head down, you should smile. Come on, smile for me."
He taught Tang Hai his experience of being likable, hoping that more people would like Tang Hai, but Tang Hai forced a smile, and he thought Tang Hai's smile was uglier than crying.
"Oh, you can't do this." Lin Beibei smiled at Tang Hai, and Lin Daya also smiled and moved over, which scared Tang Hai instead.
Only Lin Nannan, who knew that Tang Hai could not say a few nice words to everyone like her brother, pulled the two apart and gave Tang Hai two candies, "That's all for today, see you tomorrow."
Tang Hai felt relieved and hurried towards home. What he was thinking in his heart was how fierce Lin Daya was, how gentle Lin Nannan was, and why so many people liked Lin Beibei?
When he got home, he saw his brother sweeping the floor. He took out all the melon seeds and peanuts and shared them with his brother.
Tang Jiang asked, "Where are you from?"
"Lin Beibei and I went to pick up firecrackers, and someone saw us and gave us food." Tang Hai explained immediately, "They also asked me to go set off firecrackers tomorrow. Can I go?"
Seeing his younger brother asking carefully, Tang Hai felt mixed emotions. He was indeed not a very competent brother. He couldn't even wrap the dumplings for the New Year's Eve dinner properly and they all fell apart.
"Go ahead, and remember to come back for lunch. The cafeteria will be closed tomorrow, so I'll cook some noodles." He really couldn't cook. When he made dumplings, they fell apart, and when he stir-fried dishes, they were either burnt or too salty. It was better to cook some noodles, which were simpler. He could just cut some meat and cook them.
Tang Hai was raised by his brother and was no longer picky about food. He was very happy to hear about eating instant noodles.
The two brothers lived in two different rooms. Tang Hai dared to open the door on tiptoe only after hearing his brother turn off the lights. He looked at the photos of his parents in the living room and mouthed, "Brother is fine, but I miss you, Mom and Dad."