The New Year's Eve dinner was very well received. The next day was the first day of the Lunar New Year. Yu Yao got up early, changed into sportswear that she had asked Sister-in-law Yu Feng to make, and went for a run with Lu Ze.
As dawn broke, Yu Yao and Lu Ze ran side by side against the sea breeze, full of energy.
After running for an hour, Yu Yao and Lu Ze started walking along the beach towards the military compound.
Sixteen followed behind them, sometimes running into the roadside bushes to hide, sometimes chasing birds up trees.
Sixteen has a smooth, shiny body and has grown almost a head long. In a few more months, it will be a big dog.
The fog on the beach receded, revealing a small island in the distance.
"Lu Ze, there's actually a small island over there! We've been there so many times before, but we never found it," Yu Yao said to Lu Ze in surprise.
Lu Ze glanced at the small island indifferently. "That island is quite far from us, and it's usually foggy so we can't see it. But in April, when there's a squid fishing season there, I'll take you to go beachcombing."
Yu Yao nodded, glanced at the island in the distance, and began to think about squid recipes.
The closer you get to the compound, the clearer the broadcasts from the kapok trees become. In addition to patriotic songs, they also broadcast news of the capital wishing the people of the whole country a Happy Chinese New Year.
As soon as I got back to the yard, I heard a commotion next door. Judging from the noise, Lei Xiaojun had burned many small holes in his new clothes yesterday by setting off firecrackers, and Su Meihua was chasing him with a bamboo stick.
Yu Yao first went to the chicken coop with the iron fence and felt around; there were actually three eggs today.
You have to understand that food was precious at this time, and the chickens weren't being fed very well; three chickens were lucky to lay two eggs a day. Did even the chickens know it was New Year's and lay an extra one?
Yu Yao smiled, took the still-warm eggs and walked towards the kitchen. "Lu Ze, Mom said that the first meal of the New Year should be 'Auspicious Reunion Noodles,' and since I made three eggs today, we'll make noodles. You boil some water, I'll go take a shower first."
After saying that, Yu Yao put the eggs on the stove, took an enamel basin and a towel, and went to the woodshed.
Lu Ze had already prepared the water, and the temperature was just right. After Yu Yao finished showering, it was Lu Ze's turn to shower.
Yu Yao stayed in the kitchen to make Ruyi Reunion Noodles.
The so-called "Ruyi Tuanyuan Noodles" are actually seafood and egg noodles.
Red prawns symbolize prosperity and good fortune, while round poached eggs represent family reunion. Eating "Ruyi Tuanyuan Noodles" for the first meal of the New Year ensures that everything goes smoothly and the family is reunited throughout the coming year.
A poached egg that represents family reunion should have a perfectly intact yolk, be well-coated, and dry – it's not easy to make.
Seeing that the water had boiled, Yu Yao took a spoon from home, smeared some rapeseed oil into it, cracked an egg into it, and then put the spoon into the hot water.
The egg in the spoon is heated and set, forming a perfect disc shape, with the soft-boiled yolk surrounded by the white egg white.
The egg white is delicate, the yolk is soft and fluffy, and the yellow and white color is very appetizing.
Once the egg had set, Yu Yao flicked her wrist, and the round poached egg slid into the hot water.
Because the shape was predetermined, it won't fall apart when slid into hot water, nor will it make a mess. It will still be perfectly round when it comes out of the pot.
After making three poached eggs in this way, Yu Yao put dried noodles into the pot.
The noodles were propelled by the rolling water droplets, floating and sinking in the pot.
Yu Yao went to her private plot and picked a few scallions and a small bunch of tender bok choy still glistening with dew. She washed them clean and put them into the pot along with seven or eight cleaned frozen shrimp.
Lu Ze prefers stronger flavors, so Yu Yao scooped a spoonful of pork into a large bowl, added other soy sauce, salt, and MSG, and also added a spoonful of yellow lantern chili sauce that she made following Aunt Lei's recipe.
Then she heard Lu Ze come in from outside and hurriedly said, "Lu Ze, bring me the bone broth from the refrigerator."
I once went to the supply and marketing cooperative and happened to find that they sold bones. The meat on the big pork bones, lamb bones, and beef bones had been completely removed. No coupons were needed, and you could buy three catties for one cent.
Yu Yao thought it was cheap and perfect for making bone broth, so she spent seven cents to buy more than twenty catties. She cooked it together with the chicken bones she had saved from her own chicken carcass to make a rich broth, which she then filled dozens of jars with.
Aside from those given away, the rest were frozen in the refrigerator.
Add a spoonful when eating noodles or making soup, and it will be incredibly delicious.
For convenience, Yu Yao used an enamel mug to serve one of the thick soups at home.
She received several awards for excellence this year, and each time she was rewarded with an enamel mug. She has a lot of enamel mugs at home, and she makes the most of them, except for drinking water.
Sun Yu's sister-in-law and the others said that although she is young, she knows how to manage a household better than they do.
After adjusting the seasoning, Lu Ze scooped up the noodles and rinsed them with the sweet well water, which was just right.
After finishing our Ruyi Egg Noodles, it was still early.
Yu Yao and Lu Ze changed into clean clothes and prepared a plate of peanuts, melon seeds, and candy from home. They then heard the sounds of children laughing and joking coming from outside the compound.
Lei Xiaojun, dressed in new clothes, walked in with Xiao Shitou and a small group of children. "Aunt Yu, Uncle Lu, Happy New Year!"
"Xiao Jun, Xiao Shitou, and you guys come over here." Yu Yao smiled and grabbed a handful of candy and melon seeds from the enamel basin to give to the children. She also took out red envelopes from her pocket and gave them to the children who came to wish them a Happy New Year.
The candy wasn't expensive, and the money in the red envelope wasn't much either, just two cents; it was mainly for the festive atmosphere.
The children smiled broadly as they received the gifts and red envelopes: "Thank you, Aunt Yu and Uncle Lu! Wishing you prosperity and all the best!"
After seeing off three groups of children who came to wish them a Happy New Year, Yu Yao and Lu Zecai figured there wouldn't be any more children coming. They then carried their New Year's goods and pushed their bicycles out the door.
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