The winter weather was languid and listless, but the silvery snow was full of energy, piling up layer upon layer on the Li family's courtyard, as if wrapping the old year in a fluffy cotton blanket.
Another year has passed, and Li Zhongguo is especially happy this year. At this moment, he stands on the steps, holding a tea mug in his hands. The tea inside has long since lost its heat, but he is completely unaware of it, as his heart and eyes are filled with his children and grandchildren shoveling snow.
“Hey, Panmei, the snow isn’t swept clean.”
Li Zhongguo frowned and shouted at Panmei.
"Zhao Mei! You can't do this! You're not even as old as your father, how come you can't muster any strength?"
He stretched out his finger and pointed it around in the air, acting like a commander-in-chief.
Panmei paused in her broom, looked up and muttered, "Dad, stop talking, let's finish sweeping and eat quickly!"
Zhao Mei chimed in, "That's right, Dad, shouldn't your husband cook today?"
The two brothers exchanged a glance, both knowing perfectly well that expecting their mother and sister to cook was simply a pipe dream.
"No, Fa Gui is putting on a face mask inside!" Upon hearing Li Zhongguo's words, Zhao Mei and Pan Mei's eyes widened, their lips twitched, and their faces were full of helplessness—this brother-in-law is really lucky!
"Then who will cook?" they both asked in unison.
"Tsk! It doesn't matter who cooks, isn't there a grandson-in-law here too?"
Li Zhongguo smacked his lips, his face wrinkles radiating smugness.
"With those elders helping him, he wasn't flustered at all, which shows that he has truly inherited the Li family's skills!" As he spoke, he nodded with satisfaction and strolled towards the kitchen with his hands behind his back.
The kitchen was steaming and filled with the aroma of cooking.
Wearing an apron, Shangguan Wenyan skillfully tossed and turned the wok, the vegetables bobbing up and down, emitting a fragrant aroma.
Nearby, several older women stood around, occasionally handing over a plate or a spoon, their eyes full of approval.
“He’s really amazing,” Da Mao’s wife said first, breaking the brief silence.
"Absolutely! This cooking technique is amazing."
Er Mao's wife chimed in, still clutching a handful of freshly washed vegetables in her hand.
"By the way, does your son Simao cook?" The topic was changed, but the atmosphere suddenly froze.
After a brief eye contact, the three fell into an eerie silence.
Xiao Yingying sighed first: "Da Mao will make a little bit, or... make it for himself."
The other two women forced a wry smile, their helplessness barely concealed. It seemed their husbands were decent cooks, but simply wouldn't cook.
The fire crackled and popped, making people's faces glow red.
Shangguan Wenyan seemed oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, focusing on plating the dishes and serving them on the table. The red and green colors were quite appealing.
"Sisters-in-law, don't just stand there! Try my cooking. If you don't like it, just let me know!"
He greeted him with a smile.
Li Zhongguo strolled in slowly, glanced at the table full of dishes, and his eyes welled up with tears: "Our Li family is all about this warm atmosphere this year. The whole family sitting around a table, eating a hot meal, is better than anything else."
The children and grandchildren filed in, their laughter and chatter breaking through the kitchen glass amidst the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, blending into the pristine white snow outside.
This meal warmed both the stomach and the heart, melting away the fatigue of the whole year in the warmth of home cooking. In the new year, the Li family was finally reunited.
_
The room was warm and cozy, with the whole family gathered around. Ma Linghua and Li Zhongguo, who sat at the head of the table, exuded a calm and authoritative aura, while Ma Hehua and Ma Lihua, who sat to the left and right, also displayed the dignified demeanor of elders.
Ma Linghua cleared her throat, breaking the brief silence: "I won't say much more. These past years have really been tough for us. If you want to give me red envelopes, give them to me one by one after dinner! Okay, let's eat."
After he finished speaking, everyone reached out to grab their bowls and chopsticks.
At this moment, Li Zhaomei leaned forward, got close to Panmei beside her, and whispered, "Second brother, didn't you buy any drinks?"
Panmei raised her eyelids slightly and whispered to him, "I asked Hehua to buy it around noon and gave her a hundred yuan."
Li Zhaomei's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself: Oh well, it's like throwing a meat bun to a dog—it's gone forever.
Given Lotus's temperament, if you give her money, she'll probably hide it in some corner of her clothes; she'd never be willing to use it to buy a drink.
Just then, everyone saw Ma Hehua deftly leave her body and steadily carry a glass jar in her hands.
All eyes turned to it; the vat was filled with thick, dark liquid, so deep it was almost eerie.
“Lotus. What is this?” Li Fagui blurted out, his brows furrowing.
Ma Hehua grinned, revealing a few gleaming white teeth. She patted the glass jar and raised her voice, "This is my mother's medicinal wine. Come on! One cup for each of you. It's good for your health!" With that, she raised her hand to pour wine for everyone.
Li Zhongguo subconsciously swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he inwardly groaned: "Damn it, this must be Linghua's wine. With her personality, who knows what kind of unspeakable stuff she put in it? Just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle and my spine go cold."
In the past, when Linghua tinkered with these "folk remedies," she would collect all sorts of strange materials. Last time it was a few withered snakes, and who knows what it will be this time.
Li Fagui's heart tightened, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist under the table, his eyes filled with fear and doubt: Mother's brewed wine? Is it safe to drink? What if something bad happens to him? We won't be able to have a peaceful New Year.
He looked at his two older brothers for help, but found that they all had miserable expressions and dared not utter a sound.
Seeing everyone cowering in fear, Ma Linghua raised her eyebrows and shouted in a loud voice, "What? You're complaining? These are all good things that I painstakingly prepared, very nourishing!"
As he spoke, he picked up a glass, tilted his head back, and gulped it down, smacking his lips as if savoring the taste.
The group exchanged glances, their hands trembling slightly as they held their wine glasses. Under Ma Linghua's intense gaze, after much hesitation, they could only bite the bullet and bring the glasses to their lips.
As he brought the wine glass to his lips, the strong, fishy stench instantly assaulted his nostrils. Li Xin frowned slightly, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. The moment the wine entered his mouth, a sour and rotten smell, like an over-fermented persimmon, exploded on his tongue, choking him and almost bringing tears to his eyes.
But then another thought struck him: this wine was brewed and handed to him by his great-grandmother herself, how could it be bad? Perhaps it holds the secret to longevity!
With that thought, Li Xin steeled himself, tilted his head back, and gulped down a full cup of medicinal wine.
He put down the cup, smacked his lips, and found the aftertaste lingering. As if possessed, he stuck out his tongue and licked the inside of the cup in circles, leaving not a drop, as if he had tasted a rare delicacy.
The brothers standing nearby were dumbfounded, unsure whether to hold their wine glasses or not.
Someone took a small sip, their facial features instantly contorted, their cheeks puffed out, and they struggled to swallow it.
After finishing their drinks, he gave Li Xin a look that was hard to describe. This brother really has a strange taste.
In contrast, Li Xin's satisfied expression seemed all the more out of place.
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