It gets dark early in winter. When we arrived at Zhou's house at around six o'clock, it was already very dark. However, the snow piled up outside and the night sunlight shining on the ground made it possible to see the road clearly.
They didn't arrive too late, the Zhou family members were already busy.
Mr. Zhou, his uncle and the others were all preparing the table.
She wanted to come over to help but was refused because the work was almost done and the men should do the heavy work today.
"Think about it and come sit here." Mother Zhou patted the chair next to her and asked her to come and sit.
I looked at Zhou's mother, Zhou Er's aunt, Zhou San's aunt, Miao Cuihua, Grandma Zhou, Zhou Minmin, and Zhou Xiaogu, seven women sitting at a table, they were eating melon seeds.
Lu Xiangxiang didn't bother to be polite with them. She pulled out a chair and sat down. Mother Zhou pushed the melon seeds in front of her.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and Lu Xiangxiang couldn't help but shiver, and he shivered and pulled his clothes.
"It's the beginning of the year. Please close the door, leaving a little gap. It's windy outside and a bit cold." As soon as she finished speaking, the children immediately did as she said.
After closing the door, they went to chat or play with their uncles.
There is a brazier under my feet, which makes my legs feel more comfortable after being warmed in it.
She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and nibbled them swiftly. "Who's cooking in the kitchen?"
"It's Ziwen, Ziwu, and your grandfather." Grandma Zhou said from the side.
Hearing her words, Lu Xiangxiang became interested: "Really?"
"Then there are fake ones?"
At this time, she smelled the smell of food in the house and went to the kitchen with melon seeds.
In the kitchen, Zhou Ziwen and Zhou Ziwu stood in front of the stove, surrounded by the aroma of food and the smell of smoke. As for Zhou Tieshan, he was working as a stoker.
Zhou Ziwen frowned slightly, his eyes focused, and the long spoon in his hand kept stirring in the pot.
Zhou Ziwu was concentrating on dealing with the two fish.
He skillfully scraped off the fish scales, cut open the fish belly, cleaned the internal organs, then made a few cuts on the fish and sprinkled salt, white wine and other seasonings on it to marinate.
When the time is up, take the chicken out of the pot and put both fish in.
"Brother, do you think the chicken is cooked?" Zhou Ziwu asked, tilting his head.
Zhou Ziwen took a look and nodded, "It's cooked, just right. Cut the chicken and make some sauce for dipping."
Zhou Ziwen took a kitchen knife and chopped the chicken, then started to prepare the sauce.
The fire on the stove was burning fiercely, and the busy figures of two people were intertwined in the kitchen.
After a while, the dishes cooked by Zhou Ziwu were out of the pot. They were green and tender, and looked very beautiful when served on the plate.
Zhou Ziwu's steamed fish is almost done. He pours the prepared sauce on the fish, and with a "sizzling" sound of hot oil, the aroma comes to your nose, making you salivate.
"The dinner tonight will definitely be good." Zhou Ziwen said with a smile.
"Of course, how can we be bad if we two brothers join forces?" Zhou Ziwu walked towards the dining table with the fish on his hand, his face full of pride.
During the Chinese New Year, of course they had to prepare eight dishes, including hot and sour shredded potatoes, steamed sea bass, beef brisket stewed with carrots, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, steamed shrimp, corn and pork ribs soup, drunken duck, and boiled chicken.
It looked pretty good, and after Grandma Zhou took the first bite, everyone started eating.
Lu Xiangxiang praised without hesitation, "Wow, the moment this dish was served, the aroma filled my nose. After taking a bite, I was completely intoxicated. Ziwu, your control of the heat when cooking is truly precise. The ingredients have been given a whole new life under your spatula, and every fiber is full of rich flavor..."
Zhou Ziwu was stunned by her praise, "Sister-in-law, you are exaggerating."
"Exaggeration? Not at all. I'm telling the truth."
I have to say that they both cook really well, the food looks great and tastes really good.
This time the cooking was well received by everyone, and the two brothers’ faces were filled with pride.
After dinner, the Zhou family turned on the TV. The News Broadcast was launched on January 1st, and everyone could see the international and domestic situation more clearly.
Unlike before when only local news was broadcast, there are now cartoons to watch after the news broadcast.
Although the cartoons are rather childish and not something that existed in that era, both children and adults enjoyed watching them.
Nowadays, entertainment is becoming more and more diverse, so buying a TV is finally worth it.
The TV station broadcasts until ten o'clock. It is already very late, but the children are still quite energetic. The TV is very good and they want to watch more.
But the adults didn't allow them to do so, so they could only think about coming back to see it in the morning.
After letting the children go upstairs to sleep, Lu Xiangxiang and other adults continued chatting downstairs, eating melon seeds and gossiping, feeling so comfortable and happy.
After the New Year’s Eve, everyone said good night and the New Year’s celebration was considered over.
Lu Xiangxiang and Zhou Ziheng also returned to their room. Lu Xiangxiang was so sleepy that she fell asleep as soon as she touched the pillow.
That night, the moonlight was like water, gently pouring into the room through the window.
Zhou Ziheng was lying down, with his wife's head resting on his chest, finding a familiar position to nestle in.
His eyes fell gently on his wife. She was like a rose blooming in the quiet night. The tranquility and gentleness between her eyebrows made ripples in his heart.
My wife leaned slightly to the side, a few strands of hair playfully falling on her cheeks, her skin as delicate as porcelain looked even smoother in the moonlight.
Zhou Ziheng couldn't help but reach out and gently push the strand of hair behind her ear.
He just stared at her quietly, his thoughts drifting away.
Recalling the little details of their acquaintance and friendship, all the wind and rain and sunshine they had gone through together, all turned into the tenderness that overflowed in my heart at this moment.
They have been together for more than ten years, and the feelings between them seem to have not faded with time but become stronger.
He seemed to love her more and more, and he stared at Lu Xiangxiang with eyes full of love.
His wife seemed to feel his gaze in her sleep. She moved slightly, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, as if she was having a sweet dream.
This unconscious smile was like a key that opened the softest corner in Zhou Ziheng's heart.
He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, his movements slow and reverent, for fear of disturbing her sweet dream.
Then he slowly lay back on the bed, gently holding his wife in his arms, feeling her breathing and heartbeat, the rhythmic beat seemed like the most beautiful music in the world.
As soon as the faint light of morning sun shone into the room through the gaps in the curtains, the three children of the Zhou family could not wait to start their "wake-up operation".
The door was opened from the outside, and Yiyi was the first to come to her parents' bedside. She first gently shook her father's arm and called out in a baby voice, "Dad, get up quickly! The sun is shining on your butt!"
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