He was momentarily stunned.
"Huh? Xin Xin? What did you say?"
"Come to my house today, let's get together. I guess the educated youth institute will also be making arrangements in a few days. This year, everyone is celebrating the New Year separately, so it wouldn't be right if we didn't get together."
"Today? Sure, we don't have anything planned anyway."
"Today, most of the villagers are staying at home. We outsiders don't have the custom of not visiting each other on the first day of the lunar month."
"Starting tomorrow, the second day of the Lunar New Year, villagers will be visiting each other everywhere. All the aunts and uncles will be there. With your popularity, I reckon your family will be busy too. I'd better get there first."
Seeing that the cleaning was almost done, I simply and readily agreed.
"Okay, noon or evening?"
"It's lunchtime, take your time eating, no rush, chat a bit."
"That's great! We'll go as soon as Xin Xin wakes up. What kind of food do you need to bring?"
As they grew closer, they became less formal with each other, and Lin Dongfang didn't stand on ceremony either.
"What do you want to eat? Cooked dishes? Or how about hot pot?"
During the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, I prepared some beef, and Zhuzhu kept saying she wanted to eat it with you.
Simplicity also made my eyes light up.
“Okay, now that you mention it, I suddenly remembered that I seem to have some mutton at home. I don’t know how to cook it yet, so I’ll take it with me.”
Lin Dongfang slammed the wooden shovel into the ground, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"That's great! To be honest, mutton is the most authentic for hot pot. I've been looking for it for days but haven't been able to find it."
"You only need this one; I'll take the rest."
Simple yet amused, she thought, "I actually took it seriously!"
After finishing our business, let's chat for a bit.
“When I came over yesterday, Zhuzhu said she didn’t want to be an aunt and wanted Xinxin to call her sister. But your little rascal wouldn’t have it and insisted on coming back to ask you.”
Just think of that kid, and you'll simply laugh.
"I'm not getting involved in your case. Whatever she calls you is up to you, don't come to me."
With Mingzhu absent, Lin Dongfang didn't offer to help clean the yard, likely to avoid suspicion. They didn't care, but that wouldn't give anyone a handle to use against them.
He placed the wooden shovel outside the door, stomped his foot, and simply opened the door to go inside.
Jian Xin was half-asleep, turning over in her sleep. She looked over when she heard the sound.
"elder sister?"
He simply took off his cotton-padded coat, rubbed his hands together to let the cool air from his body dissipate, and didn't come any closer.
"You're awake? Do you want to go out and see what's happened to the big snowman you guys built for me?"
"A snowman?"
"Yes, it's snowing heavily, and those snowmen look completely different!"
I put my hands under the blanket for a little while, then took out the clothes that were underneath and put them on the child.
Jian Xin was still half asleep, but she cooperated by stretching her arms and legs. After getting dressed, she was fully awake. Standing on the kang (a heated brick bed), she saw the window and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
It's snowing heavily!
Easy and convenient to fold up the blankets
Yes, it's snowing heavily.
I'm going to cook dumplings, you wash your face first.
Speaking of dumplings, Jian Xin recalled last night's memories and went to rummage under her pillow.
"My coins, where are my coins?"
She was incredibly happy; she had eaten both coins last night and treasured them, keeping them under her pillow while she slept.
"Sister, two coins!"
"Yes, yes, Xin Xin is so amazing! She caught both coins! Have you decided what you want now?"
The little girl hesitated, clearly conflicted.
Simple couldn't help but lower her head and laugh.
"Why don't you put it away first, and then come back and tell your sister when you remember what you need?"
"Um!"
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, dumplings are the traditional breakfast.
I didn't make too many, mainly because I was worried that if my child ate them for several meals in a row, they would get tired of them. It's also convenient to make them fresh each time they're ready to eat.
"By the way, Sister Zhuzhu wants us to come to her house for dinner today. What delicious food should we bring?"
The little girl looked up decisively.
"Meat!"
He paused, glanced at the fruit platter on the table, and added,
Can Guoguo bring it?
The child is young, but she understands a little. There are some delicious things that only she and her sister can eat at home, and that's what Guoguo is like.
I glanced at it briefly; strawberries are not allowed.
but,
"How about we try something different and bring oranges? Let's bring a few oranges for Sister Zhuzhu to try?"
She went to the county town before the Lunar New Year, and everyone in the village knew about it, saying that oranges bought there were more credible.
Those strawberries should not be exposed to sunlight for a short period of time.
Jian Xin is an obedient child; she's happy as long as she has food.
After finishing the meal, I quickly grabbed the things I needed.
The mutton was something Jian Dan had encountered deep in the mountains. She bought a whole flock of them, but they hadn't been processed yet; they were still covered in fur.
Or, how about we take a smaller one and let Lin Dongfang handle it?
I'll grab a few oranges. There are still some greens left in the east room, but all the chives have been cut down. There's also some cilantro. Hmm, that should do.
As for cabbage, sweet potatoes, and the like, her family has those too, so I won't take them.
As for other standard hot pot ingredients like meatballs, those are things that can't be exposed to light, so forget about them.
Just for that sheep, she had to carry a basket on her back. It didn't matter how big or small it was, the main thing was that it couldn't be exposed to the light.
After cleaning up yesterday's leftovers and turning off the stove, the two of them carried their things outside.
Jian Xin carried a small basket on her back, containing the smallest sheep. She wasn't empty-handed either, carrying her own small basket, which she had specially asked Liu Guangming to weave after she arrived. It couldn't hold much, but the size was just right for her.
There were seven or eight oranges at the bottom, topped with a bunch of fresh cilantro and a bunch of spinach, and covered with a small mat, since the temperature was right there.
However, the first thing Jian Xin pays attention to when she goes out is her beloved snowman.
It hopped and skipped around in a big circle.
"It's snowing on the snowman too!"
"Is it good-looking?"
"It looks great. I'll let Brother Tiger come and see it tomorrow."
The roads in front of both houses have been cleaned up, so there's no need to worry about slipping. Let her run freely without any restrictions.
"Sister Zhuzhu, Xinxin is here!"
The baby's voice came through the gate. In winter, the windows and doors were all tightly closed. If Lin Dongfang hadn't been in the yard, he probably wouldn't have heard it. He quickly put down the firewood and came over. The moment he opened the door, he grabbed the child under his armpits and lifted him up.
Jian Xin was startled at first, but soon burst into excited giggles.
After watching them play for a few moments, Jian Dan quickly stopped them.
"Let's play later. Take the basket off first, or it'll get damaged from all the jostling."
Before the child was even put down, the basket was already in Lin Dongfang's hands. He held the child in one arm and carried the basket in the other.
"Let's go inside and warm up. Zhuzhu is inside too."
Upon entering, Jian Dan took off his own basket and handed it to Lin Dongfang.
"I'll take the child inside. Here, take this and go pack your things."
He took the small basket and the child, and walked straight inside. Lin Dongfang stared at the basket, dumbfounded.
Is this... a bit of mutton?
How can we tell that the unit of measurement 'point' is usable?
This woman's understanding is on a completely different level from his, isn't it?
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