It's Chinese New Year
On the 30th, after a simple breakfast, the whole family got busy.
Qin Shengtian is responsible for sweeping the yard. He took his time to do a good job. Others might take half an hour to sweep the yard, but he would sweep and rest, and it would take him half the morning.
In the past, Hu Yufeng looked down on his procrastination, but today he had to take action, and he could clean up every corner.
Qin Wenli prepared the paste and led the two children to paste the couplets.
This is the children's favorite thing. They help their father look left and right, point out the heights and heights, and look like they are carrying a heavy responsibility.
Hu Yufeng and Yang Xiu began to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner.
Day lily, dried mushrooms, dried eggplant, dried beans... Hu Yufeng rummaged through several cloth bags and took out the dried vegetables that were dried in the summer one by one.
Together with vermicelli, these need to be soaked in cold water.
Yang Xiu thought of a few dishes and asked her mother-in-law for her opinion: "Mom, for dinner, I'd like to make some cold pork head, cold potato shreds, cold squash, and some bean sprouts. What do you think?"
"Okay, you decide..."
"For hot dishes, I can only think of scrambled eggs, pickled cabbage and vermicelli, stir-fried pork, and minced meat and tofu. What else do you think we can add?"
Hu Yufeng thought for a moment and said, "Let's make pork elbow. Your grandma likes it. If we stir-fry some chicken, it will be almost the same."
Oops, the chicken hasn’t been killed yet.
Yang Xiu rushed into the chicken coop and grabbed two roosters, shouting as he walked: "Dad, Dad, kill the chickens first!!!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Wenli put down the couplet in his hand, slaughtered two chickens with a knife without any expression, and went back to paste the couplets.
"You go and make the chicken blood noodles. I'll pluck the feathers and clean them up, and you can gut them later." Hu Yufeng took the two chickens.
Yang Xiu agreed and rushed into the kitchen to start kneading the dough.
Both Hu Yufeng and the old lady's eyesight was not very good. They sat at the kitchen door and slowly plucked the chicken feathers.
Yang Xiu had prepared the chicken blood noodles and the chicken was also prepared.
She cut the meat open skillfully, chopped it into pieces and put it into a bowl.
After a while, Yang Xiu rushed to the door again and shouted: "His father, his father, chop off an elbow..."
Qin Wenli put down the couplet in his hand, picked up the machete and chopped the elbow, then asked, "What else do you want to chop? I'll chop it for you all at once."
Hu Yufeng pointed at the hanging ribs and said, "Cut the ribs and eat them while you're on guard tonight. Chop the pig's head in half..."
Yang Xiu poured water into both pots, cooked pork in the big pot and chicken in the small pot, and added ginger, scallions, and white wine. The old lady puffed and pulled the bellows.
She started chopping the meat and frying the meatballs.
With some spare money this year, Hu Yufeng felt more confident and asked Yang Xiu to fry a few more meatballs.
"Yu Yu, Yu Yu, come and try the meatballs..." Hu Yufeng shouted at the door.
"Here I come, grandma..." Qin Yu cheered.
Hu Yufeng served a few meatballs to Qin Yu: "Eat slowly with Xiaoshu, they are hot."
Qin Yu held the bowl carefully and laughed together with Qin Shu.
Qin Wen was outside the door calling Qin Wenli to go to the grave.
When Hu Yufeng heard this, she took out a small bamboo basket, put paper on the bottom, put the buns, fried cakes, and pot on it, and after thinking for a while, she added a few meatballs.
Then he called out, "Wenli, bring the offerings."
Qin Wenli agreed and came over.
Time flies when you are busy.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, the whole family changed into clean clothes, looking respectable and energetic.
Yang Xiu dressed the two children in the new clothes bought by Hu Yufeng. As expected, they looked bright and fresh. Hu Yufeng and the old lady praised them again and again, and the two little kids were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling.
Qin Wenli looked at his watch and came over to ask for instructions: "Mom, I think it's almost time, I'm going to worship the gods."
In Xiaogou Village, people worship gods on the afternoon of the 30th. They go to the temple to burn incense, and then come back to burn incense on their own stove, praying for gods' blessings in the coming year.
Hu Yufeng responded.
Qin Wenli went out carrying two strings of firecrackers, and soon the sound of firecrackers could be heard one after another.
Yang Xiu started to light the fire and cook.
Hu Yufeng had just arranged the peanuts and melon seeds when she heard her sister-in-law's loud voice outside the door.
There are only three families in the Qin family in Xiaogou Village. Since the old lady has the highest backup, we have the New Year's Eve dinner at her house every year.
I saw Chen Xiulian holding a small basket with steamed buns in it.
Qin Wenzhen's wife Li Lanhua was holding a plate with four dishes on it.
Qin Shengcai said this to Qin Shengtian with his hands behind his back and walked behind.
Hu Yufeng said, "Lanhua, put the dishes on the table quickly. Sister-in-law, please go into the house first. We will start eating when Wenqing and his wife come over."
Chen Xiulian turned around and scolded her wife: "Why don't you go and help Xiu'er? You're standing here like a wooden stake..."
Hu Yufeng used to do the same thing, but today when I see others doing the same thing, I find it an eyesore.
Li Lanhua lowered her head and walked quickly along the wall.
Chen Xiulian smiled and asked Hu Yufeng: "Where is his grandmother? Why can't I see her? She wouldn't be in her room during the New Year's Day, would she?"
She showed an expression that said you are not filial and advised: "You are not doing this right. People say that children should look at the elderly first. If you treat the old lady like this, your children will learn from you in the future..."
Hu Yufeng was too lazy to argue with her and just said, "Then why don't we take you home after the New Year to give you a chance to be filial to your parents?"
Chen Xiulian shut up.
"Oh, mom, you guys came so early. Is Second Aunt busy?"
Hu Yufeng turned around and saw Chen Xiulian, smiling, jumping off the kang to greet her: "Xueqin is here, you must be frozen, come in quickly..."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law came in affectionately.
Every time Hu Yufeng saw Chen Xiulian, she admired her speed in changing her expression.
She also called out, "Xueqin and Wenqing are here, why aren't the children here?"
"I'm playing with Yuyu outside. Oh my!" Wang Xueqin slapped her thigh:
"I saw Yuyu and Xiaoshu's new clothes and asked them about them. They said grandma bought them for them. Second aunt, you are so generous. My sister-in-law is so lucky..."
Chen Xiulian's face twisted when she heard her proudest daughter-in-law praising her arch-enemy.
Hu Yufeng waved her hands and said as if it was no big deal: "What's the big deal? A grandmother lives to have grandchildren, and clothes are not worth much. You two sit down, I'll go see how Xiu'er's meal is..."
Chenggong saw Chen Xiulian’s face change, and Hu Yufeng walked out with a smile.
“You’re showing off just because you have a few bucks? What’s the point of pampering him? He’s not your biological grandson…” Chen Xiu Lian muttered in a low voice.
Wang Xueqin touched her and said, "Mom, keep your voice down."
With a gossipy face, he asked, "Why did I hear that my second sister-in-law and her husband went to the plateau before the New Year?"
"That's right. I guess your second aunt is really pissed off..."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law winked at each other and whispered to each other.
The atmosphere in the kitchen was harmonious. Li Yulan was wiping the edge of the dish carefully, Yang Xiu was cooking skillfully, and the old lady was fanning the bellows.
In the yard, the two old brothers Qin Shengtian were smoking cigarettes in the same posture.
Qin Wenzhen and his two brothers came back from worshiping the gods and hung up a string of firecrackers. Seven children stood in the distance, covering their ears with excitement.
Amid the crackling sound of firecrackers, the Qin family started eating.
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