Chapter 43 New Year's Eve

Mo Jingjing changed the way she addressed Pu Xiang unconsciously. By the time Pu Xiang noticed it, it had become "Aunt Xiangxiang". It was unknown whether she was influenced by Zhao Qing.

After Zhao Qing arrived at her shop, he called her "Sister Xiang". After a while, even Shi Wenya stopped calling her "Third Sister" and started calling her Xiangxiang.

"Third sister, you sound like a country girl. It's better to call you Xiang Xiang, it sounds like a city girl's name. You are a boss now, your status should be improved."

The motto Shi Wenya has recently learned is "class", which has thrown aside her previous favorite word "fashionable".

Pu Xiang doesn't really care about the change in the way people around her address her, as long as they are happy.

Seeing Mo Jingjing, Pu Xiang couldn't help but feel happy and said, "We're closed this year. Are you planning to have a good New Year?"

Mo Jingjing jumped off her father's bike and ran to her side: "Well, it's all done. I'm going to take a break. My father said we should rest until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year to welcome the God of Wealth before we can start working again."

Pu Xiang and Mo Yang also greeted each other and said, "What a coincidence, I am also going to rest until the fifth day of the New Year."

Mo Yang waited for Pu Xiang to tidy up the store and lock the door. He then helped her install the outer door panels and closed and locked the iron door for security.

"I bought some vegetables and some other things and took them to your place. Jingjing and I are going back to the village to celebrate the New Year tomorrow. What are your plans?"

Since getting the marriage certificate, Pu Xiang and Mo Yang have been busy with their own business and have had few opportunities to meet. Occasionally, when Mo Yang goes to the county town to do work, he will stop by her store and deliver some things for Mo Jingjing.

When Pu Xiang returned to town, she went to the wholesale department to check out the men's clothing. She also bought a down jacket for Mo Yang, two sets of warm underwear, two sweaters, and some socks.

After all, their marriage was more urgent for her. After getting the marriage certificate, Mo Yang did not give her any trouble. He was a very good partner. She gave him a few pieces of clothes without any effort. She just regarded it as a way of thanking him and maintaining a good cooperative relationship with him.

Mo Jingjing bought a lot of things, including clothes, skirts, and shoes. She wanted to buy anything that was pretty and suitable.

She has more clothes now, perhaps out of compensation, because she always feels a little daunted when she sees beautiful clothes.

Fortunately, she is now in the women's clothing business, so she can be satisfied with many clothes after trying them on.

There are also customers who like to take off the clothes that the boss wears, because they think the quality of the clothes that the boss wears is different from those sold in the store.

After a few times, Pu Xiang also developed the consciousness of wearing whichever model was promoted.

Speaking of this year's New Year's Eve dinner, Pu Xiang had already thought about it: "I will stay in the rental house and not go anywhere. I have been busy for so long, I plan to sleep in every day and have a few days of real rest."

The Chinese New Year is lively, but which woman can rest during the New Year?

I cleaned the house inside and out, cooked for every guest that came, and was so busy that I just had to eat a few bites of food in the kitchen.

Mo Yang didn't say anything. Anyway, he had no intention of inviting anyone to his house. His house was next door to Shi Dafu's, and the scene was embarrassing just thinking about it.

So when Mo Jingjing told him that she wanted to spend the New Year with Pu Xiang, he thought about coming over a day earlier.

The two adults and one child rode their bicycles back to Pu Xiang's rental place. There were two large bags tied to the back seat of Mo Yang's bicycle.

After parking the car, Mo Yang took off his bag and took it to the kitchen to pack it up.

There were slaughtered chickens and ducks, a pork leg, two large crucian carps, bacon, salted meat, some vegetarian dishes, dried tofu, bean curd sheets, fried dough sticks, and a lot of green vegetables and cabbage grown at home.

Pu Xiang only took one look and her eyes immediately widened.

"You moved half of the market here?"

The three of them definitely can’t finish all this, and she might even have some left over even after the New Year.

Mo Yang said, "Aren't you planning on not going out during the Chinese New Year? You can just keep these things and eat them slowly. The market won't be open during the Chinese New Year, and all the small shops will be closed. If you don't prepare delicious food in advance, you'll be hungry by then."

Pu Xiang has been so busy selling clothes recently that she actually forgot to prepare New Year's goods. Shi Wenya and Zhao Qing mentioned it to her, but she had forgotten about it as she was busy.

The main reason is that I have stayed in the afterlife for too long, so long that many things have become habits.

Coming from an era when most people could order takeout on New Year's Eve, it's hard to get used to not being able to buy things even if you have money.

Pu Xiang raised her hand and gently patted her forehead, then looked at Mo Jingjing who came over to watch her father working.

"What are we having for dinner tonight?"

Mo Jingjing shook her head: "I don't know, what does Aunt Xiangxiang want to eat? My dad can cook it."

Mo Yang also raised his head: "It's getting late, shall we stir-fry a chicken? I'll bring some salted vegetables over, and then grill a fish. Do you like braised fish or fish soup?"

Looking at the pile of food, Pu Xiang thought that she had a day off today, and suddenly the gluttony in her stomach was aroused.

"Let's have hot pot. Prepare all the ingredients and wash the vegetables. I'll stir-fry the base."

They acted as soon as they said it. There was no shortage of seasonings in Puxiang, and all the things from Yu Gaozhu's stall were placed here.

Although there was no butter, Mo Yang brought some pork legs over so she could cut some fat from them, and the pork fat was also very fragrant.

Pu Xiang started to prepare the base of the pot. Mo Yang asked Pu Xiang for her request and then started to chop the meat. Mo Jingjing took a basin, took a little bit of each vegetable, added some warm water and started to wash them.

With the cooperation of three people, they were able to sit down and start eating quickly.

"I'm so hungry. Let's eat!"

Pu Xiang was really hungry. The smell of hot pot really penetrated her nose. After her rebirth, she had no worries about food and drink, but except for the time when she celebrated Shi Dafu's remarriage, she had never had a good meal.

"Aunt Xiangxiang, Happy New Year!"

Mo Jingjing raised her glass towards her, and Mo Yang followed suit.

The three of them were drinking Coke, which Mo Jingjing specially asked her father to buy for her.

The soda nowadays is really not very tasty. Mo Jingjing thought about the New Year and the early New Year’s Eve dinner she would have with Pu Xiang, so she thought of Coke.

Sure enough, Pu Xiang was enjoying the cola and hot pot just by looking at it.

The good thing about eating hot pot is that you can eat a few bites of all the prepared ingredients, but the bad thing is that you can eat a few bites of everything and end up eating too much without realizing it.

"Don't pack these up. Leave them here. I can still have a meal tomorrow."

Pu Xiang touched her bloated stomach and felt like she couldn't move at all. She watched Mo Yang clean up the dishes and shouted to him to stop working.

Mo Yang had already washed the dishes used by the three people, and boiled some water while eating, so it was just right to use it now.

"Then we'll go back first. See you next year."

Mo Yang took his scarf and gloves, said goodbye to Pu Xiang, and prepared to go back. When he reached the door, he took out a box from his coat pocket.

"Happy New Year."

Is this a New Year's gift?

Pu Xiang hesitated for a moment, she had nothing prepared, but when she looked around, she found that Mo Yang and Mo Jingjing were wearing new clothes she bought, so she reached out to take them calmly.

It's just a matter of reciprocity.

After seeing the father and daughter off, Pu Xiang locked the door and went upstairs, opening the box Mo Yang had given her. Inside was a pair of pearl earrings, which were obviously real, not fake beads with veneer.

Round, smooth, shiny, and large in color, this earring would not be cheap in later times. Even now, it is estimated to cost at least three figures.

This gift is so beautiful that no one can refuse it.

Mo Yang is indeed a man who follows the furniture owner to sell goods on the ship. Whether it is his knowledge or the way he does things, ordinary villagers can't compare with him.

Pu Xiang feels that she is very lucky to have met such a partner.

New Year’s Eve.

Pu Xiang was awakened by the noise of children outside. She glanced at the time and it was already past eight o'clock.

She stayed in the quilt for a few more minutes before she took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to leave the warm quilt.

hiss.

The weather is really cold. Winter is hard to endure in places without heating. Now we don’t even have air conditioning or electric blankets. The only way to resist the cold is to have a healthy body.

Only after she put on her cashmere sweater, down jacket and warm shoes did Pu Xiang feel better.

I opened the window and looked out. I saw long icicles hanging on the eaves outside. The sun had already risen, but the small icicles showed no sign of melting and were still sparkling in the sunlight.

Pu Xiang exhaled a breath of white air, and the air she inhaled into her lungs was so cool that it made her shiver.

It’s so cold today!

After watching the children downstairs stepping on the ice on the ground for a while, Pu Xiang closed the window and went downstairs to make herself a bowl of noodles.

The noodles are eaten with pork fat cooked the night before, two green vegetable leaves, a fried egg, and some chopped green onions. Although it is simple, it tastes delicious and warms the body after eating it.

The advantage of living alone is that if you have enough food, nothing will bother you.

After Pu Xiang washed the dishes, she found that she had nothing to do, no mobile phone to play with, and she didn't want to watch TV. Finally, she took out a yellowed copy of "Lin Hai Xue Yuan" from the house, took it upstairs, and found a sunny place to nestle in.

The book was quite interesting. Pu Xiang read it and went to get herself some melon seeds and plums, which were bought by Shi Wenya and Zhao Qing earlier. She also took out a small pot and made some milk tea with black tea and malted milk.

It was cold and things got cold quickly, so she simply lit the stove and moved everything upstairs.

Now that we have a stove, it would be a waste if we don't bake something. Pu Xiang looked around again and found that the things Mo Yang brought her included sweet potatoes and potatoes, as well as plastic bags filled with dates, dried longans, peanuts, apples, oranges... The quantities were not large, but there were eight things in total.

This is more grand than visiting relatives during the Chinese New Year.

Pu Xiang took a large bowl, filled it with food, took the stainless steel steaming rack used for steaming vegetables, and put it on the stove.

It's a bit like the game of boiling tea around the fire that everyone played in winter.

Pu Xiang was busy like a little hamster. After preparing the food, she moved chairs, big chairs and small stools, and also moved her own quilt over to make a temporary "sofa" for herself.

On New Year's Eve, I lie down in the sun, eat some snacks, warm myself by the fire, read a novel, and when I feel tired, I close my eyes and take a nap.

Pu Xiang had never felt so comfortable in her entire life.

It seems like the whole world is peaceful.

Listen to the bustling noise downstairs, the children's laughter, the neighbors chatting loudly in joy, and the aroma of food wafting from the New Year's Eve dinners prepared by each family.

She thought that people have different ways of living. Having a happy family is happiness, but being alone is not necessarily unhappy.

All good.