Stared at by everyone in astonishment, Cheng Yaoyao was stunned for a moment, and felt a little aggrieved: She only gave the food to Xie Zhao, but didn't feed him!
Cheng Yaoyao was still holding the chopsticks in his hand, his peach blossom eyes slightly widened, and a bit of helplessness was revealed under his densely intertwined eyelashes, which made people feel itchy inside.
Xie Zhao swallowed the chicken, picked up a piece of chicken as if nothing had happened, and said to Huang Liu, "Eat?"
"Cough cough cough... I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself!" Huang Liu was so scared that he was in a panic.
The others had seen the two of them being intimate, and they were surprised for a moment, but now they couldn't help laughing when they saw Huang Liu's expression.
The atmosphere was exceptionally cheerful for a moment.
Han Yin thanked her grandmother and said, "Grandma, please let them get married! It's too boring to be like this all the time!"
Grandma Xie couldn't help laughing and said, "Isn't it because of the household registration issue that you can't get the certificate? I'm anxious too!"
Huang Liu also said jokingly: "Hey, then we can have the banquet first and then collect the certificate when the time comes."
In the countryside these days, marriage certificates are not recognized for weddings, only the wedding banquet is recognized. Many couples already have children, and they only get the certificate when they register their children.
Grandma Xie smiled and shook her head: Zhao Ge'er couldn't bear to leave. She couldn't bear to leave either.
Zhang Xiaofeng said, "No rush. Anyway, their scores will definitely be enough for admission, so it doesn't matter if they go to university and get the marriage certificate."
Han Yin and Xie Fei also nodded repeatedly. Only Huang Liu secretly gave Xie Zhao a look that said, "Brother Xie, I understand you."
There are some things that only men understand!
We all gathered around the stove, chatting and laughing as we ate. Cheng Yaoyao had prepared some sour plum soup and barley tea to help us digest our food, so we ate a lot without realizing it.
Grandma Xie prepared a large pot of meatball stuffing and three chickens, but after frying them, only half of the pot was left.
Grandma Xie exclaimed in amazement: "You ate so much!"
“I didn’t eat much.”
"I still have room for dumplings."
"Han Yin, you ate the most, and you even ate the chicken legs."
"I think you eat the most!"
"Huang Liu ate the most. I counted them. He ate the meatballs without stopping."
Everyone exposed each other, and finally the spearhead was directed at Huang Liu. Huang Liu held his belly and laughed: "Grandma and sister-in-law are good at cooking!"
Grandma Xie said with a smile, "You've eaten so much, go out and digest it. Wrap these dumplings and cook them tonight."
Everyone ran to the yard to play in the snow.
Grandma Xie picked up some of the remaining fried meatballs, divided them into several bowls, and asked Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Zhao to deliver them to the neighbors.
The children who were playing snowballs stopped playing and chased after Cheng Yaoyao, one of them shouted, "Happy New Year, Sister Yaoyao!"
Goudan even took out a few rare jiaozi and stuffed them into Cheng Yaoyao's pockets: "Here you go."
"Thank you." Cheng Yaoyao was surprised. "This is rare. Aren't you going to keep it for yourself?"
Goudan tried hard to hold back his saliva and turned away, pretending to be impatient and saying, "Just take it!"
Xie Zhao took out a handful of candy. But he was tall and stern, so the children didn't dare to come up and take it.
Cheng Yaoyao took it with a smile and distributed it to the children. This was White Rabbit Milk Candy from Shanghai. The children took it happily and said, "Thank you, Sister Yaoyao!"
Only Goudaner refused and glared at Xie Zhao. Ever since he heard that Xie Zhao was going to marry Cheng Yaoyao, Goudaner was determined not to say a word to Xie Zhao.
Cheng Yaoyao put it in his pocket with a smile and said, "Thank you grandma for making fried meatballs. Come and eat them."
"Hey! Let's go pay New Year's greetings to Grandma Xie!" Gou'er became happy instantly and ran away with the children.
Without the group of little tails, Cheng Yaoyao peeled a jiayingzi and gave one to Xie Zhao: "Here's one for you. Smile more, the children are afraid of you."
Xie Zhao held the sweet dried fruit in his mouth, and the corners of his lips curled up unconsciously.
Cheng Yaoyao covered his face and whispered, "You are not allowed to laugh like that outside!"
Xie Zhao didn't understand what was going on, so he said gently, "Let's go quickly, grandma is still waiting for us at home."
The snow on the ground gradually melted, making a crackling sound when stepped on. The two of them passed around a circle of fried meatballs, and the last bowl was given to Lin Gui's family. Lin Gui's family lived far away, and the two of them walked side by side through half of the village, attracting a lot of attention.
The villagers looked at this handsome and beautiful couple with envy and greeted them enthusiastically.
In the past, they believed that Cheng Yaoyao would leave sooner or later. However, after Xie Zhao and Cheng Yaoyao took the college entrance examination together and tied for the top spot, the public opinion in the village changed drastically.
"You guys still say Cheng Yaoyao is a vixen, but look, he helped Xie Zhao get into college!"
"It's not certain who will lead whom. Back then, Xie Zhao's father was a university student studying abroad, and his son was also a promising student."
"Why haven't they gotten married yet? The Xie family has a double happiness this time, so they have to kill a pig, right?"
Some people were also sarcastic: "The world has really changed. Can the son of a landlord go to college?"
"The newspapers have all taken the landlords off the hook, why are you being so jealous?"
The villagers have a heartfelt respect for the educated people, not to mention that it was because Xie Zhao led the village to build a vegetable greenhouse that they were able to have such a fruitful year.
Unknowingly, every important meeting in Tianshui Village began to rely on Xie Zhao's decision.
The old man basking in the sun squinted his cloudy eyes and muttered to himself: "The Xie family, the Xie family is up again..."
When they arrived at Lin Gui's house, they were steaming steamed cakes. Seeing Cheng Yaoyao coming in person, she wiped her hands on her apron with joy and said, "Why did you come in person? I am so embarrassed to take away your good things!"
Cheng Yaoyao ate the soft and fragrant steamed cake and said with a smile: "I am here to wish you a happy new year, sister-in-law."
Lin Guijia glanced at Xie Zhao who was talking to her husband and whispered, "When will the wedding be held?"
Cheng Yaoyao choked on the spot, and his face turned red. Today, I walked around the village, and the villagers greeted me with "Happy New Year" and "When are you going to have your wedding?"
Xie Zhao came over nervously and brought her a cup of rock sugar tea. Cheng Yaoyao drank several sips before she recovered her breath.
Lin Gui complained to his wife: "Why are you asking me this question? I am still a girl."
"What's there to be ashamed of? Yaoyao and Xie Zhao have already decided on their marriage. They just haven't gotten their marriage certificate because of their household registration." Lin Gui rolled her eyes at the man and said to Xie Zhao and Cheng Yaoyao, "When you have your wedding, be sure to ask your sister-in-law to help. I'm good at making steamed sugar cakes!"
Xie Zhao agreed with a smile. This was the first time in Cheng Yaoyao's life that he encountered a large-scale marriage-urging scene. He couldn't sit still at all and hurriedly ran with Xie Zhao.
When I got home, the house was very lively. Villagers and children came to the house to pay New Year's greetings. The women were eating melon seeds and chatting in the living room, while Zhang Xiaofeng and her family and the children were making snowmen in the yard.
The sun came out, and the big snowman that we built in the morning had melted a little, and its nose was crooked. But this did not affect the enthusiasm of the southern children at all. They shoveled the snow on the roof and started making small snowmen, standing one by one beside the big snowman.
The usually quiet little courtyard is now filled with laughter.
Cheng Yaoyao stood at the door and suddenly recalled the scene when he first walked into this yard.
At that time, the small courtyard was poor, clean and simple, with a square wall that separated the Xie family from everything around them. But the Xie family opened its doors to welcome her and gave her warmth and stability that she had never experienced before.
The cold-faced but kind-hearted Grandma Xie, the shy but sincere Xie Fei, and... Xie Zhao.
Xie Zhao was the first to enter the courtyard, but when he saw Cheng Yaoyao didn't follow him, he turned around and asked, "Sister?"
Cheng Yaoyao came back to his senses, smiled, and followed him into the courtyard.
"Cheng Zhiqing and Xie Zhao are back! Happy New Year! When will you hold your wedding?"
Cheng Yaoyao: “…” She wanted to leave temporarily!
Urging people to get married is a tradition during the Chinese New Year. Not only Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Zhao were urged to get married, but Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin were also questioned by many people.
Huang Liu was selfless: "Aunties and sisters-in-law, if you have any nieces or sisters, please introduce them to me!"
The women looked him up and down. Huang Liu had eaten some meat at the Xie family recently. He cleaned up well and became a spirited young man.
When asked again, he said that she had no parents, was only 20 or 3 years old, and had opened a factory in Lin'an City. He immediately burst into infinite enthusiasm: "I have a cousin!"
"My niece is eighteen this year, and she's a good match for you!"
Cheng Yaoyao was finally freed and took Xie Zhao to build a snowman in the yard. She carefully carved a snowman and showed it to everyone: "I made it!"
The children guessed one after another: "It's Jiayingzi!"
"No, it's a gourd."
Xiao Tiedan drooled: "Tanghulu?"
Han Yin laughed and said, "It's a duck!"
Only Xie Zhao said: "Yes, he is stubborn."
"Yes!" Cheng Yaoyao said proudly: "I did it so well, how could you not guess it?"
Everyone looked at the two snowballs stacked together and said in disbelief, "... they look like them."
Cheng Yaoyao said: "I'll pinch another one."
Xie Zhao took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and squeezed her red, frozen fingertips: "The snow is too cold, stop playing."
This did not stop Cheng Yaoyao's enthusiasm for creation. She made five kitten snowmen and one puppy snowman, all standing on the wooden stakes beside the vegetable garden. It was only when Grandma Xie called her to make dumplings that Cheng Yaoyao went to the kitchen obediently.
Xie Zhao stayed outside and didn't come in until a while later.
When Cheng Yaoyao went to the yard to pick onions, he found that the row of little snowmen were given black bean eyes and small pointed ears.
Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin did not go back home for the New Year this year, and together with Huang Liu and the Xie family of four, seven people sat around the dining table.
There were seven or eight hot dishes on the table, all of which were made by Cheng Yaoyao using his signature skills. They were exceptionally rich and delicious: squirrel mandarin fish, pork belly in plum sauce, stir-fried pork intestines, boiled shredded pork, stewed shiitake mushrooms, and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
There was also a large pot of braised bones in a thick red sauce, with the meat and tendons stewed until they were crispy and the bone marrow was fragrant, leaving everyone's hands greasy after eating it.
Jianjian was lying on the stove, chewing on bones in clear soup, his tail wagging so hard it almost flew off. The kittens and Jianjian were also eating fish and meatballs with a meow, totally ignoring the fight.
Han Yin was chewing on a large piece of marinated bone and almost cried with happiness: "I have never had such a good meal of meat before!"
Huang Liu laughed and said, "Last year everyone was scrambling to raise pigs. This year pork prices are low, and they will drop in the spring!"
"That's not true." Grandma Xie sighed, "I heard that Lin Wuxing's piglets couldn't be sold, and he was competing with others to lower the price. He was so anxious that he sold the last piglet for only 50 cents, and the price was not even as high as the pork. I don't know who is suppressing the price so harshly."
After everyone had a break from gnawing on the bones, they remembered the delicious roast suckling pig with sour plum sauce they had eaten a few days ago, and unanimously decided not to remind Grandma Xie.
The table was completely cleared of food, and finally, Grandma Xie served a pot of light and nourishing ginseng chicken soup: "On snowy days, we have to eat ginseng chicken soup. Eat more."
Cheng Yaoyao said happily: "This ginseng chicken soup was made by grandma herself. It is her specialty!"
Huang Liu and his friends praised him sweetly: "It smells so good, we must try it!"
Once the chicken soup entered my mouth, my applause turned into sincere exclamations: "It's so delicious!"
The ginseng chicken soup is skimmed of oil, with the unique bitterness of ginseng, which is refreshing and appetizing. The chicken is permeated with the essence of ginseng and glutinous rice, and is fragrant, smooth and juicy.
The people who had just been clamoring for a good meal started eating again.
Grandma Xie washed her hands, tore the chicken and put it into the children's bowls. When it was Xie Zhao's turn, she said, "Zhao, eat less, don't let your nose bleed again."
"Pfft..." Cheng Yaoyao couldn't help laughing.
Xie Zhao's eyes fell on her face, but she was not afraid. She was trying to hold back her laughter, and her shoulders were shaking. Grandma Xie tore a piece of chicken leg for her and said angrily, "Don't laugh at Zhao."
Xie Fei asked curiously, "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, nothing." Cheng Yaoyao tried hard to hold back his laughter and waved his hands, saying, "I suddenly remembered something happy."
Xie Zhao stared at the bowl of ginseng chicken soup, then looked at Cheng Yaoyao's face, which showed a look of happiness and joy, and gritted his teeth. Wait until we get married...
After a happy dinner and cleaning up the kitchen, everyone gathered around the fire in the living room to chat.
The Xie family's house was cleverly built. The living room was not affected by wind and snow on winter nights and was warmer than ordinary people's houses. Jianjian dragged the mat to the side of the stove and lay down to sleep. Several kittens nestled in Kunkun's arms and slept soundly.
On the table were basil plums, fermented bean curd peanuts, grapefruit peel candy, spiced sunflower seeds, and dried tea. Cheng Yaoyao brewed a pot of fried rice tea and heated a cup of Tusu wine.
Everyone ate snacks and drank tea, chatting to kill time. Huang Liu was a quick talker, well-travelled and well-informed, while Han Yin was even more talkative. The two of them were a perfect match, exchanging witty remarks, more lively than a crosstalk, and made Grandma Xie laugh so hard that she couldn't stop.
Cheng Yaoyao was half leaning back in a chair, holding a glass of wine, his eyelids drooping.
Xie Zhao took the cup from her hand and whispered, "Are you sleepy?"
Han Yin was at a disadvantage in her argument with Huang Liu, so she immediately changed the subject: "Yaoyao, you are sleepy, so go back to your room and sleep."
Grandma Xie also said with concern: "Yes, don't freeze it."
"Not sleepy." Cheng Yaoyao pushed himself up and sat up: "I'm still awake."
Last year, because of me, Xie Zhao was unable to go home for the New Year, so Grandma Xie and Xie Fei must have had a very lonely time. Cheng Yaoyao wanted to make this joyful and lively atmosphere last a little longer, and was reluctant to go to bed.
Grandma Xie held her in her arms and said distressedly, "Your face is so hot. I shouldn't have let you drink so much just now."
Cheng Yaoyao said coquettishly: "I only drank two cups, not more."
Grandma Xie's loving look reminded Han Yin and the others of their own parents. For a moment, their emotions were mixed and they became speechless.
Xie Zhao suddenly said, "Listen, it's snowing again."
Like cotton, or like cat pads lightly stepping on the roof. This peaceful atmosphere makes people calm down and listen quietly.
The charcoal fire crackled in the small stove, heating a pot of sweet wine, the fragrance of orange peel mixed with the aroma of wine. Time in the old house became very long and slow.
The silvery moonlight sprinkled in the courtyard, and snowflakes were seen floating down like millions of dandelions, gradually covering everything.
Grandma Xie said leisurely: "Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. This year is a good year. Everything will go smoothly and everything will be successful."
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