As soon as Fan Hua and the others got off the bus and arrived at Hutong, they smelled the aroma of meat and wine coming from each household. The three of them looked at each other and couldn't help but quicken their pace. They had been running around outside for half a day and were really hungry!
Seeing that the three people finally came back, Wang Guifen quickly tied on an apron and prepared to go to the kitchen to work.
Perhaps because there were not enough entertainment options at night in that era, and even electric lights had only been popularized for two or three years, the custom was still to eat New Year's Eve dinner at noon, and then as soon as it got dark in the afternoon, the family would get together to make dumplings, and they had to make at least enough for two meals, eating from the night of the 30th to the morning of the first day, which indicated surpluses for years to come.
It is conceivable that this lunch will be the best meal of the whole year! Fan Hua can't help but look forward to it!
Of course, Fan Hua, who has always been sensible and considerate, washed her hands immediately after returning home and went into the kitchen to see if there was anything she needed help with.
Before entering the kitchen, she reminded Zhao Yilu and Fan Youcheng to wash themselves thoroughly before entering the house, for fear that they might bring back some germs from the hospital. There were either elderly people or children at home, so she had to be careful.
As soon as Fan Hua stepped into the kitchen, Wang Guifen chased her out. "What are you doing here, girl? There's a lot of fumes in the kitchen. Don't get your clothes dirty. Get out now. I can handle it myself."
Fan Hua smiled and said sweetly, "Grandma, let me help you wash the vegetables. It's too hard for you to prepare meals for so many people at home!"
Wang Guifen waved her hand. "Hey, it's just cooking. What's the hard part? I stewed all the meat and vegetables yesterday. I just need to steam them on the stove today. I've also cut up the vegetables that need to be fried. I'll just wait for you to come back so I can start cooking. It's not a big deal."
Fan Hua looked at the various pots and plates neatly arranged on the stove, almost all filled with various side dishes, and knew that what Wang Guifen said was true. She couldn't help but give her a thumbs up, "Grandma, you are really a good cook! Not only are your dishes delicious, but you are also very skillful. I admire you so much!"
When Wang Guifen heard her granddaughter-in-law praising her like this, she immediately smiled brightly. "That's all I can do. I've been cooking since I was seven or eight years old. I've been cooking for a lifetime, so I'm naturally skilled. Okay, go out and spend time with the two kids. I really don't need your help here!"
After hearing what Wang Guifen said, Fan Hua stopped insisting and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll go and accompany the children. Grandma, if you need any help, just call us anytime!"
Back in the house, He Zhengxiang and Zhao Xubai were playing chess, Sun Simin was sitting on the sofa playing with a ball of yarn with Xiaoxiao, Fan Youcheng and Yuanyuan were playing with toy guns and playing with each other... and Zhao Yilu was chatting with He Siyan while drinking tea.
Fan Hua looked around and decided to sit next to Zhao Yilu. She was really curious about what the two brothers were talking about.
When Zhao Yilu saw Fan Hua sitting over, he naturally took her hand and continued talking to He Siyan.
Fan Hua heard Zhao Yi Lu laughing and said, "Brother, if I hadn't gone to the countryside for you, how could I have married such a good wife? So I still got more benefits."
He Siyan chuckled, "You were only fifteen years old that year, still a half-grown child. If you hadn't colluded with grandma to lock me in the house, I would definitely not have let you go in my place. If you hadn't gone in my place, you could have joined the army two years earlier, and you might have been more than a company commander by now."
"What does it matter? You secretly signed me up for the army without telling me. Everything is just right. Since we are brothers, there is no need to thank me. If you hadn't saved me back then, I wouldn't have been soaked in ice water for so long and got sick. I wouldn't have suffered so much these years!"
He Siyan took a sip of tea, his tone was still gentle, and his voice was particularly pleasant, "Isn't it the brother's duty to protect the younger brother? But in all these years, I only protected you that one time, and the rest of the time you protected me!"
"Brother, let's not talk about the past. This is the best. I'm relieved that you've gotten much better since you came back this time. When the spring gets warmer, you should exercise more to make yourself stronger. After I leave Jing City, I'll leave the elderly here to you to take care of, especially grandma and grandpa. They're not as healthy as grandpa and grandma. Remember to visit them more often when you have time!"
He Siyan nodded slightly, and the two brothers clinked their teacups together, drinking tea instead of wine, and everything was said without words.
Fan Hua listened to the conversation between the two silently. During the days she returned to Beijing, she got to know the hero of the original book, He Siyan, again, and her impression of him changed a lot.
The real He Siyan is not as aloof as described in the novel. He would run around when his brother got married, smile warmly when Xiaoxiao rushed to him, and rush out with a kitchen knife to fight others without saying a word because he was afraid that his brother would get hurt...
In fact, He Siyan is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He is much more rounded and down-to-earth than his character in the novel.
Fan Hua felt that this elder brother was much better than she had imagined!
To thank her brother, she took out a note from her pocket and put it in He Siyan's hand, "Brother, I will help you up to this point, the rest is up to you, come on!"
He Siyan opened the note with confusion and started reading it. On it were some information about Xie Yuting's home phone number, address, and other basic information and preferences about Xie Yuting that Fan Hua had specially summarized when she and Geng Ailing went to see Xie Yuchuan yesterday.
He Siyan's ears turned slightly red instantly. This sister-in-law is really... really too considerate!
Fan Hua and Zhao Yilu looked at each other with an unnatural expression on He Siyan's face. It turned out that the eldest brother liked this gift very much!
After a while, the food was served. Wang Guifen put some food on a small plate and asked He Zhengxiang to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. Zhao Yilu took some firecrackers, tied them to bamboo poles, and took Fan Youcheng to the yard to set them off...
Fan Hua and Sun Simin quickly covered the ears of the two little ones, fearing that they would be frightened by the sound of firecrackers.
The sound of firecrackers rang out, and the whole yard was instantly filled with the strong flavor of the New Year, indicating that the new year is about to begin in a prosperous manner!
After the sacrifice, everyone took their seats. The table was filled with sumptuous dishes, making everyone drool...
"Dinner is ready!" Wang Guifen shouted loudly.
Zhao Yilu poured wine for everyone one by one and distributed bowls and chopsticks. Of course, his wife's drinking habit was only suitable for drinking tea, so Zhao Yilu would not let her touch alcohol again.
After the wine glasses were filled, Zhao Yilu smiled and said, "Grandpa, Grandpa, can you say a few words to everyone?"
He Zhengxiang glared at Zhao Yilu, but still stood up with the wine glass in hand. "I'm just a rough guy, so I won't say anything. I just know that this year is the happiest year for me, He Zhengxiang. We are all old, and I don't know if everyone will be here when you go home for the New Year next time..."
Wang Guifen, who was standing by, immediately slapped him, "Pfft, pfft... You really don't know how to talk. It's New Year's Day, and you're saying something unlucky."
He Zhengxiang immediately changed his words and said, "Your grandma is right. We should say something auspicious during the Chinese New Year." Then he looked at Zhao Xubai who was standing beside him and said, "Old Zhao, you are a cultured person. You can add some information."
Zhao Xubai glanced at He Zhengxiang, picked up his wine glass, slowly stood up, coughed lightly and said: "Although your grandfather's words are straightforward, they are also true. Our family has gone through so many ups and downs, and it is not easy to be together on this reunion night. We are indeed old, and we will cherish every year that comes!"
"In the new year, I wish us old ones good health and longevity; I wish you young ones success in your studies and careers, like a roc spreading its wings; I wish the two little kids at home to be smart and grow up healthily!"
"We are about to enter the 1980s. I hope that our family can live a prosperous and flourishing life in this new era!" After saying this, he drank the wine in the glass in one gulp. Everyone applauded and cheered, and drank it up along with him.
Afterwards, everyone started to use their chopsticks to taste the delicacies on the table. Even Yuanyuan and Xiaoxiao, who were sitting on the armchairs, used their only few baby teeth to eat a lot of delicious food.
The meaning of the Chinese New Year is probably to use a sense of ritual to tell everyone that a new year is about to begin, new opportunities, new hopes are about to begin, and the past unhappiness and misfortunes will also be turned over, and everything will get better and better!
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