Rice porridge was cooking on the stove, making gurgling sounds and filling the air with the aroma of rice.
Chen Xingling cut out a piece of pork strip, carefully cut it into thin slices, threw it into the rice porridge, and stirred it carefully.
Then, she soaked the dried mushrooms that Gu Yi brought back yesterday in hot water, cut them into thin strips, and then threw them in to cook together.
Cooking porridge requires a low fire, so she didn't dare to use too much dry firewood and watched the fire carefully.
"Mom!" Little Tiger stood on tiptoe, swallowed his saliva, and asked eagerly: "Can I eat it? It smells delicious!"
Chen Xingling smiled dotingly: "It won't take that long to cook the porridge. It will probably take more than ten minutes. Son, go to the backyard and pick two green onions."
The little guy took a step with his short legs and ran out immediately.
The Gu family lives in a single-family house with a courtyard. Their place is large, and both the front and back yards are exposed to the sun, so they put some small pots in the corners and plant some green onions and garlic, which they can plant whenever they need.
Although little Hu was still tiny, he could already reach the basin and easily picked out two scallions.
"Mom! Here!"
Chen Xingling praised: "Very good. Just be patient and wait a little longer, you can eat it soon."
The little tiger blinked his cute big eyes and smiled with a row of neat little teeth.
"Mom, I helped you. Can I eat more later? The rice porridge smells so delicious! I want to eat a lot!"
Chen Xingling glanced at him with a smile, then shook his head slightly.
"We all eat together, and we eat until we are full. How can we be greedy and eat more? This is a big family, so we work together and eat together. There is no distinction between you and me in work, and there is no distinction between how much to eat. Family members cannot be too calculative, and we cannot be greedy. Think about it, if you eat more, Dad may have to eat less, and then Dad will be hungry. Can you bear to let Dad go hungry?"
The little guy tilted his head and thought about it, then pouted and shook his head.
“…I can’t bear to do that.”
Chen Xingling chuckled: "So, when we have something to eat, we have to be polite to each other - that is, everyone eats together, and we can't be greedy and ask for a big portion, do you understand?"
"I understand." Little Tiger muttered, "I don't like being hungry, so I don't want my dad to be hungry, and I don't want my mom to be hungry either."
Chen Xingling nodded approvingly: "Yes! So from now on, no matter what food we have at home, we must share it together, and we can't be greedy and take more than we want."
"Yeah." The little guy agreed obediently.
Seeing that the rice porridge was almost cooked, Chen Xingling started to steam the buns.
At this time, Gu Qi and Gu Yi both came over after washing up. One helped to light the fire while the other helped to set the table.
Little Tiger has always been smart. Seeing that his father and uncle were willing to help, he quickly ran out to call people to come for dinner.
After a moment, he ran back, panting slightly.
"Mom! Grandma and little aunt are not in the room—they are gone!"
Chen Xingling was not surprised at all. She guessed that they must have gone to the black market to sell pig heads early in the morning, but she pretended not to know.
"He's probably out buying something. It's okay, we'll eat first and keep some warm in the pot."
Today is New Year's Eve. The streets have been very busy early in the morning these days. Gu Qi and Gu Yi did not suspect anything and guessed that they must have gone out.
After a while, Gu Xuan came, washed his hands, picked up the food and started eating without even asking a question.
Gu Yi munched on a steamed bun and mumbled, "When are mom and little sister going out? Do you know?"
"I don't know." Gu Xuan answered indifferently.
Gu Yi raised his eyebrows, as if he found something wrong.
"How could my little sister wake up so early if she doesn't study? She is always the last one to wake up."
Gu Xuan didn't even raise his head, and answered with a sluggish face: "She probably went to buy snacks. As long as there is something to eat, it's okay for her to get up in the middle of the night."
Forehead?
Gu Yi sneered: "That's true!"
After breakfast, Chen Xingling helped clean the yard, while Gu Qi and Gu Yi began to put up Spring Festival couplets and hang red lanterns.
Little Tiger followed behind, jumping up and down excitedly, asking questions all the time.
"Dad, what is this? It's a weird color!"
Gu Qi replied: "This is rice paste."
Little Tiger looked at the sticky rice paste and couldn't help asking, "Can I eat it? It looks like it's very edible!"
Gu Yi laughed and replied, "You can eat it, but I can't give it to you. This is for pasting Spring Festival couplets! Didn't you just eat? Are you hungry again, little greedy cat?"
Little Tiger chuckled and said, "Spring Festival couplets don't eat rice paste!"
When we put up Spring Festival couplets last year, the little one was still confused and didn’t recognize them. This year, he knows more and more things and knows how to think about problems.
Gu Qi glanced at him with cold eyes and explained: "Spring Festival couplets need sticky rice paste to stick to the wall, otherwise they will fall off. Rice paste is made by grinding rice into powder. When boiled with water, it will become a very sticky rice paste."
"Do you want to eat it?" The little guy walked around and stopped at the focus of his attention. "Dad, do you want to eat rice porridge?"
Gu Qi shook his head: "Not very delicious."
Little Tiger swallowed his saliva and asked, "Dad, you have eaten it before, right?"
"Don't ask." Gu Yi raised his chin slightly: "There's still a little bit in the small pot in the kitchen. Go get some and try it. You'll know if it's edible after you eat it."
Little Tiger jumped up and ran to the kitchen immediately.
After a while, he came out with his little mouth squeaked, and his little face could not hide the desire.
"…It doesn't have any taste…it's just sticky."
Gu Yi laughed loudly: "There's not even a bit of salt added! How can it taste good! Unless you add some sugar, it's impossible to eat it!"
Little Tiger soon lost interest and went to play on the big black dog's back.
The two brothers Gu Qi pasted the couplets in the hall first, and then pasted them on the front and back doors. One of them made the rice paste, and the other stood on a stool to paste them. They worked very quickly and soon finished pasting them.
Chen Xingling wiped the lanterns clean and asked them to hang them up as well.
"Brother!" Gu Yi shouted from the yard, "Do you want to cut some paper-cuts for the windows? I have learned several ways to cut paper-cuts for the windows! I am just waiting to show off my skills!"
Chen Xingling turned around and asked with a smile: "Really? Who did you learn from? A girl, right?"
Gu Yi's face instantly turned red, and he evaded the question, "Only girls can cut paper-cuts? Sister-in-law, many men can also cut paper-cuts."
"Really?" Chen Xingling teased, "How come I don't know."
Gu Yi giggled, avoided her and asked Gu Qi if he wanted window paper-cuts.
"It's up to you." Gu Qi carried the stool and walked towards the hall.
At this time, Xiaohuzi and Dahei rushed in, their chubby little faces full of panic.
"Mom! Mom! Mom!"
For children who have grown up with their mothers, once they find something scary or uncomfortable, their first reaction is to call for their mothers.
Chen Xingling quickly squatted down and pulled him, asking, "What's wrong?"
Little Tiger opened his eyes wide, pointed his little hand in the direction of the gate, and was so scared that he spoke without thinking.
"Grandma! So dirty! So crying! So wet! So full of dirt!"
Gu Yi frowned when he heard it, thinking it was no big deal. Without bothering to listen carefully, he hurriedly dropped the scissors in his hand and walked out quickly.
Chen Xingling held his son's hand, called Gu Qi, and ran out together.
Li Ying was seen walking towards her from the street, her head, face and body covered with black clay, her cotton-padded jacket was wet and so dirty that no trace of her body could be seen, she stumbled and stumbled towards him, sobbing and crying.
Gu Yi was frightened and screamed, "Mom! You-you-what happened to you?!"
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