Once everyone had gathered, Da Bao kept chattering about what people in the village were doing these past few days.
Su Xia changed her clothes and then sat quietly in the living room, watching the three children talk.
Chen's mother, the eldest daughter's family, looked several years younger when she returned.
"Mom, how's everything at home lately?" Su Xia asked. Chen Jianguo went to the old house since nothing was wrong.
"Everything's fine. Your dad and I are doing absolutely nothing. We just eat and sleep, sleep and eat, and we even feel like we've gained weight!"
Actually, we were just getting by before, until Da Bao came back and lived with us, and then we started having good meals every day.
Sometimes, fearing that my cooking skills aren't good enough and I might waste good ingredients, I'll call the third brother's family to come and cook.
"By the way, eldest son, your mother and father have to thank you!"
Upon hearing this, Su Xia immediately understood that it must be about her two younger brothers-in-law buying houses.
"Mother, we're all one family, it's only right that we help each other out!"
Chen's mother smiled happily, but still felt that if Su Xia hadn't been so generous, the eldest son wouldn't have helped so directly.
Then he briefly talked about what had happened in the village.
Su Xia listened to everyone's stories; they were all newly married, had married out of the family, or had separated from their original households.
"Everything that can be divided up now has been divided up. I estimate that there will be a lot of people building houses next spring!"
Chen's mother was quite happy about this, as it meant that her son and third son would have some extra income.
Su Xia was actually quite surprised, remembering the uproar when the Su family split up when she first arrived.
The Chen family separated from the original owner early on, saving them a lot of trouble.
However, it was Chen's mother who was capable; otherwise, how could she have kept Xia Lai Di in check? Before the third sister-in-law separated from the family, she had quite a few schemes.
However, on the kitchen floor, there were a few cabbages and radishes, as well as some sauerkraut.
These were all delivered by Liu Chunxia just now.
This is good, after all, the two younger brothers-in-law and the eldest daughter are all good.
Seeing that Su Xia looked a little tired, Chen's mother explained the arrangements for Ming.
"What your dad means is, at the old house, we can just have one meal there, and then we can each eat separately in the evening."
Su Xia nodded, "Okay, I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."
Chen's mother grinned, then went home to rest.
After Su Xia and Chen's mother left, she went back to her bedroom to rest for a while. As for the children, they could play by themselves.
The time arrived quickly, and Chen Jianguo got up to heat up the room first.
After Su Xia went out, she glanced at the kitchen and saw the big bone meat and fish that she had brought in yesterday.
As for the old house where Cai lived, it has everything.
"Jianguo, have some porridge for breakfast, you'll have to eat lunch anyway!"
To put it bluntly, he was just being lazy! Chen Jianguo immediately started washing the rice and a few steamed buns, which his mother had given him.
By the time we got to have breakfast at one of the restaurants, it was already 8 o'clock.
"Mom, do I still have to pay New Year's visits later?" Gu Bao asked curiously.
Su Xia remained silent, but Chen Jianguo responded, "It's fine now, it'll be fine tomorrow!"
Upon hearing this, Bao's eyes lit up. "Then I'll get up tomorrow morning and wish you a Happy New Year. Dad, can I get a red envelope?"
*Pfft...*
Niu Niu burst out laughing, while Da Bao looked at Chen Jianguo expectantly.
Whether or not to give red envelopes, no conclusion has been reached.
After dinner, the family went to the old house. When they arrived, Chen's mother had already taken out all the dishes.
He was even happier to see the meat that Su Xia had brought.
At this moment, Xia Laidi and Liu Chunxia came over.
The two of them felt a little embarrassed when they saw Su Xia's big bone meat and fish.
Because there's only one pound of meat in each of our stores.
Su Xia saw it and couldn't help but understand.
"Sister-in-law, this dish needs dried vegetables. If you have any, please go and get some!"
Xia Laidi was taken aback for a moment, then immediately replied excitedly, "Yes...yes...I'll go get it now!"
"Third sister-in-law, this fish is for you. It'll taste even better with some glass noodles in it!"
Liu Chunxia happily agreed.
While Chen's mother and the other two went out to get something, they gave Su Xia a thumbs up.
"You're really something!"
Su Xia smiled. Actually, she didn't really care, but if she encountered someone who was ungrateful, thick-skinned, and stinky, then she wouldn't even get soup.
This is why, in the beginning, Xia Laidi and Liu Chunxia couldn't gain any advantage at all.
In the North, the New Year is a busy time for every family.
The kitchen was the woman's domain, while pasting couplets, chopping wood, and fetching water were all men's jobs.
In the yard, Da Bao, along with Gu Bao, Gou Dan, Gou Wa, Liu Ya, and several other children, ran around playing.
Da Ya wanted to help, but the kitchen wasn't big, so Su Xia chased her away.
They're all gathered in the room, five sisters plus Niu Niu, six of them, sitting on the kang (heated brick bed), chatting.
They chatted about what would happen in the future.
"Big Sister Ya, what kind of job are you planning to do?"
Upon hearing this, the sisters looked at Daya, who didn't hesitate.
"I want to be a teacher. It's not troublesome at all, which suits me perfectly!"
괗Ya rolled her eyes. "What's so great about being a teacher? 꽭꽭 It's the noisiest thing to talk to kids!"
Qi nodded upon hearing this, and Daya smiled, as long as she liked it.
"So, Sister Ya, what do you want to do in the future?" Niu Niu asked curiously.
"I.....?"
"I want to go to the supply and marketing cooperative, stand there, and sell goods in front of so many people—it would be so prestigious!"
Upon hearing this, Qi immediately burst into excited laughter.
In the kitchen, the meat that's been put into the pot is a large bone with two pieces of meat inside, each weighing about a pound.
There's no way to get more meat; even so, one person can't get much meat.
However, Su Xia added a lot of vegetables, including dried green beans, pickled cabbage, and dried eggplant—she added everything she could.
A big pot of meat and vegetables should be enough for these people.
Liu Chunxia brought the fish back to the kitchen and stewed it in a pot. She added not only vermicelli but also potatoes and cabbage, which was Su Xia's suggestion.
It's the same principle as stewing in an iron pot in later generations.
Xia Laidi steams buns, which every household makes, bringing their own food rations.
Two hours later, we started preparing dinner.
Because there were so many children, Chen's mother and a few others could only eat at the kang table with the two younger ones.
Su Xia and her three sisters-in-law, along with Da Ya and a few others, went to the kitchen.
After a series of crackling sounds, it was as if the entire Zhao Family Village had been opened.
껩 is the constant recollection of something.
Looking at the courtyard, small sparks were flying everywhere, though they were not as dazzling and spectacular as the fireworks of later generations.
But the children's laughter and the adults' satisfied smiles.
Su Xia felt a surge of emotion and wanted to cry.
Sensing the heat source behind her, Su Xia turned around. Chen Jianguo's deep eyes were like a dazzling ocean.
He drew her in deeply.
"Auntie, we were just chatting, and Sister Daya said she wants to be a teacher?"
After saying that, Ga Ya gave Da Ya a funny face.
Da Ya immediately felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head, pretending to eat.
"What's the use of being a teacher? You still end up getting married!" Xia Laidi said irritably.
The lively atmosphere immediately turned somber.
Su Xia glanced at the girls who had been happy just moments before, but now looked dejected.
I sighed inwardly; the ingrained mindset of this era cannot be changed immediately.
Daya lowered her head even further. She knew she couldn't change the fact that her family was like this, but her mother always said, "It's such a waste to send you to school!"
The remaining few were hesitant to speak, and they were the same.
Just as the atmosphere was tense and heavy, a cool voice suddenly entered their ears, like a salvation.
"Being a teacher is great! The commute isn't tiring, there are days off, and you can even take holidays with the students. You get half the year off. Isn't that a dream job?"
......
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com