That day, the two of them brought back the packages sent from home. When they opened them, they found that they were all local specialties from their hometown, such as dried longan, dried plums, or two large bags full of homemade chili sauce and bean paste.
"Yang Hang, why did your family send so much food? Can we finish it all?"
"Ayao, don't worry, we can definitely finish this. Besides, the weather is quite cold now, so it won't spoil that easily. We can keep it for a long time, so we won't have to worry about not being able to finish it."
"It's good as long as we can finish it, so it won't be wasted." Chu Yao said as she and Yang Hang began to put things in order at home.
It was the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, and Yang Hang was already on vacation at home, so the babies at home began to be taken care of by Yang Hang around the clock.
Chu Yao has been very busy these days. She has to make new clothes for her babies and prepare more manuscripts for her serialized novels. So Chu Yao is very busy, but fortunately, Yang Hang takes on most of the housework.
Chu Yao remembered the popular Chinese New Year rhymes, so she wrote them down and asked Yang Hang to teach the babies.
On the 24th day, clean the house and invite the Kitchen God; on the 25th day, make tofu; on the 26th day, buy pork; on the 27th day, take a bath and get rid of the old; on the 28th day, steam buns; on the 29th day, worship your ancestors; and the 30th day of the lunar year is New Year's Eve.
"Ayao, this is quite special. Come here, babies, and read along with daddy."
Yang Hang read a sentence and the babies followed him. However, the babies were still young and their pronunciation was not accurate, but they all persisted.
Chu Yao looked at the four fathers and sons in her family and felt that the years were peaceful.
The family has been preparing things for the New Year recently. Of course, most of the small things were done by Yang Hang.
When everything for the New Year was almost ready, Chu Yao looked around and found that there was nothing left to do or buy.
However, it is not convenient to worship ancestors now. First, we have to do it outside, and second, we cannot do these things openly now.
They plan to rest at home for a day tomorrow to prepare for New Year's Eve the day after tomorrow.
New Year’s Eve, February 10, 1975.
Chu Yao called all the babies and changed them into new clothes. The babies looked happy in their new clothes. Chu Yao's hands suddenly itched to take pictures, but unfortunately there was no camera at home.
Well, I can’t be too conspicuous now, so I’d better find a day to go to the photo studio in town.
The babies were playing on the bed in the main room, so Yang Hang and Chu Yao went to the kitchen to prepare today's New Year's Eve dinner.
There is no need to put up Spring Festival couplets now, so Chu Yao’s family did not prepare these. They just cut a few blessing characters and some cute rabbits out of red paper.
If you stick it on the door of the main house or on the wall inside the house, it will create a New Year atmosphere.
After today, next year will be the new year. It will be soon, and everything will be back on track soon, Chu Yao thought silently in her heart.
The two chatted in the kitchen while preparing various foods. Chu Yao would go to the main house from time to time to check on the babies.
"Mom, I want to go out." Dabao told Chu Yao that he wanted to go out.
"Dabao, where do you want to go? It's so cold outside."
"I want daddy and mommy, together." Dabao said to his mother again.
"Oh, so our Dabao wants to be with mom and dad. Okay, let's go there now." Chu Yao carried Dabao out first.
Erbao and Xiaobao were a little anxious, so their mother only took the older brother away.
Before Erbao and Xiaobao started crying, Chu Yao and Yang Hang came in together and saw that the two little ones were about to cry.
Chu Yao found it very funny, but she also blamed herself for just now. She just picked up Dabao and left without saying a word to the two little ones.
"Babies, mommy and daddy are here, let's go to the kitchen together."
The two of them carried the two children out of the main house and came to the kitchen.
"Babies, just sit here and play. Daddy and Mommy are going to start cooking. It will burn you. Babies, don't come over here."
The babies nodded obediently, and the three little ones began to play in their own territory.
Chu Yao planned to make a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. After all, this was her first New Year here, and it was also the first time she felt a sense of reliance and being relied upon. Chu Yao felt that life should have a sense of ritual, so she took advantage of this day of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new to say goodbye to her past self and start a new journey in life.
First of all, fish is a must-have on the dining table, which symbolizes abundance every year.
There is also the delicious dish braised pork, which symbolizes prosperity in the coming year.
There is also rice cake, which I bought secretly from an elder sister-in-law's house in the town, symbolizing promotion year by year.
There are also dumplings, which are indispensable on the New Year’s dinner table of northerners, and they symbolize bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.
The soup is corn and pork ribs soup, and the other dishes are vegetarian dishes with a good harvest, which means a prosperous year ahead.
Of course, we didn’t forget the sweet and sour tomato scrambled eggs and sweet and sour pork ribs that babies like to eat.
There are also fried pancakes, twisted dough sticks, and fried fruits in various animal shapes that are special to the north. There is a basket full of them, and you have to eat them until around the tenth day of the new year.
After all these preparations were completed, it was already past five in the afternoon and it was almost time for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
It’s just that there aren’t many entertaining activities during the Chinese New Year now. The whole family just gets together to eat, drink, and discuss this year’s harvest. Some people who are drunk will even brag about how great they are.
This is Yang Hang and Chu Yao’s hometown.
"Old man, do you think Yaoyao and Yang Hang have started eating the New Year's Eve dinner now?"
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