Braised Pork Hoof

Song Dongdong wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth.

"Sis, you said it, so don't be unwelcoming to me when the time comes!"

Song Shixia distributed chopsticks to everyone: "Welcome, look at the delicious food we have for you. Our family will only get better and better. By then, you won't be surprised to eat meat every day."

Song Dongdong picked up a large pig's hoof and chewed it.

"I won't, the meat is so delicious that I will never get tired of it!"

For tonight's New Year's Eve dinner, Song Shixia went into the kitchen and showed off her cooking skills. Song's mother had a clear understanding of her daughter's cooking skills.

She did not have any doubts, but thought it was normal for the lady's cooking skills to improve. The food cooked in the city must be delicious if people were willing to use more oil, but the lady used oil and sugar as if it was free, which made her heart bleed.

Song Shixia made steamed fish, braised pork trotters and sweet and sour spare ribs, while her mother stewed duck soup, a cold vegetable platter and stewed chicken with chestnuts.

Originally, he wanted to cook a few more dishes, but seeing his mother's painful face, Song Shixia thought about cooking when there were guests at home in a few days. Otherwise, if he couldn't finish the food today, he would have to eat leftovers for several days.

There was a table full of food and I thought I would have to eat leftovers tomorrow, but I didn't expect that everything was eaten up and there was nothing left except fish bones.

Father burped, mother stood up and walked slowly in the main room to digest the food, Song Dongdong rubbed his stomach with a satisfied look on his face.

As she walked, my mother muttered, "This is the first time I've had such a big New Year's Eve dinner. I didn't feel anything while eating."

Song Qiu Sheng stretched his back lazily. He had a big appetite and couldn't hold it in. "I've told you that my sister is a good cook. You finally believed me, right?"

Song Dongdong agreed very much: "Sister, I really want to go to the city with you after the New Year. Your cooking is so delicious!"

Why didn’t he realize that his sister’s cooking was delicious before?

Song Shixia smiled and said, "You'd better study hard and you'll get there faster. Once you pass the high school entrance exam, you can study for two more years and then come to the capital. When you go to college, you can eat whenever you want. But if you don't pass the high school entrance exam, you'll have to repeat your studies."

Song Dongdong clenched his fist: "I will definitely be admitted to high school, don't worry, sister! Wait and prepare a big pot of meat to welcome me!"

Song's mother glared at her little son and said, "King, is your family short of meat or rice?" She said to her son in person that she wanted to go out and eat and drink as much as she could, showing no tact at all.

Ji Weiqing raised the corners of his lips and said, "Welcome Dongdong to come and eat meat anytime. There is not enough meat at home."

After the New Year's Eve dinner, it was time to give out New Year's money. The parents wrapped the New Year's money in red paper in advance, and Song Shixia also gave red envelopes to the children and his younger brother.

Song's mother rejected the red envelope in her daughter's hand: "Why are you spending money? Dongdong just needs one red envelope."

Song Dongdong quickly hid the red envelopes given by his brothers and sisters. He begged,

"Mom, I'm an adult now, please let me save some money for myself."

Song's mother wanted to say something to him, saying that he was a child and couldn't handle the money, so she helped to keep it for the time being. He had to pay for the tuition and textbooks for the new semester, and it was just right to take it out of the New Year's money.

Song Dongdong had guessed his mother's plan long ago, as his New Year's gift money was taken away in the same way every year.

He looked at his sister for help.

Song Shixia helped to speak up: "Mom, trust Dongdong for once and let him try to save money on his own. If he can't save money, just let him hand over the New Year's money next year or the year after."

Song's mother disagreed: "Why leave so much money on a child? Right now he needs to study hard to get into high school. If he fails, he will have to repeat his studies. Studying is important."

Song Qiu Sheng also helped to plead: "Mom, when I was Dongdong's age, I could carry a hoe and dig the ground with my dad. Let him do it."

Song's mother looked at her husband, and Song's father put down his dry cigarette bag and nodded: "If he spends all the New Year's money in a few days, don't give it to him during the New Year in the future. Give it directly to me and your mother."

Song Dongdong jumped up happily and opened the red envelope in a hurry.

His parents gave him one yuan, his brother gave him a big reunion banknote as a red envelope, and his sister and brother-in-law gave him two big reunion banknotes in total. He had 31 yuan in pocket money!

When Song's mother saw the amount, she suddenly regretted it.

"Why do you give so much?"

Ji Yang and Ji Yuan opened the red envelopes, and grandpa and grandma gave them ten yuan each.

Song Shixia looked at her mother with a smile: "You are still talking about me, the red envelopes from Yangyang and Yuanyuan add up to 20 yuan."

Song's mother waved her hands quickly and said, "This is the first time that Dabao and Xiaobao come to our house, so of course we have to give them more." She had just sold pork two days ago and had enough money to give big red envelopes to her two grandchildren. She and her husband also prepared a red envelope for their son-in-law.

Song Qiu Sheng also gave his nephew ten yuan. Song Shixia and Ji Weiqing did not give the children any New Year's money but gave them small red envelopes for them to keep and they could get ten yuan from her at any time.

Song Shixia said to the children, "Mom won't spend your New Year's money, but you are still young, so I will keep it for you. If you want to buy something, you can ask me for money, but you have to tell me what you are going to spend the money on. As long as it is reasonable, I will not refuse."

Ji Yang obediently handed over the New Year's money, and said with a serious look on his face,

"I don't want any New Year's money. I'll give you all my money."

Ji Yuan couldn't let go of the red envelope. Song Shixia didn't urge him. After a while, he asked,

"Mom, I don't want the money, I want this red envelope."

Song Shixia put away the New Year's money for him: "Sure, you can have fun with it."

Song Dongdong was extremely envious. His nephew received red envelopes totaling 50 yuan, but he had no intention of saving any of his own money. He was indeed a child.

But it's impressive that he has 31 yuan. He only had 12 yuan last year. Ten yuan was a red envelope given to him by his brother, and one yuan was given by his eldest sister, which was taken away before he could even warm it.

Song Shixia never thought that she would also get New Year's Eve money.

She chuckled and joked, "It's really mine."

Father Song nodded with a smile on his face: "Take it."

Song Shixia opened the red envelopes given by his father in front of him, and there were actually five big reunion notes.

Song Qiusheng pretended to be unhappy: "Why does my sister have New Year's money but I don't?"

Song's mother was merciless: "You are almost 30 years old, what do you still want for the New Year's gift? You can only get it if you bring your wife back next year!"

Song Qiusheng promised his parents: "I will definitely bring it back next year, in the spring, so you can see it."

Song's mother was skeptical: "Don't make up a date with your sister just to make us happy during the New Year. How could such a good girl like you? Even if we can't find one, your father and I will accept our fate."

He pretended to be hurt and covered his chest: "Mom, how could you miss me so much? Your son is quite well-off, right? How is it possible that he can't even find a partner!"

Father Song tapped his cigarette on the corner of the table and said, "What kind of hot commodity do you think you are? Other young men have already had their doors broken when it comes to finding a date. Look at you. Your mother and I have been at home for so long and only two matchmakers have come to propose marriage to you. The people they introduced to you were all widows who couldn't get married in our area."

Song Qiusheng said with a bitter face: "Why? I am still a virgin."

Song's mother teased him: "Just because you are old, why would a young girl marry you? Can't she find a down-to-earth man who works on the farm?"

Song Shixia suppressed her smile. The oldest man present was either her father or Ji Weiqing. However, Professor Ji was the father of two children, so her brother was really still single at an advanced age.

In the village, if a 30-year-old man is not married, there must be something wrong. If it is not a family problem, then it must be a physical problem.

Whatever the reason, my parents must have been talked about and criticized behind my brother's back by the villagers. This time, my brother's return home was a victory. He brought home a cart of New Year's goods that the villagers will talk about until after the New Year.

However, what Song Shixia did not expect was that the highlight moment that originally belonged to her brother was transferred to her by Chen Jiao's unintentional words.

On New Year's Eve, people have to stay up late. Song Shixia has always gone to bed before 10 o'clock since she came to this world. She doesn't mind staying up late to stay up late. After all, it is a New Year custom. The whole family sits in the main hall to eat and drink.

There were no poker cards at home, so I just turned on the TV to watch TV programs. I didn’t expect that there would be the Spring Festival Gala.

Song Shixia had never paid attention to the Spring Festival Gala schedule, but it turns out that there is a Spring Festival Gala at this time, and the most classic song of every year is "Unforgettable Tonight".

The Spring Festival Gala was not as grand as the grand scenes of decades later, but the simple stage had a stronger New Year atmosphere. The camera scanned the audience, and everyone's face was filled with enthusiastic and excited smiles, and everyone was truly happy for the New Year.

Ji Yang suddenly pulled her clothes, and Ji Yuan clapped his hands excitedly.

"Grandpa, Grandma!"

The boy had sharp eyes and spotted his grandparents in the audience at a glance.

Song's father and mother reacted in surprise, with Song's mother being the first to come to her senses.

"Dabao, where does your grandma sit?"

The camera cut away, Ji Yang shook his head.

"I just sat on the right."

Mother Song looked at her daughter again, she had a lot to say but didn't know how to start.

"Mom, just watch the show first. I'll point it out to you if it appears later."

Song Shixia didn't even notice the audience. She was wondering if the child had recognized the wrong person.

Song Dongdong's eyes widened when he heard this. His nephew's grandparents were actually on TV! If he told others about this, it would be a great honor for him!

The two little guys were staring at the TV intently, and whenever the camera swept across the audience, Ji Yuan would grab his grandmother's sleeve and yell.

"That's grandma! That's grandpa!"

Ji Yang was also very excited, and his excitement showed on his face. He clenched his fists and wanted to stand up, but he forced himself to sit upright.

Song Shixia picked him up and let him stand with his brother to watch grandpa and grandma on TV.

"You're a kid too, you can yell with your brother."

As an older brother, the little guy is too sensible and always habitually pretends to be a little adult, which makes it easy for adults to ignore him.

"Um!"

Ji Yang nodded heavily, and when his grandparents appeared on the screen, he quickly showed them to his grandparents. The two little guys danced in front of the TV. Song Dongdong also curiously followed them to look for their grandparents, and after finding them, he started shouting too.

The Spring Festival Gala ended, and a colorful horizontal ball appeared on the TV screen. Although the family was concentrating on watching TV and didn't talk much, they still felt a little unsatisfied when they returned to their rooms.

Song Qiu Sheng took Song Dongdong and his nephew to the yard to set off fireworks. Ergou next door climbed up the wall with a ladder to watch the fun.

Song Dongdong shouted at him: "Ergou, Happy New Year!"

Song Shixia helped her mother clean up the melon seeds, peanut shells and uneaten cakes on the table.

"Put the cakes on the table tomorrow and give them to the children when they come to visit us for the New Year."

Song's mother couldn't help but feel distressed: "It's such a waste to give such delicious food to outsiders."

Song Shixia patiently explained: "Mom, I'm not stupid. These are all relatively cheap snacks. I've already taken out the expensive ones for you to eat."

Song's mother felt relieved: "I'm just worried that you'll get used to spending money lavishly. In the city, it's easy to buy whatever you want to eat, but it's not the case in our village."

"Mom, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The snacks are not worth the money, they are mainly for novelty and taste. Our family can come up with so many delicious dishes to entertain guests, they will definitely look at you and my dad with new eyes!"

It is said that one should be grateful to those who have eaten the cakes from them, and one should be soft-handed when receiving the gifts from them. Even if you eat the cakes from their house, don't say anything else, but at least don't stab them behind their backs.

Song Shixia and Professor Ji had just made the bed when the boy came into the room carrying a pillow.

"What's the matter?"

Ji Yang lowered his head with red ears: "We want to sleep with you."

Ji Yuan nodded and said, "During the Chinese New Year, the whole family should sleep together and be reunited!"

Almost wished everyone a Happy New Year, then realized it's only September.