"Mother, I want to write too!"
Niu Niu ran over, the paper-cut window decoration in her hand crooked and twisted.
Chen Yunyun dried the couplets written by Da Wa, then took Niu Niu's hand and wrote the character "福" (fortune/blessing) on the red paper.
"Okay, stick it on the door."
Chen Yunyun stirred the paste, and the child followed her to the front door.
I carefully pasted the couplets I had just written onto the door. "How about it? Are they aligned?"
"Mother, the right side is higher."
Chen Yunyun agreed, adjusted the position, and pasted up the couplets, beaming with joy.
With the Spring Festival couplets, even this dilapidated wooden door looks more pleasing to the eye.
Feeling bored, after putting up the couplets, Chen Yunyun taught the children how to make handmade lanterns out of red paper.
Cut the red paper into small pieces, bend them, and use them to make the body of the lantern.
Then glue the head and tail together, use a stick to support the head, and add long tassels at the bottom, making the little lantern look lifelike.
The children were all very skillful, and in no time they had made more than a dozen small lanterns.
"Mother, where should the lantern be hung?"
The house is full of cured meat and sausages, so there's no room to hang lanterns.
Chen Yunyun looked up and saw the two plum trees in the yard. She pointed to the branches and said, "Why don't we just hang them there?"
She brought over a stool and stood guard nearby, while Da Wa and Niu Niu each hung themselves on a tree.
Chen Yunyun hung the lantern she had made at the highest point, wishing our Arun, Atian, and Asheng peace, joy, and all the best.
Beneath the plum blossom tree, she smiled gently, her demeanor serene and tender.
Rong Yan appeared out of nowhere and stood under the eaves, watching them frolic.
The prayer beads rolled, and the scent of sandalwood was faintly present.
The New Year's Eve dinner must be good, and Chen Yunyun had already prepared the menu.
With a big eater like Rong Yan in the family, she prepared even more for this year's New Year's Eve dinner.
The first dish: [May you have abundance every year]
The fish was caught by Rong Yan from deep in the mountains. I don't know what kind it is, but the flesh is incredibly tender and delicious, even when eaten raw.
Chen Yunyun steamed it, which not only preserved the freshness of the fish but also greatly retained its tender and smooth texture.
The second course: [Great Fortune and Prosperity]
Chen Yunyun finally stewed the wild pheasant she had raised for over a month, pairing it with mushrooms she had picked from the field to make a dish called Chicken Stew with Mushrooms.
The chicken is firm yet tender, and the mushrooms are soft and flavorful. The glass noodles, in particular, are soaked in the stewed meat broth, making them especially delicious when mixed with rice.
The third course: [Soaring Ambition]
The beef was obtained through a previous exchange with the system and frozen in snow. Early on New Year's Eve, Chen Yunyun thawed the beef. Together with the newly harvested potatoes from the field, she made a beef and potato stew.
Stewing beef with spices like cinnamon and star anise makes the beef tender and easy to eat, and children can easily digest it.
Each piece of beef is cut plump and springy. One bite, and the unique aroma of beef fills your taste buds.
Although potatoes are a side dish, they are in no way inferior to meat; their soft and glutinous texture is irresistible.
The fourth way: [Get Rich Quick]
It was actually just braised pig's trotters. Chen Yunyun used the braising spices she bought from the system and stewed the pig's trotters for a long time until they were fragrant and tender.
The aspic on the pig's trotter melts in your mouth with just a gentle touch, but the flavor of the braised meat lingers, making you want to take another big bite.
In addition to the main vegetarian dishes, Chen Yunyun also made staple foods—large dumplings with pork and cabbage filling and pork and sauerkraut filling.
Chen Yunyun made all the dumplings herself, so each one was very plump, with thin skin and plenty of filling. When you ate them, the soup would flow out from the filling.
She brought out all the chestnuts, pine nuts, and persimmon cakes she had previously roasted; there wasn't enough room on the table.
Frozen persimmons, tangerines, and wild strawberries—these are the fruits Chen Yunyun has collected from her recent trips up the mountain.
After eating the vegetables, we ate some fruit.
The dazzling array of candies and snacks was something children never even dared to dream of before.
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