Luo family.
The sun was setting outside, and there were still the last traces of clouds in the sky.
The lights have been turned on in the bedroom. The two brothers sleep side by side in the cradle in front of the bed, so the lights are not very bright, but adjusted to a soft state.
Yang Ruoqing and Wang Cuilian's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law unanimously decided to leave Blacksmith Luo in the house with their two children while they went to the yard to collect clothes, shoes and socks.
Yang Ruoqing carried the two mattresses on her shoulders, so heavy that she couldn't even see her. Only the voice came from under the pile of cotton wool: "Auntie, I will go to Dazhi's room to spread the bedding for him first." Come on, this kid might come back within the next few days during the year."
"Okay, you go and do your work, and I'll go to the kitchen to cook dinner." Wang Cuilian said.
"Auntie, don't be in a hurry for dinner. I'll cook it later when I finish laying it."
"Hey, Tang Yazi and the baby are not at home. We three adults can deal with things casually, so why do we need you? You can only focus on making Dazhi's bed!"
…
Yang Ruoqing carried two large quilts to Dazhi's room.
Dazhi and Chen'er have grown up now, so the back of their brother's house was remodeled for them after discussion between her and Luo Fengtang.
Take Dazhi's house as an example. It was originally one room with two empty rooms on both sides.
Now Luo Fengtang has opened up the two middle rooms. After entering, there is the main room first. In the main room there are tables and chairs of the Eight Immortals, tea sets, incense burners, charcoal brazier basins, etc. This is mainly for them to receive their own visitors and friends.
There are arched carved doorways on the left and right sides, with jade curtains hanging on them. The right side is connected to the study room, where there is a long desk with all kinds of pens, ink, paper and inkstones.
Behind the desk and next to the wall is a row of bookshelves with various collections of books on them.
In the half-person-high blue and white porcelain vase by the window, there are still a few yellow wintersweets that Luo Baobao brought in in the morning.
This yellow wintersweet is very rare. Baby Luo saw it this morning when he passed through a dense forest on his way back from the camp. This girl was so cruel that she picked up a handful and carried her back home. Dazhi, Chenerwu Li each sent a few to put in the bottle, and Yang Ruoqing wanted to ask her for the remaining ones to take to her room, but this girl was reluctant to give them to her and ran away to give them to her uncle Da'an.
In her own words, her uncle is a scholar, her parents are rough guys, and wintersweet is a waste in the house.
Then Yang Ruoqing was not convinced and retorted: "Then your brother Chen'er is busy with military affairs and can't go home for the New Year. Can't the wintersweet in his house be shared with his parents' house?"
The girl added: "Brother Zhi'er has some in his house, and brother Chen'er must also have some in his house. Her younger sister needs a bowl of water."
Yang Ruoqing asked her again: "Your two younger brothers are sleeping in your parents' house. If you want a bowl of water, why don't you bring them winter plums?"
As a result, the girl said again: "My two brothers are literati, so placing the wintersweet in their house will make them elegant and not humiliating."
"The two younger brothers are still babies. Giving them wintersweet will not bring them joy. When the two younger brothers grow up, she will naturally have the opportunity to express herself as an older sister."
"So, I'm not allowed to use the guise of two younger brothers to deceive Lamei like me, no, no, no!"
Yes, this was blocked from all directions, Yang Ruoqing gave up.
Yang Ruoqing didn't care if she wanted wintersweet. She also deliberately teased her daughter. Seeing their brothers and sisters loving each other so much, she, as an old woman, was secretly happy.
Yang Ruoqing spread the bedding on Dazhi's bed, which was fluffy, warm and exuding the scent of sunshine.
Then he hung a sachet on the tent and looked around. There was an emerald cabbage ornament on the Duobao Pavilion in the bedroom that seemed to be a little crooked. Yang Ruoqing hurried over and put the ornament upright.
Looking around again, she nodded with satisfaction, now looking forward to Zhi'er coming back to live and have a comfortable New Year!
Since this child returned to Yangzhou when he was seven years old, he has only come back once in these years.
And the time she came back was two years ago, when she and Luo Fengtang were not at home...
It has been seven or eight years since I came back to celebrate the New Year. Time flies so fast.
It's already the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, and I haven't come back yet, and time passes so slowly. Logically speaking, there are only a few days in the year, so it should be faster, right?
I hope that when I open my eyes tomorrow morning, I can expect good news.
Yang Ruoqing tidied up Dazhi's house and she was satisfied with it. Then she closed the doors and windows and went to the kitchen to help her aunt Wang Cuilian cook dinner.
"Wow, it smells so good. I smelled it right at the door. Auntie, what's delicious in the pot?"
Yang Ruoqing swallowed her saliva and entered the kitchen, looking directly for the pot.
Wang Cuilian wore an apron around her waist and held a pair of oversized and overlong chopsticks in each hand. She was leaning over the small pot and shaking them.
Those two pairs of long chopsticks were similar to those used by vendors who sell fried dough sticks. Wang Cuilian hurriedly took out those two pairs of chopsticks, which was very convenient.
"Ha, does it smell good? I steamed the salted noodles with lard!"
Wang Cuilian's movements were not delayed at all, and she was able to find time to answer Yang Ruoqing with a smile.
"Steamed salty noodles with lard? My favorite!"
Yang Ruoqing quickly came to the pot table and looked at the food in the pot together.
Steamed salty noodles are a common dish here in Mianniushan, and the ingredients used are dried noodles.
But specific to each housewife, they have their own style in actual operation.
For example, Mr. Sun likes to steam the salty noodles and then fry them in a pot so that the noodles on the bottom get a crispy charred shell, which makes them taste more delicious. Then they fry the toppings and pour them on the noodle bowl.
Wang Cuilian, on the other hand, adds lard during the steaming process of salty noodles in water. The steaming process allows the lard to penetrate into the noodles, making the noodles more lubricated and preventing them from sticking into a ball.
When it's done, use chopsticks to stir it up. When the stir is done, add minced garlic, spicy millet, sauerkraut foam, and crushed peanuts, and then stir them together. When they are put into the bowls of the family, it will become bowls of noodles. , eat it in your hand, it is fragrant and rich, because of the lard, it is very delicious.
The advantage of Sun's noodles is that you can enjoy a crispy noodle shell, and because it is covered with toppings, the noodles don't get cold easily.
The advantage of Wang Cuilian's method is that it is very delicious and smooth, but the disadvantage is that you have to eat it quickly after taking it out of the pot. If it takes a long time, the lard will cool inside, which will cause a stomachache after eating it.
"The noodles are almost ready, Qing'er, you eat first!" Wang Cuilian had already motioned to Yang Ruoqing to put the empty rice bowl prepared on the pot table to fill it with noodles.
"I'm not in a hurry. I'll go back and change it for my uncle to eat! Just leave my noodles in the pot to keep them warm." Yang Ruoqing said.
I am a junior, how can I eat before the elders? I don’t feel at ease even after eating it!
