Lunar New Year's eve.
It seems that all the busyness throughout the year is for New Year's Eve, when you can sit comfortably at home and have a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.
Big red Spring Festival couplets are posted on the doors of every house, making the whole village particularly dazzling in the white snow.
Every household is extravagant on this day, and oil lamps burn all night long.
The Lao Bai family is no exception.
Early in the morning, Bai Banban and his sons cleaned the yard again, hung red lanterns on the trees above the door, and unpacked the long firecrackers and sorted them out.
Mrs. Bai, on the other hand, was taking stock of the preparations for ancestor worship in the evening with her family members.
It has to be said that once the second sister-in-law of the Bai family put her brains to work in the limelight, she did a pretty good job.
This gave her the task of challenging the Bai family to be the head of the family during the Chinese New Year, but she was ruthlessly rejected by Mrs. Bai.
Xie Chuntao had rested for a day and a night, so naturally it was Xie Chuntao who took care of the business.
No, Xie Chuntao got into the kitchen wearing an apron to prepare for the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve.
Fortunately, the steamed meat and steamed vegetables have been prepared, and the dumpling fillings have been chopped. All you need to do is make some simple side dishes.
In addition, the men of the Bai family have always had the tradition of going into the kitchen, so the Bai brothers, led by Bai Dazhuang, got into the kitchen to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner together.
Bai Dazhuang kneaded the dumpling noodles, Bai Erzhuang lit the fire, and Bai Panmei took her nephews to pick and chop vegetables.
And the main force Saburo, who has always dreamed of becoming a cook, walked around Xie Chuntao in an apron, actively taking over the work of the eldest aunt, letting the eldest aunt rest while he took the spoon.
"Xiao Yuanbao, come and try this shawl."
Qiuniang came out of the room, holding a white furry shawl in her hand.
"Ah, it's so beautiful and soft." Xiao Fuyuan touched the fur collar on her shawl and was very happy. The winter shawls and cotton-padded jackets Zhen made for her were basically red. Zhen said red clothes were festive and just suitable for her little girl. Age wear.
Therefore, it was the first time for her to wear a white shawl, and this shawl felt light and warm on her body, and the ring of hair on the collar brushed her face gently.
She loved it.
"Thank you, Sister Qiu." Xiao Fuyuan said happily.
"This large piece of woolen material is not cheap, why are you spending so much money?" Zhen knew the goods well and could see the value of this piece of clothing at a glance.
"Auntie, this material was given to me by Mrs. Zheng as a reward when I went to Huaicheng last time to give a Buddha statue to the old lady of the Zheng family."
The Zheng family and the Zhou family are the largest families in Huaicheng.
Last time she went to Zhou Mansion to attend Mrs. Zhou's birthday party, Zhen met Mrs. Zheng, a kind-hearted old man. She believed in Buddhism. When she saw the Buddha statue that the Bai family gave to Mrs. Zhou at the Zhou family, she felt so happy that she contacted the Bai family embroidery workshop.
Qiuniang's craftsmanship was naturally appreciated by Mrs. Zheng.
"Since I reward you, you can keep it for yourself next time." Zhen said.
Qiuniang was too plainly dressed. Even at the end of the year, she only had a flower on her head.
"Auntie, I'm going to the kitchen to help my sister-in-law prepare the New Year's Eve dinner." Qiuniang said instead.
"You have been busy for a year. Take a break. Your eldest brother and the others will be having the New Year's Eve dinner." Zhen quickly stopped Qiuniang.
The embroidery workshop took on several big jobs the year before, and Qiuniang and her embroiderers worked until the 29th of the new year. They were already exhausted, so how could she be kept busy with the New Year's Eve dinner.
"If you can't sit still, you can go to your Madam Hu's house for me." Old Mrs. Bai carried a basket with steamed buns, several large bowls of steamed meat, fried fruits, peanuts and melon seeds, and Two fish.
Aunt Hu was busy in the embroidery workshop until the 29th of the new year. Mrs. Bai was worried that she had not prepared the New Year's Eve dinner.
"Okay." Qiuniang took the basket.
"I'm with Sister Qiu." Xiao Fukuoka said. She mainly wanted to show off in the village wearing a white shawl.
The mansion opposite Lao Bai's house.
At this time, He Shun regretted letting Wu Xiaoying follow General Meng to the border.
Without Wu Xiaoying's fuss, the entire mansion seemed very deserted.
Hearing the bustling sounds coming from every house in Shenshu Village, especially the bustling people from Lao Bai's house opposite, He Shun fell into regret.
"Uncle He, this is the menu for the New Year's Eve dinner. Take a look at it again. Is there anything else you want to add?" Liu Yishou walked in and handed He Shun a menu.
In fact, He Shun had already nodded to this menu. Liu Yishou came to ask He Shun for his opinion, mainly because he wanted to get the young master's opinion on the New Year's Eve dinner in a different way.
"Master, is there anything you particularly want to eat tonight?" He Shun asked A Zhen with a smile on his face without looking at the order.
"No." A Zhen said.
He Shun winked at Liu Yishou and said, "Just prepare something else for the young master, KFC egg tarts."
Liu Yishou muttered to himself, how could this be prepared for the young master? Wasn't this KFC egg tart invented by Xiao Fuyuan?
Yes, let him prepare and he will prepare.
After Liu Yishou left, He Shun asked A Zhen with a smile: "Red lanterns have been hung up in the village, let's hang them up too? Fireworks are also prepared. Xiao Yuanbao hasn't seen the fireworks in the capital yet."
A Zhen pursed his lips and said nothing.
He Shun knew what he was getting into.
Even though he was sent here by the emperor, he still received the emperor's reward at the end of last year, but not this year.
It’s already New Year’s Eve. If it’s not there today, it probably won’t be there.
What does it mean that the prince in the middle palace has lost his Sacred Heart?
He Shun knew it without thinking.
"I'll go for a walk."
A Zhen stood up, put on thick clothes and walked out the door.
"Brother A Zhen." Xiao Fuyuan shouted when he saw A Zhen stepping out of the courtyard.
"Where are you going?" A Zhen asked.
"Go to Madam Hu's house, let's go together."
A Zhen walked down the steps, stretched out his hand towards Xiao Fuyuan, and pulled the two pairs of small hands together.
Both of them were wearing the same big white fur shawl and a furry hat on the shawl, revealing a pair of black eyes and delicate little faces.
Walking on the village road, the villagers I met praised them and said that they were a pair of sisters.
A Zhen's face turned dark.
"Brother A Zhen, you should be happy, today is New Year's Eve." Xiao Fuyuan noticed A Zhen's bad mood.
"Okay." A Zhen said dullly.
"You come to my house for New Year's Eve dinner today." Xiao Fuyuan invited A Zhen.
There is no way. Children who don’t have their parents around have to celebrate the New Year alone. It’s so pitiful!
"Okay." A Zhen agreed with a smile, and then said, "Have you seen the fireworks? I have many beautiful fireworks. I will take the fireworks to your house to set off at night."
"That's great." Xiao Fuyuan smiled happily.
After eating the dumplings, set off fireworks, just thinking about it makes me happy.
When they arrived at Aunt Hu's house, Aunt Hu saw that Xiao Fuyuan and A Zhen were so cute. She kept holding on to them, grabbing melon seeds and fruits, and forced them to stay until almost dusk before going back.
Xiao Fuyuan followed A Zhen to the mansion to get fireworks.
When Ah Zhen arrived home and saw He Shun's slightly frowning eyebrows, he felt disappointed for a moment.
Yes, I am afraid that my father’s gift will never come to Shenshu Village again.
The wind blew up the snow foam, and A Zhen felt cold all over.
"Master, it's snowing heavily this year. Maybe the gift-giver was delayed on the way." He Shun comforted him.
"It's okay. I don't like the gifts anyway, and he didn't prepare them himself. It's just a routine. I'm going to my sister's house for New Year's Eve dinner tonight." A Zhen said calmly.
"Brother A Zhen, don't be sad, I'll give you a gift." Xiao Fuyuan comforted A Zhen.
