"What's wrong?" Li Xiulian looked at the three people coming out and asked with a smile, "I'm waiting for you to eat. Why don't you go in and have a few words?"
Su Aimin smiled and said: "The two of them chatted casually for a few words. Come on, are you ready for dinner?"
"It's ready." Zhang Xinlan opened the lid of the wooden pot, and an amazing aroma came out, "This chicken soup will be ready soon."
Today, the family is all together, and they specially killed a chicken to stew it. The current rule is that a family in the countryside cannot raise more than five chickens. The Su family raised four in total. They had killed chickens before Su Qingyun fell ill and Su Congjun got married. , the last old hen laying eggs is left in the house.
Wu Guixiang couldn't bear to kill it, so she asked Zhang Xinlan to go to the town and buy one.
Su Qingyun's favorite fish, everyone's favorite meat, and the ham that Su Congwen sent at short notice. Zhang Xinlan moved quickly and cut some ham to stir-fry cabbage. The dishes on the table were extremely rich, and they were fresh even in the city. It's rare that someone can eat such good food, let alone in this rural area. The fragrance of Su's family spread far and wide, and many people sniffed and swallowed hard.
The chicken soup is ready. The soup is fresh and the meat is fragrant. The whole family first scoops out a bowl and drinks it with small mouthfuls. There are not many feed chickens now. Zhang Xinlan's eyes are poisonous, so she picked a free-range chicken and drank it in one gulp. Go down, the fragrance is full, and the pores all over the body are opened with comfort.
"Second Aunt's craftsmanship is really good." Wen Sisi's eyes sparkled with admiration, "It's even better than the chefs at the state-owned restaurants I've eaten in the county."
"Then how can I compare with the chef in other restaurants?" Although Zhang Xinlan said this, a proud smile appeared on her face.
"Well, it's comfortable." Wu Guixiang sighed with satisfaction. Although this second daughter-in-law has many problems, she really has no choice in her cooking skills.
Being able to drink a bowl of hot chicken soup on such a cold winter night was something that I couldn't even think about in the past. Now these days are really getting better and better.
Thinking of this, Wu Guixiang smiled on her face and looked at the big table of children and grandchildren, feeling satisfied. Although her Su family was not a wealthy family, they had enough food and clothing, and the family members were harmonious. Very good.
After Zhang Xinlan drank a bowl of soup, she suddenly sighed, and her smiling face fell down, "It would be great if we Congwen were here too."
This sentence made everyone feel a little silent. It felt a little uncomfortable to be without one person on the day of family reunion.
"I wonder how Congwen spends this New Year's Day in the army?" Zhang Xinlan sighed with her eyebrows downcast.
Su Qingyun comforted her and said, "Second aunt, don't worry. Second brother has a more lively life in the army than we do. I've read in the newspaper that during the Chinese New Year in the army, everyone celebrates it together, eating dumplings and singing military songs." Song, the whole day is lively.”
"Really?" Zhang Xinlan didn't quite believe that life in the army could be more comfortable than at home?
"Of course it's true, otherwise, you can ask the second brother in person when he comes back later." Su Qingyun said with a face full of promise, "Besides, although the second brother didn't come back, the blessings and greetings were sent. It was just right and he was not late at all. "
"Look." Su Qingyun pointed to the ham and fried cabbage on the table, "This ham is almost here to replace my second brother."
"You girl." Zhang Xinlan was dumbfounded by her words.
Su Qingyun's witty words made everyone at the table laugh.
"Come on, Yunyun, eat this piece." Su Aimin gave her daughter a fish with chopsticks, which is a fish tail.
Su Qingyun likes to eat fish, but the parts she likes to eat are different from ordinary people. Most people like the belly part of the fish with fewer spines, but she prefers the tail part of the fish with more spines and less meat.
Su Congjun also gave his wife a piece of ham and whispered, "This is what my second brother sent me back. The food in Chuncheng is so delicious."
Wen Sisi took a bite and nodded hurriedly, "It's delicious."
Su Congwu looked at the whole family. His father brought vegetables to his mother, his uncle brought vegetables to his aunt, and his brother-in-law took care of him from time to time. Not to mention the affectionate look on his face by his eldest brother, sister-in-law, and the young couple. Even his father, who has always been taciturn, gave him food.
He was the only one left on the table, and no one cared.
Su Congwu gritted his teeth, picked up a large amount of vegetables, put it into his mouth and chewed it bitterly. If no one helped him, he picked it up himself, and ate even more!
The meal was finished quickly with chatter and laughter. Today, everyone is not in a hurry to rest and is ready to sit around the stove for a while.
Qin Ying thought of the things her parents had sent and hurriedly went to get them. Each of them shared some beef jerky and raisins. "Everyone has a taste and has it as a snack."
"Why is this meat so dry?" Zhang Xinlan muttered and put it in her mouth, "Oh my god! This is too hard!"
She covered her cheek and screamed, feeling like her teeth were about to break.
Zhang Xinlan's exaggerated performance made everyone afraid to eat beef jerky. Is this thing really so hard?
Wu Guixiang stopped when she was about to give it a try. Her teeth were even worse, so why not forget it? It would be troublesome if this tooth fell out.
Su Qingyun laughed to death. Her second aunt was really expressive and exaggerated. She showed everyone the beef jerky, "This kind of jerky is air-dried, so it will be a bit hard."
She tore off a thin strip and said, "Usually I tear it into thin strips and eat it. The more you chew it, the more delicious it becomes. Let's try it." If you take a big bite like her second aunt did, you will definitely not be able to chew it thoroughly.
Everyone imitated her way of eating, tearing off small strips and putting them into their mouths. Not to mention, although it was difficult to chew, it really became more and more fragrant the more you chewed it, leaving you with an endless aftertaste. The mouthful was filled with the aroma of dried meat. The unique flavor, spicy and delicious, makes you feel like you are on the green grassland at this moment, with the gentle wind blowing and the lowing of cows in the wind.
Su Qingyun chewed slowly, with a satisfied look on his face. He hadn't tasted this taste for a long time. Many beef jerky in later generations were fake and didn't have the original flavor. It was like chasing after a cow.
"This food is delicious, but it's a bit toothsome." Li Xiulian also covered her cheeks. It was true that it smelled good, but it was also true that it was difficult to chew.
Qin Ying smiled, "Let's have a taste. If it's hard to chew, eat less."
Su Dalin chewed the dried meat and said to his wife: "This dried meat is meant to be eaten with wine. Go and pour me some wine."
"How late are you still drinking?" Wu Guixiang cursed and stood up, but still fell down.
Su Dalin has been fond of smoking and drinking all his life, and he can't change it. Now that he is getting older, Wu Guixiang is afraid that he will have physical problems with drinking, so she can only restrict his smoking and drinking. But today is the Chinese New Year, everyone is happy, and she is also Just force him to drink more.
"Just this small cup, no more." Wu Guixiang poured a small cup and handed it to Su Dalin.
Su Dalin chewed a bite of dried meat and took a sip of wine. The taste was simply delicious.
Outside, a cold wind was blowing. Inside, the family gathered around the stove, feeling a deep warmth on their bodies. The world seemed to be quiet, except for the sound of dead branches crackling and burning in the stove.
Su Dalin happily drank the last sip of wine, glanced at the descendants gathered in a circle, and said slowly: "This year, our old Su family has had a lot of things happen, and a lot of things have changed. Let me talk about our old family first. Everyone, we are married after joining the army. It is a great joy for our old Su family to have one more person in our family, and it also fulfills the wish of the eldest and his wife."
"The second child, Congwen and Congwu, are no longer around. Congwen went to the army and doesn't know when he will come back. Congwu was admitted as a technician in a textile factory and rarely comes back. I I know that the second daughter-in-law cares about her two children, but after all, when the children grow up and have their own things they want to do, we family members can only support and support them. After all, if our family is here, they will definitely do it. return."
"The third child, I least expected, has become more sensible, smarter, and more promising than before. She is someone who has been praised by the leaders of the province. Not just her, but our entire old Su family. Following Zhanguang, we don’t know what path she can take or what she can do in the future, and we may not understand either, but like her three brothers above, we must also support her!”
"It's a new year again. I hope our Su family is safe and that everyone is well. This is my biggest wish."
Su Dalin has always been a man of few words, and today is the most he has spoken this year. It is the Chinese New Year, so he will say a few more words. After all, he is still the head of the family.
After listening to his words, the faces of the Su family were a little moved. His words were simple, but every word revealed care and love.
"I understand, dad, don't worry, we will all be fine." Su Aiguo, the eldest son of the family, said first.
"Yes, Dad, this year, you and your mother will not go to work in the fields." Su Aidang said, and the others nodded.
Nowadays, life at home is getting better day by day, and there is no need for the old couple to work so hard in the fields. Taking good care of themselves is the most important thing.
"What are you talking about?" Before Su Dalin could say anything, Wu Guixiang refused, "We are older, but our bodies are still in good shape. You may not be able to compare with us."
Everyone looked at each other and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes. Why are these two old men so stubborn?
"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore." Wu Guixiang took out a few red envelopes from her pocket, "Although today is not the Spring Festival, it can still be regarded as the New Year. New Year's money still has to be given to these children. of."
"Congwu, it's yours, Yunyun, this is yours, my second wife, Congwen is not at home this year, so you have to help him keep his."
"And these last two are from the army and Sisi."
Su Congjun's eyes widened, "Hey, why are Sisi and I still there?" This is all new year's money for children. How can he still get it when he is already married?
Wu Guixiang glanced at him and said, "You and Sisi are married in the first year. If you don't have children yet, you can get them. If you have children next year, they will be gone."
Wen Sisi was thin-skinned and blushed when she mentioned the child, and the whole family also smiled narrowly.
