"Abba, mama, what can we do?" Li Tongfu said from the front.
"No, kid, you go over there and eat first when you are hungry. There is liquor in the cabinet. Pick a bottle and take it out for us to drink." Father Yang replied.
"The liquor is too strong. The children's hands are shaking after drinking it so cold. You drink our home-brewed rice wine." Yang's mother scolded Yang's father.
"Oh, they are all grown up, not just children who have just entered school."
"Mom, I drink rice wine." Yang Liufang said flatteringly.
"Then, Abba, I'll drink something white with you."
After hearing this, the old couple looked at each other with relief. They looked at the two people who had just taken a shower and changed into new work clothes. They looked handsome and youthful, and they felt even happier inside. Especially when I see Li Tongfu, the eldest son who was born in vain, doing his best to help his own son Yang Liufang do great things in Xizhou, my happiness is beyond words.
After the large yellow croaker and beef were poured out of the pot, Mother Yang began to make wine-braised old duck soup on the coal stove. This is a must-eat dish for Wenzhou people every winter in the local area. I saw Mother Yang cutting half of the cleaned duck into pieces on a cutting block made of willow tree roots. This cutting block was made when Yang Liufang was learning skills. It seems a bit rough now, but at that time It’s really a sense of accomplishment. After chopping the duck, Mother Yang cracked a small piece of ginger, cut a green onion into sections, fished out the soaked mushrooms, cut them in half with a knife, and used the mushroom water to remove impurities for later use.
Then take out the wok and put it on the coal stove. Pour some oil into the pot. Check if the oil temperature is right. Add the chopped ginger and stir-fry until the fragrance comes out. Add the chopped duck meat and stir-fry. The fragrance will spread immediately. Full kitchen. When the duck fat is fried, add Shaoxing old wine to the side of the pot, then pour in the water for soaking the mushrooms, cover the pot and simmer on the honeycomb coal stove.
At this time, Father Yang began to invite them to eat first. Yang Liufang thought of the beef and mutton brought by the village chief Shitou, and quickly said to Li Tongfu: "Brother, take out the beef and mutton brought by the village chief Shitou. Let's cut some for wine."
"Ouch, I was so busy taking a shower that I forgot about this. I'll go get it."
"How can you kids still accept things from the village chief?"
"Mom, it's okay. The factory opened in their village, and we have become good brothers a long time ago. This is the sheep their family raised themselves, and then they stewed it the way they did in Xizhou. Just cut it up and eat it directly. You and Abba also Try it. In Xizhou, it’s also delicious with raw garlic.”
"Ouch, what if you go to discuss business after eating raw garlic?"
"Abba, let's all eat it. My master learned it within two days of his arrival. You must eat raw garlic when eating noodles and finger food. It's delicious." Yang Liufang had endless aftertaste.
"Catching by hand, so barbaric!" Yang's mother was a little surprised. At this time, Li Tongfu also took back two large pieces of beef and mutton and gave them to Yang's mother.
"It's hand-caught mutton, grandma, I didn't tell you the whole story. It's different from the pure mutton brought by Brother Shitou. The hand-caught mutton is a large piece of mutton with mutton rib bones. It's chopped into long strips two fingers wide and cooked. After entering the big plate, everyone sits around and eats different parts according to the dignity of the guests. Generally, everyone holds the ribs directly with their hands, dips the meat on it with salt and pepper, and eats it with raw garlic. .”
"Oh, you two are still so thin after eating meat like that. You must be tired. You two should make up for it at home." Mother Yang scolded them distressedly while cutting the beef and sheep heads into half-centimeter thick slices. On a white plate. Everyone then went back to the main room to eat.
Father Yang brought them a plate of hanging whips and asked them to put them in the courtyard, just like children. After Li Tongfu took it, his eyes were red. He remembered the Chinese New Year at home when he was a child... Since his parents left, he wandered around. He never thought that he, an orphan, would be able to enjoy the love of his parents again.
"You two didn't come back yesterday, and we didn't set off any firecrackers."
"Let's go, brother, let's set off firecrackers and have dinner together." Yang Liufang saw Li Tongfu's sadness and pulled him to the yard, where firecrackers sounded and smoke filled the air. The family sat together, and Li Tongfu and Yang Liufang toasted their parents to the New Year. They ate a lot of meat and drank a lot of wine that day. In the end, Mother Yang gave both sons a full bowl of rice, which made them feel full.
After the meal, they each took out the New Year gifts for their elders. Mother Yang was moved to tears, and Father Yang was also very pleased that the child had really grown up. The two of them also paid a thousand yuan each to honor their parents. Father Yang and Mother Yang said nothing, so they had no choice but to put it away and put it under their pillows when they returned to Xizhou after the festival.
We ate too much at noon, and each of us only had a bowl of duck soup for dinner. Mother Yang made breakfast early the next day. After the two got up and ate, they cleaned themselves up again. Today they were going to Wenzhou to pay New Year's greetings to Yang Liufang's master. Li Tongfu didn't want to go. He thought Yang Liufang was going to pay New Year's greetings to his master, so why should he go and figure it out by himself? Yang's mother has prepared New Year's gifts: a jar of wine, two dried ducks, a few dried fish, and she also gave half of the beef and mutton they brought back from Xizhou to the master's family. Together with the gifts they brought back from Xizhou for their master and mistress, the trunk of their yellow croaker cart was almost full. Yang Liufang said that he couldn't handle so many gifts, so he dragged Li Tongfu along.
The two rode the yellow croaker out of the village and greeted each other "Happy New Year" when they met familiar people. Because Li Tongfu helped Yang's father and Yang's mother harvest the harvest that year, and came back to celebrate the Spring Festival the year before last, everyone in the village knew him well and had already regarded him as a member of the Yang family, and they all said hello to him. When we arrived in Yangshi, the bus had just arrived. Yang Liufang was carrying large and small bags, and Li Tongfu was holding a jar of wine, with five kilograms of meat hanging on each arm, just like Wu Gang when Wukong made a fuss in the sky in Journey to the West. All the way to Wenzhou City, because there were too many gifts and the roads were unfamiliar, Yang Liufang and his elder brother discussed taking a taxi.
The two quickly arrived at Yang Liugen's house on the outskirts of Wenzhou. Yang Liufang got out of the car and knocked on the door, shouting loudly: "Master, Master, I'm here to wish you two elders a happy New Year!" Li Tongfu unloaded the gifts from the car.
"Brother." Before the door opened, a clear female voice came from the courtyard. Soon the door opened, and it was junior sister Liu Xia, followed by master and junior wife.
"Junior sister, happy New Year, are you at home?" We haven't seen her for two or three years, and she has already grown into a grown-up girl. Yang Liufang didn't know how to say hello, so he asked confusedly. Then he said hello to his master and his wife: "Master, my wife, I know everything." He choked up as he spoke. Then he walked around the junior sister and walked towards the master and his wife behind him, holding the hands of the master and his wife tightly.
"Well, brother, I'm almost exhausted from studying. I finally have a vacation, so I must be at home well."
"Uncle, aunt, happy New Year." Li Tongfu, who had just finished unloading the gifts, stood up holding the wine jar and said hello to Liu Gen and his old lady.
"Oh, junior sister, come and introduce to you, this is eldest brother Li Tongfu."
"No introduction is needed, we know each other."
"Ah, do you know each other?"
"Yeah." Yang Liufang was a little surprised. He had forgotten that when Li Tongfu came back to apply for ID cards, he met his wife, Liu Xia and his daughter.
"Oh, you came right here, and you brought so many things. Silly girl, don't just watch, help your two brothers move things."
"Master, Mistress, not only ours, but also the dried duck, shrimp paste, rice wine and other things that my parents brought. I'm afraid it's inconvenient for you to get these in the city." After that, they came over to carry the gifts together, three of them at a time. Just finished moving these gifts.
When he arrived at the main room, Yang Liufang took out the reading glasses he bought for his master and the clothes he bought for his junior wife, but forgot about his junior sister.
"Brother, where's mine?" Liu Xia asked disappointedly.
"Ah, junior sister, I'm sorry." Yang Liufang touched the back of his head.
"I know you only have eyes for my father and mother. There are no gifts, but red envelopes, right?" Liu Xia saw her embarrassment and kindly helped him out.
"Yes, yes." Yang Liufang took out his money and counted 10 cards, which he planned to leave to his parents. The rest of the pile was given to the junior sister, who took it all at once.
"Wow, with so much money, my brother is really a big boss."
"Damn girl, give it back to your brother, why do you want so much money!"
"Well, you know I feel sorry for my brother." After saying that, he wanted to return the money to Yang Liufang.
"Oh, junior sister, take it, take it, what I give you is what I give you. Master and sister, this is what I should give. I have not given living expenses and tuition fees to junior sister in the past few years. I should take this as my own. Compensation. Brother, what about you?" Yang Liufang was afraid of Li Tongfu's embarrassment and wanted him to blend in.
"Oh, oh, I have some too. Sister, here it is for you." As he said this, he took out all the money he had and gave it to Liu Xia. Liu Xia didn't catch any of it and scattered it all over the floor.
"Oh, you kids, it's true." The master and his wife were full of relief and reproach as they knelt down to pick up the money.
"Stop being busy, go get food for the children first." Yang Liugen said to the old woman while squatting down to pick up the money.
"Oh, I'll go. Axia, this is too much money. You keep some pocket money, and the rest will be returned to your two brothers later."
"Master, please don't worry. This is all for my junior sister. I'll help you." Yang Liufang, who was squatting on the ground to pick up money, stood up quickly and handed the money to his junior sister, and went to help.
"No need for you, you and your brother chat with your master, and Axia will help me later."
"Okay, Master, I understand. It just so happens that you two are here. I only brought back 50,000 yuan from my master's sale of our house this time. I will find the rest after the year when I go there and figure out a way. Let's get it as soon as possible." The house is redeemed!"
"Oh, silly boy, what are you redeeming? In the future, you and Axia can leave us alone. You are so anxious to use the money, why would you use it back instead of taking the opportunity to expand your own business?" Master scolded unceremoniously. he.
"Uncle, don't blame A Fang. We are doing well now. Don't worry. We still have more than 100,000 yuan in deposits in our supply and marketing cooperative account. We can expand it if we want. Auntie, please put this away and save it when you have time. . After all, we were so worried about bringing this much money back all the way, so we can’t bring it back out of fear again.” Li Tongfu made everyone laugh with one sentence.
At noon, everyone gets together. Before the meal, Yang Liufang wanted to kowtow to his master and his wife to pay New Year greetings according to the old etiquette, but he and his wife stopped him, so he had to bow symbolically and toast to them.
Li Tongfu also wanted to follow, but the master refused to let him go, saying that he had not entered the master's sect and could not perform the ceremony. Yang Liufang was too drunk and drank with his junior sister. Li Tongfu drank a few glasses of liquor with his master Liu Gen.
