Chapter 124

The couplets were written, and the New Year’s meal in the kitchen was also well-prepared.

The younger ones were responsible for setting out bowls and chopsticks, while the older ones were in charge of serving the stir-fried dishes.

Fan Jin, the eldest, took charge of the most dangerous task—carrying the small stove with glowing red charcoal and the clay pot.

The dishes for the New Year’s meal were not particularly exotic, mostly home-cooked dishes they ate regularly.

However, today they were all brought together.

In the center of the round table was a stew pot.

A whole old hen, stewed over charcoal for a long time, had become tender and flavorful, the meat easily falling off the bone.

The soup was golden and glossy, with thinly sliced winter bamboo shoots added, making the meat tasty, the soup delicious, and the bamboo shoots fresh and sweet.

The spicy boiled rabbit was vibrant red, enticing anyone who looked at it.

The braised pork had a perfect caramel color, and the dry pot duck was fragrant and appetizing.

The clear fish head soup had a milky white broth with small meatballs floating inside. Normally, these meatballs were considered substantial ingredients, but today they had to wait in line.

Around the stew pot were stir-fried and cold dishes, totaling eighteen different dishes.

With eight people and eighteen dishes, they couldn’t possibly finish it all.

Shuiqing aimed for leftovers; having leftovers meant surplus for the coming year.

In their cups, Shuiqing, Fan Jin, and Ling Ran had clear and sweet rice wine.

The five younger ones had cups filled with boiled and cooled sour plum juice.

Raising their cups together, they toasted, “Happy New Year!”

Then, Shuiqing took out golden leaves from a small cloth bag she carried, joyously declaring, “Come, come, it’s time for New Year’s gifts!”

Receiving New Year’s gifts was the happiest thing for the children.

However, seeing the shiny golden pieces in Mother’s hands, the five younger ones widened their eyes in disbelief, taking a moment to process, “Mother, are these gold pieces?”

“Is it really gold?”

“For us?”

“Can we have them?”

Fan Jin chuckled and answered on behalf of Shuiqing, “Yes, they are gold leaves, for you all. Each person gets two pieces.”

“Each person gets two! This is your own lucky money for the New Year, and also your allowance for the future.

It’s both a dowry and a bride price. Take good care of it; if you lose it, it’s gone!” Shuiqing threatened teasingly.

Hearing that it was lucky money, the five children nearly raised the roof with their cheers!

“Mother is the best!”

“Father is also great!”

After expressing their compliments, they lined up eagerly to receive their gifts.

Ling Ran quietly ate his meal.

Suddenly, someone called out to him, “Ling Ran, this is yours!”

He looked up abruptly, his phoenix eyes filled with incredulity.

He had seen plenty of gold leaves before, and even possessed many.

But that was all in the past.

Since he had left, let alone gold and silver, he could hardly see even a penny. Doing odd jobs for others, being able to have two meals a day was considered fortunate enough.

Silver was precious, let alone gold!

“I… I don’t need it.” He couldn’t accept it. They had taken him in, provided him with food and drink without any differentiation. It was already more than enough.

He couldn’t be ungrateful, nor could he be unreasonable.

Shuiqing teased, “You don’t need it? Are you not planning to get married, or does your future wife not need a bride price? If other girls’ families have it, you should too.”

Ling Ran quickly glanced at someone beside him with a clear-cut profile, blushing slightly, then promised, “I can earn it myself!”

Shuiqing smiled and said, “I know you’re capable. Consider this an early investment from me and Uncle Fan. When you succeed in the future, you can repay us double.”

“Accept it. You’ll need it in the future,” Fan Jin thought. This child had lost his mother and had an unkind father, alone and vulnerable. Having money on hand would make his days much better.

With his own concerns and plans for the future, he couldn’t possibly stay with them forever. When he ventured out, having some money would put both him and Shuiqing at ease.

“Yes, Big Brother Ling, we all have to have something!”

“Since your parents gave it, just accept it.”

“We’re family, of course we all should have something.”

Ling Ran’s hands trembled slightly as he held the chopsticks. He looked at each person thinking of him, extended his hand, and accepted.

Aunt Shuiqing said they would repay them double in the future.

Double?

Tenfold, hundredfold, he couldn’t repay them…

Shuiqing distributed New Year gifts, including significant ones like gold leaf, exciting the five children.

Fan Jin also prepared New Year gifts.

Unlike Shuiqing’s extravagance, he prepared books.

Hand-copied and bound by himself.

Not expensive, but full of sincerity.

Except for Fan Jiang, who didn’t like reading or writing, the others were still very happy.

The New Year meal lasted a long time, not finishing until the afternoon.

After finishing the New Year meal and cleaning up the table, they started making dumplings.

The villagers of Shanshui Village didn’t have the tradition of making dumplings mainly because wheat flour was too expensive to spare.

In the past, when they hadn’t split from Mrs. Fan and Mr. Fan, they would just eat something simple in the evening after the New Year meal.

But times had changed, and with food in abundance, they naturally wanted to make dumplings.

“What filling do you all want?” Shuiqing asked for everyone’s opinion.

After moving to the new house and having a kitchen with a kneading board, they had made dumplings several times, each person with their own favorite flavor.

She had better ask clearly and choose the most popular filling!

“Pork and cabbage!” Fan Jiang quickly raised his hand and shouted.

“Chive, glass noodle, and egg filling!”

“Spinach and mushroom filling.”

“Vegetarian with three fresh ingredients.”

“Just pure meat!”

Shuiqing: … Alright, five people, five different tastes, what a challenge.

She shouldn’t have asked!

“I’ll make whatever I feel like eating.”

“Mom, I’ll chop the vegetables.”

“I’ll mince the meat filling.”

“I’ll roll out the dumpling wrappers.”

Shuiqing felt gratified; raising children was quite rewarding, especially when they could pitch in with chores.

Kneading dough was strenuous work, left to Fan Jin.

Chopping meat was also demanding, entrusted to Ling Ran.

Vegetable cutting required precision, handled by Yan Qiu.

The rest would do what they could.

The tiled kitchen was spacious, bright, and clean; the stove was lit, warding off the cold wind outside, creating a warm atmosphere inside the house.

The villagers of Shanshui Village were also celebrating the New Year.

Though they lacked the conditions of Shuiqing and Fan Jin’s family, they did their best within their means.

Some slaughtered chickens and ducks, others stewed large fish, and some simmered fatty pork…

Mrs. Zhang’s family seemed particularly grand this year.

Their chickens and ducks were laying eggs, and they were reluctant to slaughter them. However, they had earned a considerable amount of silver before the New Year, amounting to ten taels.

They cut two catties of fatty pork, priced at thirty-two wen per catty.

Three catties of lean meat, priced at twenty wen per catty.

At the New Year meal, they used all two catties of fatty pork to stew with cabbage, with sparkling oil flowers gleaming on both the cabbage and soup.

They kept back two catties of lean meat.

Half a catty was sliced for stir-frying chili peppers, and half a catty was shredded for stir-frying bamboo shoots.

Previously salted salted fish was steamed into a bowl.

Five eggs were used along with chives to make a large plate of stir-fry.

A sumptuous New Year meal with meat, eggs, and fish was ready.

It was a stark contrast to the Fan’s New Year’s meal and the other families in the village.