Chapter 172 Celebrating Spring Festival

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On the twenty-ninth, steam the buns; the whole night of the thirtieth, stew; on the first and second days, wander the streets…

The Bun Shop is closed for holidays, and Lin Chuxia has returned to the Qin Family to properly celebrate the Spring Festival.

This year, Qin Yang returned early, and the Qin Family had a new business, although the business belonged to Lin Chuxia, in this period, Qin Han and Zhang Guilan made more money at the Bun Shop than they did from selling vegetables all year.

It can be said that this is a reunion year, and also a year of harvest.

There’s no need to mention the New Year goods at home, they were prepared early and abundantly.

Although they ate meat every day at the Bun Shop, for the New Year’s celebration, especially during the northern Spring Festival, you have to fully stock up to feel like it’s truly New Year’s.

An entire pig’s leg, half a rack of pork ribs, and in the village where they slaughter sheep, Mr. Qin even bought half a sheep.

Mrs. Qin had already filled the large tank in the courtyard with water early on, letting it freeze over, effectively creating a natural big freezer.

Things stored inside won’t spoil and also won’t be gnawed by rats.

On the thirtieth, according to local custom, they eat scooped dry rice in the morning.

At that time, there were no rice cookers, they partially cooked the rice in a large iron pot, and then scooped the rice out from the rice water, placing it in a steamer to continue steaming, called scooped dry rice.

In the rural areas of Shanhe Province, they rarely grow rice, and rice is relatively more expensive and hard to buy.

Especially during the planned economy era, they couldn’t buy rice in the countryside as there were no quotas.

Even as markets opened up in recent years, rice remained scarce, and with people having little money, buying rice was done by the pound, mostly to make weak rice porridge at home.

Perhaps it’s for this reason that eating a meal of white rice on New Year’s Eve adds a ceremonial sense to the Spring Festival, indicating that the coming year will bring good days.

Lin Chuxia, in her past life, no longer followed these customs, but after rebirth, upon entering the kitchen in the morning and seeing her sister-in-law cooking rice, the whole house filled with the fragrance of rice, she felt somewhat bewildered.

She remembered that at her parental home, on the morning of the thirtieth when scooping dry rice, she could never eat a full bowl of it.

Her elder sister and younger brother, however, would always eat to their fill.

Later, after marrying into the Li Family, she continued to drink rice porridge.

By the time she started making money from the business and could eat rice freely, she no longer wanted to follow these customs during the festival.

Zhang Guilan, seeing Lin Chuxia enter the room, pointed to the side and said, “I’ll prepare stewed pork with vermicelli later, I’ve already cut everything, sister-in-law, if you’re idle chop some cabbage filling, after breakfast they are going to the cemetery, we usually prepare some dumplings to bring along every year.”

“Alright,” Lin Chuxia washed her hands to make dumplings.

Little Zhuangzhuang entered the kitchen at this moment, his eyes still sleepy, forcing them open, he asked Zhang Guilan, “Mom, Grandma said today I need to wash my face in every direction, but I usually wash my face twice and it’s enough, Grandma said I need to go around, how many times do I have to wash?”

Seeing Lin Chuxia there, he also asked, “Little auntie, do you wash your face by turning around in circles? Why turn in circles?”

Lin Chuxia: “…”

She really hadn’t, having long forgotten these customs.

Zhang Guilan smilingly replied to him, “Wash however your grandma told you to wash, it won’t hurt to wash a couple more times, will it?”

“But don’t people say to wash your butt three times and your face twice?”

Lin Chuxia looked at his sincerely troubled little expression, finding him utterly adorable.

Pinching his little cheek, “Then you wash four times, four directions, still an even number.”

Zhuangzhuang thought for a bit and nodded, “That’s the only way then, sigh, New Year’s is just troublesome, Grandma also said not to touch scissors and needles, she won’t even let me touch the window paper, little auntie, if I touch them, will I really get a sty?”

Lin Chuxia: “…”

Could she say it wouldn’t happen?

“Do as you’re told, you, normally you don’t ever touch scissors or needles anyway, just listen to whatever your grandma says.”

Zhang Guilan was getting ready to stew the dishes, feeling he was in the way, she sent him out.

After chopping the cabbage filling, Lin Chuxia began making the dumplings, not needing too many, just sixteen in total.

“””

Qin Yang came in while it was being prepared, “Need any help?”

“No need, it’ll be ready soon,” Lin Chuxia casually replied.

Thinking of something, she turned her head to look at him, noticing some damp hair on his forehead, probably just washed his face.

“How did you wash your face?”

Qin Yang’s handsome face stiffened, his eyes uncomfortably shifted elsewhere before he calmly responded, “Just washed it like that, any problem?”

“Pfft…”

Zhang Guilan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Without any mercy, she burst his bubble, “Sister-in-law, don’t listen to him. Your elder brother at his age still rotates his face while washing every early morning of his thirties, and mom always reminds them in advance,” she said it’s a reminder, but it actually means watching over.

Her mother-in-law was a bit superstitious, she adhered to anything that had a good omen.

Lin Chuxia also laughed, feeling it was quite fitting; celebrating New Year like this was fun.

After breakfast, the men of the house went to offer sacrifices at the ancestors’ graves, not even Little Zhuangzhuang was left behind.

Zhang Guilan cooked dumplings, served in four small plates, Mrs. Qin prepared four apples and four oranges, and Qin Han also took a bottle of wine.

After the men left, Mrs. Qin, Zhang Guilan, and Lin Chuxia began preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

This was the most elaborate meal of the year, with almost every household bringing out their best for this one table.

These days, life was tough, having a chicken or a pot of vegetables made for a decent New Year’s Eve dinner.

This year, the Qin Family was well-prepared with their New Year goods, arranging hearty dishes like chicken, fish, pork knuckles, and ribs.

There were also fried bean puffs, fried meatballs, fried spare ribs… and previously fried goods were all laid out.

Nowadays, without vegetable greenhouses, radishes and cabbages were staples in the northern winter; Mrs. Qin planted some young garlic sprouts in the house, adding a bit of freshness.

Lastly, a big carp was to be stewed whole, symbolizing abundance throughout the year.

When the men returned from the grave offerings, the yard was filled with the aroma of food.

Little Zhuangzhuang drooled profusely, his eyes sparkling as he rushed towards the kitchen.

“Mom, what delicious food have you made? It smells so good.”

It’s often said that children are the happiest during New Year, with new clothes, new hats, and good food.

Mrs. Qin served him a small bowl of freshly fried meatballs as a snack, making the little guy blissfully happy.

At that moment, outside Qin Han called him, “Zhuangzhuang, come paste the Spring Festival couplets…”

“Okay, coming…”

Little chubby hands grabbed a meatball in each, stuffing another into his mouth, and hurriedly ran outside.

Mrs. Qin cautioned him to be careful while asking Lin Chuxia to go outside and have a look too.

Most of the meal was ready, and this being the daughter-in-law’s first New Year with their family, they wanted her to spend more time with her son.

In the yard, seeing Qin Yang eagerly waiting, Lin Chuxia notified Mrs. Qin and Zhang Guilan, then washed her hands and joined him in the yard.

The Spring Festival couplets were personally written by Qin Yang, with dynamic strokes and flowing lines, all carrying auspicious messages.

“You watch, I’ll do the pasting.”

Each door frame needed a couplet pasted, a task for Lin Chuxia and Qin Yang, while the remaining small “Fu” character decals were handled by Qin Han and Zhuangzhuang.

The granary decorated with the character “Abundance,” the water tank and cupboards with “Fortune,” happiness upon looking up, and good fortune as you step out…

“Zhuangzhuang, this character will be pasted on your quilt tonight.”

Qin Han, holding a red paper with writing, said to Little Zhuangzhuang.