Siheyuan, don't mess with me

Through the open courtyard gate, Yan Bugui was disappointed, as he lost two cigarettes for nothing. The New Year benefits of Hongxing were not bad either, basically the same, except that soybeans were replaced with old tofu. This was probably given specially, otherwise it would be impossible to give tofu to all employees in the factory. There was no sesame oil, but two kilograms of rapeseed oil instead. Lao Luo also gave ten kilograms of beef, a jar of twenty-year-old Dongjiu, and four Huazi!

Before Chen Zhiguo pulled them into the room for tea, Luo Xue, Wang Qiang, and Lao Shen came over and brought the New Year benefits issued by the Ministry of Industry. Lao Xu and the others did not stay long and said goodbye and left directly!

The welfare of the Ministry of Industry is almost the same as that of the lower units, except for an extra two pounds of bean sprouts and two pounds of apples. The other benefits, such as flour, sesame oil, candy, pork, and hairtail, are the same! In addition, Lao Shen and his team also brought two boxes of Beijing Eight Pieces, two bottles of Fenjiu, and two packs of Huazi!

How could Chen Zhiguo accept their gifts? But since they had already delivered them to his door, rejecting them would be a loss of face! After letting them rest for a while, he took Jiang Xiaohua into the kitchen and took out a dozen lunch boxes. Chen Zhiguo cut them and Jiang Xiaohua packed them. The braised pork head was cut and packed into three lunch boxes. The pork liver, pork stomach and pork lung were cut and mixed and packed into three lunch boxes. The fried meatballs were packed into three lunch boxes. He also gave each person a bunny rabbit. This return gift was much heavier than what they had brought!

Chen Zhiguo pointed at the cigarettes and alcohol on the ground and said, "Do you think I need anything? You just want to fool around!" He gave Lao Shen and Wang Qiang a bottle of Taizi and a pack of Huazi respectively!

Instead of giving Luo Xue cigarettes or alcohol, she gave her two boxes of tea and a bottle of medicinal wine. "I know you don't need any at home, so take this back and give it to your family to try!"

Looking at Lao Shen and Wang Qiang who were still hesitating, "If you don't want it, then don't come next time!"

Chen Zhiguo didn't want to see them being sentimental either, and said, "It's New Year's Day, go home and work quickly, don't think about being lazy!" He sent them away. It's New Year's Day, and everyone has things going on at home, so if you have anything to say, wait until you get to work to talk!

Chapter 246 New Year's Eve Dinner (Part )

Not long after, Chen Dayong, Chen Dahu, and second aunt Zhao Chunhua came back together, and the welfare for the New Year was also dragged back on a bicycle. This year was the first time that the old Chen family reunited in the small courtyard, and the second uncle and second aunt did not have to go back to live! The second uncle and his family took Xiaomei and Xiaoyue to live in the west wing, Xiaoli lived with Wang Meihua, Chen Xueru and Jiang Xiaohua lived together, and Chen Zhiguo continued to be the director!

Looking at the pile of things on the ground in the yard, Chen Dayong and Chen Dahu were not surprised. It was normal courtesy. Chen Zhiguo was busy in three factories, and sending some benefits to them showed that the companies were thinking about him!

The three of them got to work, sorted out the things, and put them away! Next, Chen Zhiguo had to continue frying meatballs. Originally, Chen Xiaoli and the others ate a lot of them while frying them. He thought that it would be enough to make a few dishes, but he gave some to Grandma Hu and some gifts to Second Aunt. The remaining meatballs were packed into three lunch boxes for Old Shen and the others. There was nothing left at home, so he had to make them again. In addition to the trouble of chopping and seasoning the stuffing, the oil pan was still there, so he just had to light the fire and heat the oil!

While waiting for the oil to heat up, Chen Zhiguo and Chen Dayong pasted couplets on the two gates. At the gate, Chen Zhiguo also hung a pair of red lanterns, which looked festive!

The aroma of the fried meatballs once again awakened the taste buds of Chen Xiaoli and the others, but this time, Chen Zhiguo did not let them eat. It was not because he was afraid that there would not be enough meatballs, but because they would have to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner in a while. Now they were full, so what would they eat in the evening? Are you drooling over the delicious food?

Just as several people were busy, the door of the courtyard was knocked again. On this side of the courtyard, Yan Bugui was still accompanying him. Two soldiers came over, "Hello, I'm Chen Zhiguo!"

"Comrade Chen Zhiguo, hello! We are entrusted by Comrade Liu Qiangjun to deliver these two things!" At the feet of the two men was a large cardboard box and a sealed iron bucket! The leading comrade handed Chen Zhiguo a letter!

When Chen Zhiguo opened it, he found it was a thank-you letter from Liu Qiangjun. The engine he was responsible for had now been assembled and was in the debugging stage. As the Spring Festival was approaching, he bought seafood at the seaside and sent it over to express his gratitude!

"Thank you so much, Comrade Liu Qiangjun, for thinking of me despite your busy schedule!"

After seeing off the two comrades, Chen Zhiguo handed Yan Bugui a Huazi cigarette. This was the sixth cigarette Yan Bugui had received today. Not bad, he had received half a pack of cigarettes!

There were two items, one was packed in a cardboard box. After opening it, there were two plates of frozen goods inside. One plate was large yellow croaker, and the other was large prawns. The prawns were really big, as long as half of Chen Xiaoli's arm!

He opened the lid of the iron bucket and removed the ice. Inside were black, soft, arm-thick mollusks with fleshy spines. "What is this? It looks weird!" Chen Dahu touched it with his hand. It was soft and elastic.

"This is a sea cucumber!" Chen Zhiguo replied.

"Is this a sea cucumber? It looks creepy, can it be delicious?" Chen Dahu asked uncertainly.

"It's delicious and nutritious. My grandparents are here, so I'll make some tonic for them!" Chen Zhiguo answered affirmatively. Although he couldn't make it, there were people who could!

"Xiao Li, go to the middle courtyard and invite Uncle He over!"

"Got it!" Chen Xiaoli ran out like a gust of wind!

After a while, He Daqing, He Yuzhu and He Yushui all came running over, wanting to see what's new!

"Oh! Such a big sea cucumber is hard to come by now. It takes at least six or seven years to grow to this size. Zhiguo, which friend gave you such a good gift?"

Chen Zhiguo smiled and didn't answer. He Daqing also knew that he was talking too much and that some questions shouldn't be asked! Then he changed the subject, "Zhiguo, how are you going to eat these sea cucumbers?"

"I want to nourish my grandparents. How should I cook this sea cucumber?" Chen Zhiguo asked.

"This is simple. Sea cucumbers are good things. They can delay aging and strengthen the body. It is best to cook sea cucumber porridge for the elderly and let them eat it on an empty stomach in the morning. This way they can be absorbed better! But be careful not to eat it every day. Eat it every other day or every two days!"

When it comes to eating, that is He Daqing's strong point. Taking the Huazi handed over by Chen Zhiguo, He Daqing continued,

"Before making sea cucumber porridge, first cook the rice porridge, then put the chopped sea cucumber into the porridge, add a small amount of salt and sugar, an appropriate amount of shredded ginger, and cook for another 5 minutes before serving. Not only is the nutrition well absorbed, but the taste is also relatively soft and will not hurt the stomach. It is good for the nourishment of the elderly!"

"Another option is to chop up the sea cucumber and steam it with eggs to make egg custard. This is also a good way to eat it. However, although sea cucumbers are good, it is best for children to eat less! Don't let them eat more just because they think it is nutritious, as this will stimulate their development!"

Hearing that she couldn't eat it, Chen Xiaoli curled her lips, a little disappointed. Although it looked black and soft and didn't look good at all, but if you haven't eaten it, you always want to taste it, right?

Chen Zhiguo saw Chen Xiaoli's disappointment and patted her head. "It's not that you can't eat it often, it's okay to eat less!" This made Chen Xiaoli happy. In fact, what she craves most is the prawns. They are so big! One can fill her stomach and it must be very satisfying to eat!

Chen Zhiguo said to He Daqing, "I understand, Uncle He! Uncle He, how about you show off your skills tonight and make a classic Shandong dish, braised sea cucumber with scallions."

He Daqing smiled, "You are the only one who knows how to cook it. I have such good ingredients, so I will show you my skills! Zhuzi, bring two sea cucumbers and I will teach you how to cook it!"

It is rare to have such good ingredients, so He Daqing began to teach on the spot. He Daqing is not only good at cooking Tan cuisine, but also a master of Shandong cuisine. However, He Yuzhu is proficient in Sichuan cuisine, and He Yuzhu has not yet learned all of He Daqing's skills!

Half an hour later, He Daqing and He Yuzhu left the kitchen, "Zhiguo, the food is warm in the steamer for you!"

"Thanks, Uncle He!"

"What are you thanking me for! Let's go!" Today is New Year's Eve, and they have to eat the New Year's Eve dinner at home, otherwise Chen Zhiguo would have pulled him away and wouldn't let him leave, and they would have to have a couple of drinks at least!

"Brother Zhuzi, take this back!" Chen Zhiguo took four sea cucumbers, two yellow croakers, and six prawns. It was not that he did not want to give more, but the prawns were so big that he would have one left over for each person to take home. No, there was still one in Yu Li's stomach, which was just right!

"No, it's too expensive!" He Daqing waved his hands. Yellow croaker is not expensive now. A yellow croaker weighing four or five kilograms is not common, but it can be eaten! It's just that the sea cucumber and prawns are of too good quality and are really hard to buy. He Daqing used to work in a restaurant and had seen all kinds of ingredients. As long as these sea cucumbers and prawns were a little ordinary, he would have taken them directly!

"Take it! It's just food, no matter how expensive it is, you have to eat it. Today is New Year's Eve, just consider it as two more main dishes!" Chen Dayong had spoken, and He Daqing did not refuse. He bowed and let He Yuzhu take it!

As night fell, the Chen family courtyard was brightly lit. In the main living room, it was warm as spring. A large round table was steaming and fragrant, with the fruits of Chen Zhiguo and Chen Dayong's afternoon work on it.

A platter of mixed shredded vegetables, fried peanuts, pork head, pork liver, pork heart, and pork lungs, a plate of preserved eggs, a plate of candied dates, and six cold dishes!

Braised pork, fried hairtail, four-happiness meatballs, scallion-fried sea cucumber, pig's trotters stewed with soybeans, braised lamb, pork ribs stewed with yam, lion's head, chicken stewed with sea cucumber, and braised carp, boiled prawns, Beijing-style shredded pork, hot and sour cabbage, and mushrooms and vegetables!

There were twenty dishes in total! The big round table was filled with delicious food, giving off an alluring aroma! Before the meal started, Chen Zhiguo set off a string of firecrackers with a thousand bangs in the yard, wishing a prosperous New Year!

Grandpa and grandma sat on both sides of the eight-immortal table in the main room. Chen Dayong and Wang Meihua kowtowed to the two elders first, "I wish you good health and longevity!"

Next up, Chen Dahu and Zhao Chunhua came up to kowtow, "I wish you and your parents will live longer and younger!"

Next came Chen Zhiguo's grandchildren. Chen Zhiguo was in the lead, followed by Chen Xiaoli and others. Only Chen Xueru and Jiang Xiaohua were still standing.

"Why? You two don't want to acknowledge me as your grandma?" Grandma said with a smile.

Chen Xueru and Jiang Xiaohua, who were still hesitating, quickly knelt down, kneeling on either side of Chen Zhiguo, and said, "Happy New Year to Grandpa and Grandma! May you live forever, never grow old, and enjoy a new life in your seventies, and may the happiness last forever!"

Grandma looked at the two beautiful girls kneeling beside Chen Zhiguo and sighed in her heart, they are both pretty girls, what can I do! Her mind was racing, and her unhappy thoughts were put aside!

"Good! Good!" Grandma happily took out the red envelopes and gave them New Year's money! This was prepared by Chen Zhiguo for grandma in advance. It was not much, just ten yuan! After grandma gave out the New Year's money, Wang Meihua and Zhao Chunhua also gave out a wave of money. The money was not much, just one yuan in the red envelope, just for the sake of celebration!

This made Chen Xiaoli and the others very happy. When had they ever had so much money? They were all thinking about what snacks they could buy tomorrow and the day after tomorrow! I just don’t know how long Wang Meihua and Zhao Chunhua will let the children keep the money. I guess they will find a way to put it away tomorrow morning! Chen Zhiguo looked at the three sisters of the Chen family who were gathered together and chattering about what to buy. He smiled secretly in his heart, but didn’t point it out! Let them be happy first, and worry later!

Grandpa and grandma drank medicinal wine, Chen Dayong and Chen Dahu drank Taizi, Chen Zhiguo and Chen Xueru did the same, and the rest all drank tea!

Under the night sky, bright lights shine through the glass windows, illuminating the courtyard. Standing in the courtyard and looking inside, a large family is sitting around the table, raising their glasses to celebrate, and in the misty fog, there are laughter and joy!

Such scenes are happening in the He family, the Liu family, the Hu family, and the Jia family! There are more or less people, more or less dishes, and better or worse wines, but everyone's face is filled with happy smiles, and everyone's mood is the same, that is, hope that next year will be better!

Only Yan Bugui's house seemed a little deserted, because it was New Year's Eve, so he specially fried four dishes: shredded potatoes, cabbage and pork vermicelli, boiled radish strips, and a small salted fish!

Yan Jiecheng did not come back to celebrate the New Year. He chose to be on duty and cover for others so that he could earn more money!

During the Chinese New Year, when the whole family was reunited, the absence of one person at home did not seem to affect everyone's mood for dinner. Only Yan Jiedi asked, "Brother, aren't you coming back for the New Year?"

"Let's eat!" Li Ruihua glanced at Yan Bugui who was drinking and replied.

Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang kept their heads down while eating. It was a rare occasion for them to have meat at home, so the meat was divided, one piece per person, not much. However, the cabbage vermicelli tasted particularly delicious with the meat oil, so the two of them never stopped eating with their chopsticks!

The entire Yan family fell into an eerie silence. Apart from the sound of people wolfing down their food, there was no conversation, let alone laughter. Compared with the laughter and joy in other families, there was only desolation, estrangement, and even a bit of strangeness here!

The Chen family, which is adjacent to the Yan family, is like two different worlds: warm rooms, lively banquets, and laughter floating in the night sky through the roof!

Chapter 247 New Year’s Eve Dinner (Part )

At this time, eating was not the focus. The main thing was chatting, talking about family matters, trivialities of life, happiness, and embarrassing things. They ate while chatting. The meal lasted more than two hours. The three children had already eaten their fill and left the table. They were not hungry in the first place, and after each of them ate a big shrimp, there was no room in their stomachs!

"Brother, brother! I want to set off fireworks!" Chen Xiaoli and Chen Xiaoyue ran in holding the fireworks that Chen Zhiguo bought, and pulled Chen Zhiguo to the yard!

"Let's go! Grab some incense and I'll take you to set off the fireworks!" Before Chen Zhiguo went out, he pulled Chen Xueru!

After demonstrating how to light a firework, Chen Zhiguo gave the incense in his hand to his sisters and stood with Chen Xueru!

The fireworks illuminated the faces of the two people. Chen Xueru looked up, while Chen Zhiguo turned his head to look at her. Smiles blossomed on both of their faces!

Chen Zhiguo stretched out his palm, Chen Xueru smiled, put one hand on his palm, clasped her fingers, like a silent oath! Under the starry sky, in the brilliant fireworks, at the most lively moment of the year!

Hold your hand and grow old with you!

No words are needed, at this moment, our hearts are connected!

. . . . . . . .

Chen Xueru and Jiang Xiaohua went to order two plates of dumplings that had been wrapped in the afternoon. Chen Xiaoli and the others ate a few, and grandparents also had a simple meal and left the table. The elderly are used to going to bed early and getting up early, so if it wasn’t New Year’s Eve, they would have gone to bed long ago!

Chen Zhiguo accompanied them to drink a few glasses of wine. After finishing a bottle of wine and eating some dumplings, this year's New Year's Eve dinner was over. After clearing the table, Wang Meihua and the second aunt started making dumplings again. At twelve o'clock in the morning, they had to make two bowls of dumplings!

Early morning, also known as the midnight, is the most important time of the Chinese New Year, known as "changing the year and welcoming the new year". According to custom, the stuffed noodles eaten at the midnight are to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new year, so people call it "jiaozi" food, which later evolved into "dumplings". Dumplings eaten at this time must be vegetarian, meaning peace and tranquility in the coming year, and they cannot be cooked all at once. The leftovers from New Year's Eve are eaten on the first day of the new year, meaning auspiciousness and abundance!

After making the dumplings, Wang Meihua and Second Aunt took the children to bed, leaving only the three old men to smoke and drink tea to celebrate the New Year!

While waiting for the dumplings to be ready, Chen Zhiguo went to the kitchen and ordered two plates of vegetarian dumplings. He set off a string of firecrackers at the checkpoint. At this time, firecrackers were blasting throughout the city of Yanjing, and everyone was celebrating the arrival of the new year!

The three of them drank two small glasses of white wine, finished two plates of vegetarian dumplings, and went back to their rooms to sleep without turning off the lights!

"You haven't slept yet?" Chen Zhiguo saw Chen Xueru lying on the Luohan bed.

"I slept for a while and was woken up by the sound of firecrackers!" Chen Xueru, wearing cotton pajamas, stretched lazily, not caring at all. She showed her snow-white skin in front of Chen Zhiguo, stood up, and helped Chen Zhiguo hang up his coat!

"Would you like something to eat?"

"No, I ate too much last night!"

"Well, go to bed early! Don't stay up too late!"

"it is good!"

Chen Zhiguo looked at Chen Xueru who was standing there without moving. He suddenly had an idea and reached out to hold her in his arms.

"Happy New Year!"

The warm blessing sounded in Chen Xueru's ears. Chen Xueru also hugged him tightly, with her pretty face on Chen Zhiguo's chest, listening to his heartbeat. This was the sound that made her addicted and obsessed. With it, she would feel safe! Accustomed to the warm embrace, now suddenly sleeping alone made her very uncomfortable, tossing and turning! Especially on such a family reunion day, Chen Xueru wanted to have a warm embrace to embrace her!

After hugging for a while, Chen Zhiguo felt that Chen Xueru was about to fall asleep while standing. He gently pushed her away, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Go back to your room and sleep!"

"Hold me for a while longer!" Chen Xueru twisted her body in a daze. Standing like this made her very uncomfortable! But she was reluctant to leave!

Chen Zhiguo didn't know what to do. In the past, the two of them could hug each other behind closed doors, but now there was another Jiang Xiaohua in the room!

Maybe because she had been standing for too long, Chen Xueru's body began to fall down. Chen Zhiguo could only half-squat and give her a princess hug. Without caring about anything else, he quietly pushed open the half-open door. In the room, Jiang Xiaohua had already fallen asleep. Chen Zhiguo gently stuffed Chen Xueru into the quilt, slowly put his hands around her neck into the quilt, then checked the quilt, kissed Chen Xueru lightly on the face, and then quietly left the room!

What he didn't know was that Jiang Xiaohua hadn't slept the whole time. She only closed her eyes when Chen Xueru was brought in. Through the gap, she looked at Chen Zhiguo's gentle treatment. Jiang Xiaohua thought to herself, no wonder Sister Xueru didn't want to leave, here, she could really be spoiled like a princess. What man could be so gentle to her like Chen Zhiguo?

"Oh!" With a barely audible sigh, Jiang Xiaohua turned over and tightened the quilt around herself!