The happy little days of the Ye family

Ye's father set out before dawn and didn't return home until it was completely dark.

Cousin and uncle Ye were very enthusiastic. They caught two big roosters that had been raised in the mountains for Ye’s father, and stuffed a few kilograms of rapeseed oil into Ye’s father.

The two big roosters had been riding a donkey cart for a long time, and they were a little dizzy. Old Mrs. Ye took out a large chicken coop and stuffed the two big roosters in it.

Mrs. Ye brought out two more broken bowls, one filled with water and the other filled with some chicken food to feed the chickens.

Ye’s mother was very happy when she saw the large can of rapeseed oil that Ye’s father brought back, “Such a big can of rapeseed oil is just perfect for frying twist croquettes.”

After dinner, Mrs. Ye was a little worried about the two big roosters, so she went to take a look at them with an oil lamp.

The two big roosters that were still limp when they got home have recovered after drinking water and eating some chicken food. They are very majestic and majestic.

Early the next morning, the four men of the Ye family went to the town to set up a stall as usual.

Today is the 29th of the year, the last day of the year to set up a stall. Father Ye plans to get rid of all the remaining items at a low price and get back all the money invested.

Ye Muye is very busy today, making sweet-scented osmanthus cake and rice cake.

There are many sweet-scented osmanthus trees in the village, and every woman in the village knows how to make sweet-scented osmanthus cake. Every New Year, every household will make a lot of sweet-scented osmanthus cakes.

Homemade sweet-scented osmanthus cake is much more affordable than pastry shop snacks. It is great to eat at home or to entertain guests.

New Year cake has the auspicious meaning of "(sticky) high (cake) every year", which means that people's lives are getting better year by year. Every New Year's Eve every household in the village will make some rice cakes.

Put the glutinous rice flour and a little rice flour into a basin, add sugar, sweet-scented osmanthus and an appropriate amount of water and stir evenly, then add lard and mix evenly.

Then Ye Mu took out a large earthenware plate, brushed it with rapeseed oil, then put the mixed slurry into the plate and spread it flat.

Finally, put it in a basket and steam it over high heat for two quarters of an hour. The soft, glutinous and sweet osmanthus cake is ready. Let it cool before cutting it into small pieces.

While the sweet-scented osmanthus cake was steaming, Ye Mu started making rice cakes.

Add a small amount of ordinary rice flour to the glutinous rice flour, then add lard to the glutinous rice flour, then pour in hot boiling water and stir the glutinous rice flour into a snowflake shape. After kneading evenly, beat it repeatedly on the board to make the dough vigorous, and finally steam it in a pot over high heat. Ripe.

The prepared rice cakes should be soaked in clean water for storage, and the water for rice cakes soaked in clean water needs to be changed every day so that they can be stored for a longer period of time. If the rice cake has become sour, it cannot be eaten anymore.

Because they had to deal with all the goods purchased this year, Father Ye and others came back late. Mrs. Ye and the other three had already eaten several pieces of sweet-scented osmanthus cake in order to wait for Father Ye and the others to come back to have dinner together.

I made sweet-scented osmanthus cake and rice cake in the morning, and in the afternoon Ye Mu planned to fry fried mahua and croquettes.

Mrs. Ye kneaded two kilograms of noodles, rolled the mixed noodles into long and thin strips, then twisted the noodles into twists, then cut them into small twists with a knife, and finally fried them in an oil pan, which is used for frying twists. It was still the rapeseed oil brought back by Ye’s father.

Ye Mu was making meatballs on the side. Ye Mu prepared three different kinds of meatballs, namely sweet potato meatballs, radish meatballs and pure meat meatballs.

After Mrs. Ye finished frying the twists, there was still more than half a pot of hot oil left, and Mrs. Ye just finished frying the meatballs.

The sweet potato meatballs are sweet and crispy, the radish meatballs are sweet and delicious, and the meatballs are full of meat. Each kind of meatballs is very tempting, and the fragrance makes Ye Mu salivate.

Although rapeseed oil does not have the aroma of lard when cooking, it is just right for frying twists and croquettes.

While frying the meatballs, Ye Donglin and his younger brothers and sisters stood by the oil pan, looking pitifully at Mother Ye and Mrs. Ye.

Old Mrs. Ye glared at these greedy cats angrily, filled a small bowl with a few of each meatball, filled a large bowl, and sent away the debt collectors.

New Year's goods have been prepared long ago, including couplets, red lanterns, window grilles, firecrackers, candy, new clothes, and pastries.

On New Year's Eve, the village was full of joy, and every household was busy posting couplets and making reunion dinners.

The Ye family got up early and were very busy today.

Mr. Ye led his eldest grandson Ye Donglin to put up couplets and window grilles. When pasting couplets, you need to use paste. Paste is a paste cooked with glutinous rice flour. It has very good stickiness. People in the village use this to paste couplets and window grilles.

The remaining people were responsible for the New Year's Eve dinner. The old lady and Ye's father were responsible for killing chickens, ducks and fish, and Ye's mother was responsible for washing vegetables and preparing seasonings for the two children.

The Ye family’s reunion dinner includes six meat dishes and two vegetarian dishes. The meat dishes include boiled chicken, braised pork knuckles with soybeans, braised grass carp and braised duck. The vegetarian dishes include braised tofu and cabbage stewed with shrimps.

The duck is a self-raised duck. Ye Mu plans to make braised duck. Braised pork is often available. Ye Mu plans to change the taste.

The fish is grass carp that Ye's father ordered in advance from Fujia Village. The grass carp weighing more than three kilograms is just right for braised in soy sauce.

Eating fish during the Spring Festival is very particular, as it indicates that there will be plenty every year, so eating fish during the Spring Festival is a common custom in China. When having a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, fish is an indispensable dish on every dining table. The word "yu" for fish is the same as "yu", and there is "yu" every year, which is auspicious and festive.

The chicken that was killed today was a big rooster given by Cousin Ye. The big rooster weighed more than 5 pounds and was very impressive. When killing the chicken, Mrs. Ye was a little reluctant to part with it.

The killed big rooster was cooked whole. Mr. Ye and his father took the big rooster, incense candles and paper money to worship the ancestors of the Ye family.

After worshiping the ancestors, the big rooster turned into a white-cut chicken on the table.

The annual New Year's Eve dinner is a feast that the whole family must attend. Every household will put out dishes that they would be reluctant to eat on weekdays, or dishes that imply auspiciousness, which are also expectations for a better life in the coming year.

During the New Year's Eve dinner, what you eat is joy, what you taste is family affection, and what you smell in the aroma of the rice is the taste of home.

Before the New Year's Eve dinner, Ye's father went to order firecrackers. The firecrackers he bought were the largest and most expensive ones in the store. They were particularly loud among the firecrackers in the village and lasted longer than other firecrackers.

"Sure enough, it's expensive for a reason." Father Ye said cheerfully.

After burning the firecrackers, the New Year's Eve dinner began. Father Ye specially brought two pots of rice wine out to have a drink with Mr. Ye.

Ye Donglin claimed to be an older child and shamelessly asked for half a cup of rice wine from his father. Ye Donglin took a sip out of curiosity.

Ye Donglin said with a bitter face and frowned: "It's so bitter, so unpleasant to drink."

Father Ye took the wine back from Ye Donglin's hand heartbrokenly, "The cow chews the peony, and it's all wasted for you to drink."

"But it tastes really bad!"

Ye Donglin's rather voluptuous face wrinkled up, making both Ye's mother and Mrs. Ye laugh.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, each of the three children of the Ye family received four pieces of New Year's money. Ye Donglin and Ye Xilin happily jumped on the spot a few times.

Father Ye took some fireworks out of the house, and the family set off fireworks in the yard.