novelhk Chapter 281 The First New Year's Eve Spent in Beijing
Chapter 281 The First New Year's Eve Spent in Beijing
On New Year's Eve in Beijing in the early 1990s, icicles hung from the eaves of courtyard houses, but that couldn't dampen the lively atmosphere.
This is Yuan Bao's first Lunar New Year's Eve in the capital city, in the game world.
Before dawn, Xiaoshan rushed out of the side room with his hair all messy, holding the little boy he had just gotten yesterday. He talked to himself as he coaxed the boy and started playing rock-paper-scissors with him.
Every time Xiao Shi, who thought himself clever, used scissors, Xiao Shan covered his eyes with his paws several times in exasperation, but Xiao Shan pretended not to see it.
Yuan Bao looked at the smug Xiao Shan and felt that if he didn't go over to help, Xiao Shi would probably cry. So he went over, hugged Xiao Shi, and stroked his fur to comfort him.
A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen.
Aunt Yuan rolled up her dark blue coarse cloth apron, covered the kneaded dough with a damp cloth, and turned to her aunt who was picking chives, saying, "Sister, let's prepare the dumpling filling first. We need to start our New Year's Eve dinner early tonight."
Auntie nodded, her withered fingers deftly pinching off the roots of the chives, and soon the bamboo basket was piled high with emerald green stems.
Bao Guo stood on tiptoe and leaned against the kitchen windowsill, watching Yuan Ma cut the fatty and lean pork into small cubes.
"Mom, let me chop the filling!" He took the cleaver and started chopping the meat filling with great skill.
The cleaver struck the cutting board with a loud "thud," startling the swallows on the beam into fluttering flight.
Aunt Yuan smiled and pushed Baoguo away: "Go away, don't break the cutting board. Go and play with Xiaoshan and Pingping."
In the courtyard, Grandpa, wearing his reading glasses, took out the paper-cut window decorations that he hadn't finished pasting yesterday. He carefully brushed paste onto the back of the decorations, preparing to paste them on every window.
Xiaoshan, holding up the "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character, jumped up and down, saying, "Grandpa, this has to be pasted upside down. I asked Baojie yesterday, and she said that this way good fortune will come!"
Pingping squatted on the ground, arranging the little tiger window decorations in order, occasionally looking up to see what her grandfather was doing.
Zi Tong and Xiao Shi chased after the red paper scraps that kept falling.
In the kitchen, Aunt Yuan and her husband's mother were busy preparing dumpling filling.
Yuan Ma sprinkled the chopped scallions and minced ginger into the minced meat, then poured in sesame oil, and the aroma immediately filled the air.
The aunt drained the blanched chives and chopped them finely: "This year, we should make more dumplings with coins inside, for good luck."
The two worked together seamlessly, and in no time, two large basins of tempting dumpling filling were ready.
The cutting board was piled high with snow-white dough.
At this moment, my aunt and uncle came to the kitchen to help make dumplings.
Aunt Yuan pinched off a piece of dough and skillfully rolled it into a thin wrapper.
My aunt said, "Big sister, your chive and egg filling is the most fragrant. Please teach me how to make it so that it doesn't become watery."
My aunt, wearing a newly bought floral apron, sprinkled finely chopped dried shrimp into the filling: "You have to mix in oil first to lock in the moisture, and then add salt last..."
My aunt listened and followed along.
Sunlight streamed through the windowpane covered with paper-cut window decorations, making the smiles on the four people's faces even brighter than the red paper.
Right now, the restless Xiaoshan and Pingping are running all over the yard with brooms, determined to sweep up all the fallen leaves from the cracks in the stone slabs.
Purple Eyes squatted on the stone table, its tail sweeping idly across the fallen leaves left behind on the hill.
Little Shi chased its own tail and rolled around in the yard, its fur covered in dust. "Stop fooling around!" Pingping picked up the kitten. "We need to be clean for our New Year's Eve dinner tonight!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shi stood up, shook himself, and immediately all his fur was clean.
Pingping was so shocked by Xiao Shi's skill that her jaw dropped.
Around noon, there was a sudden knock on the door of the courtyard house.
Boss Chen and Brother Lin arrived, followed by several waiters carrying food boxes outside the door. The bright red silk cloth was embroidered with the words "Old Brand New Year's Eve Dinner" in gold lettering.
Boss Chen took off his woolen hat, his eyebrows still damp with the cold air. "Quanjude's roast duck, Tianfuhao's braised pork knuckle, and Fangshan's pea flour cake—all gone!"
Xiao Shan dropped his broom and ran over, standing on tiptoe to peek into the food box. The aroma of the freshly cooked sweet and sour fish made his mouth water: "Uncle Chen, the fish's tail is still sticking up!"
Boss Chen chuckled and pinched his cheek: "Made fresh and served right away, guaranteed to be piping hot!"
Mr. Yuan quickly ushered the people inside, pointed to the eight-immortal table, and told the waiters to put all the food boxes on it, as there was heating inside and the food wouldn't get cold.
The food was delivered, and then Boss Chen and Brother Lin left with their staff, saying that on New Year's Eve, it's important for the whole family to be together and to return home. They would have Yuan Bao go over to wish Old Master Chen a Happy New Year tomorrow.
Grandpa, wearing his reading glasses, looked at the bustling courtyard and the table laden with a sumptuous meal, his eyes shining: "Wonderful, wonderful! Our family has never celebrated the New Year so lively before, especially since we're all in Beijing right now..."
The family ate dumplings, eight-treasure rice, and braised pork for lunch, and drank chicken soup before looking forward to the New Year's Eve dinner.
By the time the dumplings were put back into the pot, dusk had already fallen on the eaves of the courtyard house.
Xiaoshan stood by the stove, watching eagerly as the plump dumplings tumbled in the boiling water.
"Hurry up and count if there are enough?" Aunt Yuan gently pushed the dumplings with a strainer. "Twelve for each person, so that every year and every month may be perfect."
My aunt's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She lowered her head and wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron: "This year's dumplings are more fragrant than in previous years."
With the last dish, braised lion's head meatballs, placed on the table, the New Year's Eve dinner officially began.
On the octagonal table, the braised duck was glistening with oil, the roast chicken was golden brown, and the crispy fried dough sticks were piled up like a small mountain. The hot and sour soup in the porcelain bowl was steaming hot.
Xiao Shan bit into a dumpling and suddenly jumped up: "I found a coin in my dumpling!" He held up the coin, which was covered in vinegar, and Xiao Shi immediately came over to smell it, a few drops of soup getting on his beard.
After a few rounds of drinks, Baoguo brought out a tin box from the room: "I almost forgot! It's a surprise from President Chen!" Upon opening it, they found it was a videotape, which was quite rare at the time.
"Journey to the West!" Xiaoshan and Pingping screamed at the same time.
The television made a few hissing sounds, and on the screen, Sun Wukong was riding the clouds, which made the kittens jump onto the table and stretch out their paws to try to pounce on the golden cudgel on the screen.
When the midnight bell rang, the courtyard of the siheyuan was already covered with red paper scraps.
Xiaoshan and Baoguo, wearing thick cotton gloves, lit a string of 1,000 firecrackers.
Amidst the crackling sounds, Yuan Bao, along with Xiao Shan and Ping Ping, stuffed slips of paper filled with their wishes into the stove.
Flames, carrying pieces of paper, shot into the air, casting a rosy glow on everyone's faces.
Grandpa and Grandma sat in wicker chairs, holding each other's hands tightly.
Grandma murmured softly, "Old man, we can say we're celebrating the New Year in Beijing..."
Aunt Yuan slipped a red paper packet into everyone's hand. Xiao Shan eagerly opened it, and inside lay a brand-new one-yuan bill.
"I'll buy you candy!" Aunt Yuan said with a smile, her wrinkles at the corners of her eyes radiating happiness.
At exactly twelve o'clock, the first firework exploded in the sky above Beijing.
Xiaoshan and Pingping ran out the door with sparklers in hand, while Zitong and Xiaoshi squatted on the threshold, their purple and orange figures flickering in the light of the fireworks.
Yuan Bao stood in the center of the courtyard, watching the fireworks bursting in the sky, and suddenly felt that this moment of reunion was more dazzling than any star.