Chapter 118 Preparations before the New Year
Grandma Huo looked at the package in front of her, her eyes a little sad, "Oh, your parents are really thoughtful. How are they? Are they okay?"
Huo Xunye consoled her, "Grandma, don't worry, my parents are fine. Come and take a look at these things."
Inside the package were two pairs of sweaters and woolen trousers, two cotton-padded coats, two pairs of cotton-padded shoes, as well as malted milk, brown sugar, and various soft pastries.
He also sent money to Huo Xunye, asking him to remember to buy some food for the old couple.
Grandpa Huo and Grandma Huo were very happy when they saw these food items.
Grandma Huo patted Huo Xunye's hand and said, "Let them rest assured that we are fine here. Don't worry about it all the time. Take care of yourself first."
Huo Xunye nodded in agreement.
Then she remembered something and said, "Grandma, I will bring food at noon on New Year's Eve and we will have dinner together. In the evening, the educated youth want to get together, so they can't come."
Grandma Huo was a little worried, "Is it too risky to come at noon?"
Huo Xunye shook his head and said, "It's okay. I was mostly busy at home that day and no one came here."
Grandma Huo nodded and then said, "That's okay."
Zhao Meijuan next to her heard this and said, "Don't worry, Auntie, my Wanqing also said she would come at noon."
Grandma Huo said with a smile, "Then we have a good New Year, and we can still be with the children."
"Yeah, this year is really good." Zhao Meijuan also smiled softly.
Huo Xunye went back after finishing the matter.
In the remaining days, the weather became colder and colder, and the wind outside blew on the face, which made the face hurt and could push people forward.
Wen Xin almost never goes out.
I just concentrate on eating, studying and sleeping at home.
Thanks to the hard work during this period, Wen Xin's content for the first year of high school has been learned and consolidated.
Now I am continuing to study the contents of my second year of high school.
Zhao Wanqing and the others were also studying in their own rooms. They would occasionally get together to discuss some unfamiliar issues before, but as the weather got colder and colder, everyone stayed on the kang in their own rooms.
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, Wen Xin and the others braved the cold wind to buy sugar melons. They were made of brown sugar, with a layer of sesame seeds on the outside and a hollow center, which was particularly fragrant. Because they are all candies, they are not cheap. Some people bought one together.
Wen Xin likes to eat, so she bought three of them and kept the others in the space.
On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, the educated youths all started cleaning up. Busy cleaning everywhere in the house, even the yard.
Everyone’s face is full of longing for the New Year.
On the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, the educated youth went to a tofu maker in the village and bought a large piece of tofu to eat during the Chinese New Year.
When I went there, there was an endless stream of family members. They were very experienced and busy in an orderly manner.
On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the rooster is going to be killed.
The educated youth had never raised chickens before, so they went to the village and bought a rooster.
The blood was bled, the water was boiled, and the hair was removed. The eyes of several people really lit up when they looked at the chicken.
On the 28th and 29th of the twelfth lunar month, almost every household in the village was lighting a fire to cook.
Want to steam steamed buns and cook Laba porridge.
As for steamed buns, Zhao Wanqing and the others really don't know how to make them. I am a little bit literate, and I have learned it from the Internet before, but my craftsmanship is average and the result is not very good.
Li Qian did a great job, so she was responsible for teaching others.
Some make two-faced steamed buns, and some make white flour steamed buns.
Wen Xin was not short of white flour, so she made white flour steamed buns.
Laba porridge is also rich in ingredients.
Wen Xin first prepared black rice, glutinous rice, brown rice and rice, as well as red kidney beans, mung beans, red beans, cowpeas, lotus seeds, and added peanuts, walnuts, and red dates.
Wen Xin first poured various beans and lotus seeds into a bowl, added water and washed them thoroughly.
After washing, change the water and soak for more than two hours.
Next, put the red dates into a bowl, add water and wash them thoroughly.
Change the water several times, wash it and take it out to dry.
The same goes for peanuts and walnut kernels, which are washed and dried.
Add water to wash all kinds of rice and pour out the rice water. Then add water and soak for thirty minutes.
First put the soaked beans into the pot, add water, stir evenly, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer for half an hour. When cooked, add peanuts, walnut kernels and red dates and continue cooking for more than 20 minutes. Add the remaining rice and continue cooking.
Keep stirring during this period to prevent sticking to the pan.
Just before it's ready, add a few pieces of rock sugar to adjust the taste.
After it was cooked, Wen Xin couldn't help but get a little heady when she smelled the sweet smell as soon as she opened the lid of the pot.
I immediately took a bowl and took it out to try.
Very fragrant and delicious. Wen Xin is satisfied.
Just then someone knocked on the door.
It was Zhao Wanqing who brought the Laba porridge she made.
"Xinxin, I made this myself. I want you to try it."
Wen Xin took the bowl and asked people to come in.
After coming in, Zhao Wanqing took a whiff and said, "Xinxin, what you made is so delicious."
Wen Xin freed up the bowl and scooped out a bowl of what she had made for her, "Here, try it."
Zhao Wanqing took a sip and exclaimed, "It smells so good, so delicious. It tastes much better than what I made."
Wen Xin smiled and said, "What you made is delicious. Okay, I'll scoop out two more bowls for you, and you can give them to your parents to try."
Zhao Wanqing burst into tears, "Okay, thank you Xinxin, you are the best."
Afterwards, Li Qian, Zhang Yingying and Wang Yumei all brought their own Laba porridge, and Wen Xin also gave them the homemade Laba porridge in their bowls.
The last one to knock on the door was Huo Xunye.
Wen Xin opened the door and saw him holding a big bowl and looking at her with a smile.
"Wen Xin, this is the Laba porridge I made myself. I want you to try it."
Wen Xin took it with a smile and said, "Okay. I've made it too, and I'll pour it into a bowl for you."
Huo Xunye happily returned to the house with the bowl in hand.
Looking at the Laba porridge with rich ingredients, full presentation and full fragrance in the bowl, he took a small taste and it was very fragrant.
What he made himself has been sent to his grandparents, so he ate this himself.
Wen Xin looked at the several bowls of Laba porridge in the room, dumbfounded.
Drinking the Laba porridge I made myself, looking at the snowy scene outside, I feel peaceful and rich inside.
As the saying goes, don’t be greedy, children. After Laba Festival, it will be the New Year.
On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the whole village smelled of fried food.
Fried meatballs, fried fish, fried and more.
This is the only luxury at the end of the year, just to reward yourself for your hard work this year.
Wen Xin also plans to make fried meatballs and fried fish.
Prepare the fillings early, and after the meatballs are ready, mix the batter.
After the oil is hot, the meatballs are coated in batter and thrown in to fry.
The sizzling sound makes those who listen feel happy.
The meatballs are fried, it's fried fish.
It's the kind of small fish I bought from the village before. This kind of fish tastes best when fried.
Coat it with a layer of batter and fry.
After everything was fried, there was still a little batter left, so Wen Xin looked for other ingredients.
