Two generations of military wives compete for time

Chapter 179: Celebrate the Little New Year and worship the Kitchen God.

"Okay, all the staff in the palace warmly welcome you and express their gratitude." Wang Min said excitedly.

"Xiangxiang, Ganggang, let's go home. Grandma has already kneaded the dough and mixed the stuffing, and is waiting for us to go home and make dumplings." Wang Min shouted.

"Mom, I want to play for a while longer and watch my great-grandmother cut paper-cuts." Xiangxiang said. Wang Min forcibly took Xiangxiang and Ganggang's hands and walked out the door. Xiangxiang and Ganggang looked back every step and left the Chen Mansion reluctantly.

Qian Yizheng prepared a 50-jin bag of rice, a box of Kuangfujia wine, a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, a box of fine peach cakes, and a bag of apples, and urged Han Shiyan and Li Baoguo to go to Li's father and mother's home to celebrate the New Year.

"Mr. Qian, the dumpling fillings are ready. There are two kinds of fillings: leek, black fungus and egg filling, and cabbage and pork filling. The dough is also ready. Let's all come over and make dumplings together." said housekeeper Qin Yue'e.

"Hey, family, it's time to make dumplings. Put aside the work in your hands and do other things after you finish making the dumplings," said Qian Yizhen.

Housekeepers Qin Yue'e and Xia Juxiang were responsible for rolling out the dough, while cousin Chen Mengwei, grandmother Chen Yalu, grandfather Lu Kaipu, Qian Yiyun, Ming Yuanhui, Qian Baogui, Junhua, Support the Army, Love the Army, and Strengthen the Army joined the dumpling-making team.

Housekeeper Qin Yue'e decided to stay in the Chen mansion for the New Year, because her son and daughter were studying in other cities. In order to save travel expenses, they would not go back to their mother for the New Year. During the winter vacation, they would work part-time to earn tuition and living expenses to reduce the burden on their mother.

Qian Yizhen sincerely praised the housekeeper Qin Yue'e for having a pair of sensible and hardworking children, and gave Qin Yue'e one month's overtime pay to stay in the Chen Mansion to help during the New Year.

Nanny Xia Juxiang had a failed marriage, and was forced to divorce because she was a barren woman and could not have children. According to local customs, married girls cannot return to their parents' home for the New Year, so every New Year's Eve and holiday, she would cry secretly because she was homeless. She was also secretly glad that she met Mr. Qian and a good family like the Chen family.

Because Xia Juxiang was a homeless person, she had been spending holidays and the New Year at the Chen residence since she came to work as a housekeeper. As usual, Qian Yizheng gave Xia Juxiang one month's overtime pay.

With the joint efforts of everyone, the work of making dumplings is nearing completion. When the dumpling stuffing is gone, grandma Chen Yalu takes out brown sugar and a few copper coins, puts them on the chopping board, and calls the military swallows and pigeons to come and make lucky dumplings, which means that whoever eats them will have sweetness and wealth all year round.

Two little children came running over and happily played with the dumpling skins. Under the guidance of their elders, they completed the making of lucky dumplings. Their hands, faces and clothes were covered with white flour. Han Shiyan quickly captured this beautiful moment.

Ming Yuanhui found the barber tools and prepared to cut his family's hair. Ming Yuanhui learned the barbering skills when he was a soldier in the army. Because there were few people at the border post, it was difficult to cut the soldiers' hair.

The old company commander was always thinking about the soldiers' hairdressing problems. Once, when he went on a business trip to Kunming, he asked his comrades to use their connections and finally bought a set of hairdressing tools.

Since then, the soldiers at the border post have learned to use hair clippers and razors without any instruction. Comrades cut each other's hair and no longer have to worry about getting a haircut. The set of hair clippers has become the treasure of the border post.

The first thing Ming Yuanhui did after he retired from the army and returned to the northern provincial capital was to ask his old comrades to buy him a set of barber tools. After that, he became a volunteer barber for the Chen family and their neighbors.

In the living room, Uncle Chen Haoyu sat in a wheelchair. Ming Yuanhui carefully took care of his gray hair. Uncle Chen Haoyu said humorously, "There isn't much hair on my head. In two years, my head will be bald and I won't need a haircut. Hahaha."

"Uncle, you still have a lot of white hair. I will give you your favorite short flat haircut. After cutting your hair, I will shave your beard. You will definitely be a handsome man with white hair and a youthful face, unmatched in beauty." Ming Yuanhui said.

"Yes, yes, Yuanhui is right. You, the Chen family, are born beauties. Look, my wife Chen Yalu is nearly eighty years old, but I still look very beautiful." Grandpa Lu Kaipu said.

"Brother-in-law, you are right. When people get old, it's good enough to live without illness and pain. How can you still talk about beauty? Hi, hi, hi." said my great uncle Chen Haoyu.

Qian Yizhen took out 200 yuan and gave it to Yongjun, instructing him to support, love and strengthen the army, and go to the fireworks store on Guda Street to buy 100-shot firecrackers and 10 strings. The rest of the money could be used to choose any fireworks he liked. The children took the money and happily went to buy firecrackers.

Qian Yizhen took Junhua, Junyan and Junge to the New Year's goods street on the ancient street and bought beautiful head flowers, lanterns and blessing characters that the girls liked. The three girls were extremely happy. This was the first time in a year that their mother took her daughters shopping.

The aroma of fried food wafted into the air, and the Chen family began their annual "frying" process.

Grandma Chen Yalu pushed the door open and walked in: "Kaipu, where is the set of plates used to hold offerings at home? Help me find them. We will use them to worship the Kitchen God tonight. The offerings are already prepared."

Worshiping the Kitchen God is the highlight of the Little New Year in the north. People will place sweets such as sugar melons and kitchen candies in front of the Kitchen God's portrait, hoping that the Kitchen God will say good things to the Jade Emperor and bless them with food and clothing in the coming year.

According to folklore about the Kitchen God, he would report the good and bad deeds of his family members to the Jade Emperor on this day. Therefore, people worshiped the Kitchen God and prayed for good luck for their families in the new year.

The time for offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God is usually chosen to be the night of the 23rd day of the lunar calendar, because the Kitchen God needs to go to heaven on this day to report the situation at home to the Jade Emperor.

Grandpa Lu Kaipu hurriedly got up and accompanied grandma Chen Yalu to the kitchen to find the plate. Grandpa Lu Kaipu found the plate, washed it carefully, wiped it with a white towel, and put it on the stove.

Grandma Chen Yalu and cousin Chen Mengwei carefully pasted the image of the Kitchen God on the wall near the stove. The three of them put sugar melons, stove candies, White Rabbit milk candies, peach cakes and other sweets on the plates.

Housekeeper Qin Yue'e instructed Li Baoguo to put the freshly fried fish, spiced meat, tofu, etc. on the plate for the Kitchen God to enjoy.

Grandpa Lu Kaipu placed the incense burner next to the image of the Kitchen God and lit three incense sticks. Grandma Chen Yalu placed a cotton mat on the ground, and Grandpa Lu Kaipu kowtowed three times while mumbling something. Grandma Chen Yalu and cousin Chen Mengwei knelt down and kowtowed in turn.

Military flowers, those who support the army, those who love the army, those who strengthen the army, military swallows and military pigeons all imitated the adults and kowtowed to the Kitchen God.

The dumplings kept tumbling in the boiling pot, and the rising hot steam filled the entire kitchen like clouds. The housekeeper Qin Yue'e put the dumplings in bowls and plates. As a military flower, she supported the army, loved the army, and strengthened the army. She brought bowls of dumplings from the kitchen to the dining table like flowing water.

Grandma Chen Yalu reminded: "Let the dumplings in the bowl move around a bit. If they stick together, they will break easily when you eat them."