Chapter 90: Chapter 90: The Flavor of the New Year
Li Xuemei was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.
What kind of madness have Mom and Dad gotten themselves into?
They’re about to move the whole house here.
One really can’t compare when it comes to people.
Compared to Mrs. Gu’s stinginess, Li Qinghai’s family is almost excessively generous to their daughters and nephews.
Of course, this is partly because both Li Weimin and Li Weiqiang’s families have made money thanks to Gu Xiaoqing’s ideas, and they subconsciously want to give Gu Ruhai more care.
But even so, this is a grand gesture.
When Gu Ruhai saw it, he too was startled and jumped up in shock.
He kept saying, "What are we going to do with this? It’s too much, it’s definitely the wrong amount. I’ll go and return it."
He started covering the basket with a cloth, preparing to take it back.
Li Xuemei slapped Gu Ruhai’s hand and poked his forehead, "You silly fool."
She began taking things out of the basket one by one.
Gu Xiaojie didn’t notice anything else; his eyes widened when he saw that bag of candied peanuts. He reached out his little hand, picked up two, and tossed them into his mouth. Then he looked around, closing his mouth, his cheeks moving up and down like a little squirrel stealing food.
Gu Ruhai, standing aside, anxiously asked, "What is this? We shouldn’t keep it; it’s too much and too expensive."
Gu Xiaoqing pulled his dad aside, saying, "Dad, this is for improving the lives of us three from Grandpa and Grandma. You can’t send it back; that would waste their good intentions."
Gu Ruhai listened and agreed.
But it was truly extravagant.
Li Xuemei watched Gu Ruhai’s conflicted expression and sighed.
"You really are oblivious; it must’ve been discussed between Mom, Dad, and the elder brothers and sisters-in-law. It’s not really for you, it’s for the sake of the three kids. Plus, there’s Xiaoqing’s idea. The elder brothers don’t want to feel as though they’re indebted to us, so they’re using this as a chance to treat us a little better. Don’t make a fuss."
If it wasn’t pointed out, Gu Ruhai wouldn’t be able to sleep over this.
Gu Ruhai finally relaxed.
He rolled up a cigarette, saying, "It’s what ought to be done. The elder brothers-in-law have helped us a lot over the years. This time we can finally show some appreciation, all thanks to Xiaoqing. Besides, we’re all relatives; there’s no need to be so formal."
Though he said this, Gu Ruhai was pleased. For the first time, someone treated him kindly, considering him as a genuine relative, with mutual respect, not out of sympathy or pity.
This feeling was a first for Gu Ruhai and was the most comforting aspect.
Watching the two chatter away, Gu Xiaoqing thought about the personalities of his uncles. They weren’t stingy, and they knew how to get things done. By the looks of it, come the second day of New Year, the extra bonus must still be around.
They would definitely surprise his father, who would then cover his mouth and sneak aside to chuckle.
Gu Xiaojie watched Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai chatter and quickly moved the pork and such into the kitchen. He opened the bag of candied peanuts, grabbed a handful, and stuffed them into his pocket, saying, "Dad, I’m off to play with Zhang Zijie," before dashing out.
The speed was akin to a galloping horse.
Gu Xiaoqing glanced at the open bag and sighed. His brother was kind and smart, but his biggest flaw was being a complete foodie.
No wonder; it was the poverty that drove this behavior. It’s not just Xiao Jie; both he and Gu Xiaoying couldn’t change the habit. Once at the dining table, they’d eat quickly, even if they were full. Their mouths would subconsciously want more food.
This was their way to resist hunger and fight it off.
Everything was tidied up.
On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, every household starts making tofu.
The night before, they soaked soybeans in water overnight.
In the morning, they use a stone mill to grind it into a whitish slurry bit by bit. The texture wasn’t fine; the soybean residue was quite coarse. Li Xuemei asked Gu Ruhai to grind it twice more until she was satisfied.
Using the brine they prepared earlier, they mixed an appropriate proportion into the slurry.
Soon, the whitish slurry began to coagulate into chunks of tender tofu pudding. Gu Ruhai shouted from the kitchen into the dining room, "Kids, get up and have some tofu pudding, freshly cooked, hurry up!"
With this shout, the three sweetly sleeping kids jumped out of bed.
They dressed up quickly, gave themselves a cursory wash, and ran into the steamy kitchen.
Li Xuemei filled a porcelain bowl with tofu pudding and covered it with a pot lid and put it aside.
For the tofu, the mixture was poured into a wooden frame, something every household has but doesn’t often use. A layer of muslin was laid at the bottom, gathered and covered at the top. A wooden board was placed over it to wait for the tofu to set.
The three kids couldn’t hide their craving.
Gu Xiaoqing was a bit sensible and knew that tofu pudding wouldn’t taste good without seasoning.
The house had chive blossom sauce and chili oil.
Gu Xiaoqing opened the stove and made a small pot of tofu pudding gravy using some of the leftover soaked soybeans, some broken vermicelli, seasoned it, and thickened it with starch.
It was ready.
He poured it into a small basin and brought it to the table with the tofu pudding.
The family of five ate heartily.
Gu Xiaojie ate as much as three big bowls, scaring Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want him to eat. They worried about his small stomach, which wasn’t fully grown, and feared he’d have indigestion and discomfort at night.
They were worried but helpless; the tofu pudding was already consumed, and it’s too late to regret.
Gu Xiaojie, unaffected, continued to play happily.
Gu Xiaoqing hurriedly hid the remaining tofu pudding.
The family began to busy themselves.
Today, they had to fry meatballs, tofu, roast pork, fish, and meat. Most importantly, they needed to fry pastries and steam a few big pots of steamed buns.
In the village, people refrained from cooking during the first five days of the lunar new year. Thus, all main dishes from New Year’s Eve to the fifth of the new year had to be prepared in advance.
These two days were the busiest for the village, and it was also the best time for food aromas.
Everywhere, there was the aroma of fish and meat.
The essence of the New Year was becoming quite strong.