The twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month had passed, leaving only two days until the Lunar New Year. Since Xu Mingxuan was returning home for the holidays this year, their original plan to celebrate the New Year simply in the valley had changed.
Grandma first organized the older women to open up the tofu-making shed in the valley, saying that it was impossible to have the New Year without tofu. Chen Lan also agreed that the tofu she made was indeed delicious, whether stewed or fried for dishes. Moreover, how could winter in the Northeast be complete without tofu?
Next, Sun Xiaomei helped Grandma Sun and the other aunties who were helping in the main kitchen to get it running again, preparing to fry food. This included fried meatballs, fried dough twists, fried crispy pork, fried crispy pastries, and so on. Anything that needed to be fried for the New Year would be made all at once and then distributed to each household.
Of course, the New Year also required fermenting dough to steam decorative buns and stuffed buns, which symbolized prosperity. This task was undertaken by Qian Yingzi, Liu Man'er, Chen Saozi, and a group of younger wives. As this was a substantial task, Grandma organized the young women in the valley to help.
With time tight and the tasks heavy, the women in the valley were all busy as bees. The men were not idle either; in addition to tending to the vegetables in the two greenhouses, they also looked after the remaining livestock being kept for breeding.
However, Xu Mingxuan still requested five whole pigs, their insides intact, along with pig's blood from Chen Lan. He planned to make blood sausages, braised pork, and braised pig's head meat for a "killing pig" feast. He wanted to invite his comrades from the valley and their families for this feast before the New Year to thank them for their care of his family, and also to have an early year-end gathering with his comrades over some drinks. Chen Lan readily agreed and expressed her full support.
Indeed, when eating a killing pig feast, the most challenging part was the pig's stomach and intestines. Pig intestines had a peculiar smell that, if not cleaned thoroughly, would leave an off-odor. They needed to be scrubbed and rinsed repeatedly with flour and coarse salt until the odor was gone and they were clean.
After thoroughly cleaning the pig intestines, they could begin making the blood sausages. The ingredients for blood sausages were generally the same for each household, with only slight variations in technique leading to different flavors. To make delicious blood sausages, it was best to find a professional for the job.
Chen Lan never expected that the expert Xu Mingxuan had invited would be Uncle De. She watched as Uncle De mixed the pre-chopped scallions, minced garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and finely diced fatty pork into the pig's blood. He then had the strong young men helping to stir it vigorously until evenly mixed. One end of the cleaned pig intestine was tied with cotton thread, and the other end was filled using a funnel. Once filled, it was sectioned off with cotton thread. The sausages could then be boiled until cooked. If the cooked blood sausages did not deflate or break, they were considered a success.
As for the order and quantity of seasonings added to the blood sausage filling, that was naturally up to the expert to decide. Those helping just needed to follow instructions, as long as the final product was enjoyable.
With everyone in the valley pitching in, the final feast was both abundant and simple. Most dishes were prepared in the most basic way, with minimal processing, preserving their original flavors. There was fatty pork with garlic sauce, pig's trotters with garlic sauce, pig's liver with garlic sauce, blood sausage with garlic sauce, and so on. The Northeast people's love for garlic was well-known. Finally, Sun Xiaomei and Grandma Sun prepared four of their most skilled small dishes to complete the large table.
The killing pig banquet was a casual affair. Everyone in the valley was very familiar with each other. As long as ten people gathered, a table could be set and the meal could begin.
A killing pig feast would naturally be incomplete without alcohol. This time, the wine was purchased by Chen Lan from the system – it was grain liquor brewed by her former colleague's family. Their grain liquor was known for not causing headaches, a skill passed down through generations, making it quite trustworthy.
Comrades who only met up a few times a year had endless topics to discuss. Xu Mingxuan mostly asked about their adaptation to life in the valley. The comrades all chuckled and replied, "Mingxuan! We brothers are all indebted to you! We've fallen into a nest of good fortune."
During the banquet, glasses were clinked, and conversations flowed, naturally touching upon family matters, this year's harvest, plans for next year, and so on. Xu Mingxuan rarely mentioned anything about the camp, and the comrades, knowing the discipline, mostly didn't ask. If there was anything he could say, Xu Mingxuan would tell them.
Time flew by quickly until the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month, Lunar New Year's Eve. On this day, every household woke up early, preparing breakfast well in advance, symbolizing good health and diligence in the new year. As soon as breakfast was finished, Uncle De, Uncle Fu, Mother Liu, and Mother Cui began cleaning the house and tidying the yard, as cleaning was forbidden before the second day of the new year, lest it sweep away good fortune. Su Dan Novel Network.
Xu Mingxuan, along with Mingzhe and the children, began writing Spring Festival couplets and "Fu" characters for each household in the valley. Xu Mingxuan first wrote a couplet: the upper line was "Harmony and Prosperity for a Thousand Families," the lower line was "Blessings for the People Month After Month, Year After Year," and the horizontal scroll read "National Peace and People's Well-being."
Next, Mingzhe wrote a couplet: the upper line was "Spring Rain Silently Nourishes Ten Thousand Things," the lower line was "Red Plum Blossoms Embroider a Thousand Mountains," and the horizontal scroll read "Spring Awaits."
Jia Yao was not to be outdone and also took up his brush to write a couplet: the upper line was "Spring Returns to the Earth, Warming the World," the lower line was "Blessings Descend, Joy Arrives at the Door," and the horizontal scroll read "Joyful Blessings Abound."
While pasting the couplets, Xu Mingxuan explained to Mingzhe and the children, "There are specific rules for pasting couplets. The upper line should be pasted on the right, and the lower line on the left. Also, the 'Fu' character on the main door must be pasted upright, as it signifies 'welcoming fortune' and 'receiving fortune.' The main door is the entrance to a home, a place of solemnity and respect, so the 'Fu' character pasted here must be upright."
At this point, Jia Yao asked, "Dad, everyone says 'fortune arrives,' and fortune is pasted upside down. Where can we paste the 'Fu' character upside down in our house?"
Xu Mingxuan smiled, gently patted Jia Yao's small head, and praised, "Good son, it's a good habit to ask when you don't understand!"
He then lowered his head and said to Jia Xing and Jia He, who were holding 'Fu' characters, "You two must learn from your brother. If you don't understand, ask why. Don't pretend to know when you don't, understand?"
The two little ones nodded repeatedly and replied, "Dad, we understand. Dad, where can we paste this 'Fu' character upside down?"
Xu Mingxuan continued to explain, "You can paste the 'Fu' character upside down on boxes and cabinets at home. This is because boxes and cabinets are where things are stored. Pasting the 'Fu' character upside down signifies that fortune, meaning wealth, will always come into the house, into the boxes and cabinets."
Chen Lan had never heard this explanation before; she only knew that the 'Fu' character should be pasted upside down.