When Uncle De and Uncle Fu picked up the string of firecrackers they had prepared and went outside the main gate to set them off, the New Year's Eve dinner officially began. Due to the large number of people in the family, two large tables were prepared for the reunion dinner this year. Looking at the tables full of delicacies, everyone's stomachs were already rumbling with hunger. Jia Hui and Jia Yao, the two little foodies, were practically drooling.
First, Grandma, representing the elders of the family, stood up. She raised her wine glass and coughed lightly, saying, "Esteemed relatives and friends, today is a joyous day for family reunion. Although Ming Xuan, Xiang Dong, and the other brothers couldn't make it home for the reunion, I believe they are thinking of their wives, children, elders, and parents while they are away.
On behalf of the entire family, dozens of us, I wish them safety, freedom from disaster, and a swift return home."
After speaking, she drained the wine in her cup. Chen Lan quickly picked up a piece of chicken from the stewed chicken with mushrooms and fed it to Grandma, urging her to eat.
After swallowing the food in her mouth, Grandma continued, "Today, with my sincerest blessings, I wish everyone good health, family happiness, the prosperity of our family, and a multitude of descendants. Cheers!"
With that, she finished another cup of wine. Ming Wei quickly picked up a piece of braised pork rib and offered it to Grandma.
Next, everyone unanimously requested Chen Lan, as the head of the valley, to say a few words to them.
Chen Lan did not decline. She picked up a glass of red wine, cleared her throat, and said loudly, "Respected elders, dear relatives, dear brothers and sisters: today we are gathered on this fertile black land, a rare fate and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We must all continue to uphold the family virtues of our ancestors: diligence and study passed down through generations, loyalty and filial piety succeeding generations, and integrity as our foundation in all our dealings.
We must unite closely, support each other, and progress together.
Finally, I wish our family prosperity, and may everyone have peace, smooth sailing, and all their wishes come true. Cheers!"
After speaking, she also finished the glass of red wine. Old Mother quickly picked up a piece of mushroom, which Chen Lan loved, and offered it to her.
At this moment, Grandma waved her hand and said, "Let's start, everyone eat quickly, the dishes are getting cold."
The gluttons in everyone's stomachs had already revolted. Upon Grandma's command, everyone grabbed their chopsticks and began to eat. This year's New Year's Eve dinner, thanks to Chen Lan's 'cheat code', was exceptionally abundant. For many, it was overwhelmingly so. Both adults and children ate heartily, their bellies bulging!
Because there were so many delicious dishes, even the usually most popular dishes like Si Xi Wanzi (four happiness meatballs), stewed chicken with mushrooms, and braised pork knuckles were left over, with barely any chopsticks touching them.
The New Year's Eve dinner concluded cheerfully amidst everyone's satisfied expressions. Cui Qiao, Hu Yuzhen, Chun Cao, Ming Wei, and Ru Yi began clearing the tables, cleaning the kitchen, and tidying the living room. Of course, the trash would not be taken out today; it could only be thrown away on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, known as "Po Wu" (breaking the fifth).
Because in some regions, folk legends say that the fifth day of the Lunar New Year is called "Sending Away Poverty," and it is considered an inauspicious day. Therefore, throwing away the trash is equivalent to sending away the poverty of the year. Some places call it "Sending the Five Evils" or "Chasing Away the Five Evils," and so on.
In some places, many people believe that sweeping the floor will sweep away their good luck and lead to financial loss. Therefore, they cannot throw away the trash until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. This is because this day is the birthday of the God of Wealth, commonly known as "Po Wu," and it is a day to "chase away the five evils." Thus, on this day, everyone will wake up early to set off firecrackers, clean the house, and drive away all inauspicious things from their homes.
In the 1950s, Spring Festival was arguably the most important festival of the year, so everyone treated it with great solemnity. Not only was the New Year's Eve dinner bountiful, but snacks that were rarely seen normally filled every day of the winter slack period of Spring Festival.
It was the 1950s, unlike the era Chen Lan lived in her previous life. There were no entertainment activities, and certainly no Spring Festival Gala to watch. Seeing everyone staring blankly at each other, Chen Lan dared to bet that they would get sleepy in no time.
As expected, after a while, Old Mother yawned first, followed by Liu Mama, and then, as if infected, everyone started yawning.
Seeing that they wouldn't be able to stay awake for the night, Chen Lan thought, "What's the point of staying awake like this!" Since there were so many people today, it was a good opportunity for everyone to play the "drum-beating flower passing" game. Both adults and children in the valley enjoyed this game. They had played it once when it rained in the RV shortly after arriving in the valley, and everyone had a great time then.
Having decided, Chen Lan immediately spoke up and suggested, "Grandma, just sitting here doing nothing isn't right. If we just sit here, everyone will be too sleepy to keep their eyes open in a little while."
Grandma replied with a somewhat listless and helpless tone, "Then what should we do! To be honest, I'm already feeling sleepy. Xiao Lan, do you have any good ideas?"
Chen Lan said with a smile, "Grandma, do you remember the drum-beating flower passing game we played in the RV?"
Upon hearing this, Grandma immediately perked up and excitedly said, "Great! Great! Xiao Lan, let's play this now. This game is fun, exciting, and energizing."
So, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law busied themselves. Grandma went to organize the people, while Chen Lan prepared the props and prizes.
Chen Lan handed the twin siblings to her mother to watch and went upstairs. She took out the ceremonial drum and the big red flower from the system warehouse that they had used last time. Chen Lan noticed that the big red flower was a bit damaged, so she ordered a new one from the system.
As for the prizes, it was a bit of a headache. Chen Lan thought about the cold weather in Changbai Mountain, which could cause chapped hands and faces. So, she ordered thirty boxes of the domestic old-brand skin cream from the system. This skin cream was inexpensive and effective, and Chen Lan had been using it in her previous life.
She also ordered lip balm, small mirrors, small combs, hairbands, hair clips with artificial diamonds, pens, calligraphy practice books, building block puzzles, fairy tale books, literacy charts, notebooks, and so on. When she took them out of the system warehouse, it was another large pile. Carrying the ceremonial drum and mallet, and a large woven basket full of all the prizes, she went downstairs.
Grandma and everyone else were ready, looking eager to participate. Ming Wei and Cui Qiao rushed forward and took the bundles from Chen Lan's hands. Upon opening them, they both exclaimed in surprise.
Ming Wei exclaimed excitedly, "My goodness! These are all wonderful things! There's skin cream, and such beautiful hair clips, small mirrors, and pretty hairbands. I love all these things, what should I do?"
Chen Lan picked up a sparkling diamond hair clip and fastened it to Jia Hui's clothes, saying unhurriedly, "Then you'll have to try your best!"
Jia Hui's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with happiness, and she repeatedly said, "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!"