The valley dwellers were busy during this cold winter, taking a couple of days off to engage in snow and ice sports unique to the valley whenever the weather was good. Everyone felt that their secluded winter life was enjoyable and not at all dull or unbearable.
During this long, biting winter, everyone in the valley had something to do and no one was idle. Time passed quickly when one was busy. Before they knew it, it was time for the Winter Solstice.
Three days before the Winter Solstice, Grandma excitedly came to the kindergarten to find Chen Lan. Chen Lan was playing hide-and-seek with the twins and other older children who could walk. Seeing Grandma looking for her, she found it a bit strange. Grandma hadn't said anything at breakfast, so why was she looking for her now?
So, she asked, "Grandma, what do you need me for?"
Grandma was just doting on her darling grandchildren! Hearing Chen Lan's question, she replied, "Little Lan! The Winter Solstice is in a couple of days. I came to discuss with you how we should celebrate it this year!"
Chen Lan knew about the Winter Solstice. In the past, people attached great importance to it, with the saying "Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year." The Winter Solstice is one of the four major festivals and an important solar term among the twenty-four solar terms.
Moreover, the Winter Solstice is a rather special day, being the shortest day and longest night of the year.
In some southern regions, like the mountainous areas of Southern Anhui, the Winter Solstice is celebrated as a reunion festival, with the saying "Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year; not returning home means neglecting ancestors." In these places, there are folk customs of worshipping ancestors during the Winter Solstice, which signifies filial piety and not forgetting one's roots.
So Chen Lan asked, "Grandma, are there any special customs for celebrating the Winter Solstice here? Do we need to prepare anything in advance?"
Grandma replied with a smile, "The Winter Solstice is the longest night and one of the coldest days of the year, meaning we are entering the 'three nines' weather and will start counting the nines. On the Winter Solstice, different places have different customs.
When we were in the capital, besides eating wontons, we also ate lamb buns. There's a saying, 'Winter Solstice wontons, Summer Solstice noodles.' Wontons symbolize reunion. We also had lamb hot pot. The word for lamb, 'yang,' sounds the same as the word for sun, 'yang,' so eating lamb is said to replenish yang energy. Su Dan Novel Network
In the Northeast, there's a custom of eating dumplings. Dumplings are said to 'dispel cold,' and there's a folk proverb in this region, 'If you don't have a bowl of dumplings on the Winter Solstice, your ears will freeze off and no one will care.'
Drinking lamb soup on the Winter Solstice is a custom from Shandong, your Aunt Qi's region. Since the Winter Solstice is usually the coldest day of the year, the cold in people's bodies starts to intensify. Drinking lamb soup can nourish the body and enhance its ability to resist the cold."
After hearing Grandma's words, Chen Lan was completely bewildered, not knowing what Grandma meant. So she asked, "Grandma, do you mean we should only eat wontons and buns, or should we eat dumplings, drink lamb soup, and have hot pot all at once?"
Grandma continued to smile and say, "Little Lan, you always have so many ideas. I came to you because I couldn't decide."
Chen Lan was speechless! But she couldn't dampen Grandma's spirits, so she said, "Grandma, whatever you, Mother Liu, and Mother Cui want to eat, that's what we'll prepare! If you all want to eat everything, we'll rally everyone to help. You, Mother Liu, and Mother Cui can discuss what ingredients are needed and make a list for me, so I can prepare in advance."
Grandma left happily. Watching Grandma's back as she went into the kitchen, Chen Lan thought, whatever we eat, as long as there's food, it's fine. She wasn't particular anyway.
In her past life, if she remembered the Winter Solstice, she would at most have dumplings to mark the occasion. If she forgot, life would just go on as usual.
After all, as the saying goes! "After eating the Winter Solstice noodles, the day gets longer by a day." Chen Lan knew this. After the Winter Solstice, as time progresses, the days gradually get longer and the nights shorter, which also signals that spring is drawing nearer.
After Grandma, Mother Liu, and Mother Cui had a discussion, and it was even said that they consulted Ming Xuan, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi, three little boys, and that the three boys made their decision after a discussion!
The next day, after breakfast, Grandma announced the results of their discussion to the whole family. Grandma cleared her throat and said, "Everyone, please don't rush off. Listen to me. Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. We will be making lamb dumplings at home and having lamb hot pot. Now I will assign tomorrow's tasks. All you men, young and old, remember to help chop the filling, knead the dough, and wrap the dumplings. Do you hear me?"
Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi nodded repeatedly and agreed, "The three of us will help wrap the dumplings."
Uncle Fu and Uncle De also smiled and agreed, "We two have a lot of strength. We'll be responsible for kneading the dough."
Xiang Dong and Er Hu replied with a chuckle, "We two will be responsible for chopping the filling."
Grandma looked at Xiang Xi and Xiao Shuan, who hurriedly said, "We two will be responsible for washing vegetables and wrapping dumplings."
Grandma then nodded with satisfaction and said proudly, "Then I'll have to see how well you all perform tomorrow."
As for Chen Lan, after hearing Grandma announce the decision, she felt even more speechless. She couldn't help but complain in her heart, "We eat these same things every year! Why make such a big fuss, as if it's something special! I thought this year's Winter Solstice would be different and I'd get to eat something new. But the result? It's still... sigh!"
However, the Winter Solstice, with delicious food and fine wine, was quite enjoyable! Eating delicious food and drinking mellow wine, even though they were drinking from large bowls instead of jade cups, Chen Lan still felt that a happy life should be like this, and she couldn't help but drink a bit too much.
This year's Winter Solstice would have been even more perfect if not for a small mishap.
This little mishap was caused by Jia Hui, a little glutton. While Chen Lan was tipsy and not paying attention, she shared the wine Chen Lan had just poured into her bowl with her brother Jia Yao. By the time Chen Lan noticed, it was too late. As soon as Chen Lan tried to stop her, Jia Yao, a young man from the Northeast, hugged his bowl with both hands and gulped down the remaining wine. After finishing, he said, "Sweet!" and then fell over, dizzy. Chen Lan was so scared that she quickly reached out to catch him, and her own shock sobered her up.