It’s New Year!

 

In the courtyard of the Jing family, Jing’s mother had finished preparing everything except the last two dishes: crispy fried meat and fried potatoes.

 

These were special requests from Jing Yi, and since Jing’s mother hadn’t made them before, she was careful in preparing them. These were meant to be new dishes for the family after the New Year.

 

Most of the time, the hot pot restaurant mainly served vegetarian dishes, and this type of cuisine naturally made most of the vegetarian dishes more delicious and flavorful. So, Jing Yi thought they needed to add some oily and meaty dishes to satisfy meat-eating customers and those who didn’t mind splurging.

 

Fried crispy meat was a simple yet satisfying dish that had to be added to the menu.

 

As for the fried potato strips, there was no need to mention it. Jing Yi planned to set up a small pot at the entrance and fry them on the spot, especially when he saw chubby kids passing by; he’d enthusiastically fan the flames to attract them.

 

In the early evening at around 5 o’clock, the village came alive. Every household started their New Year’s Eve dinner. Faint sounds of firecrackers could be heard, and some families preferred setting off firecrackers before the reunion dinner. More common were the innocent laughter of children and the lively conversations and banter of men, women, and children.

 

Jing’s mother and her family had been busy all day just to prepare this reunion dinner.

 

Xiao An and Xiao Shu couldn’t wait anymore. They shuttled back and forth between the main hall and the kitchen, busy with serving dishes and sneakily tasting them, believing others hadn’t noticed.

 

Once everything was ready, the table was filled with sumptuous New Year’s dishes. The whole family gathered around, sat at the table, chatted, laughed, argued, and enjoyed the reunion dinner together. The sense of fulfillment was indescribable.

 

Especially this year, the Jing family had been blessed with good luck in everything, so they were particularly happy and grateful.

 

This meal, which Jing’s mother had prepared with great care, included braised ribs, chicken and mushroom stew, soy-braised carp, fried meatballs, fried small yellow fish, as well as cabbage tofu, dry-fried green beans, and even the two dishes brought by the Luo family were placed on the table for everyone to taste.

 

Usually, Jing’s mother’s cooking was quite ordinary, mainly because she didn’t pay much attention to seasoning. Good ingredients given to her would often taste bland due to her reluctance to use too much oil, salt, or vinegar.

 

However, this New Year’s dinner showed that Jing’s mother had spared no expense and tried her best to make everything flavorful within her capabilities. The spread was incredibly rich.

 

To the point where Xiao Jing Shu couldn’t decide which dish to start with and was torn. It was his older brother who solved this sweet dilemma by placing a pair of rib chopsticks in his bowl.

 

This meal took an unusually long time to finish. They began eating when it was dark, and they continued eating until one oil lamp turned into two, and the three adults were drinking and chatting while eating, discussing next year’s business in the shop.

 

The two little ones had finished their meal long ago, but it was dark outside, and there was nowhere for them to go. So they huddled on either side of their big brother, listening to the adults talk. Xiao An occasionally chimed in with a few words, and Xiao Shu pretended to understand by nodding and saying “Mmm, mmm.”

 

Around 8 o’clock in the evening, sitting in the main hall was getting too cold, so they decided to clean up the table and move to the heated pit. The fire was already burning, and they added more firewood. It was so warm and cozy; they couldn’t have asked for more. Jing’s mother sent the two little ones to rest on the heated pit first, while Jing’s father, Jing’s mother, and Jing Yi continued to chat and welcome the New Year.

 

Around 11:30 at night, you could already hear the sounds of firecrackers from some households in the village, indicating that the restless ones had started lighting bamboo sticks.

 

Jing Yi gently tapped his two younger brothers to wake them up. They would need to eat dumplings in a while, so it was better to wake up and freshen up.

 

Jing’s mother and Jing’s father first cleaned and organized the dinner dishes and then started boiling water to cook the dumplings.

 

The dumplings had been prepared by Jing’s mother the day before. After they were wrapped, they were placed directly in the courtyard, covered with a basket. They had frozen quite solid, and they could be enjoyed until the 15th day of the lunar new year.

 

There were two types of dumpling fillings, one with meat and one vegetarian.

 

The meat filling was made with pork and cabbage. Cabbage sounds like “hundred wealth” in Chinese and symbolizes the common people’s most common and cherished wish. Pork and cabbage dumplings were a traditional and popular choice for the New Year, not too greasy, and very flavorful.

 

The vegetarian filling was “vegetarian three delicacies,” including leek, egg, and shiitake mushrooms. Eating vegetarian dumplings expressed the hope for a year of peace, harmony, and prosperity. “Vegetarian three delicacies” also symbolized “three yang, opening up prosperity,” and most importantly, these dumplings showcased flavors that were fresh, fragrant, crisp, smooth, and tender.

 

When the dumplings were cooked, they looked like little gold ingots as they were lifted from the pot. It hadn’t been long since the previous meal, but when they saw these steaming dumplings, they couldn’t resist enjoying them.

 

Some loved dipping them in vinegar, others in soy sauce, and they ate one after another without lifting their heads.

 

After thoroughly enjoying the dumplings, Jing Yi took his two younger brothers to the courtyard to set off firecrackers.

 

In the countryside, there were no proper clocks, so they estimated the time. Jing Yi thought it was almost midnight, so he brought out the string of 108 firecrackers into the courtyard, holding a lit wooden stick.

 

“Dad, do you want to light it, or should I?” For such a ceremonial occasion, it was better to ask the head of the household, Jing’s father.

 

“You go ahead; you’re young and fast!” Jing’s father didn’t hesitate and instantly handed over the authority to Jing Yi.

 

“Alright! Everything is ready. Xiao Shu, stay back and cover your ears. Mom, come out and watch!” Jing Yi looked around and got everyone in position.

 

Then, he hung the firecrackers on the doorframe of the courtyard gate, and he carefully collected the red lanterns on both sides. They didn’t want them to get damaged.

 

With a wooden stick, he ignited the firecracker fuse, waited for a moment, and the sound of the firecrackers echoed loudly, and sparks flew.

 

“Pop, pop, pop, pop…” The deafening sound of the firecrackers continued relentlessly in the courtyard, and the red firecracker paper scraps fell gracefully like dancing snowflakes onto the pure white snow, creating a beautiful scene.

 

After the 108 firecrackers had finished, they could hear the neighboring houses starting their own firecrackers as well, making loud popping sounds. The noise indicated that they were burning bamboo and sprinkling salt in the burning bamboo nodes, which created even bigger “pop” sounds and brighter flames.

 

Amidst this lively atmosphere, the Jing family exchanged New Year’s greetings, wishing each other good fortune and speaking auspicious words.

 

However, they were all extremely tired. Their eyelids drooped heavily, and their brains were on the verge of shutting down, so they quickly washed up and went to sleep.

 

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, they prayed for blessings, visited friends and relatives, and wore new clothes.

 

This day marked the beginning of the new year, and after the entire family woke up in the morning, they changed into the new clothes they had prepared in advance.

 

The new clothes were made of new cotton fabric and cotton, and each person could choose their own colors and styles. They also wore new underwear, shoes, and socks. It was a tradition to wear new clothes for the New Year to symbolize a fresh start and good luck.

 

Jing’s mother reheated the leftover dumplings from yesterday for breakfast. Having dumplings from New Year’s Eve to the first day of the Chinese New Year was considered an auspicious sign of abundance.

 

After breakfast, it was time for Xiao An and Xiao Shu’s most anticipated part of the day – paying New Year’s respects to the elders and receiving lucky money to ward off evil spirits.

 

The lucky money given was usually just a few cents, but for the village children who rarely had any money, and many of them had spent their money from the previous New Year’s celebrations, they eagerly awaited this moment each year.

 

“Mom, Dad, Happy New Year!”

 

Kneeling down before their parents, the three brothers knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times, each bow genuine and without any shortcuts.

 

“Happy New Year, may Xiao Yi, Xiao An, and Xiao Shu have a joyful, healthy, and safe year ahead!”

 

Jing’s father and mother happily helped their three children up, expressing their most sincere wishes as parents. They didn’t wish for great wealth and prosperity, but rather for their children to be healthy and happy.

 

Then, each person took out three red envelopes and gave them to the three children. Although they had earned some money this year, the amount in the red envelopes was not much, containing only sixteen wen each, chosen for its auspicious symbolism.

 

“Oh? I have one too! Hehe, thanks, Dad! Thanks, Mom!”

 

Jing Yi was pleasantly surprised to find that he also received a red envelope.

 

Not to mention, receiving the red envelopes made their hearts warm. This was Jing Yi’s first time receiving red envelopes from elders.

 

Carefully putting away the two red envelopes given by their parents, Jing Yi immediately handed out two red envelopes to his younger brothers. He said, “Take these, they aren’t red envelopes from big brother. This is a reward for your hard work helping out with our family’s business last year.”

 

Jing Yi had put half an ounce of silver in each red envelope. As a younger sibling, he couldn’t give more than his parents, so he presented the money as a reward for their help. This was actually more meaningful for the children.

 

For the kids, this was a significant amount of money. Xiao Shu still didn’t fully grasp the concept, so Jing’s mother helped him collect it and placed it in his own little pouch. She also decided to start educating Xiao Shu about money management from this year onwards.

 

Xiao An, on the other hand, was already aware of the importance of money at the age of eleven. He was both happy and excited but understood that this money couldn’t be spent recklessly. He happily received his money and placed it in his small box.

 

Under the influence of his big brother, Xiao An’s young mind had already started thinking about how to make money grow.

 

After enjoying their breakfast and receiving their lucky money, Jing Yi opened the courtyard gate. Jing’s mother brought out candies, snacks, peanuts, and sunflower seeds that she had bought earlier, placing them on the table, ready for the village children who would come to pay their New Year’s respects.

 

This was a common tradition in the village. The more children that came to your house, the better your luck would be in the coming year.

 

On this matter, Jing Yi wasn’t worried at all. The Jing family was known for their kindness, always greeting children they met on the road and not hesitating to share their snacks.

 

Sure enough, in no time, the distant sounds of children’s laughter and chatter reached their ears. It was like a flock of five hundred little ducks running toward their house.

 

Suddenly, a small head poked out from the courtyard gate, and then more and more little figures appeared at the doorway. The bold ones, with sweet words already prepared, greeted them, “Uncle Rong, Aunt Rong, Happy New Year!”

 

As the other children realized, they started speaking as well. It seemed that they had practiced the auspicious New Year’s greetings before coming, and they recited them fluently. The Jing family couldn’t stop smiling at the joyful scene.

 

“Haha, come on in, all the delicious treats are inside!” Jing’s father welcomed the children into the house.

 

The sun had just risen to the midpoint of the sky, casting a warm and comfortable winter sunlight on everyone.

 

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, they spent it joyfully, exchanging New Year’s greetings with fellow villagers and children.