As the year is approaching in the Year of the Loong, I can't help thinking: How to arrange the Spring Festival? I am with my parents who have lived in 18 and are nearly eighty years old. I can't help but accompany them anyway. Because my parents only raised my sister and my two daughters, but my sister died in the Year of the Loong in the first month, so far my parents are immersed in deep sadness and missing. Although the mother-in-law has raised five children, her husband is not only the boss, but also her only son. As a daughter-in-law, I am naturally the "cook" of my husband's family on important days. Because according to our rural custom, the married daughter will always be a "guest" when she returns to her family, and the daughter-in-law is the real hostess. Our family of three has never spent the Spring Festival apart for more than 20 years. How can my husband and daughter leave me on such a grand and festive holiday? To this end, I have been thinking about a good strategy that can take into account all parties. Thinking that my mother-in-law has agreed to let us go back to our hometown in the countryside for the New Year this year, I am embarrassed to go against my mother-in-law's mind, because we know that the elderly prefer the strong "flavor of the year" in the countryside. After thinking about it, it is the best policy to do the work of parents and let them go to her mother-in-law's house for the New Year with us. Fortunately, my parents are extremely open-minded. When my husband and I put forward our ideas, we readily agreed without hesitation. Dad said, "decide if it is convenient for you." We all understand that we will never embarrass you! " "Mother agreed, and her mother-in-law warmly invited her. So, on the morning of the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, my parents and my family happily went to my mother-in-law's house in the countryside, which is more than 40 kilometers away from Loudi.
The car soon stopped at the steps of the new building in my hometown. Two smiling old mothers clasped their hands and were polite to each other. Their wrinkled faces smile like two beautiful chrysanthemums in full bloom. My mother-in-law took my mother, greeted my father and sat down on the crimson sofa. On the small table in front of the sofa, candy boxes and fruit bowls filled with all kinds of sweets and non-staple foods are quietly waiting for the guests to taste with a rich attitude. The table is covered with warm and beautiful plaid velvet curtains. Inside the curtain, the biogas stove has sprayed a small blue flame, and the warm breath passes through the curtain, making people sitting around warm. In this warm and festive atmosphere, the three old people began to greet their parents.
I have four aunts who are used to being commensurate with my sister. Our sisters have always been like brothers. The elder sister has two children and two grandchildren. She and her brother-in-law run a small shop in Loudi. They can't go home for the New Year, so they can only take time to pay their respects to their mother-in-law. Second sister married in this village, only a few hundred meters away from her home. We built a new building together three years ago, and since then, the two houses have basically merged into one. On weekdays, my second sister and my second brother-in-law not only run a pig farm with a certain scale, but also take care of my mother-in-law, saving us a lot of worries. The industrious second sister inherited her mother-in-law's excellent personality, enthusiasm, ability, kindness and integrity, and both sons took part in the work. Third sister and younger sister all developed with us in Loudi, and the family became successful. Because Third Sister's parents-in-law died long ago, their family of four can spend the New Year with her mother-in-law every year. My sister's in-laws are not far from her mother-in-law's house, so she can accompany her mother-in-law on New Year's Eve and Spring Festival. Neighbors in the village are envious of her mother-in-law's good luck and filial piety. Not to brag, our big family has always been known for its peace and warmth.
Because the pig farm needs to be taken care of, the second sister and the second brother-in-law can't even give themselves two days off on New Year's Day and Spring Festival. Therefore, I can't refuse the role of "cook" in this festival, but I can only accept it gladly. Therefore, from the moment I returned to my hometown, I began to fulfill my glorious mission. First of all, I laid soft and comfortable bedding for my parents, fearing that they would be cold, and specially laid an electric blanket. Next, I asked my mother-in-law to prepare for the New Year, and found out all kinds of materials and storage places that had been prepared at home. Prepare lunch at once.
In our country, we are not particularly picky about food. Everyone likes ordinary home cooking, and there are not many fancy decorations these years. Pork, pig offal, beef, chicken, duck, fish, tofu and vegetables are the main products, and rice is the staple food. My mother-in-law and my second sister have prepared some delicious fried noodles with eggs, which we call "Su Zhai" here. Everybody loves it. Also prepared braised pork and steamed meat that are not easy to deteriorate and astringent; I also prepared a lot of oily tofu. In the countryside, maybe there are different ideas. Due to the general improvement of living standards, most of them don't like to eat cheap vegetables without spending money. Therefore, if I have any "reform", it is to appropriately increase the variety and quantity of vegetables on the table. My husband picked a big basket of cabbage moss and red and white cabbage moss from his own vegetable field, together with the original pile of Chinese cabbage and radish at home, as well as fresh yam, broccoli and winter bamboo shoots we brought back from Loudi, which made our table have some distinctive features, and these vegetarian dishes became the most popular delicacies.
On the afternoon of 28th, Sanmei's family of four also came back. From that night on, two big tables were set for every meal, usually ten big dishes for each table. When there are more than 20 people for a long time, if two tables can't fit, it will be a little crowded and some will stand unsteadily. Anyway, they are all family members, and no one will care. Only that burst of laughter spread throughout the house. Old people laugh, children laugh, adult daughters play with nephews, and the youngest niece, Jia Jia, just turned two. It was really lovely that day. Her childish voice and clever expression often make people laugh. My sister and brother-in-law are playing with their favorite signs, sometimes cheering and sometimes marveling at their cleverness and mistakes, or winning or losing for them!
I have a lot of time to work in the kitchen. My second sister will help me as soon as she comes from the pig farm, and my mother-in-law will come to give me some advice from time to time. Stewed pork tripe, ribs, Chinese yam and radish, steamed braised pork, steamed pork, fried chicken, fried duck, fried beef, boiled fish, cook the meat, boiled tofu and vegetables ... After we made it, a delicious dish was served, which made the family very satisfied. The symphony deduced from pots and pans, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar has won the best evaluation in everyone's praise. Seeing that the old people can enjoy it with peace of mind, the family members are so satisfied, and the sense of accomplishment of satisfaction can't help but soar in their hearts, and the tiredness is suddenly swept away.
After dinner, the sisters will scramble to help clean the battlefield and wash the dishes. My brother-in-law will seize the opportunity to invite me to join their "battle" and share the fun of playing cards. When I have plenty of time, I will not be polite: "You are watching your sister-in-law work hard as a cook and want to subsidize her, right?" Hehe, don't take it for nothing! "My sister and brother-in-law will emphasize:" Are we waiting for my sister-in-law to send a' red envelope'? "bickering is bickering, and playing cards is more about wisdom and luck. After several visits, I actually hit 300 yuan. Haha, just for fun in our grade, the "gift" is not thin. Take it all. When I play, my mother who knows a little card skills always looks at me and points out that she can win some money from her sister and brother-in-law. I feel more grateful to her mother! So, I generously dedicated Li Zhan to my mother and busy mother-in-law. As long as the two mothers see me win, their faces will always be full of happy flowers. Especially the mother-in-law, often provoked her sister and brother-in-law to say that she was "eccentric". After all, my mother-in-law still goes her own way.
When my husband comes home, he always finds many things that he thinks he should do. Upstairs and downstairs, in the house, in the yard, in the vegetable fields and in the Shan Ye, there is always his busy figure flashing. It can be said that everything outside the kitchen is the husband's hard work, even the kitchen affairs, such as cutting ribs and other heavy work, are indispensable for his help. Sometimes I have to drive to go shopping or pick up people. In short, the word "model" is still a husband.
What moved me most was the love shown by my sister, brother-in-law and many relatives of my mother-in-law's family to my parents. For a long time, my mother's family and her husband's family have already merged into one. Sister and brother-in-law not only often send care and warmth to their parents' birthdays and festivals, but also send "red envelopes" and gifts to their parents every year like their mother-in-law. Money and things are small, but the heart is big. My parents' hearts are like a group of their own children. They also care about their sisters, brothers-in-law and children all the time. Other relatives of my mother-in-law's family, such as uncle, aunt, uncle and menstruation, have always regarded my parents as brothers and sisters. They are proud of each other's affection and mutual courtesy. Because of this, my parents will spend the New Year at my mother-in-law's house, without a trace of strangeness. This is the second time in recent years that they have spent the New Year here with their mother-in-law. On the second day of my second year, I went to my relatives' house to celebrate the New Year. I also called on my old classmate A Zhi and her mother. I was surprised to hear that my parents and I were at my mother-in-law's house for the New Year, and asked me how their work was managed. Because this situation is really rare in our country. Not to mention that there is nothing in Wan Li, and nothing in a thousand miles is absolutely true. I think, on the one hand, this stems from my parents' open-mindedness, and all the relatives on my mother-in-law's side have taken care of my parents, making them want to live in harmony with all the members of this big family. I really can't express my gratitude to my husband's family. Only by doing our best to treat each and every one of them well will we not be too disappointed!
After dinner on the first day of the first month, I saw that it was still early and the wet road surface had dried up. I took my parents around the neighborhood. I asked my parents if they were used to it here. The parents sighed with satisfaction: "You arranged it so well, and all the people are so good. We just wash our hands and eat. What are we not used to? " I have enjoyed all your blessings in my life, and I am really satisfied! "Then I always praised my mother-in-law, my sister, my brother-in-law, and pitied my husband and me in every way, always saying that we were involved. I said, "Look, do I look like I'm suffering? As long as you are happy, safe and healthy, it is our greatest blessing! It's not tiring to do more ... "I'm telling the truth completely. I can do my filial piety for my parents and mother-in-law. I really don't feel hard, but my heart is full and satisfied.
On New Year's Eve and Spring Festival, we still follow the customs of previous years, such as putting up Spring Festival couplets to sweep the court, worshipping bodhisattvas and ancestors, worshipping temple gods and paying homage to heaven and earth, setting off firecrackers and fireworks, and visiting relatives and friends ... There are many books about it, so I won't go into details here. I don't want to spend too much ink to describe the richness of the New Year's Eve, the excitement of the Spring Festival, the piety of blessings, the brilliance of fireworks and the joy of the Spring Festival Gala. On the occasion of the festive season, the weather is extremely cold and the temperature has been hovering around zero. Although there are no snowflakes flying all over the sky, thin snow and severe frost that have never melted can be seen everywhere on the walls of roofs, in Yamanoue, on trees and cool grass, and on rape and vegetables. However, our big family is always full of warmth and peace! Full of happiness and laughter! Filled with spring-like joy and brilliance!