Chapter 109: Making Zongzi
Chen smiled after hearing Xue's words. "What you said is that there are several girls in our family. If there are good ones, they should keep them at home. I remember that the boss said that Xingjia really mentioned this before. OK, Zixuan lives in our house, and these young people often meet. I think we should not get too involved. Zixuan is going to take the exam now, and maybe he can't even think that Jinghan and Jingwan from our family are not old, so there is no need to worry too much."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned to the house with a chat and laughed. Zhu also brought the soaked rice over, and several people started to make rice dumplings. Now it is a good life, so Chen said that they all made rice dumplings, and they would not put the yellow rice in it. They had already bought candied dates, and this year they would have to make more rice dumplings with candied dates. Northerners are not like the south. They will make many kinds of stuffings, some sweet and salty. Northerners are not used to the salty rice dumplings, so there are usually no one to make them.
Jingya and Jinghan also came to help, and everyone started to do it together, and the package was very fast. "Grandma, in fact, the beans tasted very good, the more you chew it, the more fragrant it became." Jinghan said while wrapping.
"Yes, in the past, how could I buy candied dates at home? Isn't it just to pack some beans? The beans with beans or big white beans, which taste good. Now that the conditions are a little better, I have to send some to some families who are good at getting along with them, so I can't just pack soybeans. Didn't you see that more candied dates we have prepared this year? Just keep those soybeans at home to try them." The soybeans mentioned by Chen are not soybeans, but another kind. They are bigger than small beans, usually white, and have red flowers. These beans are used to cook porridge or make fillings. They are very noodles and taste very delicious.
Some people use jujubes to make rice dumplings, but Chen thinks that jujubes are a little sour when cooked, so he doesn't like to use them. Instead, it's better to put them in and eat them with white beans.
The leaves of a kind of maranaceae are used to tie the rice dumplings. This thing is dried and it will be used to make rice dumplings the next year. Jinghan and his friends have many such maranaceae. Every year, Zhixin will pick some for use. Because they have to wrap two kinds of stuffings, Chen asked the candied dates to be tied separately, while the soybeans are tied into two or three in a string, which can be distinguished.
After all, there are so many people and the power is great. Twenty kilograms of rice were packed in less than an hour and a half. "I think we can cook rice dumplings early this year, and we can send all the things that should be given to people in the afternoon. It's okay to deliver them early, so everyone can try them early." Chen said.
The guy naturally agreed, so he cooked the rice dumplings. The twenty kilograms of rice dumplings were filled with a large pot. Chen looked at the boiling pot for about three quarters of an hour before he stopped adding firewood to the stove pit and slurped slowly. When it was late, Chen felt that the rice dumplings should be ready, so he lifted the lid of the pot and picked up the rice dumplings.
"Wenhan, you lead Wenchang to send some tribute to your master's house. We are studying there, and the master teaches him very carefully." Chen came out of the house and said to Wenhan who was helping Wencheng fiddling with herbal medicines in the yard.
Wenhan quickly got up and took what grandma prepared. There were twenty rice dumplings, twenty eggs, twenty goose eggs, and one meat, one fish, two packs of snacks, a box of tea, and a jar of wine. These things were filled with two full baskets. No wonder Wenhan and Wenchang went together. "Milk, you have prepared too much, right?"
"What's so much? All three of you are studying with their masters, but they don't know how much they care about you. What's this thing? If you can all get a juren and a Jinshi, I will thank you very much." Chen said with a smile.
Wenhan and Wenchang each carried a basket and went out.
Chen asked Wencheng to send some rice dumplings to Manager Sun, and Qingnian and Zhide, so he asked Wenxuan to send them over. "Tell you the fourth uncle and your sister-in-law, and let them come back tomorrow for the festival."
In previous years, there were also some gifts from Yue Siyuan, but now that the two families have formed relatives, it is not easy for the Xu family to deliver them to the place first. Chen had already prepared the gifts, so he could only wait until the Yue family came first and then return the gifts.
Just as he was thinking about this, Yue Pengcheng and the Yue family manager came in outside. Pengcheng stepped forward to greet Chen and Xue, "Grandma, mother-in-law." He had been engaged, so of course he had to call his mother-in-law. The manager next to him also quickly saluted the two of them.
"Pengcheng, why are you here by yourself? Hurry up, go into the house and sit for a while." Chen quickly let Pengcheng enter the house.
"Grandma, my mother prepared these things for her. Are you doing the holiday? Please do you think Jing'er?" Pengcheng took the things from the manager's hand and put them on the table in front of Chen.
"Hey, on the Dragon Boat Festival, why bother to prepare such things? Okay, I've collected the things. Just come, so I'll take them back. The rice dumplings have just been cooked in our house." Chen glanced at Xue, and Xue quickly packed all the things prepared in the morning, along with the newly cooked rice dumplings, and gave them to Pengcheng.
"Grandma, you have too many preparations, so I can keep it for Wenxuan and Jingxian to eat." Pengcheng said quickly.
"Isn't this a holiday? Besides, relatives are getting closer and closer. These are all brought by your fifth uncle a while ago. We don't have some things here, so everyone can try them. By the way, Jingya seems to have made clothes for you. Wait a while, she will come here later." Jingxian was here just now, and when she saw Pengcheng coming, she ran to the backyard. She probably told Jingya to go now.
Sure enough, as soon as Chen finished speaking, Jingya and Jinghan came from behind. Jingya walked in the middle, her face was red, and she carried a small bag in her hand. When she walked to Pengcheng, Jingya handed the bag to Pengcheng, "Then, this is the summer clothes I made for you."
Pengcheng quickly took over the burden and looked at his beloved girl. His shy look made his heart bloom. "Thank you, don't just do needlework, be careful of your eyes." Pengcheng whispered.
Jingya nodded, "Hey, I know. You are the same, don't just study hard, be careful."
When Pengcheng heard Jingya care about him, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up. "Okay, I'll be careful, haha." Pengcheng couldn't help but giggle. No matter how shrewd a man is, he will inevitably be foolish once he falls in love.
The Jinghan sisters were all smiling secretly from the side. Chen quickly glared at them. The Yue family manager next to him coughed and said, "Young Master, it's getting late. The master said that there are still several relatives who are leaving."
Pengcheng nodded, quickly said goodbye to Chen and Xue, led the manager and took the things prepared by Chen, and went home.
As soon as they left, Jinghan and Jingxian couldn't help laughing. "Grandma, mom, Brother Pengcheng was so stupid just now."
"You girls are not allowed to make a fuss." Chen smiled and scolded. "Okay, it's almost evening. Hurry up and help your mother prepare supper."
On the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhide led his wife and children back to the Xu family, and Qingnian also brought Huixin and Jinghui back. Huixin has been pregnant for seven months now and has a big belly. Qingnian carefully supported Huixin into the house. "Dad, mother, we are back."
Since Qingnian moved out of Tao's family, the relationship between the two has not eased. Although Qingnian would send some things to him every New Year Festival, the old man and the old lady of the Tao family ignored him, so Qingnian was too lazy to say anything to them, and often just put down his things and left. Every time during the New Year, Qingnian would bring his wife and children to the Xu family. For him, Xu Chengkuan and Chen were better than their biological parents.
Qingnian put the things in his hand on the kang, "Dad, there are tobacco leaves I bought for you here. The tobacco seller said that this is better than what we grow at our own home. Try it. Mom, I bought you some snacks. This is new and very good."
"Look at you, I'm just back, what are you buying? Our family has nothing to lack. Now Jinghui is getting older, Huixin has another one. If you can save some money, you can. There are places to spend money in the future." Chen inevitably asked for a few more words of advice.
"Mom, it's okay. Qingnian is now the boss and earns much more than before. We have enough money." Huixin was so immersed that she sat directly on the kang, not moving.
"Huixin, your body gradually sinks, and you can't move the headquarters. You have to come out for a walk often, otherwise it will be difficult to have a baby. Why do I look at you like this, as if you are pregnant with a girl? It's New Year, you didn't diagnose Huixin's pulse. Is it a girl or a boy?" Chen said as he looked at Huixin.
"Mom, you are so amazing. I have treated Huixin with a pulse. It should be a girl." Qingnian said with a smile. In fact, these old ladies have some skills and are very experienced in these. "It just so happens that one man and one woman have both children." Qingnian likes children, whether it is a man or a woman, he likes them.
Jing Hui, who was standing beside him, also said, "Grandma, I like my sister. I want a very beautiful sister. I will love her well and take her to play with her. No one is allowed to bully her." Jing Hui's chubby little face and a solemn look made everyone laugh.
Jinghan squatted in front of Xiao Jinghui and asked, "Without having a sister, you can't be naughty, you have to look like an older brother. If you have delicious food, you have to give it to your sister, and if you have fun, you can't rely on your mother in the future. When your sister learns to walk, you have to support her. If your sister can't walk anymore, you have to carry her back. Can Jinghui do it?" Jinghan asked deliberately.
Xiao Jinghui seemed to have encountered a big problem, frowned and thought for a long time before saying, "Okay, I can do it. But can my sister give me some of my mother? I can't let it be delicious, but I want my mother."
Huixin thrust on the kang, her eyes blurred, "Good son, come here for my mother."
Jing Hui ran to the edge of the kang, climbed up the kang hard, kicked off his shoes, and sat next to his mother. "Mom, if you have a sister, you will want me, right?"
Chapter completed!