On New Year's Eve, before dawn, the sound of firecrackers rang out outside, making Zhong Ziqi so restless that she tossed and turned, having trouble falling asleep.
Zhao Zhengan had no choice but to keep comforting him: "It will be fine in a while, just for a while."
Zhong Ziqi may have had a bad appetite these days, and his temper was a little grumpy, but he could restrain himself from venting his emotions to Zhao Zhengan. He knew in his heart that he was having a hard time, so how could Zhao Zhengan be having a good time
He did the laundry, cooking, and tidying up the room every day. Although he felt that there would be no problem if he took over, but Zhao Zhengan couldn't stand the shock. He was afraid that he would be like something, so Zhong Ziqi let him go without saying a word. To toss, the key is that Zhao Zhengan has to go to the town to work on business matters after tossing at home. Zhong Ziqi found that Zhao Zhengan actually lost a lot of weight, but his whole body is full of strong muscles, so it doesn't feel obvious to people, but He is the person next to him, the person who knows him best, how can he not feel it, so it is impossible for him to do such unreasonable things.
After a while, the sound of firecrackers outside really stopped, Zhong Ziqi finally breathed a sigh of relief, and lay down with Zhao Zhengan again to sleep.
When it was just dawn, there was another burst of firecrackers, Zhong Ziqi was speechless, and simply planned to go to bed with Zhao Zhengan.
"You lie down for a while, and you get up after I finish the meal." Zhao Zhengan said softly, and then got up and got dressed.
"I'll get up too, I can't sleep on either side."
Zhao Zheng'an shook his head while buttoning up the button: "It's cold, wait until I warm up the room before you get up."
After a night, the temperature in the room had already dropped, and people were shivering from the cold. If possible, no one wanted to leave the warm bed.
"OK then."
Zhong Ziqi nodded, he can't do anything when he gets up, so he can continue to lie down, Zhong Ziqi thought lazily.
Zhao Zhengan put on his clothes and went out. The cold temperature forced him to shiver. He walked all the way and entered the kitchen. Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, and he needs to eat four meals, so this morning meal can make do .
Zhao Zhengan turned on the stove, first boiled a pot of hot water to wash his face, and then started cooking. He didn't have much appetite in the morning, so Zhao Zhengan cooked a pot of porridge after thinking about it, and put a few eggs to cook together.
After the meal was ready, Zhao Zhengan went to wake Zhong Ziqi up. Zhong Ziqi stretched her waist to wash up, deeply feeling that the life of this kind of rice bug will make people more and more lazy.
After dinner, Zhao Zhengan started to get busy. He first made a pot of paste, and took out the couplets, door gods, and window grilles he bought. Zhong Ziqi was in charge of brushing the paste, and Zhao Zhengan was in charge of pasting the couplets.
There are also two big red lanterns. Their family lives in this remote place, there is no light around them, and it looks dead and silent, so he bought two lanterns.
"Hey, a little to the left... a little to the right..." Zhong Ziqi instructed Zhao Zhengan where to hang the lantern.
"Are you ready?" Zhao Zhengan asked while standing on the stool.
"A little higher."
Zhao Zhengan moved up as he said. "How's it going?"
Zhong Ziqi looked at it and nodded: "Okay, let's hang it up."
Hearing this, Zhao Zhengan immediately hung up the lantern, then got down from the stool, stood beside Zhong Ziqi, looked at him and nodded, "Yes, it's pretty." With the door god and couplet on the door, it was full of joy.
"Okay, let's go inside, don't freeze." Zhao Zheng'an stroked Zhong Ziqi's cold hand. Quickly pull it back into the house.
"I'm going to make lunch. You just sit here and eat melon seeds."
Sitting on the kang, Zhong Ziqi felt a little worried and said, "Let me cook with you. You have never cooked so many dishes, and you are too busy."
Zhao Zhengan waved his hand: "No, didn't you tell me the steps yesterday? If I don't know how, I'll ask you again. You don't need to go out."
Zhong Ziqi: "Is it really possible?"
"Really, don't worry." Zhao Zhengan assured Zhong Ziqi that it was over, and his heart began to beat when he went out. After all, the dishes he cooks now are different from those he practiced a few days ago. They are all complicated dishes, such as stewed pork ribs, stewed fish, Stewed chicken, other small stir-fries, soups, he is really not so confident that he can do it well.
Zhong Ziqi sat on the kang and kowtowed melon seeds absent-mindedly, listening to the sound of chopping vegetables and meat from the kitchen from time to time, after a while he still got off the ground worriedly, and walked slowly towards the kitchen.
There was a palm-sized gap in the kitchen because of the excessive oily smoke. Zhong Ziqi walked over and saw Zhao Zhengan wearing an apron and stewing fish. After the oil was put in the pot, maybe the water was not clean, and the oil started to crackle. Splashing everywhere, Zhao Zhengan put the fish into the pot. With a sound of "stab", there was a burst of oily smoke from the pot, and Zhao Zhengan immediately jumped away. When the oily smoke dissipated, he ran to the side of the pot to continue frying fish. Occasionally, when the oil was splashed, he would grin his teeth, and Zhong Ziqi couldn't stop laughing when he saw it. , I think the appearance of him cooking is more interesting than watching TV, but when the smell inside gradually comes out, Zhong Ziqi has to leave the kitchen regretfully.
Zhao Zheng'an spent the whole morning in the kitchen, occasionally ran over to ask Zhong Ziqi when he was not sure, and ran back to the kitchen to execute after he got the answer. After his own random thinking and Zhong Ziqi's guidance, finally at noon, the Get all your meals done.
Zhao Zheng'an brought them into the house one by one: "Wait a while, I'll set off a firecracker, and we'll eat again."
Zhong Ziqi nodded.
"Cover your ears, don't be surprised." Zhao Zhengan walked out after finishing speaking.
Zhong Ziqi covered her ears and heard a "boom" after a while.
Zhao Zhengan entered the room after placing two, took off his shoes and put his legs on the kang: "Eat."
Zhong Ziqi held her chopsticks and looked at the ugly dishes on the table. She really had no appetite. He didn't dislike Zhao Zhengan's poor cooking. On the contrary, if it was the past, he would eat it immediately without saying a word. Just smelling it makes my stomach feel like it's going up.
Zhao Zheng'an knew that he was uncomfortable: "For Chinese New Year, you should eat less to celebrate the festival. I put a lot of vinegar in this fish, and this sauerkraut. I didn't put much oil in it. It's not greasy at all. Try it, if you really like it If you can't eat it, just drink porridge."
Zhong Ziqi hummed, took a bite of fish with chopsticks and ate it. As Zhao Zhengan said, there was a lot of vinegar and a lot of sugar, and it tasted sweet and sour.
"How is it?" Zhao Zhengan asked expectantly.
"Not bad." Zhong Ziqi said out of conscience.
Zhao Zheng'an nodded happily, and started to eat. He usually wouldn't move those dishes that had a lot of vinegar in them. He really couldn't eat sour ones, so he didn't know how much water was added to what Zhong Ziqi said was good.
After eating, according to the custom, it is time to make dumplings. On the eve of the New Year's Eve, it can be said that I am busy with the last meal and the next meal, and I am busy eating all day long.
The dumpling stuffing was mixed by Zhong Ziqi, and the noodles were also made by Zhong Ziqi. The two sat on the hot kang, listening to the crackling firecrackers outside, chatting and making dumplings.
After making the dumplings, Zhao Zheng'an asked Zhong Ziqi to wait for him at home, and he went out to visit his ancestor's grave.
Zhong Ziqi couldn't help feeling that some customs are unavoidable no matter whether they are modern or ancient.
Zhao Zhengan didn't come back after going there for half a day. Zhong Ziqi watched the sky getting dark, so she went into the kitchen and started boiling dumplings. By the way, she warmed up the leftover fish at noon. Fish is indispensable on New Year's Eve, which means Every year is more than enough.
Zhong Ziqi heated up some other dishes and sat at home waiting for Zhao Zhengan.
When Zhao Zhengan came back, it was completely dark. He didn't enter the house in a hurry, but lit the two big lanterns at the door, watched them glow red, and then entered the house.
"Why is it so late? I thought something was wrong with you!" Zhong Ziqi said with a sigh of relief.
Zhao Zheng'an sat next to the brazier on the kang, and said with his red hands, "It's nothing, I just met the clan elders and they said a few words, and I went to the graves of father and mother again." forward."
Zhong Ziqi was taken aback when she heard the words, and nodded her head. Zhao Zhengan also had intentions, and he didn't expect it.
"Okay, let's eat." Zhao Zhengan said.
"En." Zhong Ziqi responded, and opened the plate with vegetables and dumplings. I ate with Zhao Zhengan.
After that, they were free, Zhong Ziqi and Zhao Zhengan sat on the kang and whispered in boredom.
"I heard that on the night of the New Year's Eve, the rich masters in the town will hire some juggling troupes to perform on stage. Ordinary people can watch it, but we are too far away from the town, and it is inconvenient without a carriage. The conditions are met, let's go take a look." Zhao Zhengan said with his arms around Zhong Ziqi.
"Okay, I just haven't watched it yet." Zhong Ziqi was a little curious. There were too few entertainments in ancient times, which made him curious about everything.
"And the temple fair on the 15th day is also very lively. I saw it once. All the men, women and children in the town came out to watch the lanterns and play. It was so lively." Zhao Zhengan vividly described the scene he had seen to Zhong Ziqi.
Zhong Ziqi's heart was agitated by what he said, how lively the ancient temple fairs are always shown in TV dramas, he has actually been fascinated for a long time, but when he thinks of his current body, Zhong Ziqi has to wilt.
The two of them sat on the kang and babbled until midnight. Zhao Zhengan went out and set off a string of firecrackers, and then entered the room grinning: "Daughter-in-law, Happy New Year."
Zhong Ziqi also smiled happily: "Happy New Year." This is the first New Year he has come to this world, and he will never forget it.
After the two of them ate their last meal, they couldn't bear to lie down and sleep anymore.