Traveling between the 70s and the modern world

Chapter 203: Celebrating the Little New Year in Advance

Lin Qingyan and Gu Yizhou stood in the crowd, looking at the villagers' happy and cheerful faces.

I was also very excited.

By the time it was their turn, of course there was only some lean meat left, and basically no fat to be seen.

They had no choice in the end. After each of them took two taels of meat, Lin Qingyan whispered to Gu Yizhou:

"I'm going to buy some meat. Tomorrow is the Little New Year, but we all have to go back home tomorrow. So how about we make dumplings tonight and celebrate the Little New Year in advance?"

"Okay, I'll buy some more." Gu Yizhou gestured towards the cowshed.

Lin Qingyan understood what he meant, and went to line up for the remaining half pig, waiting to buy it. In fact, there were not many people who wanted to buy it. Every household received meat today, and except for a few wealthy families, everyone else stood by and watched.

"Aunt Wang, are you buying meat this year?"

"My grandson wants to eat. The little bit of meat we just distributed is barely enough to make dumplings for the New Year. My grandson is clamoring to eat today. Isn't there anything we can do?"

"That is, if you spoil your child, add a little bit of minced meat and more other ingredients, and the dumpling filling will be ready! The little bit of meat you share can be used to make dumplings several times."

“Forget it, I’d better buy some more and cook a meal for my grandson.” Aunt Wang replied with a helpless smile.

The village chief's family naturally had to buy some more. Even if Wang Lanlan hadn't secretly given money to her mother, the village chief's wife would have bought some, after all, they had a large family.

It was the turn of the village head's wife. She pointed at a piece of meat with a smile and said to the person cutting the meat: "Give me this piece. Give me two pounds!"

"okay!"

The butcher cut off a piece of meat with a flick of the knife, which made the people around him envious. However, they did not dare to say anything about the village chief's family and could only watch with envy.

When it was Lin Qingyan's turn, she also ordered two kilograms. Actually, she wanted to buy more, but she was afraid of the noise from too many people, so she split it up with Gu Yizhou and bought two kilograms each.

Ye Yi and Fang Yunxing each bought 2 kilograms. Ye Yi also asked Xu Jianshan and others who were not planning to buy it themselves to help buy 2 kilograms.

The villagers couldn't help but talk about the educated youth's action of selecting a group of children.

"These city kids are so different from us rural kids!"

"Yes, surprisingly everyone can afford 2 kilograms of meat."

"No wonder some people are trying so hard to go to the city. Life here is so good."

"What's good about that? I think our countryside is better. City people have money but can't buy anything. They need tickets for everything and there are purchase restrictions. But we don't need that. We can even grow some vegetables in our own yards."

"That's right. City people may look more respectable, but their lives are not as good as ours."

"But these children in the educated youth camp are too extravagant and wasteful. Each of them buys two kilograms of meat. You can't marry such children home."

"Bah! With your big shot, you still want to marry an educated youth? Why don't you look in the mirror!"

"What's the matter? If my Daniel doesn't work, does your Goudan work?"

As the topic became more and more off-topic, more and more people started arguing, and finally they all dispersed after being scolded by the new team leader.

After Lin Qingyan and the others returned to the educated youth site, Ye Yi handed a piece of meat she had bought to Lin Qingyan.

Lin Qingyan looked at her in confusion and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Aren't we making dumplings tonight? I'll make dumplings with meat for you." Ye Yi looked at her with a smile.

In the end, Lin Qingyan cut a piece of the meat they brought and put them together to make dumplings.

"We'll make dumplings together in the afternoon. Ye Yi, pack your luggage and dry food for the trip back home. We'll set off early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I'll go back and clean up first."

Lin Qingyan made a simple lunch, and after they finished lunch, they started making dumplings. She had a lot of fresh vegetables in her space, but it was not easy to take them out, so after choosing for a long time, she finally made dumplings stuffed with Chinese cabbage and meat.

Ye Yi washed the cabbage, drained the water, and cut it.

Lin Qingyan cut the meat and asked Gu Yizhou to chop it together with the cabbage. She added soy sauce and other seasonings during the chopping process. After adding soy sauce, the meat filling was chopped and the aroma was obvious.

"Lin Zhiqing, is there not enough meat? Put the two pounds I bought in there!"

Fang Yunxing looked at the meat filling and suddenly felt that it might not be enough for them to eat.

Lin Qingyan looked at the large mass of stuffing on the chopping board and hesitated. She was going to give some to the teachers in the cowshed.

But seeing that they might just finish it all, she thought about it and stopped hesitating. She took out her piece of meat and asked Gu Yizhou to cut it and chop it in.

"Lin Zhiqing, just use my piece of meat. Yizhou and I are leaving tomorrow. My family doesn't need my piece of meat. If you bring it back, they will dislike it."

Fang Yunxing brought over his piece of meat.

Lin Qingyan didn't answer, but Gu Yizhou did. "We all have to go back tomorrow. I'd like to trouble you to prepare some dry food for the journey!"

Lin Qingyan didn't refuse. She put the meat aside and thought about what kind of dry food to make later.

But we can put the issue of dry food aside for now and wrap the dumplings first.

Several people immediately got busy. Lin Qingyan quickly rolled out the dumpling skins and provided them to the others.

Fang Yunxing might really not know how to do these things. The dumplings he made were completely ugly, and in the end Ye Yi sent him to boil water.

Lin Qingyan stopped him and said, "Fang Yunxing, cut this piece of meat into cubes and make meat patties for you to eat on the way."

"Okay, holding a knife is my strong point, but I really can't cook!"

"Fang Yunxing, you are such a boaster. You say holding a knife is your strong point. What you held was a toy knife, right?" Ye Yi habitually confronted Fang Yunxing, and then she laughed.

Fang Yunxing paused and wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything. He could only chop and chop with the knife.

Ye Yi didn't know that Fang Yunxing and his friends would never come back after the Spring Festival, and she thought they were just going home for the Spring Festival like her.

She didn't feel sad, just nervous and excited about going home.

After wrapping the dumplings, Lin Qingyan went back to the house and took out a few jars, including a few small jars of pickles, and gave one jar each to Gu Yizhou, Fang Yunxing, and Ye Yi.

"Here are your favorite pickles. Take them with you on the road!"

"Wow, Comrade Lin Qingyan, you are so kind. Don't let others get away with it so easily in the future!"

Fang Yunxing glanced at Gu Yizhou as he spoke, and Gu Yizhou glared at him before looking away.

Lin Qingyan smiled and did not answer. Instead, she took some from another jar and put it on the table to eat later.

When Ye Yi served the dumplings and placed them on the table, there were already a few side dishes in the middle. With the dumplings, this Little New Year's celebration was even more sumptuous than the Big New Year.

"I'll practice for you tonight! I hope we can meet again in the future!" Lin Qingyan looked at Gu Yizhou and Fang Yunxing.

Practice? What does that mean? Ye Yi looked at them with a puzzled look.