A tragic journey through ancient times, trying to make money

Chapter 174 Preparing New Year’s Eve Dinner

The three of them only need to be responsible for making the cookies and honey cakes.

Zhang Xingfeng took Zhang Yunxue from home early in the morning, carrying the firecrackers they had bought, and went to the village to play with their friends. He had been studying in the town before and only came back occasionally. He had missed his friends for a long time.

Seeing that the three siblings had nothing to do at the moment, Grandpa Zhang took out the paste and asked them to start pasting couplets and hanging red lanterns.

So Zhang Yunyue took the paste and couplets, and Zhang Xingyun and Zhang Xinghao each took a stool, and they pasted couplets, door gods, and hung lanterns inside and outside the house. They then went to the workshop to paste the couplets and door gods, and hang up the lanterns.

After all the couplets and lanterns were hung up, everyone suddenly felt the New Year atmosphere.

Grandpa Zhang looked at the pasted couplets and sighed: "With the couplets posted and the lanterns hung, this house has a more festive atmosphere."

Putting down the remaining paste in his hand, Zhang Yunyue went to the kitchen to check the dough fermenting next to the stove. Both pots of dough were fermented.

Zhang Yunyue called her eldest and second brothers, and the three of them moved all the tools needed to bake cookies and cakes to the thatched shed in the old house.

Then light the oven and start the same steps as yesterday.

While the three of them were baking the cookies, they also kneaded, cut, and rolled the dough for the small cakes, and then placed the small cake dough next to the oven for a second fermentation.

Today's cookies were baked and packed into four bamboo baskets, still with two flavors of cakes: salty and sweet.

The next step is to bake the honey cakes. Spread honey on the surface of the twice-fermented cakes, put them in the oven, and continue to bake them slowly over low heat.

Three quarters of an hour later, Zhang Yunyue took out a small cake from the oven, broke it into two pieces, tasted it, and found it was soft and sweet.

"Brother, brother, it's done, you can take it out now."

The golden little cakes are placed in the bamboo basket, they are temptingly golden and fragrant.

"Brother, second brother, please try it. It tastes pretty good."

Zhang Xingyun and Zhang Xinghao each took one and put it in their mouths. The taste was completely different from the biscuits.

The biscuits are crispy and the honey cakes are soft and sweet, and taste the same as the cakes brought back from the county town.

Next, two more batches of honey cakes were baked. Zhang Yunyue roughly estimated that there were about a hundred of them.

"Brother, brother, we have finished roasting. We can just clean up here and go back."

"Well, I'll put out the oven first. Yueyue, you and Xiaohao take the baked cookies and cakes back. I'll bring the rest back after I finish cleaning up."

"Okay, big brother."

So, the two of them carried two bamboo baskets in each hand and went back to the house next door.

"Grandpa, grandma, the cookies and cakes are all ready. Grandma, the cakes are soft, please try them. My brother and I ate them and they were delicious."

Zhang Yunyue gave one to grandpa and grandma, then took a few and ran out to give to Zhang's father, second uncle, second aunt in the kitchen, and mother, so that everyone could taste a little.

It has been unanimously recognized by everyone.

It’s still cold now, so when I brought the honey cakes back from the old house, they were all cold.

Zhang Yunyue then led everyone to wrap eight small honey cakes in greaseproof paper, and then eat them one by one in a bamboo basket. Otherwise, they would easily get dusty if placed in a bamboo basket. The main purpose was to go to pay New Year's greetings on the second day of the Lunar New Year so that people could just carry them away.

After packing the small cakes, cut the greaseproof paper into smaller pieces, and then put the biscuits into small packages. You can hold them in your hands and eat them. It is very convenient and can also prevent them from getting damp, otherwise they will become soft and not tasty.

It was already noon when they finished all this. In the past, Zhang's family members were used to having New Year's Eve dinner around the afternoon, so they didn't prepare to cook at this time.

I had just made glutinous rice cakes yesterday and baked small cakes today, so I took two packages of packaged glutinous rice cakes from the kitchen, each package containing about ten pieces, and took them to the main room and started baking them there.

Now everyone should fill their stomachs first, otherwise if they are too full, they will not be able to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner.

After eating the glutinous rice cake, Zhang's mother and Zhu began to prepare various dishes in the kitchen.

After noon.

Some families in the village started to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. In the past, few people set off firecrackers in the village.

But this year, most families have saved a lot of money because of the Zhang family.

So, after noon, the sound of firecrackers could be heard from the village from time to time.

As soon as the afternoon arrives.

In the kitchen of Old Zhang's house, Zhang's mother shouted towards the main room: "The food is ready. Clean up the main room and you can come in and serve the food."

Zhang's father and Zhang Cheng cleaned the table in the middle of the main room, and Zhang Yunyue and his siblings went to the kitchen and brought the prepared dishes to the table in the middle of the main room.

There are twelve dishes including spicy chicken, braised pork, stewed pork ribs with radish, pickled meat, braised pork, duck with young ginger, fish with pickled pepper, cold tofu, etc.

In previous Chinese New Years, having chicken and meat in the pot was considered good enough. This year, chicken, duck, fish and meat are all prepared, and every dish looks very appetizing.

After the food was served, Grandpa Zhang brought the men in the family to offer sacrifices at the table.

After the worship, Zhang's father took the firecrackers outside and lit them, "crackling, crackling..."

The worship ceremony was over and the family sat at the table and started to eat.

The New Year's Eve dinner was unusually relaxing. Everyone talked about everything that happened this year and lamented that so many changes had taken place this year.

The family built a workshop and started a cooperation with Tianxianglou. They opened a food store in the town and even two stores in the county town. The family also built a new house.

Although you haven't bought the land you want yet, you can take your time and you will always meet a landlord who is selling land.

Many folks in the surrounding villages also saved money and had a prosperous New Year, which was the most gratifying thing.

Then they talked about which dish was delicious and which dish tasted fragrant today.

The New Year's Eve dinner lasted for half an hour with everyone chatting and laughing.

After dinner, Zhang's mother and Zhu took all the dishes into the kitchen and washed them. They also chopped some pork and cut some green onions, ginger and garlic to prepare for the meal. They would also eat dumplings at midnight when they stayed up all night to celebrate the New Year.

Zhang Yunyue went to the bathroom in the backyard and lit a fire. Soon everyone in the family would take a bath and then put on new clothes to welcome the New Year.

Zhang Yunxue and Zhang Xingfeng were the first to go to the bathroom with their new clothes, and each of them took a bathroom.

Zhang Yunxue: "Sister, I want to take a shower first. Cuicui and I have agreed that after dinner, we will wear new clothes and go out to play. I also want to wear the snowflake earrings you bought for me. Sister, remember to wear them after you take a shower."

"Okay, I know."

"Sister, me too. I've already made an appointment with Shitou. I'll bring them some biscuits later."

"Okay, you two go wash first. The water will be boiled soon. I'll carry the water in for you."

Water was boiling in the middle of the bathroom, and the bathrooms on both sides had also become warm.