I thought that if I sent the Zhang family away, Shangfang would not mention to the big house that the two families would eat together.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhang's front foot left, Old Man Chen came in on the back foot.

In order to avoid suspicion, Mr. Chen naturally did not enter the inner room where the Li family and his two daughters stayed, but went to the side room on the right. That small room is Chen Xiucai's study, usually Chen Xiucai is studying in it or tutoring his two sons to study, it seems that Mr. Chen is directly looking for Chen Xiucai to talk about it.

"Go to the room to eat, it's nothing, I'm afraid that this is the New Year, and your father will not be happy." Li Shi listened to the movement outside, turned his head and said to Chen Xuejiao and Chen Xueru.

Chen Xuejiao nodded, quite agreeing with Li's words.

The so-called unhappiness is not because Mrs. Chen will say embarrassing things at the dinner table, on the contrary, Chen Xuejiao has a hunch that no matter who goes to the room for dinner today, it will be a happy scene.

It is because of his happiness that Chen Xiucai will not be happy in his heart.

Chen Xiucai has no mother, and he usually can't see the trauma in his heart, but it will show up when it comes to festivals, especially the Mid-Autumn Festival or Spring Festival.

You don't have to think about it to know that Mrs. Chen will be extremely affectionate with her three sons at the banquet, and every time she gets such a scene, Chen Xiucai doesn't realize it, and her heart will definitely touch the scene and think of her late mother.

The New Year was supposed to be a happy day, and the Li family didn't want Chen Xiucai to go to the room and witness the happy scene of mother and son between Mrs. Chen and Chen Zichang, Chen Zigui, and Chen Zifu.

Not only did Li think so, but Chen Xuejiao and Chen Xueru also thought so.

"The second uncle and the fourth uncle have lost their capital in business. Will the second uncle mention borrowing money? Chen Xuejiao asked worriedly.

Not to mention, Chen Zichang will really ask for money.

A few years ago, they went to Xuzhou Mansion to purchase New Year's goods, and Chen Zichang and Chen Zigui came to the inn with shy faces to ask them for money. Sent away by them. When Chen Zichang left, he also said cruel words: "My mother raised a white-eyed wolf to come out, and my brother was a brother, and she only cared about eating meat for herself, and she didn't give her brother a sip of soup." ”

If Chen Zichang is a backbone person, Chen Xuejiao respects him, but he is a soft bone, and he may not have the idea of playing a big house in his heart. Maybe I brought up the idea while we were eating together. Especially the Zhao family, who has always been at odds with their big house, is so enthusiastic that they greet them today, and Chen Xuejiao's family can't help but be wary.

"He borrowed it. You can borrow as much as you want, and whether you can borrow it depends on his ability. Chen Xuejiao didn't care.

After about a quarter of an hour, Old Man Chen left the upper room.

Chen Xiucai took Chen Qi'an into the back room. I mentioned the purpose of Old Man Chen's coming to the Li family and Chen Xuejiaoniang.

“…… We're not going to eat tonight. Ming'er Wenying and Wenyan are both at home, let's have a reunion dinner together. Chen Xiucai said.

It seems that I don't have to go to the upper room to eat tonight, but I can't escape tomorrow's reunion dinner.

Originally, Chen Xuejiao's family did not expect not to have a reunion dinner together. Whether it is the Chinese New Year's Eve or the first month, since they still live in the same courtyard, they have to have a meal together during the New Year.

The reunion dinner has always been valued by Mr. Chen. At present, for the entire Chen family, Old Man Chen represents the highest authority. He spoke, and no one dared to disobey.

Let alone. It's just a reunion dinner.

As a result, Chen Xuejiao, Li and others had no objections.

"Will you make your own meal tomorrow, or will you order it in town?" Li asked, "What did Dad say?" ”

"Originally, I wanted to book in town, but it didn't cost much. But my father likes to do it himself at home, saying that this is the only way to be lively, and to have a reunion dinner. Chen Xiucai said apologetically.

Old Man Chen likes to work together as a family, of course, he and Mrs. Chen don't need to do anything, they just watch from the sidelines, even then, he is happy in his heart. Chen Xuejiao remembered that when the family was not separated, they would celebrate the New Year together, and Old Man Chen especially liked the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, where everyone would get together to make dumplings. Seeing that everyone was busy, Old Man Chen automatically filtered out the suspicions between several rooms.

Cooking at home tomorrow, needless to say, this burden will fall on Lee's shoulders by itself. So many people eat, especially the reunion dinner, according to the Chen family's consistent standards, ten plates and eight bowls are considered to be rare, this is indeed a big project. In previous years, after eating the reunion dinner, Li's was tired and had back pain, and it seems that this year is no exception.

Therefore, Chen Xiucai's guilt was directed at the Li family, so the Li family felt a lot of heart.

"It's nothing, it's just one time a year, with Xue Ruxuejiao's help, and her third aunt, Wenying will also come tomorrow, there are enough people." Li said softly, automatically filtering out Zhao and Zhang.

As he spoke, it was dark, the house was lit up, and the stones were ready for dinner.

Because the food at Li's house at noon was too rich, everyone was not hungry, so they simply ate some.

The stone prepared cold cabbage, stir-fried fungus, vinegared shredded potatoes, and boiled a large pot of wheat kernel corn porridge, all of which were refreshing dishes, just to relieve the oiliness brought by big fish and meat at noon.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the house and chatted for a while, talking about nothing more than who would invite wine in the first month of the year, and who would invite them to eat wine. Chen Xuejiao looked at Li's enthusiastic appearance, and she was also very happy in her heart. Although she prefers to stay alone in the room and read the ink engraving book quietly compared to the New Year's Festival, she likes to be lively, so she naturally can't reveal what she really thinks in her heart, not only can't she reveal it, but she also happily follows Li around the door.

It is obvious that the Li family is happy, in previous years, when there was no separation, he was restrained to death by Mrs. Chen, not to mention inviting him to eat and drink, even if he went to his mother's house to visit relatives, he would get a scolding. Last year, they were separated, and they just had to eat and drink, and they all went to other people's houses, but their own family did not buy a banquet. This year is different, first of all, the economy is more prosperous than in any other year. And now that Li is not afraid of her mother-in-law, she started to think about inviting guests to eat and drink.

"In previous years, we all went to Han's house to eat and drink, but this year, I invited them to come. Just put a single day please. Muramasa, who works in our house, and my sisters, just pick up two days. Li folded his fingers and said with a smile.

"Okay, it's up to you." Chen Xiucai listened to Li Shide every time.

"When the time comes, if we can cook by ourselves, we will do it ourselves, and if we can't do it, we will go to the town to order food." Chen Xuejiao saw that Li was on the rise, so she added.

Everyone talked for a while, and the night grew deeper and deeper. Li asked everyone to go to bed early.

Last night there was another snowfall, but it was very small, and only a thin layer fell on the ground. Rao is so. Everyone still gets up early to clear the snow, if the snow is not cleared, when it melts, the yard will be muddy. It is also easy to slip.

Waiting for Chen Xuejiao to go out with a broom. Old Man Chen has already swept half of Chen Zifu and Big Eggs.

"Master!" Chen Xuejiao and several children greeted, and Old Man Chen raised his waist and coughed twice, and nodded lovingly towards his grandchildren.

"Eldest daughter-in-law, you've bothered a lot today." After sweeping the snow, Old Man Chen suddenly stopped Li, and said with some embarrassment on his face, "It stands to reason that the reunion dinner should have fish and meat...... Anyway, it's all your own family, so don't cook so many dishes. ”

As soon as Li wanted to agree, he saw Chen Xuejiao glaring at her.

"Master. Although it is his own family, he can't be lazy. Besides, the two aunts came to visit relatives today, and the dishes were less, and they didn't look good. Chen Xuejiao said straight to the point, "As early as a year ago, my mother prepared the meat for the treat." ”

When Li Shi heard this, he reacted and was so busy that he answered: "Dad, leave it all to me, you can rest assured." ”

Old Man Chen's embarrassed face suddenly relaxed, laughed dryly, and entered the upper room.

Chen Xuejiao knew that the meat in the upper room was not enough to make a banquet.

Originally, Shangfang had to kill a pig every year for the New Year, but the news came that the second room family would not come back for the New Year, so Mrs. Chen made the decision to sell all the pigs, and their ten catties of pork were still given by Chen Xuejiao's family.

Because there are few people in the house this year, the New Year's goods prepared by Mr. Chen have also decreased. Today's reunion dinner was short of meat, and Old Man Chen was embarrassed to ask Dafang for it, so he deliberately told Li not to prepare too many meat dishes. Even if you want to buy it now, the shop won't open.

Chen Xuejiao was very dissatisfied with Old Man Chen's attitude, you just want it if you lack meat, why do you need to do it in this way. Li was originally a simple person, if he really only listened to the superficial meaning of Old Man Chen's words, he would wait to be scolded by everyone as soon as the banquet passed.

After breakfast, Li took Chen Xuejiao, Chen Xueru, Cai, and Xuewa to get busy.

Zhao was talking to Mrs. Chen in the upper room, while Zhang was shuttling between the kitchen and the upper room.

Xu was because Chen Zigui came back, Zhang also dressed up, rubbed a layer of jasmine powder on his face, smeared rouge on his mouth and cheeks, and pulled up his hair wet with a silver hairpin, which looked like his hair had just been washed in the morning, wearing a bright red jacket and pants, with thick stitches on his head, which obviously showed that it was Zhang's handiwork.

"Fourth aunt, you let it go." Chen Xuejiao held a cabbage and said to Zhang, who was pestle at the door of the pot house.

Zhang's stumbled on the melon seeds, and his mouth fluttered and said that the second room was not: "...... Poisonous snake heart, my man followed them, didn't bring anything, I was counting on bringing me some money to spend, and I didn't ask a fart"

Zhao Shipi smiled and said: "Give him 500 yuan a month for his fourth uncle, and the food is ours, even if you hire a small worker, it is not so expensive." ”

Li and the others didn't answer, so they had to laugh dryly.

It seems that Chen Zigui returned home empty-handed this time, and Zhang was very dissatisfied, her dissatisfaction was not with her own man, but with the second room, she thought that Chen Zigui was pitted by the second room this time. In fact, even if the second room is not expensive for Chen Zi, according to his temperament, he can't bring a few silver home.

"What's the nonsense of the New Year, if you don't speak, who will sell you as a dumb person, why did our old Chen family please you idiot." Mrs. Chen moved her little foot and pointed at Zhang and scolded.

Zhang was scolded silently, and ran away. Mrs. Chen didn't care about her, walked to the pot house by herself, her gloomy eyes turned around the room, and she took out a string of copper plates from her arms and put them on the board: "I'll go get a pot of wine." ”

"No need to fight, I have a ready-made one." Cai said with a smile.

Mrs. Chen didn't answer, and pouted: "The second child wants to drink good wine." ”

Seeing that Li poured oil into the pot, Mrs. Chen felt a pain in her flesh, and wanted to reprimand Li for using too much oil, but after thinking that the oil belonged to the big house, she endured it and walked out of the pot house.

As soon as a big dish was cooked, Wen Ying's family came from the town, and then Wen Yan also came with his two daughters, but Duan Erhu did not follow.

Wen Ying served a pot of mushroom stewed chicken as usual, Zheng Huozi smiled and brought it into the upper room, but Wen Ying did not enter the upper room, took off the big sweater on her body, and went into the pot house to help her sister-in-law cook. Wen Ying's daughter, Niuniu, squatted beside Chen Xuejiao with a smile and helped her choose vegetables. Wen Yan stood at the door of the pot house and took a look, greeted several sisters-in-law, and pulled Zhao into the upper room.

Chen Xuejiao glanced at it, and saw that Wen Yan's gifts were much richer than in previous years, not only fruits, pastries, but even chicken, duck and fish.

Sister Chun obviously knew the rules, and she didn't dare to stretch out her hand when she looked at the food in the pot house, so she only circled around Chen Xuejiao. Sister Qiu is young, she has a pair of dimples with a smile, and she holds a yarn silk in her hand to make flowers, and drives Chen Xuejiao, Chen Xueru, and Niuniu to call her sister.

Chen Xuejiao likes this little cousin, and grabbed peach cakes, toad su, and Fu orange cakes from the house for her to eat, she reciprocated the peach and handed the flowers in her hand to Chen Xuejiao and Niuniu: "Sister wears flowers." ”

Sister Chun looked coldly on the side and didn't say a word.

Chen Xuejiao smiled, put a plate full of fruits on the table, and beckoned Sister Chun: "You can eat too." ”

"I heard that the second and fourth uncles are back, why haven't I seen anyone." Niuniu asked Chen Xuejiao.

"I haven't seen it either." Chen Xuejiao responded with a smile.

As he was talking, he heard Chen Zigui talking outside, Chen Xuejiao and Niuniu opened the window together and looked out.

Chen Zigui is standing in the courtyard training big eggs. He put his hands behind his back, and his eyebrows were cold, but he was a little fatter than before.

It wasn't until he went to the room and shouted that the meal was about to start that Chen Zigui stopped reprimanding.

Chen Xuejiao walked out with Niuniu, Sister Chun, and Sister Qiu.

Li made six cold cuts, six stir-fried dishes, and six large dishes. Gold and silver elbows, sweet and sour pork ribs, fried meatballs, and braised carp were all set on the table.

The Chen family is not like the Li family, where there are two tables for dinner, and both men and women can eat at the table. The Chen family has always followed the custom that women do not serve at the table, and men can only eat when women are leftover, and even this New Year's Festival is no exception.

After setting up a banquet in the upper room, Li took the female dependents to serve food, wine, and steamed buns, and was busy.

"This year, we will make an exception and eat at the table." Old man Chen raised his chopsticks and just wanted to pick up the vegetables, when he suddenly said.

So, a few more stools were stuffed around the table, and there were no more male and female seats, half of them surrounded the women, and half of the men were sitting, holding up the wine cup and raising the chopsticks to eat and drink. (To be continued......)