My 1995 Small Farm.

While he was pondering this, his eyes suddenly caught sight of Liang Yuemin taking out three of the largest "Fu" characters.

They didn't even bother to pick and choose.

Chen Ling suddenly had a brilliant idea: "There are rich people around us, so let's learn how to act like them today!"

"Both of these you picked are great, why don't you take them both? Even if you can't finish them, you can give them to someone else."

"That's true. We don't know what the situation is with the couplets at Sister-in-law's house yet. If we can't put them all up, we'll give them to them."

Wang Susu was also conflicted because she felt that both couplets were very good and suited her taste.

Since I really can't choose, I'll just take them all.

Furthermore, Chen Xiaoer had just moved here this year, but his father was hospitalized and his health was not very good, so he went back to Beijing.

Chen Ling only came back once, when he was hosting a banquet for his two young children.

Then he took his wife and children with him.

Otherwise, with his eldest son always playing with Rui Rui, he would definitely have cried and begged to come along to the market long ago.

After selecting the couplets and the character "福" (fortune), I paid for them.

Their whole family continued strolling around with the crowd.

As they browsed more and more stalls, everyone ended up with more and more things in their hands.

Everyone carried a large bag full of food, toys, and other necessities, their bags bulging with moisture.

"Let's go, let's go eat! There are fewer people at the food stalls now!"

Chen Ling had a good eye; he glanced at the food stalls and called everyone to go eat.

The babies aren't very hungry yet.

The adults, however, were all a little hungry.

The main problem is that I've been walking around a lot and expending too much energy. The snacks I eat don't keep me full for long, so now I get hungry just from the smell of meat wafting out.

"I feel like I can't eat much before I get full, but I just feel like eating."

Qin Yueru patted her stomach with one hand and began to speak.

Women are different from men; they can resist eating too many snacks.

They can't eat much meat like that.

"I think so too, but the mutton stewed in the wood-fired pot looks delicious."

Liu Yinhuan also said, "We eat well with Fugui every day. We just had soup last night, and today we can't even resist the sight of mutton. Aren't we being a little unfair to Fugui?"

"Eat if you're hungry. What's wrong with that? Come on, let's eat."

Chen Ling laughed upon hearing this, and carrying the two children, he took the lead and headed towards the mutton stall.

The local stewed mutton in a wood-fired pot uses goat meat.

As I said before, Chen Ling had heard too many people say that goat meat tastes stronger than mutton, but he had never actually tasted any gamey or muttony smell.

He wholeheartedly agrees with what others say: goat meat is more tender than mutton.

Especially their local goat meat, which is made from the mountainous terrain where the goats jump around, resulting in even better meat quality.

The mutton, cooked over a wood fire in a large pot, is incomparable to any other meat.

This was what Chen Ling craved most when he was in school.

If it were served with a bowl of he luo (a type of noodle), with mutton soup he luo right in front of him, Wang Zuxian wouldn't even glance at him as she passed by.

"It does smell good, but why does it look a little different from our mutton? It's the same color as dog meat instead."

Liang Yuemin walked up to the pot, smelled the aroma, and took two deep breaths. However, when he saw the dark red mutton and broth in the pot, he couldn't help but have some doubts.

"The mutton sold at these street stalls is obviously prepared differently from the mutton we make at home."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "At home, I usually make stewed mutton, and the broth is a bit milky white..."

The ones sold outside are usually braised. If you say the color looks like dog meat, then you're right.

The spiced dog meat sold on the street is braised, and the stewing time is not short.

It's about the same color as this mutton.

"You're here, please sit down. My family will bring you some clean new bowls."

The owner of the mutton stall, who also frequently sells beef soup in the county town, smiled and nodded when he saw Chen Ling.

Chen Ling often passed by here to buy things and eat, so people naturally recognized him.

His stall usually serves mainly beef soup.

Only at temple fairs or particularly large markets, like the one we're having now, would a whole sheep be slaughtered and stewed in a wood-fired pot.

Unlike Huangni Town, where there are many factories and large pots of mutton are common, this place is different.

"There are a lot of people today, so let me cut some first for you to try..."

The owner was very welcoming to Chen Ling. He took out a clean plate, scooped out a piece of mutton with a little skin on, chopped it up with a knife, and handed it to him.

Chen Ling took it and offered it to Liang Yuemin and the others to try.

The owner added, "Lamb is a bit expensive this year. Pork is over six yuan, and lamb has also risen to over eight yuan."

"Okay, okay, it doesn't matter if it's expensive or not. We're here to eat, so let's fill our stomachs first since it's lunchtime..."

"Remember to cut extra lamb intestines and lamb cheek meat, and add extra lamb testicles and scrotum to my brother's bowl."

Chen Ling pointed at Liang Yuemin and said.

"Eh???"

Liang Yuemin had just tasted two pieces of mutton and was still enjoying the aroma when he heard Chen Ling's words, and his eyes widened.

"I'll give you some nourishment. When I picked you up, you had no idea how haggard you looked."

Chen Ling patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm just mentally exhausted. I'm perfectly healthy, no problem with my body."

Liang Yuemin quickly retorted.

Liu Yinhuan blushed slightly and quickly pulled Wang Susu and the others away to go to the restroom.

Men and women are indeed not so open-minded these days.

Qin Yueru, on the other hand, was laughing and joking around, grabbing Chen Ling's hand and then grabbing Liang Yuemin's hand a couple of times.

"Brother, you should eat more. Fugui's hands are always warm and hot. Your hands are a bit cold."

"Go away, who gives you the right to talk nonsense?" Liang Yuemin glared at his sister and snorted.

"Good stuff, try it. If you don't like the taste, you can also have some sheep's blood. It's all good stuff."

The boss smiled and said, "Someone specially found this stuff. Since Fugui brought you guys today, I'll include all the mutton in the bill."

Then he took a jar of chili peppers and asked Liang Yuemin to try adding them to his food.

He took a bite, and soon his forehead was covered in sweat. He was completely convinced and kept saying, "Give me some more, more of everything!"

Chen Ling smiled but remained silent.

Walking up to the large pot of stewed mutton, we began to select different cuts of meat.

For meat lovers, the happiest moment is standing in front of a huge pot of meat, picking out the lean and fatty cuts, and even with a few other people around, scrambling to get some into their own bowls.

That's what makes it truly delicious.

"Make me a bowl of noodles with mutton broth first!"

Chen Ling picked out his own meat and then ignored everyone else. Everyone could choose what they wanted to eat; there was no need to be polite. It was a different kind of experience.

He only needs to take care of himself and his children.

"okay."

Chen Ling finished quickly.

A large bowl of noodles, topped with dark red lamb chops, half a lamb leg, lamb intestines, and other ingredients.

Rui Rui, Xiao Li Zi, and the other three children surrounded him as he ate, feeding the children a few bites at the same time.

They didn't eat much; they just sampled the flavors to enjoy the atmosphere.

They mostly played with the sugar figurines and other toys in their hands.

A little while later, Liang Yuemin and the others also came over with their bowls and chopsticks.

They stopped eating noodles and started eating mutton with white flour flatbread, which they enjoyed very happily.

Then it was Wang Susu and the others. After they came back, they were full after eating about half a bowl of food.

But after they finished eating, they all clamored that when they got back, they would ask Chen Ling to make them the same mutton.

Chen Ling readily agreed.

After eating and drinking their fill, they went to put up couplets and the character "福" (fortune) in each courtyard.

Then I did a quick sweep and cleaned up the debris that had been brought in by the wind these past few days.

In winter, the wind is strong on the mountain, especially at night. Fallen leaves and light trash will be blown into the yard. Since it's the New Year, we can't just ignore it.

"It's really useful. After eating so many chili peppers, as well as lamb penis and lamb testicles, my whole body is really hot."

When they were about to go find the lynx family in the afternoon, Liang Yuemin walked up to him and whispered, "Are the sheep here different? Why don't I have this feeling when I eat other sheep?"

"Haha, just eat. Take a good rest these few days. Eat whatever you have at home. I'll make sure you get some nourishment."

Chen Ling winked at him.

The sheep on other people's stalls are just ordinary goats, certainly not the kind of goats that eat and drink with spiritual energy that his family possesses.

Liang Yuemin had this feeling, but he just relaxed.

It's different from other times when I'm racking my brains and wasting energy thinking about this and that.

You would definitely feel your body suddenly become stronger and warmer.

When they arrived at the hospital, they called over Shanmao, Old Zhong, and Zhao Dahai's family. They then returned to the village with their bags and packages.

Du Juan is staying in the hospital, and is being cared for by two elderly women.

The men go back to drink, so there's no need to keep an eye on them.

Especially the lynx, it's similar to when Chen Ling was looking after Rui Rui, after all, it's her first child, and she's happy.

Beside Du Juan, he was restless and would occasionally laugh to himself, then couldn't resist wanting to play with the child.

Then they started to have all sorts of fantasies, saying that the child's height should not be like his, but should be as tall and big as Du Juan, and so on.

He kept talking.

Dujuan is so annoyed with him.

Go back quickly. It's better to drink and have fun at the table than to bother her while she's around.

……

"The pressed pork is ready! Shuiwazi, Yuqiang, Xiaochao, all of you come on over. Let's drink and eat meat tonight. A big pig's head, plus a few pounds of pork, let's finish it off tonight!"

Back in the village, Chen Ling didn't get off the tractor; he started shouting to people as soon as he saw them.

"You're so generous! Do you have any melon seeds or peanuts? We have a lot, I'll bring them over to you."

"No need, no need, I bought a lot, I have plenty at home, I just need to bring my own food and drink."

"Haha, his family has everything they need, Water Boy, why are you being so polite with him..."

Just as someone finished talking about Chen Ze, another person ran out – it was Chen Guoping.

“Fugui, etc., there are some things your family has but not others. Guowang’s brother-in-law sent a lot of horse meat. You’ve never had horse meat before, have you? Tell Yuqiang to bring you more when he goes over tonight.”

"horsemeat?"

Chen Ling has no memory of eating horse meat in his life.

"Your family is large and lively. Those who have never tried horse meat should give it a try."

Chen Ling's family is smaller, but this year is the liveliest they've ever been.

Liang Yuemin's entire family, along with Zhao Dahai and Shanmao's families, all celebrated the New Year at their home, with enough women and children to fill a large table.

The remaining gentlemen could fill both tables completely.

"Alright, then let's try the horse meat."

Chen Ling didn't stand on ceremony; too much politeness would only create distance.

He laughed and said, "We don't need too much, just enough to go with our drinks."

"Oh no, we don't know how to do it. You do it, make it delicious, so the kids can have more meat in their mouths and have a good New Year."

Chen Guoping waved his hand, saying that in the past two years, the children in the village hadn't suffered any grievances thanks to Chen Ling, and they had meat to eat every now and then.

But adults still subconsciously want to save the good things for the children.

That's true. Without Chen Ling, their own kids would be overjoyed just to dip their food in a little sugar; meat is such a rare treat. (End of Chapter)