My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 63 New Year’s Eve Dinner

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On the same day that Lin Ying closed her tea egg stall at the movie theater, Zhou Jiye also closed his business selling old hens at the vegetable market.

He had no choice but to end it; with the increasing number of competitors in the market these days, his business had been greatly affected.

The number of stalls selling old hens, ducks, and other agricultural products has not decreased in the past few days; in fact, there have been several more.

Among these people were farmers from the suburbs and unemployed educated youth who had returned to the city. It was as if overnight, these people had suddenly become enlightened and sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Their emergence intensified competition, and coupled with limited market demand, the already tense supply and demand relationship underwent a disruptive change. As these products became more abundant, Zhou Jiye's business became increasingly difficult.

Besides this reason, there is another reason: the price of buying old hens and eggs in the suburbs has also fluctuated.

As more people entered this industry, the situation became similar not only in his local market but also in other markets throughout the city. With more people going to the countryside to buy produce, the original supply channels became strained, naturally leading to a price increase.

All of these factors have led to the current situation. It's not that you can't continue doing it, but you definitely won't earn as much money as you did at the beginning, and the workload has increased dramatically.

In addition, there have been changes in Guilin Brigade. It's not a problem with the supply of goods, as the supply can be maintained by raising the purchase price. The key issue is that news has come from Guilin Brigade that nearby farmland is going to be requisitioned.

In other words, the government plans to expropriate nearby farmland and convert it from agricultural land to industrial land. In addition, a large area will be designated for the expansion of the nearby Normal University's new campus.

As a result, Guilin Brigade and several nearby production brigades will have their land requisitioned.

After these farmlands were requisitioned, all the original production brigades were abolished.

After the land was requisitioned, some farmers were reassigned land in the suburbs according to the policy, while others changed their agricultural household registration to urban household registration on the spot. In addition, those who were of suitable age could enter the newly built factories in the vicinity as workers under the policy of "land requisition workers". Thus, the farmers who faced the loess soil with their backs to the sky were transformed into the working class with a secure job.

This was a momentous event for several production brigades, including Guilin Brigade. As farmers from the suburbs, they had always envied city dwellers with urban residency. Now, with this windfall, everyone was overjoyed and ecstatic.

When Zhou Jiye went to collect old hens and eggs, he heard the news. The villagers of several brigades didn't have much farm work in the winter, and now they gathered together every day to talk about this, discussing whether it was better to continue being a farmer in the suburbs or to change their household registration and work in a factory.

The topic was hotly debated, and people were having a great time discussing it. Although this matter was not directly related to Zhou Jiye in nature, it did tell him that the era of Shanghai's urban area developing into the suburbs had begun.

Moreover, because of this change, the suburbs of Shanghai will be further and further away from the city center, which will also break the acquisition network that Zhou Jiye has worked so hard to build. Once this matter is settled, Zhou Jiye will have to find new sources of goods if he wants to continue in this business.

These changes were the main reasons why Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying ultimately decided to end their current business.

So on the eve of the Spring Festival in 1980, the day before the Lunar New Year, the two of them set up their stalls at the movie theater and the vegetable market for the last time. After finishing their business for the day, these two businesses would be completely over. Although they felt a little melancholy about this, they were also full of determination and confidence and longing for the future.

The Spring Festival of 1980 was Zhou Jiye's first Spring Festival in this era, and also their first Spring Festival in the world.

The atmosphere of the Spring Festival today is incomparable to that of decades later. People start preparing for the Spring Festival as early as after New Year's Day.

Zhou Jiye and his group followed local customs and prepared chickens, ducks, and braised meats early on. They also prepared a lot of things for the New Year, such as candies, melon seeds, peanuts, and other snacks. Of course, they also prepared couplets and firecrackers.

For many years, people did not have a holiday during the Spring Festival due to various reasons. This year, the holiday has finally been restored. In addition, the open spring breeze has brought subtle changes to society, and the festive atmosphere this year is deeply felt.

On New Year's Eve, every household is busy decorating with lanterns and colorful decorations, all for the purpose of gathering around the dinner table to enjoy a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.

Although there is no Spring Festival Gala program yet, and television sets haven't even entered every household, it doesn't stop everyone from having a lively and festive Spring Festival.

The same was true inside the villa. Lin Ying was busy in the kitchen, Zhou Jiye was helping out, and even Fang Manxia was not idle, so she came downstairs to keep them company.

Lin Ying took a metal spoon and occupied a stove to make egg dumplings, while Zhou Jiye fried meatballs beside her. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking, the smell of food, and the intermittent sounds of children's laughter and firecrackers from outside, creating a festive atmosphere.

"Ring ring ring!"

We were chatting when the doorbell suddenly rang.

"I'll drive it!"

As soon as Zhou Jiye scooped the last meatball out of the oil, he quickly wiped his hands and strode toward the door.

When they opened the door, they were stunned to see Xie Xiangrong standing outside.

"Uncle, what brings you here?" "Hehe, I knew you'd have something delicious to cook today, but I was too lazy to cook at home alone. So, this uninvited guest decided to come and join you for a New Year's Eve dinner. What? Not welcome?"

Xie Xiangrong asked with a grin. Today he was wearing a black overcoat with a small collar, a pair of crisp suit trousers, polished leather shoes, a plaid wool scarf around his neck, and a baseball cap on his head. He looked very stylish.

"Welcome, welcome! How could I not welcome you?" Zhou Jiye quickly opened the door, and Xie Xiangrong happily entered the house, handing him the gifts he had brought.

"Who is it?"

At that moment, Fang Manxia's voice came from the kitchen.

"Sister, it's me!" Xie Xiangrong replied loudly with a smile, walking towards the kitchen.

Upon seeing Xie Xiangrong, Fang Manxia immediately laughed: "You little rascal, here to freeload again? After all these years, why don't you remember to change this habit?"

"Sister, what are you saying? I didn't come empty-handed, I brought gifts." Xie Xiangrong pointed to what Zhou Jiye was carrying: "Look, authentic Jinhua ham, Cicheng rice cakes, and malted milk powder."

Fang Manxia was both amused and exasperated, half-scolding and half-joking, "It's the same old story again. You're not young anymore, you can't just stay here with me every year for the New Year, can you? After all these years, don't you ever think about it?"

"What are you thinking about!"

It wasn't as cold inside as outside. Xie Xiangrong took off his coat and said with a grin, "How old am I to still think about those things? I've been alone for so many years, I'm used to it..." As he spoke, Xie Xiangrong seemed to want to say something more, but he swallowed the words back.

"Alright, since we're already here, let's not just sit around, come and help out."

Fang Manxia called out to Xie Xiangrong, who responded, put his coat down somewhere, went back to the kitchen, asked Zhou Jiye for an apron, tied it on, and then excitedly took over the stove.

Despite his gentlemanly demeanor and elegant attire, Xie Xiangrong is surprisingly skilled in the kitchen.

Zhou Jiye and his team had prepared quite a lot of dishes today, and most of them were almost ready, just waiting to be cooked. Xie Xiangrong picked up a spatula and started stir-frying the dishes. As soon as he started, he showed some skill, and his cooking skills were much better than Zhou Jiye's, and even comparable to Lin Ying's.

"Uncle, I didn't know you could cook!" Lin Ying asked curiously from the side.

"Of course!" Xie Xiangrong said proudly, "Anyone who knows how to eat can cook. As Mr. Lu Xun said, every gourmet is a good cook. Besides, if I hadn't known how to cook all these years, I would have starved to death."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying burst into laughter, and even Fang Manxia couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The three men helped out, and Xie Xiangrong efficiently cooked all the remaining dishes, even frying some prawn chips at the end. Once everything was done, he turned off the stove, untied his apron, clapped his hands, and said, "Alright! Time to serve! Let's eat!"

Tonight's New Year's Eve dinner is set up in the small living room downstairs, which is the room next to the bedroom where Zhou Jiye and the others live.

A large octagonal table was laden with a feast for the eyes and the palate, far more lavish than usual. As everyone took their seats, Xie Xiangrong opened a bottle of wine he had brought, smiling as he asked, "Would you like some?" Seeing that no one refused, he filled everyone's glasses, then raised his own and stood up.

“Sister, you are the master and the eldest. Today is New Year’s Eve, so you should go first.”

Fang Manxia smiled, nodded, stood up, and picked up the wine glass in front of her.

"It's been many years since our house has been this lively. Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year, with all your wishes fulfilled and everything going smoothly. Cheers!"

"cheers!"

Everyone stood up, clinked glasses, and drank the wine together. After finishing, they sat down, and Xie Xiangrong told Fang Manxia to start eating. Fang Manxia casually picked up a shrimp and tasted it. Only then did everyone reach for their favorite dishes.

As they ate and chatted, the sound of firecrackers gradually filled the air outside. Xie Xiangrong was in high spirits, chatting and laughing amiably at the table. With him around, the atmosphere of the New Year's Eve dinner became even more lively. They gradually opened up about the topic of the New Year's Eve, exchanging words and enjoying themselves immensely.

The meal didn't last long. There was no TV at home, and nowadays there's no Spring Festival Gala. The meal ended perfectly in a little over an hour. Although everyone drank a little, they were only slightly tipsy and no one drank alcohol.

After cleaning up the leftovers, Fang Manxia and Xie Xiangrong sat on the sofa chatting. Zhou Jiye went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, and Lin Ying helped brew a pot of chrysanthemum tea. This tea was for relieving hangovers, and chrysanthemum tea is best drunk in winter; even if you drink it at night, it won't affect your sleep like tea leaves.

Sipping tea and cracking melon seeds, Xie Xiangrong chatted with Fang Manxia for a while. After a slight hesitation, he asked a question.

"Sister, do you still remember Gao Shuning?"

(End of this chapter)