I trade in both worlds

"Second Aunt, Second Aunt." Xu Xu gently pushed open the door and walked into the yard while calling.

Second Aunt Xu was just walking out of the kitchen, holding a bunch of green onions that she had just prepared to cut. She responded with a smile on her face, "Oh, it's Xuxu. Come in quickly. It's so cold outside. Come inside and warm up."

"Second Aunt, I brought you some good things." Xu Xu said, putting the bamboo basket in his hand on the ground and opening them one by one.

"Look, these are frozen shrimps, frozen yellow croaker, and half a lamb. We can add a few delicious dishes to the New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow night."

Second Aunt Xu walked over and took a closer look at the ingredients in the basket. Her eyes suddenly lit up: "Xu Xu, why are these shrimps so big? And this fish, what kind of fish is it? I've never seen it before."

Xu Xu smiled as he picked up the things in the bamboo basket: "These shrimps and fish are from the sea. I bought them by chance."

When she heard it was from the sea, Aunt Xu knew without asking that this thing was not cheap: "Oh, such a precious thing, how did you get it here? Take it back quickly."

"We still have some at home. These are for Niu Niu and Niu Dan. Please accept them, Aunt." Xu Xu said with a smile.

"You child." Aunt Xu wanted to persuade her to be frugal. She had several children to raise and shouldn't be so extravagant.

After thinking about it, I still didn't say it out loud.

"Then I'll take it. Let's cook it together tomorrow night." Aunt Xu said as she started to move the ingredients to the kitchen: "Bring the kids over early on the night of the 30th."

"Aunt, I won't be here on the night of the 30th." Xu Xu smiled and followed behind Aunt Xu, helping to take out the ingredients from the basket.

Second Aunt looked at her in surprise: "Why don't you come? I have prepared all the food for you during the New Year. If you don't come, how long will we have to eat?"

Xu Xu smiled and said, "Second Aunt, my mother just passed away. According to the rules, you can't come here."

"What rules are there? We are all family members. We are not going to someone else's house." Aunt Xu stared at her and said, "There are no such rules for family members."

Xu Xu still shook his head: "Second Aunt, the rules still need to be followed. Besides, we want to spend the New Year with our parents this year. Let's wait until next year, and then come to Second Aunt's house to celebrate the New Year next year."

In Xu Zhuang, if a family member dies, the family is not allowed to enter other people's homes for a month to avoid bringing bad luck to others.

Even during the festive Spring Festival, if there is a new death in the family that year, one cannot go to visit neighbors to wish them a happy new year, so as not to disrupt the joy of the new year.

Although Second Aunt Xu said she didn't mind, Xu Xu felt that the rules should still be followed.

After giving the holiday gifts, Xu Xu took the children home.

Originally, Xu Xu planned not to go to Modern for the next few days, but the children couldn't stay at home.

The children, who have watched TV, played with tablets and mobile phones, sat on the kang and kept shouting, "bored, bored."

Xu Xu, who was fed up with the noise, had no choice but to bring them to the modern era. The noise that had been annoying her for half an hour suddenly became extremely quiet.

At this moment, Xu Xu felt that it was really easy for modern people to raise children. One TV could easily take care of four children.

Xu Xu wiped the dining table clean, found a tea tray, and poured out the malt sugar.

Spread out the wax paper, place it flat on the table, and cut small squares according to the size of the maltose.

Xu Xu picked up a piece of cut oil paper, opened a candy and placed it on the oil paper, wrapping it like a folded envelope.

When it came time to seal it, I found that it couldn't be sealed properly and the maltose was easily affected by moisture.

There was no other choice, Xu Xu could only get up and find some flour to make paste.

After a busy afternoon, I finally packed the candies and then divided the malt sugar into four portions, each weighing half a pound.

One portion was given to Xu Jizong, one portion was sent to the clan leader's house, and the purchased cakes and biscuits were each one pound in weight and wrapped in oil paper.

Early in the morning of the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, the northern sky was covered with a thin layer of gray clouds, and fine snowflakes fell silently.

Xu Xu wore a thick cotton coat, left the children at Xu Jizong's house, and walked towards the clan leader's house, carrying the New Year gifts and stepping on the snow on the road, making a crunching sound.

"Oh, Xuxu, it's snowing, why are you here?" As soon as I arrived at the door of the patriarch's house, I saw the second grandmother coming out with a warm smile.

"Second grandma, the New Year is coming soon. I'd like to bring some New Year's goods to you and second grandpa." Xu Xu replied with a smile and handed the bamboo basket forward.

"You are so thoughtful, kid." Second Grandma took the bamboo basket, turned around and called into the house, "Yanyan, come and help Xuxu brush off the snow."

Lin Yanyan, Xu Jianli's daughter-in-law, came out upon hearing the noise, holding a clean towel in her hand.

"Xu Xu, come in and warm up." As she spoke, she carefully brushed away the snowflakes on Xu Xu's body.

"Thank you, Sister Jianli." Xu Xu smiled gratefully and followed Lin Yanyan into the house.

Inside the house, the kang was burning brightly, driving away the coldness outside.

Second Grandma put the bamboo basket on the table and looked through the New Year's goods inside while asking, "Xuxu, what's in your basket? Why is it so heavy?"

"They are some New Year's goods, just some cakes." Xu Xu replied.

Second Grandma took out the New Year's goods from the basket and frowned: "Oh, these cakes are too expensive. You are raising four children by yourself, how can you spend money like this?"

Xu Xu smiled and said, "Second Grandma, I took on some embroidery work this year and made some money. Besides, it's New Year's Day, so I have to make the children happy."

After hearing what Xu Xu said, Second Mistress also sighed: "Alas, you child."

As she spoke, Second Grandma took out some homemade cakes from the house and put them into Xu Xu's bamboo basket. "These are made at home. You can take some back and let the children taste them."

Xu Xu took the cake and said, "Thank you, Second Madam, and thank you, Sister-in-law Jianli. I won't be polite to you."

"You're welcome. Go back quickly. The snow is getting heavier. Be careful on the road." Second Grandma said with a smile.

Xu Xu nodded: "Then I'll go back."

After saying that, he picked up the bamboo basket and pastries and set off on the way home.

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Xu Xu started to get busy early in the morning. She was preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow night.

She first fished out a three-pound silver carp from the wooden basin in the kitchen. She bought it at the market near Baiping Village this morning.

Xu Xu planned to use it to make fried fish. After killing and cleaning the fish, he cut it into pieces, sprinkled some salt and pepper on it, marinated it for a while, and then fried it in a pan until golden brown.

Fried fish symbolizes abundance every year. I hope that in the new year, life at home will be more affluent.

Next, Xu Xu began to prepare fried pork belly. She took out four large pieces of pork belly that she cooked yesterday, marinated them with honey and soy sauce, and then fried them in a pan until the skin was crispy.