Chapter 100 - 100: New Year’s Painting Doll 1

Translator: 549690339

The next part was about preparing festive foods for the New Year celebration.

Old Man Jiang and his wife were grinding beans at home to make tofu, and they poured out unseasoned soy milk for each child to taste.

Chunniang and her sister-in-law steamed buns and rice cakes for the festival together.

Some of the buns were shaped into figures of cows, sheep, pigs, and rabbits, with red beans for eyes. They then painted red flowers on the white dough using sumac water, which looked very beautiful.

In another large pot, they were cooking a full pot of sausages, pork trotters, and a pig’s head.

There was also a basin of ready stewed chicken with yellow beans, the delicious aroma of which could be smelled from afar.

The happiest at this time must be the children because no reading and writing, no work, and they even get lucky money.

On the first day of the new year, Chunniang and Jiang Sanlang got up before daybreak, giving each sleepy child two pieces of Cloud Cakes, implying a cheerful and happy new year.

After urging them to finish their cakes, the two of them went to the stove room to boil water for dumplings and glutinous rice balls, symbolizing a smooth and reunion new year.

Yingbao knew that she shouldn’t dawdle in bed at this time. She quickly got up, put on the new clothes and trousers her mother had set at the head of the bed the night before, put on the beautiful tiger head shoes, thought for a moment, and put on the tiger head hat as well.

The new cotton-padded jacket was red with yellow flowers. A pattern of the Five Blessings was embroidered on the front and back, and a circle of white rabbit tails was sewn around the collar, soft and good-looking.

Paired with green pants and a tiger-head hat, Yingbao looked like little New Year’s baby doll.

After dressing up, Yingbao went to wake up Xiaojie and Xiaowu, dressed them, put on their shoes and hats, and dragged them to wash up.

“Come and eat dumplings!” Chunniang brought a pot of dumplings from the kitchen and put it on the large table in the hall, then went to bring a few bowls of rice balls.

Each bowl only contained four, symbolizing everything going as one wishes.

The family sat around the large table, eating rice balls and dumplings. After the meal, Chunniang gave Yingbao two small silver ingots, each weighing roughly one tael, and also gave one to each of her twin sons.

Yingbao and her two younger brothers knelt down to salute and wish their parents a happy new year.

Receiving the silver ingots, the twins were overjoyed and wanted to rush out to show off to Brother Huzi.

Chunniang quickly grabbed them, “Let your mother save the New Year’s money for you. You won’t find it if you lose it outside.”

Xiaowu immediately refused: “No! I won’t lose it.”

Xiaojie echoed, “No, it won’t be lost! We’ll keep it in our pockets.”

“What if it’s lost?” These two little guys must be crazy. Since when did pockets ever serve to hold things?

“Shall your mother put some candies in your pockets instead?”

“No, no!” The two little guys struggled, finally escaping from their mother’s claws.

Jiang Sanlang saw his wife’s annoyance and laughed, “Let them go.” What were two taels of silver after all? If lost, they could search it.

Next, the family of five went to Jiang Dalang’s house to celebrate the New Year, and Yingbao and her younger brothers received here another wave of lucky money.

Xiaowu stuffed his New Year’s money into his sister’s hand for safekeeping.

Seeing this, Xiaojie also handed all of his lucky money to his sister to keep. He sneaked a glance at his mother, worried that she might come for it.

Then, a few boys took out the leather ball Yingbao had bought, divided into two teams to play soccer, so engrossed they didn’t even have time to eat.

The next day, Chunniang and her husband took their three children back home to celebrate the New Year.

The Xu village wasn’t far from Dongchen Village, but it wasn’t close either, being about seven or eight miles away.

The eldest nephew, Jiang Cheng, first drove the cart to send Uncle San’s family, then hurried back to take his parents and siblings to celebrate the New Year at his uncle’s house.

Chunniang had a brother and a sister. Her father passed away early, and after her younger sister got married, her widowed mother, Old Lady Xu, was living with her only son, Xu Da.

Old Lady Xu was looking forward to them from early in the morning by the door. Seeing her eldest daughter’s mule cart arrive at the entrance to the village, she jogged over to greet them.

“Oh, my dear grandsons.” Old Lady Xu hugged Xiaojie and Xiaowu tightly, beaming with joy.

Yingbao calls out, “Grandma.”

“Ah!” The old lady Xu puts down her two grandsons and picks up her granddaughter. “My baby has grown so big.”

Yingbao hugs her grandma’s neck and laughs, “Baobao is four years old now.”

“Indeed, indeed, time does fly. Baobao is four already.” Xu Chunniang takes Yingbao back home.

The two little grandsons behind her are shouting, “Grandma, put sister down quickly. We want to kowtow to greet you for the new year.”

“Alright, alright.” Xu Chunniang puts Yingbao down and leads the three children indoors.

Xu Chunniang and her husband come in with big and small bags, distributing gifts to the brothers, sisters-in-law, and the nephews and nieces.

“Mom, this piece of cloth is made from cotton, it’s so soft and without any coloring. You can use it to make an undershirt.”

“And this ramie fabric, it has a nice color. Just make it into a dress yourself.” It is not that Chunniang doesn’t want to make it for her dear mother, but Lady Xu likes to do it herself, saying that a garment made by herself is more fitting and comfortable.

Lady Xu happily felt the fabric, “Chunniang, what do you need so much fabric for? I am already living simply, where do I need these new clothes?”

“Don’t utter such words, you are going to live until ninety-nine, why should you not wear new clothes?” Chunniang took out a silver ingot weighing five taels and a copper coin and stuffed them into the old lady, “This is for the upkeep of your son-in-law.”

Seeing the copper coin, Old Lady Xu widened her eyes and promptly tried to decline, “Oh, why are you giving me so much money? I don’t go anywhere, no need to spend any silver.”

“Just keep it.” Chunniang insisted and gave it to the old lady, “You are an elder, how can you not have any money? The children at home still need money for the new year, and Daniu’s wife is coming soon, how could it be acceptable if you don’t have any gift to present to her?”

Daniu is Xu Da’s eldest son, sixteen this year, and he is getting married in few months.

Lady Xu couldn’t persuade them to take it back, so she finally accepted the silver coins.

Since her husband passed away, she had been relying on her eldest son, and didn’t really have much spare money.

Even on festivals or holidays when her two daughters occasionally gave her some private money, she would always use them for the children instead.

At this moment, Xu Da’s wife walks into the room and Chunniang quickly takes the two pieces of cloth and hands them over, “Elder sister-in-law, this is the cloth I bought for you and elder brother.”

Xu Da’s wife gratefully accepts and laughs, “Ah, you are causing Chunniang to spend again.”

“Nonsense, you take care of mother at home. I haven’t even thanked you.”

Chunniang puts four packets of candies and snacks on the table, as well as hats and combs for her nieces and nephews.

Nowadays men also wear flowers, very colorful silk ones. Chunniang brought some for all her nieces and nephews.

She pulls over Yingbao and the two boys, “This is your great aunt, quickly wish her a happy New Year.”

Yingbao and two brothers loudly say, “Great aunt, happy New Year, may everything go well! ”

“It’s all good, it’s all good.” Xu Da’s wife takes out the prepared “lucky” money from her pocket, about ten coins, and distributes it to the three children.

Yingbao and her brothers accept, graciously kowtowing to their great aunt.

Xu Da’s wife holds the fabric and laughs, “Your second sister-in-law will be back soon too. Elder sister, you chat with mother for a while, I will go and cook.”

“Alright, thank you elder sister-in-law.” Chunniang gets up to see her out.

At this point, three children run into the room, all from elder brother’s family. From oldest to youngest, they are the sixteen-year-old nephew, the twelve-year-old niece, and the eight-year-old nephew.

“Wishing a Happy New Year to our great aunt!” The three children kneel in a row and kowtow to Chunniang.

Chunniang laughs and gives out ten coins as new year money to each of them, and hands them the purchased combs and hair accessories.

“Thank you, great aunt!” The three children thank her, then happily run out with the money.

Suddenly, you hear laughter from outside, “Elder brother-in-law is here this early, where’s elder sister? Why didn’t I see her?”

Then the curtain is lifted, and Xu Qiuniang walks in.

“Oh! What is elder sister doing hiding in the room? Why doesn’t she help elder sister-in-law with the cooking?”