Back To The 80s-Chapter 419 - 430: Win-Lose_1

Over the next few days, the house busied itself with steaming, frying, boiling, and stewing dishes in preparation for the New Year feast.

The enticing aroma wafting from the courtyard each day, coupled with the steam rising from the kitchen, all radiated an air of blissful reunion.

Just as Lu Aiguo had promised, he brought home a set of mahjong tiles, intending to host an all-night game on the eve of New Year’s Eve.

Everyone woke up early on New Year’s Eve, gathering together to begin preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner, except for Lu Zhanguo, who had gone to the military unit.

Lu Songyuan entertained the three children while Lu Aiguo and Ji Xiangdong took on the task of hanging up couplets and lanterns.

Wen Xiuqing, assisted by Gu Xiaobei and Fang Jing, prepared for lunch, while Bai Xiaolan was tasked with affixing the paper-cuts for window decoration.

Many of the meat dishes were already semi-processed, requiring only a little more effort to finish.

Wen Xiuqing was in charge of the cooking, Gu Xiaobei helped with the ingredients, while Fang Jing prepared the cold dishes on the side.

As Lu Aiguo was hanging the Spring Festival couplet by the kitchen door, he snuck in and pinched a few pieces of stewed beef. He stuffed one piece into his mouth and the remaining ones into the mouths of the three little ones who were always trailing behind them. As he savored his stolen treat, he commented, "There’s nothing like food that’s been snuck."

Fang Jing cried out from the side, "Oh dear, you’ve disrupted the beautiful plate arrangement that I painstakingly created."

Xiaopang finished the meat in his mouth, then, wriggling his chubby body, awkwardly stepped over the threshold and ran in. The little fellow, not much taller than the table, stood on tiptoe and stealthily stretched out his little paws, grabbed a piece of meat from a plate on the table, and stuffed it in his mouth. He then grabbed another for his elder brother who had followed him in.

The adults all pretended not to see, finding the sight of the two children sneaking food rather amusing.

Mo Wang did not like the beef, spat it out after trying a bite, then on tiptoe reached for the prawn crackers a little further in on the table, grabbing one for his sister and then one for himself to chomp on.

The two children stationed themselves in front of the table and began laboriously demolishing the plate of prawn crackers.

Wen Xiuqing, laughing, said, "We should invite Yueyue in as well to eat, or else these two little greedy kitties will finish it all."

Because the stir-frying had filled the kitchen with smoke, the cotton door curtain had been rolled up. Yueyue, conducting herself like a little adult, stood at the entrance to the kitchen and said, "I won’t eat. Mum said that I must not compete for food with my younger brother and sister."

Mo Wang grabbed a handful of prawn crackers, deemed the two or three in his hand too few, and so with his other hand grabbed another handful. He then trotted over to the kitchen entrance and offered them to Yueyue.

Yueyue asked Fang Jing, "Mum, can I eat what brother is giving me?"

"Of course you can eat it. Yueyue is such a good girl," Fang Jing responded with a smile.

Only then did Yueyue happily accept the prawn crackers from Mo Wang and excitedly start crunching away at them.

Fang Jing, noticing Xiaopang was struggling to reach the plate, decided to move it onto the small table in the kitchen, and invited the three children to come sit and eat.

Observing the situation, Wen Xiuqing squinted her eyes and chuckled, "I told you that we didn’t fry enough. I’ll have to fry another plate later." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

While eating, Yueyue asked, "Mum, when can I wear my new clothes?"

"Tomorrow." Fang Jing said with a smile, then turned to Gu Xiaobei and added, "Ever since she got her new clothes, she’s been asking about it every day. She’s so excited that I’m afraid it might even keep her up tonight."

Gu Xiaobei laughed and said, "Kids looking forward to the New Year means having new clothes to wear and getting New Year’s money."

Having finished the last dish, Wen Xiuqing called for Lu Aiguo to set off the firecrackers while they brought the dishes to the large table in the room. She also reminded Lu Songyuan to keep a close watch on the three children so that they didn’t go near the firecrackers.

Xiaopang, startled by the sound of the firecracker, blinked fiercely and quickly burrowed into Lu Songyuan’s arms. Mo Wang, on the contrary, held Yueyue’s hand with curiosity and stood next to Lu Songyuan to watch the loudly crackling firecrackers.

Gu Xiaobei found the feeling of being part of a large family gathering for the New Year extremely enjoyable.

As Wen Xiuqing looked over the table full of dishes, her heart suddenly squeezed. She had no idea where Lu Ruixue had gone off to and where she was spending the New Year.

Lu Aiguo cracked open a bottle of white liquor, and said to Ji Xiangdong, "Now that you’re a father, you should, at the very least, drink three cups at the New Year’s feast." He recalled how his older brother had drunk him under the table that day they had dumplings together. Today, he was determined to level the score.

Ji Xiangdong glanced at his mischievous younger brother, gave a soft chuckle without saying a word, and handed over his cup. After all, it always ended with him shooting himself in the foot.

Lu Aiguo filled three full cups for Ji Xiangdong, and grinned, "Let’s start off by drinking these for a successful year in your son’s schooling."

Ji Xiangdong didn’t say a word, he picked up his cup and downed all three one after the other.

Lu Aiguo hurriedly refilled the cups, announcing, "Now on to prosperity under the three shining stars."

Ji Xiangdong still didn’t utter a word, he downed another three cups, and put down the cup, a mysterious smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Lu Aiguo felt a chill down his spine. Clearing his throat he said, "The final one, ’Three Yangs bring bliss’" he announced.

Ji Xiangdong drank another three cups, then turning to Bai Xiaolan next to him, said, "The shot glasses aren’t enough, fetch the big tea bowls."

Bai Xiaolan promptly fetched three ceramic bowls, laughing.

Ji Xiangdong rolled up his sweater sleeves, opened a new bottle of white liquor, poured half a bowl for each of them based on Lu Aiguo’s drinking capacity, then turning to Bai Xiaolan asked, "What’s the drinking rule in Shule?"

Understanding Ji Xiangdong’s intention, Bai Xiaolan looked at Lu Aiguo and chuckled, "When an elder brother toasts a younger brother, the younger brother is required to finish three drinks one after the other to demonstrate deep fraternal affection and respect. Regardless of the time, the elder brother’s request must always be foremost."

Petrified, Lu Aiguo blurted out, "No way! I’ve never heard of such a rule. You’re tricking me, aren’t you?"

Ji Xiangdong lined up the tea bowls in front of Lu Aiguo, smiling, "Trying to weasel out?"

Lu Aiguo looked around and saw everyone else enjoying the spectacle, gritting his teeth, he drank all three bowls in one go, wiping his mouth he complained, "Big brother, that was unfair. You’re exploiting your senior position."

With a triumphant raise of her chin, Bai Xiaolan retorted, "If I didn’t use my senior privilege, then how could I have quelled this little monkey of ours?"

All that Lu Aiguo remembered from the end of that meal was saying: "Fang Jing, pour me another drink... I can still hold my liquor..." after that he blacked out.

That afternoon, Lu Aiguo slept soundly in the east room.

Wen Xiuqing, along with the three daughters-in-law, was making dumplings. Ji Xiangdong, with nothing else to do, also came over to help roll out the dough.

Spotting everyone in the kitchen, Xiaopang and Mo Wang, unwilling to go to bed, insisted on joining the fun in the kitchen.

Wen Xiuqing twisted a small piece of dough and gave it to the three children to play with on a stool.

After dinner dumplings were consumed, and seeing that Lu Zhanguo had not returned, Lu Songyuan suggested, "I suspect he’s on guard duty for the soldiers tonight. Let’s all make do and stay here for the night. The men can sleep in the east room, and the women in the west room."

Having slept the afternoon away, Lu Aiguo was lively again. He urged Fang Jing to tidy up the table quickly, laughing, he announced, "I didn’t intend to go back to sleep anyway. I’ll fetch a bucket of coal in a bit. We’re going to stay up all night."

Following that Lu Aiguo asked Gu Xiaobei, "Second Sister-in-law, do you know how to play mahjong?"

In her past life, Gu Xiaobei knew how to play the computer game Blood Fight to the End, but she had never played physical mahjong tiles. She hesitated before replying, "I suppose I know a little bit?"

Lu Aiguo nodded in satisfaction, "Knowing a bit is good enough." He then turned to Bai Xiaolan and Ji Xiangdong, "Older brother, do you know how to play?"

Ji Xiangdong shook his head. Bai Xiaolan cast him a sideways glance, huffed through her nose and said, "Is there anyone in the Bai family who doesn’t know how to play mahjong?"