Lin Lan asked Dawang to lead his younger brothers to set off firecrackers to welcome the New Year. She and Erwang scooped up the dumplings while Maisui mashed up some garlic.
The garlic mortar chiselled from the rock could smash the garlic in a few strokes. Poured with soy sauce and two drops of sesame oil, it was especially delicious when paired with dumplings. Also, it relieved the greasiness of the taste.
For the locals, it was a must-have magic weapon when eating dumplings.
Sanwang ran in and smelled the aroma of mashed garlic. He smiled, “I also think it’s good to separate. When we lived together, we could only add soybeans but not soy sauce. Mashed garlic loves soy sauce, but doesn’t love soybeans. Sigh, and they were supposed to be a pair.”
While talking, he even looked at Dawang, “Eldest Brother, what do you think?”
Dawang couldn’t help laughing and pursed his lips, “I think you’re going to be beaten.”
The others went to find Lin Lan.
Sure enough, Lin Lan, who had been trying her best to pretend nothing had happened, blushed again and swished her eyes at Sanwang.
Erwang smiled and said, “Today, with the fire burning all day, the room is so hot and my face is burning as well.”
Maisui said, “Me too.”
Xiaowang patted the dog’s head, “Wangwang is too,” Wangwang then licked his hand.
The children smiled tacitly at each other.
Nevertheless, Sanwang started to stir trouble. He held the garlic-filled mortar and started howling, “I am mashed garlic and I love soy sauce, I want to be her boyfriend. I am soybeans and I love mashed garlic, but why doesn’t mashed garlic love me? Soy, sauce~, there must be some trick in play~”
“Shut up,” Lin Lan took a cabbage and meat dumpling before stuffing it into Sanwang’s mouth.
In order to satisfy the two youngest, she had made a whole pot of cabbage and meat dumplings.
The dumplings were placed on a plate that was partly made of dried sorghum. This way, they cooled down quickly and prevented the children from burning their mouths despite eating in a hurry.
When dinner was over and Lin Lan got up to the kang for the special delicacy, Han Qingsong followed.
Lin Lan called the children to get on the kang, “There isn’t any money in the meat dumplings but there is some in these lucky dumplings. Whoever eats them earns them, got it?”
There were cents, red dates, brown sugar and tofu in the dumplings. Getting money would mean you’d be rich, having red dates would entitle a good New Year, the brown sugar meant that their future spouse would be a good and strong one whereas having tofu brought luck to the children.
Either way, all of them bore good meaning.
Lin Lan’s coins have been boiled and sterilised until they were clean.
As soon as Sanwang heard this, he quickly got on the kang, picked up a lucky dumpling and ate it, “Wow, it’s quite delicious. Eldest Brother, try it quickly, it’s delicious.”
The fillings inside have been fried with lard and the moisture was locked amidst the tofu and vermicelli. There was no excess moisture in the taste, but since the fillings were full and juicy, the taste was also excellent.
Sanwang’s eyes lit up after eating.
Dawang tasted it and his eyes practically started to glow. It was indeed delicious.
The children were fully praising the food and Lin Lan for making them such delicious delicacies.
Seeing that they were all enjoying the meal, Lin Lan smiled. For workers, they were happiest when others appreciated the fruits of their labour.
“Your Second Brother deserves some credit as well. He puts in effort every day to prepare delicious meals for us.”
The children were all grateful to Erwang and started praising his delicious cooking.