Mr. Qin has a brother and a sister. His brother passed away long ago, and his sister married and moved away. Both of his nephews live in the village, and yesterday, Qin Huai delivered Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings to them.
Granny Qin has many more relatives. She is the eldest sister, with four younger brothers and three younger sisters. Except for Qin Huai’s eldest uncle, who died of illness over ten years ago, the others are still alive.
However, Granny Qin doesn’t have a good relationship with these siblings. It’s said that when she was young, she had to support the family as the eldest sister. She had a fiery personality and strict discipline methods, which caused a lot of resentment among her siblings.
Later, when Qin Congwen and Qin Xiuli struggled with infertility for many years, it was not the villagers who gossiped about them the most, but Granny Qin’s own brothers and sisters. Back then, Granny Qin was still fiery and never swallowed her pride, confronting them directly, almost severing ties.
These years, apart from maintaining a closer relationship with her eldest and youngest sisters, Granny Qin has little interaction with her other siblings. Before Qin Huai amazed everyone with his skills, many of Granny Qin’s nephews and nieces didn’t even visit during New Year. Afterward, even if they came to pay respects, it wouldn’t be before the ninth day of the New Year, and they could only exchange two boxes of milk for two pounds of plain buns.
As for why it was not Qin Huai visiting his uncles and aunts during New Year, but the uncles and aunts coming to Qin Huai’s house...
The Zhao Family said they had their own way of doing things.
Little sister’s family was busy during the New Year and didn’t have time to visit. So what’s wrong with the elder siblings accommodating the little sister and visiting her for New Year?
"Brother, let me tell you, this morning I heard Grandpa and Grandma talking about second uncle’s family..." Qin Luo couldn’t wait to share the gossip she had just heard.
Qin Huai listened with great interest, serving noodles while listening. The siblings held their bowls, one talking and one listening at the door.
Sometimes, Qin Huai wondered why he loved gossip so much. It must be why he enjoyed listening to Dong Shi gossip during work at Huang Ji.
With so many relatives in the family, there’s naturally an abundance of gossip. During New Year visits, people would spread accumulated gossip from the whole year.
In past years, as soon as the New Year came, Qin Huai would be busy making snacks in the kitchen, while Qin Luo would be outside, listening to gossip, her jaw dropping. Once she had heard enough, she would rush into the kitchen to tell Qin Huai, leaving him just as astounded amidst his cooking frenzy.
After breakfast, Aunt Wang came again.
Seeing Aunt Wang so eager to work, Qin Huai was very touched. He had planned to practice making Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings during the New Year, and the ingredients were already prepared.
Aunt Wang picked up the kitchen knife and began chopping meat, and once Qin Huai’s pot was hot, he started melting sugar. Soon, the villagers hired off Boss Zhipin the night before had all arrived, each doing their assigned tasks, with a much higher setup than on New Year’s Eve.
The fire attendants were not distant relatives like Third Aunt and Sixth Aunt, but were recognized fire experts in the village, professional fire attendants.
Batch after batch of Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings emerged.
Anyone who often makes snacks knows that if you only make one type of snack, the production speed can be very fast.
Soon, the first large basin filled with Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings.
The second one filled up as well.
Seeing the third basin almost full, Qin Huai yelled outside, "Granny, do we have guests at home? Don’t let them leave empty-handed, pack them some dumplings to take with them!"
This was a Qin Family code, indicating that Qin Huai had made enough of the estimated amount, and the surplus could be shared with lucky visiting neighbors.
Hearing the words "glutinous rice dumplings," the lucky neighbors were almost too excited to speak.
At this time, someone might ask, weren’t the villagers in Qin Family Village all fed Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings yesterday evening? Why are they so excited?
The thing is, on the first day of the New Year, people from the village visit each other. The scope of "village people" is wide, not just including those from Qin Family Village, but from neighboring villages, towns, the same county—anyone who wants to visit is considered a villager.
Mr. Qin and Granny Qin both have siblings, and their parents also had siblings. If you really trace it back, there are countless relatives one could identify.
These relatives, unlike uncles, aunts, cousins, or second cousins, don’t have the privilege to visit and expect a meal. But if you trace it back, they are also relatives, and bringing two boxes of milk or a pack of dried mushrooms for a visit seems reasonable.
The first day of the New Year is when Mr. Qin and Granny Qin specifically leave for these distant relatives to visit, not guaranteeing snacks, but not visiting means definitely not getting any. The Qing weren’t after the gifts visitors brought; in past years, Mr. Qin and Granny Qin were willing to accept some fruit, but with already too much fruit at home this year, they didn’t want more.
A distant relative who brought fruit to Qin Huai’s house a couple of years ago, but arrived at the wrong time and only received a box of milk as a return gift, was initially despairing when they saw that fruit was unwanted this year. Upon hearing Qin Huai’s words, they shed tears of joy.
Family, effort pays off, perseverance is worthwhile!
He knew, even if unknown if he was Qin Huai’s second cousin’s wife’s cousin’s cousin’s uncle’s son, because he lived in the nearby village and came to Qin’s house every New Year’s Day, bringing fruit every year, even though no one knew who he was, bringing fruit paid off!
Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings, right on time!
At 11 AM, visiting the Qin’s house was met with the news of a grand distribution of Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings, causing a stir among distant relatives.
In previous years, a few lucky ones could take snacks home on New Year’s Day, but only in the afternoon.
Many people set out with gifts after breakfast and gossiped until the afternoon.
When it was too crowded, they would head outside to chat.
If there was even a slight familial connection, the Qin family would at least provide a couple of buns, not let a New Year’s visitor leave hungry.
The reason the unknown relative didn’t even get buns in previous years was really that their connection was too distant.
Coupled with the Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings distributed throughout the village last night, many nearby realized this year’s peculiarities.
Nearby villages took notice, and even those with nothing planned for New Year’s Day started searching for appropriate new-year gifts at home.
With nothing else to do, why not try their luck?
Seeing more people coming, the Qin family, having a big pot, found cooking Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings convenient. Though mainly focusing on Filling Skill Level, cooking them also improved Fire Control Skill Level. Needing a change of heart after making so many, Qin Huai cooked two large pots to share with visiting relatives.
If there weren’t enough bowls at home, they would borrow from the village.
Bringing a gift initially meant for the family’s children and deciding last minute to visit Qin’s house, receiving a bowl of Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings upon entering, stuffed with four big ones. A single bite felt like an ethereal experience of transcendence.
Originally, is this how the New Year feels?
Never expecting at 47 to still feel the thrill of visiting another’s home on New Year’s Day, overflowing with the hospitality of a prosperous family, stuffing one with peanuts straight from a village elder.
Looking at those in the courtyard and outside, socializing with bowls in hand, relishing every bit of the dumplings soup, the day felt like an extraordinarily lively New Year’s Day.
Definitely worth visiting!
"Put your bowls here when finished, don’t leave them around." A nearby grandma found herself a job and tasked her children with it—
This was a good chore, as the family depended on the children’s washed bowls for the evening’s Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Dumplings.
Holding a bowl, unsure of who to chat with, the villager stood next to the loudest person, absorbing the gossip.
A little girl, obviously a student, was standing in front, holding a large bowl, listening intently.
Inside, Granny Qin, holding a small notebook, came over and grabbed a truly distant relative:
"Xiuping, tell newcomers to stop bringing fruit. The house really has too much this year. Huaihuai had a friend send over dozens of boxes."
"Anything but fruit."
"By the way, do you know any meat choppers? Introduce a couple. Huaihuai’s short on help again—two bags of dumplings as a referral fee."