Chapter 182: Sheep

The Chinese New Year comes with many traditions and customs to observe, and the 30th is naturally a day for family reunions.

After the 30th, the first day of the new year begins. This marks the time for paying New Year's greetings to households, except for married daughters who traditionally cannot return to their parents' home on this day. Apart from exchanging greetings, there are many other customs to follow.

For instance, porridge cannot be consumed on the first day of the new year. Historically, porridge was considered a food for the poor, so eating it on this day symbolizes poverty for the year ahead. Additionally, meat, eggs, and milk are prohibited because the morning of the first day is also referred to as the "All Gods Meeting," a time when all deities come out to exchange New Year's greetings. Out of respect for these gods, only vegetarian food should be consumed.

Other taboos include avoiding medications, including tonics, and refraining from calling out someone's name to wake them up, as it is believed this will burden them with constant work throughout the year. Similarly, you should not greet someone who is still asleep, as this could cause them to fall ill.

Washing clothes on the first and second days of the year is also forbidden because these days coincide with the Water God's birthday. Additionally, activities like napping during the day, pouring out wastewater, discarding garbage, or sweeping the floor are considered unlucky, as they symbolize sweeping away the household's wealth. It's also advised not to let others take money from your pocket or to collect debts on this day.

Of course, these are traditional sayings, and in Jiang Hai's family, with no elders around to enforce them, no one paid much attention to these customs.

Traditionally, visiting homes other than those of elders is discouraged, but Jiang Hai didn't have such concerns.

Hearing Fu Yuan's call, Jiang Hai groggily sat up from bed, shuffled to the bathroom to wash his hair, face, and teeth, and then got dressed before heading downstairs.

From a distance, he noticed Xu Wei's car parked outside, already filled with several people. Jiang Hai climbed in and found an empty seat.

"Oh my god, rocking Versace just to hang out with us? That must be fake!" Fu Yuan teased as soon as Jiang Hai settled into his seat. His comment drew everyone's attention.

Even Jiang Hai himself didn't know much about the brand. Smiling wryly, he replied, "Don't even mention it. My wife bought it for me."

"Your wife? Which one?" Xu Wei joked from the driver's seat.

"Which one do you think? Alright, enough with the jokes. I'm still not divorced yet. Let's get going—where are we headed?" Jiang Hai replied, lightly patting Xu Wei on the shoulder.

"What are we buying? It's the first day of the new year—shops are all closed!" Xiang Hua chimed in from the back. Jiang Hai sighed, realizing how hard it was to find anything open during the holiday.

"I don't care what we eat, as long as there's something to drink. Just grab some peanuts or whatever," suggested Huang Yunfei, another friend who had been scrolling on his phone.

"Who's drinking with you? You work in a hospital and still manage to outdrink everyone. My family has everything prepared—two sheep my dad brought home! One's for shabu-shabu, the other for grilling. Hot pot for lunch, barbecue for dinner. After lunch, we can decide whether to play poker or cause some chaos," Fu Yuan said, laughing and flipping Huang Yunfei off.

As the group joked and laughed, Xu Wei started the car and headed toward Fu Yuan's house.

Fu Yuan's home was a modest two-bedroom apartment. While Jiang Hai didn't visit often, today was an exception, as Fu Yuan's parents had returned to their hometown for the New Year, leaving the place free for their gathering.

On the way, they stopped at a small supermarket that was still open and bought five boxes of beer, some peanuts, and a few cans of Russian pickles before heading to Fu Yuan's apartment.

By the time they arrived, it was already 10 a.m. After some tidying up, they prepared for lunch. The beer was placed on the windowsill to chill—thanks to Bingcheng's freezing weather, no fridge was necessary. Within minutes, the bottles were perfectly cold.

They set the table, laid out snacks like braised beef and smashed cucumbers, and fired up the induction cooker. A large pot of clear soup began to simmer.

Hot pot culture has two main styles: the Sichuan-style hot pot, originating from Fog City, known for its spicy, rich flavors, and shabu-shabu, which emphasizes fresh, light broths. Bingcheng, located in Longjiang Province near Inner Mongolia, leans toward the latter.

Today, their broth was prepared with scallions, ginger, cooking wine, shrimp, crabs, and shells to create a fresh seafood base. The combination of seafood and lamb—known as "fish and sheep together is fresh"—made the aroma irresistible as it filled the room.

"Where's the meat?" Jiang Hai asked, already drooling.

Fu Yuan led him to the freezer, where steaks and two large plastic bags of lamb were stored. Jiang Hai mistakenly opened a bag of black goat meat.

"Not that one—that's for roasting tonight. The other bag is for the hot pot," Fu Yuan explained, pulling out sliced mutton.

"Is there really a difference?" Jiang Hai asked curiously.

"Absolutely. Black goat meat is firm, flavorful, and raised in mountainous regions with lots of exercise. This mutton, though, is Ujumchin sheep from Inner Mongolia—the same kind supplied to Donglaishun in Didu. It's lean but not dry, fatty but not greasy. When cooked in this broth, the taste is divine," Fu Yuan explained, licking his lips.

As Fu Yuan brought the lamb to the living room, Jiang Hai couldn't help but feel excited. Though he hadn't eaten lamb in a long time, the aroma and anticipation of the meal made his stomach growl.

(To be continued.)