Chapter 124 Happy New Year

Chapter 124 Happy New Year

In Bobai County, two things are indispensable during the Chinese New Year: Ash water dumplings and Big Dumplings.

At this moment, Deng Shirong was at home making big dumplings, with his children and eldest daughter-in-law assisting and watching.

The method of making big dumplings involves grinding soaked glutinous rice into powder, adding boiling water, stirring it, kneading it into thick strips, and then boiling it in water until cooked.

Afterward, the pot is cleaned, and a bowl of water is added along with brown sugar in the right proportion. The sugar is slowly boiled over low heat until it turns into sugar oil. The cooked dumplings are then added, stirred well, and boiled until the water evaporates.

Does it sound simple?

However, when you actually try it, you'll realize how difficult it is to make big dumplings.

The initial steps are straightforward, but the real challenge lies in the final step. As the sugar oil and cooked dumplings mix and the water evaporates, the mixture becomes increasingly sticky. By the time the dumplings are nearly formed, the stickiness is so intense that most people would question their ability to handle it.

Stirring the mixture requires significant strength, and those unaccustomed to hard labor would likely give up within minutes.

If the fire isn't managed properly, the mixture can easily burn.

Even with strength, making big dumplings requires skill. The mixture is so sticky that vigorous stirring can lift the entire pot. There are countless stories of pots being broken during the process.

It's also common for spatulas to break.

Because of the difficulty, big dumplings are rarely made except during the Spring Festival.

"Azhen, be careful with the fire. Don't make it too big or too small. If it's too big, the pot will burn, and if it's too small, the mixture won't stir evenly," Deng Shirong instructed as he vigorously stirred.

Deng Yunzhen glanced into the stove and replied, "Dad, I know. The fire is just right now—not too strong or too weak."

Deng Yuntai, standing nearby, noticed his father tiring and offered, "Dad, you look tired. How about I take over?"

Deng Shirong, indeed feeling a bit fatigued, didn't refuse. "Alright, give it a try," he said, handing the large spatula to his eldest son and teaching him how to apply force and stir properly.

As a master tile maker, Deng Yuntai was no stranger to using strength. With a few pointers from his father, he quickly got the hang of it.

However, once he started stirring, he realized just how challenging making big dumplings could be.

Fortunately, having someone take over midway is easier than doing it all from start to finish.

After the father and son switched roles, Deng Shirong noticed the fire was almost ready. "Azhen, you can put out the fire now. Ah Ping, go get the bamboo shells from the table," he instructed.

Deng Yunzhen responded and used a fire poker to extinguish the flames in the stove.

Zhang Xiuping quickly fetched the pile of bamboo shells from the table.

In this era, suitable containers were scarce, so people in Thatchfield Village used bamboo shells to hold large dumplings.

The bamboo shells were made from local Niugule bamboo, the largest type grown in the area. Bamboo rafts and rice measuring tubes were also made from this bamboo.

While many bamboo shells have tiny burrs, the shells of this bamboo are not only large but also smooth and thorn-free. Every year, when the bamboo shells fell, villagers would collect them, wash them, flatten them, and dry them for use in making dumplings.

Once the bamboo shells were ready, Deng Shirong began packing the dumplings.

It took seven or eight bamboo shells to hold the entire pot of dumplings.

After cooling, the dumplings were cut open, revealing their delicious interior.

The next step was to scrape off the rice crust from the bottom of the pot—a treat the children eagerly anticipated.

The rice crust left after making big dumplings is incredibly fragrant, sweet, and chewy, making it a rare delicacy.

The only downside is that it's quite tough to chew. A piece the size of a child's palm could take a long time to finish.

There was plenty of rice crust to go around, and everyone got a share. Deng Shirong also took a small piece and began chewing.

The taste was exactly as he remembered—fragrant and sweet. As long as you didn't eat too much at once, the chewiness was quite enjoyable.

In later generations, while big dumplings remained a staple for the Hakka people of Bobai County during the New Year, machines replaced manual labor. The dumpling powder was poured directly into machines, producing edible dumplings quickly and conveniently. The taste was even better than handmade ones.

The only regret was that machine-made dumplings didn't produce rice crust.

As a result, children in later generations never got to experience the taste of rice crust.

In the evening, Deng Shirong steamed a large batch of buns for his eldest son and daughter-in-law to take back to her parents' home on the second day of the New Year.

It was a grand occasion for a new son-in-law to visit his parents-in-law for the first time, and as a father, Deng Shirong wanted to ensure his son made a good impression.

…

The next day, Deng Shirong started making Ash Water dumplings.

The process involved burning pine wood, sesame stalks, or soybean pods into ash, filtering the ash with water to obtain alkaline water (ash water), and soaking the glutinous rice in it.

After five hours of soaking, the glutinous rice was placed in a wooden barrel, steamed for about an hour, and then pounded with a wooden hammer until the rice stuck together evenly.

While this sounds simple, it's not easy to execute. The key lies in controlling the amount of ash water and the soaking time. Too much ash water makes the dumplings bitter, while insufficient soaking removes the fresh fragrance.

Only by striking the right balance could one make fragrant ash water dumplings.

Deng Shirong had been making ash water dumplings for years. Even in his old age in his previous life, he was the one who controlled the soaking process. His experience was unmatched, so there was no worry about failure.

After making the big dumplings and ash water dumplings, New Year's Eve arrived!

China is vast, with different customs in different regions. For example, in many places, dinner is considered the New Year's Eve meal.

But in Double Prosperity, lunch is treated as the New Year's Eve feast.

On this day, families who could afford it would kill a chicken to offer to their ancestors.

At the same time, the children would bathe, change into new clothes at noon, and then put up couplets and hang lanterns.

However, there were rules for hanging lanterns. Only those without debt could hang them; those in debt were not qualified.

Although Deng Shirong's family was prosperous this year, they still owed the credit union 6,000 yuan, so they couldn't hang lanterns this year.

After offering sacrifices to his ancestors, Deng Shirong, along with his eldest daughter and daughter-in-law, prepared a sumptuous New Year's Eve feast.

Once the family sat down to eat, Deng Shirong, as the head of the household, naturally said a few words: "Compared to last year, our family has undergone tremendous changes this year. Your brother Yungui and I contracted the brigade's tile kiln, and business has been good. We've made a lot of money in the past six months."

He then looked at his eldest son and said with a smile, "Yuntai has also become a master tile maker at the tile factory, and his income is excellent."

In his previous life, the tragic death of his eldest son had plunged the family into grief, making this time of year particularly somber.

But in this life, he had changed his eldest son's fate, which brought him immense joy.

Deng Yuntai laughed and said, "Dad, this is all thanks to you."

Deng Shirong then turned to his second son. "At the same time, Yunheng has made great progress in his studies and has firmly taken the top spot in his grade."

Deng Yunheng felt proud under his father's praise and the admiring looks from his younger siblings.

"Azhu has returned to school, and her grades have improved significantly compared to last year. These are all things worth celebrating."

Deng Yunzhu and Deng Yunhua exchanged glances, feeling a bit guilty as their grades lagged behind their siblings'.

Finally, Deng Shirong looked at his eldest daughter-in-law and said with satisfaction, "The most important thing is that our family has grown this year. Your eldest sister-in-law has joined our Deng family. If she can give me two healthy grandchildren next year, it'll be even more perfect."

Zhang Xiuping blushed and glanced at her husband, her meaning clear.

Deng Shirong then raised his glass. "Come on, kids, let's drink together and wish for our family to be even better next year."

The entire family raised their glasses—adults with wine, children with tea—and toasted together.

Next, it was time to enjoy the New Year's Eve feast.

After the meal, Deng Shirong handed out the red envelopes he had prepared, giving New Year's money to each of his children and daughter-in-law.

(End of this chapter)