Entertainment from Divorce

On the morning of the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the lights were turned on early in the villas of Ruishan Community in Beijing.

The crisp sound of chopping vegetables, mixed with the sizzling of steam, came from the kitchen, like a lively overture announcing the approach of New Year's Eve.

Tan Yue and Chen Ziyu got up early in the morning and busied themselves with preparing the New Year's Eve dinner with their parents.

This is the first time the two families have celebrated the Lunar New Year together. The rich flavors of the North and the freshness of the South will create a warm and harmonious atmosphere at this reunion dinner.

Li Yulan, wearing a navy blue apron, was kneading dough in front of the kitchen counter.

The winter wheat flour she brought from Jishui made the dough very elastic; when pressed with a finger, the dough quickly bounced back.

"Ziyu's mom, come and give me a hand. Let's prepare the dumpling filling first." She called out towards the living room, and the rolling pin in her hand had already started turning. The dough was being rolled out rounder and rounder under her hands, and the edges were so thin that they were translucent.

Chen Ziyu's mother walked quickly into the kitchen, holding freshly soaked shiitake mushrooms in her hand.

She was wearing light-colored loungewear, her hair neatly tied back, with the meticulousness unique to southerners: "Here it comes, here it comes. I chopped the shiitake mushrooms and mixed them into the minced meat. We southerners love to put these in when making dumplings, they make them very fresh."

She placed the shiitake mushrooms on the cutting board, and with swift, rapid movements of the knife, diced them into even pieces. "Oh, and I also brought some dried bamboo shoots from Hangzhou. I soaked them until soft, chopped them up, and added them in for a richer flavor."

Li Yulan smiled and nodded, adding a spoonful of aged vinegar to the minced meat: "We northerners love to put this in our fillings to remove any fishy smell and enhance the flavor. You'll know once you taste the dumplings we make." She added some minced ginger and chopped green onions, stirring in one direction with chopsticks. The minced meat quickly became sticky, and the aroma gradually filled the air.

In the living room, Tan Zhaohe and Chen Ziyu's father were sitting on the sofa, chatting with teacups in their hands.

The Pu'er tea brought by Tan Zhaohe was brewed in a purple clay teapot, and the tea soup was mellow and rich.

Mr. Chen drank the West Lake Longjing tea he had brought with him; it was fragrant and delicate.

"Old Tan, besides dumplings, what else do you northerners like to eat during the Spring Festival?" Chen's father asked curiously, playing with the jar of Laba garlic that Tan Zhaohe had brought in his hand, the garlic cloves inside already soaked and bright green.

Tan Zhaohe put down his teacup and said with a smile, "There are so many! Dishes like braised pork hock, fried lotus root, and four-happiness meatballs are all staples of our Northern New Year's Eve dinner. Especially the braised pork hock, which needs to be braised in soy sauce and spices a day in advance. It's fatty but not greasy, and very fragrant." He pointed to the kitchen, "I told Ziyu that we'll make it together in a bit so you can taste the flavors of the North."

“Great!” Mr. Chen’s eyes lit up. “In the South, we can’t celebrate the New Year without West Lake Vinegar Fish, Dongpo Pork, and Steamed Grouper. We’re all about freshness. I brought some live fish from Qiandao Lake this time. I’ll have Ziyu’s mom show off her skills and make you West Lake Vinegar Fish. It’s sweet and sour, and it’s really good for cutting through the richness.”

As the two were chatting, Tan Xin came skipping over, holding a painting in her hand: "Grandpa, Grandpa Chen, look at my painting of the Forbidden City! I painted it with Uncle Tan Yue yesterday, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony is in it too!"

She handed the drawing to the two of them. The red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City were drawn quite realistically on the paper, and there was also a small black hole drawn next to it, with the words "Interstellar" written next to it.

Tan Zhaohe took the painting, looked at it carefully, and his eyes were full of satisfaction: "Our Tan Xin painted so well, even better than Grandpa! We'll put the painting on the living room wall later so everyone can see it."

Mr. Chen nodded with a smile: "Yes, Tan Xin is really talented. In a little while, Grandpa Chen will teach you how to make osmanthus cake, which is sweet and delicious."

Tan Xin jumped up with joy: "That's great! I want to learn how to make dumplings from Grandma Li and how to make glutinous rice balls from Grandma Zhou!"

The busy work in the kitchen continues.

Tan Yue was helping Li Yulan roll out dumpling wrappers. Although his technique was not as skilled as Li Yulan's, the wrappers he rolled out were still quite round.

"Mom, let's make two kinds of fillings this time, one with pork and cabbage, and the other with shrimp and eggs, to satisfy everyone's tastes." He said as he rolled out the dough, fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

Li Yulan nodded, picked up a wrapper, placed it in her palm, scooped a spoonful of meat filling, and skillfully pinched it with her fingers to quickly make a plump dumpling with neatly pinched edges.

"Okay, you and Ziyu will be in charge of making the shrimp and egg filling, and your Aunt Zhou and I will make the pork and cabbage filling. When we're boiling the dumplings, let's put some salt in the water so they won't break."

Chen Ziyu was standing nearby processing fish. The live fish from Qiandao Lake that she brought from Hangzhou had been kept in the water for two days and were still fresh.

Holding a knife, she carefully scraped the fish scales with practiced ease: "Mom, the fish is ready. When are we going to make West Lake Vinegar Fish?"

Chen's mother was cutting dried bamboo shoots when she heard this and looked up: "Make it when you've almost finished wrapping the dumplings. The key to West Lake Vinegar Fish is the sauce. You have to use Shaoxing rice wine, white sugar, and rice vinegar in just the right proportions to achieve the perfect balance of sweet and sour."

She pointed to the condiment bottles next to her, "I brought them all. They're all from time-honored brands in Hangzhou, and they taste authentic."

An Nuan wasn't idle either; she was helping to chop vegetables, preparing to make a northern-style stew.

Potatoes, carrots, and green beans are cut into even sizes and placed on a plate. The colorful dish looks very appetizing.

"Ziyu, I'll make the stew later. I learned it from my mom, and it tastes pretty good." She said with a smile, her hands moving non-stop with the knife. "Our northern stew is all about 'mixed ingredients'. You can put any kind of ingredient in, and the soup is very delicious."

Chen Ziyu nodded: "Great! With your help, our New Year's Eve dinner will definitely be more sumptuous. By the way, I've also prepared a dish that blends northern and southern styles, using northern pork ribs stewed with southern dried bamboo shoots. It has the aroma of pork ribs and the freshness of dried bamboo shoots, it should be delicious."

Around noon, the dumplings were almost all wrapped.

Li Yulan placed the wrapped dumplings into the bamboo mat. The neat rows of dumplings looked like little gold ingots, and they were extremely cute.

"Alright, let's cook some dumplings to try first, and we'll cook the rest tonight." She picked up the lid and walked towards the stove in the kitchen.

Tan Yue quickly followed and helped start the fire: "Mom, I'll start the fire, you take care of cooking the dumplings."

He turned on the gas stove, and blue flames licked the bottom of the pot. Soon, the water in the pot began to steam.

Li Yulan placed the dumplings into the pot one by one, stirring them gently with a spoon to prevent them from sticking to the bottom: "Dumplings need to be boiled three times. The first time the water boils, add some cold water. The second time it boils, add cold water again. The third time it boils, the dumplings will float to the surface, and they're cooked."

The dumplings were cooked in no time.

Li Yulan scooped the dumplings out of the water, placed them on a plate, and sprinkled them with chopped green onions and cilantro. "Everyone, come and try them! See how they taste!" she called out towards the living room. Hearing her call, everyone rushed into the kitchen.

Tan Xin was the first to run over, grabbed a dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth, grimacing from the heat: "Delicious! Grandma Li's dumplings are so delicious!"

Tan Zhaohe picked up a dumpling, dipped it in vinegar, put it in his mouth, and nodded: "Not bad, it tastes just like home cooking, chewy and flavorful."

Mr. Chen also tried one, his eyes full of praise: "Delicious! Northern dumplings are just different, with plenty of filling and rich flavor. I'll try making some myself later and learn from you."

Chen's mother smiled and said, "Yes, it tastes really good. We'll make West Lake Vinegar Fish in a little while, so you can taste the flavors of the South."

In the afternoon, everyone continued to busy themselves preparing the New Year's Eve dinner.

Tan Zhaohe and Chen's father made braised pork hock together. Tan Zhaohe was in charge of blanching the pork hock to remove the blood, while Chen's father prepared the braising spices, including star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns, filling a whole plate.

"Old Tan, how much spice should I put in?" Mr. Chen asked as he added the spice, unsure of what to do.

Tan Zhaohe smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll teach you. The amount of braising spices depends on the size of the pork knuckle. Generally, this amount is enough for a pork knuckle this size. When braising, use low heat and simmer slowly to allow the pork knuckle to fully absorb the aroma of the spices. Braise for three or four hours until it is tender and flavorful."

The two men put the pork knuckle into the pot, added braising spices and soy sauce, poured in an appropriate amount of water, brought it to a boil over high heat, and then turned to low heat to simmer.

The kitchen was soon filled with a rich, savory aroma of braised meat, making one's mouth water.

Chen's mother and An Nuan were making southern-style desserts, osmanthus cake and glutinous rice balls.

Chen's mother put the soaked glutinous rice flour in a bowl, added an appropriate amount of water, kneaded it into a smooth dough, then divided it into small pieces, rolled them into thin sheets, spread osmanthus sauce on them, stacked them up, cut them into small pieces, and put them into a steamer to steam.

"Osmanthus cake needs to be steamed for about 20 minutes. After steaming, let it cool down, and it will taste soft, glutinous, and sweet." She said while steaming, and was also rolling glutinous rice balls in her hands. The white glutinous rice balls became rounder and rounder in her hands.

An Nuan helped by placing the steamed osmanthus cake on a plate and sprinkling it with white sugar: "Aunt Zhou, your osmanthus cake smells so good. I can smell the aroma even before I've tasted it."

Chen's mother smiled and said, "Try it when it's steamed and see how it tastes. Our southern desserts are all about being sweet but not cloying. I hope you like it."

Chen Ziyu and Tan Yue were preparing other dishes. Chen Ziyu made a steamed grouper, which was steamed to perfection, with tender meat. It was drizzled with soy sauce and hot oil, and smelled delicious. Tan Yue made a four-happiness meatball, which added water chestnuts to the meat filling to enhance the texture. The fried meatballs were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and then drizzled with a thick sauce, making them look very appetizing.

By evening, most of the dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner were ready.

The dining table in the living room was spotless and covered with a red tablecloth, giving it a festive look. Everyone brought out their prepared dishes one by one, and soon the entire table was filled.

There were northern dishes like braised pork hock, four-happiness meatballs, dumplings, and stew; southern dishes like West Lake vinegar fish, Dongpo pork, steamed grouper, osmanthus cake, and glutinous rice balls; and a fusion of northern and southern dishes like pork ribs stewed with dried bamboo shoots. The table was full of colorful and fragrant dishes.

Looking at the table full of dishes, Tan Zhaohe was filled with emotion: "I never imagined that our two families, from the North and the South, could prepare such a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner together for the first time. This meal has both the boldness of the North and the refinement of the South. It's wonderful."

Mr. Chen nodded in agreement: "Yes, this New Year's Eve dinner is not only delicious, but more importantly, it's full of family love. Let's celebrate the New Year together every year from now on, so that the children can also feel the warmth of home."

Li Yulan said with a smile, "Alright, everyone, sit down and eat. The food is getting cold. Let's eat and chat, and celebrate this reunion year properly."

Everyone sat down, and Tan Yue picked up his wine glass and poured some wine: "Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year, and our two families are gathered together. I'd like to start by toasting everyone. Thank you to my parents for coming, and thank you to Sister An Nuan and Tan Xin for your company. I hope that every year in the future we can be like today, reunited and happy."

Everyone raised their glasses, clinking them together with a crisp sound. "Cheers!"

Tan Xin picked up her juice and raised her glass as well: "Cheers! Happy New Year to Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt! May Uncle Tan Yue's movies become more and more popular!"

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere at the table became exceptionally lively.

While eating, everyone chatted about interesting things that happened in the past year, their future plans, the box office of "Interstellar," and Tan Xin's studies and painting. Laughter filled the air.

Li Yulan picked up a piece of West Lake Vinegar Fish and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully: "This West Lake Vinegar Fish is so delicious, sweet and sour, and the fish is tender. It's much better than the fish I eat in the north. Ziyu's mom, you're amazing."

Chen's mother smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. I'll make it for you often from now on. Your braised pork knuckle is also very delicious, fatty but not greasy, and very fragrant. I need to learn how to make it from you."

Tan Zhaohe and Chen's father drank wine while chatting about history and culture, from the Forbidden City to West Lake, from northern opera to southern storytelling, and they had a great time.

An Nuan helped Tan Xin pick up some food and taught her how to make osmanthus cake: "Tan Xin, look, to make osmanthus cake, you first need to knead the glutinous rice flour evenly, then spread osmanthus sauce on it, and you need to control the heat when steaming it so that the steamed osmanthus cake will be soft, sticky and sweet."

Tan Xin listened attentively, nodding occasionally, her eyes full of curiosity: "An Nuan's mom, I want to make it tomorrow too, I want to make it for everyone to eat."

Dinner ended in a lively atmosphere, and everyone ate their fill. Tan Yue and Chen Ziyu cleared the table, while Li Yulan and Chen's mother prepared glutinous rice balls for dinner in the kitchen. Tan Zhaohe and Chen's father watched TV and chatted with Tan Xin in the living room.

The night outside the window grew darker, and fireworks began to bloom in the distance, exploding in the night sky like beautiful flowers.

Tan Xin ran to the window, looked at the fireworks, and shouted excitedly, "Wow! The fireworks are so beautiful! Grandpa, Grandpa Chen, come and see!"

Everyone walked to the window, watching the fireworks bloom in the night sky, their faces beaming with happiness. Tan Yue hugged Chen Ziyu from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, and whispered, "Ziyu, it's so good to have you, Mom and Dad, and everyone else."

Chen Ziyu leaned against him, smiling and nodding: "Yes, that's wonderful. Let's do this every year from now on, a happy and complete family reunion."

Fireworks continued to bloom in the night sky, illuminating the entire night and everyone's faces.

This eve of the Lunar New Year was especially warm and unforgettable because of the reunion of the two families and the fusion of flavors from the north and south.

Everyone knows that this Spring Festival will surely become one of the most precious memories for them, and the joy of reunion will forever remain in their hearts. (End of Chapter)