A Maid's Survival Story in a Noble Family Mansion? Rich Landlords Are More Appealing.

The women were busy in the kitchen, cooking porridge and preparing a simple breakfast, while the men carried baskets, their footsteps crunching on the snow, as they followed the crowd towards the cemetery.

When Chen Wanxing finished tidying up and came out, the porridge was already cooked, and Huiniang was finely shredding the pickled vegetables. Outside, there was a chilling darkness and silence, while inside, there was a warm and busy atmosphere and the aroma of food gradually rising.

As dawn broke, the men finally returned, still chilly. The family sat around in the main room, enjoying the leftover food and steaming millet porridge.

The porridge was very hot, and the warmth spread from my throat to every part of my body. The bowl of the thickest porridge that had been reserved was placed separately in a ceramic pot and left outside the window to cool and solidify naturally.

After breakfast, the most important part, pasting Spring Festival couplets, began. This was almost the most exciting moment for the children. Chen Yanxin saw his uncle prepare the rice porridge paste, which had become just the right consistency, and dip it into an old brush. His eyes lit up, and like a soldier who had received a command, he dashed into Grandma Chen's room like the wind.

A moment later, he carefully carried out the couplets that Chen Wanxing had written a few days ago. After Chen Wanxing finished writing them that day, Grandma Chen carefully put the couplets into the room and stored them in her bedside table like a treasure.

Holding the rolled-up couplets in his hands, Chen Yanxin walked to his father's side and solemnly handed them over, his little face full of seriousness as if he had completed an important task.

Mr. Chen took it and patted his nephew on the shoulder approvingly. Unwrapping the old cloth, a bright red paper unfolded, its red background and black characters creating a striking contrast that looked particularly beautiful in the morning light.

By this time, the brush was already soaked in warm rice porridge paste. Chen Yanxin followed closely behind his father, looking up and staring intently at his uncle's hand. The other three children also huddled around him, watching eagerly.

Chen Youcong couldn't help but sniff, muttering softly, "This paste smells so good..."

Mr. Chen stood beside the cleaned door, estimated its position, and then brushed on the first layer of paste. The sticky rice paste left a damp mark on the mottled wooden door.

"Uncle, it's tilted, it's tilted a little to the left."

"Grandpa, the right side... the right side is a little higher, okay, okay, it's straight now."

"Dad, be careful not to get the paste on yourself."

The couplets written by Chen Wanxing were unfolded and pasted up one by one, standing out vividly against the backdrop of the still-snowy ground and the cleaned courtyard, giving them a fresh and new look. The children ran around, their little faces rosy from the cold, but their eyes sparkling.

After putting up the couplets, it was almost noon, and the aroma in the kitchen became increasingly rich and enticing. The New Year's Eve lunch was exceptionally lavish, no longer the usual coarse flour buns and porridge, but a hearty bowl of white rice.

The table was laden with dishes: braised pork belly, stewed until tender and flavorful with a glossy red color; braised carp, pan-fried until golden brown, symbolizing abundance year after year; fragrant radish stewed with chicken; meatball soup, symbolizing family reunion; stir-fried winter-stored cabbage... The aroma of rice mixed with the fragrance of meat made the children's mouths water.

Mr. Chen also took out a half-jar of rice wine that he had kept hidden at home for a long time and poured a small cup for everyone.

Grandma Chen, holding her wine glass, was perhaps moved by the scene and said with a choked voice, "After so many years of waiting, Wanxing is finally back. Our family is finally reunited. Come, let's have a drink together."

Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, Mr. and Mrs. Chen's eyes were also red. Their daughter, whom they had been searching for for so many years, had finally returned to their side.

"Grandma, our family will definitely get better and better in the future. Let bygones be bygones. Today is the New Year, so let's not think about those things. Let's be happy. Come on, let's eat."

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast, the family composed themselves, and happily ate and chatted, filling the house with laughter once again.

After lunch, Chen's mother and the others cleaned up the kitchen and rested for a while before starting to knead dough to prepare dumplings. This was another very important group activity.

The main dish served on New Year's Eve symbolizes the transition from one year to another, a time for family reunion and happiness, with all the women in the family participating.

Chen's mother kneaded a large bowl of dough with the right consistency and then moved it to a cutting board sprinkled with a thin layer of flour. Chen's second and third aunts were responsible for chopping the meat filling and preparing the filling, respectively. Chen Wanxing washed her hands and sat down as well.

Everyone kept busy, wrapping things while chatting about interesting things in the village and discussing how to stay up late on New Year's Eve. But in the end, the topic always came back to Chen Wanxing.

"Wanxing, do people in the capital also make dumplings for the New Year? Are the fillings different?" Aunt Chen asked curiously.

Chen Wanxing kept working, thought for a moment, and replied, "We also make them, but there are more varieties. Also, the customs in the capital are a bit different from ours. They eat their New Year's Eve dinner there."

Amidst laughter and conversation, the dumplings on the bamboo mat were already neatly arranged in a large pile. Before they knew it, the sky outside gradually darkened, and a bluish-gray twilight enveloped the village.

The sporadic, tentative sounds of firecrackers began—a "pop" here, a "bang" there—as if signaling everyone to hurry on their way.

Chen's mother stood up, patted the flour off her hands, glanced at the several overflowing dumpling trays, and quickly estimated in her mind: "That's about enough. This is enough for us tonight and tomorrow morning. I'll go boil some water first, let's cook the dumplings as soon as possible; we need to get started early for the 'New Year's feast'."

"Make sure to eat your New Year's dumplings early on New Year's Eve!" Grandma Chen murmured with a smile. This is a tradition passed down from the older generation, a way to be the first to "eat" good fortune into the home.

In the kitchen, the water in the large pot quickly boiled over, and the white dumplings floated in the bubbling water. Soon, plump dumplings floated to the surface, and the aroma of the dough mixed with the savory filling. The heat made the aroma even more intense and tempting, and the fragrance wafted out of the kitchen, reaching the noses of everyone in the main room.

The children couldn't contain themselves any longer, peeking around the kitchen doorway, their little noses twitching.

As soon as the dumplings were cooked, Mr. Chen lit the firecrackers that had been hung up. Amidst the crackling of the firecrackers, each member of the Chen family received a large bowl of dumplings.

After the steaming dumplings were eaten, warmth spread from the stomach to every part of the body, and the atmosphere in the main room became more and more lively. The children excitedly surrounded their parents, and the most anticipated moment was finally about to arrive.