No pork intestines. Iâll make pigâs ears instead.
The texture of the ears is fantastic. Iâll also make a pork rib soup. Iâve already made all the usual kinds, so this time Iâll stew them with daikon radish. Itâs back to basics, and the flavor wonât be too overpowering.
Then thereâs braised pigâs trotters with soybeansâsoft, fragrant, and perfect for the elderly.
Poached fresh shrimp, and of course, I need a chicken dish. A spicy hand-shredded chicken should do. Iâll need a duck dish, too. I made beer duck before, so for a bit of New Yearâs luck, Iâll make an eight-treasure duck this time. Iâm starting to crave some sticky rice. And Iâll have to make a portion of four-joy meatballs, too.
That should be more than enough meat dishes. The rest can be vegetarian. Eggs are a must. Instead of anything too fancyâsomeone might bring childrenâIâll just make a steamed egg custard. Tofu is also a holiday staple; pan-frying it with some scallions would be delicious.
Then Iâll get some shiitake mushrooms, eggplant, and everyoneâs favorite, tomatoes.
Scrolling through the screen, Jiang Qiuqiu browsed a bit more and spotted some corn. Okay, Iâll make a sweet pine nut corn dish, and some fried potato balls in tomato sauce. That way, the kids will have something they like.
The final dishâ
Back in her hometown, for any family, the last dish of the New Yearâs Eve dinner would never be a vegetable or meat dish.
The people in the Yangtze River Basin region loved their rice noodles. The grand finale of the New Yearâs Eve feast was always a noodle dish: stir-fried with greens, shredded pork, and bean sprouts in lard until it took on a perfect, glossy brown color. It was dry but not greasy, with a texture that was just rightâthe taste of everyoneâs childhood.
Unfortunately, she hadnât seen those thicker, round rice noodles on Taotao Fresh yet. She had only seen thin vermicelli at the agricultural research institute. âOh well, noodles are noodles.â
So, the last dish will be stir-fried rice noodles with greens and shredded pork.
And just like that, the 18-dish menu was tentatively set. Jiang Qiuqiu figured she might add some pastries or a sweet soup later. By now, it was almost midnight. Another day had passed.
It was now the 28th. Her terminal chimed, and Jiang Qiuqiu saw that Mo Si had sent her another message.
Only then did she tap it open to take a look.
But after reading it, she was utterly speechless.
The messages read:
Black Hole: Whatâs wrong? You seemed a little tired during your stream.
Black Hole: You should sleep early.
âWhy does he always end with "sleep early"?!â
Jiang Qiuqiu didnât reply. She simply closed her eyes, ready for bed.
As long as she completed her training during the day, Jiang Qiuqiu always slept well at night. It wasnât long before she drifted off to dreamland.
On the 28th, while Jiang Qiuqiu was at home receiving her groceries, Mrs. Aiâer paid her a visit. She said she would be away for the next couple of days and wanted to wish Jiang Qiuqiu a happy New Year in advance.
When she arrived, she peeked her head in and looked around. "Are you the only one left here, Qiuqiu?"
"Yeah," Jiang Qiuqiu said, inviting Mrs. Aiâer inside. "Everyoneâs gone home for the New Year."
"Isnât Little Mo keeping you company?"
"Black Hole has his own family. Heâs obviously going to spend the New Year with them."
So oblivious.
...
"Well, Qiuqiu, are you scared being here all by yourself? Why donât you come over to my place and celebrate New Yearâs Eve with me?" Mrs. Aiâer invited.
Jiang Qiuqiu shook her head. "No, thank you. I have to do my New Yearâs Eve dinner livestream here. Itâd be inconvenient to go anywhere else."
"Thatâs true," Mrs. Aiâer said. "In that case, Iâll come see you on New Yearâs Day."
"Okay! Iâll be waiting to wish you a happy New Year on New Yearâs Day, too!"
She waved her hand as Mrs. Aiâer turned and walked back to her own home.
âShe had wanted to stay...â
âBut if she stayed to keep Qiuqiu company, her late husband would be left home alone.â
âShe couldnât bear the thought of him spending the New Year alone.â