The sky was turning the color of fish belly when he finished buying pork. Smoke was already curling from the chimneys of every household, signaling that dishes for the ancestral worship were being prepared.
The process was tedious, with many steps involved. Just washing the ceremonial roosters, bowls, and small sets of chopsticks took considerable time.
Upon returning home, his Uncle Li Dehai arrived, carrying a large raw chicken and two catties of freshly caught oysters. He also brought lettuce, cauliflower, napa cabbage, vermicelli, dried tofu skin, and other ingredients.
“Haochen, finish the ancestral worship early. Come over for the reunion dinner tonight. I’ve already cleared the weeds from the graves. You can bring some incense, candles, and paper money later to burn.”
“Uncle, I understand.”
Li Dehai set down the items and left, as he had many things to prepare for New Year's Eve.
Li Haochen steamed some pork and, carrying incense, candles, paper money, steamed buns, a sugar-coated pear, good liquor, and cigarettes, headed towards the back mountain.
On the way, he encountered several villagers returning after burning offerings. After exchanging brief greetings, they hurried back to their homes.
Arriving at the gravesite, although Li Dehai had already cleared the weeds, Li Haochen still meticulously removed the newly sprouted ones and piled up loose soil around the mounds.
After burning the paper offerings, Li Haochen lingered for a while before returning home to prepare the ceremonial dishes.
Back home, Li Haochen entered the kitchen to start the fire and boil water, ready to slaughter the chicken for the worship.
The chicken for the worship was specific; it had to be a rooster, and no hens or capons were allowed. It also had to be a whole, undamaged chicken.
Li Haochen tested the water temperature; around eighty to ninety degrees Celsius was sufficient, no need for it to boil.
He pulled over the raw chicken, held its head back, and plucked the feathers from its neck, revealing the pinkish-white skin. Picking up a small knife nearby, he sharpened it a few times on the whetting stone.
“Screech~”
A swift cut of the knife caused blood to gush out. Holding the chicken by its feet with one hand and its head with the other, he pressed the bleeding neck into a prepared bowl of warm saltwater. This would later create a bowl of "chicken red." After two to three minutes, when the chicken was completely still, it had officially lost its vital signs.
He brought a large plastic bucket, scooped in two-thirds of the hot water, and tossed the slaughtered chicken into it. He then covered it with a lid for about two minutes. It couldn't be too long, or the chicken would be cooked.
Checking the time, Li Haochen took the chicken out while it was still warm. He first plucked the larger feathers, then the finer ones, stroking against the direction of growth. The process had to be quick, as it would be difficult to pluck them once the chicken cooled.
In this task, Li Haochen’s movements were practiced and skilled, quickly making the chicken completely bare of feathers.
He picked up the knife again and made an incision just below the chicken’s vent, reaching inside to extract the internal organs. These were not to be discarded but were to be cleaned thoroughly and used in the worship, especially the intestines.
The golden inner lining of the gizzard was also a valuable item, known as "ji nei jin" in Chinese. When dried, it served as an excellent traditional medicine with good therapeutic effects for strengthening the stomach, aiding digestion, and treating nocturnal enuresis.
After processing the internal organs, he tucked the chicken’s feet into its belly cavity; this was the proper way to prepare it.
There was still hot water in the large pot, so no need to add more. He placed a criss-crossed bamboo steamer rack inside, put the chicken and its giblets in a large basin onto the rack, covered it, and steamed it for 30 minutes.
While waiting, Li Haochen also washed the pork, which would be steamed later. He also washed all the necessary bowls, serving dishes, and small chopsticks for the worship.
He wiped the square table clean and positioned it correctly. Checking the time, the chicken was almost ready. He picked up a pair of chopsticks, lifted the pot lid, and a rich aroma of chicken wafted out.
He gently poked the chicken’s thigh with a chopstick. The chopstick slid effortlessly into the meat. Pulling it out, he saw no bloody liquid, indicating it was ready to be served.
However, the basin was full of chicken broth, which needed to be drained. This was the essence of the dish. Once cooled and left in the refrigerator overnight, the oil and broth would separate, forming a jelly-like consistency. The chicken oil on top was perfect for stir-frying, imparting a fragrance unmatched by any other oil. The chicken broth below was even better, making noodles incredibly sweet and delicious.
He arranged the chicken and pork on separate plates on the square table and began preparing other dishes.
About an hour later, all the ceremonial dishes were ready. He scooped rice and arranged the fruits, steamed buns, and other items.
After pouring tea and offering toasts, the ancestral worship commenced.
He sincerely paid his respects, uttering auspicious words. Once the incense burned out, the offerings could be cleared.
Seeing that the offerings could be cleared, and it was already two in the afternoon, all the dishes had cooled. He had no choice but to reheat all the dishes in the large pot.
He took this opportunity to grab a cleaver, wash the cutting board, and begin chopping the chicken.
Li Haochen was very skilled. The chopped chicken was beautiful and neatly presented, resembling dishes served in restaurants. However, unlike restaurants, he didn't trim it excessively. Those trimmed parts were the tastiest, which explained why restaurant portions often seemed smaller.
The chicken had been lightly seasoned with salt before steaming, giving it a subtle savory flavor. No additional dipping sauce was needed, allowing one to savor the pure taste of the free-range chicken.
By this time, the dishes were also heated. He scooped a bowl of rice and took a piece of chicken first. There was a custom associated with this: the first bite of chicken symbolized a prosperous future.
Celebrating festivals was truly tiring. One had to prepare the dishes, perform the worship, eat, and then clean up, wash dishes, and do household chores. The entire process could easily take up the whole day.
By the time everything was cleaned up, it was past three in the afternoon. Xie Baolian sent him a video call; she was having a meal with Murong Yanran and Ling Hanfeng.
The villa did not have a main ancestral shrine requiring worship, but it was still customary to prepare a lavish meal to honor the local deities and the kitchen god.
Seeing them eating, he exchanged a few blessings before ending the call, saving more heartfelt words for later that evening.
At this moment, Li Haochen had one more important task: distributing bonuses.
He took out his phone and transferred ten thousand yuan to Dai Changrun's family and Gu Xiaonian, among others.
They were naturally delighted. Ten thousand yuan was a significant amount, allowing them to hold their heads high throughout the year. Dai Changrun’s family, in particular, received an additional thirty thousand yuan. Coupled with the dividends earned during this period, their earnings exceeded fifty thousand yuan, making their lives exceptionally prosperous. They would never have dared to dream of such a life before; in the past, they might not have been able to save thirty thousand yuan in a year.
The Dai family was having their reunion dinner, with over a dozen people gathered. When Dai Changrun and his brothers received their thirty thousand yuan bonuses, his second and third brothers, along with others, witnessed it with envious eyes. However, their excitement was palpable, as it would be their turn after the New Year. Their future lives would surely be the envy of others.
After distributing the bonuses, Li Haochen walked over to his uncle’s house. Upon arrival, he found that his sister-in-law, Zhuang Xiaoxia, had also arrived. To Li Haochen’s surprise, his sister-in-law’s entire family had come. Although there had been some unpleasantness during the wedding procession, things seemed to have improved considerably.
Moreover, his uncle now faced them without any trace of inferiority. Each of them earned over a thousand yuan a month working at the chopstick factory, and with the money from the bamboo, their income was in the range of four to five thousand yuan.
With money, their spines naturally straightened!