Chapter 216: Chapter 213: New Year’s Money and Matchmaking

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Ling Chengyan made dumplings with the children, using a handful of green chives sent over by Sister Lin from Xing’s family’s home. Ling Chengyan mixed the filling, adding pork, shrimp, and wood ear mushrooms, a rare treat in the snow-covered, icy New Year.

Four people, young and old, Ling Chengyan rolled the dough, Xiaoyu wrapped the dumplings, Xiao Xing picked up dumplings, and Xiao Shi Tou was busy bringing the jar of brown sugar to eat sweet dumplings.

With few people, only sixty dumplings were required. The family woke up early; it was just dawn. Ling Chengyan and Xiaoyu got up almost simultaneously to knead the dough and mix the filling. Xiao Xing heard the commotion and got up to help. In less than an hour, the dumplings were ready.

By this time, the sound of firecrackers outside had been going on for a while. As the dumplings boiled, Xiaoyu watched over them while Ling Chengyan took Xiao Xing and Xiao Shi Tou outside the front door to set off firecrackers.

Ling Chengyan lit the firecrackers with a flame, the sparks burned quickly. Ling Chengyan tossed the firecrackers away, holding high the long bamboo pole in her hand, and the fireworks exploded almost as soon as they were raised to the sky.

Xiao Xing and Shi Tou covered their ears and ran back inside the gate, but couldn’t help poking their heads out to take a look.

Ling Chengyan slightly tilted her head, holding the bamboo pole high like a long spear. Despite the thunderous explosions of the firecrackers, she stood steadily and remained unmoved.

After the firecrackers were set off, Xiaoyu also scooped up the dumplings, smiling as she carried them into the house: “Let’s eat dumplings!”

“Oh, let’s eat dumplings!”

The gradually brightening morning enveloped the scent of gunpowder and cheerful laughter, spreading through the still cold air.

Ling Chengyan brought the bamboo pole inside and called out with a smile: “Let’s eat dumplings.”

She casually took the dumplings from Xiaoyu’s hands and brought them inside. Xiao Xing and Xiao Shi Tou ran to the kitchen to grab chopsticks and plates, while Shi Tou wrapped a bottle of pickled garlic in vinegar.

Last year their family didn’t pickle this, but this year Auntie Zheng Xiaotian did it for them. Pickled from the Laba Festival until New Year, the white garlic cloves turned emerald green—a perfect accompaniment to the New Year’s dumplings.

Just as the family sat down, they heard the sound of footsteps at the front door. Xing Fei, Zheng Lin, Zheng Shuang, He Bei, and a large group of children came flocking in, cheerfully shouting: “Happy New Year, Auntie!”

Ling Chengyan was also infected by the mood, smiling as she stood up, handing out candies and snacks to the children, and taking a stack of new bills from the drawer to give out. Each visiting child received two brand new fifty-cent notes.

“This is from your uncle and me.”

“Oh wow, uncle also gave us!” Xing Fei exclaimed happily.

Ling Chengyan gently patted his head, seeing the boy shrink his head and laugh as he grew taller, she smiled too and said, “Your uncle has been prepared for a long time. He couldn’t come home for New Year but specifically reminded me not to forget to give you these.”

“Auntie is so nice, and uncle is great too!” The children cheered, excitedly bouncing around, finding a place as if it was their home; they took the sofa and found stools, sitting down to eat candies and snacks and watch TV.

Xiao Xing and Xiao Shi Tou quickly ate a few dumplings, then pushed their bowls and chopsticks away, jumping up and shouting, “I’m full, let’s go!”

Then, a group of children of various ages, like monkeys running down from Huaguo Mountain, noisily and joyfully ran out. There were still many families in the courtyard that hadn’t been visited yet, and they gathered their friends to go house to house.

On the first day of the New Year, every household prepared candies, dried fruits, and snacks, and most had red envelopes as well… After going around, their pockets would be full of snacks and New Year’s money, the children’s enthusiasm was high.

Ling Chengyan reminded Xiaoyu to bring the keys. After finishing her meal, washing the dishes, and tidying up, she headed to the camp.

The Special Service Company had moved to a new camp, so it’s a bit farther for her to go to work, but riding a bicycle only takes about ten minutes. For someone unbothered by running a ten-kilometer cross-country with a load, it’s nothing.

Breakfast at the camp is scheduled later than at the families’ area. When Ling Chengyan arrived, the soldiers were just heading to the dining hall for breakfast.

Breakfast was still dumplings, but to change things up, the cooks made steamed dumplings, each the size of a man’s palm. Big eaters would be satisfied with just three to five.

On her way to the camp, eating dumplings, Ling Chengyan had digested some already. She took a steamed dumpling and sat among the soldiers to eat.

Sitting at the table were two ethnic minority soldiers. They were eating dumplings with vermicelli and lamb filling, specially reserved lamb, steamed in small pans early in the morning, totaling less than twenty.

As soon as Ling Chengyan sat down, one of the minority soldiers, Ma Qiang, pushed the lamb dumplings in front of her: “Captain, try this, it’s so good!”

Ling Chengyan waved her hand and said, “I’ve already had a meal of dumplings at home, I’m quite full with this one bun. If you can’t finish it in the morning, just save it, have it warmed up by the kitchen for lunch, you can still eat a meal.”

Pork has a fixed supply, but not lamb. The two minority soldiers can’t eat pork, usually eating more eggs and vegetables, and rarely getting the chance to have meat.

After breakfast, the soldiers were on holiday, no training required, each busy with their own plans, some went to the recreation room to play chess or cards, but most ran to the playground.

The basketball hoops were already set up on the playground, and the soldiers couldn’t stay indoors, so they ran to the basketball court to play.

Xu Dong and the two deputy captains followed Ling Chengyan, and Xu Dong said with a smile: “The soldiers are all restless, why don’t we organize some recreational activities to enrich the holiday?”

Ling Chengyan glanced back at the three, nodded without hesitation: “Alright, you guys arrange it. Just make sure to keep their energy, don’t let it affect training after the holidays.”

Ling Chengyan stayed at the company for an hour before returning home.

Some others with family visiting also scattered back to accompany their wives and children, but a group of bachelors and those with family unable to visit gathered energetically, discussing plans together, then Zhou Lixin went to invite brother units from the courtyard for activities, while Xu Dong visited Ling Chengyan’s home.

“Captain, I have an idea, could you listen and see if we can implement it.”

Ling Chengyan brewed a cup of tea and placed it before him, gesturing for him to speak.

Xu Dong said, “Our company is composed of seasoned soldiers, the youngest being twenty. The younger ones are still fine, but some are twenty-four or twenty-five, still unmarried. How about we organize a match-making event; especially linking up with places like the textile factory, where female workers are abundant? If we can solve some of the older soldiers’ marriage issues, it could also stabilize the morale…”

Ling Chengyan was slightly taken aback. She had never thought that one day she would have to worry about the marriages of her subordinates.

Let alone in a previous life, she remained single until death, without even being engaged. In this life, although she had a husband and two kids, she had them as soon as she opened her eyes, completely lacking any experience in romantic relationships.

Of course, she also had no experience in matchmaking.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep