After unlocking the material space, I raised my younger siblings in a farmhouse.

Chapter 279 New Year’s Money

Lin Chuyi first chopped the stuffing with Grandpa Huang and his wife. This time they prepared two flavors of dumpling stuffing: mushroom chicken and sauerkraut pork.

After preparing the dumpling filling, Lin Chuyi began to teach others how to make dumplings. She knew many ways to make dumplings, and she picked out a few that she thought were the easiest to learn and showed them to them. After watching the demonstration, they chose the method they wanted to learn, and she would then explain it in detail.

By the time they taught the students, Lin Jinxiu and Shen Niangzi had already rolled out two piles of dumpling skins. Seeing this, Lin Chuyi joined them in making dumplings. When the number of dumpling skins was reduced, she began to help Lin Jinxiu and the others roll out the dumpling skins, and she never stopped working.

In the end, they made more than 800 dumplings. Even though everyone in their family had big appetites, they couldn't finish so many dumplings in one meal. However, it was winter and the temperature was very low, so the dumplings could be stored and there was no need to worry about them going bad if they were not finished.

After Aunt Huang and her colleagues finished chopping the stuffing, they joined the team making dumplings. When the dumplings were almost done, Aunt Huang went to the kitchen to light a fire, boil water, and cook the dumplings.

At noon, the family had a delicious dumpling feast. After eating and drinking their fill, they rested for a while. Then everyone started to get busy again. They began to prepare the various ingredients that would be used in the evening.

Aunt Huang and her friends were responsible for preparing the food, while Uncle Huang was in charge of making the fire. Lin Chuyi volunteered to be the chef for tonight.

The whole family worked together to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner before nightfall.

For this year's New Year's Eve dinner, Lin Chuyi prepared a total of twelve dishes, including squirrel fish, spicy rabbit cubes, boiled pork slices, mapo tofu, four-happiness meatballs, lychee meat, clear-boiled whole chicken, seven-star fish ball soup, Longjing shrimp, eight-treasure duck, stewed three fresh delicacies, and colorful small dumplings.

The dishes were placed on the table one by one, and the door was closed before they began to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. Most of the family members were minors, and the adults were not very good at drinking, so for drinks, Lin Chuyi did not prepare any alcohol, but instead prepared two pots of homemade herbal tea.

Everyone in the family has eaten a lot of fried food these days. Drinking some herbal tea at this time can not only relieve the greasiness, but also help everyone reduce internal heat.

After everyone's cups were filled with herbal tea, Lin Chuyi stood up, raised the teacup in front of him, and briefly summarized his experiences of the past year.

"We have all experienced a lot of bad things in this year, but these are all in the past. Now we have independent household registration, our own house, and our own business. This is just a beginning. Our lives will definitely get better and better in the future. Okay, I have been busy all afternoon. I know everyone is hungry now. I won't say any more. Let's clink glasses and start eating, otherwise the food will get cold soon."

As soon as Lin Chuyi finished speaking, the kids cheered, followed by the sound of clinking glasses from two tables.

After taking a sip of the herbal tea, everyone shuddered. It was not because the herbal tea tasted bad, but mainly because it was cold tea, and they were not used to drinking cold tea in winter.

Since Lin Chuyi said this, the others didn't hesitate to speak up. They put down their teacups, picked up their chopsticks, and picked up their favorite dishes. They all wanted to eat something hot to cover up the coldness they had just felt.

It has to be said that Lin Chuyi's cooking skills are really impeccable now. She has collected almost all the cooking skill books. In the learning space, she has learned dishes from all major cuisines, combining the strengths of each. The dishes she makes are even better than those of today's royal chefs.

Among the Lin family, half of them practice martial arts. Even though they are just children, their appetite is no less than that of adults.

Lin Chuyi prepared a lot of dishes, but even so, empty plates were still the main theme of tonight's New Year's Eve dinner. Lin Chuyi was very satisfied with the result. After all, for a chef, an empty plate was probably the best compliment to her cooking skills.

After having a good meal and tea, Lin Chuyi distributed New Year's money on the spot. Except for her own siblings who each received ten taels of silver, she gave only one tael of silver to each of the others.

After distributing the New Year's money, Lin Chuyi began to distribute the year-end bonuses to Piaomiao Pavilion. Although Piaomiao Pavilion had only been open for a few days, the business was booming and the girls were busy every day, so he had to give them some sweet treats. So Lin Chuyi gave each of the three people in Lichun an extra bonus of one or two taels of silver.

After Lin Chuyi distributed the money, it was Lin Jinxiu's turn. She also prepared New Year's money for everyone, but the denomination of the money she prepared was not as large as Lin Chuyi's.

Lin Jinxiu didn't think it was shameful that the New Year's money she prepared was less than that of her second sister. Everyone in the family, from young to old, knew that her second sister was the richest. Even the business of Piaomiao Pavilion was arranged for her by her second sister. If she compared this with her second sister, she would only be asking for trouble.

Although Piao Miao Pavilion's business was booming, the clothes in the store in the early days were all borrowed through Lin Chuyi's connections. After deducting various expenses of the store from the money earned, paying off the purchase price of the clothes and paying for a new batch of clothes, there was not much money left for each of them.

She can only make do with the money she gives this year, but when she makes money next year, she will prepare more generous New Year's money for everyone.

Lin Chuyi didn't mind that the copper coins Lin Jinxiu gave him were small. He just gave them as New Year's gifts for good luck.

After Lin Jinxiu gave out New Year's money, Madam Shen also stood up to give out New Year's money.

Her idea was very simple. Lin Chuyi had returned her indenture contract to her. Now she was a free person and one of the owners of Piao Miao Pavilion. It would not be good for her to continue eating and drinking for free in the Lin family. So before the New Year's Eve dinner, she prepared lucky money for everyone in the family, including, of course, the three girls from Piao Miao Pavilion.

Madam Shen took out the prepared New Year's money and handed it to Lin Chuyi, who gladly accepted it.

Now that Madam Shen's status has changed and she has money in her hands, she still chooses to live in the Lin family. She does not act superior and even spontaneously prepares red envelopes for everyone during the Chinese New Year, which shows that she does not want to leave the Lin family and wants to integrate into this family. This is her signal to express her feelings, and Lin Chuyi naturally would not refuse.

I thought the part of giving out lucky money would end here, but unexpectedly, Mr. Huang and his wife stood up and handed Lin Chuyi a piece of lucky money strung together with a red string in front of Lin Chuyi's surprised gaze.

Lin Chuyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Uncle Huang, you don't have to do this."

Grandpa Huang bowed to Lin Chuyi and said, "Old Huang knows that we are a little overstepping our bounds. Please don't misunderstand me, young lady."