eurekapd Chapter 284 Return to the Village
Chapter 284 Return to the Village
Dong Mei was so angry that she came out and started scolding everyone again. This time they quieted down completely, but the four of them were angry with each other. When they officially had dinner, they were silent as chickens and no one was willing to give way to speak first.
In the end, Zhou Jianye and Sun Junwei chatted alone, Zhou Chuyan and Zhao Xiaojing chatted alone, and Zhao Xiaojing had to say a few words to Dong Mei from time to time. The meal did not feel like a reunion at all.
At the end of the meeting, Sun Junwei and Zhou Jianye complained about their work and were heard by Zhou Chuyan, who said that he "has no ability but blames the environment". Before Sun Junwei could say anything, Zhou Jianye got angry again and scolded Zhou Chuyan, saying that "her temper is as bad as your mother's", which annoyed both Zhou Chuyan and Dong Mei. The three of them began to stage the annual quarrel drama of "You know whose temper I take after", "You only come back once a year and have you ever said a nice word to us", and "Do you two mother and daughter give us the right to speak".
"My goodness, your third aunt's family really look like a family at first glance. They have very consistent personalities. They will never talk nicely when they quarrel." Su Yuchen was amazed when he heard it. "How can ordinary people have such fighting power? They can't even stop quarreling, but they can still continue to fight. They are gifted."
"Who said it wasn't? That's why I ran away early in the morning. Besides, it's already the third day. She'll be angry with me soon. So I asked you to pick me up early in the morning. If you don't run away, I'll become a thorn in her eyes." Zhao Xiaojing laughed. "Why did you get up so early this morning? You sent a message to leave before I woke up. What time did you wake up?"
"Five o'clock! I tell you my mom is so exaggerated!" Su Yuchen wailed, "She called me to get up at seven o'clock yesterday to help, and as soon as I told her to wake me up when you came this morning, she started to get nervous! She kept nagging me to change the sheets, and then she asked me to clean the room, and then she asked me to buy you a toothbrush, towel and slippers, and this morning she asked me to get up and leave at five o'clock! I said you haven't gotten up yet, and she said I'll get up first, eat and leave first!"
"Pfft, Auntie is as good at execution as ever." Zhao Xiaojing couldn't help laughing, "You have breakfast so early?"
"Yes! It's five o'clock, and she has already prepared breakfast, it's amazing!
You haven't eaten yet? I just checked on the way, there's no breakfast for sale, you can only eat it when you get to my house. My mom should have left some for you, she's going to fry hemp leaves later anyway, and there's a lot of food at home."
"Fried hemp leaves. I haven't had this for a long time. I might as well learn from him." Zhao Xiaojing said greedily.
Fried hemp leaves are a kind of snack made of thinly rolled dough with black and white sesame seeds and fried. When Zhao Xiaojing was a child, she would eat this every time she went to visit relatives who had elderly people at home. Fried hemp leaves are crispy and crunchy, and the taste is different in each family. The ones Zhao Xiaojing ate during the New Year's visit have sweet, milky, cumin, spicy, five-spice, honey and so on. Zhao Xiaojing's favorite is the five-spice made by a grandmother. It tastes salty and fragrant, and she can eat half a plate in one go.
Unfortunately, after that grandmother fell ill, the older generation either could no longer make it or passed away one after another. The younger generation did not like to make these things that consumed a lot of oil and effort, and gradually we no longer ate them.
As it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, the road to the countryside was clear and the car drove for more than 40 minutes before entering the village. The crackling sound of firecrackers could be heard from afar. When Zhao Xiaojing drove in, she saw that the ground was covered with remnants of firecrackers, red paper, and various empty and crushed firecrackers. Some people were lighting and setting them off, and the atmosphere was full of joy.
"It's really lively. Yangcheng stopped allowing anti-whip two years ago, but the village is still free."
"I'll take you out to watch it tonight. If you want to set off fireworks, we can buy a big one. It's more lively at night. There are not many people setting off fireworks during the day, they are all firecrackers. Fireworks are more beautiful at night." Su Yuchen turned a corner and drove to a small courtyard at the outermost edge of another road.
The gate of the courtyard was open, so Su Yuchen drove straight in and parked the car. As soon as Zhao Xiaojing got out of the car, she saw Su's mother wearing an apron and frying hemp leaves in the kitchen outside.
Su's mother had a round face and a big mouth. She put hemp leaves into the pan and kept turning them over in the oil pan. Her movements were very skillful and she looked simple and capable.
"Hello Auntie!"
"Hey! Xiaojing is here! Have you eaten?" Su's mother looked up and greeted Zhao Xiaojing.
"Not yet, I'm waiting to eat your fried hemp leaves!" Su Yuchen said as he closed the car door.
"Oh, that's perfect. There's some rice left in the pot. Hurry up and serve some to your classmates!" Mother Su pointed at the pot behind her and directed Su Yuchen. "See if the rice is still hot. If it's not, pick up two sticks of firewood and heat it up.
It will take a while to fry the hemp leaves. Oh, Xiaojing, you don’t know that Chenzi and her father are starving to death. I fried them before the New Year to entertain guests, but she finished them in two days after she came back! Not only did she eat her father without saying a word, but she also ate them together and enjoyed them more and more. I can’t even serve anything to entertain guests today!" Mother Su gave Su Yuchen a look and complained to Zhao Xiaojing.
"That means Auntie fried it deliciously! Suozi is very picky. She won't take a second bite of anything that doesn't taste good." Zhao Xiaojing laughed happily. Su's mother was quite outgoing.
"She stretched her hand out of her throat - she is too greedy! Just like her father, she has eaten half of the Beijing fruit, plum beans and fried dough sticks that I prepared for me. If I don't ask them to do some work, I will lose all these snacks for the guests!"
"Or I won't eat anymore. Why don't you ask my dad to do the work alone?" Su Yuchen opened the steamer to test the temperature, then took the tongs and picked up a few pieces of firewood from the big stove on Su's mother's side to heat up the rice.
"Your father, your father only knows how to eat!" Su's mother complained, "I asked him to go to the field to pick vegetables, but now he hasn't picked them back yet. Soon the guests will come to pay New Year's greetings! People come to pay New Year's greetings to him, but he is always dawdling, like a quack selling ointments - all he does is talk!
"Xiao Jing, please go to the main room and sit down. The meal will be heated up soon. Chenzi will bring it to you. Please go to the room and warm up first!"
"You can eat in my kitchen. It's troublesome to carry things back and forth. You won't be cold while you're lighting a fire." Su Yuchen's kitchen is large and well-lit. Next to the earthen stove is a large table surrounded by four old-fashioned benches. It looks like a dining table.
"As long as you don't mind the things piled up everywhere and can't move away, we eat here in the morning to save trouble. Usually at noon, the guests eat in the main room. The main room is big and has plenty of space to sit." Su's mother explained.
"Warm, almost done. If it's too hot, let it dry." Su Yuchen opened the lid of the steamer and took out the food from the pot with a rag. There were three big buns, a bowl of millet porridge, a plate of mixed stewed vegetables, and a plate of cured fish. The plates and bowls were all big and generous.
"Auntie, you left so much for me? I'm afraid I can't finish it..." Zhao Xiaojing didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"If you can't finish it, eat as much as you can! Look how thin you are, eat more and don't be afraid of getting fat!" Su's mother said happily.