The three of them sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and chatted for a while. Zhou Mingyuan couldn't help but ask Sheng Xiping about his trip to Shanghai.

Sheng Xiping then briefly recounted their experience there.

Zhou Mingyuan had never been to Shanghai before, so he listened with great interest to Sheng Xiping's stories of his experiences.

Before he knew it, it was almost four o'clock. Zhou Mingyuan looked at his watch, exclaimed "Oh dear!" and hurriedly went outside.

"Xiping, you stay home and sit down. I'll go buy some meat and cook a few dishes in a bit. Your mom will be back soon, and then we can eat together."

Wang Chunxiu is busy with work and doesn't rest on Sundays, but today is her day shift, so she doesn't have to be on duty at the hospital and will come home after get off work.

Before Sheng Xiping could speak, Zhou Mingyuan hurriedly went out to the grocery store and bought some meat, cooked food, eggs, and tofu.

On his way back, when he passed the open space opposite the bureau building, there were farmers from Donggang selling vegetables there. There wasn't much, just sprouting scallions and chives from spring. Zhou Mingyuan bought a bundle of each.

This is the most worrying time, because there are hardly any vegetables in the garden, and there's nothing to buy.

After buying groceries and returning home, the three of them worked together to prepare dinner.

When Wang Chunxiu entered the house at five o'clock, the meal was already prepared.

"Old Zhou, someone gave me some shepherd's purse and dandelion today. I remember we still have a few potatoes at home, right? How about we make some shepherd's purse and potato soup?"

Wang Chunxiu didn't know her son-in-law had arrived, and she said this as soon as she entered the gate.

"Oh, you're back? Your son-in-law is here, he's inside."

Zhou Mingyuan was serving rice when he saw his wife come in. He quickly took the net bag and took the shepherd's purse and dandelion inside to wash them.

When the vegetables were given to Wang Chunxiu, they were already picked and ready to be washed.

Dandelion is also known as "Po Po Ding". At this time of year, the dandelion has not yet turned green. Its tender, purplish-red shoots are best eaten with dipping sauce, as they are good for clearing heat and reducing internal fire.

Shepherd's purse can also be eaten raw with dipping sauce, and of course, it tastes especially delicious in soups or dumplings.

This amount of vegetables is too little; it's not enough to make dumplings, but it's just right for a soup.

Zhou Mingyuan quickly rummaged through the bottom of the cabinet and found a few potatoes that had already sprouted. He peeled them with a knife, removed the sprouts, washed them, and cut them into strips.

While Zhou Mingyuan was busy, Wang Chunxiu quickly entered the house and chatted with Sheng Xiping for a few minutes.

After Zhou Mingyuan washed the shepherd's purse and cut the potatoes, Wang Chunxiu took over from her husband and went to make soup.

Before long, the shepherd's purse and potato soup was ready and served along with other dishes.

The family of four sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), eating and chatting, creating a lively atmosphere. After the meal, Zhou Mingyuan took out the leather shoes that Sheng Xiping had bought for Wang Chunxiu and asked his wife to try them on.

Wang Chunxiu put on these mid-heeled leather shoes and strolled around on the ground several times, feeling more and more beautiful the more she looked at herself.

"Shanghai is the place to go, there are so many good things here. You can't find this style of shoe around here, it's beautiful and comfortable to wear."

"You have to admit, our son-in-law has great taste; he picks really good things," Zhou Mingyuan said with a chuckle.

"That's right, look who his son-in-law is. How could our son-in-law have bad taste?"

Wang Chunxiu nodded repeatedly, and everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Sheng Xiping stayed at the Zhou family's house for one night. The next day, Zhou Mingyuan found him a car and took him back to Qianchuan.

When Sheng Xiping and Chen Weimin left home, it was still quite cold back home, and the snow on the mountain hadn't completely melted yet.

When he returned, the weather had warmed up considerably, the willows along the roadside had sprouted tender yellow-green buds, and the azaleas on the hillside had begun to bloom one after another.

As the weather warmed up, many people were outside. When they saw Sheng Xiping arriving with large and small bags, many people gathered around him.

"Hey, Xiping, you're back! How was Shanghai? How's Minzi?"

"Oh, Minako will probably need about a month before she can come back with her prosthetic leg."

Uncle Chen went to keep me company, but I was in a hurry to get back to work, so I made my way back beforehand.” Sheng Xiping nodded to everyone in response.

"Oh dear, I was just about to tell your mother to ask you to bring a watch back from Shanghai."

My brother went on a blind date the other day. The woman didn't want anything else, just a Shanghai brand watch.

"That stuff is in such high demand, it's hard to buy here," someone nearby said regretfully.

"Auntie, even in Shanghai, you need a ticket to buy a Shanghai brand watch. We don't have those tickets, so it's just as hard to buy one," Sheng Xiping could only explain to her.

It's not as easy as buying a Shanghai brand watch in Shanghai; you still need a ration coupon.

Unlike cigarette coupons, watch coupons are hard to find. Sheng Xiping only bought two free watch coupons, a gemstone and a diamond, to keep for his second and third sons.

Upon hearing this, the man sighed, "I thought they were everywhere in Shanghai and easy to buy."

Sheng Xiping chatted casually with these people for a few minutes, then said goodbye, left the crowd, and hurried home.

When the weather got warmer, Zhang Shuzhen brought both children out.

The big flower basket that Hua Hua used to live in came in handy again. Zhang Shuzhen lined it with cotton pads and roe deer skin and put Sheng Xinyu inside.

Seven-month-old Sheng Xinyu can't crawl yet, but he can sit in the flower basket and play with something in his hand for a long time.

Sheng Xinhua is old enough to run all over the yard, chasing chickens and catching dogs.

Fortunately, the dogs at home are all intelligent and know that this is their own treasure. None of them will argue with Sheng Xinhua. If things get too difficult, they will hide in their kennels and not come out.

With both children occupied, Zhang Shuzhen could at least free up some hands to wash Sheng Xinyu's diapers or do some needlework.

When Sheng Xiping returned, Sheng Xinhua was bullying Erlang Shen, pulling Erlang Shen's ears one moment and prying open Erlang Shen's mouth to look at his dog teeth the next.

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