"Mom, Dad, you're off work? Have some tea and relax a bit. The steamed dumplings will be ready soon," Zhao Huanhuan said, poking her head out of the kitchen.

Lin Yuan was mixing bean sprouts at that moment. They had also bought soybean sprouts that day, intending to make a cold dish.

Zhang Jinhua walked to the kitchen door and watched the two of them busy with their own things. She smiled and thought to herself, "I didn't expect that Lin Yuan's bean sprout salad would turn out so well, and Huanhuan's steamed dumplings would also be quite decent. In just over a month in the countryside, my daughter has actually learned so many skills."

Suddenly, the couple realized that this rural assignment might not be a bad thing for their daughter, as she had met a son-in-law like Lin Yuan and even learned to cook.

Zhao Huanhuan, who used to live at home, would never have been able to cook so many dishes. At most, she could make rice soup or steamed rice, or stir-fry some shredded potatoes.

The couple washed up, changed out of their work clothes, sat down at the table, poured themselves a cup of tea, and slowly drank it, enjoying this rare moment of warmth—a meal was served as soon as they entered the door.

In the past, the first thing the couple would do after getting off work was to rush home and cook. They would usually buy enough groceries for the whole family for a week on Sundays. If relatives were to visit, they would need to buy meat and vegetables after get off work before coming home to cook.

Basically, after eating, it's time to go to work.

The two of them didn't speak, but just drank their tea and looked into the kitchen.

Soon the first batch of steamed dumplings was ready. Zhao Huanhuan took a large plate and was about to pick up the dumplings when Lin Yuan came over. "Be careful, it's hot. Let me pick them up. You put the bean sprouts on the plate and put it on the table, then clean up the dishes."

As Lin Yuan spoke, she naturally took the chopsticks from Zhao Huanhuan and picked up steamed dumplings from the steamer in the pot.

Zhao Huanhuan obediently went to find a plate to put the bean sprouts in.

After steaming the second batch of dumplings, Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan took down the fence, cleaned up the kitchen, washed their hands, and went to eat with their parents.

"Mmm, this smells delicious. Which of you mixed the filling?" The couple was immediately satisfied after the first bite. The egg and chive filling was simple in ingredients but very fragrant. The eggs were fried to a golden brown, and paired with the green chives, it not only tasted good but also looked beautiful.

"Huanhuan mixed the filling, Huanhuan kneaded the dough, and I picked, washed, chopped, and fried the chives," Lin Yuan explained to the elders with a smile, seeing Zhao Huanhuan eating one.

The two elders listened and praised with smiles, "You two have worked hard."

"It's not hard work at all. Huanhuan usually lives far away and can't help you much. We're just here to cook a few meals for you. How can you say it's hard work?" Lin Yuan had become familiar with the Zhao family elders by now and treated them with the same respect he would show to his own parents. Hearing them say thank you, he quickly replied.

The Zhao couple smiled, hummed in agreement, and buried their heads in their food.

After the family finished eating the plate of steamed dumplings, the second batch was steamed.

Zhao Huanhuan and Zhang Jinhua, who have small appetites, were already full. Zhao Fugui and Lin Yuan each ate a few hot dishes and were also full.

Looking at the remaining half-plate of steamed dumplings, Zhao Huanhuan stuck out her tongue. "I think I didn't get the measurements right and made too many."

Zhao Jinhua waved her hand, "It's alright, we'll save it for breakfast tomorrow."

Zhao Huanhuan thought about it and agreed.

After the meal, Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan washed the dishes together.

Seeing how well the two of them washed the dishes, Zhang Jinhua chuckled, "Have you two washed the dishes at home before?"

Zhao Huanhuan nodded, "Yes, we eat with Uncle and Aunt Lin. Aunt goes home a little earlier than us every day and cooks first. After Yan Yan and I finish eating, we wash the dishes so that Aunt can rest a little earlier."

Zhang Jinhua nodded after hearing this, "Yes, that's good. Yan Yan is a sensible child."

Zhao Huanhuan nodded, "Yes, she's from the South. She wasn't used to it at first, but after a few days of working, she got used to it. Later, we lived together and took care of each other."

Zhang Jinhua nodded. Huanhuan had told her about these things last night, and she also knew that her daughter had made a good friend there named Wenyan.

While the mother and daughter were talking, Lin Yuan silently bent over and washed the pots, pans, and kitchen utensils for the first time. Zhao Huanhuan stood to the side, took the dishes he washed and handed them to her, washed them a second time, wiped them clean with a clean cloth, and put them in the cupboard.

“Your mom wants to buy a refrigerator. Dad went to ask about it a few days ago, but we couldn’t get the necessary tickets. We can only save up the money and buy it when we get the tickets,” Zhao Fugui said to Zhao Huanhuan with a smile as he came out of the bedroom.

"Yes, I heard that it's not just refrigerator coupons that are hard to get, but also coupons for things like TVs and washing machines. Today when we went shopping, we heard that fans also need coupons this year. They're producing so few that they can't supply everyone," Zhao Huanhuan sighed.

This was truly an era of rationing; you needed coupons to buy anything you wanted, but coupons weren't something ordinary people could easily obtain.

Special tickets are usually awarded to people who have made significant contributions to the country or their organization, especially for rare and scarce items like televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines.

Previously, when Zhao Huanhuan saw life in the 1970s on TV, she didn't feel anything at all, thinking it was just something shown on TV.

When she experienced that kind of life herself, she realized that it really was like that.

Lin Yuan spoke up at this moment, "I'll go back and see if I can get the refrigerator coupon. Last year I was awarded a third-class merit, and the leader gave me a few coupons, but because I felt I didn't need them at the time, I gave them to others who needed them. I only kept one bicycle coupon and some food and meat coupons for my family."

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