It was actually a bit cold in Longzhou in the mornings and evenings at the end of October.

Wen Xin crawled out of the warm bed, her messy black hair piled up like a bird's nest. She casually combed her hair with her hands twice and tied it into a simple bun. She learned this from an old lady on the train. She said that Wen Xin's hair was long, so she could just tie it up like this, and it was still very strong, without even a hairpin. After Wen Xin learned it, she liked it this way and tied it up every day.

But her hair was very thick. When it was tied back, it looked like a cloud of black hair, which made her small face, which was only the size of a palm, look even smaller.

She changed her clothes, rubbed her hands, and left the room. It was damp and cold here morning and night, and the cold penetrated into her bones.

The kind couple on the train were from Longzhou and lived in an alley on the edge of the city. The houses here are a bit similar to those in Beijing, with a square layout, but the courtyards are smaller. The courtyards in the north are larger, and the houses in Longzhou are very economical in terms of floor space.

She had been in Longzhou for half a month and had become a little familiar with the city. The feeling this side gave people was that there were more buildings, but they were unevenly tall and short. The alleys were very narrow, with high walls on both sides flanking the winding streets. There was green stone slabs under her feet, and there was a "clacking" sound when she walked, which was quite nice.

If the buildings in the central circle of Kyoto are bright and grand like ladies from noble families, then the buildings in Longzhou give people the feeling of a beautiful girl from a small family with tears in her eyes.

Wen Xin had been accustomed to going to bed early and getting up early by the Demon King in the Yan family. She got up early before Aunt Wei got up, and walked into the kitchen next to the living room to light the coal balls in the two coal stoves. She choked and coughed twice. The coal balls here were particularly difficult to light as they were very damp and smoky. She washed her hands, put a soup pot on the other side, added water, and began to knead the dough flexibly on the chopping board.

With a low-burning coal cake stove and a small iron pot, Wen Xin worked in a breakfast restaurant during the three winter and summer vacations during high school. She was very skilled in making pasta and was not only dexterous but also quick and good at kneading the dough.

The shortbread I bought on the train tasted pretty good, so when I got off the train I bought another pack and studied it a little more. I was able to basically replicate the recipe she made, and the ones she made were more oily, more fragrant, crispier and softer.

She casually called the system, and a list appeared next to it, which was full of various ingredients, seasonings, and essential oil extracts she had stored.

The products of the system are free of impurities, extremely pure, and have a purer taste. Therefore, if the same ingredients are used to make food extracted from the system, the food will be wonderful and delicious.

It's like taking a sip of rough, muddy water, and then taking a sip of filtered pure water, which tastes silky smooth.

Old Mrs. Wei got up early, but when she opened the door, the fragrance from the hall was already overwhelming.

At this time, everyone came out to make breakfast. Because the alley was narrow, the family on the opposite building could see people as soon as they opened the window. When they saw the old lady coming out, they said, "Auntie, what have you been cooking every morning for the past half month? It smells so good that it has woken up our children and they are making a fuss at home every day."

As soon as Old Mrs. Wei left the main room, she smelled Wen Xin making pancakes. Last night, the old man brought back two kilograms of fish heads from the back room. It was estimated that Wen Xin had already cooked the fish heads.

"What can you eat these days? Just fry some dough in a pan and it's good enough. If your child wants to be greedy, why don't you just fry two pieces for yourself?"

The person at the back window was looking straight into the kitchen through the courtyard wall.

The downside of living so close and densely populated is that whatever you eat, other families know and the aroma wafts everywhere. In the first two days after Wen Xin came, she ran to the grocery store at the end of the alley and cut a piece of pork belly from Lao Wu's stall, then came back and made them a braised pork dish. The old lady still remembers it now; it tasted so delicious and fragrant! People living upstairs and across the street all opened their windows to see whose meat was being cooked.

It is no exaggeration to say that it makes your mouth drool with oil and is so delicious that you will be overwhelmed.

Even if Wen Xin cooks a bowl of noodles or scoops up a spoonful of meat sauce, there will be people opening the window and staring at his house, and some even ask for permission to let the children into the yard.

The old lady swept the dust off her body outside and then went into the kitchen. One coal-cake stove was slowly simmering a fish head stew, while another was frying small crispy cakes, each one was the size of a palm, golden in color, and so greasy that it made people drool.

It smells so good. Ever since Wen Xin came to their house, the food she and the old man eat has become better and better, and they have gained weight.

A pot of hot water was already boiling and was being kept warm next to the stove, for the two old people to use in the morning.

"Child, why do you get up so early again? It's cold now and it's a nuisance to get up in the morning. You just lie down for a while and I'll make breakfast." The old lady quickly snatched the shovel from her hand.

Wen Xin tied up her hair, and two strands of hair fell down on her forehead after being busy for a long time. She looked delicate and charming. She looked at the old lady and smiled, "It's okay, grandma, I'm used to it. I'll wake up on time, and you and grandpa can have dinner after you wash up." The old lady looked at this girl and liked her so much that she didn't have to do any housework at home. She was so happy every day that she couldn't close her mouth. She always felt like she was a born daughter.

Wen Xin was very resourceful. The old lady took her in without asking for rent. The Wei family lived on the first floor, and there were two floors above that, which were occupied by other residents. The first floor had three bedrooms and a living room, with a small courtyard, and was usually occupied by the old couple. When their son came back, he would stay for a while, and the other rooms would be empty, so there was more than enough room to accommodate one more person.

The old lady didn't ask her for rent, so Wen Xin provided three meals a day for the family. Usually the old man and the old lady were very frugal. Occasionally they would go out to buy some fried dough sticks, sesame cakes and soy milk, but that was only a few times. They usually just fried some pickles and cooked some porridge, which was very bland. But since Wen Xin came.

Today she goes to the grocery store to get a small bag of flour, tomorrow she goes to cut a piece of pork belly, and the day after tomorrow she picks up two fish. She makes delicious food in different ways to make these two empty-nest elderly people like her from mouth to stomach, body to heart.

The old man thought that he had to find someone in the countryside to get a rural household registration, so he might as well just transfer the household registration to his own home to save trouble.

It just so happened that the old lady had a younger sister. When the world was in turmoil in the early years, her family smuggled to Xianghai. Her daughter died of illness on the way, so the old lady registered her niece's household registration in her own home.

Wen Xin now has a new name, Wei Xin, which sounds almost the same as Wen Xin. She has her own ID card in this world, and she feels much more cheerful. She doesn't plan to return to Kyoto in the future. This will be her identity from now on. The old men and women are her relatives, and they are so happy with her coaxing them every day that they wish they could love her like their own daughter.

The child is just very pretty. Neighbors know that she is the old lady's niece. Three marriage proposals came yesterday to find a husband for Wen Xin. But the old lady rejected her outright. She said that the child is only eighteen years old and wants to stay for another two years. Time is different now than before. It is not too late to get married at twenty. Besides, with Wen Xin's looks, will she have trouble finding a husband?

The sixteen-year-old kid at the entrance of the alley stared at Wen Xin with his eyes wide open, and even carried a basket to bring her home.

…

In the morning, Grandpa Wei bit into a crispy, slightly hot biscuit that was just out of the pan. There was sweet sesame paste filling in the middle of the biscuit. It was so delicious that he could swallow his tongue. Then he drank a spoonful of fish head stew sprinkled with green onions. The soup was milky white and as smooth as silk. A mouthful of hot fish soup went into his stomach, and he was so delicious that he didn't know what day it was.

After finishing his meal, Grandpa Wei carried the half-pot of milky white fish head soup that was simmering on the fire, wrapped five leftover crispy cakes in a paper bag, and trotted to the street behind the alley.

At the end of the alley there is a three-story building with red tiles and white walls. He usually works there, burning the stove and doing odd jobs for 20 yuan a month.

This family is a couple. The man is mute but has a strong build, and the woman is in her thirties and is as pretty as a flower. The woman has a unique skill, which is cooking duck. Longzhou is a land of fish and water, with plenty of ducks, and fish and shrimps are very cheap. Her way of cooking duck is unique and everyone who has eaten it praises it.

People would come to her door every now and then when they were hungry. At first, friends would bring their own food, then friends would bring their friends. Then some rumors came, so she closed the door. Then someone reliable above her gave her advice and told her that the government would relax its policies in the next two years, so she might as well do this or that.

So she opened the door again, but this time, she only received close friends and some prominent, wealthy and powerful guests, and no one else.

She didn't want money and never asked for it, but the people who came to eat, except for friends, were all well-known and wanted to save face. In this day and age, few people refused to pay, and paying for a meal was natural. The couple made a lot of money and this year they cleaned up the house.

As soon as you enter, you will see a small alley of an ordinary family. There is a table with tea on it, a few calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, a few porcelain vases, and a few fabric flower bouquets, adding a touch of simplicity and elegance.

There are two houses, one on the left and one on the right, with bamboo curtains hung on the doors. It is quiet and pleasant, simple and elegant, as if it is a home in another world.

After pulling the curtain and going in, there was a room inside which was divided into two private rooms, which could accommodate two tables. One could tell at a glance that the hostess of this house was a very tasteful person, and every item was pleasing to the eye. Behind the alley was the kitchen.

The mute man was squatting at the stove, adding fire to stew the duck, while the slender beautiful woman was watching the duck in the pot to see how cooked it was.

Old man Wei called out. Although her mute husband could not speak, his ears were fine. After lighting the stove, he came to the hall.

"You haven't eaten breakfast yet? Come and have something to eat. I brought this especially for you. It's made by my niece. How about you try it?" Old man Wei greeted his mute husband.

The mute husband laughed twice and uttered a low "Hehe." Then he sat down. He had been busy preparing the duck since early morning and had no time to eat. He didn't bother to be polite with old man Wei and just took a bowl and scooped a bowl of fish head stew.

He drank two sips and stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth.

"Hmmmm!" He nodded repeatedly and pointed his finger at Old Man Wei, meaning that it was delicious.

Although his wife's duck is considered a delicacy in the eyes of outsiders, he will get tired of it after eating it for a long time. He can't stand eating duck every day for several months.

At this time, drinking fish head stew is so delicious that it tastes like heaven.

Old man Wei was so happy that he felt like he was praising himself. They were old neighbors. When the couple first moved in, Old man Wei took good care of them. Later, when the couple had more guests at home, they called Old man Wei to help serve tea and water for 20 yuan a month. He was not busy every day, only for a while in the afternoon and evening.

Old man Wei eats lunch and dinner here. He gets along very well with the couple and they have never had a quarrel.

The beautiful woman came in from the kitchen, with bright features, pretty but not coquettish, pure but not cold. The two of them came from other places a few years ago, bought a house and settled down, and added a mute and a beautiful woman.

There was a rumor among the neighbors that this woman was from there before and had changed her ways. Otherwise, how could such a beauty marry a mute? However, these words were later heard by the mute, who got very angry. Although he could not speak, he was of strong build, with a larger frame than the average person. His arms were as thick as a woman's calves, and he could knock people away with one punch. He could not afford to offend anyone.

In addition, the couple loved each other very much. The man followed her every day and they were inseparable. He would fight to the death with anyone who dared to bully his wife. Over time, they stopped talking. However, in recent years, the couple had no children, and some people started gossiping, saying that the woman was hurt by the vaginal discharge, otherwise, how could the man, who was so strong, not even give birth to a monkey.

She came out from the inner room with a plate of duck liver side dishes, wearing a dress that she had altered from an old piece of clothing. She walked over and said to Old Man Wei with a smile, "Uncle Wei, this fish head stew smells so good. Was it made by your niece?"

"That's right. She got up before five in the morning to cook this for us two old people. She said it's nutritious and good for the body. I'm working hard outside, so she asked me to drink more. The fish head she brought back yesterday is what she brought here for you to try. There's also the shortbread she baked. This child is really filial."

The mute husband next to her quickly pulled his wife to sit on the stool, and said, "Yes!" and served her a bowl of food.

The beautiful woman smiled and said, "You are such a grateful child. I won't be polite then, let's eat together." After that, she scooped up a little white soup with a spoon, sniffed it slightly, and then slowly took a sip, then the second spoonful, and the third spoonful, slowly tasting it until she finished it.

She wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, savored the dish for a moment, and then said, "It's really good, Mr. Wei. This fish head stew is really unique." She thought about it, ducks are not expensive here, fish and shrimps are even cheaper, there are a lot of fish heads left over every day, and this soup is so nutritious and delicious that it makes people linger on after drinking it.

"Why not let your niece come to my place every day? I'll pay her two dollars for a pot of fish head." One pot can hold ten large bowls of fish. One bowl costs sixty cents, and ten bowls cost six dollars. Excluding the two dollars for wages, it's all profit, and she can also fill the customers with soup. The main thing is that this soup is unexpectedly delicious, a rare delicacy, so she suddenly came up with such an idea.

"This is good news. I'll go back and ask the girl. There should be no problem." Old Man Wei responded happily.

…

Wen Xin has been traveling around Long City these days. She took several buses and visited the post office, school, department stores and food stores. She bought a piece of blue cloth for the old lady in the department store to make her a top, and bought a gray cloth for old man Wei to make a coat. She saw wool for sale at the counter.

"Comrade, how much is the pink wool?" Wen Xin asked the salesperson without thinking, as they actually had pink wool.

"Two dollars and seven cents for one ounce." The salesperson didn't have any arrogant attitude. The salesperson here had a better attitude.

Wen Xin asked the experienced auntie next to her. The auntie was also enthusiastic. She looked at her and said, "With your small body, five taels of thread will be enough."

She quickly took out her money and bought the thread, but she only bought seven taels, because that was all there was, and she bought it all. She was lucky to have come at the right time, and if she had waited a little longer it would have been sold out. But the price was really high, twenty-seven yuan per pound. Wen Xin had brought one thousand yuan with her when she came out, but now she only had more than eight hundred yuan left after buying things during the days she lived in the Wei family.

However, the Wei family solved her household registration problem and provided her with a place to live, so it was reasonable for them to spend some money. When she has money in the future, buying a house and a car for the two elderly people will be a piece of cake. The Wei family was reluctant to even buy a bicycle. The old lady said she wanted to save money to find a wife for the second boy.

Holding the light pink wool, which was fluffy and soft, although she didn't know how to knit a sweater, she could learn. She heard that it would be cold here in two days, so she could knit a thin pink sweater to wear, and use the remaining yarn to knit a longer scarf.

I also bought suitable wool for the two elderly people and asked them to knit one for each of them.

After putting her things into her bag, she ran to a nearby high school and found a few high school students for help. She gave them money and asked them to help her get a set of high school books. There were still seven months until the college entrance examination next year. During this time, she wanted to review the high school knowledge of this era and take the college entrance examination next year.

There is no other way. She has been around for several times and wants to do something. The streets are full of state-owned enterprises. These days, people are willing but not brave enough to start a private business. Although the country has shown signs of this, no one dares to be the first to try it. The black market still exists, but it is not cracked down as vigorously.

Wen Xin thought about it and felt that now was not the best time. It would be better for her to go to college first. After all, the book described that it was not until the mid-to-late 1980s and the 1990s that the country experienced rapid development due to reform and opening up. By then, she could just go to any big city and buy a few pieces of land and wait for it to appreciate in value.

"Hey, little comrade, can you come over here for a moment? I have something to discuss with you." Wen Xin very gently called over a boy who seemed to be very smart. She spent ten yuan to get a whole set of high school textbooks and manuscripts from these high school kids, saying that they belonged to her sister. She took the books and gave the money to the boy with a smile. It is easier to get things done if you have money.

After packing her things, Wen Xin took bus No. 2. After getting off the bus, she happily skipped and danced in the alley all the way back to Wei's house.

…

On the day that Captain Yan was discharged from the hospital, several platoon leaders, company commanders and squad leaders from the 146th Regiment who were familiar with the commander drove to the hospital with the political commissar, wanting to pick up their own devil, Captain Yan, from the hospital.

In the ward, Yan Mo looked at them with an icy face and scolded them: "Who let you out? Who gave you the right to leave the group without permission?"

The platoon leaders, company commanders and squad leaders looked at each other, all silent. They, they just want to bring their leader back to the group? I wanted to give the leader a surprise, but ended up frightening him...

Political Commissar Ye standing by knew clearly that Yan Zeyang had been lying in bed for more than 20 days, and he had not been found yet. He was so angry that he even wanted to lose his temper, let alone these little soldiers.

"They are all soldiers you led. They came to pick you up from the hospital. The car is parked outside. That's it." He turned around and said to the soldiers, "This will not happen again. Do you understand?"

"I know!" He answered loudly.

Yan Zeyang buttoned his military uniform with a gloomy face. Although his leg injury had not fully healed and he still needed some time to recuperate, he could still walk normally as long as he didn't walk too fast.

Seeing that the commander was fine, several soldiers stopped scolding them and soon became active. "...The commander was really dangerous at that time. He stepped on the accelerator and rushed forward. I was scared to death... " Several soldiers were the ones who stopped Yan Zeyang from driving and volunteered to drive to their death. Soldiers are like their leaders. Those who are not afraid of death will become a little courageous.

Many of them were promoted by Captain Yan, so naturally the feelings between them are different.

"Look at your guts, Wei Youshun. I'm not saying anything bad about you. You said you rushed forward and said, 'Captain, I'll fire. I'm not afraid of death.' But the captain pushed you away with one hand. Then you sat on the ground and didn't get up for a long time. Were you afraid that the captain would really let you fire?"

"No, I didn't. I'm not afraid. Wasn't I worried about the captain at that time? I was worried, you know? I wasn't afraid! Don't talk nonsense!" The man called Shunzi was the youngest among the group, and he said with a bit of grievance.

"Haha..." Several soldiers laughed. One of them smiled and said to the political commissar, "Political Commissar Ye, let me tell you a funny story. Shunzi sent his parents on the train before. After his parents got home, they wrote him a letter not long after. They said that they met a girl on the train. She was quite pitiful, so they became his godparents. Now her household registration has been moved to their household registration book. The letter said that it's not that they don't want the girl to be their daughter-in-law, but mainly because she is too beautiful and Shunzi is not worthy of her..."

"Hahaha..." Another round of laughter.

"You see how partial my parents are. They don't introduce a beautiful girl to their son, but instead recognize her as a relative. Are they really his parents?" Shunzi felt even more aggrieved. He was in need of a wife.

"His parents also said they wanted to introduce a date to a girl, and asked Shunzi to look in the army to see if there is a good guy who is better than him and introduce one to him. The key is that he must be better than him. Political Commissar, don't you think it's funny..."

A few soldiers then burst into “Hahahaha…”

Political Commissar Ye even laughed. "Shunzi is a very energetic young man. I think he is good. Go talk to your parents and ask them why they are not worthy of the girl. Ask your parents to come over next time. I will do some ideological work for them and ask them to have some confidence in their son."

“Hahahahahaha…”

"It's too late, Political Commissar. She's already registered in his household. The letter says that she took his surname, Wei, and her name is Wei Xin. Don't you think it's funny..."

"Wei...Xin?"

A group of soldiers were laughing, but their commander had a gloomy face. He buttoned his military button with one hand, then picked up his hat and prepared to put it on indifferently. However, when he heard the name, his body stiffened instantly.