Chapter 73: Memories Evoked by a Cup of Coffee
Tang Mingli picked up four cups of lattes she had brewed herself on a tray and walked with a beaming smile toward the three people sitting on the sofa.
She bought the coffee powder at a Russian restaurant before the Lunar New Year. She had tried their ice cream black coffee there and thought it was delicious. She persuaded the owner to buy a bag of their pre-ground coffee powder.
For this bag of coffee powder, she spent a lot of money to buy a bunch of coffee brewing tools at the Friendship Store.
Lying in bed that night, it suddenly occurred to me that since I had already bought all the equipment and materials, I might as well buy a few more coffee cups. So the next day I went to the Friendship Store again and spent a long time choosing before finally finding the coffee cups I wanted.
Perhaps the whole process was too tiring, and once everything was ready, the thought of the various steps involved in making coffee made me lose my enthusiasm for brewing it myself.
With the Spring Festival approaching, Zhang Guihua went back to her hometown. She had to help her mother-in-law prepare for the New Year, and she was so busy that she forgot about the matter.
Today is a perfect day, with the right timing, location, and people. If her family is satisfied with the drinks, then the things she bought will finally be able to prove their worth.
Upon seeing what was in the cup, Madam Fu suddenly felt as if she had been transported to another world, and chuckled, saying, "So it's coffee."
No wonder the taste felt both strange and familiar.
"Grandma drank it?" Tang Mingli wasn't surprised.
Coffee entered China quite early; there were coffee shops in Shanghai during the Republic of China era, but ordinary people generally couldn't access them.
Madam Fu nodded, "I drank it when I was young, but decades have passed in the blink of an eye, and I've already forgotten what it tasted like."
It seems particularly bitter in my memory.
Mrs. Fu also said, "I've forgotten what it tastes like. The last time I had it was more than 20 years ago."
As she spoke, she felt inexplicably shy. It was because she remembered drinking that foreign stuff back when she and her husband were just starting out as a couple.
Tang Mingli didn't miss the sudden blush on her mother-in-law's face and teased her, "More than twenty years ago, that must have been a date with Dad?"
“If it’s not him, then who else could it be?” Fu’s mother meant to emphasize who it was, but saying it like that seemed to be a response to her daughter-in-law’s mention of a ‘date,’ and her face showed even more embarrassment.
They had only known each other for a short time then and weren't very familiar with each other. But it was still clear that Fu Cheng liked her very much. Otherwise, the usually reserved man wouldn't have blushed as he invited her to a Russian restaurant, specifically to drink that stuff.
I don't know where Fu Cheng'an got the idea, but he said that nowadays, couples who are dating, especially those with some means, all go to Russian restaurants to have coffee and chat. So, during his vacation, he reluctantly took her there, just so she could show off a bit in front of her friends.
Thinking back on these things after so many years, Fu's mother felt a warm glow in her heart.
To hide his embarrassment, he quickly picked up his coffee and took a small sip.
Her taste buds were awakened, and she immediately nodded, saying excitedly, "This is the taste."
She remembered that the coffee she had with Fu Cheng'an at the Russian restaurant years ago tasted almost the same.
It's not exactly delicious, but it's unique, at least unlike drinking Chinese tea.
When it comes to tea, she really can't distinguish between Longjing, Biluochun, and Tieguanyin; they all taste pretty much the same.
Madam Fu rarely saw her daughter-in-law so excited; she never expected a cup of coffee to make her so agitated.
She also wanted to recall some memories from decades ago, so she picked up the glass and took a sip.
After making a few smacking noises, he said, "This doesn't taste like the one I remember."
Tang Mingli asked with a smile, "What did Grandma's coffee taste like back then?"
"It's bitter, very bitter, even more bitter than Chinese medicine."
Tang Mingli understood; her grandmother must have been drinking Americano back then.
“However…” Madam Fu sniffed it and said, “This strange fragrance does seem quite similar.”
Hearing Grandma describe the aroma of the coffee as "strange," Tang Mingli and Fu Ci both laughed, finding Grandma incredibly adorable.
Tang Mingli explained to Madam Fu that coffee without sugar or milk naturally has a bitter taste.
"Nothing was added at all," said Madam Fu with certainty, as that fading memory gradually became clearer.
That year, his family fled to Shanghai and took refuge in the French Concession.
There was a coffee shop in the concession, and every time I passed by, I would see many foreigners comfortably drinking and chatting there.
Sometimes, when she sees this scene and thinks about what she has seen and heard during her escape, she can't help but feel indignant.
Why is it that Chinese people live less comfortably than foreigners in Chinese countries? Take this family for example; if they want a stable life, they ultimately have to rely on the protection of foreigners.
Why?
Being so young, she couldn't understand it; all she felt was grief and indignation.
Later, she studied in Shanghai and learned more, gradually understanding many things she hadn't understood before.
These foreigners are able to live comfortably on Chinese soil because they have a powerful country behind them.
Later, even Shanghai became unsafe, forcing the whole family to continue migrating.
Before leaving, she made a special trip to the coffee shop she had passed by for years but never entered, and ordered a cup of coffee like the foreigners.
When the waiter asked her what kind of coffee she wanted, she didn't know and just pointed to a foreigner and said, "The same as his."
Not long after, the waiter brought her the coffee she had ordered.
The moment she tasted it, it was so bitter she almost threw up.
Such awful-tasting stuff, yet those foreigners love it so much; they must have never tasted anything good.
The young Mrs. Fu could only find psychological balance in this way.
Listening to her grandmother recount the past, Tang Mingli smiled but then felt a pang of sadness.
We should be grateful to our ancestors who protected this land with their own flesh and blood; without them, we would not have the peaceful life we enjoy today.
Perhaps realizing that she had unintentionally brought up a rather heavy topic, Madam Fu quickly added, "This coffee isn't bitter at all today. Is it because I've been in China for so long that even things that foreigners find unpalatable have become palatable?"
Following up on what Madam Fu said, Tang Mingli told her why the coffee wasn't bitter anymore: "I added fresh milk from China, so it might have been assimilated by Chinese milk."
"Really? I knew it." Old Madam Fu chuckled and took a big gulp of her drink.
Sipping coffee, reminiscing about the past, chatting about the present, and looking forward to the future, time flies by without us even realizing it.
It wasn't until they heard a knock on the door that the group, who were engrossed in their conversation, remembered that they had guests coming over today.
Mrs. Fu was the first to get up and quickly went to open the door.
After opening the door, Fu's mother first smiled and called out "Auntie," but then her voice froze.
Tang Mingli sensed something was amiss and hurried over. When she saw the situation at the door, she was stunned.
So the "they" my aunt was talking about last night meant so many people.
Besides herself, she was accompanied by seven young men.
Of course, this "young" is in comparison to Fu Caiping's age. These seven men all looked to be in their twenties or thirties.
As people continued to enter, even the smiling Madam Fu began to look somewhat dumbfounded.
She didn't even recognize many of these people.
What happened?
Having brought so many people to her door today, Fu Caiping was actually a little embarrassed, but she could only bite the bullet and introduce them.
"This is my aunt's nephew's son, and this is my sister-in-law's older brother's cousin's older brother..."
After a round of introductions, even the youngest Tang Mingli couldn't remember who any of them were relatives. She only knew that these people were relatives of Caiping's aunt and uncle, and some of them were quite distant relatives.
Normally, someone with this kind of relationship wouldn't be expected to make a special trip to visit on such a day to offer New Year's greetings, but they did today, so it's safe to assume that it's not just about that.
Since we're already here, are we going to kick us out?
The Fu family had no choice but to accept the invitation.
The originally spacious living room felt very crowded after everyone was seated.
Tang Mingli chose to make tea for her mother-in-law, while Fu Ci stayed by her side and chatted with her.
While washing teacups in the kitchen, Fu's mother and Tang Mingli chatted, wondering what Fu Caiping meant by bringing such an unrelated relative over.
It's impossible to ask the Fu family for a favor; Fu Caiping knows Old Master Fu's personality better than anyone else.
If it's not asking them for a favor, then what could it be?
Fu's mother couldn't understand it, and neither could Tang Mingli.
However, today Tang Mingli had a new feeling about her grandfather's lack of compassion.
To reach the position of grandfather, you really have to act this way; otherwise, you'll either be constantly helping others or you'll inevitably get dragged down by those who come to you asking for help.
After saying that, Fu's mother thought of another problem and asked Tang Mingli in a low voice with a worried look: "What should we do? So many people are coming, what should we eat for lunch?"
The food prepared early in the morning was definitely not enough, but that wasn't a big deal, there was plenty of meat in the fridge. The problem was that with so many people suddenly arriving, Mrs. Fu was completely flustered and seemed to have suddenly forgotten how to cook.
Tang Mingli was actually thinking about this issue as well.
I'm really worried that cooking for so many people will burn out the gas stove.
However, she quickly thought of something and had an idea.
"We went to the grocery store together to buy seasonings before the New Year. Didn't I buy a few packets of hot pot base?"
Fu's mother immediately understood what her daughter-in-law meant, and thought that with so many people, eating hot pot was indeed a good choice.
"It's a good thing you had a sweet tooth and insisted on buying that hot pot base."
Tang Mingli was both amused and exasperated, and jokingly said, "Mom, your praise makes me feel a little uncomfortable."
Mrs. Fu smiled too.
"However, eating hot pot is still too much trouble." Tang Mingli put away her joke and seriously told her mother-in-law about her plans.
Let's cook two pots of white rice, and then use hot pot broth to cook two bowls of dishes similar to maocai (a type of Sichuan hot pot).
However, their hot pot broth is not spicy; it's just clear broth with vegetables.
"Wouldn't this be too perfunctory?" Fu's mother asked with some concern.
It was certainly a bit perfunctory, but their dishes were made with real sincerity, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat.
Moreover, with so many of them coming, they must have known that others would be caught off guard, so they probably wouldn't say anything.
"That's true." Mrs. Fu was somewhat relieved.
Anyway, we can't cook enough food for so many people, so let's do as my daughter-in-law suggested.
After reaching an agreement, the two quickly served tea to the guests.
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