"Knock knock knock—"
Wang Xiuxiu was sitting in the courtyard, playing with Songsong.
Just as I finished peeling a peanut, her nimble little paws snatched it and popped it into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out, making her look incredibly cute.
Just as Songsong was about to peel the next peanut, there was a knock at the gate. Startled, Songsong dropped the peanut on the ground.
Wang Xiuxiu gave it a new one, then stood up, patted the peanut crumbs off her hands, and quickly walked to the door.
As soon as the door opened, Aunt Luo, looking quite flustered, was standing outside.
"Aunt Luo? You were looking for me?"
Aunt Luo rubbed her hands together. "I...I heard you're very skilled at mending, so I'd like to ask you to mend a piece of clothing for me..."
"Sure, let me take a look."
Aunt Luo seemed surprised that she agreed so easily, and it took her a while to react. "Wait for me, I'll go home and get it right away, wait for me!"
After saying that, she turned and ran back, her steps hurried, not even having time to hear Wang Xiuxiu's "No need to rush" clearly.
Wang Xiuxiu smiled helplessly, opened the courtyard gate, and sat down in the courtyard to wait.
A short while later, Aunt Luo came running back in a flurry, carrying a dark blue long gown.
She handed the clothes to Wang Xiuxiu, panting, "This is it. There's a tear in the sleeve. Can you see if you can mend it?"
Songsong jumped down from Wang Xiuxiu's shoulder and squatted on the stone bench next to her, her little eyes darting around.
Wang Xiuxiu took the clothes and examined them carefully.
There is a tear about two inches long at the cuff, with some wear on the edges, but it is not difficult to fix.
She nodded and said, "Sure, you can come and pick it up around this time tomorrow."
"Really?" Aunt Luo asked in surprise, her eyes full of anticipation.
Wang Xiuxiu smiled and nodded: "Yes, don't worry."
Aunt Luo breathed a sigh of relief, a grateful smile spreading across her face: "Then... thank you."
"We're all neighbors, it's no problem."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Aunt Luo left with a happy smile.
Watching her departing figure, Wang Xiuxiu thought to herself that although the old woman was a bit reckless, she was still quite lovable.
---
The next day at the same time, sure enough, Aunt Luo knocked on Wang Xiuxiu's door right on time.
She was carrying a basket of eggs and had a slightly embarrassed smile on her face.
Somewhat embarrassed, she reached out and handed the basket to Wang Xiuxiu, "I heard...I heard them say that if they want you to sew their clothes, they can give this as a thank-you gift..."
Seeing her awkwardness, Wang Xiuxiu didn't refuse. She thanked her and smiled as she reached out to take the things.
After seeing Aunt Luo off, Wang Xiuxiu carried the basket of eggs to the kitchen.
Hefting the basket of eggs that Aunt Luo gave was actually heavier than the ones given by the other aunties before.
Seeing how honest and kind-hearted she was, I couldn't help but feel a little more favorably toward Aunt Luo.
---
After that, Aunt Luo and Wang Xiuxiu started seeing each other more often.
Aunt Luo would occasionally bring something to Wang Xiuxiu, sometimes a basket of vegetables still covered in dew, sometimes a bowl of homemade pickled vegetables.
Wang Xiuxiu reciprocated by occasionally making some small snacks as a gift.
Once, Aunt Luo brought over a plate of dumplings. Wang Xiuxiu took a bite and was immediately amazed by how delicious they were.
The dumpling wrappers are thin and the filling is generous. One bite and the juice bursts out. The meat filling is tender and has a subtle scallion aroma.
"Aunt Luo, your dumplings are so delicious! I've never had such fragrant dumplings before!"
Aunt Luo smiled broadly: "I'm glad you like it. I'll make you more next time."
Wang Xiuxiu nodded repeatedly, but secretly she was determined to learn how to make dumplings from Aunt Luo.
---
That day, Wang Xiuxiu bought a good piece of meat at the meat stall. When she got home, she prepared all the ingredients and asked Aunt Luo to teach her how to make dumplings.
Upon entering the kitchen, Aunt Luo acted as if she were the master of the house.
She deftly placed the washed meat on the cutting board, held a cleaver in each hand, and began chopping the meat with a "thump, thump, thump".
Wang Xiuxiu stood to the side and praised her, "Aunt Luo, your knife skills are amazing!"
Without even looking up, Aunt Luo laughed and said, "This is nothing, practice makes perfect. Your hands are still a bit soft, so don't bother trying. If you need to chop meat filling in the future, just come to my house and call me."
Wang Xiuxiu agreed verbally, her smile becoming even sweeter.
Seeing such a young girl, smiling like a flower, made Aunt Luo happy just to look at her.
"You don't need to learn anything else. Just watch from the side and learn how to make the filling, that's enough."
Aunt Luo's words were exactly what Wang Xiuxiu wanted to hear, and she quickly brought out a table full of spices that she had carefully prepared.
Aunt Luo was shocked when she saw all the ingredients Wang Xiuxiu had prepared: "Ah, do you use so many things for the filling?"
Wang Xiuxiu smiled shyly, "I heard from others that the more seasonings, the more fragrant it is."
Aunt Luo shook her head: "No need for all that trouble. We can still make delicious dumplings with just a few simple ingredients."
Sure enough, Aunt Luo used only a few ingredients to make the filling smell wonderful!
"Wow! Aunt Luo, your cooking skills are absolutely amazing!"
When it came to making dumplings, Wang Xiuxiu regained her confidence and was eager to show off her skills in front of Aunt Luo.
She picked up a dumpling wrapper, skillfully pinched it a few times, and a dumpling shaped like a gold ingot appeared in her hand.
Grandma Luo stared in disbelief: "Wow, how come you wrapped these dumplings so beautifully?"
Wang Xiuxiu smiled proudly: "These are ingot dumplings, and there are also crescent dumplings, top-opening dumplings, pleated dumplings... I can make many kinds too!"
Like a curious child, Aunt Luo stared at Wang Xiuxiu's hands, watching and learning, occasionally letting out exclamations of surprise.
The two chatted while making dumplings, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.
After making the dumplings, Wang Xiuxiu cooked half of them and insisted that Aunt Luo eat them with her before letting her go home.
---
In the evening, Luo Qiyou returned home and was greeted by an enticing aroma as soon as he stepped inside.
He followed the aroma into the kitchen and saw his mother busily and happily working on it.
"You'er, why are you back so early today? Dinner isn't ready yet."
Luo Qiyou replied with a smile, "No rush. The bookstore closed early today, so Manager Liu let me come back early."
Aunt Luo put down the wooden lid in her hand, turned around, and said to him earnestly, "You'er, you shouldn't copy books after school. You're so smart, you should put all your energy into studying."
After hearing this, Luo Qiyou smiled and explained, "It's alright, Mother. Copying books not only helps me calm my mind, but also helps me remember the knowledge I've learned. Others would love to ask for that."
Seeing that his mother was about to continue persuading him, Luo Qiyou quickly changed the subject: "Mom, what did you make? It smells so good!"
Aunt Luo smiled mysteriously and said, "It's dumplings, but today's dumplings are a little different. You'll see in a bit!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Qiyou became somewhat curious.
My mother always makes delicious dumplings, so I wonder what's different about them today; she's being all mysterious.
"You'er, go put the table down and wash your hands. I'll be done in a minute!"
Luo Qiyou nodded, moved the table out, and turned to wash his hands.
When I returned to the table, a plate of steaming dumplings was already laid out on it.
Upon seeing this, Luo Qiyou's eyes widened in surprise.
Seeing her son's surprised expression, Aunt Luo also laughed.
"Look, this is a gold ingot dumpling, and this is a wheat ear dumpling..."
Seeing his mother, who was so happy today that she was talking much more, Luo Qiyou couldn't help but smile as well.
"Where did Mother learn so many styles?"
"It was Miss Wang from next door. She wanted to learn how to make dumpling filling, so I learned these shapes from her while I was at it..."
Luo Qiyou thought for a moment and asked, "Is it the Miss Wang who helped mend the clothes?"
"Yes, she's incredibly skillful. When I got the clothes back, I couldn't see a single trace of how they had been damaged before!"
My own mother knows best that she has never liked chatting with the aunties in the alley.
This is the first time I've enjoyed spending time with someone so much.
As she was talking, Aunt Luo suddenly slapped her thigh, as if she had remembered something, and said, "Oh right! That young girl once gave us a housewarming gift. I saw that Granny Wang watching outside the door, and I was afraid that she would think too much, so I hurriedly closed the door without even taking the gift. I don't know if she was angry?"
After saying this, Aunt Luo looked worried.
"You'er, did I offend that young lady?"
“Mother, you’re overthinking it. I think this Miss Wang is a kind-hearted person. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to help mend your clothes and teach you all these dumpling-making techniques, would she?” Luo Qiyou comforted her.
"Yes, yes, I think that girl is good; she's pretty and has a good personality..."
Hearing Aunt Luo's praise, Luo Qiyou's lips curled up slightly, and he couldn't help but feel more curious about this Miss Wang.
He picked up a goldfish-shaped dumpling, examined it carefully for a while, and couldn't help but laugh, "These dumplings are really interesting, Mom, can you teach me how to make them next time?"
Aunt Luo smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll teach you when you have time!"
The mother and son chatted while eating dumplings, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere.
Looking at the smile on his mother's face, Luo Qiyou felt even more grateful to that Miss Wang.
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