Chapter 129 Matchmaking
"A stew? How about stewed tofu?"
Thinking of the tofu I had taken, I offered my suggestion.
"Tofu? Where did you get tofu? We haven't been able to eat tofu much since the extreme cold started."
Aunt Liu shook her head with amusement.
"I took three pieces of tofu when I came over. Sister-in-law, haven't you seen what I took all this time?"
"Oh, I was thinking of waiting for you to come back so we can watch it together."
Hearing what Aunt Liu said, I put down the cabbage I was holding and carried the small pile of things that was placed at the door to the table next to the stove.
"This tofu was made with leftover brine. I made some before the Lunar New Year and was thinking of giving you a few pieces."
"Oh dear, it's been so long since I've had tofu. Every household doesn't have much brine, and it's used up in just one or two uses. Let's stew a big pot of it in a bit and let everyone have a taste."
Aunt Liu held the tofu like a precious treasure.
"This is bread? And hot pot meatballs? You made all these strange things?"
Aunt Liu stared in astonishment at the various items in the bag, her eyes widening in surprise.
“I made them all. I built an oven in the yard and bake bread whenever I have free time. Hot pot meatballs are easy to make. I’ll teach your sister-in-law when I have time.”
"My hands aren't as skillful as yours!"
Although I feel pretty good about cooking and drinking on my own, it is hearing praise from outsiders that brings me true satisfaction.
He got a little carried away by Aunt Liu's praise and kept repeating that he wanted to teach her how to do it.
While chatting, they kept cooking, and several dishes were ready in no time.
Once all the dishes are cooked, add water to the pot, place a steamer rack on top, put the dishes inside, and cover the pot with the lid.
Aunt Liu went to the house across the street to ask when dinner would be served. The neighboring households had almost finished cooking, but they still chose to have their meal at Liu's house.
Because the Liu family's bedroom is the largest, it won't feel crowded even if several people are eating together.
They helped Brother Liu move tables and chairs from another room, and brought over their bowls and chopsticks, and started preparing for dinner.
One steaming bowl after another was brought over, each dish being quite large, almost overflowing Liu's house.
What couldn't fit in the pot was kept warm on the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), and served out one dish at a time on small plates.
Braised pork hock, stewed pork ribs with dried green beans, stewed chicken with mushrooms, braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork, stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, stir-fried pork with celery, stir-fried pork slices, hot and sour cabbage, cold tiger salad, salted eggs, and scrambled eggs with scallions—several families made a total of 12 dishes.
Dishes were neatly arranged on the table, and people sat down around the table.
The situation was exactly the same as last time; I and several of my sisters-in-law sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) to eat, while the men sat at a table on the floor.
The meal lasted a long time amidst laughter and chatter. I don't know if it was because I was infected by the lively atmosphere or because I was too full, but I felt a little drowsy after eating.
But after the food on the table was cleared away, peanuts, melon seeds, dried crabapples, frozen pears, and tea were served.
While feeling sleepy, I peeled and ate sunflower seeds, listening to everyone chatting and laughing, as if I had completely integrated into this group.
Taozi went out for a while and then took out two brand-new decks of playing cards from his pocket, saying that he found them a while ago when he went out with the base to search for things.
Now that we don't have TVs or cell phones, playing cards is a great form of entertainment.
One deck of cards was placed on the ground, and another on the heated brick bed; everyone started playing cards.
Several of my sisters-in-law also gathered at a table. They wanted to invite me to play with them, but I wasn't very good at it, so I declined and said I would just watch from the sidelines.
Sister Wang particularly liked to cheat, and she always liked to play some miscellaneous cards when playing cards. When Sister Liu caught her, she slapped her shoulder hard.
When I was little, I thought adults were all mature, and I don't remember my parents laughing and joking with others.
But now that I've grown up, seeing people my parents' age joking and playing so vividly is both magical and interesting.
Nobody was really into it. After playing for a little over an hour, they put the cards away, drank tea, and chatted. Suddenly, they started talking about the base leader.
I did have some questions about this mysterious base commander, so I couldn't help but ask them.
"Was this White Town base built by the base chief? How could he still have such great wealth after the apocalypse?"
"You used to be from out of town, didn't you know that?"
Brother Liu and I kept it a secret.
"Our base manager used to be the manager of the only factory in our town. Not to mention how much money he had, he had plenty of cars, machines, and timber. Plus, many people in the town worked for him. When he decided to build the base, most people supported him."
Liu Erge's words gave me a vague idea.
"No way... he's the factory manager of the timber furniture factory!"
I asked this question that I didn't want to face.
"Yes, you know this factory?"
My vision went black, and I was so embarrassed I wanted to faint on the spot.
I stole so many truckloads of timber right under the old man's nose, thinking he was just like me, always looking to take advantage. Little did I know it was someone else's factory!
Thinking about it this way, the old man was actually quite lovable. He only asked for a pack of cigarettes and a hundred or so yuan, and he was willing to let me take the scraps home to use. No wonder he was able to achieve great things; he really had a broad vision.
I was so caught up in my own embarrassment that the conversation with everyone else became blurry.
Perhaps because they drank too much tea, Taozi and Brother Liu went to the restroom during that time.
When he came back, Brother Liu was all smiles, his smile as bright as a flower.
After everyone had finished chatting and dispersed to go home, Taozi was still there.
When only Brother Liu, Sister-in-law Liu, Taozi, and I were left in the room, Brother Liu finally spoke after a moment of preparation.
"Hey sis, what do you think of Taozi?"
I became alert; something was definitely not right.
"He's great, cheerful and capable, a nice young man."
But praise is still due.
"You two are both single and living your own lives. Your older brother and sister-in-law are worried about you. Why don't you two get together?"
Just as I had guessed.
"Taozi is too much younger than me, we're not a good match. Besides, I'm quite comfortable living alone and have no plans to get married."
I'm almost 30, not young anymore. I can accept matchmaking offers without hesitation, and I can refuse them openly and honestly.
"It's not that I'm saying this, but it's really good for a young woman like you to find a partner. Taozi is perfect; he's reliable, capable, and not rigid at all. He's really great."
Seeing that I refused, Aunt Liu still tried to negotiate, unwilling to give up.
"Forget it, Aunt Liu. Taozi is a good catch and can find someone better. I just want to live a quiet life on my own."
Having made the refusal so clear, no one else could say anything more.
Taozi looked somewhat disappointed, but he didn't say anything.
Actually, I understood what he meant a long time ago. I'm just very satisfied with my current life and have never thought about incorporating love into my life. I just want to live out my life peacefully on my own.
"Big brother, I'm going home first. You guys stay here."
Taozi stood up, said hello, and left without looking back.
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