Beijing No. 3 Underground City, Xingfu Community residential building.
Although it's called a residential building, it actually only has six or seven floors, and the apartments are very close together, with doors almost touching.
Not long after the New Year, every household has pasted homemade Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (fortune) on their doors. Some households also have two or three strings of dried chili peppers hanging on their doors, which turn out to be plastic products upon closer inspection.
In front of each doorway is a long corridor, at the end of which is a public restroom, and further ahead is a shared water tap. It was dinnertime, and many men and women were queuing up to get water, chattering noisily.
"Are you cooking?"
"Of course, my husband is still waiting for me to bring him food at the hospital."
What stage of cancer is it?
"Phase three is really tough, but thankfully it's treatable. I guess I'll just have to suffer a little. Didn't my boss even bring me flowers to the hospital the other day? If you ask me, you might as well just give me a bag of seaweed balls and wheat flour, and I'll make dumplings for him."
"That's true. Who would have thought that cancer could be cured? We were worried sick, like the sun was about to explode, but now we realize it's not so bad. What's wrong with living?"
"Hey! Life will definitely get better and better. Didn't you see that TV program? Those apples and wheat balls growing in the fields were donated by friendly Chinese people. I also heard from my son that pigs are being raised along the coast. Maybe we'll be able to eat pork in a while!"
"Great! Once we can afford pork, I'll make pork and scallion dumplings. We'll eat one plate and throw the rest away. No, we'll eat one plate to show the Americans, and then eat another plate to show the little devils!"
"Dumplings are great! I'll also make some steamed buns later. I have some dried eggplant and dried green beans that I dried a couple of years ago. I'll soak them in water, ask some friends to give us some chili peppers, chop them up, and use them to make fried pork crackling buns, dried eggplant buns, and chili flower rolls!"
"Oh my! Do you think they're your relatives? Donating this and that to you..."
A group of people were chatting and laughing, their tone as intimate as that of a family. A middle-aged woman with curly hair was talking enthusiastically when she looked up and saw Xu Milu and Hao Xiaoxi standing next to her. She immediately struck up a conversation with them warmly.
"Young lady, are you looking for someone? I know this lady well. Who are you looking for? There's no one around here I don't know."
Xu Milu was dressed neatly, and Hao Xiaoxi was in a gray suit. Although they didn't look like relatives of the Han family, the two of them were carrying two bags, so the people around them knew what was going on.
These days, if someone brings gifts to your door, they're a true relative.
Xu Milu, the "friendly Chinese representative," gave a sweet smile and asked politely, "Auntie, I'm looking for Han Duoduo. Is she home?"
"Oh! Looking for Duoduo?!"
The curly-haired woman's eyes crinkled with a smile when she saw the little girl, who was fair-skinned and well-mannered. She looked up and called out to one of the families:
"Duoduo! Duoduo!? You have guests!"
The door was open from top to bottom, and the old lady's shout had an immediate effect. In less than a minute, the door with the character "福" (fortune) on it opened, and a cute little head peeked out from inside.
It was Liu Qi, the son of Liu Peiqiang and Han Duoduo.
Liu Qi glanced at Xu Milu, unsure if he recognized her, then turned and ran into the house.
"Mom! That Tomato Sister is here!"
Xu Milu: "???"
...
...
The acquaintance Xu Milu mentioned is Han Duoduo. She gave Han Duoduo a "princess carry" last time they met. Xiao Liuqi met her at that time. But what kind of strange nickname is "Tomato Sister"?
"I'm so sorry, kids only remember half of what they've learned."
Han Duoduo's complexion was significantly better than before; her cheeks finally had some fuller flesh, and her face wasn't as pale as it used to be.
“It’s all because of my dad. He keeps nagging Liu Qi at home, telling him to remember the benefactor who gave us that fast-growing tomato tree. The kid just lets it go in one ear and out the other, and that’s how he remembers it.”
"Sister Duoduo, are you feeling any better? I just happened to be passing by today, so I thought I'd drop by and see you. This is..."
Before Xu Milu could finish speaking, and before she could even figure out how to introduce Hao Xiaoxi, the latter immediately smiled and nodded as if chatting casually.
"Hello, I'm Hao Xiaoxi, Ms. Xu's colleague. Are you part of the twenty-fourth batch of resettled residents? Are you settling in well here?"
Han Duoduo glanced at Xu Milu and could also sense the warmth in Hao Xiaoxi's words. Although she felt a little uncomfortable, she still politely replied:
"Everything is great. Some of the neighbors I knew were able to move in with us, and it's just right for our family of four. Plus, it's close to the hospital, which makes it convenient for me to go for my weekly injections..."
"Xiao Xu, you've already come all this way, why did you bring so much stuff? Are you being too polite with me? How can I let you take things when you're at my house?"
The last sentence was clearly addressed to Xu Milu.
"Sister Duoduo, I should at least show some sincerity when I come to your house for a meal, right? I heard you're an amazing cook, so I'm eating at your place today!!"
Before she fell ill, Han Duoduo was also an astronaut, and her skills were no less than Liu Peiqiang's. Xu Milu admired her very much. When the two met at the hospital, Han Duoduo gave her a mini planetary engine model, which she placed on the counter of a restaurant and never let anyone touch.
As she spoke, Xu Milu opened the nylon bag in her hand, revealing that it was filled to the brim with its contents:
A large chunk of bright red meat, the kind you couldn't tell what it was; a whole old, gritty pumpkin; a whole bag of round sweet potatoes; a bag of crisp, bright red apples; and of course, the most eye-catching item was the last one:
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