Chapter 114 Looking Back
When Lin Xiaotong was helping Gao Xiulan clean the house these days, she discovered that there were canned tomatoes in the kitchen.
In the summer, tomatoes are the cheapest at three cents per pound. I buy a few large baskets, wash and cut them, and stuff them into cans with small mouths and big bellies, and add some sugar to preserve them.
There is rubber inside the bottle lid, which has good sealing. After closing it, steam it in a pot for more than half an hour and store it in a shady place such as under the bed. This method can preserve it for half a year.
There is no way to avoid fresh vegetables during the Chinese New Year. The table is filled with potatoes, cabbages and radishes. This is when the canned tomatoes stored in the summer come in handy. Pry open the lid, stir-fry the tomatoes with eggs, and it will be another delicious dish.
…
On New Year's Eve, every household starts to get busy. Lesbians and comrades put a lot of effort into cooking a table full of delicious home-cooked dishes with the limited ingredients.
The coal stove in Old Xie's house was also busy, with a bowl of stewing bone soup on it.
When the meal is served, a hot pot will be prepared, with frozen tofu, dried tofu, mushrooms, meatballs and vegetables put in it to blanch. You can also add thinly sliced beef and dip it in sesame sauce.
The three members of the Xie family were busy from noon to dusk, constantly cutting, washing, stir-frying and turning over. Most of the dishes were already prepared and were now warming in the steamer.
"Xiaotong, go out and take a rest. We'll have dinner soon."
Gao Xiulan finally started to fry the meatballs again, fiddling with them from time to time with long chopsticks in her hand, and asked Lin Xiaotong to go out for some fresh air, as the kitchen was very stuffy.
"Mom, it's getting dark. I'll hang up the lantern."
"OK."
Lin Xiaotong, who had been helping in the kitchen for the entire afternoon, also wanted to go out for some fun. Thinking that the lanterns had not been hung up yet, she said something to Gao Xiulan and came under the eaves carrying the lanterns.
Gao Xiulan saw through the window that Lin Xiaotong was standing on tiptoe to hang lanterns under the eaves and chatting with Xie Dajiao.
"Do you think Xie Yi will be able to make it to the New Year's Eve dinner? He hasn't even sent a letter."
"Maybe I missed my family leave."
Xie Da Jiao reached out and pinched a meatball to eat.
"Eat less meatballs. Save some room for the delicious food tonight."
Gao Xiulan kept chattering.
“You cook delicious food.”
Xie Da Jiao squinted his eyes and smiled, saying that life is better now than in his time. He still remembers that in the first year of his marriage with Gao Xiulan, they also made meatballs for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Lin Xiaotong hung up the red lantern and turned around to see Xia Yue coming out of the house. Her long hair was braided into two pigtails with red velvet ribbons tied at the ends.
So gentle! Lin Xiaotong was immersed in the beauty again, and smiled wildly at Xia Yue in a friendly manner.
"Xiaotong, this is the glutinous rice lotus root my mother made. I'm giving it to you to try."
Xia Yue is beautiful and has a sweet voice. She is holding a large bowl of neatly cut glutinous rice lotus roots in her hand, with some dried osmanthus flowers on top.
"Wow, thank you, it looks delicious. I'll go get a bowl for it."
Lin Xiaotong hurried to the kitchen, took out a shallow plate to put the food on, and returned the bowl to Xia Yue.
"Try my mom's cooking, it's delicious."
In return, Lin Xiaotong handed over a bowl of fried hairtail fish and fried meatballs.
"Uh-huh."
Xia Yue and Lin Xiaotong waved goodbye and went home.
"The daughter of the old Xia family is so quiet and gentle, she really deserves to be a teacher."
Gao Xiulan also saw it by the window, eating a vegetarian meatball with one hand while talking to Xie Da Jiao.
"I heard from Lao Xia that he doesn't have a partner yet."
"This family only has one daughter, so we have to think carefully about it. I think Yang Shujuan is definitely a promising woman."
Gao Xiulan also heard from Jin Qiaofeng that she was looking for a suitable young man for the Xia family.
It is really hard to find a young man with a weak relationship with his parents. Gao Xiulan inexplicably thought of her daughter Xiaotong, who perfectly met all the conditions except for the gender difference.
Fortunately, her Xie Yi acted early.
…
Lin Xiaotong came back after strolling outside the compound. Smoke was coming out of the chimneys of every household and the lights were brightly lit.
Hu Tou and Wu Jiabao were throwing firecrackers on the bluestone floor in the yard. Hu Tou took one out of the firecracker box and threw it on the ground like a treasure, then stood away with his hands covering his ears. There was a bang, and the two children grinned.
"Tiger Head, can you throw one for me? Please?"
Wu Jiabao followed Hutou reluctantly, so his father bought him a box of firecrackers, which he had already used up in the morning.
"I also bought this firecracker. What do you want to give me in exchange?"
The tiger-headed man is a smart kid. His firecrackers were bought by his grandfather, so he can't do business at a loss.
"Can I trade you some prawn candies?"
Wu Jiabao rummaged around in his trouser pocket and pulled out two large shrimp candies.
"Okay, one piece of candy for three firecrackers, okay?"
Hu Tou tilted his head and thought for a while, then carefully took off the three firecrackers and asked Wu Jiabao in a low voice.
"Okay, here you go."
Wu Jiabao made up his mind and stuffed the shrimp candy into Hutou's pocket, and put the last piece into his own mouth. It smelled so good. He tilted his head and watched Hutou take apart the firecrackers.
"Here, take it, this prawn candy is delicious."
After Hu Tou finished unpacking the firecracker, he gently handed it to Wu Jiabao. Wu Jiabao wiped his hands on the corner of his clothes, took out the prawn candy, bit it open with his teeth, and ate it slowly.
"Of course, my dad just bought it for me today, it's delicious."
Wu Jiabao raised his head and threw a firecracker in the distance. With a bang, the air was filled with smoke.
The two little ones giggled with joy.
"Tiger Head, Tiger Head, come back for dinner."
"Jiabao, my god, Jiabao, come back and eat dumplings."
"Here I come."
Wu Jiabao and Hutou ran home at the same time. There were a lot of delicious food tonight, so they had to hurry back.
Lin Xiaotong leaned against the door of her house and looked at the sky. It was completely dark and the lights in the courtyard were on. She touched her stomach and found that she was hungry too.
She decisively turned back home to eat. Just as she was about to step over the threshold, she heard a voice calling her from behind.
When I look back suddenly, that person is standing in the dim light.
"Comrade Xiaolin, I'm back."
Comrade Xie Yi, who was a little tanned, stood under the hanging flower gate, touching his short hair with his hand, baring his big white teeth. He was carrying a lot of bags and arrived at his family's New Year's Eve dinner in time.
"Comrade Xie, it's time to go home for dinner."
Lin Xiaotong smiled and waved vigorously when she saw Xie Yi coming back.
The two of them entered the house one after the other. After setting the dishes, Gao Xiulan turned around and saw Xie Yi smiling at her. Her nose felt sore, and she held back her tears and said, "You little brat, you didn't even tell me you were back."
Xie Da Jiao stepped forward and patted Xie Yi on the shoulder, hard, and praised him: "You have a good workout."
Xie Yi put down his bags and replied, "I will definitely come back to see our beautiful comrade Xiulan during the New Year."
"You're such a smooth talker. Go wash your hands and have dinner." Gao Xiulan couldn't help but roll her eyes at Xie Yi.
"Understood!"
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