Zheng Xinyue found a dish plate, scooped out the fried pork with peppers from the pot, added a ladle of water to the pot, blocked the coal stove, and shouted.

“It’s time to eat!”

It is too cold to eat in the yard in winter, so we have been eating on the chopping board in the kitchen since winter.

Yang Niannian and Yu Sui's hair almost stood on end when they looked at the three dishes and one soup on the chopping board.

Apart from the cabbage and tofu soup which looked okay, the other three dishes were all black and ugly.

Yang Niannian didn't know which dish to start with. While she was hesitating, Zheng Xinyue picked up a piece of meat and put it in her bowl.

"Eat quickly, or it won't taste good if it gets cold. This is my first time cooking, so just make do with it. I'll make it a few more times."

Yang Niannian was shocked, "Do you still want to do it?"

"Of course?" Zheng Xinyue said as a matter of course, "Why don't you practice making it delicious? Senior, don't just listen to us talking, eat quickly!"

Under Zheng Xinyue's gaze, Yu Sui picked up a piece of meat and slowly took a bite.

"How does it taste?" Zheng Xinyue asked impatiently.

Yu Sui pursed his lips and suddenly said, "So salty."

Yang Niannian chuckled, and Yu Sui spoke in Beijing dialect, which seemed to be a bit salty.

Zheng Xinyue still didn't believe it, "How can it be so salty? I didn't put much salt in it."

As he said that, he picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, but spat it out in less than two seconds.

"Pah, why is it so salty?"

She tasted the other two dishes and her expression twisted. "What the hell is this? It's too disgusting. Let's not eat it. Let's go to a restaurant! This is not something that humans can eat."

Yang Niannian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Forget it, it's too cold outside. Let's just eat what we have! We can go out to eat in the evening."

Finally, the three of them shared a bowl of cabbage and tofu soup and ate it with rice.

Although this is not delicious, at least it is eatable. I was hungry after walking around for the whole morning, so I ate a big bowl of rice.

…

It was difficult to find a taxi on a snowy day. At two o'clock in the afternoon, Yu Sui went out and looked for half an hour before he found a taxi.

The road was icy and slippery, so we couldn't speed up and it took more than an hour to get to the train station.

Fortunately, the train was delayed, so we didn't miss the time.

As the sound of the train arriving at the station rang out, a large group of people swarmed out. When the crowd gradually thinned out, the three men saw Qu Xiangyou walking out of the station carrying Old Man Qu on his back.

Qu Xianghong followed beside them carrying two large canvas bags.

Yang Niannian hurried forward, "Master Qu, Uncle Qu."

Qu Xiangyou didn't expect that Yang Niannian would come to the train station to pick him up, and said in surprise.

"Why are you here in such deep snow?"

Yang Niannian smiled and said, "I happened to not have classes today, so I came here. The hospital has already processed the admission procedures. Let's get in the car first!"

"Okay." Qu Xiang nodded and carried his father to the taxi.

Mr. Qu felt a little weak and had just fallen asleep. He gently placed the person in the back seat, closed the door and said.

"My father and I will take this car, and the rest of you can take another one."

His father has uremia, which is not contagious, but he hasn't taken a bath for a long time and he smells like an old man.

Yang Niannian nodded, "Okay, it's cold outside, let's go to the hospital first."

Several people got in a taxi and soon arrived at the hospital. Yang Niannian paid the fare, and Yu Sui helped Qu Xiangyou get Qu's father out of the car and carried him into the hospital.

Because I arrived late, I could only have a face-to-face consultation with the doctor and do other tests tomorrow.

When he arrived at the ward, Qu Xiangyou found that Yang Niannian had arranged a single room with two beds, one for the patient's family.

He said nothing, but kept everything in mind.

By the time everything was done, it was dark outside.

Mr. Qu had been on the train for a whole day and was feeling very weak. He was sleeping very soundly and the doctor told him not to wake him up.

For patients, being able to get a good night's sleep is a very rare thing.

Thinking that everyone had been busy all afternoon and had not had dinner yet, Qu Xiangyou said to his sister.

"Xiang Hong, you stay here to take care of Dad. I'll take them downstairs for dinner."

Qu Xianghong has a weak personality and no opinions of her own. She takes whatever her husband says at her husband's house as her own, and it's almost the same at her own family. She takes whatever her brother says as her own.

"Okay, go ahead. I'll take care of our dad. You don't have to worry."

Qu Xiang nodded, and took Yang Niannian and the others downstairs. They didn't walk far, but ordered four bowls of dumplings at a small restaurant outside the hospital.

While the dumplings were not yet cooked, Qu Xiangyou kept thanking several people.

"I am a man in his 60s, and I am causing trouble to you young people. I feel really bad about that."

Zheng Xinyue said casually.

"Master Qu, don't be polite. Nian Nian's affairs are my affairs. Just let Uncle Qu stay in the hospital for treatment! Nian Nian and I will come to visit Uncle Qu when we have time."

Yu Sui comforted him, "This hospital is famous for treating uremia. Don't worry too much. Just leave everything to the hospital."

Qu Xiang nodded slightly, wanting to say something, but felt that nothing he said would be enough to express his gratitude.

Yang Niannian didn’t like overly sentimental atmospheres, and just as she saw the boss bringing in dumplings from the kitchen, she hurriedly spoke.

"The dumplings are ready. The weather is getting colder, so eat them now!"

I've been busy all afternoon and didn't have enough to eat at noon. I'm really hungry now. Even after eating a big bowl of dumplings, I don't feel full.

Thinking that it is not advisable to eat too much at dinner, the few of them did not return their bowls.

Qu Xiangyou packed two servings of dumplings for his father and sister.

After they left the dumpling restaurant together, Yang Niannian whispered.

"Master Qu, we won't go up there anymore. We'll come back to see Uncle Qu tomorrow."

It was late at night, and Qu Xiangyou was worried about the two little girls walking such a long distance.

"It's so late, it's not safe for you two little girls to go back. You wait here for a while. I'll take the dumplings upstairs and then come down to take you back."

Yu Sui continued, "Master Qu, you must be tired after sitting on the train all day. You will definitely have to get up early tomorrow to accompany the inspection. Go upstairs and have a good rest first! I'll take them back."

Zheng Xinyue also waved her fist, "Master Qu, don't worry! It's safer for me to be with Nian Nian than for you to send her away. I've practiced this before."

Yang Niannian was amused by Zheng Xinyue and said, "Master Qu, please go up quickly! The dumplings are getting cold. The three of us will get there quickly while walking and chatting."

Qu Xiangyou didn't believe in Zheng Xinyue's martial arts, but with Yu Sui's help, he felt much more relieved.

Then he told me.

"Thank you for your help. Please be safe on the road."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the hospital gate.

The weather was cold, and Yang Niannian's feet were a little frozen after standing in one place for a long time. She jumped twice on the spot and said, "Let's go back quickly!"

It was so late and there was snow on the road. There were no taxis or buses, so the three of them had to walk back.

Although it was almost eight o'clock, the surroundings were covered with snow and it was not dark at all.

The three of them talked as they walked, and it was nine o'clock before they arrived at the courtyard. From a distance they saw a military vehicle parked at the gate.