Chapter 126 Kicking Shuttlecock
While in the park, they clamored for a sugar dragon from the sugar-blowing stall and chased after the old man selling windmills for half a block.
At this moment, however, she was like a deflated little balloon, quietly curled up in a ball, her face still flushed from playing.
"The children are tired from playing."
Huo Zheng spoke softly, gripped the steering wheel firmly, and deliberately slowed down the car.
Lu Mingyue nodded, her gaze falling on Yao Yao's little feet that were sticking out.
Those feet were wearing new cotton shoes, the small flowers embroidered on the shoes were particularly eye-catching, and Zhong Yulan had specially chosen them.
She suddenly realized that moments like this were truly precious.
Zhong Yulan gently patted Yao Yao's back and whispered to Lu Mingyue with a smile, "Look at them, they're as crazy as little monkeys when they're playing, but they fall asleep like little pigs as soon as they sit down in the car."
Lu Mingyue smiled too.
The jeep slowly drove into the alley, and Huo Zheng brought it to a stop.
Just as she was about to open the door, Zhong Yulan quickly waved her hand: "Don't wake them up, let the children sleep a little longer."
The three of them each carried a child and then placed them in their respective rooms after entering the house.
The evening breeze carried a slight chill, but the Huo family's courtyard was filled with the aroma of food.
Lu Mingyue was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron. The island fish balls in the pot were rolling in the soup, with milky white foam rising to the surface.
Huo Zheng assisted from the side, holding a knife in his hand and carefully slicing the braised beef that Dongzi loved to eat.
On the cutting board were freshly braised pig's trotters and mixed cucumbers, filling half the table.
"Huo Zheng, listen, isn't that Dongzi?"
Lu Mingyue wiped her hands and looked towards the courtyard gate.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door creaked open, and Dongzi walked in carrying two bags of Beijing delicacies and a bottle of baijiu.
His wife, Liu Yun, followed behind him, holding a chubby little boy in her arms.
It was their son, Zhuangzhuang.
"Sister-in-law, Huo Zheng, we've come to freeload a meal." Dongzi smiled and waved the gifts in his hand. "It's a little something for the kids to try."
Zhong Yulan hurriedly went to greet him and took the cloth bag from Liu Yun's hand: "You've come all this way, why did you bring anything? Come in and sit down. Zhuangzhuang has grown so tall, let Grandma give him a hug."
Zhuangzhuang was a little shy and snuggled closer to Liu Yun. Liu Yun smiled and patted his back: "This child gets shy around strangers."
Lu Mingyue brought the last dish to the table and said with a smile, "The dishes are all ready. Please sit down and try my fish balls. They're made in the island style. See if they suit your taste."
Today is the last day of work, and Huo Zhenping and the others are all on holiday.
The table was laden with dishes: milky white fish ball soup, bright red braised beef, emerald green cucumber salad, and steaming jujube flower buns specially made by Zhong Yulan, all exuding a fragrant aroma.
Dongzi picked up his chopsticks, took a fish ball and put it in his mouth. His eyes lit up: "Delicious! It's even fresher than what I had at the state-run restaurant. Huo Zheng, you're really lucky. Your sister-in-law's cooking is so good."
Liu Yun also tasted the fish ball and said with a smile, "Yes, these fish balls are really tender and have no fishy smell at all. I'll have to learn from my sister-in-law later."
Inside the house, Huo Zheng and Dongzi clinked their glasses. Dongzi took a sip of wine and said with a smile, "Lending you the car this time was definitely worth it, as we also got to enjoy such a good meal and drinks."
Huo Zheng laughed and said, "What are you talking about? We're overjoyed that you're here."
Zhong Yulan placed a jujube flower bun on Liu Yun's plate: "Eat more, don't be shy. You're usually so busy with work, it's rare for you to come out and relax."
Liu Yun took the steamed bun and nodded with a smile: "Thank you, Auntie. Your steamed buns are delicious, even more fragrant than the ones you buy outside."
After the meal, the room was tidied up, and the warmth made people feel sleepy. The children played with the tin frogs on the floor, but soon became listless.
Seeing this, Lu Mingyue turned to Huo Zheng and said, "It's stuffy inside, shall we take the children to play in the yard for a while?"
Huo Zheng responded, rummaged through a wooden box under the coffee table and found a few colorful chicken feathers and a small piece of old cloth. He also found a copper coin and sat on the threshold, quickly starting to sew.
His fingers were rough, but he sewed carefully, straightening the chicken feathers and tucking them into the cloth bag, then securing the bottom with copper coins.
In no time, a colorful shuttlecock was formed.
"Want to give it a try?" He handed the shuttlecock to Lu Mingyue, a hint of smugness in his eyes.
Lu Mingyue took the shuttlecock, took two steps into the yard, and with a gentle flick of her toe, the shuttlecock floated up, attracting the children to gather around immediately.
"Mommy, I want to play." Yao Yao reached out to grab it.
Leilei and An'an also shouted, "Me too! Me too!"
Huo Zheng smiled and pulled the children into a circle, teaching them how to kick a shuttlecock: "Lightly touch the ground with your toes, don't use too much force, like this."
He demonstrated how to kick the shuttlecock a few times, and the shuttlecock landed steadily on his toes, making the children clap their hands in delight.
Zhong Yulan and Liu Yun also came over. Zhong Yulan looked at the shuttlecock and laughed, "Your skills are better than mine. The shuttlecocks I used to make always had chicken feathers falling off."
Yao Yao tried first. She stood on tiptoe and kicked, but the shuttlecock fell to the ground as soon as it left her foot, making her stomp her feet in frustration.
Huo Zheng squatted down to help her pick up the shuttlecock: "Don't rush, take your time, get the hang of it first."
Leilei tried to kick it too, but missed and ended up stepping on the shuttlecock instead. The colorful feathers were trampled into a mess, which made everyone laugh.
Lu Mingyue took the shuttlecock and kicked it to Liu Yun: "Sister Liu Yun, why don't you give it a try?"
Liu Yun caught it with a smile, kicked it twice, and the shuttlecock flew into the vegetable garden.
Dongzi joked from the side, "With your aim, it's a shame you're not farming."
He went to pick up shuttlecocks in the vegetable garden, and when he came back, his trouser legs were covered in mud, but he was all smiles.
One key was clearly not enough, so Huo Zheng quickly made a few more, and adults and children played together in the yard.
Even the shy Zhuangzhuang, encouraged by his parents, tried kicking a few times.
And you know what? He did a pretty good job, the best kick among the kids, which thrilled the little guy.
Huo Zhenping and Zhong Yulan leaned against the door frame, watching Huo Zheng teach Leilei how to play shuttlecock.
Lu Mingyue helped Yao Yao fix her hair, her eyes full of smiles.
The children were chasing each other and kicking shuttlecocks in the yard. Zhong Yulan picked up the bag of red dates and longans that Dongzi had brought and went into the kitchen.
She first poured the red dates into a basin and soaked them in warm water. Then she picked out a few plump longans, peeled off their shells, and revealed the glistening flesh inside.
These two things weren't common in the 1970s, but Dongzi brought them today, thinking she'd make a sweet soup so everyone could try something new.
Lu Mingyue wiped her hands and walked into the kitchen. Seeing Zhong Yulan busy at work, she smiled and asked, "Mom, what are you cooking?"
Zhong Yulan looked up and smiled: "Make some sweet soup with the red dates and longan that Dongzi brought. It's good for the children to drink some to soothe their tired mouths after playing. You should also try some."
She added two bowls of water to the pot, and once the water boiled, she put in the softened red dates and longan pulp, sprinkled in a small handful of rock sugar, and simmered it slowly over low heat.
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