Yan Xiaoqiang listened intently, then suddenly exclaimed in his heart, remembering that his mother had asked him to go out and find a shop, which he had completely forgotten. After lunch, he asked Cuihua to accompany his mother while he went out for a stroll.
A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen—the smell of Grandma's braised pork. Fu Qingping's eyes reddened. His apprentice must have always been thinking of him; otherwise, how could he remember what he liked and disliked to eat?
He himself was from Shanghai, while Cuihua was from the North. For a Northerner to cook authentic Shanghai cuisine, how dedicated must this apprentice be?
Ye Huixian gently tapped Ye Chen'er's head: "It must be because you're greedy that you asked your aunt to make food for you, and then you kept giving your opinions. Every time you gave an opinion, you could get an extra meal, right?"
Ye Chen'er blushed. Although it was Aunt Cuihua who asked her to give her opinion, she really did have such thoughts. However, Aunt Cuihua seemed to always know how to cook Shanghai cuisine, saying that Nan Nan liked to eat it.
Bowls of chicken soup wontons were served. Now, Grandma Yan prefers wontons to dumplings. The wontons are soft, and as she gets older, she prefers something soft and comforting.
Ye Huiguo secretly swallowed, disdainfully wondering why he was craving a bowl of wontons. Fortunately, Cuihua was using a large stove, and the big pot could easily hold thirty or forty wontons at once.
Grandma Yan, Fu Qingping, Ye Huixian, and Ye Huiguo each had eight wontons to try first, followed by Ye Chen'er, Yan Xiaoqiang, and Cuihua. Of course, Yan Erqiang also left a bowl for himself.
The wontons were just an appetizer; the braised pork belly from Grandma's house was the dish Fu Qingping truly loved. A bowl of white rice, a few spoonfuls of meat gravy mixed with the rice, and the perfectly marbled pork belly—soft, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth—was a true delicacy.
Yan Erqiang was called out by Cuihua to eat wontons. Eight wontons were a matter of two or three minutes for him. He secretly thought Cuihua was stingy, that she couldn't even have a full lunch. Later, when he saw Cuihua bring out pork belly, steamed tofu skin rolls, and a pot of chicken soup, he started to think that she was a spendthrift woman who had squandered all of his mother's money.
Despite his thoughts, his chopsticks never stopped moving, and he specifically targeted Ye Huiguo. Whatever dish Ye Huiguo picked up, he would try to snatch it. Eventually, Ye Huiguo simply stopped eating and asked Chen'er to cook a few more dishes when they returned to the second courtyard.
Yan Erqiang used to at least care about his image, but ever since he was reported, he's had a "what's the use" mentality. He's lost his job, his reputation, and his family is about to fall apart anyway, so whatever happens, happens. Now, having enough to eat is the most important thing.
Grandma Yan looked at her second son's shameless eating habits and lamented that her wisdom in this life had been ruined by this Erqiang. Yan Xiaoqiang clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, but out of consideration for Chen'er's family, he could only endure it.
Seeing their helplessness towards him, Yan Erqiang felt a sense of vengeful pleasure. No matter how powerful you are, you still can't do anything to me. Suddenly, someone took the bowl and chopsticks from his hands from behind. He turned around and saw Yan Zhengshou taking his bowl and chopsticks, looking at him coldly.
Yan Zheng was supposed to be unconscious, so how did he end up here? And Yan Ge, carrying two bags of luggage, was looking at him with displeasure.
"Didn't you say you were unconscious? How did you wake up?" Yan Erqiang asked Yan Zheng.
"Would you only feel at ease if we were all dead? It's been so long since you've had meat, you're so hungry for it," Yan Zheng replied coldly.
Yan Ge looked at his grandmother with a serious expression and said, "Grandma, we've come to see you. How are you doing?"
Seeing Yan Zheng standing healthy and strong in front of her, Grandma Yan was happy: "Qiangzi, Qiangzi, go and get two sets of bowls and chopsticks. Are you hungry? Come and eat something. There's braised pork and rice."
Yan Zheng ran up to Grandma Yan and looked at her, who hadn't aged at all. He was happy and said, "Grandma, I can rest for a month and then go back to the army. I've saved some money for your retirement, but the savings accounts are all at the border post. I'll send them to you when I get back."
Grandma Yan felt a warmth in her heart. Erqiang was ruined, but these two children were good: "Don't give me any money for my old age, that's your father's business. Just bring a can of malted milk powder when you come next time, Grandma likes to eat this."
Yan Zheng hugged Grandma Yan's arm. What a wonderful grandma.
Grandma Yan suddenly remembered the will she wrote for Nan Nan, and pulled Yan Zheng into the north room: "Tell me, why did you write a will, and why did you write about Nan Nan?"
At the same time, Yan Daqiang was also reading the suicide note he had just received.
"Nan Nan, by the time you read this letter, I will have already sacrificed myself. I have a favor to ask of you: please give the money in my savings account to my grandmother."
Because I hadn't sent money home for six years, my mother reported me to the police. Her letter of complaint made all my years of hard work go to waste.
Every day, people give me the cold shoulder, deliberately ostracize me during meals, and even secretly pour water into my blankets while I sleep. There are even more people cursing me, calling me an ingrate and a stalker. I can't take it anymore.
Life is superfluous to me, but I can't die like this, that would be too cowardly. So I applied to go to the most dangerous place, so that even if I sacrifice myself, I would be a hero, and that way I wouldn't disgrace my uncle.
I receive a monthly allowance of twelve yuan, and I can save eight yuan, which is ninety-six yuan a year. Now I have a huge sum of more than five hundred yuan. My father has not given my grandmother any money for her retirement for more than ten years, and I want to make up for it with this money.
If it's not enough, there's nothing I can do. If my brother becomes successful in the future, he can make up for it. As for my parents, they both have jobs, and their salaries are more than enough to support themselves. They don't need me to take care of them in their old age.
I originally planned to pay off my grandmother's debts before starting to save money for my parents when they got old, but now I don't need to. They gave me my life, and the title of "heroic father and mother" is enough to pay off their debts.
Finally, I want to thank you. You gave me my first experience of trust, and you showed me how family members should get along. I miss you, I miss Grandma, and I miss that remote and cold Mushroom Village. Although it was cold there, I felt warm inside. Mushroom Village holds my most beautiful memories.
Yan Daqiang's hands were trembling, and his heart was breaking. This Cai Min was so selfish and self-serving that she wouldn't even spare her own son. She must be severely punished.
I also need to make several copies of Yan Zheng's suicide note and send them to his former unit, to show the officer who criticized him, and to show them to those who insulted and bullied him. They say that one cannot speak without investigation, and these people are so ignorant.
Yan Zheng, well done! I support you, Uncle. Train hard and make good contributions in the future, and you will eventually have your day.
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