People in the Southeast and Southwest haven't had Cuihua's cooking for a long time, and they miss it terribly, especially those in the Southwest. Tang Xiaoling is so stingy when it comes to cooking; she just pours a little oil on an oiled cloth, spreads it in the pan, and that's enough to stir-fry a few vegetables.
Without oil in the stomach, one's appetite is large. Fortunately, there are still about a hundred kilograms of rice, a thousand kilograms of sweet potatoes and cornmeal in the cellar, enough to last for one or two years.
The staple food is ready, but we also need to have some side dishes. Tang Xiaoling finally realized how much she had taken advantage of her grandmother and mother. They agreed to separate the family after marriage, but her mother would always bring over good food and drinks, and there was also so much grain in the cellar.
Especially meat. In the county town, you not only need money to buy meat, but also meat coupons. The key is that if you go late, you can't buy any. I don't live in the county town. Nine times out of ten, I can't buy any. No wonder Southwest says that Nannan is the pillar of the family. With Nannan around, Dad will go up the mountain to hunt wild game, so the family never lacks meat.
Seeing how hungry Southwest and Wujinban looked, Cuihua felt sorry for them and, disregarding Chen'er's family, kept urging them to eat meat. Yan Xiaonan even tore off two chicken legs, giving one leg to each of them.
Ye Huiguo secretly observed the southeast and southwest. The southeast was clearly a teacher, her demeanor was evident. And that Xue Mei, she should be better at managing money than Tang Xiaoling, at least her two children's clothes were always clean.
Looking at the four children, Liu Jin is strong and sturdy, while Wu Jin is rather thin and weak, clearly malnourished. Fu Bao looks like a glutinous rice ball, which is lovable at first glance. Duo Duo is too timid and gets stage fright when there are many people around, and dares not look people in the eye.
I've heard Chen'er say that the person closest to Nan Nan in the family is Xinan. It's a pity that Xinan didn't go to university because of his children and wife. I can't help but ask, "That Xinan, right? The country should still allow university entrance exams next year. Do you want to take the exam?"
Southwest's eyes lit up for a moment, then he glanced at Duoduo and shook his head: "Thank you for the reminder, Father Ye, but Duoduo is still young. If I go to university, Xiaoling probably won't be able to take care of two children by herself."
Ye Huiguo nodded, having said all he needed to say. Whether Southwest appreciated it or not was irrelevant; it was just a pity about that high school student, destined to be a peasant for life. He hoped that Wu Jinban would amount to something in the future, but as for Duoduo, she was too young.
Everyone enjoyed the meal, but it was time for Grandma Yan's afternoon nap. Seeing her head bobbing up and down, Yan Xiaonan quickly helped her to her room, took off her shoes, covered her with a light blanket, and within seconds, Grandma Yan was snoring.
Grandma went to take a nap, and Ye Chen'er also took her family back to the second courtyard house. Fu Qingping and Ye Huixian also wanted to take a nap.
Cuihua knew how tiring it was to travel by train, so she said to Southeast and Southwest, "You two are free this afternoon, so go and take a nap. Tomorrow our whole family is going to the theater, so you'd better be full of energy."
"What is a theater?" Liu Jin asked excitedly.
“A theater is a place where operas are performed. Do you remember the song that your great-grandmother sang on her radio?” Cuihua reminded her.
"Ah, I know, it's that cousin of mine who's so famous he doesn't come unless it's something important." Liu Jin started singing, and his voice was so bright that everyone was stunned, especially Yan Xiaonan. Goodness, that voice was so clear and bright, he was definitely a natural talent for Peking Opera.
Yan Xiaonan quickly looked at Yan Daqiang, her meaning clear: "Do you have any way to find a master for Liujin?"
Yan Daqiang hesitated. He preferred that the boys in the Yan family be soldiers, not... actors. But looking at Nan Nan, it seemed that she really wanted Liu Jin to be an actor. Could it be that his mother liked to listen to opera, so she wanted Liu Jin to sing opera?
Yan Xiaonan knew that if Liu Jin could make a name for himself in opera, his future would be limitless. So, she pulled Liu Jin aside and asked, "Liu Jin, your aunt is asking you, do you like opera?"
Liu Jin thought for a moment. He realized that he really liked listening to operas when he was a child, and he could recite all the operas that his grandmother had listened to. However, he couldn't recite the books that his teachers assigned him to memorize. So he must have liked them, he nodded seriously.
"Liu Jin, there are martial arts moves in Peking Opera. You not only have to practice your singing, but you also have to practice kung fu. It's very tough. Can you handle it?" Yan Xiaonan asked.
"Practicing kung fu? Sure, I'm not afraid of hardship." Liu Jin just loves practicing kung fu. Look at Sun Wukong's three battles with the White Bone Demon, how cool was that?
“Uncle, I know there used to be a very famous opera troupe in the capital. I don’t know if it’s still there. If it is, I would like to let Liu Jin take the exam. If he can be admitted, it will be very beneficial to Liu Jin’s future,” Yan Xiaonan said earnestly.
Yan Daqiang was still hesitating. He really didn't want the boys in the Yan family to go into opera. Xue Ying snorted: "Old Yan, there are 360 professions, and every profession can produce an expert. You can't be complacent. Nan Nan, the pear garden you mentioned has been changed to a Peking Opera Academy. I know the person in charge of that school. I'll take Liu Jin there next Monday."
"Liu Jin, quickly thank Grandma. You'll go with Grandma next Monday..." Oh dear, how could I forget to ask my older brother and sister-in-law's opinions? I quickly turned to look at them, and before I could even open my mouth, Yan Dongnan nodded.
"Nan Nan, whatever decision you make, your older brother will agree with it."
Looking at Xue Mei, Xue Mei nodded in agreement. Dong Nan had already sought her opinion when Nan Nan was seven years old. Moreover, the advice Nan Nan gave might not have seemed very good at the time, but it was definitely correct in the long run.
Tang Xiaoling asked anxiously, "Nannan, can we bring Wu Jin and a half with us?"
Yan Xiaonan looked at Wu Jinban: "Wu Jinban, your aunt is asking you, can you sing that song from earlier, and do you like singing it?"
Wu Jin Ban glanced at his parents, then at Liu Jin, and after thinking for a while, shook his head: "Auntie, I don't like opera. I like learning carpentry from Dad."
Tang Xiaoling got anxious and grabbed Wu Jinban: "Why are you so silly, child? What's so great about learning carpentry? Wouldn't it be better to learn opera from Liu Jin?"
Wu Jinban broke free from Tang Xiaoling's hand, ran to Xinan's side, and grabbed his clothes: "Dad, I don't want to learn to sing opera, I want to learn carpentry from you."
Southwest squatted down, hugged Wu Jinban, and said, "Dad will listen to you. Wu Jinban wants to be a carpenter in the future, right?"
Wu Jin nodded. "Being a carpenter is so much better. If you want a rabbit, you can carve one out. If you want a wolf, you can carve one out. What's so good about singing opera? You can't even memorize the lyrics."
“Dad, wood is clean, obedient, and I like the smell of wood.” Wu Jinban had never been so persistent about anything before, but he did it today because his dad supported him.
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