Zhou Xiaozheng calmly took Zhang Guoqing into the kitchen and sat down next to the old lady. He said to his wife, "Shanshan, Xiaowu is back. It's time to prepare dinner."
After saying that, he turned around and ordered Zhang Guoqing, "Xiaowu, hurry up and serve the wine. Pour some for me and your uncle Dashan. You guys, come drink some wine with your mother and the others."
"Oh, I see. Mom, you and Aunt Cheng, please sit down. Don't serve the rice yet. The wine you ordered is here," Zhang Guoqing replied. Without stopping, he poured white wine for Zhou Xiaozheng and the others, then handed a bottle of white wine to Lin Lishan.
"Why not the red wine from last time? Do you still have this?"
"White wine goes well with seafood," Zhou Xiaozheng said to her. Seeing her nod, he curled his lips. He guessed she still didn't understand.
Zhao Dashan looked at the wine bottle in Lin Lishan's hand with a smile, "Xiao Wu has prepared everything well, even including this foreign stuff. Hey, pour some for both of us too, I haven't tasted it yet."
Zhang Guoqing took out another bottle of wine and handed it to him, "Uncle, here's another bottle. Drink more if you like. This wine is just for fun. It's not as good as fruit wine, and the alcohol content is low. I heard it's a high-end Russian product."
Zhao Dashan took it curiously and looked at the Russian text on it. "These old Russian things are really weird. If wine isn't strong, is it still wine? Last year, I went to the provincial capital for a meeting, and the people in the office prepared some foreign stuff for me. Can you guess what it was? Black bread and milk as a snack.
At the time, an old cadre was unhappy, saying how could he eat such a black thing? A colleague nearby said it was from abroad, and although it looked insignificant, it was quite expensive. Someone else followed up, saying that capitalist countries were no match for our socialism. "We all eat white flour, but some people are so poor they have to eat black bread, and they think it's good. How pitiful!" After that comrade finished speaking, the conference room fell silent. Those who knew the subject didn't dare to laugh, while those who didn't just nodded.
As soon as Zhao Dashan finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter. Zhao Yuanyuan said cheerfully, "I've eaten that black bread before. It tastes different from the cakes we have here."
Old Mrs. Zhou narrowed her eyes and said, "That should be a modified whole wheat black bread. In the past, black bread was the staple food of the elders, just like our steamed corn bread. Back then, black bread was just wheat bran ground into fine powder and mixed together. It tasted like it was rotten, and that's how it was. People there couldn't eat it."
In the past, Soviet soldiers only had 4 to 5 liang of rice per day. If supplies were tight, they'd only have 5 liang every two days. The best treatment for high-ranking officials was just pickles and occasionally luncheon meat. When you go to the provincial capital for meetings, the clerks must buy whole-wheat black bread, which is similar to our steamed buns.
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded and said, "The conditions there are better than here, and we'll be better off in the future. Come on, let's eat while it's hot. Yuanyuan, Hongbing, you brothers and sisters, eat more. We can cook more if you're not satisfied."
Zhou Xiaozheng put the plate in front of everyone, wiped his hands with the handkerchief beside him, grabbed the crab and put it on the plate, then wiped his hands with a white towel before sitting down.
Zhao Yuanyuan was amazed. Her Uncle Zhou was so particular, and Zhou Jiao really took after her father. No wonder she always had to pour water once before drinking tea, and then brew it a second time before drinking. These father and daughter were really pretentious.
She glanced at the handkerchiefs on the edge of the table; they seemed to be used to wipe everyone's hands after eating the seafood. She was glad she hadn't asked. She observed everyone again, only to discover that Zhang Guoqing and Lin Lishan were like Uncle Zhou. They were dining with such care and naturalness that you wouldn't have noticed unless you were paying attention.
Zhou Xiaozheng noticed that Zhao Yuanyuan was constantly glancing at everyone, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Yuanyuan? Is there something you want to eat but are too embarrassed to tell me? You said uncle should find a way to find it."
Zhao Yuanyuan chuckled a few times, touched her nose and smiled, "No, all of them are what I like. Uncle, I found that drinking foreign liquor is quite particular. Xiaowu only poured a little into this small cup. I thought he was reluctant to part with it, but when I saw Auntie shaking the cup, I realized that there was too much to shake. Is there a reason for this?"
Everyone laughed. This girl, who was always carefree, actually paid attention to details.
Zhou Xiaozheng explained to her with a smile, "There's nothing to be particular about. We just need to drink to our heart's content. Abroad, there's a dining etiquette. When they drink red wine, they pour it into the glass one-third full. This allows the wine to come into contact with air and the glass to swirl gently to sober up. They also take small sips of wine. This is different from us Chinese. We northerners fill the glass to the brim and drink in big gulps, while southerners also take small sips. If you go to a shepherd's house on the grassland, they'll only be happy if you drink it all in one gulp. If you don't want to drink anymore, you have to turn the glass upside down, otherwise they'll keep pouring it for you."
"Uncle, you are so awesome and know so much." Zhao Yuanyuan looked at him admiringly.
Zhou Xiaozheng waved his hand and chuckled, "Your father understands all this. He just didn't tell you. You should read more books when you have time. Only a scholar can understand the world. Many etiquettes are mentioned in books. Not only etiquette, but also many issues worth savoring and understanding. When it comes to dining etiquette, our people are the most particular. With thousands of years of history, etiquette has been simplified from ancient times to the present. Some foreign magazines have also mentioned customs around the world. Reading more books can cultivate your temperament and broaden your horizons."
Zhao Yuanyuan looked at him with a bitter face and complained, saying in a sad voice, "Uncle, I get a headache when I read. What I'm most afraid of is those ancient Chinese texts that Jiaojiao reads. I run away when she reads. Ouch, just talking about reading, my head starts to hurt again."
"Haha... when reading, you should read original classical Chinese books. Jiaojiao does a great job on this. Try reading them like novels or magazines. You'll find that if you can absorb them, you'll gain a lot of insights."
There's a simple method for reading classical Chinese. The most accurate way to read classical Chinese is to first learn the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic, then read Gu Wen Guan Zhi (Ancient Chinese Prose Collection), then slowly and carefully read Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and then the Records of the Grand Historian.
"Three Character Classic" and "Thousand Character Classic" are both the basics, "Gu Wen Guan Zhi" is a must-read, "Tao Te Ching" is thought-provoking, and "Records of the Grand Historian" sees through and understands history. Basically, after reading these five books, you will be mature in thought, have a clear outlook on life, and see clearly your future path.
There's no remedy for a headache, good medicine is bitter medicine. It would be strange if everyone loved to read it. Do you know what's the most widely circulated book in the world? It's the Bible, which is owned by almost everyone abroad. The second most popular book is Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. There are even people abroad who specialize in studying this book, which proves it's a good book. We have two books, Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which are world-renowned and studied in many countries. "Would you like to read it?" Zhou Xiaozheng asked amusedly, watching Zhao Yuanyuan's mouth widen as he spoke.
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