Wang Yuqiao immediately understood that her daughter was trying to avoid suspicion, so she nodded and said, "Alright then, let them stay here tonight. Your mother has to take care of your father and probably won't have time to take care of the children. You're also sick during the day, so let the two children come to my house during the day. I'll help look after them and prevent them from disturbing your father."
I'll make sure the stove is burning brightly and the kang (heated brick bed) is warm so the child won't get cold. Haifeng and the others have all gone home to study, so they can stay here tonight. This way, your father can rest and recover in peace.
He Yuhan nodded and said, "That's fine then. I'll have to trouble you and my father."
Wang Yuqiao waved her hand and said, "Don't mention the trouble. You're my daughter. If I don't help you, who will I help? Alright, you go about your business. I'll take the two children with me first."
He Yuhan said, "Then you don't need to cook lunch today. I'll make meatball soup and bring it to you at noon."
Gu Huayang and He Haobo were already quite familiar with the Du family. As soon as Du Haifeng and his brother mentioned taking them out to play, the two children stretched out their little arms for Du Haifeng and Du Haichao to pick them up.
Seeing that the two little ones were not making a fuss, He Yuhan dressed them and had her two younger brothers carry them away.
Han Yixian didn't need He Yuhan to tell him to go directly to the backyard to chop firewood, fill the water tank, and sweep the front yard again.
There weren't many patients today, so He Yuhan quickly finished seeing them and returned home to the back of the house.
It was almost noon, so He Yuhan first prepared a medicinal meal for her father on the stove, and then started making lunch.
Han Yi first carried the chopped firewood into the kitchen to prepare a fire for He Yuhan.
This time, He Yuhan took out a piece of fresh pork and asked Han Yi to chop it into minced meat so that it could be used to make meatballs at noon.
While in the city, He Yuhan visited the Jiang family and brought back a lot of fresh pork. This time, she brought it directly to Laohewan Village for convenience.
He Yuhan started cooking rice in a large pot in the boiler room. Adding a few thick pieces of firewood to the stove was enough to cook a whole pot of rice. She also heated the kang (a heated brick bed) in the west room.
Han Yixian worked quickly, and soon he chopped a large piece of meat into minced meat.
He Yuhan took out a large winter melon she grew herself, cut off a big piece, peeled off the skin, and cut it into small thin slices for later use. She also took out a handful of thin vermicelli and soaked it to put in the meatball soup.
He Yuhan put the minced meat that Han Yixian had chopped into a bowl, added eggs, starch, minced green onions and ginger, and other seasonings, and then asked Han Yixian to stir it.
Stirring a large basin of minced meat is quite laborious, so Han Yixian is perfect for this task.
He Yuhan simply added half a pot of water to the large pot and started boiling it. Once the water boiled, she put the winter melon and soaked glass noodles into the pot.
Han Yixian had finished mixing the minced meat, and He Yuhan immediately put the meat into the large pot. Soon, a big pot of meatball soup was ready. Adding some cilantro that she had grown in her house and a drizzle of sesame oil made the meatball soup incredibly delicious.
In the dead of winter, a bowl of hot rice with meatball soup is all you need to cook.
He Yuhan scooped up a few meatballs with a spoon, let them cool, and then used her chopsticks to pick up a round meatball from the spoon and held it to Han Yixian's mouth, saying, "Brother Han, how about trying my meatballs?"
Han Yixian, of course, wouldn't refuse his fiancée's advances and immediately ate the meatball.
He Yuhan asked, "How is it? Isn't it delicious?"
Han Yi ate the meatball first, nodded and smiled, "Of course it's delicious. With your skills, plus the minced meat I chopped and the mixing I did, our perfect teamwork is what makes these meatballs so tasty."
He Yuhan smiled and said, "Yes, you also contributed to this. This can be considered the result of our cooperation."
I'll prepare my parents' meal first and let them eat. Then I'll get another bowl of rice, and we'll take it to them together. We'll eat together when we get back.
Han Yixian placed a table on the kang (heated brick bed) in the west room and, together with He Yuhan, served the food.
He Yuhan brought the medicinal meal she had prepared for her father to the table and said, "Dad, please eat more of this medicinal meal. It's mostly soup anyway. I added lung-nourishing herbs to it, which are good for your lungs. You can also have some of the meatball soup if you want."
He Chenglin sat at the kang table and said, "Having a daughter is wonderful. This time, I'm recuperating, and I'm finally enjoying myself. This food looks delicious. My daughter, you've worked so hard."
He Yuhan smiled and said, "Dad, just relax and recuperate here with me. I promise you'll be in great health in a few months, with a great appetite."
Mom, please eat more of this meatball soup. You can also have some of this medicinal food; it's good for your lungs, consider it a way to maintain your health. Dad needs to use his own bowl and chopsticks; he can't share with everyone else to avoid infection.
My parents are looking after the two children; they're eating over there. Brother Han and I will bring them food.
Yu Huiru nodded and said, "I know. Don't worry. Go and take your parents their food."
He Yuhan took a large bowl of rice and a large bowl of meatball soup and, together with Han Yixian, delivered them to the Du family.
Wang Yuqiao, having received her daughter's instructions, didn't cook. Seeing that her daughter and son-in-law had brought the food, she quickly put it on the table and ate. Then she urged Han Yixian and her daughter to go back for dinner.
Gu Huayang and He Haobo, the two children, really liked meatball soup. They were very happy to see the meatballs in their bowls when they sat down at the table and ate quite a lot of them at lunch.
The three Du brothers certainly enjoyed their sister's cooking, especially since there was meat and rice to eat today, just like celebrating the New Year. They ate happily.
He Yuhan and Han Yixian went home after delivering the food, and the two of them ate together at the dining table in the living room.
He Yuhan served Han Yixian a lot of meatballs, afraid he wouldn't have enough to eat, saying, "I made a lot today, eat more meatballs. Look how thin you are. Eating more will help you recover."
Han Yixian laughed and said, "I'm not here to help, I'm here to enjoy myself."
He Yuhan laughed and said, "You're just like my dad. Eat quickly, it'll get cold soon."
Han Yi nodded and said, "You must be hungry after working all morning. You don't need to take care of me, you should eat quickly."
He looked at the overflowing meatballs in the bowl and, without any further hesitation, lowered his head and began to eat.
The meatball soup was delicious; the meatballs were savory, the glass noodles were smooth, and the soup itself was very tasty. Pouring the soup over rice and pairing it with the meatballs, winter melon, and glass noodles was a wonderful combination.
In a year of famine, being able to eat such a meal was considered a very plentiful meal.
Although Han Yixian held a high position, the rations were meager during this famine year, barely enough to fill his stomach. Furthermore, he helped his friends, so sometimes even that wasn't enough to guarantee he'd have enough to eat, which explains why he became increasingly thin.
He Yuhan knew Han Yixian well and knew he wouldn't give her any special treatment. So, the best Han Yixian ever ate was simple food; he was lucky if he could barely fill his stomach.
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