That evening, Xu Xiangyang counted the money; it totaled eighty-six yuan and fifty cents.
After thinking for a while, I prepared the old iron pot and then found a pound of pork belly. I washed it, minced it into meat paste using the cafeteria's meat grinder, and put it in the pot.
If I take the meat back, I'll definitely smell the odor when I cook, and I won't be able to make dumplings even if I want to.
Chopping meat takes a long time; the clanging and banging can be heard even by Old Xu's family next door.
Since he wanted to eat dumplings, he needed to prepare some wheat flour. He found the place where the grain was stored, took out a ten-pound bag, and put five pounds into a white cloth bag.
Taking too much might be problematic, so taking less is enough.
The most scarce resource at home is probably food. It's not convenient for him to take too much back now, but he has prepared fifty catties of cornmeal, which he will store in his space first and then find an excuse to take back.
I slept well all night.
The next morning, Xu Xiangyang packed his bags and embarked on his journey home.
We didn't encounter many people along the way. The heavy snow kept falling, and the wind was so strong that we couldn't see the road ahead.
They walked with uneven steps, and what should have been a journey of a little over an hour took them two hours to reach their destination.
When he reached the village entrance, he filled the empty basket he was carrying with his belongings and then ran to wait in the nearby grove of trees.
He should wait until it gets dark before entering the village. If he goes back now and the whole village sees him, wouldn't that be disastrous?
Especially with so much stuff on your back, it's not easy to get by at this time, so it's best not to attract attention.
The main reason was that Xu Xiangyang was afraid that the Xu family would cause trouble and steal the things.
If the old lady takes the initiative to step forward, he, as a junior, can't stop her, right? If she lies on the ground again and tries to extort money, he can't afford to offend her.
Don't be fooled by his bad intentions; this old lady is actually capable of doing such a thing.
I stayed inside the space until four o'clock in the afternoon, when it was already completely dark outside.
The heavy snow is still falling, and it looks like it's going to snow all night.
There was nobody on the street. Everyone was staying home to keep warm in this freezing weather. Who would want to go out for a stroll?
Xu Xiangyang arrived at his own courtyard. Inside the house, a dim oil lamp was lit, and two shadows were reflected on the window.
There was no main gate here, and as he approached, he heard voices coming from inside.
“We can eat for two days. I’ll go visit my parents tomorrow,” Wang Xiumin’s voice came out, and the room fell silent again.
Xu Xiangyang thought for a moment, and realized that there probably wasn't any food left. They had given him a small amount of food back then, and even gave him ten catties of cornmeal when he left.
Even if we eat sparingly, we can't go hungry, can we?
He pushed open the door and went inside; the couple both looked towards the door.
A one-meter-high wall couldn't block his figure at all; the room was only so big.
He closed the door and said with a smile, "Father, Mother, I'm back."
I had no relatives in my past life, but in this life I'm finally tasting the flavor of home.
Wang Xiumin opened her mouth in surprise, "Goudan! Why are you back?"
Shouldn't he be at work? There are still several days until Chinese New Year, why did he suddenly come back?
Xu Xiangyang was truly exasperated by this nickname! Why did he have to be called Gou Dan (Dog Egg) of all names? Every time he heard this name, he couldn't help but want to run away from home.
You forced me to...
"It's the holidays, the weather is getting colder, so we're giving people a holiday early." He didn't mention that he had been fired.
Especially when he saw the light in the couple's eyes, he felt an inexplicable urge to take on the responsibility of supporting the family.
Wang Xiumin nodded. She didn't understand anything about things in the city, so she just went along with whatever her son said.
Seeing Xu Xiangyang covered in snow, she said, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll steam two cornbread buns for you."
There are still two pounds of cornmeal left at home. I was planning to make some porridge for a couple of days, but now that my son is back, we have to have a proper meal.
Xu Xiangyang felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. Just moments ago, he had said that there was no food at home, and that he would cook dry food for them as soon as he got home.
He stopped Wang Xiumin and said, "Mom, don't bother, I've already eaten, and I even brought some for you."
As he spoke, he took a lunchbox out of his tattered cotton-padded coat.
These were taken from my personal space. They were originally a small snack I brought to work, but then I was no longer allowed to work, so I kept a few boxes.
This is a good opportunity to treat the couple to a nice meal.
He put the basket on the ground and then placed the lunchbox on the kang table.
There were two bowls of corn porridge and a small plate of black pickled vegetables on the table.
"Eat up." He opened the lunchbox and pushed it to the center of the table. Inside was chicken stew with potatoes, very oily, mostly orange-yellow soybean oil, with potatoes sticking to the surface.
Upon seeing this, the couple's eyes widened in surprise.
"Dog Egg, where did you get this? What is this? Is it meat?" Xu Guangtian asked, swallowing hard.
No wonder he's so spineless; he hasn't eaten meat all year, and when he smelled the aroma, he almost rushed to snatch it.
Wang Xiumin's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her son, who was noticeably thinner than before, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
The child went out for a while, and even though there was some good food, he didn't eat it himself, but brought it back for himself.
Unlike before, when people would eat everything on the plate before going home.
Xu Xiangyang urged the two of them, "We got this from the cafeteria, hurry up and eat, I'll come back after I finish eating."
He had indeed eaten, but he was afraid that he would cause the couple more trouble when he got back.
Wang Xiumin knew what it looked like when a child lied. Judging from his expression, he had indeed eaten, and he didn't even glance at the food.
"Eat up." She urged Xu Guangtian to eat. The child has made something of himself; he should enjoy his good fortune while he can.
Xu Guangtian immediately picked up his chopsticks and stopped looking at the child. This meat is always a good thing, no matter when it is.
The couple hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and they finished off the entire lunchbox of vegetables.
The oil and fat made them feel especially satisfied.
Seeing them like this, Xu Xiangyang couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. In her past life, she didn't know how many takeout meals she had thrown away, but in this day and age, even a simple chicken stew with potatoes could make them look so happy.
Actually, the chicken stew with potatoes in the cafeteria is made from chicken carcasses; there's not much meat in it.
"It smells so good! We're going to enjoy this for once!" Xu Guangtian lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a smug look on his face, like a big shot.
Wang Xiumin ignored him and turned to Xu Xiangyang, asking, "Are you exhausted from working? Has anyone been bullying you?"
Actually, no one can bully a child, but you should still ask questions, especially if you're from the city. What if the bully is from the countryside?
Xu Xiangyang shook his head and said, "Everything is fine, no one is bullying me."
Then he remembered that he had brought the basket back with him.
Take the basket from the ground onto the kang (a heated brick bed), first take out the iron pot, then a bowl containing minced meat.
Five pounds of wheat flour and ten eggs.
"This is what I brought back from the city, and this money too, Mother, please keep it safe." After taking the things, Xu Xiangyang took out ten yuan and put it on the table.
Wang Xiumin never expected her son to bring back so many things and still have so much money left over.
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