"My son, Youjiang, loves cabbage and pork dumplings the most. I make a lot and freeze them, so he can just steam them and eat them."
Although the old lady was short, she worked very efficiently. In no time, she had finished preparing the navel, and Kaka started rolling out the dough. She rolled out a sheet in just a few quick strokes, which was faster than many Chinese people.
Ye Qingqing was absolutely certain that the old lady had lived in Northeast China for decades; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to speak such authentic Northeastern dialect or make such genuine cabbage and pork dumplings.
"Auntie, how many years have you lived in Northeast China?" Ye Qingqing couldn't help but ask.
The old lady sighed, rolling out dumpling wrappers as she said, "That was quite a few years ago. Back then, in response to the government's call, our whole family went to China and we were allocated several dozen acres of land. My father and uncle were overjoyed. Alas, I was only four years old at the time, and all I thought about was that having land meant we could grow more grain and never go hungry again. Later, when I grew up, I realized... alas... what a tragedy!"
Although she spoke haltingly, Ye Qingqing understood what the old lady meant; she felt guilty about the war.
But in reality, that war also caused many Chinese people to suffer from cold and hunger, and they endured a lot of hardship. What's despicable is that the people were the ones who started the war.
Ye Qingqing patted the old lady gently, and the old lady said again, "Our family lived there for twelve years. I spent my childhood and adolescence there and made many local friends. If it weren't for the adults' objections, I would have almost married a local. Haha, then there would be no Xiao Youjiang."
Half a century has passed, and the old lady spoke without any reservations about her past love story. She fell in love with a very outstanding young man in the village, but unfortunately, both sets of parents strongly opposed it and even threatened to kill themselves, forcibly separating them.
After the defeat of the Chinese nation, her whole family returned to China. Under her parents' arrangement, she married Nakamura Yue's father. Although she suffered a lot, she finally got her happy ending.
As soon as Ye Qingqing entered the house, she saw the black and white photo hanging on the wall. It was of a very serious-looking man, not very old, only in his fifties. He must be Nakamura Yue's father. He didn't seem to have passed away at a particularly old age.
It's no wonder the old lady was overworked; it's not an easy task for a frail woman like her to raise such a large family.
Later, Ye Qingqing and Nakamura Yue became acquainted and learned about the old lady's past. Her husband was not a good man; he was not only chauvinistic but also an alcoholic and abusive, treating his wife and children badly. When Nakamura Yue was only three years old, this man died of cirrhosis due to excessive drinking.
Fortunately, Nakamura Yue's older brothers and sisters had all started their own families by then, and the old lady went to the market to sell dumplings to raise Nakamura Yue. She raised him without letting him suffer much hardship, and the child grew up in the loving embrace of a large family.
I was fortunate enough to eat the old lady's authentic sweet and sour pork and dumplings. Unlike the locals who use small plates, the old lady used large plates from Northeast China, and let Ye Qingqing eat as much as she wanted until she was almost stuffed.
After lunch, Nakamura Yue asked the old lady to help translate. When the old lady heard that it was Tsumabuki Minami, she frowned and sighed, "That child has too many worries. I'm always worried that he might do something rash."
"What's on his mind?" Ye Qingqing asked.
"Because he thinks it's his fault that his sister got sick. He thinks he's the one who should die, not his sister. Youjiang and I both tried to persuade him, but even if we managed to talk him out, he would go back to his old ways after a few days." The old lady shook her head regretfully.
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