Chapter 58 The Apprentice
Cai Yang raised his head, revealing a pair of red and swollen eyes from crying. He glanced at the light yellow hat, feeling his eyes blurred with tears, a hazy mess. He felt sad, wronged, and angry, and wanted to grab the hat and throw it away!
It's all this hat's fault, stinky hat! Dead hat! Bad hat!
He got beaten by his mother because of this. He hadn't been beaten by his mother in a long time because he had been quite obedient lately. He was in trouble as soon as Song Yu came back.
As soon as Cai Yang picked up the hat, he felt a fuzzy, warm sensation in his palm, the same warmth that Song Yu had just felt when he hugged and touched it carefully.
Cai Yang couldn't bear to throw it away. He cried and sobbed, clutching the hat tightly. As if venting his anger, he pinched the round ball on the top of the hat and rubbed it back and forth with great force, flattening the fluffy and soft ball of fur.
Cai Yang sobbed as he glanced at Song Yu out of the corner of his eye, trying to see Song Yu's reaction. Song Yu had become unhappy when he squeezed the ball of flesh today.
Strangely, Song Yu wasn't upset at all; in fact, she seemed relieved, her round eyes filled with a smile: "Little Yang, as long as you like it, don't cry."
Cai Yang grumbled, "I don't like it."
But his body language betrayed his words; he not only rubbed the pom-pom but also spun the hat around and touched it thoroughly.
Song Yun pursed her lips into a small smile and said, "I chose this hat myself. There are many hats in the mall, but I think this one is the prettiest. It looks like a little duck, and it's also very comfortable to wear."
Cai Yang raised his hand and casually wiped away his tears with his sleeve, retorting in a hoarse voice, "You're the one who looks like a duck."
He thought for a moment, put the hat on his head, and turned his head around, finding the hat to be quite comfortable.
He suddenly ran to the washstand in the main room, stood on tiptoe, picked up the round plastic-framed mirror, and looked at himself on the head.
Looking at Cai Yang's behavior, Song Xinwen felt a mix of emotions, including guilt, confusion, and a sense of helplessness. She had never misunderstood Cai Yang before, because Cai Yang was always a troublemaker, and she was the only one who cleaned up his messes.
Today's situation left Song Xinwen at a loss. She was still holding a clothes hanger in her hand, and when she glanced at the time, the motorcycle was about to arrive.
She could only pretend that nothing had happened and let it pass by. She cleared her throat and ordered as usual, "Xiaoyang, give the hat back to your brother. He asked your aunt for it back."
Cai Yang pouted. He touched his hat, still a little reluctant, but when he saw the clothes hanger in Song Xinwen's hand and remembered the painful feeling of being hit earlier, his small body couldn't help but tremble. He took off his hat, threw it to Song Yu, and didn't say a word.
Song Yu held the hat, feeling somewhat lost. He felt things shouldn't be like this; his aunt should comfort Cai Yang, because Cai Yang was very wronged. However, he didn't dare say anything to his elders and could only look to Song Xinran, seeking his mother's help.
Song Xinran patted his head, smiled slightly, her eyes crinkling, her expression gentle. Although she didn't say a word, Song Yu knew that his mother supported him.
He mustered his courage, picked up the hat, and walked up to Cai Yang: "Little Yang, you can borrow it for one night. Thank you for bringing the hat back for me today."
Cai Yang turned his head away: "I don't want to."
Song Yu didn't know what to do. In the past, if he was rejected, he would walk away and stop playing with these people. But he felt that Cai Yang was very sad now. Although he turned his head away, his shoulders would twitch from time to time, as if he was crying. He had never seen Cai Yang beaten so badly or cry so sadly when he lived at his aunt's house.
Seeing this, Song Xinwen wanted to say something, such as telling Cai Yang to speak properly, but she felt somewhat frustrated and guilty and couldn't bring herself to say it. So she softened her voice and said to Song Yu, "Xiao Yu, you can take him back. Xiao Yang doesn't need to wear a hat."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cai Yang ran towards the room. Song Xinwen looked at the child's retreating figure with a somewhat helpless expression, unsure of how to respond.
"Beep beep beep!" The sound of a motorcycle horn came from outside, reminding Song Xinran that it was time to get on the motorcycle.
Song Xinwen urged, "Xinran, you should go back soon. It's good that Xiao Yu's hat has been found."
Song Xinran paused for two seconds, then said, "Sister, you should have a good talk with Cai Yang later."
Song Xinwen looked somewhat uncomfortable. She realized that she had acted too impulsively today and that her sister had seen her. She also felt that she had handled the situation poorly and vaguely said, "I know."
After a few thoughts raced through her mind, Song Xinran said, "Sister, I know you were angry and didn't have time to ask in detail. Cai Yang used to be quite naughty, but I saw that he has changed a lot since I came back this time. You must have put in a lot of effort. But today's incident was a misunderstanding that wronged Cai Yang. He was even beaten for no reason, so he must be feeling bad right now. Try to comfort him. Actually... it's okay for adults to apologize to children."
As soon as she finished speaking, Song Xinran quickly added, "The car is here, so I'll be going now. I'll bring Xiao Yu back tomorrow."
She waved with a smile, and Song Yu said in a childish voice, "Auntie, I'll come back to see you and little Yang again tomorrow."
Song Xinwen forced a smile as he watched the motorcycle carrying the two of them drive away, quickly disappearing from sight.
Song Xinwen remained standing there, deeply conflicted. She had taken Song Xinran's words to heart, but her old, stubborn beliefs still clung to her. How could parents apologize to their children? Apologizing meant the parents were wrong, their authority was gone, and the children would no longer listen to them…
Just as I was struggling with this, Cai Yongde suddenly returned: "Why did you hit Xiaoyang again? I could hear him crying from the teahouse across the street."
After eating and washing the dishes, Cai Yongde went to the teahouse. When Song Xinran returned, he didn't want to stay at home at all. Not only did he have a lot to do, but he also had to be humble and patient, and occasionally endure Song Xinran's seemingly normal but actually tricky words.
He had no idea how Song Xinran had become like this; she was very difficult to deal with!
Therefore, when he heard Cai Yang crying at home, he didn't dare to come back. He only rushed home after seeing Song Xinran leave.
Song Xinwen was furious when she heard his words. She usually tried to educate Cai Yang, but Cai Yongde just kept spoiling the child. The reason she thought Cai Yang had stolen the hat was also due to Cai Yongde's overindulgence!
She said irritably, "You didn't come back when you heard the noise, but now that you've stopped crying, you rush back. What on earth are you thinking?"
In the past, Cai Yongde would have definitely retorted when he heard Song Xinwen say this, and he would have retorted without holding back. But now he doesn't dare to, firstly because Song Xinwen has changed, and secondly because Song Xinran has changed.
Song Xinran is doing well in town now. If he were to anger Song Xinwen and make him leave, the other party would definitely not come back for ten days or half a month. He could only say in frustration, "Didn't you tell me not to interfere when you were disciplining your child?"
Song Xinwen was so angry he almost fainted when he heard this. He thought to himself, "Hasn't Cai Yongde interfered enough before?!"
When they intervene, they pretend she never said that, but when they don't go home, they use her words as a shield.
"Then I'll go and educate Cai Yang now. Don't ask questions, don't do anything, and don't interfere!" With that, Song Xinwen strode into the room, leaving Cai Yongde outside, restless and scratching his head.
As soon as Song Xinwen entered the room, he found Cai Yang lying face down on the bed, his shoes still on, his body motionless.
"Xiao Yang," Song Xinwen called out, but there was no response. She went closer and found that Cai Yang had fallen asleep, but his eyes were still red and swollen. She felt both amused and heartbroken. She turned the child over and made him lie on his back.
But as soon as he moved, Cai Yang woke up. He opened his blurry eyes and saw that it was her. His body trembled, and he raised his hand to block her, whimpering, "Mom, don't hit me."
Song Xinwen felt as if something had stabbed his heart: "I won't hit you, just change your sleeping position."
Cai Yang grunted twice but didn't move.
Feeling guilty, Song Xinwen helped Cai Yang take off his shoes, then his coat and pants, and covered him with a blanket.
As soon as Cai Yang got into bed, he wrapped himself in the blanket and rolled over, turning the back of his head towards her. However, he accidentally rubbed his buttocks while rolling over, making two hissing sounds.
Song Xinwen hurriedly asked, "Does it hurt a lot? Let me see."
Cai Yang pulled at his pants, groaning, "It hurts, just kill me already."
Song Xinwen was both amused and exasperated. She wanted to say something, but then she saw a small red mark on Cai Yang's skin when he rolled up his sleeve. It was a mark he had accidentally gotten while trying to protect his buttocks in his panicked escape after being beaten.
Even a slight touch left a mark; the injury on his buttocks must be even more serious. Song Xinwen felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest. She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to talk to Cai Yang properly: "Xiao Yang, you should have told me sooner that you didn't take the hat."
Cai Yang shouted, "I told you, you said I was lying, and you even said I took it!"
Song Xinwen's face flushed, and he didn't know what to say, so he could only sit silently.
After a while, Cai Yang said, "I want to eat steamed eggs tomorrow, so I won't give any to Song Yu."
He already understands this very well. Whenever he is wronged, misunderstood, or beaten, he can make a request, and his parents will always agree.
He thought the steamed eggs were delicious today, but Song Yu ate them too, which he found annoying. Song Yu already had a hat, yet he still ate steamed eggs.
Hearing this, Song Xinwen felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She suddenly remembered that this kind of thing seemed to have happened more than once, but no one had ever mentioned apologizing to the child before, and she had never thought about it either.
“Xiao Yang…” Song Xinwen began, but the rest of the words were hard to say. Which child hasn’t suffered grievances when they were young? She had suffered a lot too, and had never received an apology from an adult.
An adult's tactful way of apologizing might be to give her more food that evening. She's forgotten how she felt back then, and now she's grown up properly.
But does she want Cai Yang to grow up to be like her or Cai Yongde?
If she were to spend her entire life in the village, she wouldn't think there was anything wrong with it, but she had actually lived in a town before...
The differences are already so great even in a small town, let alone in the city, the provincial capital...
Many thoughts flashed through Song Xinwen's mind, but in the end, she still said, "Xiaoyang, Mom apologizes to you."
Cai Yang was planning to eat steamed eggs by himself tomorrow, and even take the bowl to Song Yu and wave it in front of him to tempt Song Yu so that he would drool. He just wouldn't let Song Yu eat any, hehe.
Upon suddenly hearing his mother's apology, Cai Yang's imagined scene was instantly shattered, leaving his mind blank and the child completely stunned.
Song Xinwen also said, "Xiaoyang, Mom misunderstood you today. You didn't steal Xiaoyu's hat."
Cai Yang has become like a wooden doll.
He would apologize, and he knew the principle of apologizing for doing something wrong, but he never thought his mother would apologize.
He didn't know what to do or say for a moment. He was still lying on his side in bed, his arm tucked tightly under the blanket. He didn't dare to look at anyone. He felt a little flustered and helpless, but also a little happy.
"Xiaoyang, if you like hats, Mom will buy you one when she goes to the market."
Cai Yang seemed to have just regained his voice: "I want to buy the same one as Song Yu!"
Song Xinwen frowned and explained, "Xiao Yu's hat was bought in the city. There might not be a similar one in town. I'll bring you along when we go to the market, so you can choose one yourself."
Cai Yang was stunned again; his mother would actually say such things to him.
Cai Yang lived at home and knew that his father liked to make grand promises that he couldn't always keep, while his mother didn't like to make promises, but she always kept them.
Does he want some nice hats too?
"Really?"
"real."
Cai Yang said, "Okay, Mom, I forgive you."
He was a little embarrassed when he said those words, because it was the first time he had ever said them; in the past, he was the one apologizing to others.
Song Xinwen smiled, feeling relieved. It seemed that apologizing to a child wasn't so hard to say: "But Xiao Yang, you were wrong today too. You should have given the hat to Xiao Yu after you got it back. You shouldn't have kept it for yourself. It belongs to Xiao Yu."
This time, Cai Yang didn't argue back: "Okay, I won't do it again."
He had some mischievous thoughts today. When he saw Song Yu crying because he lost his hat, he was quite happy. He thought Song Yu deserved it and wanted Song Yu to take the hat out and show it off. He figured he could just look at it at home.
He was the one who brought the hat back; he'll return it to Song Yu tomorrow after he's had his fill of playing with it.
"Then let's steam some egg custard for Song Yu tomorrow too." Cai Yang turned over and looked at his mother. "Give him two spoonfuls."
*
Song Yu went home with Song Xinran. He was holding his hat, and his expression was very serious the whole way, as if he was thinking about something.
When he got home, he asked Song Xinran for scissors: "Mom, I want to cut off the pom-pom on my hat for my little brother Xiaoyang."
Song Xinran asked in surprise, "Why? Doesn't Xiao Yu really like this pom-pom?"
Song Yu sighed softly, "Xiao Yang likes it too. He had a terrible day today, he got beaten up badly. If it weren't for Xiao Yang, I wouldn't have been able to get my hat back. I wanted to give him the pom-pom, but not the hat."
Song Xinran knew that he had a soft heart. According to the plot of the book, he would not become extremely evil and indiscriminately hurt people even if he did not grow up happily, let alone now.
She gently stroked the child's hair, feeling a wave of tenderness wash over her: "Alright, if Xiao Yu has made up her mind, then go ahead and cut it."
He was a little embarrassed: "Mom, can you cut it for me? I'm afraid I'll tear the hat."
"Okay." Song Xinran took it and carefully cut off the fluffy ball. It was a fluffy ball with a diameter of six or seven centimeters. The milky white and light yellow fluffy hairs looked like a fluffy dandelion. It felt very soft to the touch. No wonder children like it.
Song Yu held it in his palm and blew on it gently. The fluffy ball's whiskers swayed gently, like the softest fur on a small animal's belly.
But this left the hat without any decorations. Song Xinran searched around and found a crocheted flower in the drawer. She sewed it onto Song Yu's hat, so even though the pom-pom was gone, the hat was still pretty.
The next day, when Song Yu returned, he was still wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves, and he held the cut-off pom-pom in his palm.
When I met Cai Yang, he seemed to have completely forgotten his miserable day yesterday. He was happily washing vegetables and playing in the water at home.
Seeing Song Yu arrive, he looked up and said happily, "My mom is going to buy me a hat too, hmph."
Song Yu handed the pom-pom to him, her voice clear and childlike: "This is for your little brother Yang."
Upon seeing the fluffy ball, Cai Yang froze, stammering, "You, your ball...?"
Song Yu touched his hat and smiled, "My mother sewed a flower on it for me."
He lowered his head, shook it so Cai Yang could see it: "This pom-pom is for you, don't be sad."
Cai Yang lowered his head: "I'm not sad at all. My mom apologized to me yesterday..."
His voice trailed off towards the end. He hadn't wanted anything from Song Yu, since his mother was going to buy him a new hat, but he really liked the ball. He wiped his hands on his clothes, quickly reached out and snatched the fluffy ball, squeezing it in his palm.
“Okay, I have something to tell you,” Cai Yang said. “Grandma Fang fell down while walking along the paddy field ridge last night.”
I couldn't help but laugh out loud when Cai Yang was mentioned. Grandma Fang stole things and lied to people, she deserved it!
He said viciously, "This is karma, haha."
He thought Song Yu would be happy too, but Song Yu just frowned: "Was the fall serious? Will you die?"
Cai Yang said, "I'll take you to see it."
He ran out after saying that. Song Yu hesitated a bit, but this was the first time Cai Yang had invited him to go out, and he felt it wouldn't be good to refuse, so he told Song Xinran and chased after Cai Yang.
The two children quickly ran to Fang Cuimei's house. When Song Yu saw this place, he remembered that the first time he came, chicken droppings were everywhere and there was nowhere to step. Today was almost the same, but Cai Yang didn't care about the chicken droppings. He stepped on them and stomped them flat with a "pia" sound, and then ran away quickly.
Song Yu followed behind him, not wanting to get her shoes dirty, so she carefully chose where to step, making the walk quite tiring.
As soon as Cai Yang arrived, he called out, "Grandma Fang, I've come to see you!"
Instead of calling Fang Cuimei out, they summoned the little grandson. The little boy immediately widened his eyes when he saw Song Yu's hat and reached out to snatch it, shouting, "My hat!"
Cai Yang was incredibly skilled at bullying children. He pushed his grandson to the ground, and the grandson landed on his bottom in chicken droppings, bursting into tears on the spot.
Song Yu was stunned. He wanted to help his grandson up, but when he saw the chicken droppings his grandson had accidentally pressed on the ground, he couldn't help but take two steps back and put his hands firmly behind his back.
The little grandson thought he would be led away, but was refused, and burst into a heart-wrenching cry.
The crying startled Grandma Fang and her daughter, who were recuperating in their room. Grandma Fang limped out and saw her grandson sitting on the ground crying, with the other two children standing by watching. She was immediately furious: "Cai Yang, how dare you come to my house and bully my family!"
Grandma Fang reached out to grab Cai Yang, but Cai Yang was very agile and dodged to the side, shouting, "He hit us first, we came to see you!"
Song Yu quickly added, "We didn't hit him."
Fang Cuimei then looked at Song Yu and immediately noticed the hat on his head. Her eyes widened in surprise: "Hat, hat...!"
Wasn't the hat taken away by the dog?!
Yesterday evening, Fang Cuimei returned home after cutting pig feed and found her grandson crying. When she asked him what was wrong, she learned that his hat was missing. Fang Cuimei immediately started cursing: "Damn dog! Some owners only know how to raise dogs but don't know how to manage them. It steals things everywhere! It deserves to be poisoned!"
Dogs in the countryside love to steal food and snatch things, and they will bully children when adults are not at home. Fang Cuimei had encountered this before.
The little grandson cried out, "Grandma, I want a hat!"
Fang Cuimei immediately coaxed her, saying, "Okay, okay, Grandma will go find it for you."
She took a stick and went out to look for her hat, but as it got dark, she lost her footing and fell headfirst into the field. She groaned for a long time, and in the end, her son took her to the village clinic, where they said she had just sprained her ankle and would be fine after a few days of rest.
Fang Cuimei was filled with hatred and anger, still thinking about that hat, but now it was unexpectedly pinned on Song Yu's head.
It's really strange. Does this hat somehow find its owner?
Upon hearing Fang Cuimei's words, the little grandson immediately pointed and said, "This is my hat, give it back to me!"
Cai Yang spat and said, "This is Song Yu's hat. You want your mom to buy it for you?"
"Taking someone else's hat, shameless!" After saying that, Cai Yang ran outside. He was already very skilled at doing this kind of thing, a typical person who only cared about starting a fire and not putting it out.
Fang Cuimei immediately flew into a rage and reached out to grab him: "I'm going to tell your mother!"
But Cai Yang had already run away, so Fang Cuimei decided to try and catch Song Yu instead.
Song Yu was extremely flustered. He hurriedly followed Cai Yang, pretending to be confused. He had never done anything like this before. His heart was pounding as if it was about to jump out of his chest. He ran very fast.
Fang Cuimei had already sprained her ankle, so she couldn't even catch up with Cai Yang, let alone Song Yu.
Knowing her mother's temperament, the daughter advised, "Mom, why are you arguing with a child? Whose family is this? I'll go tell their parents!"
But after saying that, Fang Cuimei hesitated. She knew better than anyone how that hat was brought back, and it wouldn't be so easy to resolve if she complained to the other person's parents: "Never mind, never mind."
She reached out to take her grandson's hand, but the grandson turned away and burst into tears, insisting on keeping his hat.
Upon hearing this, the daughter seemed to understand something, sighed, and didn't want to say anything more.
Cai Yang stopped running far away, bent over with his hands on his knees, panting and laughing as he went.
Song Yu caught up with him, very worried: "What if Grandma Fang tells Mom?"
Cai Yang said, "Then I'll get beaten up."
Song Yu was shocked: "Were...were beaten?"
He has never been beaten since he started living with Song Xinran.
Being hit not only means your butt hurts, but it also means you've done something wrong.
He quickly shook his head: "I don't want to be hit."
Cai Yang gave him a disdainful look: "Coward, I'm not afraid!"
Song Yu said, "But you were crying very loudly yesterday."
Cai Yang immediately became enraged: "Shut up, or I'll hit you!"
He brandished his fist in threat, but Song Yu wasn't afraid. She ran away, saying, "I'm going back to tell my mom and aunt!"
Cai Yang was shocked when he heard this. Grandma Fang hadn't even complained, so why would she expose him? He ran up to stop Song Yu.
But he could never catch up with Song Yu before, let alone now. He was so exhausted that he could only see Song Yu's back.
When Song Yu ran home, he found his mother and aunt chatting and eating sunflower seeds. He rushed in and said quickly, "Little Yang went to Grandma Fang's house..."
Of course, Song Yu didn't clear himself of his involvement either. He was also involved, and finally said in a very low voice, "I told my mother that I turned myself in, and that Auntie shouldn't hit my little brother Xiao Yang anymore."
Upon hearing this, Song Xinwen burst into laughter: "That old hag Fang Cuimei deserves it! Why didn't she fall and die last night? She's so old and still stealing from children!"
She had just been chatting with Song Xinran about this. After all, she and Fang Cuimei were from the same village, and Fang Cuimei was older. She couldn't very well take this to her home. But it was different for a child; what could a three or four-year-old understand?
Song Xinran said helplessly, "Sister, the baby is still here."
Cai Yang also ran back and immediately accused Song Yu: "You tattletale!"
He glanced at his mother, already prepared to be spanked, just hoping she wouldn't spank him again, because his bottom still hurt from yesterday.
Song Xinwen glared at him: "How dare you talk like that?"
He then said with a smile, "But you did a good job today. Come over and grab some sunflower seeds and peanuts to eat."
Cai Yang was stunned. How could he have been praised for doing something wrong today?
Song Xinwen said, "Fang Cuimei deserves it. You two should avoid going to her house in the future. It's covered in chicken droppings and stinks everywhere."
Cai Yang was dizzy and quickly nodded, afraid that his mother would change her mind. He ran out, but soon returned with his friends. He just had a sour face and didn't say anything. Only Xiao Lin called out, "Song Yu, let's go out and jump rope."
Song Yu happily responded with the jump rope in hand; he loved playing games with everyone.
*
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Song Xinran prepared three or four hundred pieces of braised food ingredients, filling the cart to the brim. She was able to tidy up so much food thanks to the help of Chen Jingfang and Song Xinwen.
Since she didn't need to sell oden during winter break and the Lunar New Year was approaching, Song Xinran gave Chen Jingfang a break. However, Chen Jingfang knew that she would be selling braised food on market days, so she would always come to help her in advance.
When Song Xinwen heard that she didn't take a break during the Spring Festival, he came to town with her, saying that more people meant more help, and they could finish selling their goods sooner and go home to rest.
It was probably because the Lunar New Year was approaching that so many braised dishes were sold out in less than two hours. Song Xinran counted the money and was pleasantly surprised to find that today's profit had exceeded one thousand yuan. This was a major breakthrough, thanks to having enough manpower and the large number of people on the street during the festival.
Song Xinwen also took Cai Yang to buy a hat, which Cai Yang loved. When he got home, he sewed the pom-pom that Song Yu had given him onto the hat and immediately put it on. He went out to play and showed it off.
Cai Yongde cooked lunch: a plate of stir-fried meat, a plate of green vegetables, a plate of kimchi, and a bowl of steamed eggs. The presentation was so-so, and the taste was even more so. Song Xinran had never eaten lean meat that was so overcooked before. It was as if he was afraid it wouldn't be cooked through. The meat was very tough and got stuck in her teeth when she chewed it.
Song Xinran thought that she should cook dinner that night. She didn't want to make things difficult for herself by bothering Cai Yongde. She wouldn't stay in the village for long either, and planned to go back to town on the third day of the Lunar New Year.
Shortly after they finished eating, Cai Yongde was called away by people from the same village to slaughter a pig. Song Xinwen looked very happy: "Xinran, let's go for a pig-slaughtering feast tonight!"
The pig-slaughtering feast is a local tradition. Pigs raised by rural families are usually sold, but a small portion is kept for their own consumption. This requires finding someone who knows how to slaughter pigs to help cut the pork, and then asking men from the same village who are friendly or strong to help hold the pig.
Finally, the pig that had just been slaughtered was used to feed the people who had helped. This was a big deal in the countryside, a chance to have a good feast!
The freshly slaughtered pork doesn't even need to be washed; it's cut off and cooked directly. The resulting dish is incredibly delicious, with every dish showcasing the original flavor of the fresh pork. It brings out the meat's freshness and aroma to the fullest. Being able to enjoy a pig-slaughtering feast is not only a satisfaction for the taste buds but also a sign that the person is well-liked in the village.
Such banquets are not common. Firstly, people don't have much money these days, especially rural families, whose income mainly comes from raising and selling pigs. Many families are reluctant to slaughter pigs for their own consumption. Secondly, refrigerators are still a rarity. No one in the village has bought one yet, and pork is difficult to preserve after slaughter. The family that slaughters the pig will sell some of the meat to acquaintances, and use the rest to make sausages and cured meat, which can be preserved for longer.
Therefore, pig-slaughtering feasts are usually held closer to the Lunar New Year.
Upon hearing the word, Cai Yang jumped up excitedly and shouted, "I want to eat meat!"
Song Yu couldn't help but lick his lips. Although he had no shortage of meat to eat now, he still swallowed hard when he thought of the taste of banquets at other people's homes in the past.
Song Xinwen scolded, "Keep your voice down, or people will think you're being mistreated at home."
As she spoke, she said to Song Xinran with a cheerful smile, "I'll go to the Ge family to help out later. Xinran, you can stay home. I'll call you when it's time to eat."
Song Xinran didn't really want to see the scene of pigs being slaughtered in the open, so she agreed.
Song Xinwen walked towards the Ge family's house in high spirits, just in time to see a butcher cutting up pork. The grain-fed pork was a deep red color, and it was obvious at a glance that it was good meat.
When Aunt Ge saw her, she immediately went up to her, her tone extremely warm: "Xinwen, why did you come alone? Where is your sister? I heard that Xinran is back, so I invited her to come and have the pig-slaughtering feast. But your sister is running such a big business in town now, so please don't look down on our simple rural life."
Song Xinwen said, "Aunt Ge, what are you saying? We're so grateful to have such a delicious pig-slaughtering feast, we wouldn't complain at all! My sister Xinran has some things to do at home, I'll go call her later."
Aunt Ge laughed and said, "Alright, we must call her over."
Song Xinwen was helping to cut the meat when Aunt Ge suddenly brought over a plastic bag containing a piece of pork hind leg and some pig's blood. She stuffed it into Song Xinwen's hand, saying, "Take these home and eat them."
Song Xinwen was stunned for a moment. Her family and the Ge family had a decent relationship. They were from the same village and often greeted each other, but it was far from the point where they would slaughter a pig and give away meat for free. Song Xinwen was not a greedy person, so she quickly refused: "Aunt Ge, you should keep it for yourselves. It was not easy to raise a pig!"
Aunt Ge said, "Thank you so much, Yongde, for helping us with the pig today. The meat is nothing."
Song Xinwen found it even stranger. Many people came to help at Aunt Ge's house today, but she didn't see Aunt Ge give pork to anyone else. She gave it to her instead. Either she wanted something from her or she had ulterior motives. However, the Ge family was an honest and kind family in the village and had never harmed anyone.
This left Song Xinwen undecided again, but he definitely didn't want the meat: "Aunt Ge, just tell me what's wrong, and I'll definitely help if I can."
Aunt Ge sighed, "It's all because of my Xiaoxia."
Upon hearing this tone, Song Xinwen assumed that Aunt Ge wanted her to act as a matchmaker. She was surprised: "Xiaoxia isn't even eighteen yet, is she?"
“Yes, she won’t be a full-fledged student until next June.” Aunt Ge frowned, revealing deep furrows between her brows. “Xiaoxia is studying at No. 8 Middle School, but now she absolutely refuses to study anymore. She says she wants to go and work. She still has a year and a half to go before graduation. The school will assign her a job then, but she refuses! This child is really worrying me to death.”
No. 8 Middle School is a vocational high school in the town next to theirs. Ge Xia studied there for four years. When she was about to graduate, the school would arrange for her to do an internship in a factory. After the internship, the students could stay and work in the factory.
This is already a pretty good way out for the children in the village.
Song Xinwen frowned and sighed along with Aunt Ge, wondering what kids these days are thinking.
Aunt Ge said, "Xinwen, I want you to persuade her to continue her studies and work hard in the future."
Song Xinwen readily agreed: "Of course! I watched Xiaoxia grow up too. It's just a small thing, Aunt Ge, why are you taking meat? You're too kind."
Aunt Ge was a little embarrassed: "Xinwen, could you ask your sister Xinran to try and persuade Xiaoxia as well? She's doing such a successful business in town now, Xiaoxia would definitely be willing to listen to her."
Song Xinwen said, "I'll tell Xinran when I get back."
"Good, good!" Aunt Ge smiled broadly, turned around and called out, "Xiaoxia, come out and recognize people. This is your sister Xinwen."
Ge Xia came out of the house. She was about the same height as Song Xinwen, with slightly dark skin, and was wearing an apron. She must have been helping out at home. She called out, "Sister Xinwen."
Aunt Ge, standing nearby, introduced: "Xiaoxia usually likes to cook at home, and her food tastes pretty good. Today, for this pig-slaughtering feast, I plan to have Xiaoxia cook a few dishes."
As she spoke, she pushed Ge Xia next to Song Xinwen: "Xia, you should learn more from Sister Xinwen. Your Sister Xinwen is the most decisive and efficient in doing things."
Song Xinwen hadn't really talked to the girl much. He only asked her about her life at school and, as Aunt Ge had suggested, advised her to study hard and not to think about going out to work.
Ge Xia didn't say much. She just hummed in agreement and didn't say anything else. She just helped wash and chop the vegetables.
Song Xinwen felt strange. The pig-slaughtering feast was a big event for the family. Usually, the adults would be the ones cooking for such events. Why was Ge Xia, a young girl, in charge of the cooking?
She observed for a moment and found that Ge Xia's vegetable-cutting skills were quite good; the scallions were cut into even segments, and the pork was sliced thinly.
She smiled and said, "Xiaoxia, do you often cook at home? You're very skilled at chopping vegetables."
Ge Xia smiled sheepishly: "It's not often, I only do it when I go home for vacation."
"Sister Xinwen..." she hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Does Sister Xinran sell braised meat in town?"
At this moment, Song Xinwen finally realized a bit of Aunt Ge's true purpose, but her smile remained unchanged: "Yes."
"My mom told me that Sister Xinran's business is very good, and she can make money selling braised meat."
Song Xinwen said, "I'm not too sure about these things either."
Ge Xia didn't say anything more.
The two chopped vegetables and cooked together. Song Xinwen found that what Aunt Ge said was indeed true. Ge Xia must cook often at home and is very skilled in kitchen work. The soup she cooked, which included pork intestines, sliced meat, and winter melon, was white and translucent. It looked very refreshing and smelled sweet and fragrant.
Seeing that most of the dishes were ready and the banquet was about to begin, Song Xinwen hurriedly went back to call Song Xinran.
On the way there, Song Xinwen said, "Xinran, I reckon Aunt Ge will definitely want to talk to you during dinner. Her daughter isn't even eighteen yet and doesn't want to study anymore. She seems to want to learn to cook. Don't worry about it. Just eat. You can say whatever you want and however you want."
When Song Xinran returned, she had already anticipated this scenario. She had returned home in glory, and there were bound to be people who wanted her help. She smiled and said, "Sister, I know, I'll handle it."
Song Xinwen said, "I'm not worried about you at all in these aspects now."
She had lived with Song Xinran in the town for a while and had seen how Song Xinran treated people and did business, and she felt ashamed of herself for not being as good as her.
When Song Xinran brought Song Yu to the Ge family's house, they saw that there were two tables set up for a pig slaughtering feast. On the tables, there was a large pot of winter melon and pork soup, two plates of pickled vegetables stir-fried with pork slices, a plate of stir-fried pork offal, and a large pot of braised pork belly with potatoes. Although there were not many dishes, the portions were very generous, with the enamel basins filled to the brim.
The fresh pork was very flavorful after cooking, and the whole house was filled with the aroma of meat. When Aunt Ge saw Song Xinran coming over, she quickly brought Ge Xia over and said, "Xinran has come home for the New Year. Come and sit here. We've saved a seat for you!"
There was a good seat reserved for Song Xinran, who was seated with Song Yu on her left and Ge Xia on her right. Ge Xia did not seem to be an outgoing or cheerful person and did not talk much.
Song Xinran said, "Xiaoxia, I heard you made all these dishes. You're so capable at such a young age."
Ge Xia said, "No, I didn't make the stir-fried pork offal and braised pork belly. Sister Xinran, you should try the soup."
Ge Xia remembered her mother's instructions and served Song Xinran a bowl of soup. However, she had been studying all along and didn't know how to please people, chat with them, or gain their respect. After serving the soup, she didn't do anything else.
Song Xinran didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up the bowl and took a sip. She found the soup to be clear and fresh, with a hint of winter melon sweetness. It was not bland and was refreshing enough. She ate a piece of pork intestine.
Fresh pork intestines have a soft and smooth texture, soak up the broth, and are chewy. The rice noodles inside are very flavorful and taste extremely delicious.
She took another bite of the sliced pork and winter melon, and when she turned to look at Ge Xia, she found Ge Xia looking at her nervously, like a primary school student who had finished a test and was waiting for the teacher to correct it.
Song Xinran chuckled: "Xiaoxia, you made this soup quite well. It tastes sweet and refreshing, and it's very pleasant to eat. It's just that you put the winter melon in a little too early, and the pork intestines weren't cooked long enough."
Ge Xia nodded immediately and whispered, "I originally wanted to cook the pork intestines a little longer, but my mom said that since everyone is here, the dishes should be served quickly."
Song Xinran said, "You're not even eighteen yet, it's already very good that you've done this well."
Ge Xia's heart skipped a beat. She remembered her mother's words, clenched her fists, but couldn't bring herself to say them. In the end, she just lowered her head and ate her food in large mouthfuls.
Song Xinran adhered to the principle of not speaking unless asked, and as she ate her meal, she was deeply moved. She had finally had a decent dinner in the two days since she returned, and it was hundreds of times better than what Cai Yongde had made.
Stir-fried pork with kimchi is refreshing and goes well with rice. The kimchi is crisp and slightly salty, and the pork slices are tender and not dry. You can easily eat a big bowl of rice with it.
Everyone praised Xiaoxia's cooking after taking a bite, saying, "Xiaoxia's cooking is really good! Did you study to be a chef at vocational high school?"
Aunt Ge laughed and said, "No, Xiaoxia studies accounting. This child just likes to cook."
"Being an accountant is great! You'll be doing accounting in the office, which is much better than us rural folks who only know how to farm. Aunt Ge, you'll be able to enjoy a comfortable life from now on!"
Aunt Ge smiled broadly: "It still depends on Xiaoxia. Let her do whatever she likes."
In the countryside, the topics of conversation during banquets are usually limited to a few things: children and elderly relatives. With Ge Xia's story, everyone had something to talk about, saying that Aunt Ge had raised a good daughter.
Ge Xia sat next to Song Xinran, head down, too exhausted to even pick up food. She said, "I'm full," and went home.
Aunt Ge sighed when she saw it.
After the meal, Aunt Ge stopped Song Xinran and said enthusiastically, "Xinran, you've finally come back. Pick out a piece of meat to take home and eat."
That's how people in the village always talk; if you want someone to help you, you always have to offer something in return. Song Xinran refused and said directly, "Aunt Ge, I heard from my sister that Xiaoxia doesn't want to go to school anymore. I'll try to persuade her."
Aunt Ge hesitated for a moment: "Xinran, to be honest with you, Xiaoxia really doesn't want to study accounting. She's bad at math and says that looking at those numbers gives her a headache."
“Xiaoxia wants to learn to be a chef, but I’m worried about her going to another city to learn. I heard you sell braised meat in town, and Xiaoxia can make braised meat too! But she didn’t have enough time to make it today. Xiaoxia made that winter melon soup, and I thought it tasted alright. Xinran, do you think it’s possible for Xiaoxia to come and help you out? You don’t need to pay her; just ask her to do whatever you need her!”
Ge Xia hid in her room, listening to her mother and Xin Ran's conversation outside, her heart pounding with nervousness.
She really didn't want to study accounting. She didn't understand it when she enrolled. It was her junior high school teacher who said that studying accounting would make it easier to find a job and work in an office. Ge Xia's parents were tempted and let their daughter study accounting.
But she never expected it to be so difficult to learn. Ge Xia thought about quitting every day. She had things she liked, such as cooking. There were many restaurants in town, and her dream was to open one someday.
But the Ge family had no money, and Ge Xia couldn't find a way to make money. She could go to a culinary school in another city, but her parents were worried about that. Then they heard that Song Xinran from the same village was selling braised meat in town and that her business was doing very well...
Ge Xia pressed her ear against the door, extremely nervous.
But then Song Xinran said, "Aunt Ge, you think too highly of me. I'm just earning a meager living. Ge Xia is still a minor, and I'm afraid that staying with me will hinder her development..."
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