Chapter 59 Eating hot pot and dumplings during Chinese New Year
In her past life, some familiar relatives approached Song Xinran, subtly suggesting that she take on an apprentice. They spoke very sweetly, saying, "Xinran, it would be a pity if you didn't pass on your excellent skills to an apprentice. My child is the most hardworking and loves cooking. You can have him assist you."
Song Xinran also refused. Being a chef seems like a good job, but only she knows the real hardships. For example, when she first started learning how to flip the wok, she was so tired that she couldn't lift her arms every day.
However, it was because of her talent, hard work, and genuine passion that Song Xinran was able to start her own career at a young age, earn a lot of money, and was considered by relatives on both sides of her parents' side to be the perfect child.
Relatives are just envious of your money and want a piece of the pie, but Song Xinran's reason for refusing to take on apprentices wasn't because of that. It was purely because she disliked that her relatives' children were spoiled. If she really took them on as apprentices, it would easily lead to interpersonal disputes. If they did well, it would be the child's own achievement; if they did poorly, it would be the master's fault. Of course, Song Xinran wouldn't do something that would only bring harm and benefit, so she politely declined on the spot.
Song Xinran had similar considerations in refusing Aunt Ge, but more importantly, Aunt Ge didn't even have her own shop yet; it was just a small food stall. The reason her business was good and she could make money was because the food tasted good. She made all the food at home, and if she were to take on apprentices, they would basically have to work at her house. This was something Song Xinran found hard to accept.
She said to Aunt Ge tactfully, "My place is too small to take on apprentices. If Xiaoxia likes cooking, she can go to a specialized school to learn. There, everyone is her age, the teachers are experienced, and they can even help her find a job after graduation."
Aunt Ge acted as if she hadn't heard the rest of her sentence, and said, "Xiaoxia can come with you during the day. We have a bicycle at home, so Xiaoxia can come home every day. It won't bother you."
Hearing the conversation outside, Ge Xia's face gradually turned pale. She pursed her lips, opened the door, and came out: "Mom, I'll go back to school after the New Year."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Ge looked surprised and was about to say something when Ge Xia stepped forward, took her hand, and softened her voice, saying, "I will study hard, don't worry."
Aunt Ge understood her daughter's meaning, sighed inwardly, and smiled apologetically at Song Xinran: "Xinran, then I won't trouble you."
He then took out a few pieces of pig's blood and handed them to her, saying, "It's fresh, just cooked. Take it home and eat it."
Song Xinran politely declined.
Aunt Ge glanced outside and said, "Your dad and the others have finished their drinks. I'll go get them some more. Xiaoxia, you stay inside and chat with your sister Xinran. She's very knowledgeable and her words can be helpful!"
Rural people are always like this: because they have limited access to resources, they cherish any help they encounter, and always want their children to have the same opportunities, hoping that their children can have a different life in the future.
Song Xinran always felt a bit of pity for this kind of mentality. She could tell that Ge Xia must have overheard her conversation with Aunt Ge, which was why she came out so promptly. In the end, she gave in and continued to study accounting, showing that she was a filial person.
She took the initiative to speak: "Xiaoxia, it's a good thing that you have your own hobbies and dreams. The hardest thing in the world is perseverance. You're not even eighteen yet. If you can choose something to stick to in the future, I believe you'll have a bright future."
Ge Xia was filled with anxiety, thinking that Song Xinran would reject her again to her face, but unexpectedly, she heard these words instead...
She nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Sister Xinran, I understand."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "I also run a small business in town. Right now, I only have one food stall. If I open my own shop in the future, I can invite you to come again if you still want, okay?"
Ge Xia's eyes widened in disbelief. She had understood Song Xinran's rejection from inside the room and, not wanting to put her mother and Xinran in a difficult position, had come out on her own. Now, things had taken a turn for the better.
She nodded quickly: "Okay, thank you, Sister Xinran!"
Ultimately, she was still a young girl in school. She was so excited that she didn't know how to express herself, so she bowed to Song Xinran on the spot. Her sincerity was very high. If she had a protractor, it would definitely have been a 90-degree bow.
Song Xinran chuckled and left with Ge Xia.
Seeing the smiles on their faces, Aunt Ge guessed that they must have had a good chat. Her eyes crinkled with joy, and she quickly put a piece of meat into the fresh pig's blood, insisting that Song Xinran take it back.
Song Xinran tried to refuse several times but couldn't. However, she couldn't accept gifts from others without a reason. After returning to Song Xinwen's house, she asked Cai Yang to take a bag of roasted nuts and seeds to Aunt Ge's house.
Children are used at this time. If adults go, it's a matter of social obligation, but children don't care about all that and will run away as soon as they're let go.
Upon hearing her words, Cai Yang's eyes darted around, and he surprisingly began to make demands, holding up one finger: "I want a dime for the trip."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "I'll tell your mom when she gets back."
Unexpectedly, Cai Yang was not intimidated at all, acting like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water: "Go ahead and sue, I'll just get beaten up anyway."
Upon hearing this, Song Yu immediately raised his hand: "Mom, I'll deliver it! I like helping Mom deliver things!"
Song Xinran was a little worried that he wouldn't be able to find his way, after all, he hadn't been back for several months.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Cai Yang heard Song Yu's voice, he immediately turned his head, glanced at the excited expression on Song Yu's face, and without saying a word, snatched the bag from Song Xinran's hand and ran out, saying as he ran, "I'll deliver it, Song Yu, don't even think about it!"
He ran incredibly fast and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Song Xinran was truly at a loss for words this time; the competition among children is quite suitable for these kinds of situations.
Song Yu was not happy: "I wanted to deliver it for my mother."
Song Xinran hugged him: "But Mom wants Xiao Yu to stay home with me."
Song Yu's puffed-up cheeks subsided, and a faint smile appeared on her face: "Okay, I'll watch TV with Mom."
When Cai Yang returned, he was quite pleased with himself. He had taken over what Song Yu liked to do. But when he got home, he found Song Yu watching TV, while he himself was panting from running. He felt that something was not quite right.
However, Song Yu didn't watch TV for too long. When Song Xinwen and Cai Yongde returned, Song Xinran took him back to town to sleep.
Song Xinwen saw them off to the road and said, "Come back early for dinner tomorrow."
Song Xinran said, "Okay, sis, I'll cook tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Cai Yang, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but drool and immediately said, "What is Auntie going to make? I want to eat pickled fish!"
He couldn't forget the taste of the pickled fish he ate that night when he got a stomachache.
Song Xinwen smacked him on the head: "All you ever think about is eating. How much money have you given your aunt?"
Cai Yang immediately said, "When I grow up and earn money, I will give it to my aunt to support her in her old age."
Cai Yang often heard people say this, and his father often asked him, "Will you take care of me in my old age when I grow up?" Cai Yang knew how to say it in a way that adults would like. Although he didn't quite understand what "taking care of someone in their old age" meant, he could already say it perfectly.
But Song Xinran could only laugh when she heard this. According to the plot of the book, Cai Yang grew up and made money, but he kept the money firmly in his own hands, and even his own mother, Song Xinwen, could not enjoy it.
However, judging from Cai Yang's current state, the future may have already changed.
Song Yu was unhappy: "I'll give my money to my mother, I don't want yours."
Cai Yang had only said it casually, but Song Yu unexpectedly refuted him, retorting on the spot, "I'm going to give it! I absolutely have to give it!"
Song Yu frowned: "I don't want yours!"
He had a thought in his young mind: he should be good to whoever gives him money, especially since Cai Yang needed to take care of him in his old age, so wouldn't they have to live together?
He resisted strongly, grabbed Song Xinran's hand, and looked up at her with his little face: "Mom, don't want Xiaoyang's money. I'll give you lots and lots of it when I grow up."
Song Xinwen burst out laughing, overjoyed: "Xiao Yu is such a filial child. He's so young and already knows he should earn money for his mother when he grows up."
Cai Yang was very unhappy. He had clearly asked why his mother only praised Song Yu and not him.
He raised his voice: "Mom, I want to earn money too!"
Song Yu was too lazy to care about him now, and just looked up to wait for his mother's answer. Song Xinran patted his little head: "Okay, Mom will wait for Xiao Yu to grow up."
Song Yu was then happy.
"I won't make sauerkraut fish tomorrow," Song Xinran said. "I'll bring some dumpling wrappers back from the street tomorrow, we'll have dumplings for lunch and hot pot for dinner."
Cai Yang had eaten dumplings but never hot pot, and he was extremely curious: "What is hot pot?"
Song Xinwen said, "Ask, ask, ask. Why are there so many questions all day long? We'll know after we eat it tomorrow."
She turned to Song Xinran and said, "We'll need to prepare a lot of ingredients, right? Just let me know what you need."
Song Xinran said, "Just prepare whatever vegetables you can find in the soil. I also have some leftover ingredients from making oden in my freezer, so I'll bring them with me tomorrow."
As they were talking, the motorcycle arrived, and Song Xinran took Song Yu back to their home in town.
Song Yu asked her curiously, "Mom, is hot pot like 'bobo chicken'?"
He had never eaten hot pot, but Song Xinran had mentioned it before. It was when she was eating Bo Bo Chicken, and her mother said it tasted like hot pot.
Song Xinran said, "No, hot pot is where you put a broth in a pot, add the ingredients when the broth boils, cook them, and then eat them. It's very convenient and tastes great."
Song Yu was filled with longing for hot pot. He insisted that the freshly cooked food should be cooled down and blew on before eating, otherwise he would burn his mouth. But it must be very warming to eat!
The next morning, Song Xinran took the frozen goods from the freezer back to the village. A few hundred meters from her home, she saw Cai Yang, who was cutting grass with his friends, holding a stick. With one swing of the stick, the knee-high grass was snapped in half, and the boy shouted, "Hey ha!"
Upon seeing Song Xinran and Song Yu, Cai Yang dropped the stick in his hand and chased after the motorcycle, shouting loudly, "Auntie, Auntie!"
Of course, he couldn't catch up with the motorcycle; he just ended up with a butt full of smoke and ash, but he still kept running around happily.
Song Yu grabbed Song Xinran's arm and looked nervously behind them: "Mom, it's Xiao Yang!"
Song Xinran asked the motorcycle driver to stop early, paid the fare, and waited for Cai Yang to run over.
As soon as Cai Yang ran up to her, he said, "Auntie, you're finally back! Let's have hot pot for lunch today!"
As he spoke, he licked his lips, looking like he was really craving it.
Yesterday, he went back and asked his parents again what hot pot was. After hearing his parents' explanation, Cai Yang dreamed about eating hot pot all night, but it was all in his imagination, which only made his cravings stronger.
Song Yu was also a little tempted, but he didn't say anything. He decided to do whatever his mother said. If he didn't eat lunch, he would eat dinner. He could wait all afternoon.
Receiving no reply, Cai Yang immediately turned to Song Yu, even taking the initiative for the first time to say, "Brother Yu, you want to eat hot pot too, right? Let's eat it soon. My dad said that hot pot is only available in the city. It's fragrant and spicy, hundreds of times tastier than spicy strips. One bite and you'll be overwhelmed by its aroma!"
Upon hearing this, Song Yu couldn't help but swallow hard.
Song Xinran said, "Okay, let's have lunch then."
Cai Yang shouted "Yay!" and ran home quickly to tell his mother that they would be having hot pot for lunch.
Upon hearing this and receiving Song Xinran's affirmative reply, Song Xinwen immediately ran to the field, saying he would pick more pea shoots. At this time of year, pea shoots are in their tenderest season, growing lush and green, so tender that you could squeeze water out of them. They are cooked in just a few seconds of blanching, making them the most refreshing and delicious to eat.
Upon hearing this good news, Cai Yongde became enthusiastic and tore open all the packaging of the things Song Xinran had brought back, and even went to cut meat.
Song Xinran was reluctant to accept his knife skills and had been enduring it for the past few days, only eating it to get Cai Yongde to work more. Today, she decided to cook the hot pot herself and naturally didn't have to endure it anymore.
Song Xinran said directly, "Brother-in-law, go peel the potatoes, peel them, slice them, and cut two radishes too."
Foods that can withstand long cooking times don't matter much in terms of thickness; thinner pieces can be cooked for a shorter time, while thicker pieces can be cooked for a longer time, and they can be eaten either way.
Song Xinran then sliced the pork that Aunt Ge had given her yesterday, added some sweet potato starch, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and scallion water to marinate it, and also sliced the pig's blood.
The pig's blood cooked from the pig slaughtered at home was completely different from what Song Xinran had seen in the hot pot restaurant in her previous life. It was dark brown with a reddish tinge, firm but not hard, and smooth and delicate when cut into pieces. Just by looking at the texture, you could tell how excellent the taste would be after cooking.
This time, Cai Yongde was generous. He took the initiative to find the cured meat in his house, washed it, and sliced it, looking very happy.
Song Xinwen returned with a bag of pea shoots, all the tenderest parts he had picked. The pile of pea shoots looked lush and green, a very pleasing sight.
After preparing all the ingredients, Song Xinran started to stir-fry the ingredients. Song Xinwen was tending the fire, the corn stalks crackling and popping, the firewood emitting a rustic aroma, and the large pot burning dry.
Seeing that the pot was hot, Song Xinran poured some of her homemade rapeseed oil into the pot, and then added sliced fatty pork. The two immediately started to sizzle and pop, and a pure aroma of meat and fat rose from the pot. The vegetarian flavor of rapeseed oil and the meaty flavor of pork fat mixed together, giving the base ingredients more layers of flavor.
Once the meat slices were cooked until dry, she added ginger slices, garlic cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, and fermented bean paste. When the bright red sauce, coated with oil droplets, was bubbling and the sauce had become oily and translucent, she added a handful of homemade dried fermented black beans. The dark brown fermented black beans were shiny, with each bean loosely separated, clearly indicating that they had been dried very well.
The spatula quickly stirs the ingredients, and the unique aroma of fermented black beans, combined with the spicy and savory flavors of various seasonings, creates an incredibly tempting fragrance that fills the entire kitchen and even wafts outside.
Even Song Xinwen, who was tending the fire, couldn't help but sniff the aroma: "Xinran, you've really cooked this broth perfectly, the hot pot will definitely taste even better!"
Cai Yang, who was playing in the water outside, smelled the aroma and immediately ran to the kitchen, but couldn't get in. The chubby boy poked Cai Yongde's thigh: "Dad, don't block the doorway, I'll go in and take a look."
Cai Yongde was also attracted by the aroma, but he didn't want to go into the kitchen. Now, whenever he saw Song Xinran, he felt uneasy, always feeling that Song Xinran was waiting for him to poke him or dig a pit for him.
Hearing his son's words, Cai Yongde reached out and shooed him away: "Go away, what are you looking at? Don't cause trouble for your mother."
Cai Yang stood on tiptoe to peek inside: "I won't cause any trouble, let me see!"
But Cai Yongde grabbed his arm and dragged him away.
Song Yu walked quietly into the kitchen and saw his mother adding clean water and cooked chicken soup to the pot. He couldn't help but sniff the air and said, "Mom, it smells so good."
Song Xinran said, "After the soup base boils, we can put it on the honeycomb briquette stove and everyone can sit around it and eat."
Song Yu let out a small cheer and hurriedly ran out to tell Cai Yang the good news.
Cai Yang was feeling annoyed. He wanted to go to the kitchen but his father pulled him away so that Song Yu could go in. Hearing Song Yu's words, he secretly decided that he would eat more later and finish Song Yu's portion!
But Cai Yang's idea was destined to fail because everyone had prepared a lot of ingredients.
Pour the boiling broth base into a small pot and place it on a honeycomb briquette stove. The moderate fire of the honeycomb briquette keeps the hot pot at a gentle simmer. The broth boils and bubbles, carrying the food scraps and swirling around. The fine, bright red oil droplets continuously release the aroma. It can be summed up in four words: fresh, fragrant, numbing, and spicy!
It smells so good that it makes people want to swallow their saliva.
Song Xinran had already cooked the ribs in advance, as they are quite resistant to overcooking. They should be almost done by now. She picked up a slotted spoon and chopsticks and first put a piece on Song Yu's plate. Cai Yang immediately cried out, "I want it! I want it!"
Before he could finish speaking, Cai Yang let out a "whoosh" and jumped to the side, yelling, "It's so hot! It's so hot!"
While saying this, she didn't want to spit out the ribs, but when she tried to catch them with her hands, they felt too hot, and when she put them in her mouth, they felt too hot.
Seeing his expression, Song Xinwen impatiently handed him the bowl: "Spit it into the bowl!"
Cai Yang finally found a good place to put the rib in his mouth, but suddenly he heard a childish laugh. He glared at Song Yu, who immediately shut up and stopped laughing.
He knew it was wrong to laugh at others, but Cai Yang's actions were so funny that Song Yu couldn't help himself.
He lowered his head, puffed out his cheeks, and blew air onto the ribs, pretending nothing had happened.
"Awoo!"
Song Xinwen was engrossed in the delicious hot pot when he heard the child's voice, which seemed to disturb him. His tone was a little impatient: "What is it now??"
While eating, he made exclamations of surprise, as if he had never seen anything like it before, which made his own mother, Song Xinwen, roll her eyes and think that Cai Yang really needed to be educated.
Look at Song Yu, he eats so elegantly, unlike Cai Yang who is so loud and boisterous.
Song Yu thought the hot pot was so delicious, and the ribs were so tasty. The meat came off the ribs with just a light bite, and they were spicy, salty, and fragrant with a hint of fermented black beans. She didn't want to swallow them.
Song Xinran put two pieces of spare ribs on his plate and set them aside. Everyone scooped the spare ribs into their bowls together, and Song Xinran then added frozen meat and marinated tender slices.
The tender slices of meat don't need to be cooked for too long. Once they've been added to the red broth and turned pink and rolled up, they're ready to be taken out.
Song Xinran first cooked two slices of meat for Song Yu, then put the cooked meat into her own bowl, eating with such happiness that her eyes narrowed.
Her tongue and stomach have been suffering these past few days, so today she can finally treat herself.
The pork from our own farmed pigs has an exceptionally fresh flavor, a pure and authentic meaty aroma. After marinating, it has no fishy smell whatsoever, an enticing scallion fragrance, and a slightly numbing Sichuan peppercorn flavor. When cooked in a hot pot, it carries the rich essence of the broth.
The freshly cooked sliced meat is incredibly tender and smooth. When you put it in your mouth, all sorts of flavors burst forth, and the texture is superb. It melts in your mouth with just a gentle chew. Song Xinran deliberately left a thin layer of fat on the edges of the meat slices, making them taste oily, sweet, and fragrant, with a particularly rich and layered flavor.
It smells so good you'd want to swallow your tongue.
Song Xinwen and Cai Yongde followed Song Xinran's example and cooked the meat slices. They had never eaten hot pot before and were worried that the meat slices wouldn't be cooked through in just a few seconds or ten seconds. But when they picked them up with chopsticks, they saw that the meat slices were thin and even, with a thin layer of sweet potato starch paste on top. When they put them into the pot, the sweet potato starch paste became transparent in no time, and the meat slices curled up slightly, coated with a layer of translucent red oil.
Put it in a bowl with the oil sauce, take a bite, and the aroma is so good it'll make your soul leave your body!
This is so delicious! I've never had such tasty sliced meat before!
So meat slices cook so easily? What about all those times when they worried about not cooking it properly and cooked it for a long time, only to end up with lean and dry meat?
When Cai Yang saw that his parents were eating and seemed to have forgotten about him, he cried out, "I want to eat too! I want sliced meat too!"
With garlic paste still clinging to his chopsticks from the dipping sauce dish, he tried to reach into the pot to stir. Song Yu's pupils dilated slightly, and he quickly gave him a piece of meat from his bowl: "Little Yang, you eat."
At this point, Cai Yang forgot all about being stubborn, opened his mouth wide and shoved it into his mouth, his eyes shining: "Song Yu, I want more!"
Song Yu was in a dilemma. There was only one piece left in his bowl, which his mother had cooked for him. Why didn't his aunt and uncle cook meat for Cai Yang?
Song Xinwen naturally heard Cai Yang's words. When he looked up, he first saw Song Yu's gaze and immediately felt a little embarrassed. He hurriedly wanted to cook meat for Cai Yang, but when he heard Cai Yongde eating noisily, he was immediately annoyed and elbowed him: "Cook for your son, don't just think about yourself!"
Cai Yongde looked up and met Cai Yang's loud cries of "I want to eat!" Before he could say anything, he heard Song Xinran's smiling voice, tinged with a hint of teasing: "Brother-in-law, you're so engrossed in eating that you've forgotten about the kids."
As she spoke, she cooked some slices of food for Song Yu, her voice gentle: "Little Yu, eat up."
Cai Yongde didn't have time to say anything, and his face felt hot. He quickly cooked some meat for Cai Yang and put it in his bowl: "Eat up." What a little tyrant.
This hot pot broth is really well-made; it tastes delicious no matter what you put in it.
The pig's blood soaks up the broth, and it's incredibly tender the moment you bite into it. The spicy and fragrant hot pot flavor, combined with the rich flavor of fermented black beans, spreads across your tongue. The pig's blood itself is incredibly fresh, and the slight earthy taste is neutralized by the aroma of the broth, leaving only pure fragrance.
However, you have to be careful when eating it, as the pig's blood is cooked to a very high temperature, and you can easily burn your tongue if you're not careful.
The pea shoots in the hot pot are absolutely amazing. After eating meat, a bite of these tender vegetables is incredibly refreshing and sweet.
Pea shoots should never be blanched for too long. Blanch them for just a few seconds and take them out immediately. They will be incredibly tender and delicate, with a flavor that combines the spiciness of hot pot with the refreshing taste of pea shoots. The stems are crisp and tender, and the leaves are smooth, making them a great way to cut through the richness of the food.
The group ate until their foreheads were sweating, but they still couldn't stop. The hot pot was bubbling and the aroma wafted far and wide. Luckily, Song Xinwen's house was a detached building, about a hundred meters away from the nearest neighbor, otherwise someone would definitely have come to ask what they were making that smelled so good.
During the Lunar New Year, one must warmly invite people to try the food, whether that enthusiasm is genuine or feigned.
Fortunately, there was no one around, but the aroma attracted several stray cats from the village, who gathered around the door and meowed.
Song Xinwen threw the bone he had just finished eating onto the dam floor. Two or three stray cats immediately surrounded it, hissing at each other, bristling, and meowing as they fought over the food.
Cai Yang turned out to be the strongest fighter among them; he, a child, managed to eat the last bite.
Seeing him wolfing down his food, Song Xinwen advised, "Don't eat too much, or your stomach will hurt!"
Cai Yang said, "Mom is cooking for me, I want more!"
The food he had prepared was not finished. Seeing how hungry he looked, Song Xinwen cooked some more for him and piled it high in Cai Yang's bowl.
While eating, Cai Yang glanced at Song Yu out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that Song Yu had put down his chopsticks and stopped eating, he chuckled twice and said, "Mine, all of it is mine."
Song Xinwen said irritably, "It's all in the pot for you."
It's best to eat all the ingredients cooked in the hot pot at once, otherwise the taste will be much worse if you eat them at the next meal.
"I want more!" Cai Yang shouted.
...
It's a pity that Cai Yang had half a bowl left in his bowl, and he just couldn't finish it.
Song Xinwen said, "You don't want it all? Don't waste it, eat it."
She wanted to properly correct Cai Yang's problem of having big eyes and a small mouth.
Cai Yang picked up a meatball with his chopsticks. He felt he wanted to eat it, but his stomach seemed to be full, and he felt like he was going to spit it out even if he tried to put it in his mouth.
Song Xinran said, "Sister, don't pressure him. He'll get sick and have to go to the clinic again. Let's leave these for Cai Yang to eat tonight."
Cai Yang never expected that his aunt would speak up for him one day, so he quickly nodded and said, "I'll eat it tonight!"
He can eat several bowls of food when he gets hungry at night.
Song Xinwen then let him go.
Song Xinran smiled but remained silent as she watched Cai Yang's happy expression. She planned to make dumplings that evening, and Cai Yang could eat the leftover hot pot from lunch while watching them enjoy the steaming hot, fresh dumplings.
Cai Yang was indeed full and lay on the cool couch with a cushion, not wanting to move. Song Xinwen told him to go out for a walk to digest his food.
Song Yu quickly nodded: "I used to go for a walk even after I had eaten."
He touched his stomach: "It's uncomfortable to be full."
Song Xinwen ordered, "Did you hear me? Take your brother Xiao Yu out for a walk."
Cai Yang got up from the cool couch unhappily, but before leaving, he ran into the room and stuffed something into his pocket. Then he ran out happily again: "Song Yu, let's go play!"
Song Yu didn't know what he was going to do, so she ran out after him.
As soon as he reached the edge of the field, there was a sudden "pop" in front of him, and a wisp of smoke rose up. Song Yu's eyes widened in fright.
Cai Yang stood a few meters away, laughing heartily.
Song Yu said, "You're setting off firecrackers! You'll blow your hands up!"
Cai Yang said, "I wouldn't."
Song Yu wanted to go back and tell his aunt, but Cai Yang saw through his intention and quickly stopped him: "Don't tell my mom, I'll let you play!"
Cai Yang placed the firecrackers in front of him, but Song Yu firmly shook his head: "I'm not playing with them, they'll blow my hands up."
Cai Yang picked up a firecracker, rubbed the red ignition end against the cardboard box, and tiny sparks "whooshed" out. Cai Yang quickly threw it into the paddy field.
With a muffled "plop," several bubbles rose to the surface of the water, slowly extinguished, and finally a wisp of smoke drifted out.
Cai Yang highly recommended it: "It's really fun, you should try it."
Song Yu was also a child. No child would dislike playing this. In the past, many children in the village would set off firecrackers during the Spring Festival. The firecrackers made a loud popping sound, and he was very envious when he saw it.
Cai Yang used to monopolize the firecrackers, but this year he actually shared them with him. Song Yu thought for a moment, then took out a firecracker and lit it like Cai Yang. His heart was pounding like a rabbit, and he quickly threw the firecracker into the water.
Unfortunately, it was a dud and didn't explode.
"puff!"
Cai Yang was extremely smug, glancing at Song Yu with his small eyes and mocking, "You can't even play properly!"
Song Yu pursed his lips, lit another one, and threw it into the water.
The sound was incredibly loud, and the water exploded into a large splash.
Song Yu was delighted, raised his eyebrows, and smiled. Although he didn't say anything, his pride was evident.
This time, Cai Yang was unhappy. He got angry and suddenly lit a firecracker and threw it at Song Yu's feet.
However, his aim was really worrying; the firecracker fell into the water next to him with a slight thud.
Song Yu naturally saw through Cai Yang's intention: "Don't blow people up."
Cai Yang said, "I won't blow people up!"
That being said, a firecracker was thrown at Song Yu's feet, and Cai Yang laughed loudly, shouting that he had hit the target!
He knew not to blow up people, so he blew up the ground next to Song Yu to scare him. Seeing Song Yu's frightened look, Cai Yang couldn't stop laughing.
However, his aim was indeed poor. He threw the ball at Song Yu's feet, then into the dirt next to him, and even accidentally threw it at his own feet, which startled him so much that he let out a short scream.
Song Yu ran as fast as he could to escape, with Cai Yang chasing after him, occasionally exploding at his feet and letting out a cry of "Ah!"
Song Yu ran to the village store. Cai Yang didn't dare to come in and cause trouble, so he waited for him outside, holding a firecracker in his hand as a threat.
Song Yu turned around, took out a dollar from his pocket, and said, "Grandpa Zheng, I want two boxes of firecrackers!"
I used to always see the village children coming to the store to buy things, but Song Yu rarely came. When he did come, it was to buy things like salt and soy sauce for the adults. This was the first time he had bought something for himself.
Cai Yang was still shouting outside: "Song Yu, you coward, come out and fight me one-on-one if you dare!"
Grandpa Zheng from the convenience store handed Song Yu the firecracker with a smile. Song Yu picked it up and ran away, but he had a plan. Instead of rushing out, he hid behind the wall and watched Cai Yang.
"Bang!"
He quickly turned to look for people, but couldn't see a single one.
Song Yu hid it well. He lit another one and threw it accurately at Cai Yang's feet, causing Cai Yang to scream again.
This time, Cai Yang didn't have time to look for anyone and ran away quickly.
This time, Song Yu wouldn't let him off easily. With a weapon in hand, he chased after Cai Yang, determined to "take revenge."
Cai Yang wanted to retaliate, but either he threw the ball too close to himself and scared himself, or he threw it off target. In any case, he failed to scare Song Yu. He was chased by Song Yu and could only run away. In the end, he was defeated by Song Yu and begged for mercy on the spot: "Let's stop fighting! Let's stop fighting! We're not playing anymore!"
Seeing this, Song Yu couldn't help but burst into laughter, feeling incredibly happy and carefree.
But he wasn't the kind of kid who liked to chase after a defeated enemy. He put the firecracker in his pocket and said in a childish voice, "Don't blow me up, or I'll get angry."
Cai Yang loosened his hands that were tightly clutching his head and looked at him in surprise. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to stop fighting. The winning kid liked to press his advantage and wipe out the enemy completely.
He found Song Yu a bit strange, but since ending the war was in his best interest, Cai Yang naturally wouldn't raise any objections.
But then he had another good idea: "Song Yu, let's go blow up someone else."
He was already quite skilled at playing with firecrackers, but he never expected Song Yu to defeat him. If the two of them joined forces, wouldn't they utterly crush those people, leaving them with nothing?
Cai Yang couldn't help but burst into laughter at the thought of that scene.
Song Yu: "No."
After saying that, he walked towards home. Cai Yang followed behind him, asking him repeatedly why he wouldn't go and begging him to go bomb people together.
Before Song Yu even got home, he saw the children who had come to play with him. Song Yu immediately said, "Everyone, get out of the way! Cai Yang is trying to blow someone up!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone scattered in a panic, shouting warnings to be careful of Cai Yang.
When Cai Yang realized that his sneak attack had failed, he stopped trying to hide it and immediately took out firecrackers and started setting them off everywhere. However, he wasn't the only one with firecrackers; many other children had them too.
Cai Yang not only failed to defeat Cai Yang, but also had to be blown up and run away. After the children defeated Cai Yang, they happily went to jump rope together, but their hands were still itching to do so, so they kept blowing up things along the way.
Song Yu couldn't resist and used up the whole box of firecrackers.
They played until evening, when Song Yu looked at the sky and said, "I have to go home now. My mom is making dumplings."
Everyone had to go home for dinner, so they agreed to play again tomorrow. Tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year, which is the most fun time. On this day, children seem to have immunity and won't get a beating no matter what they do.
Song Yu agreed, grabbed the jump rope, and ran home quickly. Cai Yang followed behind him, telling him to slow down and wait for him.
When the two children got home, the dumplings were already wrapped and placed neatly on a porcelain plate, plump and bulging.
Cai Yang called out, "Mom, when are we having dinner? I'm starving!"
Although he had eaten a big lunch, he was hungry after spending the afternoon playing outside.
Song Xinran wrote: "Is Xiao Yu hungry?"
Song Yu nodded, eager to tell her mother that she had played with a whole box of firecrackers today. She had only ever watched others play with them before, but today she realized how fun they were.
However, if my aunt knew that Cai Yang had blown up someone, she would definitely be angry and scold him, and it's not good to scold people during the New Year.
Song Yu decided to tell his mother after returning to town.
Hearing that the two children were hungry, Song Xinwen started a fire. Once the water boiled, he put the dumplings into the pot. The dumplings he made himself were filled with very generous fillings, which Song Xinran had personally prepared. Just by looking at the color, you could tell they would taste great.
The dumplings were cooked when they floated to the surface of the steaming pot. Song Xinran scooped them into a large enamel basin. The dumplings were plump and white, like little ingots. The thin, translucent dumpling skins were a pale off-white, and you could vaguely see the plump filling inside.
There are pork and scallion fillings, pork and sauerkraut fillings, and pork and mushroom fillings; they all look incredibly appetizing.
As you get closer, the aroma of noodles mixed with the steam wafts over, a warm, moist, and savory scent that makes your stomach rumble.
Cai Yang exclaimed excitedly, "I want to eat! I want to eat!"
Song Xinran brought the enamel basin to the table, and each person had a porcelain bowl in front of them. They could serve themselves as many dumplings as they wanted.
Song Yu first served five; if that wasn't enough, they could continue, but they couldn't waste any.
The cooked dumplings were steaming hot, and the pleats pinched at the edges looked like delicate little flowers, so beautiful that you didn't want to take a bite.
Song Xinwen immediately said, "These dumplings in Xiao Yu's spoon were made by Xinran. You can tell just by looking at them."
Their dumplings also looked like dumplings, but they weren't nearly as pretty.
Cai Yang glanced at it and immediately said, "I want to eat Auntie's dumplings too!"
Song Xinwen placed a bowl in front of him, containing some pea shoots, potato slices, and meatballs: "You eat this. You're not allowed to eat dumplings until you finish your leftovers from lunch!"
By this time, Song Yu had already blew on the dumplings to cool them down a bit. He opened his mouth wide and put them in his mouth, took a bite, and the warm soup spread in his mouth. The meat filling was firm and chewy, the finely chopped pickled cabbage was refreshing, and the pork was delicious.
Song Yu let out a soft meow, like a kitten, and couldn't help but say, "The dumplings are so delicious!"
Cai Yang couldn't help but drool as he looked at his dumplings. He pleaded, "Mom, let me eat the dumplings first, then the hot pot."
Song Xinwen said coldly, "Eat hot pot first. You're not allowed to eat dumplings if you don't finish the leftovers."
The remaining hot pot was what Cai Yang wanted to eat and cook himself. She didn't listen to her reminders. He had to bear the consequences of his own actions, otherwise he would never learn his lesson.
Cai Yang whimpered, grabbed the hot pot, and reluctantly started eating. The hot pot, which was delicious at noon, tasted worse after being steamed and heated. Although it was still very tasty, everyone was eating dumplings now and enjoying their meal. Cai Yang wanted to eat with them too.
He stared at Song Yu, who was eating happily with his cheeks bulging, swallowed hard, and wished he could take Song Yu's place.
Song Yu naturally sensed Cai Yang's gaze, but he didn't even glance at Cai Yang, focusing only on eating his dumplings.
The shiitake mushrooms were delicious, the scallions were spicy and fresh, and each dumpling was very generously filled with meat.
Song Yu let out a loud gulp, feeling as happy as firecrackers hitting water, bubbling and overflowing with joy that was beyond counting.
Author's note: I'm getting hungry while writing this! [food emoji]
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