Xiao Su walked into the stairwell, turned around and smiled at Wang Dabao, then blushed and lightly climbed the steps.
Wang Dabao only tightened his cotton-padded coat and turned to leave after Xiao Su's figure was out of sight.
He hadn't worn a cotton-padded coat the whole way, and while holding Xiao Su's warm little hand, he hadn't felt cold until Xiao Su left, at which point he felt his body was almost frozen to the bone.
After returning to the security office building, I drank several cups of hot tea before I finally warmed up.
Lying on the small bed in the inner room of the lounge, Wang Dabao's mind was filled with images of Xiao Su.
...... ......
That evening, Yi Zhonghai and his wife, the deaf old woman, Sha Zhu, and He Yushui and his sister gathered at the Jia family home.
The room was filled with the aroma of dumplings, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
Yi Zhonghai glanced at Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu from time to time, and occasionally peeked through the windows of the main room and inner room at his apprentice Jia Dongxu, who was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), while making his own plans.
Qin Huairu felt Sha Zhu's gaze, and a strange emotion welled up inside her.
Suppressing her inner turmoil, she now only hoped that the New Year would pass smoothly and that her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, and husband, Jia Dongxu, would not cause any trouble.
After the New Year, she will be able to work in the factory and receive a salary. Although it will be an apprentice's salary, it will at least be enough to support the family and prevent them from being as strapped for cash as they are now.
There's enough dumpling filling left over from today's making. If we use it sparingly, it'll be enough for them to make another batch of whole dumplings.
"Hey, look at how well I make these dumplings, it's pretty good. But look at Aunt Yi's, they're not quite there yet." Sha Zhu picked up a dumpling, his mouth never stopping, chatting with one person and then moving on to another.
Aunt Yi smiled and said, "Zhu Zi, you're something else. Even if I, Aunt Yi, cook at home all day, I can't compare to you, the chef from the steel mill."
"Oh, that's true, Aunt Yi, I like what you said."
Sha Zhu chuckled and showed off the dumplings to Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu, saying, "What do you two think? Let me tell you, there's a lot more to making dumplings than you think."
"Wow, there's so much to it about making dumplings! Zhu Zi, why don't you tell everyone about it?"
Yi Zhonghai stirred the dumpling filling and also ate some.
“Alright, since it’s Chinese New Year today, let’s talk about it.” Sha Zhu raised his eyelids, his expression saying, “You might not believe me, but let’s start with chive dumplings. Chives are a homophone for ‘long-lasting,’ so it symbolizes longevity and smooth sailing.”
"As for the celery filling, celery symbolizes diligence and hard work, representing wealth through hard work. Today, we're using cabbage filling, as cabbage sounds like 'wealth,' signifying prosperity and good fortune."
He Yushui laughed from the side: "Alright, bro, stop showing off. I know how to cook this stuff too. Hurry up, this is the last pot. Let's start eating soon, I'm starving."
"Yes, yes, listen to the rain, let's hurry up and make dumplings, let's eat dumplings."
The deaf old lady sat hunched over on a chair nearby, poking the ground with her cane, and said with a smile.
Banggeng, who was playing with his two younger sisters nearby, chimed in, "Yes, yes, let's hurry up and eat, my stomach is empty."
"Alright, Sister Qin, move aside, let's cook this and then we'll eat."
Sha Zhu said cheerfully, "You guys keep an eye on the dumplings, I'll get two cold dishes, and a stir-fried egg with garlic chives."
Qin Huairu laughed and said, "You've really kept Zhuzi very busy today. He has to take care of everything."
"Hey, Sister Qin, what are you saying? We're celebrating the New Year together just for the fun of it."
"That's true."
Sha Zhu got busy and, as expected of a master chef, soon served cucumber salad and stir-fried eggs with garlic chives.
Jia Dongxu was also taken off the kang (a heated brick bed) and placed on a chair by Yi Zhonghai.
Everyone sat down together to eat dumplings, but the cheerful atmosphere from before became somewhat subdued because of Jia Dongxu's arrival.
With a gloomy face, Jia Dongxu kept scanning Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu, his meaning was clear: he wanted to see if the two of them had done anything shameful behind his back.
Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly picked up his wine glass: "This year, the idea of the four families celebrating the New Year together was my suggestion. I felt that it would be cold if there were fewer people. Look at our big table, it's much more lively now."
"Let's toast the old lady with our first drink, wishing her good health and that she will continue to be the pillar of our community."
The crowd echoed this sentiment, raising their glasses and uttering auspicious words.
Only Jia Dongxu showed no smile and didn't touch the cup in front of him.
"Dongxu, cheer up during the New Year. Things will get better from here on out." Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath and said slowly to Jia Dongxu beside him.
Jia Dongxu bit his lip, but finally picked up his wine glass: "Okay, Master, I'll listen to you."
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Taking advantage of his drunken state, Sha Zhu started telling funny stories about the factory, making everyone laugh and gradually livening up the atmosphere again.
Although Jia Dongxu also smiled, his eyes still showed suspicion from time to time, making Qin Huairu feel uncomfortable as if she had thorns growing on her body.
After the meal, the group helped clear the table. Then, Banggeng led Xiaodang to kowtow and wish the deaf old lady, Yi Zhonghai and his wife, Shazhu, and others a Happy New Year.
Yi Zhonghai had prepared red envelopes long ago, and even prepared one for the deaf old lady.
These are all small bags sewn by Aunt Yi from red cloth.
The front yard is Yan Bugui's house.
At this point, the family had finished their meal, and unusually, Old Man Yan poured a glass of wine for Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang, as if to let the two brothers enjoy their drink.
However, the alcohol content of this liquor is a bit low, so it seems that Yan Bugui ultimately added some water.
After dinner, the family sat around the round table and chatted.
Every year on New Year's Eve, Yan Bugui would distribute peanuts to everyone using a shovel. This year, because they had set up a stall, there were still quite a few melon seeds and peanuts left at home, so he gave each of them three large handfuls.
He just stayed by his own pile of food.
However, Yan Jiekuang would occasionally pull out a White Rabbit milk candy from his pocket and stuff it into his mouth, which made Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiedi very envious.
"Dad, did you secretly give away the White Rabbit milk candies you confiscated before?" Yan Jiefang asked with a frown.
Before Yan Bugui could speak, Yan Jiekuang said in a muffled voice, "This was given to me by Uncle Dabao yesterday, but I've been saving it and haven't eaten it."
Yan Jiefang sighed: "Wang Dabao is really good to Jie Kuang. If you didn't know better, you'd think Jie Kuang was Wang Dabao's son."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jiekuang laughed, which infuriated Yan Bugui and his wife, who were standing nearby.
"Don't talk nonsense. It's just that Da Bao and your brother get along well. It's a good thing."
Yan Bugui glared at him and walked over. “From now on, whether at home or outside, you’re not allowed to call Da Bao by his name directly. Putting aside the fact that Da Bao saved your brother, he’s now the head of the security department. If he hears you call him that, he might get angry and make you lose your mind.”
Yan Jiefang shrank back as his father, Yan Bugui, spoke to him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
