Is the washing machine broken in Chapter 68?
Seeing that Grandma Fang was avoiding her gaze, Song's mother asked Song Fenglan, "Who is that person?"
Song Fenglan followed her mother's gaze and saw Grandma Fang. Grandma Fang couldn't hide no matter what she did; she was such a big person.
“That’s Aunt Fang, the person who lives in the house next to Fatty Sister-in-law,” Song Fenglan said.
“Since they’re neighbors, why are you hiding like this…” Song’s mother felt uneasy seeing Grandma Fang’s behavior.
“Don’t worry about her,” Song Fenglan said. “She used to say that I was bad at having children and that I shouldn’t talk about it, and that I was healthy and asked why I didn’t have a second child. There were other things too. Our family and Sister-in-law Pang’s family didn’t have a very good relationship with them. Now, we talk to each other less, and if we see each other, we pretend we don’t see them.”
At least that's how Grandma Fang is; Song Fenglan and the others don't want to go and risk getting into trouble. Grandma Fang is a very stubborn country woman. She's quite old and always thinks her own ideas are right, while other people's ideas are wrong.
Grandma Fang always manages to cause trouble, and when trouble comes, she doesn't think she's at fault; she believes others are too fragile. Grandma Fang feels guilty towards her eldest granddaughter, but not much; she's just a little better to her than towards her second granddaughter.
“She’s still urging her daughter-in-law to get pregnant soon. Her daughter-in-law has given birth to two daughters,” Song Fenglan said. “She’s hoping to have a boy.”
“She… it’s better that you don’t live under the same roof,” said Song’s mother. “Many people are like that. They all want a son, and if they don’t have one, they keep having more. When your father and I were on the farm in the countryside, we saw some families with seven or eight children. Those people just kept having children until they had a son. If they had a girl, they would give her away. There aren’t that many people who want a girl.”
When Song's mother saw how those people treated the girls in her family, she felt they were too cruel. They treated their daughters like servants, making them do all sorts of chores. No one was allowed to say anything; if anyone did, they would be asked: "If they don't work, what will you do? Will you support them?"
After hearing this, what could others say? They said that since there were still men in their family, they could let the men do more work. Others said that older sisters should consider their younger brothers, and that after they got married, their brothers would stand up for them.
After witnessing so many things, Song's mother became numb. The Song family had originally been sent down to the farm, so naturally they couldn't speak ill of others. Even when others spoke to them, they didn't say much; if they did, they might be criticized and denounced again.
"If your family can afford to raise a child, that's fine. If you want to have one, then go ahead," Song's mother said, looking at Song Fenglan. "You're not planning on having another one?"
“I don’t plan to have any more children. Zihang is enough,” Song Fenglan said. “I still have to work and have a lot of things to do. Where would I find the time to have a baby? Having a baby would take a toll on my body, and I would also have to take care of the child. There would be a lot of trouble.”
"That's true, Zihang is not bad," said Song's mother. "Teach Zihang well."
Grandma Fang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the Song family hadn't come up to her. She bought a few things and then went home.
When they arrived home, Gao Xiuxiu was there too, and Grandma Fang described how extravagant the Song family was.
"There were several of them, carrying several vegetable baskets," Grandma Fang said. "Each basket was filled with a lot of vegetables. They're really rich, buying so much stuff at once. Can they even finish eating it all?"
"Probably," Gao Xiuxiu said. "There's no such thing as food that can't be finished. If each of them eats a few more bites, it'll be gone. Are you in front of them yet?"
“Why would I go in front of them?” Grandma Fang said. “Song Fenglan doesn’t have such a good temper. She and our family… She didn’t show up, but Sister-in-law Pang has stood up for her several times.”
Grandma Fang thought Song Fenglan was a heartless woman. Song Fenglan herself knew to hide behind the scenes and let Fatty Sister-in-law step in. Grandma Fang also thought Fatty Sister-in-law was stupid. Even if Fatty Sister-in-law stood in front of Song Fenglan, Song Fenglan might not thank her. Fatty Sister-in-law was probably only after Song Fenglan's little bit of food.
It's not like Sister Pang's family is without food; why make herself look like a beggar?
Actually, Grandma Fang really wanted those things from Song Fenglan's house, but since she couldn't get them, she told Gao Xiuxiu this in private.
Others might not know what Grandma Fang was thinking, but Gao Xiuxiu certainly did. Gao Xiuxiu didn't point it out; after all, Grandma Fang was her mother-in-law.
"You've finished taking your medicine. You and Xudong should work harder and try to get pregnant with your third child soon," Grandma Fang said. "I can help you take care of the children now that I'm here."
"Hmm." Gao Xiuxiu thought about her two daughters at home. How wonderful it would be if the second child was a son.
"You too, you said your second child was a son, and when people back home found out, they all laughed at you," Grandma Fang said. "Don't you know what you shouldn't say? The child hasn't even been born yet, and you're already talking about it."
“I really thought it would be a son, I had a strong feeling, but who knew…” Gao Xiuxiu wanted others to think that she had given birth to a son in her second pregnancy. As long as she had a son, she could hold her head high.
When Gao Xiuxiu had her first child, a daughter, she told others that boys and girls were the same, that men and women were equal. But with her second child, things changed; she wanted a son and talked about it everywhere. Now, people laugh at Gao Xiuxiu behind her back, saying she's gone crazy wanting a son, and that she's not as good as she seems on the surface. Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang have many similarities, except Grandma Fang is much more blatant in her wrongdoings.
Seeing the others carrying bamboo baskets, Qin Zihang also wanted to carry one.
"Is it heavy?" Song Fenglan asked. Her son insisted on carrying it, so she let him carry one.
"It's not heavy." Qin Zihang felt the weight of the things in the bamboo basket. He was still saying that it wasn't heavy and that he could take it home.
Looking at Qin Zihang's appearance, Song Fenglan felt that she was struggling.
"I'll take it." Song's mother couldn't bear to see her grandson struggle so much.
“No need, let him carry it himself. He's the one who wants to carry it, it's not like you're forcing him to,” Song Fenglan said. “If it's too heavy for him to carry, he'll put it down. Mom, you weren't this gentle with me before. They say grandparents love their grandchildren more, but you're even better to Zihang.”
"Isn't it because he's your child?" Song's mother said. "If Hangbao weren't your child, do you think we would like him so much?"
"That's true." Song Fenglan nodded.
“Yufei, when she brings her child to our house, I don’t like to talk to her,” said Song’s mother. “I don’t look at her child much either.”
Song's mother knew that Jiang Yufei was trying to soften their hearts and gain benefits from the Song family. Song's mother was unwilling to give Jiang Yufei many favors, nor would she give Jiang Yufei's child a red envelope. When relatives came to eat at their house, she only allowed Jiang Yufei to sit down to eat; that was already quite a feat.
Jiang Yufei made things difficult for Song Fenglan, so the Song family naturally couldn't treat Jiang Yufei too well. As for Jiang Yufei causing Brother Qin and Tian Keshu to divorce, it wasn't entirely Jiang Yufei's fault. Rather, something happened on Tian's side, and Brother Qin, concerned about his reputation, might have initially said he wouldn't divorce, but later, unable to bear it any longer and fearing Tian Keshu's influence, he finally said he wanted a divorce.
Jiang Yufei did not
She brought up the news of Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin's divorce to curry favor with Song's mother because she knew the Song family would definitely think of this. Unlike the Jiang family, the Song family wasn't easily fooled by Jiang Yufei. Jiang Yufei didn't get much benefit from the Song family, so naturally she rarely visited them.
“She…” Song Fenglan hadn’t thought about Jiang Yufei for a long time, but then she suddenly remembered something, “My third aunt’s daughter lives nearby.”
"Is it very close?" Song's mother asked.
“It’s very close,” Song Fenglan said.
"She's here to be a pilot," said Song's mother. The Tang family was saying it over there, and Tang Lu had also told Song's third aunt.
The Song family had nothing to say about Tang Lu's ambition to become a pilot. Tang Lu's surname was Tang, not Song, and they couldn't very well claim that the Song family had produced a pilot and that Tang Lu was a member of the Song family. That would be self-aggrandizing and would displease the Tang family. Moreover, during those turbulent times, the two sides had already fallen out.
Less than a month after Aunt Song divorced Mr. Tang, he immediately remarried. Mr. Tang never thought of protecting Aunt Song or helping her more. The Tang family all wanted to draw a clear line between themselves and Aunt Song.
This is one of the reasons why Song's mother thought Aunt Yu was quite nice; the Jiang family was also considered decent. In those special times, the bad tempers of those people were on full display.
“Yes, it’s nearby. There’s a training base around here. Many people know about it, it’s not exactly a secret. It’s just that ordinary people can’t go in,” Song Fenglan said.
“Of course we can’t just go in,” said Song’s mother. “We asked your third aunt before we came, and she told us not to worry about Tang Lu or go to see her. She’s a member of the Tang family.”
"Third Aunt is still the same as before, with clear likes and dislikes," Song Fenglan sighed.
“People always have to be more self-reliant,” said Song’s mother. “You can’t always think about the past, you can’t always think about the hard times, and you can’t always think that you have to sacrifice for others. Even with family, there are those who are not worth it.”
Mother Song didn't say much about Aunt Song's affairs, but everyone knew that the Tang family and Aunt Song had a very bad relationship. The Tang family was sending Tang Lu and others to contact Aunt Song simply because they wanted what Aunt Song possessed. If Aunt Song didn't have those things, those people would definitely ignore her and wouldn't even say a word; they would act as if they didn't know her.
Song's mother saw her third aunt several times and saw her loneliness, but she couldn't persuade her to forgive the children. Song's mother also didn't advise her to remarry; after all, a woman who remarries usually has to serve her husband anyway, so why bother?
If the policy were to change again and allow the hiring of maids, that would be wonderful. Then Aunt Song could hire someone to sweep the floor and cook, making her life much easier and saving her from having to do those chores herself. However, if it were possible to hire maids, I wonder if Aunt Song would be willing to have another person in the household.
"Who is Third Aunt?" Qin Zihang asked, not quite understanding.
Qin Zihang had never met Aunt Song. Song Fenglan had mentioned her to him occasionally, but children forget things easily. How could Qin Zihang possibly remember someone he had never met or spoken to? Naturally, he forgot her in no time.
“It’s your third great-aunt, your mother’s third aunt,” Song Fenglan said.
"Oh." Qin Zihang still didn't quite understand. "Is it like with aunts or great-aunts?"
“Yes, they are of the same generation,” Song Fenglan nodded, “but their temperaments are quite different.”
"Is she coming to our house for dinner?" Qin Zihang asked. "Is she staying at our house?"
“She didn’t come; she’s in the capital,” Song’s mother said. “You’ll have a chance to see your third aunt later.”
"Why haven't I seen him before?" Qin Zihang asked.
"Something came up, so I can't see you right away. There will be another opportunity later," Song Fenglan said. "Are you still talking? Can you bring the groceries home?"
"Yes, I can, I can carry it home," Qin Zihang said, taking two big steps to demonstrate his strength.
Song Fenglan gestured to Qin Yizhou to keep a close eye on Qin Zihang and prevent him from falling. If Qin Zihang fell, Song's mother and the others would be worried about him. Looking at Qin Zihang's slightly swaying body, Song Fenglan considered taking something out of the bamboo basket, but then decided against it and let Qin Zihang try it.
Qin Zihang took a few steps, put the bamboo basket on the ground, and prepared to use his other hand to exert force. Song's mother wanted to reach out to help Qin Zihang, but Song Fenglan stopped her.
"Let him take it." Song Fenglan repeated the same sentence.
"We still need to wash the vegetables when we get back," said Song's mother. "Where will we get home at this pace?"
Song Erge reached out and took a few taro and taro roots from Qin Zihang's basket. These were quite heavy, so he could put them in his own basket. Since all the vegetables needed washing anyway, it didn't matter how they were placed; the most important thing was to lighten Qin Zihang's load.
“Second Uncle.” Qin Zihang looked at his second uncle.
"Wait a moment, you and your second uncle will wash the taro together," said Song Erge.
"Okay," Qin Zihang said. "I can use a brush to scrub it clean."
"Don't use a brush meant for brushing dog hair," Song Fenglan reminded Qin Zihang, who had previously been unable to distinguish between different types of brushes.
"I know," Qin Zihang said. "Dog brushes have fur on them, so you can't use them to brush food. Mom, I'm all grown up, I know what I'm doing."
"..." Song Fenglan was speechless. Her son always said the same thing, that he already understood. But whether he truly understood when it came to actually doing things was another matter entirely.
“With my second uncle here, he can see it,” Qin Zihang said. “My second uncle can see the bristles on the brush. He’s not blind.”
“I’ll take care of him.” Second Brother Song looked at his nephew, who spoke fluently and could say quite a lot.
“You should just spoil him,” Song Fenglan said.
“We’re not staying here long, so if we’re going to pamper you, it’ll only be for these few days,” said Second Brother Song.
"Even when he wasn't around, you sent him quite a few things," Song Fenglan said. "Isn't that spoiling him?"
"Yes, but it's not the same feeling when I'm not by his side," said Song Erge. "Mom and Dad also rarely get to see Hangbao."
"You've already said everything," Song Fenglan said, feeling she had nothing more to say.
The Song family wanted to make amends to Song Fenglan, but given her age, she didn't need much, so they tried their best to be good to her. If it were someone else, they might think that children in the city have a good life and wouldn't believe that children living in the city could endure hardship. The Song family, however, felt that Song Fenglan had suffered a lot, experiencing darkness at such a young age.
When the Song family returned to the city, Song Fenglan was already married and had children.
With Song Erge's help in cheating and reducing the weight, Qin Zihang quickly brought the items home.
Song's mother was going to cook a lot of food, so she had to kill some chickens and ducks. She planned to make smoked duck, use the chicken to make soup, and also make some taro dumplings.
When the whole family does things together, it's easier to get things done quickly and avoids being too slow.
Qin Zihang did not take the dog-scaring brush.
He grabbed the clothes brush to scrub the taro, but luckily Song Fenglan saw him. Song Fenglan quickly gave Qin Zihang another brush, but Qin Zihang insisted that someone tell him which brush it was before handing it to him.
“Go ahead and swipe it,” Song Fenglan said.
"Is this the brush?" Qin Zihang asked, puzzled.
“That’s a laundry brush, not a taro brush,” Song Fenglan said. “Taro is for eating. Even if you need to peel it, you can’t use it to brush taro. If you brush taro and then use it to brush clothes, aren’t you afraid your clothes will be itchy?”
Some people are prone to allergic reactions and itchy skin after touching taro. Song Fenglan thought that she and Qin Yizhou were fine, but Qin Zihang, being a child, didn't have such a strong immune system, so they couldn't let Qin Zihang use the brush indiscriminately.
“Second brother, look, he’s just so hard to guard against,” Song Fenglan said.
"You guys rarely cook taro, do you?" Brother Song asked.
“It’s rare,” Song Fenglan nodded. “But I wash the sweet potatoes a lot. Sometimes I steam or roast them for him. Roasted sweet potatoes are fine, it doesn’t matter whether I wash off the dirt or not, but steamed sweet potatoes definitely need to be washed clean of dirt.”
Song Fenglan meant that Qin Zihang wasn't unaware of which brush to use; it was just that the child didn't care. Song Fenglan needed to remind Qin Zihang a few times to help him develop good habits.
At this moment, Song Fenglan could understand the difficulty her mother had faced in reminding her to do things back then; children easily forget these things. Even if a child doesn't forget, they might still think it's trivial.
"Brother Zihang." Zhang Xiaohu, leaning on his crutches, came looking for Qin Zihang. He had wanted to play with Qin Zihang all morning, but Qin Zihang was either eating or not at home. Zhang Xiaohu finally waited until Qin Zihang returned home, and regardless of whether his mother allowed him to come, he insisted on coming.
“Brother Xiaohu.” When Qin Zihang saw Zhang Xiaohu, he thought of the toys in his room. “My grandparents and my second uncle gave me new toys and other things. I’ll show you later. I need to cook taro now.”
"Do you want to cook taro?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.
“Yes, boiled taro,” Qin Zihang said. “My grandma made it. I’ll save some for you.”
"The taro isn't very tasty; some of it is hard." Zhang Xiaohu didn't really like taro. Some of the taro that his aunt bought wouldn't soften when cooked. When Zhang Xiaohu ate the taro that wouldn't soften, he thought taro was unappetizing.
“My grandma makes it, it’s sure to be delicious,” Qin Zihang said. “You’ll see when my grandma makes it.”
"Really?" Zhang Xiaohu asked, puzzled.
"Of course." Qin Zihang moved a small chair for Zhang Xiaohu and let him sit down.
Qin Yizhou spends a lot of time at home, and he has made quite a few bamboo chairs from bamboo strips. Now that there are so many people in the family, the bamboo chairs provide a place for everyone to sit.
Zhang Xiaohu's leg hadn't healed yet, so Qin Zihang didn't let Zhang Xiaohu wash the taro. Instead, he had Zhang Xiaohu sit next to him and watch him scrub it.
“My grandma picked them out,” Qin Zihang said. “Grandma said the taro my mom picked wasn’t good.”
Qin Zihang watched as Song's mother and Song Fenglan bought taro. Song Fenglan thought some of the taro was fine, but Song's mother disagreed, so she took the rest out. The shop assistant initially didn't want them to choose, thinking that Song Fenglan and her group were too much trouble, but seeing so many people with them, she didn't stop them. She even said, "Taro is like that; some taro is just hard to cook until soft. Please choose carefully."
"Grandma said taro can be used to make taro dumplings, and it can also be cooked with green vegetables. The green vegetables will become slippery and taste delicious," Qin Zihang said.
“My mom also cooked taro with vegetables, and it didn’t taste good,” Zhang Xiaohu said. He felt that Qin Zihang probably didn’t like it either. “My mom even sliced the taro and cooked it for a long time before it wasn’t so hard.”
Today was another day of Zhang Xiaohu complaining about his mother's cooking. Luckily, Fatty Sister-in-law wasn't here, otherwise she would have grabbed Zhang Xiaohu's ear and made him say less.
Listening to the conversation between Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang, Song Erge could tell that they had a good relationship. Zhang Xiaohu had just called Song Erge "Second Uncle" along with Qin Zihang, and Song Erge had even responded.
The two children huddled together, talking about the fuzz on the taro, the dirt on it, the taste of the taro… They had so much to say about just one taro. Even Brother Song couldn't understand what was so interesting about a taro, yet the two children were chatting away so enthusiastically.
Aunt Pang knew Zhang Xiaohu had gone next door, but she didn't go to bring him back. Zhang Xiaohu kept saying he wanted to go next door, and Aunt Pang couldn't stop him. Zhang Xiaohu was such a young child; if the adults didn't let him go, he would throw a tantrum, and the neighbors, Song Fenglan and her husband, could hear it all immediately.
So what if he loses face? At most, people will think Zhang Xiaohu is greedy and that he's so eager to get over there.
Sister-in-law Pang had a headache. Her eldest son was much less of a worry. Unlike her younger son, he didn't always want to run off to the neighbor's.
“Your younger brother, you told him not to go, to go another day, but he just won’t go,” said the plump woman.
“Mom, you told him yesterday that today is today,” Zhang Wen said.
“He was playing with Zihang yesterday during the day,” said the plump woman.
“They usually hang out together at night too.” Zhang Wen thought Zhang Xiaohu couldn’t possibly resist. Not to mention Zhang Xiaohu, even he himself was curious about who the people next door were and what they looked like.
"Never mind, let him go," said the plump woman. "I'll go and bring him back later."
Sister-in-law Pang thought to herself that she couldn't really let Zhang Xiaohu have dinner next door. It was a rare opportunity for the whole family to get together, so what would it mean for Zhang Xiaohu to go over there?
Before Song Fenglan and the others went out to buy groceries, Song's mother had already kneaded the dough.
Meanwhile, Song's mother finished preparing the filling and was wrapping buns. Each bun was almost identical, almost like they were pasted together. Song's mother thought her homemade buns were tastier than those from outside, and that the dough was also carefully selected. Fortunately, Song Fenglan usually knew how to choose flour, and Song's mother was quite satisfied with the flour she found.
Besides making steamed buns, Song's mother also made some brown sugar steamed buns and white steamed buns.
Song's mother could also make steamed buns into other patterns, but she didn't this time. To make steamed buns of other colors, she would need vegetable juice to adjust the color. They had many things to do today and didn't have much time to spend on steamed buns.
“You have quite a few tools here,” said Song’s mother. “You even have steamers and such.”
“I’m not a good cook, so I just make some pastries for Zihang,” Song Fenglan said. “We make our own pastries at home so we don’t have to buy them outside. Pastries outside are expensive, and you can’t even eat a few bites of them.”
“Indeed, homemade food tastes better and comes in larger portions,” said Song’s mother. “We can steam it in a little while.”
"Mm." Song Fenglan nodded.
"Are you going to give it away?" Song's mother asked.
“We don’t need to give it to many people,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s impossible to get up every day to give food to others. We just gave some last weekend, so we won’t give any this time. At most, we’ll let the neighbor’s kids have a few, and let my uncles and aunts take some back with them.”
Song Fenglan didn't intend to send food to others more often. If she sent food several times a month, how much grain would she need at home to make enough? Now that there's a ration system, anything exceeding the quota would be expensive.
Although Song Fenglan's status was different, and the relevant departments delivered some food to her every month so she didn't have to buy it at a higher price, she still knew how to manage her food. Qin Yizhou and Qin Zihang were both men, so they ate more of their food.
“Mom, don’t worry about not having enough food at home, there’s enough,” Song Fenglan said. “You’ve seen the rice and flour in the storage room, it was delivered by our workplace a couple of days ago.”
Knowing that Song Fenglan's family was coming and that she would need some food, the research institute sent over extra supplies. With everything prepared, Song Fenglan no longer needed to worry about food; her time shouldn't be wasted on such trivial matters.
“If it’s not enough, there’s more,” Song Fenglan said.
“They treat you well,” said Song’s mother, thinking that her daughter must have shown them how useful she was.
Song's mother didn't know just how powerful her daughter was, but there must be a reason why others valued her so much. Watching her daughter making steamed buns, Song's mother wondered how her daughter had reached this level. She didn't know, and she didn't want to ask. All she needed to know was that the person before her was her own daughter, and that was enough.
"Make some extra before we go back, and put it in the refrigerator for you," said Song's mother.
"Okay." Song Fenglan nodded. "It's good to put them in the refrigerator, so I can still taste Mom's steamed buns. Mom, your steamed buns are delicious, they taste really good."
"It's alright." Song's mother didn't stop what she was doing.
Song's mother and the others did not plan to wander around Nancheng any longer. They would go out for a walk on their own when Song Fenglan went to work.
After a while, Song's mother steamed some buns and mantou, and she put them in a large bowl first. Zhang Xiaohu was eating at Song Fenglan's house, while Zhang Xiaohu's brother Zhang Wen was still at home. Song's mother took the bowl and went next door herself, without waiting for Song Fenglan to come over.
“I’m Fenglan’s mother. Fenglan is here, and it’s been quite a hassle.” Mother Song handed a large bowl containing steamed buns and mantou to the plump woman. “It’s just a little something, don’t mind it.”
"Not at all, not at all." The plump woman quickly took the things. "Would you like to come in and have a seat?"
"No, I have to go over there," said Song's mother.
"Okay, okay, I'll go get the bowls right away," said the plump woman.
Song's mother stood at the door, looking at the plump woman's yard. The vegetables in her yard were growing better, showing that the owner had taken good care of the garden. The plump woman was a bit stout, but she gave a pleasant impression. Song Feng
On the other side of the Lan family's house was a small hill, and there were other houses some distance away.
Song's mother wanted to know what her daughter's neighbors were like; a few words would suffice, no need for much discussion. She worried that Song Fenglan wouldn't handle neighborly relations well and that her daughter might be targeted.
"Xiao Hu is still with you. I'll have him come back." The plump woman came out with an empty bowl.
"It's alright, let him have dinner with us." Song's mother said with a smile, "Zihang likes him very much, and Zihang invited him to eat with us. Xiaohu doesn't mind, and Zihang is very happy."
"How could we complain? It's all thanks to Sister Fenglan that Xiaohu has grown up so chubby and healthy," said Sister Pang. "Our Xiaohu has eaten so much food from Sister Fenglan's house. Zihang also gave Xiaohu a lot of toys, saying they were old, but they all look brand new and in very good condition to me."
The plump woman was a little embarrassed, as she hadn't done much. "Auntie, don't worry, I'll definitely speak up if anyone dares to treat Fenglan badly."
Fatty knew what Song's mother was worried about. She was a mother herself, and mothers care about their children and are afraid that their children will be wronged outside.
"Thank you for your trouble," said Song's mother.
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all," the plump woman quickly replied. Seeing Song's mother return with the empty bowl, she thought to herself that Song's mother was really good-looking and seemed to be a very elegant person.
The plump woman saw the marks of time on Song's mother, a beauty that had been tempered and refined. She realized it was no wonder Song Fenglan was so beautiful; Song Fenglan's mother was already very attractive and had a good temperament. Song's mother spoke without pretense or arrogance, making the plump woman feel respected. Her gentle tone gave her a sense of warmth, like that of a respected elder.
Since Song's mother had said so, Fatty Sister-in-law decided not to pick up Zhang Xiaohu and let him eat next door. If Zhang Xiaohu didn't want to eat next door, he would come back anyway.
The plump woman placed the steamed buns and mantou in front of her eldest son, saying, "Eat up, eat quickly, they're still warm."
"Did Auntie bring food again?" Zhang Wen asked.
"It was a gift from her mother," said the plump woman. "Their family is really nice. Your brother is having dinner next door tonight, and Zihang told him to eat there while you eat at home."
The plump woman felt embarrassed to invite Zhang Wen over, and no one else invited him either. Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu were close friends, not Zhang Wen. The neighbors even brought over some food, which was already quite kind of them, and Zhang Wen got to eat too.
This time, Song Fenglan didn't bring food to Fan Yani; she had already done so last weekend, and that was enough. Song Fenglan took a bite of the steamed bun; it tasted delicious.
"Mom, your steamed buns taste better than mine," Song Fenglan said. "It's the same taste that I can't replicate."
"It's not that you can't make it, you're just thinking about your mother." How could Song's mother not know what her daughter was thinking? Food made by one's own mother is always different. The important thing is not whether it tastes good or not, but the taste of one's mother.
"Of course I'll think of you," Song Fenglan said with a smile. "It's so good to have Mom here."
"Alright, you eat," said Song's mother. "But don't eat too much, you'll have dinner later."
"Mm." Song Fenglan nodded.
"Mom, it's delicious." Qin Zihang said to Song Fenglan.
"..." Song Fenglan looked at her son. Was he mimicking her speech? "Talk to your grandma."
"Grandma, the steamed buns you made are so delicious," Qin Zihang said to Song's mother.
"Grandma, your steamed buns are especially delicious," Zhang Xiaohu said, following Qin Zihang.
"We still need to eat dinner later, don't just eat steamed buns," said Song's mother. "I've made several dishes, Xiaohu, you and Zihang should try some."
"Thank you, Grandma," Zhang Xiaohu said obediently.
When Professor Su and his wife arrived, the food was almost ready. Mrs. Song invited them to the table, and Mrs. Su, seeing the dishes Mrs. Song had prepared, thought it was a very lavish spread.
"You made so much?" Madam Su exclaimed in surprise. "Fenglan said she learned to make pastries from you and that you are a very good cook. Seeing you today, it's true."
"They're all just everyday dishes," said Song's mother.
Some of the dishes were ones that Song's mother saw the locals making after she was sent to the farm. She learned them a bit, and if they were good, she kept them. Now, in terms of cooking and speaking, Song's mother seems quite like an ordinary person, but others can still see a big difference in her temperament.
“These are all main dishes,” Madam Su said.
Mr. Song poured wine for Professor Su, who drank only a little. Mr. Song didn't force Professor Su; he was simply very grateful and wanted to toast him.
“If Xingyun were still alive, we wouldn’t have had the chance to do these things,” Professor Su said. “Xingyun is much more capable than me.”
"Not at all, not at all." Father Song greatly admired his eldest brother. His brother had excellent grades and even studied abroad. In every way, his brother was quite remarkable. Unfortunately, fate played a cruel trick on him, and his brother did not survive. "Eat your vegetables, eat your vegetables."
In Professor Su's presence, Song's father was somewhat like a younger brother. Professor Su and Song Xingyun were very good friends, so Song's father was essentially Professor Su's younger brother. However, in terms of age, Song's father and Professor Su were not much different in age, and Professor Su was not much younger than Song Xingyun.
Song Fenglan calls Professor Su "Uncle" because it's a common way to address him. Those who know Song Xingyun also know that Song Fenglan calls him that based on the age difference between Professor Su and Song Xingyun. Others may not know Song's father, but they know Song Xingyun.
Zhang Xiaohu's legs were weak, and Song's mother was still looking after him. She put food on Zhang Xiaohu's plate so that the child could eat more. Zhang Xiaohu was very happy to see the meat in his bowl.
Mrs. Song gave Professor Su and Mrs. Su chicken legs, while Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang each had one chicken wing drumstick. There was also smoked duck and other food. Mrs. Song didn't hesitate to let Zhang Xiaohu eat; she thought that Zhang Xiaohu was older than Qin Zihang and should eat more.
"Thank you." Zhang Xiaohu still knew to say thank you. He ate happily and even told Qin Zihang that it was delicious.
"These taro dumplings are delicious too, have one." Qin Zihang put a taro dumpling on Zhang Xiaohu's plate, but the dumpling was a bit slippery, so he simply used his chopsticks to skewer it before giving it to Zhang Xiaohu. "They're very tasty, I've already had one."
"I'll eat it." Zhang Xiaohu took a bite of the taro dumpling, his eyes lighting up. "It's so delicious."
"Right? This was made by my grandma. Everything my grandma makes is delicious," Qin Zihang said. "Eat more, eat your fill."
Qin Zihang's mouth didn't stop; he was still eating.
The two little ones were having a great time eating, and Qin Zihang was even introducing some food to Zhang Xiaohu. Qin Zihang himself needed others to put food on his plate, yet he was still thinking about putting food on Zhang Xiaohu's plate.
After dinner, Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu sat on the sofa to digest their food, and Song Fenglan even turned on the TV for them to watch.
Mrs. Su offered to help clear the dishes and take out the trash, but Mrs. Song refused. Since Mrs. Su didn't need to do it, she and Professor Su went for a walk to digest their food.
There was some cut fruit on the coffee table, and Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu could continue eating.
The little boy digested his food quickly and didn't get too full easily. Besides, he didn't eat a particularly large amount.
Song's mother and Qin Yizhou were tidying up over there, while Song Fenglan had gone to the research institute first to take care of some business. Song Fenglan wasn't working overtime, but everyone else was. If there was a problem, they could just call her, or someone could come directly to Song Fenglan.
Song's mother thought that Song Fenglan had said before that she didn't need to work overtime all the time, but Song Fenglan had a day off today. She rested during the day, but went back to work overtime right after dinner.
This made Song's mother glance at Qin Yizhou a few more times, but it didn't matter. Before, Qin Yizhou was in Nancheng, and Song Fenglan was in the capital. Song Fenglan took care of the child herself and couldn't rely on Qin Yizhou to help with the child. Now, it was time for Qin Yizhou to take care of the child more.
"Mom, Fenglan will be back later," Qin Yizhou said. "She's probably been a little busy lately, but she usually spends quite a lot of time at home."
"I don't care about you, it's just you..."
"I am a soldier," Qin Yizhou said. He was indeed Song Fenglan's husband and a soldier. Qin Yizhou had to protect Song Fenglan and also take care of things at home so that Song Fenglan would have no worries.
Qin Yizhou didn't know how to explain it to Song's mother or how to satisfy her, so he said this.
"Okay." Upon hearing this, Song's mother understood.
Even if Qin Yizhou was dissatisfied, Song's mother wasn't afraid. At worst, her daughter and son-in-law would just break up. No matter how good their relationship had been before, or how much Qin Yizhou had helped them, when things reached that point...
When things come to this, it's time to separate.
"I had liked Fenglan for a long time before I married her." While washing the dishes, Qin Yizhou thought about the past and felt fortunate that he was with Song Fenglan and they got married. He remembered how he appeared just in time when Song Fenglan was being schemed against; "this feeling only deepened."
There's a problem with the experimental data at the research institute, so Song Fenglan went to take a look. Others looked at it but couldn't figure it out, so they had to find Song Fenglan. If they didn't find her now, it would take even more time when she was at work.
The other professors' graduate students looked at Song Fenglan cautiously, "Is the equipment broken?"
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