The most time-consuming and laborious part of cooking is preparing the food, while cooking is very simple.
Zhou Yunwan remembered that Uncle Shen and Shen Yanli both had big appetites, so when she bought vegetables and cooked, she deliberately went for large portions. After cooking the braised spareribs and stir-fried cabbage, the yam meatball soup stewed on the side was almost ready.
After she put the food she brought for Uncle Shen into an insulated lunch box, she put the rest on a plate and brought it to the dining table in the living room.
Taking advantage of this gap, Shen Yanli had already prepared the bowls and chopsticks and served two bowls of rice.
Zhou Yunwan took off her apron and turned around to see this scene. She had the inexplicable illusion that they were already an old couple, with one person cooking and the other helping, and then they ate together.
The white tabletop was wiped clean and two people sat down on either side of the table.
Zhou Yunwan put away her thoughts, picked up her chopsticks and said, "Eat it, how about trying my cooking?"
After listening to this, Shen Yanli also picked up the chopsticks and looked at the food on the table. It was steaming hot and not only beautiful, but also smelled fragrant, and it looked very appetizing.
Under Zhou Yunwan's expectant gaze, he picked up a piece of stir-fried cabbage with chopsticks.
...
...
He was watching her while she was cooking. She was a little flustered and had to tell the difference between salt and sugar. Especially when putting the vegetables into the pot, she seemed afraid of being splashed by oil, so she stood far away.
He was thinking that if she took two more steps back, she would probably be able to step out of the kitchen directly.
From the above points, it can be seen that she is not someone who cooks often, but the taste is more delicious than expected.
He praised softly: "Not bad."
After getting the answer she wanted, Zhou Yunwan's eyebrows curved, her red lips slightly raised, and a proud and lively smile appeared on her face.
After it came out of the pot, she secretly tasted it herself. Although it was not perfect, it was still good, so this answer was within her expectations.
Zhou Yunwan looked at the man in front of her. He ate in a gentle manner but not slowly. Soon, half a bowl of rice was empty. So she helped him pick up some vegetables and said with a smile, "Then you eat more."
It was a very happy thing to be praised for the food she cooked. She was in a very good mood and she started humming a song unconsciously.
This time, Shen Yanli heard her melody clearly. It was one he had never heard before, but the lyrics were quite novel. He asked curiously, "Which song are you singing?"
After hearing this, Zhou Yunwan paused in her action of picking up food, and then she realized that she had inadvertently hummed a popular music from later generations.
Meeting Shen Yanli's gaze, she swallowed unconsciously and pretended to be calm: "I just hummed casually."
"Really? It sounds pretty nice." Chen Yanli did not miss the unnaturalness that flashed across her eyes, but he did not think too much about it. He just thought she was a little shy and did not mention it again.
Zhou Yunwan was terrified, and it took a long time before she slowly relaxed. After calming down, she realized that Shen Yanli was a person of this era, so what if she sang songs from later times? He doesn't know anyway.
Although she thought so, she didn't dare to sing anymore and just picked up the food and ate.
She had a small appetite and quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks, while Shen Yanli ate two large bowls of rice and took the initiative to clean up and wash the bowl and chopsticks.
She originally wanted to wait until he finished washing before going to the hospital with him, but on the way an old lady asked him to go over to help check the broken radio at home. She was afraid that the food would get cold if she delayed any longer, so she decided to go to the hospital alone first.
When passing by the bulletin board outside the guard room, a flyer accidentally floated to her feet. When she picked it up and was about to return it to the big sister who posted the notice, her attention was attracted by the poster above.
There were only a few big words written on it: New Year's Eve Party for the Family Compound.
The prizes are specially marked below. The first prize is a watch, the second prize is a bicycle, the third prize is a pen, and the special prize is a notebook for participation.
When Zhou Yunwan saw the word "watch", she couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Because there are no communication tools like mobile phones now, if she wants to know the exact time, she has to go to the clock in the living room on the first floor to check it, which is very inconvenient both in study and daily life.
But these days, high-end items like watches are very expensive, and she can't afford them at all. Shen Yanli does have some, but she can't shamelessly ask him to borrow it, and he obviously needs it more than her, an unemployed vagrant.
So compared to saving up money to buy it, the cost-effectiveness of attending the party is simply too high. What if you get lucky and get first place? After all, she has been learning dancing and singing since she was a child, and she once won the national dance championship. In this evening party where anyone can sign up, she believes that she still has an advantage.
And even if I can't get the first prize, getting a special prize or something would be good enough.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yunwan was eager to try. She took the flyer to the female comrade who was posting the notice and planned to ask her first, "Comrade, I want to ask, where can I sign up for this?"
A woman wearing a military green coat and short hair turned her head and looked at Zhou Yunwan for a few seconds before asking in surprise, "Are you new to the art troupe?"
Zhao Qingxia is the street women's director, responsible for organizing various activities in the family compound, so she often deals with the art troupe, but she has never seen such a beautiful girl. Thinking that the art troupe was recruiting new members recently, she thought she was a new actor recruited by the troupe.
The reason is simple. This female comrade is so outstanding in appearance. Not only is she good-looking, but she is also slim and well-proportioned. It would be a pity not to train her into a pillar of the stage.
"No." Zhou Yunwan shook her head, misunderstanding her meaning, and frowned, "Can only people from the art troupe attend this party?"
Hearing her denial, Zhao Qingxia didn't expect that the art troupe would actually let go of such a good talent. After a pause, she explained, "Of course not. Anyone who lives here can participate. It's just that on the day of the party, the art troupe will be invited to perform."
As she spoke, she took out a registration form from the stack beside her and handed it to Zhou Yunwan: "Go back and fill in the information, and submit it to the street office before the 20th."
Zhou Yunwan took the registration form, glanced at it briefly, and then returned the flyer she had picked up to Zhao Qingxia, "Okay, I got it, thank you sister."
Her sweet smile and tone, coupled with the call of "sister", made Zhao Qingxia smile. Seeing that she seemed to be in a hurry to leave, she was afraid that she would forget about it after taking the registration form, so she reminded her: "Remember to submit it before the 20th."
Zhou Yunwan didn't expect her to be so enthusiastic. She paused as she was about to leave, smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll remember that."
There was still nearly a week until the 20th, so she wasn’t in a rush. She planned to come back from the hospital later and think carefully about what program to prepare, and it would be best to ask Shen Yanli or Meng Shuchi for their opinions.
Although she had participated in various evening party performances in her previous life, this was her first time attending a party in the 1970s, and she didn't know what kind of programs would be popular.
Now that I have decided to give it a try, I definitely hope to win the first prize.
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