Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Garlic Crispy Pastry

Factory square.

Wang Nianyou still remembers the bustling crowd in front of the small square on the first day he came to the supply and marketing cooperative.

The more buyers there are, the more sellers there are.

But today, when Wang Nian came here with a backpack, he saw only a few people selling eggs in the square, and no one selling vegetables.

"You two should take your sister out to play, don't go too far!"

The winter vacation for the elementary school officially began, and Wang Nian's traveling team officially became four people...with the addition of Zhang Liye.

"Auntie Wang Nian, let's take my sister to the stadium to watch others play basketball." Zhang Liye suggested.

The weather was too cold and he didn't dare go up the mountain. If he got his clothes dirty he would be beaten.

"Go ahead, and be careful when going down the stairs." Wang Nian waved his hand.

After the children ran away, Wang Nian found a random spot in the open space and put down the backpack.

The place where she put the backpack was facing the entrance of the vegetable market. In fact, Huang Xiaohui in the vegetable market noticed her as soon as she walked here.

Wang Nian had the foresight to buy a few bags of potatoes at the vegetable stand, which was the subject of everyone's conversation for quite a long time.

Everyone was curious whether Wang Nian was really lucky or had the ability to predict the weather.

Unfortunately, Wang Nian never came to Yicai Station again, so Xiaohui couldn't find anyone even if she wanted to ask.

"Sister Zhang, please help me watch the counter. I'll be out for a while."

After handing the counter to her colleague, Xiaohui hurriedly walked out of the vegetable stand and went straight behind Wang Nian.

A dozen bunches of lush green vegetables were placed on the basket.

The green gave Xiaohui a feeling that she couldn't describe. It was as if the leaves were covered with a layer of oil, making them shiny and smooth.

"Comrade Wang Nian."

"Comrade Xiaohui." Wang Nian raised his head and saw who was coming.

Xiaohui is wearing a gray plaid jacket today, with a blue long cotton jacket on the outside that is very loose and is obviously a men's style.

"I just picked them this morning. Want two?"

"Okay! My family hasn't had any fresh greens for a few days."

If we want to restore the supply of green vegetables, at least someone has to fill the gap until the first batch of fast vegetables can be picked.

Right now everyone has no vegetables to eat. The cafeteria has been serving taro and radishes for several days in a row, and even the preserved vegetables made last year have been used up.

"Eight cents a bunch, how many do you want?"

"Give me five. There are many people at home today." Xiaohui readily paid for a small portion: "If there is any more tomorrow, I will want some tomorrow."

"Yes! How much do you want?"

"Tomorrow I'll order one-yuan dishes. Just send them as you like. Just make sure it's enough for two tables of people."

"You're treating me tomorrow!" Wang Nian asked casually, not taking it seriously. He simply suggested, "I can just carry it home for you, so you don't have to carry it back home."

"I'm getting engaged tomorrow." Xiao Hui smiled shyly. Her smile was as clear as a spring, revealing a happiness visible to the naked eye: "Let's share in the good luck."

Xiaohui took out some peanut candy from the pocket of her blue cotton coat and stuffed it into Wang Nian's hand.

Wang Nian quickly congratulated him and said that he would send it to him early tomorrow morning.

After the two of them chatted casually for a few words at the door, Xiaohui turned around happily and went back to the vegetable stand.

"Pea tip!"

Everyone saw Huang Xiaohui go out, and when they saw her come in carrying a few bunches of vegetables, everyone's eyes lit up.

Someone came up and pinched a handful of peas, then exclaimed "Ouch!" and immediately said he wanted to buy some.

It looks rough, but it is so tender that it breaks with a slight bend. Even the tendrils on the leaves are picked cleanly and can be put into the pot after being blanched at home.

"The pakchoi look pretty tender. I'll buy some too."

"I want one too."

Having worked at the vegetable market for several years, I seldom have the opportunity to come across such tender vegetables. The more tender the vegetables are, the greater the damage during transportation.

Even though the food they can buy inside is better than others, it is actually just... a general among dwarfs.

They can certainly tell the difference between good and bad.

Several people walked out one after another, and before Wang Nian had time to shout, the dishes they brought had already been sold out.

***

No. 30 Family Building.

This is a dormitory building converted from an office. Generally, each family has one room. If there are more than three people, they can reapply for allocation of other family buildings.

Therefore, almost all the people living in this building are young people who have just got married.

Today is Saturday and the weather is nice. The corridors are filled with freshly washed sheets and clothes from each household, making the whole building colorful.

Wang Nian stood downstairs and counted from the second floor to the third room on the right as Xiaohui said. Soon he saw a lot of people standing outside the door of that room.

"You guys want to go too?"

The three little tails nodded hurriedly, and Shi Shuwen repeatedly promised that he would never enter anyone's house.

"We'll just look at the bride at the door."

Wang Nian: “…”

I shouldn't have told Shi Xiangming last night that Xiaohui was getting engaged today.

"Today is someone's good day, you must not talk nonsense." Wang Nian instructed again, and only after Sanwa nodded did he lead a few people upstairs.

As soon as I got to the second floor, I could hear laughter and joy inside and outside the house.

"Excuse me..."

Several young people at the door looked over, and one of them was sharp-eyed and immediately noticed the backpack behind her.

"The comrades who are delivering the food are here, Sister Xu, the food is here..."

Wang Nian: “…”

Some people seemed to know that Wang Nian would deliver the food, and after seeing the person, they called out not Huang Xiaohui, but a female comrade named Zhang.

In the blink of an eye, Sister Xu walked out of the house quickly and immediately looked behind Wang Nian with a smile.

"Xiaohui and her boyfriend went to the photo studio to take some pictures, and asked me to wait here for them to get the food."

Sister Xu pointed to the door and said to Wang Nian: "Put the vegetables here, we'll prepare the rest." Then she quickly called the people in the room: "Xiao Xu, get some peanuts out."

Perhaps because she saw several kids following Wang Nian, Sister Xu grabbed Wang Nian's hand enthusiastically and insisted that she take the peanuts before leaving.

"Comrade Wang Nian!" The person who came out holding the peanuts looked at Wang Nian with surprise. His first reaction was to turn around and say to the inside of the house: "Jiao Jiao, Sister Shi Wan is here."

The person who came was Xu Fen, and then Cui Jiao, who was dressed like a New Year picture doll, ran out.

The two little girls hugged each other and danced and laughed. Cui Jiao smiled and stuffed a piece of candy into Shi Wan's mouth.

Now, even if Wang Nian wanted to leave after delivering the food, he couldn't do so immediately.

As soon as the basket was put down, the lush green vegetables attracted the attention of several people, especially the neighbors next door to whom Huang Xiaohui had given some last night.

Sister Xu's smile deepened the moment Xu Fen called out her name.

"You are Comrade Xiao Wang that Xiao Xu and his wife mentioned. Seeing is believing..."

Sister Xu held Wang Nian's hand and gave her all kinds of compliments on everything from her appearance to her obedience as a child.

In the end, there was no more room for praise, so I ended with the words "clever mind and deft hands".

Wang Nian: “…”

Before she knew it, she was surrounded by several people.

"If you want to buy food, ask later. Let Comrade Wang go inside and sit for a while." Sister Xu sent the neighbors away and insisted on taking Wang Nian inside: "No matter what, you have to wait until Xiaohui comes back and gives you the money before you can leave."

It was a 20-square-meter room with red wedding characters posted on the windows and walls.

A gray curtain was hung in the middle, dividing the room into inner and outer rooms.

The double sofa and dining table in the outer room were packed full, and the little empty space was filled with basins, kettles and other daily necessities with red words on them.

Wang Nian was pressed onto the sofa by Xu Fen and Sister Xu, each holding one of her arms.

Three people sat down on two sofas, and Wang Nian was squeezed so tight that he had to put his hands on his knees.

"Sister Xu is my cousin. Today, my little Jiao Jiao is the little boy who presses the bed." As soon as they sat down, Xu Fen introduced the relationship between the two. Immediately, Sister Xu replied to the right ear: "I am Xiao Hui's godmother."

Huang Xiaohui's parents passed away early, and she took over her mother's job after graduating from technical secondary school. Huang's mother was seriously ill and knew that she didn't have much time left, so she insisted that her daughter recognize her comrade-in-arms as her godmother.

Sister Xu has always taken good care of Huang Xiaohui in life, and naturally invited her godmother to be the bride's elder when they got married.

"Xiaohui has a miserable life." Sister Xu sighed. When she glanced at the red words all over the room, she felt that she shouldn't have picked such a happy day to say this. She smiled and waved her hands: "I will feel relieved if I have someone to rely on in the future."

"Xiaohui has a good personality and will surely have a prosperous life in the future." Wang Nian followed Sister Xu's words of congratulations.

Xu Fen pursed her lips, looked out the door at the neighbors who were almost all gone, and suddenly asked in a low voice: "Aunt, has Xiao Hui really decided to give his father his workstation?"

Wang Nian: My ears instantly stood up, and my soul of gossip burned...

"Life will be better if both husband and wife go to work. Otherwise, why not let him, a gay man, stay at home to cook and do laundry?"

"I'm not worried that the man is coming for Xiaohui's father's workstation."

"Even if they really come to the workstation, what can we do? As long as they live a good life, we will just give them the money."

Sister Xu said this, but her expression didn't look very good, and it was obvious that she was worried in her heart.

"Let's not talk about this on a good day." Seeing Sister Xu's face getting ugly, Xu Fen quickly changed the subject: "Aunt, you have something to ask Comrade Wang Nian, so now is a good time to talk about it when no one is around."

"If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten!" Sister Xu slapped her thigh and remembered something important: "I wanted to ask Comrade Xiao Wang if he knows how to make garlic oil puff pastry."

In one second, Wang Nian immediately gave a silent affirmative answer in his heart.

Garlic crisps and black scallion oil are the best partners for seafood wontons. Wang Nian has been thinking about picking the scallions in the shed when they grow purple skin to make scallion oil.

I quickly came back to my senses, but I still looked a little hesitant before I spoke: "Yes, I do, but I've only heard about it, and I've never actually done it myself."

"These are all trivial matters." Sister Xu immediately said: "I will provide the garlic and oil myself, you can try it first, and then make more after you succeed."

Garlic is not a daily necessity and there are no ration tickets, so we have to buy it directly with money.

However, since it is not an essential vegetable, there is usually very little garlic in the vegetable market, while ginger is much cheaper.

Judging from Sister Xu's tone, she has quite a bit of ambition. And to be able to afford so much garlic... her family is quite well off!

"How much does Sister Xu want to make?"

"I have ten kilograms of garlic in my house. See how much you can make."

Wang Nian: “…”

"My husband Liu is from Guangdong. Since he was assigned to Anhuai and then followed the factory to Changshenggou, he hasn't had the chance to eat hometown food for more than ten years. I heard that..."

After years of wandering, what one misses most is the food of his hometown. Sister Xu's husband, Lao Hu, has mentioned garlic fried beef noodles more than once.

Thinking about that makes me talk in my sleep.

There are quite a lot of people from Guangdong in the factory. Sister Xu even asked someone to teach her how to make garlic oil crisps. After failing twice at home, she never dared to waste oil again.

Later I asked that person for help, but... the food was so burnt that I couldn't eat it because he couldn't control the temperature of the wood stove.

The garlic that was bought at a high price was piled up in the house and there was no way to deal with it. Sister Xu would sigh every time she saw it.

It was not until Xu Fen mentioned Wang Nian that Sister Xu saw hope again.

Even if it's a bit of a waste, it's much better than having it ruined in your hands.

"Big sister, give me two yuan for your hard work." Sister Xu raised her two index fingers, thought for a moment, and then added: "When it's done, I'll keep some for you."

"Since Sister Xu trusts me so much, I will definitely be able to do it for you."

Two yuan, if you do your best, you can still keep some. Sister Xu is so generous that even Wang Nian feels embarrassed.

"Then I'll go see how you do it and learn from you."

It was a small matter, so there was no reason for Wang Nian to disagree: "It can be done tomorrow, and then you can just come to my house."

After the two agreed on a time, Wang Nian waved to Shi Wan and said, "Xiao Wan, let's go back."

As for the food money, it’s fine to collect it another day.

Shi Wan patted Cui Jiao's shoulder like a little adult: "Little sister Jiao Jiao, come and play with me when you have time."

The two boys, who had no bride to look at, had been waiting anxiously for a long time, scratching their heads and stroking their cheeks. Soon they were leaning over the door to look into the house.

"Then I won't keep you here. We can talk again tomorrow."

Sister Xu enthusiastically escorted Wang Nian downstairs and helped her order more than a dozen dishes.

The process was delayed for a few more minutes. Wang Nian had just put Shi Wan in the backpack and walked a dozen meters when he came towards a couple with big red flowers on their chests.

Wang Nian: “…”

Grabbing the boy by the collar with one hand, Wang Nian ran quickly to the back of a big tree on the side of the road.

"No talking."

“…”

How could Changshengpo be so small? It was so small that Wang Nian had just been married for half a year when she ran into the second "old acquaintance" from the Red Flag Brigade.

Xie Hua...

The person who married Huang Xiaohui turned out to be Xie Hua.

The two of them leaned against each other intimately, the girl was shy and sweet, and the boy's eyes were full of affection.

If Wang Nian hadn't seen Xie Hua and Zhou Shanxiu having an affair, she would have really thought that Xie Hua liked Huang Xiaohui...

Not long ago, I heard that Xie Hua broke up with Miao Meili as soon as he was notified of his return to the city. How come he ended up at Factory 431?

Huang Xiaohui took out a red marriage certificate from her pocket and held it against her chest, then she hugged Xie Hua's arm and looked coquettishly and happily.

Sister Xu and Xu Fen’s worries... might come true.

The reminder only lingered in my mind for a few seconds, and then disappeared instantly when I saw the marriage certificate.

What good will it do to say it...it's because I once cast a shadow on someone else's future.

Wang Nian stood behind the tree, frowning and sighing. Zhang Liye and Shi Shuwen, who had been observing for a long time, were both worried.

Seeing that Xie Hua and Huang Xiaohui had walked away, Zhang Liye frowned and asked very seriously.

"Auntie Wang Nian, do you owe anyone money?"

His father said that only grandsons who owe money to others would hide from others.

Shi Shuwen's small face was full of worry, and she kept rubbing the corners of her clothes nervously. After Zhang Liye finished speaking, her worry instantly doubled.

Shi Shuwen kept all these worries in his heart and didn't say anything until after dinner that day when he seriously told Shi Xiangming that he didn't want to buy stationery and books.

Shi Xiangming didn't understand, and it took Wang Nian a long time to recall what was going on before he suddenly realized it.

Only then did they realize how much thought such a young child had.

Zhang Liye, who is about the same age, only thinks of Wang Nian as his grandson.

But he was worried that he was adding to the financial burden on his family...

***

The sunlight shines through the window onto the desk by the window, bringing a hint of warmth without being scorching.

Shi Xiangming looked up at Wang Nian who was busy in the yard, then turned back and glanced at Shi Shuwen who was concentrating on doing homework at another desk.

Two desks are placed side by side, occupying the front east wall.

Shi Shuwen suddenly stopped writing and looked towards the yard.

Wang Nian was rolling up the plastic sheet of the greenhouse, moving very carefully for fear of tearing it, while his sister was sitting on a small stool, holding a steamed bun in one hand and pulling up a cabbage with the other.

The moment she pulled up the vegetables, Shi Wan immediately ran to Wang Nian and called out, "Auntie."

"Xiao Wan is awesome!"

After receiving the compliment as she wished, my sister smiled happily, revealing two rows of white teeth.

Shi Shuwen felt a little disappointed because his sister was no longer his little follower since she came home.

The slightly downward-turned corners of his mouth made Shi Xiangming mistakenly think that the child envied his sister, so he touched his head and said with a smile: "If you want to help, you can go help your Aunt Wang Nian first, and then do your homework after lunch in the afternoon."

"Dad wants to go too." Shi Shuwen looked at the yard hesitantly, then at his homework book: "I'll start writing after I'm done helping. I can finish it before lunch."

Shi Xiangming shook his head and laughed.

In fact, he had offered to help Wang Nian before daybreak when he went to the fields to pick vegetables, but he was soon sent back into the house to write a research report.

The reason was that before I could pull out two vegetables, a large patch of them was trampled down.

Although I am not very active, at least I am of some use. Once this research report is successfully published, my salary may be raised to a higher level.

Finally... I have made some "contribution" to this family.

Thinking of this, Shi Xiangming seemed to have some motivation for this boring report. He just unscrewed the pen cap...

"Is Comrade Xiao Wang here?"

A female voice was heard outside the door. Shi Xiangming knew who it was. He answered "yes" and stood up to open the door.

Wang Nian had already mentioned last night that a lady named Xu would be coming to the house today to make some garlic oil crisps.

Having said that, Shi Xiangming naturally glanced at the two large baskets of green onions on the dining table.

Now the whole house smells like raw onions...

"Hi. My wife is in the backyard. Come in and sit down for a while."

Shi Xiangming welcomed the two people into the house. Even when he saw Xu Fen, he did not greet her specifically, but just nodded with a slight smile.

However, the person following behind Xu Fen made Shi Xiangming slightly surprised and raised his eyebrows.

Secretary Hu’s wife, Sister Xu.

"Chief Engineer Shi, I'm going to trouble you today." Sister Xu walked into the room with a smile on her face. Shi Xiangming was surprised and shocked at the same time.

I have visited so many workers' homes, but I have never come across a house that left a particularly deep impression on me.

But...she should remember it for a long time after today.

The house is very bright, refrigerators and televisions are rare, and paintings on the walls are even rarer.

There were rose plums in a broken bottle on the desk, books scattered on the sofa, and several colorful pillows on the sofa.

This is a colorful house, and you can tell that the hostess is a person who loves life very much.

Sister Xu couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

As for Shi Xiangming, Sister Xu didn't even think about him. It wasn't the first time they had dealt with each other. Besides, how many men would think of inserting a rose on the table?

After looking around, Xu Fen was more envious of the spacious house.

Wang Nian was really lucky as he applied two months earlier than them, and the houses the two families were allocated were very different.

The walls are snow-white, the floor is washed stone, and the windows are large and bright.

"Wang Nian, Sister Xu and Teacher Xu are here." Shi Xiangming called out to the backyard.

Wang Nian responded, and soon walked to the door carrying a basket of lettuce leaves.

Sister Xu and the other person took a look towards the yard, and this time they both felt jealous.

"You guys take a seat first. I'll be right back after I feed the chickens."

The few half-grown chickens that Wang Nian bought before the frost have grown up. He noticed that they were showing signs of forming nests these days, so he planned to feed them more vegetable leaves.

"I'll feed the chickens, you focus on your work." Shi Xiangming finally found something he could help with, and he also called Shi Shuwen to join him: "It's time for us two to show off."

Wang Nian smiled helplessly.

Earning two dollars of hard-earned money is a serious matter, but writing a research report is considered a waste of time.

"I want to feed the chickens too." Cui Jiao struggled to get down to the ground and insisted on going with them.

After Shi Xiangming led the children away, Sister Xu showed her admiration for the house and then pointed at the stove: "Your stove is the only one in our factory. Tell me how you made it."

Wang Nian had nothing to hide, so he told the two of them how to make the stove and sofa pillows.

Glue little by little and sew the scraps together.

Just by listening to it, Sister Xu felt it was too trivial and immediately gave up her plan to fix her own stove.

"Let's just make garlic fried dough sticks. It's giving me a headache."

“Peel the garlic first.”

If you want to make garlic crisps, the first step is to peel the garlic, and the second step is to chop it.

The ten kilograms of garlic I brought were all new garlic this year. As they had been left on the ground and had absorbed moisture, the skin was very difficult to peel.

After peeling a dozen or so, Sister Xu ran out of patience and decided to smash them before peeling them again.

“You can smash it into pieces, but the taste will be worse,” said Wang Nian.

"He's so old but still eats as much as a child." Helplessly she sat down and continued peeling. As she peeled, she began to complain about her husband again.

Wang Nian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I finally understand why Sister Xu always fails in making garlic oil crisps... With just this little patience, she has to get up earlier than others to cook a dish.

"I'll find someone to help..."

They called Liu Chaoxian from next door to join in the gossip. When the four women got together, the topic was naturally all kinds of gossip in the factory.

It started with Zhou's work mistake, which was publicly reflected upon at a work meeting, and then a certain couple got into a fight just a few days after their marriage.

Wang Nian, who was not well-informed, could only act as a listener.

Until Liu Chaoxian suddenly remembered what happened on Thursday.

"Two days ago, Xiaohui brought her boyfriend to the union to apply to take over her father's job. I guess he should start working next week."

"Two days ago!" Sister Xu was stunned and asked again in disbelief: "Is it really my Xiaohui?"

"Look at what Sister Xu said. Xiaohui and I have been neighbors for several years, but we could still mistake each other for each other." Liu Chaoxian was very sure.

"This girl!" Sister Xu gritted her teeth in anger and squeezed the garlic hard, sending a pungent smell all over her nose: "She didn't listen to what I said at all!"

Not only did he not listen, he simply turned a deaf ear to Sister Xu's reminder.

Sister Xu said that they planned to change jobs one year after getting married, but they applied before getting married.

Sister Xu said that they could delay having children for two years after getting married, and that they should take a good look at Xie Hua.

"Actually, there are some things I dare not tell you." Xu Fen looked at Sister Xu hesitantly and said, "Yesterday I saw in the room... I saw a gay man's autumn pants on Xiaohui's bed."

“…”

Sister Xu closed her eyes tightly.

It seems that he didn't hear the second half of the sentence at all.