Chapter 93 My dear grandson.
On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, Cheng Shi took a special leave and borrowed a car from Li Yang to go to the county railway station to pick up his parents who were coming from Shanghai.
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Cheng's parents didn't come here so late on purpose. It was just that the factory and the street were very busy. After finally getting off work on the 27th of the lunar year, they hurried home to pick up their luggage and headed for the train station. They took a train for more than a day and only arrived here this morning.
He Susu took care of Tangyuan at home. After taking care of him and finishing his breakfast, she let the child sit on the floor in the living room and play with building blocks. She didn't care what shape he made of the blocks, just let him do whatever he wanted. She was in the kitchen preparing meat and vegetables for lunch.
When she passed by the second room, she had already washed and dried the sheets, quilt covers, and pillowcases, and laid them out. She had cleaned the room, and wiped the closet and bedside table. She temporarily put her mother's clothes in a storage box and would take them back after her parents-in-law left.
In fact, there is another room in the house, which also has a bed and a wardrobe, but the lighting is a little poor, so I simply cleaned up this room and let my parents live in it.
According to Cheng Shi's idea, this room would be reserved for both sets of parents to live in when they come over, and the other room would be given to Tangyuan when his room is bigger. He Susu naturally agreed.
After entering the kitchen, she took the chopping board to the stove near the kitchen door and started cutting the pork with a kitchen knife. From time to time, she looked back and saw what was happening in the living room so as to prevent Tangyuan from causing any trouble.
Because she was worried, she quickly prepared the meat and vegetables for lunch, put the pork ribs and white radish in the pot, put it on the coal stove and turned on the fire to cook, then walked out and squatted on the ground to watch the dumplings being built with building blocks.
When the child got tired of playing with building blocks, He Susu pulled him to practice calling people: "When your daddy comes back with grandpa and grandma later, remember to call them well. Come, say 'grandpa' with mommy."
She had taught Tangyuan to call grandpa and grandma from time to time before. Although she didn't know when she could see them, she had to call them. This time, she was afraid that the child would forget if she didn't call them often.
Tang Yuan followed and shouted: "Master!"
He Susu was also happy to see that he spoke clearly: "Tangyuan is great, shout 'milk' again."
Tang Yuan followed and shouted: "Milk!"
He Susu was delighted to hear this and reached out to rub his little head: "Tangyuan is great, grandpa and grandma are your father's parents, they are relatives like grandma, and they love you very much."
Tang Yuan murmured repeatedly, "Grandma."
He Susu nodded: "Yes, grandpa and grandma will love and care for you just like grandma does. You will be able to see them later. Remember to call them when the time comes."
After all, it was his mother who brought him up since he was born. Ever since his mother went back, Tangyuan has been asking about his grandmother since that afternoon. He cried for several minutes when he woke up yesterday and didn’t see his grandmother. He was also asking where his grandmother had gone in the afternoon.
He Susu explained that grandma had gone home and would not be back until after the New Year. Tangyuan had to be well behaved during this period and tell her about it when she came back. She would definitely praise him.
Tang Yuan finally accepted it reluctantly. He forgot about his grandmother today and asked her where she was. Before He Susu could explain, he answered himself: "Oh, she went home."
She taught Tangyuan to recite the words "grandpa and grandma" a few times. Seeing that he did a good job, He Susu started playing other games with him, using games to help the child understand some simple principles.
Although the child is young, education must start from an early age. Now she tells Tangyuan some bedtime stories when she coaxes him to sleep, and teaches him some nursery rhymes when he plays during the day. Tangyuan is very happy even if he sings along reluctantly.
He Susu believes that if Tangyuan sings more nursery rhymes, he will be able to speak more fluently.
After playing a few rounds of games, they heard the door opening outside. Knowing that Cheng Shi had come back to pick someone up, He Susu picked up Tangyuan and went out to greet him.
When she saw her parents-in-law whom she had not seen for a long time, she smiled and called out, "Dad and Mom, long time no see. You must have had a hard time on the road."
Father Cheng and Mother Cheng were exhausted, but they looked in good spirits. Father Cheng smiled and nodded, and Mother Cheng said, "Susu, long time no see. You look good. You have worked hard during this period."
The next second their eyes fell on the darling grandson they had never seen before. The fat and fair boy looked at the warrior, with delicate features and dimples when he smiled, just like a doll in a New Year picture.
Even though they had seen photos of their darling grandson before, when they saw him in person, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng's hearts instantly softened.
He Susu smiled and said, "Tangyuan, this is grandma and grandpa, hurry up and call them."
Tang Yuan also cooperated, grinning and saying in a crisp voice: "Grandpa, grandma!"
After hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng smiled and nodded repeatedly: "Hey, Tangyuan is so good."
They wanted to hold their grandson in their arms right away, but they were worried that their clothes would get dirty after spending more than a day on the train, so they had to at least change their clothes before they dared to hold the child.
Cheng Shi stood aside and urged with a smile: "Dad and Mom, please go inside first. If you have anything to say, please go inside. I'll go return the car first."
Mother Cheng agreed, followed her daughter-in-law into the house with a smile, and looked around the house: "Susu, this house looks really nice, spacious and comfortable, and you have taken good care of it. For example, there are peach trees and osmanthus trees planted in the yard, and they are so beautiful when they bloom."
Father Cheng nodded and said, "It's really good. It's better than the staff quarters in our factory."
He Susu smiled and said, "Dad and Mom, you are too kind. The peach trees and osmanthus trees in the yard have bloomed and are very beautiful. When the sweet-scented osmanthus is fragrant during the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can smell the elegant fragrance when you pass by. You should wash your hands and rest for a while. This room is for you to live in. See if you need anything and ask Cheng Shi to buy it."
She took her parents-in-law to the second room.
Tangyuan stayed in his mother's arms, looking at his grandparents with curious eyes.
Father Cheng looked at it and nodded: "This room is good, everything is complete, there is nothing missing."
Mother Cheng said excitedly, "Susu, take Tangyuan with you for a while. I need to change my clothes so that I can hold Tangyuan."
He Susu understood that she was eager to have a grandchild, and agreed with a smile.
Mother Cheng opened the package in the room and took out some clothes to change into. After asking her daughter-in-law, she took the changed clothes to the toilet and put them in a bamboo basket. She washed her hands and face, and then she came out happily: "Come, let grandma hold Tangyuan for a while."
He Susu had just explained this to Tangyuan, and since Cheng's mother had a kind face, Tangyuan didn't resist much and went into Cheng's mother's arms.
Holding this soft little ball, Cheng's mother was very happy: "Hey, Tangyuan is so cute, he looks like you and Cheng Shi. I have never seen such a beautiful baby."
Tangyuan understood that grandma was praising him, so he smiled with narrowed eyes and moved closer to grandma to show his closeness.
Cheng's mother noticed it and was very happy. She even told her husband on the way that she didn't know if her grandson would be shy and refuse to get close to them since he had never seen them before.
At that time, my wife just said that children are naturally shy and they will become familiar with strangers after spending a few days together. Besides, my daughter-in-law is a good person and may teach the child to recognize people, so I just need to relax.
When he first came in, the good grandson called him grandpa and grandma without hesitation. Susu must have taught him a lot. Plus Tangyuan took the initiative to get close to him, Cheng's mother finally felt relieved.
He Susu smiled: "Tangyuan looks like us, but only in the good-looking places."
"That's right. When you were pregnant, Susu, I was thinking about how good-looking the baby you two would have. Later, when I saw the photos you sent me, he was even prettier than I had imagined." Mother Cheng said with a smile.
She usually puts the individual photo of her beloved grandson and the group photo of her son's family in the living room of her home so that she can see them at any time. She is happy to introduce them to guests when they come, and they always get several compliments.
She looked down at the glutinous rice balls in her arms and said, "Tangyuan is so well behaved. Susu, you taught her so well."
Tangyuan cooperated and looked up with a bright smile.
He Susu smiled and said, "Tangyuan is very well behaved. Even my mother said that she has never met such an easy-to-bring-up child. Cheng Shi and I will teach him some principles from time to time. Even if he is very young, he will develop a habit by listening."
"Yes, your teaching method is good." Mother Cheng nodded in agreement and thanked, "Susu, it's really thanks to your mother for helping to take care of you and Tangyuan. We will never forget her. I didn't get to see her this time, so we brought some things from Shanghai. Please help mail them back to her parents' home later."
He Susu smiled and agreed: "Okay, thank you, mother. My mother is a bit worried about taking care of Tangyuan and me here. She said that she can come to take care of me, otherwise she will worry about me at home. She is worried that Tangyuan is still young and it will be difficult for me to take care of her. My mother said that she will come to help after the New Year, and will go home when Tangyuan is older."
This was something Cheng's mother had not expected. She happily responded, "Your mother is a good one. There aren't many mothers who can do this. I have to tell Cheng Shi to be filial to her. Don't worry, Susu. Cheng Shi's father and I couldn't come to help you. We are touched that your mother came to help. We should give some money to your mother as we did before. This way we will feel more at ease."
After saying this, Cheng's mother secretly thought that she was not considerate enough. She just gave the money to her daughter-in-law's mother directly, and she didn't know whether her daughter-in-law would think too much.
He Susu didn't think too much about it. Her mother worked hard and her mother-in-law paid. This combination couldn't be better. She smiled and agreed: "Okay, then thank you, mother."
Seeing that his mother and grandmother were talking so much that they didn't pay any attention to him, Tangyuan couldn't help but reach out and poke his mother's hand to show his presence.
He Susu noticed it, lowered her head, held his little hand and shook it: "Tangyuan, what are you doing? Isn't it enough to have milk to hold you? You actually come to poke my hand."
Tang Yuan smiled and said, "Play, play with mom!"
Mother Cheng was delighted when she saw the cute little boy: "Tangyuan is so cute. I think he speaks well."
He Susu: "He speaks better than his peers and can basically express himself. We talk to him more often and he becomes fluent after practicing."
Father Cheng also changed his clothes in the room, came out, greeted him and sat down, his eyes kept looking at Tang Yuan, and said, "Child, can you hold me?"
Tangyuan looked at him with her round eyes, as if she was considering whether to let her grandfather hold her.
He Susu spoke at the right time: "Tangyuan, this is grandpa, your father's father, he loves you very much. Let grandpa hug you, okay?"
When his mother asked, Tang Yuan was still very considerate and nodded with a smile: "Okay, let me hold you!"
As he spoke, he opened his arms and stretched them out, leaning forward, as if he was actively asking for a hug.
Father Cheng was really touched. He reached out and took Tangyuan to sit in his arms. His usually serious face showed a loving smile: "Our Tangyuan is so good. Thank you for letting me hold you."
When Tang Yuan heard the word "thank you", he subconsciously grinned and said, "You're welcome."
The three adults laughed almost at the same time when they heard these childish words. Cheng's mother smiled and said, "Tangyuan is polite. Susu, you taught him well."
Tang Yuan nodded heavily and said in praise: "Yes, mother taught me well!"
He Susu was overjoyed: "This child is used to responding."
Father Cheng said frankly: "Tangyuan is telling the truth."
He teased his grandson in his arms, his heart was soft, even more excited than when he first held his son many years ago.
Cheng's mother sat beside him, holding Tangyuan's hand and saying some funny things to make Tangyuan happy. For a moment, the two old people were content with having a grandson, and just looking at the smile on his face, they felt a few years younger.
He Susu saw that it was getting late, and she saw that Tangyuan had become closer to his grandparents after playing with them, so she said, "Dad and Mom, you guys play with Tangyuan for a while. I'll go to the kitchen to make lunch first."
Father Cheng smiled and agreed, and Mother Cheng stood up and said, "Susu, I'll come and help a little, and get familiar with your kitchen."
Since she came here, she didn't think of being a mother-in-law waiting to be served, and her husband couldn't be idle either.
He Susu knew that her mother-in-law was not being polite, so she smiled and said, "Mother, thank you for your hard work."
"Why are you working so hard? You're the one working so hard." Cheng's mother followed him into the kitchen, looked around and couldn't help but praise him, "Your kitchen is very clean, and these wall cabinets are well installed. You can use the space to store more things."
"Yes, we asked the carpenter to make these wall cabinets for storing things. Look, if we put these dry goods here, they won't get damp as easily as if they were placed on the ground." He Susu opened the wall cabinets to show her mother-in-law what was inside.
Mother Cheng praised the dish repeatedly, and then the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law started preparing lunch.
Cheng Shi went to return the car, and talked to Li Yang for a long time, and agreed to have dinner at his home after the New Year, and then walked home. When he entered the yard, he heard his son's happy laughter in the house, and he also walked in with a smile on his face.
Tang Yuan was sitting in his father's arms. His father, who was usually serious, was now making all kinds of funny expressions just to make Tang Yuan laugh. It really subverted his impression. Cheng Shi thought to himself, it turns out that being a grandfather is different.
Tangyuan was a little flustered because he couldn't see his mother. He only managed to smile because he was attracted by grandpa's funny expression. In fact, he had been planning to slip downstairs to find his mother.
He would hear footsteps and look up, and the next second he would wave his hands and shout, "Daddy, hug me!"
Father Cheng looked back at Cheng Shi and couldn't help laughing: "This child really forgot about his grandfather after having a father. After all, they were together day and night."
He had held his grandson enough, and seeing that Tangyuan couldn't wait to get into his father's arms, he simply agreed.
Cheng Shi took Tang Yuan and held him in his arms, saying with a smile, "Tang Yuan is probably so excited because he hasn't seen me all morning. He's always like this. When I come back from training, this kid is always the first to rush out and ask for a hug."
That was probably his happiest moment. When he came back from military training, his wife and son were waiting for him at home with smiles on their faces, filling the room with warmth.
Father Cheng nodded: "I was just playing with Tang Yuan, he speaks very fluently, better than you did back then."
Cheng Shi held Tang Yuan in his arms and found a chair to sit down: "Su Su often accompanies him to practice talking and singing nursery rhymes, that's why Tang Yuan can talk so well."
Father Cheng praised: "Your wife is a good one."
After a busy period in the kitchen, He Susu and Cheng's mother brought out four dishes and a soup, including braised pork with abalone, braised fish fillets, scallion-braised chicken, stir-fried pickled cabbage, and white radish and pork rib soup.
Then I went to get a bowl and put the rice in it, and then I could start eating.
Father Cheng came over and sat down and said with a smile: "Susu, you have worked hard to prepare such a large table of dishes."
He Susu said modestly: "Thanks to my mother's help, your first meal here at the army will naturally be better."
Mother Cheng smiled and sat down: "Susu, you are thoughtful and prepared so many dishes. This abalone is a good thing, and it can only be bought here. The braised pork looks delicious. I have to try it later."
He Susu explained, "The supply and marketing cooperative in the next county, Linhai, occasionally sells dried seafood. Last time I bought a bag of abalone, scallop meat, and dried shrimp. I'll make some for you to try in the next few days."
Mother Cheng smiled and said, "Okay, then we will be in for a treat."
When I saw Cheng Shi bring over a high chair with a slightly odd shape and put Tangyuan in the high chair, I realized the function of this high chair.
Father Cheng: "Is this chair specially brought back for Tangyuan? It looks good."
Cheng Shi: "Yes, this is a baby dining chair that Susu bought. Tangyuan doesn't move around easily when sitting in the chair, and we don't have to hold him hard, and it's convenient to feed him. In a few months, Tangyuan will be able to eat by himself, and he can also sit in this chair to eat."
Mother Cheng nodded: "This chair is good. When Tangyuan sits on it, he will be as tall as us and can even see the meat and dishes on the table."
Tang Yuan nodded excitedly: "Eat! Eat quickly!"
He looked at the meat and dishes on the table, smelled the delicious aroma, and was already hungry.
Everyone laughed, and Father Cheng said, "Let's eat. The dumplings can't wait any longer."
So everyone started eating. He Susu picked up some chicken and cut it into small pieces with scissors and put it in the bowl of glutinous rice balls, and asked Cheng Shi to feed them. The lunch was heavy in oil and salt, and only the scallion chicken was slightly better.
When frying the pickled cabbage, she deliberately separated some of it, chopped it up with a kitchen knife, and put it on a separate plate for the dumplings to eat.
This pair of scissors is also specially used to cut meat into small pieces for making dumplings.
Cheng Shi was feeding the child while eating. Tangyuan opened his mouth and took a bite of the chicken and chewed it happily, taking a bite of chicken and a bite of rice, and then some vegetables.
Mother Cheng looked at him and smiled, "The way they eat tangyuan is really good. It makes us hungry just by looking at it."
It is rare to see children of this age sitting quietly at the dinner table to eat. They have poor attention span and are always prone to moving around.
Of course, at that time, the meals in most families were not rich enough, and if they missed this meal, there would be nothing to eat, and the adults would not have time to feed them again. The children would be sensible and sit down and eat obediently.
Cheng Shiying said: "Tangyuan is a good boy. He eats when he eats and plays after he finishes eating."
Father Cheng smiled and said, "This is a good habit."
He Susu ignored her parents-in-law's comments on their grandson's eating habits and picked up a piece of braised pork to eat. The three layers of pork belly were clearly stewed until they were soft and tasty. It was fat but not greasy, and the lean meat was not dry either.
I picked up an abalone and it tasted just as I remembered. It was soft, tender and elastic, and cooked just right, not too overcooked. The abalone meat was slightly curled up and tasted very tender, with the salty fragrance of the braised sauce.
She picked up another piece of braised pork and abalone and put them on the white rice. There was no need to pour any more soup on it. The sauce had already slid down the edges of the braised pork and abalone onto the white rice, glistening with oil. The white rice alone was delicious.
Cheng's father, Cheng's mother and Cheng Shi also started eating, and kept praising the abalone and braised pork for its deliciousness.
He Susu smiled and said, "Mom, I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative after the New Year. If there are any dried seafood for sale, I'll buy some for you to take back. Dried shrimps are quite big, and scallops are not bad either. They are very fresh and sweet when used to make soup or noodles."
Mother Cheng smiled and agreed: "Okay, these are also your local specialties, we can take some back to try."
He Susu picked up some braised fish fillets. The fish fillets had been fried before, so even after being braised, the edges were still a little crispy. The sauce was salty and tasty, and the fish was tender and delicious. The scallion-roasted chicken was also very good. The chicken was firm and tender, and it was braised with scallions and had a scallion fragrance, which was very refreshing.
Tang Yuan ate the chicken and rice that his father fed him, bit by bit. He actually liked them very much, but he was not satisfied with just eating one thing. So he pointed to the plate of abalone and braised pork that looked delicious and said, "Eat meat! I want to eat this meat!"
He Susu thought about it and decided that it was okay to eat a piece of braised pork occasionally, so she agreed: "Okay, I'll give you a piece of braised pork."
She picked up a piece of lean braised pork with the chopsticks she used to eat glutinous rice balls, stared at her son's shining eyes, picked up the scissors and fried it into small pieces, and told Cheng Shi, "Mix it with rice for him to eat."
Cheng Shi smiled and agreed, mixing the braised pork and white rice together. The white rice turned into a sauce-colored and shiny color due to the juice from the braised pork, making it look even more tempting.
Tang Yuan was very happy. He leaned forward and opened his mouth to eat. He took a bite and chewed it with his little teeth. After swallowing it, he looked at his mother and said with a smile: "Mom, it's delicious, the meat is delicious!"
After saying this, he still looked at her eagerly.
He Susu received her son's gaze but chose to ignore it. She smiled and said, "It tastes good, right? Mom thinks it tastes good too. Hurry up and eat the vegetables and rice in the bowl."
Cheng Shi cooperated by scooping a spoonful of vegetables and rice and handing it to Tangyuan's mouth, and Tangyuan ate it subconsciously.
Then, spoonful after spoonful, Tangyuan could only watch as the delicious meat on the plate gradually decreased until it was gone. He sniffed and whimpered twice.
Mother Cheng heard: "Hey Tangyuan, what happened to you?"
Father Cheng was busy eating abalone and braised pork. This meat dish was really delicious. He was stunned when he heard Tangyuan's crying voice: "Tangyuan, are you feeling unwell?"
Cheng Shi looked at his son with a smile.
He Susu also looked over.
Tang Yuan met his parents' eyes, subconsciously swallowed back the remaining sobs, and shook his head: "No, I'm fine."
Cheng Shi raised a spoonful of greens: "This is the last bit of greens. After we finish eating, we can go out and play."
Tangyuan glanced at his mother secretly before eating the spoonful of vegetables with peace of mind.
Cheng Shi took him out of the dining chair and took him to the living room to play with building blocks.
He Susu whispered to her parents-in-law, "Mom and Dad, Tangyuan was sobbing just now because he wanted to see if I could give him a piece of braised pork. He can't eat too much oily and salty food, so he usually just tastes it. He couldn't help crying to see if Cheng Shi and I would be soft-hearted. If we ignore him, he won't cry."
Father Cheng: “So that’s how it is.”
Such a young child can understand so many things, he is really smart.
Mother Cheng nodded: "Susu, you are right to do this. We love Tangyuan but we cannot indulge him. It is for his own good. But Tangyuan likes this braised pork so much. It is really delicious. It is stewed with abalone and has some seafood flavor. I ate a lot of it."
The abalone and braised pork were finished, with some left over from the braised fish and scallion-roasted chicken, and the vegetables were also finished. Everyone filled a bowl of soup, and He Susu also scooped a bowl for Tangyuan, waiting for it to cool down a bit before letting him drink it.
After dinner, Cheng's mother asked Cheng's father to wash the dishes, and everyone went to sit in the living room. Cheng's mother was still fond of the dumplings, and sat aside watching him build blocks.
With an extra spectator, Tangyuan became more excited and worked harder on making the toy.
Cheng Shi said, "Mom, I have to go back to the army for training this afternoon to finish some things before the New Year. You and Dad can go out for a walk this afternoon if you want."
Cheng's mother was surprised: "I thought you had left it there for a long time."
Cheng Shi: "No, I won't officially rest until tomorrow. I took a day off this morning to pick you up."
Mother Cheng: "Okay, don't worry about us, your father and I will go out for a walk this afternoon."
After washing the dishes, Cheng's father came out and sat down to talk for a while. Cheng Shi and He Susu went back to the room with Tangyuan to sleep. Cheng's father and mother also went back to the room to sleep. They had been riding the train for more than a day and it was very tiring even if they had a sleeper berth. It was so comfortable to lie on the bed at home.
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