Zhang Shouyi grabbed a leather bag and started taking things out of it.
"I brought you malted milk powder, milk powder, milk candy, fruit candy, canned fruit, canned beef, and hawthorn candy."
This bag can hold so much! I took everything out and laid it all out on the table.
Zhang Shouyi pulled over another leather bag. "This is for you: a sweater, woolen trousers, two overcoats, and two pairs of trousers. This is polyester, this is denim, and this is cotton. There are five meters of each, enough for you to make clothes."
She grabbed another bag and took out two cardboard boxes. "These are leather shoes I bought for you. Both pairs are single-strap shoes, one with laces and the other with a side lace, neither with heels. I had them custom-made. Try them on and see if they fit."
"Brother Zhang, why did you buy so much stuff?" Zhang Hongmei was dumbfounded. It seemed to be almost all the things her brother had brought back for his nephew on his business trip, including food and clothes.
"Is that all? There's more."
"Anything else?"
"Yes, look, this is the watch I bought for you. Do you like it?"
"A gold watch? I can't wear that out. Besides, I already have a watch."
"Keep it for when you go to college. You're taking the college entrance exam next year, right? How about Capital University?"
"Okay, I'll take this exam. Brother Jingze also wants me to take this university."
"Jingze? Liu Jingze?"
"Yes, my great-grandmother's great-grandson."
"Oh. Here are some old books I brought for you, I knew you liked them."
"Give them all to me?" Zhang Hongmei looked at the cloth bag that Zhang Shouyi had opened and taken out. Inside were thread-bound ancient books, all of which were lost to time.
"Here, take them all. I'll find you other things later."
"Brother Zhang, you're so good to me, just like my dad!"
Zhang Shouyi's face immediately darkened. "I don't have the ability to have a daughter as big as you."
"I was just using an analogy," he said, then laughed.
"Even using an analogy won't work, and what are you laughing at?"
"Haha, I just remembered a joke about using analogies. Do you want to hear it?"
"I'll reluctantly listen."
"It's really too much trouble, I'm not going to say anything more." Zhang Hongmei said haughtily.
"Please tell me, I really want to hear it." Zhang Shouyi sang, recited, acted, and performed in sync with Zhang Hongmei.
"When someone says something, I use an example, but before she finishes, the person next to her objects. 'The example is my friend, why are you hitting him?' Isn't that funny?"
Zhang Shouyi looked at Zhang Hongmei, unsure what expression to make. Was this funny?
Zhang Hongmei rubbed her face helplessly; she just couldn't get along with this kind of person. It was a waste of her emotions.
Zhang Shouyi also felt quite embarrassed, but he didn't really find it funny.
"Brother Zhang, do you want some pine nuts?" He made conversation out of curiosity.
"I'm not eating anymore. I'm going back to sleep. Come over tomorrow and you can teach me how to cook."
"Why learn to cook? Just relax during the Chinese New Year."
"I don't have time usually, and besides, didn't you say that if I can't cook, I won't be able to find a wife in the future?"
"Just kidding, just kidding. What, are you finding me a sister-in-law?"
"No, I'm just learning ahead of time. I won't bother you, I'll just watch from the side."
"Alright, I've prepared all the main dishes. Tomorrow I'll steam bean buns. Watch if you want."
"Alright, come out, lock the door, and go to sleep. I'm leaving."
The two went out of the house together. "By the way, what do you want for breakfast tomorrow?"
"I love eating whatever you make."
Zhang Hongmei was speechless. "How about we have pickled cabbage noodles again?"
"Okay. Hurry up and close the door, it's cold outside."
When Zhang Shouyi returned home, Zhang Xingguo was still awake. "You're back so early?"
"Hmm, Dad, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I took a nap, I'm not sleepy. If you're tired, you don't need to stay with me, I'll go to sleep when I'm sleepy."
"I'm not sleepy either, I'll stay with you for a while."
"Does Hongmei like the gift I gave her?"
"I don't know. I didn't see that she liked what I gave her."
Zhang Xingguo sensed the disappointment in his son's words, smiled inwardly, and did not continue the topic.
The father and son talked about work until late at night.
The next day, just as they lit the fire, Zhang Shouyi came knocking on the door.
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, but there are no firecrackers. Who cares about these things when we can't even afford to eat?
"Brother Zhang, I'll wash up first and then cook dinner right away."
When the noodles were cooked, Wang Xiaoshun and Zhang Xingguo came over. Seeing how much they enjoyed their meal, I ate half a bowl more than I should.
After dinner, Zhang Xingguo took Wang Xiaoshun to his house to get some things, intending to visit the old lady. Zhang Shouyi also went along.
Zhang Hongmei mixed sweet potato flour and glutinous rice flour together to make dough, which she then set aside to rest. Afterward, she began preparing the lunch dishes.
Braised pork belly, braised fish, sliced pork, and chicken stew with mushrooms – four meat dishes.
The cold dishes included cabbage hearts mixed with bean curd strips and hawthorn berries in syrup.
The stir-fried dishes were hot and sour shredded potatoes, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, mapo tofu, and scrambled eggs.
Exactly ten dishes, perfect in every way.
First, stew the pheasant; that takes time.
Zhang Shouyi returned just as he finished preparing all the materials and proactively told Zhang Hongmei, "My dad is staying at the old lady's house. I came back to help you start the fire."
"I can manage by myself. It's just that stewing the chicken is time-consuming, but everything else is prepared."
Zhang Shouyi sat on a small stool in front of the stove, stubbornly insisting on helping.
Heat the pot, add oil, then add Sichuan peppercorns and star anise to fry until fragrant. Then add the blanched chicken to the pot and stir-fry. Add soy sauce, continue to stir-fry, add hot water, cover the pot and simmer.
"Brother Zhang, just keep the heat low. Could you also light the other pot for me? I'm steaming sticky rice cakes."
"Okay." Zhang Shouyi felt relieved when Zhang Hongmei gave him instructions to do the work.
I mixed the red bean paste with brown sugar, took a pinch with tweezers and put it in my mouth, but it wasn't sweet enough. So I added a whole handful more brown sugar.
After tasting it, he found it was alright. Seeing Zhang Shouyi staring at him without blinking, he subconsciously pinched a red bean paste dumpling and held it to Zhang Shouyi's mouth.
"Brother Zhang, try it and see if it's sweet?"
Zhang Shouyi paused for a moment, then opened his mouth and swallowed it.
"Sweet, delicious."
Zhang Hongmei belatedly realized that her actions were inappropriate, but she didn't pay much attention to it.
Zhang Hongmei spent the entire morning busy in the kitchen, without a moment to spare.
Zhang Shouyi was very curious when Zhang Hongmei was slicing meat, so Zhang Hongmei had no choice but to explain it to him while she was making it.
"It's nothing. The key is in the sauce; just add sweet bean sauce and chili sauce."
"That simple?"
"Yes, cooking isn't complicated."
Around 10 o'clock, Shi Tou ran over and called Zhang Hongmei to have dinner.
"I won't be going over for dinner today, we have guests. You can go by yourself."
"Okay, then I'll go back and tell my dad."
Because Zhang Shouyi was tending the fire, Zhang Hongmei was responsible for peeling and chopping the skins.
Zhang Shouyi watched her bustling around in the kitchen and realized that cooking was tiring work.
Zhang Hongmei is now just waiting for Zhang Xingguo to come back so she can start cooking.
The chopped cold dishes were placed on the table, and chopsticks and bowls were also prepared.
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