It's past midnight, hopefully not too early or too late!
This year's drought has resulted in small, very spicy scallions. Seeing Zhang Hongmei chopping scallions while simultaneously looking up and closing her eyes, Zhang Shouyi immediately snatched the knife from her.
Looking up, I saw Zhang Hongmei with teary eyes. Although her face was still young, she already had a certain charm.
Zhang Shouyi paused for a moment, then said, "Go to the side. I'll do this kind of work from now on."
"It's up to you now, it's too spicy." Zhang Hongmei quickly lifted the lid of the water tank, staring at the water with her eyes open, saying it would be ready in a moment.
"Hongmei, what's wrong?"
"Hehe, I don't know the principle behind it either, but it seems to work."
Wang Xiaoshun arrived on time without being called. The three of them made dumplings together; Zhang Shouyi rolled out the dough, and the other two filled them. They finished making dumplings in less than an hour.
The task of boiling dumplings was left to Zhang Shouyi and his wife, while Zhang Hongmei prepared the side dishes.
I made a stir-fry of cabbage hearts and bean curd strips, stir-fried some peanuts, minced garlic, and vinegared shredded potatoes—that's it!
Zhang Xingguo didn't drink alcohol for dinner either. He had high hopes for the dumplings, and they didn't disappoint him. The pure meat dumplings were delicious.
After dinner, with nothing else to do, Zhang Hongmei, finding the oil lamp and candles too bright and irritating to her eyes, sat on the kang (heated brick bed) in the dark and chatted with the other three.
Wang Xiaoshun recounted his experiences as a soldier, with Zhang Xingguo occasionally chiming in with a few words.
On New Year's Eve, the entire Liujiatun village was quiet, without the sound of firecrackers.
Wang Xiaoshun's mouth was dry from talking, and he couldn't even finish the last sentence: "How about we tell a joke?"
"I think it's a good idea. Hongmei, you go first."
"What a joke? I need to think about it. You guys go first." Zhang Hongmei leaned comfortably against the pile of blankets, squinting her eyes.
"I can't tell jokes." This really put Zhang Shouyi in a difficult position.
"If you can't tell jokes, tell stories, stories of strange people and events, anything will do."
"Dad, you go first." Zhang Shouyi slowly leaned against the pile of quilts.
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. When Shouyi was still young, I was away from home all the time. One night when I came back, I couldn’t find him in the house. It turned out he was in the kitchen, sitting in front of the stove, staring at the firewood in the stove. I asked him what he was doing. You tell me why there’s no fire?”
"Dad, don't expose my past!" Zhang Shouyi said, getting close to Zhang Hongmei.
"Brother Zhang, you can be this cute sometimes? Will you ever be like this again, Uncle Zhang?"
"Yes, when Shouyi first started elementary school, he followed a little girl into the girls' restroom and even asked her why she was squatting there. The teacher kept me after school, and I was both amused and exasperated. Back then, he didn't distinguish between boys and girls. Sigh! It's all because I was too busy and incompetent!"
"Hehe, Brother Zhang, you're really talented."
"I was just a kid back then, and there were only men in the family. I didn't know anything," Zhang Shouyi said angrily in a helpless and innocent tone. But he raised his arm and placed it behind Zhang Hongmei's back.
“Hongmei, let me tell you, your brother Zhang received a letter from a girl when he graduated from elementary school, but he wouldn’t let me see it. He just threw it into the stove.”
"Hehe, Brother Zhang is so young and already has someone who likes him? What a pity, his first love letter. If it were me, I would definitely keep it, it would be so meaningful! But that girl is quite brave."
"I hate it when girls cry all the time, why would I read what they write?"
"Does that mean Brother Zhang will receive more and more love letters from now on?"
"Hongmei, you're so clever. It's a pity he won't let me see. What's wrong with just looking? He's so stingy!"
"I haven't even seen it. Why would you watch it? Honestly."
"I've never received a love letter in my life, of course I'm curious!"
"That's my privacy."
"Hehe, I knew that Brother Zhang was so handsome that many girls would like him."
“Hongmei, you have to keep a close eye on your Brother Zhang, or he’ll run off with someone.”
"Hehe, I don't need to look. That's my future sister-in-law Zhang's problem."
Zhang Xingguo also stopped there, not saying too much.
Zhang Shouyi slowly put his arm around Zhang Hongmei without saying a word, thinking to himself that this was all her responsibility from now on.
"Little Shun, what are some funny stories from your childhood?"
"I don't remember."
What happened after you started remembering things?
"After I can remember, I realized that everything I did was stupid."
"You've always been a bit silly."
Wang Xiaoshun felt quite innocent; how could he have been so foolish?
"It's your turn, Hongmei."
"I've forgotten everything from my childhood. The only memory I have is of living alone in Liujiatun."
"Is there anything wrong with working in the fields all day?"
"Isn't there anything embarrassing or shameful that happened? Tell us about it!"
"Brother Zhang, you'll never find a wife if you keep asking girls questions like that. It's so unlovable."
"Hongmei, you think so too? I also think Shouyi won't be able to find a wife."
"I didn't say I couldn't find one. It's just not easy to find one. How can you be so serious when you're with a girl? You have to give her face."
"Hehe, from now on, Hongmei will be teaching me. Please take good care of Teacher Hongmei in the future."
"We'll see how you do."
"Hongmei, your brother Zhang has never played with girls since he was a child. How will he find a wife in the future?"
"Hehe. My Uncle Zhang is so open-minded. He doesn't rush my Brother Zhang at all. In our village, my Brother Zhang's children are already old enough to run errands."
"Right? But he won't listen to me. It's pointless for me to talk, so I just shut up."
"Hehe, don't worry, Uncle Zhang, you'll definitely have a daughter-in-law in the future. My brother Zhang is so handsome, there will always be someone who's obsessed with looks."
“I hope so too. My Shouyi is good-looking, so his children will definitely be good-looking in the future.”
Zhang Hongmei ignored the boastful old man and came over as soon as she finished speaking.
"Hehe, my future wife must be someone I've chosen; otherwise, no one can force me."
"Of course, you have to find one you like yourself. Don't make me wait too long."
"Sure, we can wait another five or six years. No rush."
Zhang Xingguo understood what Zhang Shouyi meant. He was overjoyed; he thought Zhang Hongmei was a wonderful girl. He couldn't let someone else have her. He saw that the old woman seemed to think the same way, so he couldn't let her beat him to it.
Zhang Hongmei was a little sleepy. "Shall we stay up all night? I'm so sleepy."
"Take a nap if you're sleepy, I'll wake you up in a bit."
"Alright, I'll just take a nap."
"Sleep soundly."
Then the two of them talked about work, and Zhang Hongmei gradually became confused.
"You approve of Shouyi too?"
"Yes, I've accepted her, and it has to be her."
The two then proceeded to work arrangements and personnel allocation.
Zhang Shouyi didn't disturb Zhang Hongmei. Instead, he helped her adjust her posture to make her more comfortable. Normally, he would have already been working at his desk, but he only indulged himself this once.
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