Chapter 123

"I work at a night stall now, and come back late at night, so I can't get up in the morning."

"Ah? Why?"

"Everyone has to work during the day, so few people go out for a walk. Besides, this crappy place is so hot during the day, but it's a little cooler at night. People here seem to prefer to go out at night. It's very different from where we are."

"That's true." Xu Wen nodded.

In the winter in Weizhuang Commune, the day basically ends at 6 or 7 o'clock. Even in the city, the buses stop running and most shops are closed.

In summer it is a little later, people go to bed around 8 o'clock, and the shops in the city close a little later than in the commune, around 9 o'clock.

There is only one bus that ends at 9:05, and there are no other buses at 7:30.

In Pengcheng or Haicheng, six or seven o'clock in the evening seems to be the beginning of people's day, and the bustle lasts until midnight.

"Uncle, what is this?" Dongsheng asked, pointing at a black container with a lid in the corner of the room. The container had a rounded shape and was almost elliptical.

"It's a popcorn pot." Xu Wen explained, "If you want to eat some later, I'll make you a pot of popcorn."

Xu Wen took a look at it and was also a little curious. This thing is rare after a few decades, a hand-cranked charcoal grilled popcorn pot.

What impressed Xu Wen most about this pot was the bang it made when the food came out of the pot.

Dongsheng was young and had always lived in the compound, so he had never seen such a strange thing. He nodded vigorously, "I'll eat it! Thank you, second uncle! Second uncle, let's make popcorn now, shall we? I'll help you."

"Let's eat later!" Xu Wen waved for Dongsheng to come over, "Let's go have breakfast first, aren't you hungry?"

"I'm hungry! Mom, let's go eat some custard buns!"

"good!"

The Xu Wen siblings took Dongsheng to a tea restaurant and ordered some breakfast. As for the most soul-stirring tea, they put it aside.

Neither the brother nor the sister likes drinking tea.

Xu Wen noticed that Xu Wen didn't seem to have a good appetite, so he asked him, "Aren't you hungry after just waking up?"

Xu Wen yawned and nodded.

Xu Wen carefully looked at Xu Wen and frowned: "Second brother, you always don't eat well, you have lost a lot of weight! Making money is important, but the body is the capital of the revolution! You can't eat well just to save money or make money desperately."

Xu Wen put the bitten bun back on the plate in front of him and said with a bitter face: "It really has nothing to do with money! The food here is too sweet and I can't get used to it! I kind of miss the dry food that my mother steamed."

In Wei Zhuang Commune, dry food refers to steamed buns.

The dough is kneaded by hand and steamed in an iron pot, and it is very chewy.

Not to mention Xu Wen, even Xu Wen wanted to eat some.

Dongsheng blinked, "Uncle! It's so sweet and delicious! How could you not like it?"

Xu Wen reached out and ruffled Dongsheng's hair across the table. "No matter how delicious a dessert is, you can't eat it every day. You'll get bored if you eat it every day!" He licked his lip. "I miss the fried leek dumplings my mother made. I'm drooling just thinking about it!"

The oily but not greasy pork lard is mixed with the fresh green leek filling. It is so delicious to take a bite!

"Then let's find a restaurant to eat dumplings at noon." Dongsheng suggested.

Xu Wen nodded.

Xu Wen waved his hands, "Don't think about it! I've already looked around here. Dumplings are for sale, but you know what? The dumplings here are all sweet. Not to mention dumplings, even tofu pudding is sweet. And kelp! I've lived for nearly 30 years, and this is the first time I know tofu pudding is sweet! Kelp can even be used to make sugar water! The things are still familiar to us, but the taste is really unbearable." Xu Wen gritted his teeth, frowned, and his whole body was filled with disgust.

Although Xu Wen felt very sorry for him, he couldn't help laughing. "This is the difference between the northern and southern food cultures. Our salty tofu pudding is equally incredible in the eyes of southerners. It's probably as unacceptable as your dislike of sweet tofu pudding.

As for kelp, we put it in heavy salt and dry it in the sun for easy storage, and salt particles float on it. If you want to eat it, you have to soak it in water a few times before eating it so that it won't make you choke.

This kelp in sugar water... "Xu Wen laughed so hard, "Second brother, I have never eaten it, and I can't imagine what it tastes like."

But Xu Wen knew that objectively speaking, it was not as bad as Xu Wen said it was. In fact, it was quite delicious if you ate it occasionally.

Among all kinds of sweets in the south, sweet tofu pudding is probably the only one that Xu Wen cannot accept, but he likes the others quite a bit.

Xu Wen: “…”

Dongsheng scratched his head: "Uncle, if you can't buy it, why don't you make it yourself? My mom often makes dumplings on the island!"

His little brain was simply unable to comprehend the difficult problem posed by his second uncle.

"But I don't have time!" Xu Wen explained, "I usually sleep in the morning and go out to work in the afternoon. It's midnight when I close the stall. I really don't have the energy to make dumplings."

"It's okay, I'll do it at noon today." Xu Wen raised his hand and promised.

So after breakfast, the brother and sister took Dongsheng to buy lard and leeks.

Suet is ubiquitous in the north, and it is easy to buy even on the only street in the commune.

In the eyes of the people of Wei Zhuang Commune, the cost-effectiveness of lard is far better than soybean oil or rapeseed oil.

It is cheap, and lard makes cooking fragrant. The residue from freshly refined lard is crispy and can be eaten directly with a little salt for seasoning, or used for cooking or making dumplings. In short, it tastes good no matter how you eat it.

However, it is not easy to find lard in Pengcheng, a special zone that is gradually getting rid of the system of grain and meat coupons and can be bought and sold freely.

It may also be that Xu Wen and his friends went to the wrong place. They ran several blocks under the increasingly scorching sun to buy a pound of lard.

After strolling along the way, Xu Wen was deeply moved.

This small city is changing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The last time she came here was only half a year ago, and it has changed a lot.

Concrete buildings rise up one after another.

A tall wire fence has been erected at the edge of the town, and entry and exit are strictly controlled, requiring a pass.

Thanks to Xu Wen who had come earlier to get a temporary residence permit, Xu Wen was able to come in as a relative.

Many of the future business tycoons are probably looking for holes in the wire fence to drill into.

Even if a big boss is in a small position, his business sense is much more sensitive than that of ordinary people.

There were obviously more people walking on the street, many of them were foreigners, and many of them were the first batch of Pengcheng gold diggers like Xu Wen.

Xu Wen looked at the increasing number of legal small shops on the roadside, and an idea suddenly occurred to him. He asked Xu Wen, "Brother, do you want to try to open a shop?"

"What store?"

"A dumpling shop? A steamed bun shop? A hand-rolled noodle shop will do. Many of the workers here are from the north, and they are probably like you. After a while, they get used to the local flavor of their hometown. We won't open a big hotel, just a small restaurant. Workers on the construction site may be willing to come here after get off work to have a bowl of filling and inexpensive noodles or dumplings."

Xu Wen shook his head. "Noodles are easy. I don't make dumplings well. Your sister-in-law is really good at it."

"Miss my sister-in-law?"

Xu Wen chuckled and touched the back of his head, as a sign of agreement.

Xu Wen and Sang Xiaoqing are just ordinary young people in the countryside. They don't talk about love and even getting married has nothing to do with love. They may never say "I love you" to each other in their entire lives. The silent love they develop from spending time together day after day is just kept in their hearts.

"Then you and my sister-in-law can open a husband-and-wife shop. Anyway, you've been here for almost half a year, and you can already make a living here and support the family. With the money you earn, our parents won't have to work so hard to earn work points, and even if my sister-in-law comes along, the pressure at home won't be so great." Xu Wen persuaded. He wanted to say that he could pay part of the money first, but he estimated that with Xu Wen's personality, he would definitely not want it.

Xu Wen was a little tempted, but after thinking about it, he shook his head, "No! Chunsheng is still so young. Although he can earn more money here, it is definitely harder than at home, getting up early and going to bed late. I don't mind, but I'm a little reluctant to let Chunsheng suffer with me."

"Then leave Chunsheng at home first and let your parents take care of him. This way, your sister-in-law can come over to help you. You two can work here for a year or two. If you feel you can adapt to this place and want to live here for a long time, then bring our parents and Chunsheng here to live. If you still don't like it here, you and your sister-in-law can work hard for two years to save some money, and then go back to Wei Zhuang Commune. After a year or two, the production team may be gone, and the commune will become Wei Zhuang Town again. It would be nice for you and your sister-in-law to do a small business in the town, right?!"

"I want my grandma and grandpa to come over!" Dongsheng raised his hand, "I miss my grandma and grandpa! When they come, mom and I will make a small boat and row over from Rainbow Island! Didn't you say it would be much faster if we rowed directly? It would only take the time of a meal."

Xu Wen did not object: "If your grandparents come by then, you can really consider it!"

In fact, she also has the idea of ​​getting a boat, but she has to go back and discuss it with Lu Yuanzheng.

Building a serious boat that can travel on the sea is not as simple as making a houseboat for your own entertainment.

There are still many procedures required.

Xu Wen thought for a long time and felt that this was a good idea. He clapped his hands and said, "Then I will write a letter to my family when I get home and ask my parents and Xiaoqing. If they agree, I will do as you say!"

Xu Wen nodded.

After finding lard, the three of them bought some leeks and returned to the house rented by Xu Wen and his second uncle.

Xu Wen took Dongsheng to buy toys, and Xu Wen was in charge of refining lard.

If you want to get crispy lard, you must first cut the lard into small pieces, then put the cut lard into a cold pot, add a little water, and heat it over a fire.

Slowly, bubbles begin to form in the pot, and after the water evaporates completely, only bright orange pork fat remains.

Pork fat will turn into a white, sticky solid only after solidifying.

Chives like oil, so when Xu Wen was refining the lard, he did not refine the fat residue until it turned brown. Instead, he scooped it out with a colander as soon as it turned slightly yellow and placed it on a plate to cool.

Because Pengcheng is also extremely hot, the cooling process of the oil is particularly long.

Xu Wen sat next to the ice bucket, picking leeks.

The climate and soil in the south are different, so it’s not just about raising people, it’s also about raising vegetables.

In the north, most leeks are thinner, with long leaves and short roots.

The leeks in Pengcheng are so thick that they look like spirit leeks from the north. From a distance, they look like small green onions.

In the north, only very old leeks are this thick, but although the leeks in Pengcheng look strong, they are very tender and will break if the roots are pinched.

Xu Wen carefully picked out the dry leaves and rotten leaves on the leek roots, washed them with clean water, and placed them in a vegetable basket to dry.

Just as she finished her work, Xu Wen came back with Dongsheng, bought a candy man and brought back two stir-fried dishes.

"Didn't you say we were going to have dumplings? Why did you buy some stir-fried vegetables?" Xu asked puzzled.

"It's too hot to be busy at noon. Besides, my second uncle will be back in the evening. He must want some glutinous rice dumplings too. Should we wait for him to eat together?" Xu Wen said, "Otherwise it would feel like I'm eating behind my second uncle's back."

"It's not just a meal of dumplings!" Xu Wen shook his head, "And I haven't forgotten my second uncle. I want to take you and my second uncle out for a big dinner tonight."

"Have you made a fortune, girl? It's not easy for people to earn money after a long journey. Don't spend it so lavishly on eating and drinking!" Xu Wen disdained her.

"No way! We don't spend much money on the island. We just want to take advantage of you and have a bite to eat! It would be hard for me to live here, right, Dongsheng?"

Dongsheng nodded, "Mom is right! Uncle, I want to eat meat."

Xu Wen: “…”

"Besides, during the school term, our school gives us 15 yuan a month in subsidies, and the army gives us 10 yuan a month in subsidies. I get 25 yuan a month without doing anything, so what's wrong with having a big meal?"

"Look at you, you are so proud! Is the fifteen dollars you get from your university subsidy enough for you to spend? Isn't the ten dollars you get from joining the army just taking advantage of the long journey?"

Xu Wen was so angry that he raised his hand and slapped Xu Wen, "Who are you? Why do you always speak in favor of Lu Yuanzheng?!"

"Speaking of Lu Yuanzheng..." Xu Wen looked at Xu Wen suspiciously while hiding, "I've been holding it in for the whole morning. I've been wanting to ask, did you two have a fight?"

"No?! Why are you asking?" Xu Wen looked puzzled.

"We didn't have a fight, but you left Lu Yuanzheng and came to me?" Xu Wen still didn't believe it. It couldn't be said that Xu Wen had no conscience, but Xu Wen felt that he was not as important as Lu Yuanzheng in Xu Wen's heart.

"You are my brother. I haven't seen you for almost half a year. Do I come to see what's wrong with you? Do I have to quarrel with Lu Yuanzheng before I can come to see you?" Xu Wen rolled his eyes.

"That's not what I meant." Xu Wen saw that Xu Wen didn't seem to be arguing, so he touched his nose and said, "It feels like you two have always been inseparable. I was quite puzzled that you suddenly came here by yourself."

Xu Wen sighed, "Since you are so unconfident, I will tell you the truth."

Xu Wen immediately sat up straight, her heart beating fast. Seeing Xu Wen so serious, could there really be some problem between her and Lu Yuanzheng?

"It's been over a week since I last saw Luyuanzheng."

"What's going on? Did he divorce you?" Xu Wen raised his eyebrows, as if he was going to rush over to settle the score with Lu Yuanzheng as soon as Xu Wen nodded.

All the preferential treatment Lu Yuanzheng received in front of the Xu family was based on Lu Yuanzheng's attitude towards Xu Wen.

If Lu Yuanzheng treats Xu Wen badly, Xu Wen will still help Xu Wen unconditionally.

"You're the one who got divorced! They were doing closed training and I couldn't see him. I was bored on the island so I came to find you."

Xu Wen breathed a sigh of relief and rolled his eyes at Xu Wen: "You said training, but you are keeping it a secret! I thought something happened between you two! I was wondering why you were so kind to come and see me! Ha..." Xu Wen was extremely disgusted, "You only remembered to look for your brother because you were bored."

Xu Wen said calmly: "I didn't expect you to be so self-aware."

“…”

The brother and sister joked for a while and ate the lunch that Xu Wen bought.

Then Xu Wen took Dongsheng back to the guesthouse to rest, and let Xu Wen sleep for a while. He said he would come to see him later and wanted to go to the night market with him.

Regardless of the era, regardless of whether the overall environment is poor or not, the services a city provides for wealthy people to enjoy are still outstanding.

For example, ask them about the guesthouse where they are staying.

It is called a guesthouse, but in fact it is a hotel. It's just that local people have become accustomed to calling it that and it's hard to change after a while.

The hotel is not very good, at least not famous enough. If it had a star rating, it would be three stars or above, which is considered upper-middle among hotels.

Probably in order to entertain foreign guests, the entire guesthouse has been renovated and strives to be in line with international standards, so the decoration is a bit European and American style.

Very clean, with 24-hour hot water in the bathroom.

Xu Wen asked for a standard room, with her and Dongsheng each having a bed.

Even though Dongsheng can sleep by himself now, she can't be so careless as to let Dongsheng live alone in a room.

The hotel's management is quite strict and the security seems to be good, but Xu Wen was still a little worried and locked the door from inside.

The child was new to the new place, and Dongsheng jumped up and down in front of the large French window and refused to sleep: "Mom, we can see the sea from here!"

Xu Wen felt a little sleepy, and asked him while yawning, "You almost live on the sea all day, so why would you want to see the sea from such a distance?"