Zhang Aiju wanted to say something, but she held back and walked back silently.
There's no point in saying more to someone like An Bihuai. When his older brother was alive, he relied on him for everything, from getting married and having children to turning to his brother for help with any problem.
Now that his brother is long gone, he should be the one to support the family.
But he ended up marrying an unreasonable wife who constantly whispered in his ear, cried, made a scene, and threatened suicide. She would also scold him from time to time, making it difficult for An Bihuai to be the head of the household.
Moreover, he has three sons, which is a heavy burden. Although they are all married, they are still living in the same courtyard and have not yet separated into their own households.
There are quite a few families like this in Ping'an Village; it's not that they don't have land, but that they don't have the money to rebuild their houses.
An Bihuai spent all his money to marry off his three daughters-in-law.
He has no special skills and his income depends entirely on the dozen or so acres of land his family owns.
Yuan Doudou was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open, but she couldn't sleep, so she got up to wash her face and wake herself up.
As soon as I got up, I saw a dark figure walking in from the doorway; it was Anping.
"Dou Dou, my father sent me to exchange you." Anping, carrying a quilt, walked to the altar.
Yuan Doudou was surprised; her second uncle had finally had a change of heart and was considering her difficulties.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, brother." Yuan Doudou made way for him and walked towards the kitchen.
I ate less for dinner and I'm a little hungry.
Anping came to help keep vigil in the middle of the night, so we should make him some food as a midnight snack.
"What should I make?" She saw a small pile of potatoes on the ground and suddenly wanted to eat French fries.
Without further ado, I peeled the potatoes, cut them into thick slices, then into strips about the thickness of my little finger, and soaked them in water.
Without starch, she directly heated the oil in the pan, but the lard smelled too strong, so she took the little vegetable oil left and poured it into the pan.
Heat the oil to 70% of its maximum temperature, then add the drained potato strips and start frying.
Yuan Doudou watched quietly until the potato strips turned golden brown before turning them over with chopsticks.
Place the fried potato strips on a plate, heat the oil to raise the temperature, and then fry them again. This will make them golden brown and taste even better.
The potato strips are fried, but it always feels like something's missing.
Oh, and ketchup, that's the soul of it all.
Yuan Doudou hurriedly went to the vegetable garden and picked two ripe tomatoes, which are perfect for making sauce.
Wash the tomatoes, make a cross-shaped cut on the top, peel off the skin, and reveal the bright red flesh.
First slice it, then dice it. Heat oil in a pan, pour it into the pan and stir-fry continuously until it becomes sandy. Add white sugar and let the sauce gradually thicken. Remove the firewood from the stove and simmer over low heat.
Soon, the aroma of tomato sauce filled the air.
"Big brother, are you hungry? Have some snacks to tide you over." Yuan Doudou came out carrying a plate.
Anping was about to refuse when his stomach started growling loudly.
"What is this?" On the plate, there were strips of golden yellow, looking very tempting, and next to them was a small pool of red, unidentified substance.
Yuan Doudou explained, "These are French fries, made from potatoes. This is ketchup, made from tomatoes."
"French fries? Ketchup?" I've never heard of such things before. I never imagined that his sister-in-law had such skills.
"Try it." Following the principle that she wouldn't eat if the guest didn't eat, Yuan Doudou hoped Anping would eat it quickly.
Anping picked up a French fry with some skepticism and put it directly into his mouth.
"Brother, fries taste even better with sauce." She had just forgotten to mention that.
The fries from Anping have a very unique texture; they are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, with a sweet potato flavor.
According to Yuan Doudou, he took another one and dipped it in ketchup. The sweet and sour taste made the original flavor of the fries even better.
"It's delicious," Anping said with a smile.
His father asked him to keep vigil, which he was reluctant to do, but now he's enjoying delicious food, so it's definitely worth it.
"Then this plate is all yours, there's more in the kitchen." Yuan Doudou handed the plate to him and walked straight to the kitchen.
That night, she didn't dare to eat much, just a small bite before going to bed with Angie.
In her sleep, she returned to her home.
She stood at the door, watching it open to reveal her mother, followed by a girl who looked exactly like her.
She wanted to call for her mother, but the girl called out first: "Mom, it's settled, I'll choose myself later."
"Okay, I won't interfere. I'll buy you whatever you like." Mom couldn't stop smiling.
Watching their happy figures as they walked away, Yuan Doudou felt a lump in her throat.
She cried and called for her mother from behind, but her mother didn't turn around.
"mom!"
Yuan Doudou woke up with a start, saw Anji's little head, and then looked at the simple blanket covering her. It turned out she had been dreaming.
But the dream was too real. Could it be that in another time and space, someone else has taken over my body and is living on my behalf?
She dared not think about it; the more she thought about it, the more upset she became, and her heart felt heavy.
Is it even possible to escape from here and go back to the past?
"Mother, did you have a nightmare?" Anji woke up and saw that his mother's face was pale, as if she had been frightened.
He stretched out his chubby little hands and hugged his mother's neck, comforting her in a childish voice, "Mommy, don't be afraid, Anji will protect you."
At that moment, Yuan Doudou's heart melted.
She held Angie tightly in her arms, telling him not to overthink things and to make the best of it since they were already there.
That's just a dream, it can't be real.
It was still dark, and people would be here soon, so Yuan Doudou didn't dare to delay and quickly got up to wash.
"Anji, there are many people at home today. Stay with your mother and don't run around," Yuan Doudou said as she dressed Anji.
Anji nodded obediently. With his grandmother not around, he had to be even more obedient and not cause his mother any trouble.
Seeing how well-behaved Anji was, Yuan Doudou kissed him on the forehead, "Anji is so good."
Angie blushed and smiled shyly.
The courtyard was bustling with people; some were busy cooking, some were busy serving dishes, and some were sitting together chatting.
"Anping, it's getting late, why hasn't your father arrived yet?" Zhang Aiju poked her head out from the kitchen, looked around but didn't see anyone.
Anping was busy receiving guests in front of the coffin, but she was also anxious, wondering why her father hadn't arrived yet.
"I'll go back and take a look." Mingming had promised to come and help early in the morning.
Anping ran home quickly, but the courtyard gate was tightly closed.
"Father, Mother, what are you doing?" Anping pushed open the door and saw his parents wrestling together, like two snakes entwined.
"Big brother, you're back just in time. I was just about to call you back." An Chang was soft-hearted. When his parents argued, he had no idea what to do. His third brother, An Wang, hadn't returned yet.
"Separate them first." Anping shook his head helplessly; he had grown up watching his parents argue and fight.
Before her son could even touch her, Anbihuai cried out in pain, "Ouch, ouch!"
"Dad, what's wrong?" Anping was too scared to move and could only reach out to pull Zhuang Shuhui.
Zhuang Shuhui pinned An Bihuai down, as steady as a mountain.
"Anping, get out of here. I won't let your father leave this door today." Yesterday, he carried her to dig a grave for Wang Shi. What an unfaithful man! Wang Shi is dead, and he's still trying to curry favor with her.
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