Chapter 63, Abstaining from Alcohol
The stream where Xie Wei took Lin Qingqing fishing was behind the family compound. The winding stream flowed down from the mountain and was sparkling in the sunlight.
Lin Qingqing stood by the stream, watching the fish appear out of nowhere and swim away quickly in the crystal-clear water, and asked Xie Wei, who was standing beside her with his trousers rolled up, "Can you really catch fish?"
"Yes." Xie Wei rolled up his trousers, took a bamboo pole, and went into the water.
The stream wasn't deep; the water only reached Xie Wei's knees. Although the ground was covered in stones, the water had smoothed the surface, so they wouldn't hurt his feet. Xie Wei walked to the middle of the stream, stood facing upstream, and simply raised his bamboo pole to observe the water's surface from side to side.
Lin Qingqing also squatted down. The sun was very strong, and sweat was dripping from her hair, which was covered by her hat, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She just held her breath and stared intently at the water.
Suddenly, a fish appeared out of nowhere. Lin Qingqing wanted to call Xie Wei, but was afraid of startling the fish, so she could only jump up and gesture.
Seeing her movement, Xie Wei quickly turned around and saw the fish swimming behind him. He twisted his waist behind him, and his hand holding the bamboo pole moved accordingly, the sharpened bamboo pole piercing the water's surface.
"Gotcha!" Lin Qingqing jumped up excitedly from the ground.
Although she was young, she was always composed and rarely showed her emotions. It was rare for her to show such a childlike side, and Xie Wei couldn't help but smile, giving a soft "hmm" as he took the fish off the bamboo pole and threw it into the bucket by the stream.
Lin Qingqing leaned over the bucket to look.
Looking down at the water, she thought it was just a small fish, maybe the size of her palm. She was surprised to find that the fish she caught was much bigger, probably weighing a pound or two.
Lin Qingqing said, "Then let's catch another fish."
After saying that, Lin Qingqing raised her hand to check the time. It was not yet nine o'clock, which meant they had caught their first fish in less than ten minutes since they arrived. Lin Qingqing estimated in her mind that even if things didn't go so smoothly from there onwards, they should be able to catch their second fish before nine-thirty.
But things went even worse than Lin Qingqing had expected; for half an hour straight, not a single fish swam by.
Lin Qingqing stood on the shore, fanning Xie Wei with her rolled-up hat, and suggested, "Why don't we catch a fish and take it home?"
She has a fish, and later she'll buy half a pound of pork belly to braise, and see if they have any offal. At this time, fewer people eat offal, so it's cheap and doesn't require meat coupons. That should make three dishes. She'll also buy two vegetable dishes.
Even if the portion is small, it's enough for five people.
Seeing that Lin Qingqing's face was flushed from the sun, Xie Wei also wanted to go back. Just as he was about to nod, he caught a glimpse of a fish swimming along the stream out of the corner of his eye, and he quickly cast his line.
He moved too fast; Lin Qingqing didn't even see the fish appear. She couldn't help but lean forward, craning her neck to look: "Are there any fish?"
"Yes." Xie Wei picked up the bamboo pole, just about to take the fish strung on it, when he saw Lin Qingqing slip on the stone. He quickly stepped forward and caught Lin Qingqing as she plunged into the water.
...
The first thing Lin Qingqing did after returning from the stream was to take a bath.
She hadn't originally planned to take a bath, but she was wearing a long dress, and although Xie Wei caught her when she jumped into the stream, her dress was soaked from the knees down. When she got back, Lin Qingqing was going to change her clothes, but she was covered in sweat and felt sticky after going out, so she decided to take a bath.
It's nice that the weather is hot now, so it's good that the bath water isn't too cold. The bottle of boiled water she filled last night is just enough. Otherwise, if she wanted to boil water, she probably wouldn't have bothered.
It was already ten o'clock when Lin Qingqing came out of the bathroom after taking a shower. She figured the Jiang family would be arriving soon, so she didn't rush to do laundry and went into the kitchen to watch Xie Wei busy at work. He had already prepared the two fish he had caught, and when he saw her come in, he asked, "What else do you need to do?"
Lin Qingqing pointed to the leftover Shaoxing wine on the table and asked Xie Wei to pour some to marinate the fish. She then went back into the house to get money and tickets and told Xie Wei that she was going to the market to buy vegetables.
Xie Wei was busy, so he just hummed in agreement and let her go.
People tend to have early mornings at this time of year, with the busiest time to buy groceries being around 7 or 8 a.m. By 10 a.m., the market is nearly empty. When Lin Qingqing went in, there were more staff than customers, all chatting together.
Lin Qingqing went straight to Yu Xiuhong's stall, greeted her, and then bought two potatoes, a bunch of greens, and asked Yu Xiuhong to get some scallions, ginger, and garlic for her. After buying the greens, Lin Qingqing went to the meat stall and asked if they sold offal.
"There are pig intestines."
Actually, pig offal isn't completely unwanted. For example, pig heart, liver, and stomach are still quite popular. After all, pork is a rare treat these days, and people are lucky to have any meat at all.
However, few people eat pig intestines. At most, they'd use the fat to render lard, but the amount of fat from pig intestines is limited, making it uneconomical to buy them for rendering lard. It's better to look at other parts of the pig. Furthermore, pig intestines have a strong smell and are difficult to process, so many people who crave meat are unwilling to eat them. Therefore, pig intestines have long been unsaleable.
When Lin Qingqing asked about the price of pig intestines, Yu Xiuhong across from her said, "Girl, why are you buying so many pig intestines? They're hard to cook and don't taste good."
"The aunt who taught me to cook taught me how to make braised pork intestines, and I want to buy some to try." Seeing that the pork intestines were cheap, Lin Qingqing asked the owner to weigh out four jin (2 catties).
“You don’t need to buy so much just to try it. It’s a waste of money.” Yu Xiuhong didn’t think braised pork intestines were anything special. The canteen in the family compound used to make this dish, and it was absolutely delicious! She had heard that state-run restaurants also had this dish, but they didn’t make it very well.
Yu Xiuhong thought that if even the chefs at state-run restaurants couldn't cook this dish well, how could Lin Qingqing possibly make it taste good?
Lin Qingqing thought that four jin seemed like a lot, but after cleaning it, there wouldn't be that much left, and since there were five of them eating, she smiled and said, "Anyway, it's cheap."
Deciding to make braised pork intestines, Lin Qingqing went back and bought green and red peppers to take home.
When they got home, Xie Wei had already marinated the fish. He asked Lin Qingqing to check if it was okay. Since it was only marinated with Shaoxing wine and there were no extra steps, Lin Qingqing nodded and said it was fine. Then she put the vegetables she had bought on the counter.
Xie Wei then noticed that she had bought pork intestines and said, "This must be difficult to cook, right?"
"I'll try the method Aunt Wang taught me. If it doesn't work, I won't buy it again." Lin Qingqing said, taking a knife and cutting the large intestines open one by one, taking out the fat from inside the pig intestines and putting it into a large bowl to render the oil.
Hearing that Aunt Wang had taught her how to make it, Xie Wei didn't say anything and helped process the pig intestines.
After they cleaned the pig intestines, Jiang Feng arrived with his wife and children. Lin Qingqing and her family had brought snacks and candies last time they visited, and this time Jiang Feng's family hadn't come empty-handed either, bringing two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor).
Xie Wei could tell what he was up to just by looking at the liquor in his hand, so he said in advance, "We won't be drinking with dinner today."
"Are you going back to camp today?" That was the first thing Jiang Feng thought of.
“I’m giving up alcohol,” Xie Wei said.
Jiang Feng was even more puzzled: "When did you say you were quitting drinking?"
"What I said today."
Jiang Feng laughed angrily: "So you just don't want to drink with me?" Which of these soldiers doesn't smoke and drink? Only Xie Wei doesn't smoke, and now he's even giving up drinking!
"I think it's better not to drink, so you won't go on a drunken rampage after you get back," Shen Yufen said, trying to smooth things over.
"When have I ever acted crazy after a meal while drunk?" Jiang Feng believed he had good manners when drunk and resolutely refused to admit that he had acted crazy while drunk.
Shen Yufen sneered, "When have you ever gotten drunk and not acted out? Like last time when the two of you finished drinking, you..."
"You cried and laughed, don't you remember? You don't remember, but your son does." He asked Jiang Peng if he remembered the incident.
“I remember!” Jiang Peng said loudly.
Jiang Feng said helplessly, "Fine, fine, I won't drink." He placed the liquor he had brought on the dining table.
Lin Qingqing finished her work and came out, pouring two cups of tea for Jiang Feng and his wife, and a cup of sugar water for Jiang Peng. She then asked Xie Wei to greet Jiang Feng and his wife while she went back into the kitchen to prepare lunch.
She had just entered the kitchen when Shen Yufen came in right behind her. Lin Qingqing quickly said that she didn't need Shen Yufen, "I'm almost done with my work."
“There must be times when we need help,” Shen Yufen said with a smile. “You said before that we don’t have much to say to men, so it’s better to chat together.”
Hearing her say that, Lin Qingqing had no choice but to give up her seat to Shen Yufen and let her help out.
Shen Yufen walked in and saw the large intestines in the basin on the counter. She asked Lin Qingqing what she was making. Lin Qingqing had just taken the steamed rice off the stove, put the iron pot back on, added water, and poured in the chopped large intestines. She said, "It's a dish that my aunt who used to teach me to cook taught me. It's called 'Stir-fried Large Intestines'."
Shen Yufen had tried the dish and thought the flavor was a bit strong, but firstly, she was the one being treated, so it wasn't appropriate for her to give unsolicited advice; secondly, she knew that Lin Qingqing was a good cook and might even be able to make this dish better than the one served at the state-run restaurant, so she didn't say anything.
While cooking, Shen Yufen asked Lin Qingqing about her exam results.
Lin Qingqing shook her head and said, "Not really."
Shen Yufen looked slightly surprised, but she didn't show it. She said, "Actually, working at the supply and marketing cooperative is not bad. It's close to home and easy to commute. If I were to work at the steel plant, I might only be able to live in the staff dormitory."
While cooking, Lin Qingqing said, "Yes, I also plan to go to the supply and marketing cooperative, but we'll have to see how the conversation goes tomorrow."
"Hmm, I'll go check on it tomorrow." Shen Yufen said, sniffing the air. "It smells so good."
The aroma of stir-fried pork intestines wafted out, and not only Shen Yufen said it smelled good, but passersby couldn't help but drool, asking Lin Qingqing, "Comrade Lin, what dish are you cooking today?"
The Xie family has been cooking for a while now. Although Lin Qingqing doesn't always make elaborate dishes like braised pork, even her simple dry-pot potato slices taste better than other people's cooking, which attracts neighbors to come and ask her what she's cooking every few days.
Lin Qingqing was a little uncomfortable when she first made braised pork, but she's gotten used to it now. Knowing that these people don't have any bad intentions, she smiled and said, "Stir-fried pork intestines."
Upon hearing "braised pork intestines," the outside...
People have given up their thoughts.
Although the pork intestines smelled delicious, they tasted awful! But I was also puzzled and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to make braised pork intestines? This dish is not easy to make."
"I'm just trying it out. If it doesn't taste good, I won't make it again," Lin Qingqing said.
Hearing her say that, the people outside completely dispelled their doubts, sniffed, swallowed hard, and said, "It smells quite nice." Then they went home.
Not only did people outside ask, but Jiang Feng, who was talking to Xie Wei in the living room, also smelled the aroma: "What dish is your sister-in-law making that smells so good?"
"It should be braised pork intestines," Xie Wei said.
"I've never had braised pork intestines this delicious before," Jiang Feng muttered, but he quickly corrected himself, "But my sister-in-law is indeed a great cook. Yesterday, I heard our neighbor, Old Liu, say that when he passed by your house last time, he wondered what dish your sister-in-law cooked, because it smelled so good."
Old Liu said that his mouth was practically watering at the time, and he didn't even enjoy his wife's cooking when he got home. But out of consideration for Old Liu's feelings, Jiang Feng didn't repeat what he said exactly.
Thinking of Lin Qingqing's cooking skills, Jiang Feng felt a little more excited about the braised pork intestines dish.
When the food was served, the first thing Jiang Feng picked up was the braised pork intestines. He smelled it before eating; it had a smell, but it was mild. The first taste was fragrant, followed by crispness, and then a sweet aftertaste. It was completely different from the braised pork intestines he had eaten before.
Jiang Feng said, "Sister-in-law, your cooking is quite good!"
Shen Yufen also said, "It tastes even better than what the chefs at state-run restaurants make."
Xie Wei also found it delicious and took several bites. Only Jiang Peng, being too old to eat spicy food, could only watch others eat with envy.
Lin Qingqing tasted it herself and said modestly, "This is my first time making it, and it seems to be a success." It's just a pity that she didn't have baking soda or edible alkali, otherwise the intestines would have been even crispier.
Lin Qingqing bought four catties of pork intestines in total. Even after removing the fat, she still managed to stir-fry a large plate of the remaining intestines. The two fish were cooked separately, one braised and the other stewed in soup. Since the decision to stew the fish soup was made at the last minute and there wasn't time to buy tofu, Lin Qingqing added two stalks of greens. All in all, two dishes and a soup would be enough, so she didn't stir-fry any greens and just braised a plate of potato slices with pork cracklings.
The four dishes were all quite large, and Lin Qingqing was initially worried that they wouldn't be able to finish them. However, everyone had a big appetite, and in the end, the plates were completely cleaned.
"How did you cook this braised pork intestines, sister-in-law?" Shen Yufen asked after the meal. "I was thinking that if it's easy to make, I'll try it when I get back."
Because I can't handle pork intestines properly, I can't cook this dish well, and I don't have anyone around who can...
So even though she knew that pork intestines were oily, Shen Yufen had never bought them before. But today, after tasting Lin Qingqing's braised pork intestines, she found that they not only didn't smell bad but were also very fragrant. Shen Yufen wanted to learn how to make this dish, since it was very cheap and didn't require coupons. If she could make it, her family could eat meat every few days.
With meat to eat, who would want to eat vegetarian food every day?
Jiang Feng's eyes lit up when he heard his wife's words, but he also knew that some people treasured their culinary skills and were unwilling to teach others how to cook. This was understandable; after all, cooking well might get you a job as a head chef in a state-run restaurant. Head chefs in state-run restaurants not only had high salaries but also good perks, making it a highly sought-after job that most people would fight tooth and nail for.
But Lin Qingqing didn't hesitate for long and said, "I'll write down the recipe for you."
"No need for that trouble, just tell me what you need." Shen Yufen knew she was asking for a favor and felt bad about bothering Lin Qingqing.
"It's no trouble at all," Lin Qingqing said. "It's just that pork intestines are more troublesome to process, so I'll write it down for you instead."
As Lin Qingqing spoke, she went into the main room to get a pen and notebook, and wrote down the recipe for braised pork intestines. She also wrote down the recipe for stir-fried pork intestines, saying, "This is the way it's done in Sichuan Province, and it's a bit spicier."
After saying that, Lin Qingqing tore off the paper with the recipe written on it and handed it to Shen Yufen, who took the recipe and quickly thanked her.
Lin Qingqing smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. Since Xie Wei and I moved in, you two have helped us so much. It's just two recipes, nothing at all." Besides, the recipes aren't rare. Surely someone in the family compound knows them. It's just that there are some little tricks that people don't know. Lin Qingqing said, "Go back and try it. If you don't understand anything, come and ask me, and I'll teach you how to make it."
Lin Qingqing said it was nothing, but Shen Yufen was not an ungrateful person. She remembered the kindness and nodded, saying, "Okay."
...
It was the weekend, so Xie Wei and Jiang Feng didn't have to go to the camp. Shen Yufen, being a teacher, didn't have to work during the summer vacation. So after dinner, Jiang Feng and Shen Yufen didn't rush back and sat in the living room chatting with Lin Qingqing and her husband.
As they chatted, the topic turned to the plot of land in the courtyard. The story of Xie Wei going to the Hong family's house that night had already spread throughout the residential compound. Jiang Feng and his wife had also heard about it, and they were speechless when the topic came up again.
They didn't talk much about the Hong family, only about whether or not to plant something in the yard.
In theory, Lin Qingqing knew how to farm, given her possession of the original owner's memories. However, she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about growing vegetables, mainly because seasonal vegetables were inexpensive, and at this time of year, they weren't treated with pesticides, making them natural and healthy.
She felt it wasn't worth the trouble to save a few cents.
The ground had already been dug up, and it didn't look good to leave it empty. Thinking of the flowers that were blooming in front of the Jiang family's house, Lin Qingqing asked, "Are there any flowers that are easy to plant, that don't require much care, that you can just plant them?"
Shen Yufen thought for a moment and said, "They don't need to be taken care of... You can plant clivia or chrysanthemums, which basically don't need any care. A colleague of mine has some at home. If you want, I can ask around and see if I can give you two plants."
"Thank you very much then," Lin Qingqing said.
Jiang Feng and Shen Yufen stayed at the Xie family's house until 2 p.m., but seeing that Jiang Peng was so sleepy that he kept dozing off, they didn't stay any longer and took the child home.
After they left, Lin Qingqing returned to the dining table to clear the dishes and placed the liquor Jiang Feng had brought on the display shelf in the partition. Remembering Xie Wei's words, she asked, "Are you really going to quit drinking?" She had never heard Xie Wei mention this before.
Xie Wei took the stack of bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen, nodded, and said, "I do have that plan." He doesn't actually drink heavily, but he sometimes has to drink a little with meals, so he never thought about quitting drinking until Lin Qingqing brought it up last time.
He used to think he was alright when drunk; he'd just lie down and not cause any trouble. But after meeting Lin Qingqing, he became less confident in his drinking ability. He'd gotten drunk and hurt Lin Qingqing during their engagement, and last time he'd clung to her and wouldn't let go. He couldn't even guarantee what he'd do next time he was drunk.
Lin Qingqing thought he was bothered by what she had said earlier, so she leaned against the kitchen door frame and said, "You and your comrades inevitably drink when you eat together, right? It's okay to drink occasionally, as long as you don't get drunk."
“My comrades are just like Lao Jiang. Once they start drinking, they won’t listen to any advice. If you don’t drink, it’s considered disrespectful. Rather than explaining to them halfway through that I can’t drink anymore, I might as well just say that I’m quitting drinking.” Xie Wei had considered controlling his drinking, but it was too troublesome. It was better to quit drinking altogether. “But there’s one downside to that.”
"What's wrong with it?" Lin Qingqing asked.
Xie Wei pondered for a moment and said, "It's hard to explain when people ask me why I quit drinking."
Lin Qingqing originally supported Xie Wei quitting drinking, since drinking is harmful to health, but she didn't want to control him too much. Now that she saw that he really didn't want to drink, she suggested, "If anyone asks about it in the future, just blame it on me and say that I told you to quit."
"If I say that, some people might call you a tigress," Xie Wei said half-jokingly.
"Let them talk." Lin Qingqing snorted lightly. Between reputation and practical benefits, she valued the latter more.
Lin Qingqing walked up behind Xie Wei, hugged him, and said, "As long as you're not afraid of being called a traitor..."
"My ears are fine."
Xie Wei chuckled and replied with the same words as her: "Let them talk."
...
Not long after Xie Wei got up on Monday morning, Lin Qingqing also got up.
She rarely got up this early these days; she was yawning as she dressed. Xie Wei finished washing up and came inside to put on his coat. Seeing her up, he asked, "Are you going to the supply and marketing cooperative today?"
"Mmm." Lin Qingqing hummed in agreement, opened the wardrobe, and took out the light purple dress that the clothing factory had given her.
She only made three outfits this summer. One of them was a red dress she wore for her wedding, which was too formal for everyday wear, so she usually wears shirts and this light purple dress. She took two showers yesterday and washed and hung the shirts out to dry, so she didn't have any other options right now.
After changing into a dress, Lin Qingqing tied her hair back and put on a pair of sandals before asking Xie Wei, "How does it look?"
Xie Wei straightened his clothes, put on his military cap, looked her over for a moment, and said, "You look great, very smart."
At this time, people either wore two thick braids or had short hair that barely reached their ears. Lin Qingqing had long hair, which she usually wore in braids, but occasionally she would let it down. Sometimes she would ask Xie Wei for his opinion, and he would always say nice things. When she wore her hair in braids, he said she had a pure and innocent look; when she wore her hair down, he praised her for being delicate and refined; and now that she had tied her hair in a high ponytail, he was at a loss for words, saying it made her look more energetic.
Lin Qingqing thought it looked good to look energetic, so she said, "Then I'll go out like this."
After changing her clothes, Lin Qingqing went to the bathroom to wash up, and then went to the cafeteria with Xie Wei for breakfast.
As usual, I queued up at the window where the older woman was. When she saw my outfit, she asked, "Are you going out today?"
"Let's go look at the job," Lin Qingqing said.
Sister Fu exclaimed, "What kind of job is it?"
Lin Qingqing said, "Qingshan Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the former site of the Revolutionary Committee."
"I know Qingshan Supply and Marketing Cooperative, what kind of position is it?" Sister Fu asked, throwing noodles into the pot to scald them.
"Salesperson."
"It's nice to be a sales clerk; it's so convenient to buy things." Sister Fu scooped up the cooked noodles, picked up the lunchbox that Lin Qingqing handed to the window, and said, "When I was with the army, I also wanted to work as a sales clerk in the supply and marketing cooperative, but the timing wasn't right, and there were no positions available."
“You’re doing a great job here too,” Lin Qingqing said with a smile.
"Of course!" Sister Fu was quite satisfied with her current job. Not only was she respected for serving food at the canteen window, but the canteen also provided three meals a day, which was very affordable.
Although her words were polite, she genuinely thought the sales clerk job was good. When the supply and marketing cooperative got good stuff, they were always the first to get it; only those outside would get a turn. Thinking of this, Sister Fu said, "Once you have a stable job, I'll always buy things from you!"
Lin Qingqing readily agreed, "Okay."
Author's Note: First update
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