Wang Yaozong never expected that after just taking a walk outside, he would stumble upon such good fortune!
Originally, he regretted going out; it was cold and desolate outside, with not a single person in sight, which made him frustrated enough to kick the snow.
At school, at least he could eat well. For lunch, they’d have steamed buns and slices of meat. But when he came home, all he could eat was dry noodles! He had just come from the hospital! Didn’t he deserve a good meal?
Wang Yaozong couldn’t help but resent his parents for being so incapable. He wondered why he couldn’t have been born into a better family. A family from the city, at least, and then he’d be enjoying the good life, eating meat.
What Wang Yaozong didn’t realize was that life for city people wasn’t that great either. Sure, they got their paychecks on time every month, no matter the weather, but when it came to living conditions, it was far from being able to eat meat without a care. Everyone lived paycheck to paycheck, and many were still hungry.
Wang Yaozong wandered around for a while, feeling deflated, and was about to head home when he suddenly spotted a trail of chicken footprints in the snow.
Something clicked in his mind, and almost without thinking, he followed the tracks.
After a while, Wang Yaozong was overjoyed! He didn’t know whose chicken had wandered out, but it was now shivering in the snow.
Without hesitation, Wang Yaozong quickly made a few snowballs and started pelting the slow-moving chicken with them. Before long, he had killed the chicken.
When Li Chunjuan heard this, she beamed with joy without a single stutter in her words: “This is great! Now we’ll have meat to eat!”
She happily praised Wang Yaozong for being resourceful. After just a walk, he managed to bring home a chicken for free—who wouldn’t envy that? Haha, now the neighbors can envy her for the chicken too!
Wang Yongshun also smiled a little. The anger from earlier, when Wang Ying had put him down, had dissipated a lot.
“Alright, tell your mom to cook the chicken quickly. After it’s done, throw the feathers in the back mountain. Don’t let anyone find out.”
Wang Yongshun knew very well what a chicken meant to people in the countryside. Forget about others, even his own family would be heartbroken if they lost a chicken. Li Chunjuan would probably cry over it.
“Make sure to cook all the chicken meat, don’t leave any leftovers.”
Wang Yongshun actually wanted to keep the chicken to eat slowly, but he was afraid someone would notice and make a fuss. It was better to just cook all the chicken and have a nice meal with the family.
Wang Yaozong was quite pleased with himself: “Mom, make a big pot of chicken stew with potatoes! Add some cabbage too. What happened to the noodles from earlier? Why are they all clumped together? Alright, make another bowl of noodles…”
Li Chunjuan’s eyes narrowed with a smile as she eagerly agreed.
While fanning the fire to cook, Li Chunjuan was putting all her energy into it, hoping that Wang Ying would smell the delicious aroma! Their life wasn’t too bad either!
…
Wang Ying did indeed smell the aroma, but even before she caught the scent, she had already overheard the conversation next door.
She immediately didn’t know what to say.
Wow, with the way these two parents praised their son, it’s no wonder Wang Lingling and Wang Yaozong turned out this way—it’s truly a case of “like father, like son!”
Xu Shuang, who hadn’t heard the conversation next door, did smell the delicious food though.
He raised an eyebrow. Nowadays, every family treats chickens as something precious. Killing a chicken usually only happens on special days, like the New Year or when there’s a happy event. The neighbors had just been confronted by their own family, and now they were in the mood to eat chicken?
If he remembered correctly, the neighbors only had one little hen left.
Why would they kill it if it wasn’t going to lay eggs? Were they driven mad by their argument and deciding to not care about the future?
Wang Ying sneered: “Just wait and see.”
Although she didn’t know whose chicken it was, Wang Yaozong had not been punished for his petty thefts. Sooner or later, something big would happen to open his parents’ eyes.
But all of this didn’t concern her.
Wang Ying’s current life was exactly what she had wanted in her past life: waking up naturally every day, eating, drinking, basking in the sun, and occasionally helping out with some chores.
Even so, Xu Shuang still had strong opinions about it.
“You don’t need to help. Just go lie down in the room.”
Wang Ying pouted playfully: “I’m tired of lying down.”
The newlyweds were enjoying their private space, and the atmosphere between them quickly became sweeter.
Wang Ying herself felt like her throat was filled with sugar: “Lying down for too long, there’s nothing to do. Winter is so long…”
Wang Ying regretted it deeply. She should have prepared something to pass the time during the winter earlier. Now, although reading was somewhat taboo, it wasn’t that hard to get books. She should have bought a few cookbooks and just flipped through them every day, cooking whatever recipe she landed on!
Xu Shuang raised an eyebrow: “How about… I lie down with you?”
Wang Ying: “…”
Forget it! Even though Wang Ying had a “golden finger” (a special ability), she still thought her current life was too indulgent!
Xu Shuang was a little too obsessed with certain activities.
“No, no, I’ll lie down by myself.”
Otherwise, if someone came knocking during the day…
Xu Shuang washed his hands and said: “Speaking of which, we do actually have a few cookbooks at home.”
Wang Ying’s eyes lit up, and Xu Shuang went into the room to rummage through the cupboard. He eventually pulled out a few small, antique-looking notebooks from one of his clothes.
Wang Ying stared at the cookbooks in astonishment: “This can’t be some sort of ancient cookbook, can it?”
Xu Shuang laughed at her: “How could it be? Besides, even if I gave you a cookbook, do you think you could cook well? Knife skills, timing, seasoning—each one takes years of practice. It’s not hard to make a new dish, but the challenge is making simple dishes taste delicious.”
Wang Ying nodded furiously. In her past life, she had eaten a dish called “Qilin Seven Stars Grouper,” made by a gold medal chef who specialized in fish. One bite, and it was absolutely amazing! But her best friend, who sat at the same table, ate a seafood fried rice made by the same chef, and the reaction was quite mediocre.
It just goes to show that no matter the ingredients or the recipe, what really matters is the skill of the person cooking and their expertise.
Wang Ying asked: “What about you?”
Xu Shuang thought for a moment: “My master specializes in Shandong cuisine, my dad is a Sichuan chef, and my great-uncle used to run a Huaiyang restaurant before the founding of the country… I’ve learned a bit of everything.”
After a moment, Xu Shuang, unusually, showed some frustration in front of Wang Ying: “Knowing so many styles doesn’t help much, though. I can’t use them now.”
He didn’t say much more, but he knew that state-run restaurants didn’t have many varieties. The most popular dishes in their restaurant were marinated food and braised pig’s feet. The rest were just simple soups, noodles, dumplings, and home-style dishes. Some couldn’t even be made because of the changing seasons.
His master’s restaurant was similar. What was difficult were his older brothers and uncles.
His older brother worked in a factory canteen, cooking the same few dishes all year round. They were all home-style flavors, and the quantities had to be controlled carefully. The last time Liu Duo came, he worked at the county textile factory’s canteen. After only a few years, his skills had already deteriorated, and even Master Chen Dong was disappointed in him.
The great-uncle who cooked Huaiyang cuisine had switched to other things, saying that some of the more complicated dishes from Huaiyang cuisine weren’t even made anymore because they were too labor-intensive and uninteresting.
Wang Ying felt a pang of sympathy and gently touched his face. She really wanted to comfort him: “It’ll pass. In ten years, everyone will be scrambling for food. Even if you sell street food, as long as your skills are good, you’ll make money.”
Wang Ying sincerely said: “Your skills are so good, you’ll make it for sure! Maybe we’ll even open our own restaurant someday!”
Xu Shuang patted her: “It’s not that easy.”
Right now, everything was state-run. Who knew when they would allow individuals to open restaurants?
Wang Ying was very determined: “It will definitely happen!”
Xu Shuang was only twenty-one, and in ten years, he would be thirty-one. For a chef, that was the perfect age.
Wang Ying said: “You should practice more, don’t be like your older brother and give up your skills. We’ll open a restaurant in the big city in the future!”
Xu Shuang tapped her nose: “Alright, I’ll practice my skills, and you can eat.”
Wang Ying was really good at eating. She rarely picked at the food Xu Shuang made, but whether complimenting him or making a few harmless suggestions, she always hit the key points.
When Xu Shuang used to cook, he often felt a sense of loneliness, making dishes with no one to taste them. Every time he worked hard to make a dish and brought it to someone, they’d just say it was good and then dismiss him. Even though they were compliments, they always left him feeling empty inside.
But Wang Ying is different; she has a natural good palate, loves to eat, and knows how to eat well.
Xu Shuang: “I’ll cook for you for the rest of my life.”
Wang Ying: “Sure! I’ll also work hard to earn money and open a restaurant for you!”
After spending some of their savings, there were still over three hundred yuan left. This amount of money is enough for daily living but might not be enough to open a restaurant.
Although Wang Ying is somewhat lazy, she is now resolute in her thoughts.
She plans to try planting medicinal herbs on the mountain behind their house. If it works out, once things become less strict in the future, she will bring the whole team to plant herbs!
After discussing serious matters, Wang Ying eagerly opened the recipe book. When she flipped through it, she got hungry just by looking at the pages.
Seeing Wang Ying fixated on one page, Xu Shuang leaned over to take a look, and he fell silent upon seeing what she was looking at.
“…This can’t be made right now.”
Wang Ying spoke with a tone of regret but longing: “I know.”
Xu Shuang: …
You know? Then why keep staring at it? The page is almost worn out from your gaze.
Xu Shuang pulled her into his arms and closed the recipe with the page on “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” on it: “I’ll definitely make it for you later.”
At this time, even if Xu Shuang had connections, he couldn’t get ingredients for such a dish. Let alone “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,” even a sea cucumber would be nearly impossible to acquire.
“Shall we have sauerkraut fish for lunch?”
Wang Ying immediately pulled herself away from the page: “Yes! I’ll go call Mom.”
The sauerkraut had been pickled in the summer. There was a large jar of sauerkraut and half a jar of spicy kimchi. After washing the sauerkraut, Xu Shuang began to prepare the fish, slicing it thinly. He stir-fried the sauerkraut and fish head to make a pot of sour, spicy fish head soup, then slowly added the fish slices.
By the time the dish was ready, the whole house was filled with a fragrant, sour smell, making it impossible to resist salivating.
Such a dish had to be eaten with rice. White rice would have been a bit extravagant, so Xu Shuang mixed in some millet and added two sweet potatoes to the top.
Even so, Wang Ying ate with great relish.
The fish slices in the sauerkraut fish were tender and delicious. Xu Shuang had added black fungus and cabbage as well. After finishing the meat, they had some of the broth. The sour and spicy flavor warmed them from the inside out.
Xu Old Lady also commented: “This soup tastes good.”
The three of them finished the fish, drank all the soup, and Xu Old Lady gave Wang Ying the cotton slippers she had made and a rabbit fur blanket.
The cotton slippers were incredibly soft and comfortable, and Xu Old Lady had sewn a few red threads on them. They didn’t look old-fashioned and even had a minimalist beauty.
The old lady also sighed: “If only it weren’t so hard to stand out right now. Otherwise, I would make you a fur coat. The leather is well-tanned, and if you made it into a full piece, it would not only look good but also be windproof.”
Wang Ying was already very satisfied: “The blanket is also great.”
It would definitely keep her warm when placed on the bed!
Wang Ying put the things away, and in the afternoon, the family split up to carry out their activities. Xu Old Lady and Wang Ying went to the meeting, and Xu Shuang, as usual, went with the team to patrol.
Wang Ying first visited Cheng Shufen and Cheng Yu. After spending some time together, they had become quite familiar with each other.
Cheng Yu saw Wang Ying from a distance and greeted her: “Sister Ying!”
Wang Ying was a bit surprised when she approached: “Why are you eating at this hour?”
It was already two or three in the afternoon, which was quite late for a meal.
Cheng Shufen apologized a bit: “It’s my fault. I was doing some needlework and lost track of time.”
Cheng Shufen hadn’t brought her watch, and with the heavy snow last night, they had gotten up late this morning. She only realized how late it was when she saw Wang Ying coming over.
Wang Ying glanced over and saw that Cheng Shufen had been cooking a pot of porridge made with mixed grains and had added some chopped taro. After Xu Shuang came, he didn’t start a new stove for them but connected their stove with the one by the kang (bed warmer), though they couldn’t use an iron pot now, so they could only cook with a basic stove.
The mixed grain porridge was made with cornmeal, millet, and sorghum flour. There was more sorghum flour, so it didn’t look very appealing. But when cooked, it didn’t smell bad and was quite filling.
With the salted vegetables and pickled vegetables Wang Ying had brought earlier, it tasted even better.
Wang Ying dragged Cheng Yu into the room and secretly took out a paper packet from her chest.
She whispered and quietly reminded Cheng Yu: “After you finish eating, burn the paper.”
Cheng Yu, still young, eagerly opened the paper packet, and her eyes immediately brightened.
Inside were several pieces of fish, golden and crispy on both sides!
“Sister Ying! Where did you get these from? You’re amazing!”
Wang Ying patted her head: “You’ll know in time. These can be eaten hot or cold, and you can tell your teacher later.”
Cheng Yu nodded and clenched her fist tightly. When spring comes, she’ll make sure to help Sister Ying! She will definitely make sure Sister Ying doesn’t suffer and help her out!
After Wang Ying left, Cheng Shufen moved the pot of porridge, along with the clay pot, into the room.
The team had helped repair a wall, but there were still no other furnishings. It was Wang Ying who had asked the team for a pot and helped them find two bowls. Cheng Yu and Cheng Shufen also found some broken wood planks in the yard and raised the height of the setup. They even found a large plank from the next room and put it on top, making a makeshift dining table, allowing them to eat smoothly.
Cheng Shufen called Cheng Yu to eat, and Cheng Yu hesitated, opening the paper packet and spreading it on the side.
Cheng Shufen was about to scold her, but knowing that Wang Ying had been helping them so much, even though Cheng Shufen hadn’t heard the team leader explicitly say it, she knew that the better life they were living now was thanks to Wang Ying’s contributions. Wang Ying was also trying to make sure no one found out.
Having received such great help, how could they keep accepting it?
But seeing Cheng Yu’s hesitant expression, Cheng Shufen swallowed her words.
Cheng Yu quickly tried to please her: “I’ve thanked Sister Ying. When spring comes, I’ll definitely help Sister Ying pick lots of herbs!”
Cheng Shufen laughed at her greedy cat-like behavior and teasingly said, “Alright, but I’ll have to teach you how to recognize characters. Don’t make a fool of yourself by picking the wrong herbs later.”
