Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
On the morning of New Year's Eve, Tang Zhicheng woke up early. It had started snowing late last night, and there was already two inches of snow in the yard.
Tang Zhicheng first rekindled the stove to warm up the house. Then, he grabbed a broom and began to clear the snow. He set up a ladder to sweep the snow off the roof before moving on to clear the yard, pushing all the snow against the walls.
After finishing the yard, he opened the front door and swept the snow in front of his house out onto the street. By the time he was done inside and outside, he had worked up a light sweat. Not wanting to go back inside just yet, he headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Since they were planning a big meal for lunch, he made corn gruel and fished out a piece of pickled mustard from the jar. After slicing it into thin strips and mixing it with sesame oil, he enjoyed it with his gruel.
Once he set the pickled vegetables on the dining table, Tang Zhicheng went back inside to wake his wife. In fact, Ye Fangfei had been awake for a while; it was just that it was cold outside, and she was reluctant to leave her warm bed, snuggling with their daughter by the small heater.
Seeing Tang Zhicheng enter, Ye Fangfei smiled and asked, "Why are you up so early? You don’t have to work today; why not sleep in a bit longer?"
"I’ve gotten used to waking up early, dear. Come on, breakfast is ready," Tang Zhicheng replied.
Little Yueyue was still asleep, so Ye Fangfei quickly got dressed and washed up. By the time they both sat down at the table, the corn gruel was just right for eating. Accompanied by the pickled vegetables, Ye Fangfei discussed what dishes they should prepare for lunch.
"What do you want to eat for lunch today?" she asked.
"I’m fine with anything, but since this is our first New Year together as a family of three, we should make something special," Tang Zhicheng said after taking a sip of his gruel. He thought for a moment before adding, "Dear, how much meat do we have left?"
Ye Fangfei was puzzled by his question but answered honestly, "We still have about four pounds of meat left. Plus, there are three bowls of steamed peppered meat and one braised pork knuckle."
"I’ve also stewed some pig offal that you brought back; I gave some to my family as well, so there’s still quite a bit left."
"What's going on? Why are you asking about this?" she inquired.
"Oh, it’s nothing. Aren’t we inviting my comrade over for a meal? I’m just worried that we might not have enough meat," Tang Zhicheng explained.
Tang Zhicheng asked this because his family had been enjoying good meals lately, mostly meat dishes every day. He was worried there wouldn't be enough meat, which prompted his question.
"Don't worry, I have it all planned out. I'll definitely treat your comrades well," Ye Fangfei assured him.
"I trust you completely. I have no worries when it comes to my wife’s cooking," Tang Zhicheng replied repeatedly.
Ye Fangfei began to plan the lunch menu: "Let's have a bowl of spicy pepper pork for lunch, and then stew a fish. We should slice up some pig ears too, since you love those."
"How about stir-fried shredded potatoes with meat and stir-fried cabbage with tofu as well?" she continued.
"Let’s also make boiled pork slices; isn’t that your favorite?" Tang Zhicheng chimed in immediately. He knew his wife loved that dish, but it was often less tasty if there wasn't enough meat, which was why she rarely made it.
"Then we’ll make another boiled pork slice dish; that will make six dishes in total—six for good luck," Ye Fangfei said with a smile and a nod.
After watching his wife finish her meal, Tang Zhicheng got up to clear the table. "Wife, you go inside and keep an eye on our daughter. I'll wash the dishes and then bring in the meat and fish for lunch."
Comment 0 Comment Count