Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 592 591 Years
After Tang Zhitong divided the dough, he went to check the stove and added a handful of firewood.

When everyone adds fuel, the fire burns high. The dumplings are cooked like an assembly line. You have to hold the pot tightly to make room for the new dumplings.

Generally speaking, to cook dumplings, you need to wait until the dumplings have expanded and floated up, then add a ladle of cold water and cook them for a while longer.

Some even add it three times, with three ups and three downs.

This is mainly done to make the dumplings cooked more thoroughly.

However, the dumplings we make today have vegetarian fillings. As long as the dumpling skin is cooked, there will be basically no problem with the filling.

Before Tang Zhitong cooked the dumplings, he asked the canteen chef for a few enamel basins. The dumplings had to be served somewhere after they were cooked, after all, everyone was not done yet.

When everyone saw Tang Zhitong start to cook dumplings in the pot, they were distracted unconsciously.

Some turned their heads to pay attention, some were discussing whether the dumplings were delicious, some were saying that someone’s dumplings might break, and so on.

Either way, my hands started to slow down.

"There's not much dough left. Let's work harder. Let's try to finish wrapping the rest before this pot is out of the pot." Tang Zhitong used a large iron spatula used for frying large pot dishes to gently poke the pot twice to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the pot.

"Okay!" After hearing Tang Zhitong's reminder, everyone perked up again, wanting to finish the work quickly and eat the dumplings.

"Hey, Lu Shi, go over there and get some vinegar in a basin. Whoever wants to eat can serve it later." Tang Zhitong gave the order while looking at the pot.

When northerners eat dumplings, whether they are meat or vegetarian, most like to dip them in vinegar, so there is a saying "I make dumplings just for this little bit of vinegar".

But the people who love vinegar the most are people from Shanxi Province, for example, Lu Shi, who cannot eat without vinegar at every meal. He also likes to take a nap after lunch. If he doesn't take a nap, he will feel like he has lost his soul and will be listless the whole afternoon.

After Tang Zhitong took the first pot of dumplings out of the pot, he served them in an enamel basin, the same kind used for washing face and feet at home and used to serve big pot dishes in the canteen.

After serving the dumplings, Tang Zhitong immediately put the second pot in, poked it a few times, and shook the enamel basin. The dumplings would not stick together when they were just served, but if they were left aside, they would stick together. Shaking it would prevent them from sticking together. It was a magical operation.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long. After making dumplings, they started cleaning up the battlefield.

"Everyone did a good job. Most of the dumplings are almost broken. Come, take your lunch boxes. There are 20 dumplings each. Eat first." Tang Zhitong looked at the pot and asked other class committee members to help distribute the dumplings.

Distributing dumplings is different from serving rice. As long as rice is not weighed, there will inevitably be more or less. But dumplings are almost the same size and are counted. With everyone supervising, fairness can be basically achieved.

Tang Zhitong cut the dough himself and knew the number in mind. Each student would get about 40 large dumplings.

Converted into dry noodles weight, it is about 8 taels.

Including the weight of water and stuffing, this meal weighs at least two and a half kilograms.

Twenty big, round dumplings were put into the lunch box, and they were all sticking out.

The first person who got the dumplings was already busy putting them into his mouth. The students in the queue behind him couldn't help asking, "How is it? How is it? How does it taste?"

"Hmm, hmm!" He had no time to speak after eating it. He could only nod his head continuously and gave Tang Zhitong a thumbs up with the hand holding the chopsticks.

Simple sign language is the universal language of the world. The students behind understood it and became even more impatient.

"Hey, this tastes better than the one my mom makes. How do you say it in Sijiucheng dialect?" As more and more students were given the dumplings, after a few bites, the students began to praise the filling prepared by Tang Zhitong.

"Authentic." A classmate next to him replied without even raising his head.

"It should be 'bei'er didao', with an erhua sound." Another classmate corrected him.

"Does anyone want vinegar?" Lu Shi didn't rush to eat the dumplings he got. He put the dumplings down first, then brought the basin of vinegar over and poured two spoonfuls of vinegar on himself.

Students from Shanxi Province definitely want it, and students from other places also pour a little on it to try its flavor.

In many places, people still have the habit of eating dumplings with garlic, but garlic is scarce now and the canteen does not have the conditions for this.

While cooking dumplings, Tang Zhitong looked around the scene. The female students were eating more politely, while many of the male students were wolfing down their food.

Tang Zhitong glanced at the pot and saw that it was almost ready to be refilled.

The class committee member in charge of distributing dumplings brought Tang Zhitong's and his own portion over and said, "Teacher Tang, your dumplings."

"Give me some of the broken ones. You can't eat all of them." Tang Zhitong looked at his own lunch box, which was basically intact, while half of the lunch box of this classmate was broken.

"It's okay, I like to eat the ones with broken skin." The classmate smiled innocently.

"Okay, stop being polite. Just listen to me and we'll have half each." Tang Zhitong picked up his lunch box, poured half of it into the strainer, then poured a few of the classmate's lunch boxes into his own lunch box and put the contents of the strainer into his lunch box.

A set of movements flows smoothly.

Tang Zhitong handed over the lunch box: "Eat quickly, it will get cold soon."

Maybe some people really like to eat dumpling skins, but they should be a minority, and they will only be credible when they become materially wealthy. Right now, saying that they like to eat dumpling skins is nothing more than wanting to promote a style.

Tang Zhitong took a few bites of the dumplings while they were cooking. They tasted okay, but definitely better than the big pot dishes in the cafeteria.

"Come on, students. Those who have finished eating, come and get some dumplings. Each person can get 27." Although some girls have small appetites, Tang Zhitong did not say that they should eat as much as they want. What if some boys still can't eat enough? And the girls might have objections.

They were all in the same class and knew each other well. Tang Zhitong didn't block anyone this time. Everyone was watching and no one had the nerve to hit him a second time.

Even though some of the male students had big appetites, after eating more than 40 large dumplings, they were at least 80% full. The long-lost feeling of fullness made them feel like they were soaking in a bath called "happiness".

Some sentimental students started crying while eating, and the people next to them comforted them in a low voice.

It could be happiness, or it could be homesickness, or it could be thinking about the lack of food for family members and the hunger at home...

Most of the students, including all the female students, chose to leave the dumplings and eat them in the evening or tomorrow. This way they could save some food coupons. Those who planned to go home could use the saved food coupons to buy dry food to take home, and those who did not plan to go home could use them to supplement their daily lives and have one more full meal.

Tang Zhitong saw everything, but didn't try to persuade them. He just said something to divert everyone's attention: "Today we need to eat and drink enough. The dumpling soup is quite tasty. Students who want to drink can help themselves. There is no limit on the amount, but be careful not to drink too much or you may dream of looking for the toilet and wet the bed at night."

"Teacher Tang, how old are we? How can we still wet the bed?"

"You know what? I had this kind of dream when I was a kid."

"Let's get to the point. Did you wet the bed?"

……

There are always people who like to watch the fun and chase after the person involved to ask whether he or she wet the bed. With this kind of joke, the atmosphere has been brightened up a lot.

After finishing his meal, Tang Zhitong prepared to go back. It was too cold here in the cafeteria and it would not be worth it to catch a cold.

Tang Zhitong returned to the dormitory and shared the unfinished dumplings equally with Lu Shi and Gu Mancang.

Today's dumplings were made from mobile rations and distributed according to class. Strictly speaking, those who participated in the dumpling-making activity today took advantage of the other students on scholarship in their dormitory, after all, they were not present.

But Tang Zhitong felt that those guys would not mind the half pound of noodles.

On the way back in the snow, Tang Zhitong stopped the car and bought a few small firecrackers.

Most daily necessities on the market are now in short supply to varying degrees, but entertainment products are in sufficient supply, contrary to the norm.

Maybe it’s because other people have pinched this part of the demand, but there’s also the factor of hunger involved.

Facing hunger, everyone is under great pressure, both materially and spiritually. Someone has to come out to appease people, and it is necessary to transfer the energy of complaining to other places for consumption, otherwise...

Of course, this is only limited to some units in the city, and there is no such treatment in rural areas.

The Beijing Library held its first staff dance a while ago. Xiao Wang, a professional talent assigned from the Dance Academy, was cordially invited by the trade union, but he declined due to poor health.

According to Xiao Wang, as a married woman, what kind of party should I attend? Anyone who is married, whether male or female, should not go! Isn't this encouraging bad habits?

Tang Zhitong chuckled after hearing this. In most people's eyes, dances these days are like discotheques in later generations. If a girl who can go to such a place says that she just likes to have fun and is a good girl, how many people will believe her?

Tang Zhitong smiled. Xiao Wang thought her husband didn't care and warned him not to go to the dance party held at the post office. If he wanted to dance, she could teach him at home.

Tang Zhitong felt so wronged, and hurriedly explained that he didn't mean that, but it was just that it was rare to see her angry, and it was very strange and cute, and he finally managed to coax her into submission.

It seems that it is not impossible to learn dancing from Teacher Xiao Wang, as long as it is not Latin.

When it comes to Latin, Tang Zhitong is very hypocritical. He can watch some pretty young ladies twisting their bodies through the screen, but there is no need for his own family to learn it.

Tang Zhitong was thinking about this all the way to the Beijing Library, where he put down his bicycle and went straight to Xiao Wang's office.

"It ended quite early." Xiao Wang looked up and saw that it was Tang Zhitong. She smiled and stood up to help her husband clean the snow off his body.

"The cafeteria is too cold, we'll leave after eating." Tang Zhitong combed a strand of hair in front of Xiao Wang's face behind her ear, revealing Xiao Wang's beautiful face. He loved this face so much.

"Sit in front of the radiator and take a rest." Student Xiao Wang moved a chair over and poured a glass of water for her husband.

"Will you come tomorrow?" Tang Zhitong took the enamel pot and sat down with his back against the heater. Jiang Ye had already gone home to rest and probably wouldn't come for the next few days.

"Come on, not the whole day, just stay here for half a day and then leave." Xiao Wang took off her husband's scarf and hung it on the hanger.

"Okay, then I'll work half a day too." Tang Zhitong has been very busy lately and hasn't had much time to rest. He still hasn't done the work he promised to do for the Cultural Reform Commission.

"Okay, then let's all rest at home for two days." Student Wang agreed with a smile.

Although there is only one day off now, the Spring Festival is a big festival in the hearts of Chinese people. In addition, more things are supplied with tickets this year, and one person cannot queue up at all. Many people slip away early to go back to their families. Therefore, the number of people queuing on the street has not decreased, but the number of people in various units has become fewer and fewer.

At the same time, at a forest farm in Northeast China, Su Nianbin received a reply from Tang Zhitong.

Although there was nothing out of the ordinary in the letter, Su Nianbin seemed to see his cousin's smile through the letter.

"Your cousin is right. Listen carefully and keep your mouth shut in the future." Tang Ting advised after hearing her son read the letter.

"I know. I won't dare to do it again." Su Nianbin was beaten hard and his butt was only a few days old. He is not as old as Jingmin and can remember things.

"Go to your uncle's house and see your uncle. Forget it, I'll go with you after I finish kneading the steamed buns." Tang Ting looked at the work in her hands and saw that there were still a few steamed buns to be kneaded, so she planned to go with her son.

According to Tang Wenbang, his son's talkativeness caused a lot of trouble to his nephew this time, so the couple took ruthless measures to deal with their son. This time they went there to express their stance and to tell their eldest brother that their nephew did not blame them for it.

Tang Wenbang was very happy to see Tang Zhitong's reply. He read it twice and gave Su Nianbin the same instructions.

"Anzi is a good boy. Last time he came, he wanted pine nuts, because he didn't get many when he encountered a wild boar. We gave him the pine nuts we got a while ago, but he didn't want them. We don't have anything good here. My brother-in-law and I will go into the mountains in the spring to see if we can pick ginseng roots and give them to Anzi later." Tang Wenbang said, puffing on his pipe.

"Okay." Tang Ting nodded in agreement.

This winter is very difficult to endure. Ten kilograms of food here can be exchanged for a wife. If her nephew had not made a trip a while ago and brought home food and fish, Tang Ting would not dare to imagine how difficult the days ahead would be.

This is not the main producing area of ​​wild ginseng, but there is still some in the old forests. Last year, there was a mountain householder who collected old wild ginseng and sold it for food, which made others envy him.

While the Northeast was full of joy, another relative of Tang Zhitong was in a state of sorrow and worry.

In a commune in Mentougou, at Zhang Yongxiang's home, the whole family was persuading Zhang Yongxiang to ask his sister Zhang Guifang for help.

"Stop talking. I won't go. She is a widow raising three children. It's not easy for her. Besides, Anzi doesn't even have a job. They are lucky enough to be able to keep themselves. Why should I cause trouble?" Zhang Yongxiang refused.

After saying that, Zhang Yongxiang looked at his daughter-in-law and then at his wife. The year before last, because his son was getting married, he was instigated by his wife to go and borrow money from his sister. His sister made it very clear that the money was relief money given to them by his brother-in-law's unit, and it was to be used for his daughter's schooling and his son's marriage, and she would not lend it to anyone else.

Even so, my sister still gave two dollars as a gift from her aunt.

When Zhang Yongxiang came back, the more he thought about it, the more he felt ashamed. As a brother, he failed to protect his sister back then, so why was he so bewildered as to cause trouble for her now?
Even if my sister didn't borrow money, didn't my son still get married?

This time the difficulties will definitely be the same, we will get through it if we endure it.

"We have run out of food at home, and the team can't give out much a day. How can we survive? Is Qing waiting to starve to death?" Zhang Yongxiang's wife grumbled in dissatisfaction.

"How can you starve to death with hands and feet? Go to the fields again and see if there are any more fallen ones. If you're lucky, you can dig a rat hole and survive for another three to five days.

I heard that relief food will be distributed soon. We just need to wait for a month or so, and when the weather warms up, the wild vegetables will sprout." Zhang Yongxiang said weakly.

"I don't have the energy to argue with you. We're out of food now. Tell me what to do next." Zhang Yongxiang's wife muttered, venting her dissatisfaction caused by hunger.

"Well, I'll go to town tomorrow." Zhang Yongxiang raised his head and looked through the window at the dim sky outside. White snowflakes were falling all over the sky, just like the white flour he ate during the Chinese New Year in previous years. How great it would be if it were white flour. Just sweep it up and gather it, it would be enough for the family to eat for half a year.

Zhang Yongxiang actually didn't have any good solution, but he heard that someone in the town organized farmers to sell blood in the city, and they would not only get money, but also two steamed buns.

With two steamed breads as a base, the family can survive for two more days...

(End of this chapter)