Restarting life in Siheyuan

Having satisfied his craving for tank guns, Zhu Xuefeng went home happily. Today was really worth it. Uncle Jiang waved his hand and several people fired a shell. They also satisfied their craving for machine guns. Zhu Xuefeng really liked the powerful firepower of the machine gun. It was really exciting.

Since he had already taken a leave of absence, he decided not to go back to school. He had been busy with Guo Junjie's case these days and had not taken care of his younger brothers and sisters. Zhu Xuefeng decided to make up for it and returned to the compound early to prepare dinner.

He washed a few potatoes, cut them into strips, coated them with cornmeal, and then steamed them. He also found the chili sauce and prepared to make a northwestern snack: potato grits, which can be used as a staple food or as a dish. It is simple and convenient, but it takes some time.

I found some fresh corn from the space and some pine nuts from the cellar, and prepared to make pine nut corn. These are simple things, but they also take time to steam. (It appeared in the late Qing Dynasty and really became popular in 98)
He was going to go to the vegetable garden to find some fresh vegetables. If that didn't work, he would just make some leeks and eggs. Apart from leeks, Zhu Xuefeng couldn't remember what other vegetables there were in the vegetable garden. Usually, his younger brothers and sisters took care of it. Now he felt that he had done a dereliction of duty, as his younger brothers and sisters basically left the garden to their own devices.

"Oh, sister-in-law is busy." As soon as I went out, I saw Yu Li coming from the middle courtyard with difficulty carrying a bucket of water.

Seeing Zhu Xuefeng greet her, Yu Li put down the bucket, stopped, wiped the sweat off her face, and smiled and responded, "Hey, big brother, you're back so early."

"Well, sister-in-law, why are you going to the middle courtyard to fetch water? Isn't there running water in your room?"

Yu Li blushed and said embarrassedly, "This is for my mother-in-law. I have to cook later."

"Oh, then you are busy. Oh, by the way, you don't have to light the fire here, lend me the coal stove later."

Yu Li agreed readily, "Okay, the door is not locked, go get it yourself, I still have to fetch a few buckets of water and help mother-in-law fill the jar."

Zhu Xuefeng thanked him and went into the vegetable garden. The vegetables were growing well and it was obvious that his younger brother and sister had put in a lot of effort. However, the two chickens just lay there listlessly.

I picked some green peppers and cucumbers and pinched a handful of leeks, and dinner was ready.

"Hey, Auntie, why did you pick so many lettuces? I can't eat them all."

After leaving the vegetable garden, Zhu Xuefeng saw Third Aunt picking up three large lettuces in front of the house. He found it strange because one lettuce was enough for one dish. Since Third Aunt had more people in her family, she wouldn't need three lettuces for one dish.

When the third aunt heard Zhu Xuefeng's question, she looked up and smiled embarrassedly.

"It's a little late. There are only a few old ones left and no one wants them, so they gave them to me at a discount. They are all tendons, and three of them can barely make a plate."

"You picked it up. The lettuce is a little old, but the skin is edible. Three lettuce skins can make a big dish. It tastes good and is crispy."

The third aunt looked a little embarrassed, "You are just talking nonsense, kid. How do you eat lettuce skin? I have never heard of it. It is full of tendons. Eating this thing is worse than eating grass."

Zhu Xuefeng picked up the peeled lettuce and found it was indeed a bit old, with all the stems being woody. It was indeed inedible.

"Auntie, this thing can still be eaten after some processing."

Yu Li finished fetching water and brought out a glass of water. While drinking it, she asked, "Can we really eat lettuce skins? Xiao Zhu, you are making it up. I have lived so long and even in the past when everyone ate wild vegetables, I have never seen anyone eat lettuce skins."

Zhu Xuefeng smiled and said, "This is easy. Give me all the lettuce peels in a while, and it will become a dish tomorrow. When it's ready, I'll let you guys try it. I'm sure you'll all say it's delicious."

Seeing that Zhu Xuefeng was serious and didn't seem to be making fun of her, the third aunt laughed.

"Okay, go and try it. If it's really edible, I'll go to the market and see if no one wants this stuff."

"Then you don't need it. Tell Uncle San. There must be a lot of this stuff in the school cafeteria."

Now is the time when lettuce is on the market. Even the most tender lettuce has to be peeled. Every canteen likes to buy this vegetable, and there are many ways to cook it, such as salad, stew, or stir-fry.

"As for him, I don't know. I can't count on him."

I know that the third aunt is worried that the old man will not be able to save face to go to the cafeteria to ask for this unwanted thing. Although the third uncle is stingy, he still attaches great importance to his reputation.

"Not only this, there are many things that can be eaten, such as watermelon rind, garlic stems, etc...."

"You are just talking nonsense, kid. No one wants these things. Who told you that you can eat them?"

The third aunt was a little unconvinced again. She had never heard of anyone eating these things for many years.

"Believe it or not, just wait and see. I will make some for you to taste. Don't mention it, I have decided to make some this year."

The third aunt obviously didn't believe it, "You kid, you just find ways to make fun of your third aunt, right?"

"The day after tomorrow, let's do this, sister-in-law. Give me the lettuce peel. The day after tomorrow you will know whether I am lying or not."

Yu Li smiled and put the peeled skin into a colander and handed it to Zhu Xuefeng.

"Let the college students try it. If it's as delicious as you say, I'll learn how to make it from you."

Zhu Xuefeng was also not vague. He put all the vegetables from the vegetable garden into the colander and said with a smile.

"Just hold it, I promise you won't be disappointed."

After getting the dishes ready at home, I went to the next door to get a coal stove and started steaming on both stoves.

As for the lettuce skin, this is no joke. After washing the lettuce skin, blanch it in boiling water, and then you can easily separate the skin and the tendons. Soak the separated skin in rice washing water for a day or two, the color begins to turn yellow, wash it and you can stir-fry it. It is sour and crispy and tastes great. It will be even better if you add some shredded meat.

As for the watermelon rind and garlic whiskers, wash them and pickle them. They have a unique flavor and are absolutely delicious.

"Brother, what delicious food can you make?"

The younger brothers and sisters who were coming home from school saw from a distance that their eldest brother was serving dishes with the door open and he happily parked the car.

"Don't worry, these are all home-cooked dishes. Wait a moment, the two sisters will come over too, go wash your hands first."

The two children had never seen potato chips and pine nut corn before, so they found them very new. The little sister couldn't help but secretly taste a corn, and her eyes opened wide with disbelief on her face.

"Why is this corn so delicious? Brother, you should try it too."

The second brother smelled the fragrance and said insincerely, "It's just corn, how can it be delicious or not?"

"It's really different, try it."

The younger sister was still trying to find an ally. Zhu Xuefeng smiled as he soaked the lettuce skins in boiling water.

"You greedy little cat, you can't even wait a moment. Your sister Xia should be here soon. You're making fun of yourself."

After collecting the lettuce skins, the three of them put the dishes on the table. There was the traditional stir-fried meat with green peppers, a braised eggplant, and scrambled eggs with leeks. A few cucumbers and onions were reserved for dipping sauce. Although there was only one meat dish, there were still quite a lot on the table and it was quite rich.

"What's so delicious? I can smell the fragrance from far away. Why does it sound like pine nuts?"

The sound of a car parking was heard outside, followed by Xia Yuhong's voice.

"Sister Xia!" The younger sister cheered, ran out holding Xiao Hei, and went into the house holding the hands of her two sisters. The two girls had been tutoring the two children for such a long time, and people in the compound had become accustomed to it, and no one was peeking outside.

"You're going out this week? How long will it take you to come back? You've only been back for a little over a month, what could possibly happen?"

Xia Yuhong was reluctant to leave. She enjoyed her current life very much. They had lunch together at school every day, came to the compound to chat together in the evening, and sometimes stayed together at night.

"About four or five days. Something happened over there and I have to make some arrangements. I'll be back after that."

Zhu Xuefeng took a bite of the scallion and briefly revealed that he was going on a long journey. His younger brothers and sisters were already used to it and didn't take it seriously. They were still struggling with the potato chips and pine nut corn, and even put aside the fried pork with peppers, which they always complained about not having enough of.

Lin Na took a bite of cucumber and dipped it in sauce. There was reluctance in her eyes, but she still said, "Then go ahead. If they can't handle it, they won't bother you. Now the stall is getting bigger and bigger, it's really hard for Qianqian."

"Yeah, you've got so many things going on. I can't handle them. Go quickly. It's not good to delay things. But Song Tangyun and the others..."

"They are fine. I estimate that Song Tangyun will be fully awake tonight. There is no need for treatment for the time being. I will find someone to treat them after their case is settled." Zhu Xuefeng picked up some braised eggplant and ate a few mouthfuls of rice. "Don't worry, they will definitely be cured. I guarantee that your childhood friend will be the same as before."

"Can she still dance? After Yang Ying woke up, her father sent her to the hospital for a checkup. The hospital said that it was basically impossible for her to recover and she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life."

"You don't have to worry about this. I'll reassure both families first. It will definitely work, but the child will have to be sent to another place for treatment. This news must be kept secret. I don't want any trouble to come to my door."

The two women nodded. They were well aware of the magic of Zhu Xuefeng's elixir. He must have inherited it from generation to generation. Who knows, his uncles can really cure it.

"You're going to Central Asia in October. You're still so busy this semester, and you have to take advanced courses. You need to arrange your own time. My dad said he can help you find a teacher if you need anything."

Zhu Xuefeng put down his bowl and chopsticks, "By the way, what was Professor Lin's final decision?"

"My dad said that Yunnan University agreed to accept me, but Beijing University refused to let me go, saying that it was not suitable because the project was not completed. The research environment at Yunnan University is difficult and the conditions are definitely not as good as here. They asked my dad to put the overall situation first and complete the project research before considering external employment."

It seems that Professor Lin will not be able to leave Beijing in the short term. But it doesn’t matter. There are still several years left. As long as you keep a low profile, it won’t be too difficult to survive until then.

"Sister, is it really like spring all year round at Yunnan University?"

The little sister asked curiously, Lin Na touched the little sister's head and said with a smile.

"Although it's not, it's not much different. That place is very beautiful. There are so many different kinds of flowers that your sister Xia and I can't even name them. There are also many ethnic minorities, and their costumes are also very beautiful. The little girls look like flowers in their new clothes."

Zhu Xuemei was fascinated by these words. "Is that place as hot as Guangzhou in summer? They are both in the south, so it should be hot too."

"It's not too hot, better than Guangzhou. There are forests everywhere, and it's cool wherever you go, especially in the ravines. It's very comfortable to be near water, and it's even cooler than going to Shichahai Park in summer."

Zhu Xuefeng was afraid that Zhu Xuemei might want to apply to Yunnan University on a whim, but she would be unfamiliar with the place and it would be far away from him, so he would be unable to help her even if he wanted to.

"That place is far away. You have to transfer several times by train and it will take several days and nights to get there. I will take you there when the direct train is repaired."

"Oh." Upon hearing that it was so far, Zhu Xuemei lost interest. She was already convinced by the round trip to Yangcheng this time. She was active by nature and was a little scared to stay in a carriage that could only accommodate her buttocks for several days.

"How can your corn taste so good just by simply processing it with pine nuts?"

Xia Yuhong realized it later and was surprised to see the pine nut corn that had been cleaned so clean. This fresh feeling was so beautiful.

"It's that simple. Just tell me if you want to eat. We still have pine nuts and corn. It just takes some time. By the way, you two should go to Zhou Tangyun and Yang Ying's homes first, and then come back to review for them."

"You want Xiaohong to have an open relationship with both families?"

"Well, she is familiar with their family, and it is believable. I have to go over and treat her again later. I think she should wake up after the treatment."

Looking at Sha Zhu standing far away at the door and waving at him, Zhu Xuefeng stood up.

"Second brother, take the bowl and I'll be out for a while."

Zhu Xuefeng went to the kitchen and brought back a big bowl, which he specially reserved for Sha Zhu. He kept a little bit of everything and put it on top of the rice. It should be enough for Sha Zhu to eat alone.

"Brother, that's not what I meant. Come on, let's go to my room and talk."

When Sha Zhu saw Zhu Xuefeng coming out with a big bowl, he thought that the other party misunderstood that he summoned him for a bite of food, so he hurried to explain.

"I know you definitely haven't eaten any, so I left some for you. There are two new ones I made for you to try."

Sha Zhu then answered the call and pulled Zhu Xuefeng into the middle courtyard. He saw Bang Geng sneaking out of his house from a distance and couldn't help laughing and scolding.

"This greedy boy is so cunning. I just made some fried peanuts yesterday, and I guess they went into his stomach again."

This situation seemed to be commonplace. Zhu Xuefeng had warned before that this would spoil the child, but now he didn't care about such trivial matters. He just smiled and said nothing.

Pushing the door open and entering the house, Sha Zhu put down his bowl and spoke while taking off his clothes.

"Brother is having a bad day today, I want to talk to my brother, this is really bad luck, it's too late to take action."

"What's the matter?"

"Alas, it's the same thing as last time. I went to see Director Lao Yang, and he didn't disagree. He just told me that it was too late. This year's staff has been approved and will leave in a few days. There is no way to add people now. If I really want to go there, I'll have to wait until next year."

"It's just this matter that can make you frown. If it doesn't work this year, then next year. If it doesn't work next year, then the year after. You just need to get a certificate, why rush? Besides, Xiao'e's family hasn't gone there yet. If you go there now and come back next year, and they still haven't made any progress, that would be troublesome."

Sha Zhu suddenly laughed, "That's true. Now that you said that, it's probably a good thing that I can't go this year, haha."

Sha Zhu was so proud that he turned around and took out a bottle of Erguotou, opened the cabinet door and took out fried peanuts, muttering, "This little bastard has ruined half of my food in just one day. He is really amazing."

A large bowl was filled with half a bowl of fried peanuts. It seemed that they were fried in the cafeteria and brought back. Looking at Zhu Xuefeng's eyes, Sha Zhu said happily.

"I made these peanuts myself, and I just borrowed the company's oil to fry them. That's not a big deal, right? Come on, have a drink with your brother."

Zhu Xuefeng also poured a glass and listened to Sha Zhu's talk while cracking peanuts. Sha Zhu had this habit and after a few glasses of wine, he couldn't stop talking.

It turned out that Sha Zhu told Lou Xiao'e about his idea, and Lou Xiao'e told her mother. Of course, Mr. Lou also knew about it. This time he did not object, but he did not say anything either. After waiting for a few days and seeing no movement from Mr. Lou, Lou Xiao'e assumed that her father tacitly agreed. Sha Zhu then excitedly went to find Lao Yang, but after all, he was just a few days short of being the candidate to go to Hong Kong.

"Brother, tell me, is this considered a case of good things coming hard? I haven't done anything against the law, so why is it so difficult to start a family?"

Sha Zhu ate the food and drank, sighing from time to time. He drank quite a bit without realizing it. The topic went further and further away, slowly reaching the topic of the previous relationship.

Zhu Xuefeng suddenly became curious, "So why did you break up with the second daughter of the Xiong family without knowing why? Where did they go? Will they come back? What will you do if you run into them in the future?"

"Who knows where she ran off to? I guess I won't see her again in this lifetime. As for the crime her family committed, I later inquired about it and it was serious enough. Do you think she will come again? That would be a dead end, a trap for herself."

Although Sha Zhu said a lot, he still kept his mouth shut and didn't say a word about what Xiong Lin had done. He just said that he had been killed enough and had to run away.

"Brother Zhuzi, do you think it is possible that Xiong Lin went to Hong Kong?"

Sha Zhu was shocked. It was really possible. Xiong Lin didn't say where to go at that time, but just said that they must go abroad. At that time, there were only three places to go. One was to go to the Russians from the Northeast, one was to Fuso, and the other was to Hong Kong and Macau. North Korea was also possible, but it was poorer there and no normal person would go there.

"You mean, Xiong Lin might have gone to Hong Kong?" Sha Zhu suddenly sobered up a little. Xiong Lin treated him really well. Part of the money he planned to use for this year's business was left by Xiong Lin last year.

"I don't know about that. I don't know anything about their family, so I can't guess."

Zhu Xuefeng drank the last bit in one gulp and stopped Sha Zhu from drinking the bottle.

"No more drinking. I have something else to do tonight. You have to think this through. No one else can help you."

"She said that her family has relatives in the Northeast. I guess it's more likely that she will go to the North. The South is so strictly controlled and it's so far away. I don't think it's possible to go to Fuso. I think it's more reliable than going to the South. There's a lot of smuggling over there. I heard her say that..."

Sha Zhu's eyes were red and he was still talking to himself. It was not appropriate for Zhu Xuefeng to leave, so he had to stay with him.

"Forget it. I don't even know where the person is. Why should I speculate? It's better if I never see him in this lifetime."

Sha Zhu filled his glass dejectedly, "I can't let Ezi down again..."

With an idea in mind, Sha Zhu slowly regained some of his spirit and couldn't help but curse God.

"This damned God only knows how to torment me, damn it..."

Zhu Xuefeng didn't want to laugh at Sha Zhu's two inexplicable romances. They each had their own opportunities and lives. Zhu Xuefeng no longer had the idea of ​​rewriting Sha Zhu's life. He could live well on his own. (End of this chapter)