Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 919 Silly Zhu makes trouble
February 14, Lantern Festival

Wang Zhan bought Yuanxiao yesterday, one with black sesame filling and the other with hawthorn filling, the main product of Niujie Baiji. The black sesame filling uses sesame oil, the hawthorn filling tastes like hawthorn cake, and there is also a unique filling of preserved fruit. After cooking, the skin is crystal white and glutinous, and the filling is full.

Early in the morning, Wang Li was waiting for Wang Zhan with a bag of Yuanxiao in her arms. When she got up today, the girl didn't ask anyone to call her. She took the initiative to get dressed and wash up. After breakfast, she followed Wang Zhan with a bag of Yuanxiao in her arms.

Wang Zhan had no choice but to go to the kitchen and cook her a bowl of rice. He said, "Don't eat too much in the morning. I'll cook for you at noon. We still have to make dumplings in the afternoon. Didn't you see that I've already chopped the pickled cabbage?"

Wang Li, who was eating the glutinous rice balls, nodded and continued eating her Yuanxiao.

No one will come today, and the two siblings have no plans to go out. The weather in the city is still very cold.

The two of them huddled in the main room, each doing their own thing. Jinbao was holding a big bone in his mouth, amusing himself.

Wang Zhan read for a while, then stood at the door, looking towards his front yard. He could not count on the fruit trees in the east of the yard, as the fruits would be inedible within two years. The greenhouse in the southwest corner had already taken shape, and there were some green vegetables in it, including tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers, which Wang Zhan had replanted after the Chinese New Year.

Wang Zhan looked at his pond, which was already frozen solid. Wang Li took out her ice sled and went to play on it for a while. Except for her, even Dayu and Xiaoyu didn't go up and just stayed in their own nests and didn't come out.

Wang Zhan was afraid that his chickens would get cold, so he moved the chicken coop into the greenhouse and built a new coop in the southwest corner. Both the big chicks and the little chicks have adapted to this coop, and the hens have started laying eggs normally. Sometimes they can hatch seven or eight eggs a day, and sometimes as few as six. These five hens are really working very hard.

As winter approached this year, Wang Zhan stopped exercising in the morning and focused all his energy on taking care of his sister. In fact, there was another main reason. Wang Zhan had reached a bottleneck. No matter how hard he tried, there was no progress in either martial arts or internal skills.

He once asked his master Qi Dasheng. Qi Dasheng fought with him for a few rounds. Qi Dasheng said, "I don't know why, because I haven't reached your level yet. You should have entered the dark energy level as my master said, but your bones haven't grown mature yet. This may be your current state. Let nature take its course. If not, you can go to Qingcheng Mountain and ask Master Wang for help."

Wang Zhan doesn't want to go to such a far place unless he takes his sister with him, but he has his studies to attend to now, so he'd better wait and see.

After lunch, Zhang Erya brought another Erya and Xiaopang here. Zhang Erya had made an appointment with Wang Li to help her brother Wang Zhan make dumplings in the afternoon, so she came after lunch. When she reached the entrance of the alley, she ran into Aunt Sun who was bringing the two little ones over.

Aunt Sun was in a hurry to leave, so she handed the child to Zhang Erya and hurried to the street office.

Wang Zhan came from the kitchen to the main room and said, "Zhang Erya, have you had lunch?"

Zhang Erya smiled and said, "I came here after I had eaten."

The two younger ones also said, "Brother, we have eaten too."

Wang Li said beside him: "Have you eaten Yuanxiao? I'll ask my brother to cook it for you."

The three little ones really haven't eaten yet. Aunt Sun has no time to go to the street to buy food. Old Man Zhang's snack bar has not been doing well since it opened this year. The main thing is that the food allocated by the street office is not much, and now the buns for morning meals are made with two grams of flour.

Wang Zhan didn't answer them and went back to the kitchen. He cooked a bowl of Yuanxiao for each of the four people. There were not many Yuanxiao, just six for each person, just to try something new. The Yuanxiao would be gone for this lunch, so they wouldn't have to worry about it for the evening.

Wang Zhan smiled at Xiao Pang and scooped one out with a spoon. Because it was too hot, he couldn't put it into his mouth several times. Xiao Pang was still anxious, puffing his cheeks and blowing air non-stop, which made Wang Zhan laugh non-stop. In the afternoon, Wang Li and Zhang Erya took the two children to play in the main room. Wang Zhan lit a very strong fire, and the room was very warm. If you wear a cotton-padded jacket in the room, it would even be a bit hot. The four children were all wearing long-sleeved shirts and long-pants, and they stayed in the room and didn't go out.

Wang Zhan prepared some snacks and soda for them, but the fruits were gone after the Chinese New Year, even the apple that Wang Li was supposed to have every day was gone.

Wang Zhan's family had also finished using up all the stored meat. The last piece of venison was left, which Wang Zhan gave to Aunt Wang during the Chinese New Year. Because her daughter-in-law was pregnant, Aunt Wang refused for a long time before accepting it, but she gave Wang Zhan twenty yuan and five special meat coupons.

Wang Zhan didn't lack these, but he accepted them anyway. Every morning, Wang Zhan would go to the pigeon market outside Dongzhimen for a walk, and then stroll around the supply and marketing cooperative. Every day he bought vegetables as if he had hit the jackpot.

After the Chinese New Year, the supplies on the market have obviously decreased. The supply and marketing cooperatives still have a small supply of pork, but it will be sold out in just one hour. The remaining eggs are also in limited supply.

Wang Zhan was able to buy it almost once a week, which was pretty good. Sometimes, when he was really craving for meat, Wang Zhan would take Wang Li to the greenhouse and stare at the big rooster. The big rooster seemed to sense the approaching danger and would suddenly rush between the hens and run to the innermost part of the chicken coop, saying nothing. Wang Zhan sighed, he still couldn't bear to let it go.

Wang Zhan cleaned up the bowls of the little ones and took them to the kitchen. He fetched some water and added some boiling water, then washed the dishes in the kitchen.

At this time, there was a knock at the door. The sound was very urgent. Wang Zhan walked over and asked, "Who is it? Knock gently. The door is not strong."

There was no answer from outside. Wang Zhan opened the door and saw Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu standing at the door together. They seemed to have just returned from outside, and there was frost on their scarves from their breath.

Wang Zhan looked at the two people and said, "What's wrong with you?"

Sha Zhu wanted to say something but stopped himself, but Jia Dongxu poked him twice from behind. Sha Zhu said, "Wang Zhan, we are old friends. I remember you bought a batch of meat during the Chinese New Year, including venison and roe deer meat. I guess you can't finish it. Can you give me some? I remember I made an appointment with you to get some."

Wang Zhan laughed when he heard this and said, "Brother Shazhu, are you confused? When did this happen? Not to mention meat, there's not even a single fish left. You came too late. Besides, you didn't want it last time. How could I have kept it for you?"

Sha Zhu was stunned and looked back at Jia Dongxu. Jia Dongxu didn't believe what Wang Zhan said at all. Sha Zhu also saw what he meant, so he turned to Wang Zhan and said, "Impossible, you must have some in stock. I won't ask for more. Just give me five catties of venison and five catties of roe deer meat. I'll give it to you no matter how much it costs."

Wang Zhan was unhappy and said, "Brother Shazhu, we have known each other for such a long time. Have I ever lied? No, I have to give away the last piece of meat. I have been looking for meat everywhere these days."

Jia Dongxu said from the side: "Impossible, Shazhu said you had at least 500 to 600 kilograms, how could you have eaten it all just after the New Year? You must have hidden it."

Sha Zhu also stiffened his neck and said, "Yes, how about you let me go to your cellar and take a look. If it's not there, I'll turn around and leave."

"Why? What do you want? If I say there is no, there is no. Believe it or not, you are not welcome in my home." Wang Zhan was really angry this time. He turned around and was about to close the door, but he didn't expect that Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu held the door at the same time, preventing Wang Zhan from closing the door.

Wang Zhan became furious all of a sudden. If a tiger doesn't show its power, do you really think I'm a sick cat? He kicked them twice, and the two men flew out of the gate and landed in the middle of the alley. Wang Zhan slammed the gate shut.

(End of this chapter)