60s: I have a store

Chapter 549 Tea Talk and Iced Sour Plum Soup

Dapeng's dark face was filled with a proud smile: "Look at my craftsmanship, it's no worse than those in the city park!"

He wiped the sweat off his face with his arm, turned around and looked at everyone. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he suggested loudly, "Hey guys, we worked so hard to build the pavilion, why don't we hold a tea party to celebrate? Just treat it as a reward for ourselves!"

"Great! I've been looking forward to the excitement for a long time!" Li Chunsheng was the first to jump up and respond. He was young and energetic and loved this kind of lively scene the most. He rubbed his hands and said, "I'll go borrow a few red lanterns to hang up and light them up at night. The whole yard will definitely be bright and festive!"

Li Youde also clapped his hands and smiled, revealing his big white teeth: "I still have half a jar of homemade rice wine at home. I almost forgot about it because I buried it underground. This time I took it out for everyone to taste. I guarantee you will want to drink more after you finish it!"

For a moment, everyone echoed and laughter echoed over the courtyard.

An old man came over slowly, his face full of satisfaction: "This is a good idea! Our courtyard hasn't been so lively for a long time."

He turned to look at Zhou Yimin, his cloudy eyes full of trust, "Yimin, you have a lot of ideas, how should we set up this place, can you give me some ideas?"

Zhou Yimin looked at the expectant eyes of the crowd and nodded, "Since we are celebrating, we have to be festive. Dapeng, go hang up the lanterns, and the others, move out the tables and chairs from home and place them around the pavilion. I have some candies, and we can also take out the lard residue. Although it is not something expensive, it can satisfy everyone's cravings."

"Lard residue!" Aunt Qian's eyes lit up instantly, and she couldn't help smacking her lips. "Oh, I haven't eaten that stuff in years. I'm drooling just thinking about it. I didn't get any last time, so I must get my money's worth this time."

"That's right!" Aunt Liu also came over, "My husband always wants to eat pork lard, but unfortunately there is not enough oil, so he can't afford to fry it. Today, thanks to Yimin, I can finally try it."

When it comes to lard residue, everyone can't help swallowing.

In an era of material scarcity, this was a rare delicacy.

Zhou Yimin remembered that the last time he fried lard, he deliberately left a lot of it in the store space. Thanks to this magical space, these delicacies can be preserved intact.

They did it right away, and the courtyard instantly became lively.

The women gathered in the middle of the yard, washing dishes, wiping tables and chairs, and chatting.

Aunt Zhao rubbed the rag in her hand and said to Grandma Wang with a smile: "Aunt Wang, what do you think we should do to set the table?"

Grandma Wang adjusted her reading glasses and looked at the pavilion carefully: "In my opinion, we should form a circle around the pavilion, and everyone can sit together. It will be lively and convenient for conversation."

"You've got an idea!" Aunt Zhao gave a thumbs up. "By the way, I took out all the pickled vegetables at home. They will be perfect with rice wine."

The men were moving tables and setting up shelves, sweating profusely but enjoying the work.

Li Chunsheng stepped on the ladder and hung the big red lantern high on the eaves of the pavilion, humming a little tune while hanging it.

Dapeng was holding the ladder from below, looking up and shouting, "Chunsheng, take it easy, don't fall! Hang it higher so that the whole alley can see the joy of our courtyard!"

"Got it!" Li Chunsheng said without turning his head, "I promise it will be hung more magnificently than during the Chinese New Year!"

While they were busy here, Li Youde came out of his house holding a large jar with a lotus leaf covering the mouth.

"Make way, make way!" he shouted, "I treasure this rice wine very much, if you drop it, it will be gone!"

An old man came over and asked with a smile: "Youde, how long have you buried this rice wine?"

"It's been almost half a year!" Li Youde carefully put the jar on the ground. "I had planned to save it for the New Year, but now that our pavilion is built, I'm happier than the New Year. It's just right to take it out!"

Zhou Yimin returned to the room and opened the tin box hidden deep in the closet. Candies were neatly stacked inside, and the colorful candy wrappers sparkled in the sunset.

He took out some lard wrapped in lotus leaves from the store space. As soon as he opened it, a rich aroma immediately filled the air, and the golden and crispy lard glowed with an attractive luster.

He carefully placed the lard residue on the plate as if he was holding a rare treasure.

At this time, Dapeng happened to pass by and smelled the fragrance. He couldn't help but stick his head in and said, "Yimin, this lard residue is so fragrant! I want to try a piece in advance."

Zhou Yimin smiled and patted his hands: "Go, there will be food for you later. Go and help move the stool over there."

After hearing what Zhou Yimin said, Dapeng could only walk away helplessly. It seemed that his idea of ​​trying one piece in advance was shattered.

As the sky gradually darkened, the red lanterns around the pavilion lit up one by one, and the warm yellow light illuminated the entire yard.

The stone table was filled with all kinds of food. Li Youde's rice wine had a mellow aroma, Li Chunsheng's peanuts that he got from somewhere had a burnt aroma, and Zhou Yimin's candies and lard residue had become the focus of everyone's attention.

Just when everyone was ready, the old man picked up the rice wine, his eyes full of emotion: "Our courtyard hasn't been so lively for a long time. This pavilion is the result of everyone's concerted efforts. It will be our 'treasure bowl' in the future, gathering popularity and blessings!"

"Uncle is right!" Uncle Zhao raised his glass and drank it all.

Everyone raised their glasses, and the crisp sound of clinking glasses echoed in the night.

Aunt Qian couldn't resist first. While everyone was still toasting their glasses and drinking, she secretly picked up a piece of golden and crispy pork lard residue and put it in her mouth, squinting her eyes and enjoying the delicious taste: "Oh, Yimin, you fried this pork lard residue so well! It's so fragrant and crispy, and it tastes like my childhood."

Aunt Liu smiled and poked Aunt Qian's arm: "You, you only know how to eat! But seriously, Yimin, how come you have such a good cooking skill? I've never seen you show it off before."

Zhou Yimin scratched his head embarrassedly: "This is nothing, just some common home cooking. As long as everyone likes it."

"And it's just that the air fryer is good, it has nothing to do with me!"

The people around then remembered that the lard residue was fried in an air fryer, not slowly boiled in an iron pot.

As the night deepened, the aroma of rice wine and the fragrance of food intertwined and filled the entire yard.

There wasn’t anything delicious, but everyone enjoyed eating these things, and it also helped to relieve their fatigue after a hard day’s work.

The first things to be "eliminated" were the candies and lard provided by Zhou Yimin. It could be said that there were not enough to go around.

It all depends on how quick you are. If you are slow, they will all be sold out.

Dapeng said at this time: "Yimin, there is no lard residue yet, there is not enough to share?"

Zhou Yimin could only shake his head helplessly: "No more. Take them all out."

After hearing this, everyone was a little disappointed, but they still considered it a try.

Since everyone had to go to work the next day, they didn't get together very late. Around eight or nine o'clock, after everyone had cleaned up the garbage, they went home.

In the steel plant, the roar of machines mixed with the heat waves made it hard to breathe.

Zhou Yimin wiped the sweat from his forehead. His work clothes had already been soaked with sweat and stuck tightly to his back.

Although the purchasing department he was in charge of was slightly cooler than the workshop, the stuffy air seemed to be filled with a burnt smell, and the wind blown out by the fan was hot.

"When will this horrible weather end?" Lao Zhang at the next table complained while fanning himself with a newspaper, "I finished the tea I brought with me this morning before 10 o'clock. Now my throat is so dry that it's smoking." Other colleagues echoed his voice, and the office was filled with sighs.

Zhou Yimin sat at his workstation and felt that all his strength was being drained away by the heat.

Suddenly, he remembered that he still had some ingredients for sour plum soup at home. It would be great if he could make a pot of sour plum soup to relieve the heat and quench thirst! Once this idea came up, he could not get rid of it.

He looked up at his colleagues around him; they all looked tired and listless.

Since there are enough ingredients, we might as well cook more and let everyone try it, which will also help everyone cool down. After making the decision, we are ready to take action.

After finally getting to the end of the workday at noon, Zhou Yimin didn't even bother to eat lunch, and rode his motorcycle to the courtyard. From a distance, the air seemed to be distorted and steaming with heat waves.

Back at the courtyard, the midday sun bleached the yard, and the cicadas on the old locust tree were chirping weakly.

Aunt Qian was sitting in the shade outside her house, taking a nap. When she heard the sound of a motorcycle, she raised her head dazedly and said, "Yimin, why are you back in the middle of the day?"

Zhou Yimin smiled and replied, "I have something to do. I'll be leaving soon."

When the others saw this, they found it strange but they did not ask much questions. They simply said hello and went back to their rooms.

Zhou Yimin walked quickly into the house and took out a jar of sour plum soup ingredients from deep in the cupboard.

The black plums are shiny black, and the hawthorn slices are bright red, and they look delicious.

He then found the largest pot in the house. He had forgotten when he bought this pot, but it had been at home for a long time.

We have to use this big pot, otherwise everyone won’t get much of the sour plum soup.

Remembering that ice cubes could make the sour plum soup more refreshing and heat-relief, Zhou Yimin carefully took out the ice cubes from the store space.

To prevent the ice from melting too quickly, he found some old quilts and sacks and wrapped the ice tightly.

He had spent a lot of effort to get these ice cubes, but he had been reluctant to use them. He didn't expect that they would come in handy today.

Zhou Yimin put black plums, hawthorns and rock sugar into the pot, added enough water, and then started a fire.

The flames licked the bottom of the pot, and soon, bubbles began to bubble up from the pot. The sweet and sour aroma gradually drifted away, and penetrated into every corner of the courtyard through the cracks in the doors and windows.

"What's that smell? It's sour and sweet, and smells really good!" Dapeng's voice came from the yard.

Then, a burst of hurried footsteps were heard approaching from afar.

"Boom boom boom!"

Someone was knocking hard on Zhou Yimin's door.

Zhou Yimin leaned his head out of the window and saw Dapeng and Li Youde standing on tiptoe, looking into the yard with curiosity on their faces.

He smiled and opened the door: "You two have very sharp noses. You came here just by smelling the food? If you want to drink it, you have to wait a moment. It's not ready yet!"

Dapeng scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "This, isn't it not good! I drank your sour plum soup in vain..."

Zhou Yimin looked at Dapeng's shy look and said jokingly, "Dapeng, since you don't want it, then give your share to Youde!"

Li Youde immediately understood what he meant and said, "That's right, sour plum soup is my favorite, I can drink as much as I want. Dapeng, if you don't want it, I won't be polite!"

Dapeng was so anxious that he stamped his feet: "Who said I don't want it? I don't even have enough to drink! In this hot summer, a bowl of sour plum soup will make me feel so comfortable!"

Li Youde continued to tease him: "Didn't you say you were sorry just now? In order to make you feel better, I can only drink your share with reluctance."

Dapeng waved his hands helplessly: "Alright, alright, I said the wrong thing just now, I beg you two, just give me a bowl!"

Smelling the increasingly strong aroma of sour plum soup, Dapeng approached the pot eagerly: "Yimin, is it not ready yet? My mouth is watering!"

Zhou Yimin checked the heat and said, "We have to wait a few minutes. If you are impatient, you won't be able to eat the hot tofu or drink the sour plum soup."

Finally, the sour plum soup is ready.

Zhou Yimin turned off the fire, opened the lid of the pot, and a rich sweet and sour aroma hit him in the face.

He carefully opened the quilt wrapping the ice cubes, and threw the ice cubes into the pot one by one under the shocked gaze of Dapeng and Li Youde.

As the ice melted, the originally steaming sour plum soup gradually became cool and delicious, with a thin layer of white mist rising on the surface.

"Yimin, do you still have this ice cube?" Dapeng stared at the ice cube and swallowed his saliva. "It's so hot today. If you have some ice cubes, you can put them on your head and it will make you feel better."

Zhou Yimin nodded: "There are still two pieces left, wait a moment, each of you take one back!"

As he spoke, he brought two large bowls and filled them with sour plum soup for Dapeng and Li Youde.

Seeing the two of them eagerly taking a big sip, with satisfied expressions on their faces, Zhou Yimin also smiled.

Zhou Yimin found several thermos bottles at home and poured out the water inside.

He looked at the thermoses and felt that the number was not enough, so he said to Dapeng and Li Youde: "Can you two lend me your thermoses? I want to bring some sour plum soup back to the factory for my colleagues to try."

Although the two didn't quite understand why they did this, they ran home without hesitation to get the thermos.

Not long after, they came back panting, with several more thermoses in their hands.

Zhou Yimin took the thermos and filled it with iced sour plum soup.

By the time I finished filling the last thermos, there was very little sour plum soup left in the pot.

He finally reacted and said anxiously: "You two, don't even think about leaving some for me."

He hurried forward and filled a large bowl, and the rest was shared by Dapeng and Li Youde.

Seeing the two people still wanting more, Zhou Yimin shook his head helplessly: "Alright, alright, hurry up and take the ice back, don't let it melt."
Peng and Li Youde happily took the ice cubes and the remaining sour plum soup and left, muttering "It's so delicious" over and over again.

Zhou Yimin didn't have time to rest. He carefully tied the thermos filled with sour plum soup to his motorcycle, and then rode to the steel plant at lightning speed.

Along the way, he thought about how his colleagues looked when they drank the sour plum soup, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corners of his mouth.

When we got back to the steel plant, it was break time before work in the afternoon.

Zhou Yimin gathered all his colleagues from the purchasing department together. They gathered around him, their faces full of curiosity: "I guess you are all suffering from the heat. I brought you some goodies today!"

As Zhou Yimin spoke, he opened a thermos, and immediately, a sweet and sour aroma filled the office.

"What is this? Sour plum soup?" Old Zhang asked in disbelief with his eyes wide open.

Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded: "Yes, sour plum soup! The weather is too hot, let's cool down everyone. Don't be polite, one bowl each!"

Colleagues brought their own cups and lined up.

Watching everyone drinking sour plum soup with long-lost smiles on their faces, and listening to them drinking one after another.

“Delicious”

Exclamations of “It’s so cool!”

(End of this chapter)