Candy apples: Too good with rice?
Xie Mingtu came back with two bags of flour, and had even picked up some pickled vegetables along the way. Su Xiaoman truly admired him.
“From now on, as long as you’re in our family, you’ll be the one going grocery shopping.”
Xie Mingtu smiled and nodded.
“We bought so many things today. I’m so happy. But it seems like we’ve used up all our grain coupons…” Although this hamster-like behaviour of buying a lot of things at once and storing them away made her very happy, it also brought some worries.
“We absolutely can’t let mice get in and eat up all our stored food.” Su Xiaoman covered her mouth and laughed. After laughing, she lightly slapped her own face. “I can’t say unlucky things like that.”
What if they really ended up fattening mice? That would be terrible!
Neither of them had much experience living in the north. Right now, they were like a little horse crossing a river, testing the waters as they went.
Speaking of which, they really were a young couple who had just formed their own small family and were now living independently. Back in Qiaoxin Village, although the two had also lived together for a while, her maiden family often helped them, so they did not need to worry about food and drink. Later, the two went to live with her grandparents, and both were soldiers who ate in the canteen, only occasionally gathering together. Now, in this little siheyuan, starting a new life together — this was truly the first time they had set up an independent household.
…Of course, the ten-plus jin of mutton counted as support from his uncle and grandmother.
“Brother Xiaotu, now it really is just the two of us living independently.” Su Xiaoman felt both expectant and worried. For the two of them to live together like this, she was truly the mistress of the household.
But when it came to spending money, she was also rather wilful.
Su Xiaoman smiled and worried for a moment, then teased, “Do you think the two of us will end up eating one meal without knowing where the next is coming from?”
“No.” Xie Mingtu stroked Su Xiaoman’s head. “I’ll take good care of Manman and raise Manman until she’s fair and plump.”
Su Xiaoman blinked. “Then I’ll also work hard to raise you until you’re fair and plump.”
“The mutton soup is done. I’ll serve you a bowl first so you can warm yourself up.” Su Xiaoman went to ladle him a bowl of mutton soup. Then she found a food container and scooped out another bowl of mutton soup. Apart from the broth, she also added a piece of mutton with bone into the container and told Xie Mingtu to take it with him later.
The little three-wheeler he had pedalled had been borrowed from another household. Su Xiaoman told him to bring that household a bowl of soup when he returned the cart.
After Xie Mingtu finished drinking a bowl of warming mutton soup, he pedalled the three-wheeler away again. When he came back, however, he did not return alone. He had brought along an old man in his fifties.
Su Xiaoman: “…”
—You’ve hooked another old grandpa!
The old man’s surname was Duan. He lived in the same communal courtyard as the household from which Xie Mingtu had borrowed the three-wheeler. He lived alone. After smelling the fragrance of the mutton soup, he said he wanted to come along and freeload a bowl. Of course, he would not freeload for nothing. He would pay, and even give meat coupons.
Su Xiaoman did not say anything and invited him in. She was not a stingy person. She also believed in Xie Mingtu’s judgement. This man had eyes in all directions and ears listening everywhere. Anyone their family’s Brother Gouzi brought back would definitely not be a problem.
So she generously invited the old man in. Each of them drank another bowl of mutton soup, then they began using the mutton soup to blanch vegetables in a copper hotpot. Speaking of which, this copper pot had been left behind and discarded by the previous occupants.
Blanching vegetables in mutton soup was also absolutely wonderful. Chinese cabbage, potato slices, radish slices, frozen tofu — all of it was placed into the mutton soup to cook. Su Xiaoman also mixed dipping sauces for them. She did not know what kind of flavour Grandpa Duan liked, so she prepared him a small dish of sesame paste and fermented bean curd that Comrade Xiaotu had brought back while grocery shopping.
Su Xiaoman and Xie Mingtu were used to adding soy sauce, bird’s eye chilli, mature vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and so on. The two of them shared one dish of sesame paste.
The bird’s eye chillies were the loving Grandma Jiang chillies that Grandma Jiang had insisted they bring along.
They were incredibly spicy. Put into soy sauce, they were especially exciting. You could not add too much; even eating a little would make a person suck in sharp breaths from the heat.
But they were delicious for dipping vegetables and tofu slices. Watching from the side, Grandpa Duan became so tempted that he also scooped himself a dish. Su Xiaoman tried the sesame paste here too. Mutton dipped in sesame paste had another kind of flavour.
Vegetables dipped in sesame paste also had a strange, unique texture. If they sprinkled some crushed peanuts or minced beef on top, it would definitely taste good.
Grandpa Duan tried dipping into the bird’s eye chilli sauce dish. At the first bite, he praised, “The taste is pretty good.” By the second and third bite, he was already gasping from the spice. “Where are you two from? This chilli is far too spicy.”
“Grandpa, you should stick with the sesame paste.”
“This sesame paste isn’t made very authentically. When I go back, I’ll have Little Xie come to my place and bring back a bottle. You two can try it later.”
Su Xiaoman smiled and agreed, thinking that having a Gouzi in the family was like having a treasure. How was he so good at winning over old men and old ladies?
Who knew what kind of old grandpa he would attract in the future? In a place like the capital, there were many capable people.
The three of them finished an entire pot of mutton soup together. Su Xiaoman estimated that Xie Mingtu alone had eaten two or three whole Chinese cabbages. It seemed that the cabbage mountain at home might not necessarily be enough. They might even need to buy more.
No wonder people here bought Chinese cabbages in piles and piles. If you did not know better, you would think they were buying wholesale.
After eating, Xie Mingtu accompanied Grandpa Duan in playing chess for a while. Grandpa Duan was also an interesting person. He could even perform crosstalk. Supposedly, he had once opened a stall and performed for a living, making Su Xiaoman laugh aloud.
“My throat isn’t good anymore, so I don’t perform now.”
Su Xiaoman gave him a thumbs-up. “Grandpa, you really do have skill. Impressive, impressive.”
“Why don’t you learn from me?”
“I couldn’t learn that.”
“What about your Little Xie?”
“He’s going to learn how to build aeroplanes.”
…
Grandpa Duan did not stay at their house for long. His family was gone, and he lived alone without anyone to rely on. During the New Year, seeing other families reunited made him feel bad. Today, after meeting Xie Mingtu, he had somehow opened his mouth. Who would have thought this young man was also interesting, bringing him home to chat with the young couple? His mood became much better.
Su Xiaoman and her husband did not take his money for the mutton soup either. They treated it as having listened to a crosstalk performance. Xie Mingtu sent him back. When he returned, Grandpa Duan had given him a basket of pigeon eggs and one cleaned pigeon.
“Take it back and nourish your wife.”
“Have a child soon.”
Grandpa Duan had once raised pigeons in the capital. He had raised a whole flock. It was just that raising them was not allowed now, but plenty were still kept privately. Grandpa Duan was good at training pigeons. Even now, he raised them silently and without fuss. Once a line of pigeons was released, who could know whether they were raised by someone or free pigeons?
Su Xiaoman was very surprised when she saw Xie Mingtu bring back the pigeon and pigeon eggs. She thought that Grandpa Duan really was a decent person, not the sort who ate and took for free.
“Did you hear pigeons cooing?”
Xie Mingtu nodded. “I heard cooing sounds. I was originally thinking of asking for two meat pigeons to raise outside.”
Su Xiaoman nodded, thinking it was good for Xie Gouzi to get along well with Grandpa Duan. In the future, perhaps they could exchange pigeon-raising tips.
Su Xiaoman had never seen Xie Mingtu train pigeons, but she felt that their Comrade Xiaotu would definitely be very talented at pigeon training.
When she was in Qiaoxin Village, she had seen Xie Mingtu play with snakes — no, train snakes.
He held a snake in his hand as if he were holding a toy snake. That was why the chickens he raised were scattered in a fenced-off patch on the mountain, and he was not afraid they would be caught by outsiders, because he had also kept some venomous snakes nearby.
If one examined it carefully, it could not really be said that he raised them, because there were already many snakes on the mountain. He simply was not afraid of snakes.
Perhaps it was because Xie Mingtu could hear certain sounds that ordinary people found difficult to hear. Because of this, he could also blow a small whistle he had made himself. When venomous snakes heard it, they would obediently slither away.
At the time, when Su Xiaoman had seen three triangular-headed snakes, her legs had nearly gone weak. She had thought, What else does this man know that I don’t know about?!!!
It was one thing for you to raise chickens, but you also… Fortunately, Xie Mingtu said he never ate snakes, and only then did Su Xiaoman feel slightly more at ease.
Su Xiaoman had also asked him whether he could make snakes dance rhythmically to the sound. Xie Mingtu had fallen silent for a moment, then said he would try.
The next second, he blew a strange whistle-like sound.
Su Xiaoman: “???!!!”
…Trying it nearly meant dying from it.
Su Xiaoman witnessed a scene that made her scalp crawl. She felt she had truly courted death and deeply regretted making Xie Mingtu do something like this demonic snake dance.
It was nightmare-inducing.
She did not want a single venomous snake appearing before her eyes.
After returning, Su Xiaoman had nightmares for an entire night, finally shrinking into Xie Mingtu’s arms. Even more terrifyingly, the Xie Gouzi in her dream said he would take her to watch a snake performance.
Luckily, it was watching a snake performance, not Xie Gouzi directly turning into a handsome snake-man and wrapping around her, wanting to have snake babies with her… Just thinking about that kind of dream was frightening.
Cute little things like rabbits, pigeons, and speckled hens were much more pleasing.
“Let’s eat pigeon tonight. I don’t really know how to cook it. How about we eat pigeon eggs first, and leave the meat for tomorrow?”
Xie Mingtu smiled gently. “Whatever Manman says.”
Su Xiaoman took her documents and went to report to the song-and-dance troupe compound. Her arrival attracted quite a bit of attention because she was too beautiful, and her aura was unique. When Troupe Leader Zhou saw her, even his eyes could not help lighting up.
What a spirited great beauty.
Their song-and-dance troupe had never lacked beauties. To stand out among a crowd of beauties was extremely difficult.
“I’ll have Xiao Ding take you around and familiarise you with our song-and-dance troupe. We’re very busy right now, with several performances…”
Troupe Leader Zhou could not say much more to her before hurrying off to deal with other matters. Xiao Ding from the stage design department took her around the troupe compound. “Over there is the dance team. Over there is the singing team… Usually, rehearsals are held in the auditorium over there.”
“Sister Liao led a team to perform at the No. 3 State Cotton Factory today. They haven’t come back yet. There have been too many performances, big and small, during this period.”
“For the next few days, just familiarise yourself with the place first. You just arrived in the capital, right? We have lots of good food and fun places here…”
“What? Xiaoman, you’re already married?! So early!” After hearing that she was married, Xiao Ding from the stage design department looked extremely surprised.
“Yes. Come to my house for a meal when you have time.”
Xiao Ding was a very bold and open local girl. She had a round face and was very likeable. When she spoke, there was always a hint of laughter in her voice. Not only was she cheerful, she also loved food very much. According to the people in the song-and-dance troupe, her entire monthly salary was contributed to “eating.”
Her Engel coefficient was off the charts.
Su Xiaoman had just come to report to the troupe compound. Most of the dance team was not there, and she had no proper work to do. After Xiao Ding took her around the compound, she brought her out to wander through various hutongs.
“This way. Yes, over there under the Tianqiao bridge — it used to be very interesting.”
“My home is over there.”
…
Su Xiaoman followed her as they wound through the hutongs until she was dizzy and disoriented. She had to stick closely to Xiao Ding. If they got separated, she would not even know how to get back.
Xiao Ding took her to eat authentic local rolling donkey rice cakes and pea-flour cakes. Su Xiaoman tried a sip of fermented mung bean juice, but really could not drink it. The two happily wandered around eating and strolling, and in the end, each of them held two bright red tanghulu skewers.
“Sister Xiaoman, where is your house? I’ll go take a look.” After the two spent half the day eating, drinking, and fooling around together, they had already formed a deep revolutionary friendship.
Su Xiaoman nodded. “Sure, but I’ll have to trouble you to lead me there.”
She had already been turned around until she was confused. As for how to get back to her own siheyuan, Su Xiaoman had no idea. She could only let Xiao Ding send her home.
The two of them each held a giant tanghulu skewer in one hand, attracting plenty of attention on the street. Su Xiaoman tucked the hair by her ear back and said to Xiao Ding beside her, “Does eating tanghulu here attract that much attention?”
Xiao Ding stuck out her tongue and glanced at Su Xiaoman’s delicate, picturesque brows and eyes. In this bleak winter weather, even the sky was grey and dim, yet this newly arrived Sister Xiaoman, even wearing a simple padded jacket, could not hide her flower-like delicacy.
With two bright red tanghulu skewers in her hands, how could she not attract attention?
“If I ate them alone, it definitely wouldn’t attract attention. Sister Xiaoman, you’re too beautiful, so that’s why people notice.”
“I wonder which man’s family had dog-shit luck to marry such a beautiful woman.”
“When you come to my house, you’ll see him.”
The two walked through the hutong alleys together, chatting and laughing. Not long after, Xiao Ding led her around to a courtyard. Su Xiaoman looked left and right. Huh? This seemed to be her house.
They had circled back here just like that? Why did it feel different from when she had gone out earlier?
Xiao Ding covered her mouth and laughed. “Sister Xiaoman, you don’t even recognise your own house?”
Su Xiaoman’s face reddened. “I only moved here a few days ago.”
Getting lost all the time was definitely not Su Xiaoman’s fault. It was hateful that this era had no mobile phones and no satellite navigation. How miserable. She did not even know how many years she would have to live here before becoming familiar with these hutongs and alleys.
“Xiao Ding, have you been here before? You seem very familiar with the area.”
“Yes. I have a relative living nearby, not far from here.”
After hearing this, Su Xiaoman finally felt relieved. Hopefully, it was only because she was unfamiliar with the place, and not because her sense of direction was hopeless. If she gave birth to a daughter in the future and the child inherited her directional-disability trait, that would be bad. She might get lost in the hutongs from childhood.
“Come inside.”
“Is brother-in-law home right now?”
“He should be.”
Xie Mingtu’s school had not started classes yet. Recently, his time was very free. After sending Su Xiaoman to the song-and-dance troupe, she did not know whether he had gone straight home.
The two entered the courtyard together. Xiao Ding first saw the dilapidated east and west side rooms.
“…”
“We just moved in, and the courtyard hasn’t been repaired yet.” Su Xiaoman had asked Xie Mingtu to fix the northern main rooms and side rooms first. There was no rush to repair the east and west side rooms or the southern rooms. With only the two of them, the northern rooms were obviously enough.
There was no hurry to have anyone live in the east and west rooms. Su Xiaoman also did not want to share a courtyard with other people. It was best for those rooms to remain broken and empty like this, used for storing miscellaneous items.
What she feared most was that someone would see their family had many empty rooms and insist on stuffing people into them. It was easy for people to move in, but difficult to make them move out.
“It’s an old family house, right?”
“Yes, my husband’s.”
The two entered the house, only to find it empty. Only then did Su Xiaoman realise that their family’s Xie Gouzi was not home. Who knew where he had wandered off to?
“He isn’t here.”
Su Xiaoman and Xiao Ding came out of the main room. The house was still a little dim after all, so they said they would stand in the courtyard and enjoy the breeze. Su Xiaoman was still holding two tanghulu skewers, nibbling at them. When she felt playful, she would lick one, or bite off one hawthorn at a time.
Xiao Ding laughed as she watched her eat tanghulu. “The way you eat tanghulu is exactly like my little younger cousin.”
“A child’s way of eating.”
Su Xiaoman smiled. “I just want to make it last longer.”
After eating for a while, she had only managed to eat two hawthorns.
Earlier, following Xiao Ding, she had already stuffed herself with many snacks and small eats. Now Su Xiaoman was not hungry. The sweet-and-sour tanghulu was delicious, but she really could not eat anymore.
She had already regretted buying so many. Seeing the foodie Xiao Ding buy them like that, Su Xiaoman had followed along. But she really could not finish them, so she could only bring them back to feed Comrade Little Rabbit.
When Comrade Little Rabbit ate them, he would probably frown again.
But where had he run off to?
Just as Su Xiaoman thought this, a person suddenly dropped down from the roof. The dark shadow landed lightly like a ghost, startling Xiao Ding. At first, Xiao Ding worried they had encountered a thief. Later, when she saw the back view in a military greatcoat, she inexplicably felt a layer of safety. When the person turned around, her eyes immediately widened.
The man standing in the courtyard had a figure like pine and cypress, with sword-like brows and bright eyes. He was like a ray of winter sun, striking straight into the heart.
Xiao Ding was stunned for several moments, thinking, How could she have just mistaken such a man for a ghost?
After Su Xiaoman’s initial surprise, however, amusement filled her eyes. Their Comrade Xiaotu was far too skilled at climbing up and jumping down. Just now, he had been like a nimble black cat, landing lightly in a few movements.
When he turned around, Su Xiaoman even secretly imagined him elegantly licking one paw.
This was the proper self-cultivation of a cat.
After the cat jumped down, he turned back into a dog.
“Xiao Ding, this is my husband, Xie Mingtu.”
Xiao Ding blinked. Then this girl said in an extremely loud voice, “Sister Xiaoman, you and your husband are both way too good-looking to eat with!”
Su Xiaoman: “???!!” Too good-looking to eat with?
What kind of demonic compliment was that?
Facts proved that Xiao Ding really did feel that the couple’s good looks made food go down better. At noon, when she ate at their house, she ate two extra large mantou and was especially good at eating. However, after Xiao Ding saw the way Xie Mingtu ate, she still felt ashamed of her inferiority.
As one rice bucket meeting a rice vat, she conceded defeat.
“Sister Xiaoman, next time you and brother-in-law come to my house, I’ll personally cook you a delicious meal.”
After eating a meal at their house, Xiao Ding did not stay long before going home.
There were still two unfinished tanghulu skewers stuck in the kitchen. Su Xiaoman held one in each hand and went to feed them to Xie Mingtu.
Xie Mingtu obediently ate two hawthorns. He truly did not like this kind of sweet-and-sour thing. “Manman, you eat them.”
“Are you sure you want me to eat them?” Su Xiaoman deliberately teased him. “I heard people say pregnant women shouldn’t eat too much tanghulu.”
Xie Mingtu froze. With half a tanghulu hawthorn still in his mouth, he did not swallow it for a long time. One side of his cheek bulged out.
He seemed unable to believe it, and his tone was cautious and tentative.
“Manman… you have one?”
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