The story of a cook

Chapter 585
Home is a place full of warmth and affection.

When I first went out to work, I always missed home and my mother, and looked forward to returning home during the Chinese New Year.Later, I was looking forward to going home but also afraid of going home, because I didn't mention my daughter-in-law, and I was afraid that my mother and sisters would force me to question me when I went home.After getting married, I am not afraid to go home, but I seldom go home, running around for my life.After having a child, when I went home, I began to understand the difficulty of my mother. My mother is old and needs to be with her more.

The eldest sister, the eldest brother-in-law, the second sister, and the second brother-in-law came the next day, and it was a lively day.

On the third day, Jin Sheng drove to pick me up. The next day was his big day, so as my uncle, I had to arrive early.He wanted to take his son with him, but this boy refused to follow me, saying he would stay at home with his grandma and go with her the next day.

The third sister's house is very lively, there are many people in and out of the courtyard, they are all from the same family and old folks who came to help in the camp.

This is how things are done in the countryside. The whole family comes to help when there is something to do. It is very mixed and humane.

The third sister's family is doing business now, and they are a big family of flue-cured tobacco in the camp, earning a lot of income a year.Jin Sheng works in a cigarette station, a civil servant, and gets paid by the state.The daughter-in-law is also good, a nurse in the township hospital.I also bought a sedan chair this year, which is pretty good in the countryside.

Now the eldest sister's family, the third sister's family, the fourth sister's family, and the fifth sister's family are doing well, and every family has bought a car.Relatively speaking, the second sister's family is a little worse, but that's better than me.

Seeing that the five sisters' families are living so well, I regret going out to work.

This time and that time, life in the countryside is good now.Farming used to require money, but now it not only does not require money, but also provides subsidies.The tree land on the mountain is also distributed to individuals, and money is also given every year.If you work hard to smoke [-] acres of land, it is better than going out to work.

When I was young, I always went to Sangu's house to play, and I knew many people in the camp with Sanjie and the others. Although I haven't been at home for more than ten years, I still feel very kind to see these familiar faces.Chat with this and chat with that for a while, and greet each other with cigarettes.At the beginning, I gave out the soft bag Changbai Mountain to others, but after giving it out twice, I was embarrassed to take it out. The last time they bought it was the Yellow Crane Tower for 15 yuan. Many people smoked Yuxi. My soft Changbai and others It's a bit out of hand after a comparison.

I can't help feeling that the countryside is rich now.

The younger brother of the third brother-in-law is all three members of the family, and he was on good terms with him when he was at home, and went over to chat for a few words.

"How is this year bro?" I asked.

"It's been okay this year," he said.

"Tobacco?" I asked.

"I don't have flue-cured tobacco. I plant more than 20 mu of land and dig coal at Mitsui."

"It's also very good, at least monthly funding."

"It's okay, just a little tired."

He has a good physique and ability, and his wife is from our camp. She is beautiful and is recognized as a great beauty, but she doesn't want to work and is a bit lazy.But no matter who you are, find a capable husband.

The third brother-in-law has a younger brother, two older sisters and a younger sister. They used to be poor. After marrying the third sister, the couple had nothing to do during the day and night. Now life is better, and they are among the best in the camp.

I got along very well with their sisters. At the beginning, the elder sister of his family was going to introduce someone to me, but I just went out to work, so I just gave up.

In the evening, the leader of Jinsheng Tobacco Station came and drank wine with him.The next day was the day, and the wedding ceremony was very lively. After dinner and wedding wine with the new relatives, I went back to Fifth Sister's house in the afternoon.

I stayed quietly with my mother for four days.For the past four days, my son and my mother were at home. The fifth sister and fifth brother-in-law went to work, and the family continued to go to school. Every night, I cooked the meals and called my second aunt and second uncle. Our family of eight ate together happily. .

On the fifth day when I was about to go back to the provincial capital, my son didn't have enough fun, so I discussed with me not to go back, and planned to stay at home with my grandma, but I was afraid that he would be homesick, and my fifth sister and fifth brother-in-law were still at work, so no one would see him off.

I asked, "Why are you homesick?"

"I don't want to go home, and my mother will leave me at home when I get home." The son said pitifully.

"Can you stay by yourself?"

"Yes, I am at home with grandma."

Fifth Sister said: "If he doesn't want to go back, let him stay at home. It looks like he hasn't had enough fun."

I said: "It's fine at home, but I'm homesick. How can anyone send him off?"

The fifth brother-in-law said: "I will send him there when the time comes."

The son was happy to hear that the fifth brother-in-law said to send him off, and said to the fifth brother-in-law: "Old uncle, you are the best."

The mother didn't want her son to leave either, and said, "If he wants to be at home, he can stay at home. He can just be with me. When you go back, you go to Binhai. His mother goes to work every day, and no one cares about him. How can I do it for him here?" Have a bite to eat. When he has stayed here enough and misses his mother, ask your fifth brother-in-law to send him back."

I said, "That's fine."

Then she called Lin Yan and told her that her son would not go back. After hearing about it, she agreed. After all, she would not be able to go to kindergarten if she went back, and she had no time to take him with him.She told me that if my son didn't go back, she was going to work in the Harbin branch, and told me not to go back to the provincial capital, just go back to Binhai, and she would not be at home.

Since I stayed at home for another day like this, I started to walk back the next day.The fifth brother-in-law wanted to drive me to Beipiao, and he still had to go to work. In addition, I was going to see Ma Jie in Beipiao, so I didn't ask him to take me there.

After eleven o'clock in Beipiao, I called Sister Ma.

Sister Ma doesn't work in the hotel, her brother's birthday is today.I joked that since it was unlucky, let’s meet again next time. Sister Ma was in a hurry and told me to wait for her, and she was going back by car now.I said no, and told her to celebrate her brother's birthday at home, and just come back after the birthday, and I can wait for her.

"You have to wait for me. I'll go back after dinner." She said.

"Wait for you, don't worry, the noodles haven't been eaten yet." I said.

"My brother's home is in Quanjuyong. There is a car at three o'clock in the afternoon, and I can get home in half an o'clock. I will call you when I get home," she said.

"Okay, I just happened to visit my classmate." I said.

Hanging up the phone and standing there looking at the sky, there are classmates in Beipiao, but I haven't contacted them all the time, and I don't know where they are, where can I find them?I have lost contact with them since I started working, I just heard about it.I thought that if I have time, I really need to contact these old classmates. If not, I will hold a class reunion, which is very interesting.Old classmates who haven't seen each other for many years get together, and it is guaranteed to be full of emotions.

But now I can't find it.

Although Beipiao is small, it is not easy to find someone on the street. Besides, it is impossible for someone to wait for me to find someone on the street.There are more than four hours until 03:30, I can't always stand on the street, I have to find a place to stay for a while.

Where are you going?

Suddenly, I found that I was a very strange person to my hometown.

This feeling is very strange and sad. I am a native of Beipiao, standing on the street of Beipiao, but I don’t know where to go?
He is far less familiar with Beipiao City than he is with the provincial capital.If you stand on the streets of the provincial capital at this time, you will have many places to go and have many friends, but if you stand on the streets of your hometown, you have nowhere to go.

Can't help but feel a little sad.

Light a cigarette and walk aimlessly.

It is late autumn in November, and some people have already put on cotton-padded clothes.Outside the shopping malls on both sides of the street, there are banners with discounts and big deals, and pop songs are playing on the stereos of the hair salons.There are not many cars on the road, far less busy than the provincial capital.

In front is a shopping mall that sells electrical appliances. I remember that it used to not sell electrical appliances, but a non-staple food department store. It is called Baibai, and it is probably contracted by individuals now.There used to be a farmer's market behind the [-]. I don't know if it is now, so go and have a look.

Coming to the back of the shopping mall, there is still a farmer's market, which is much better than before. It used to be open-air, but now it is a farmer's hall, just like the northbound one in the provincial capital.

Entering through the lobby door, the first thing you see is a shop selling snacks.There are all kinds of candies, dried fruits, biscuits, and canned food, all kinds of shouts come and go.Passing through the small food area is the seasoning area, which has all kinds of seasonings, as well as dried goods, such as fungus, day lily, pine mushroom, hazel mushroom, dried beans, dried sweet potatoes, dried peppers, dried tofu, ground vegetables and so on.Seeing the ground vegetables is very kind. When it rained when I was a child, my fifth sister and I ran to the mountains to pick up the ground vegetables. We picked up a basket, took them home and washed them, and my mother fried them. They were very delicious.I haven't eaten it for many years, and I really want it.

Chatted with the proprietress who sells local vegetables, and asked her if she could deliver the goods, she said that if it was too small, it could not be delivered, and if it was not enough for the shipping fee, if it was too much, it would be about the same.I asked, what if there are multiple hairs?She said it's okay to send more than one.

I fell in love with her family's ground vegetables, dried tofu and dried chili.Dried tofu is made of pure tofu and salted. I remember making tofu at home in the summer. At that time, there was no refrigerator. My mother cut the tofu into thick slices, sprinkled with salt and dried it, so that it would last for a long time. It tastes very fragrant, another kind of taste, thinking about it now, the fragrance is still lingering in my mouth.Dried chili is a special product in our Beipiao area, also called dried pepper skin. It is the local dog pepper that is red and then torn into pieces and dried in the sun. The meat is thick and the spiciness is moderate. After drying, soak it in water. When it is softened, it is very delicious to stew fish, stir-fry meat, and stir-fry dried tofu, which is unmatched by Sichuan pepper.

I left a phone call with the proprietress, and when I wanted to use it, I called her and asked her to deliver it, or I called Sister Ma for the money, and asked Sister Ma to buy it from her and then deliver it.

Going forward is the meat area, there are pork, beef, mutton, chicken, and live chickens, ducks, and geese.I am a bit greedy for big geese. This time I have eaten small stupid chickens, ducks, lamb haggis, and mutton stuffed dumplings, but I have not eaten big geese. I thought I would buy one and stew it at Sister Ma’s house to satisfy my greed.

I didn't buy it right away, I had enough time, and it took a lot of trouble to carry it in my hand after I finished shopping. It's not too late to buy it after shopping.

The one next to the butcher was selling rice, noodles, grains and oils. I didn’t do much shopping. I saw that the time was not up, and I was a little hungry. I went out of the lobby and found a snack bar outside. I ordered a plate of dumplings and a dried tofu with sharp peppers. , a glass of white wine, sitting there and eating slowly.

The phone rang, Zhou Xiaomei called.

She asked me if I came back in the first sentence. I thought something happened, but she said nothing happened, and said with a smile that she missed me.

"Speaking of business, I'm in Beipiao." I said.

"Beipiao is even better. After a while, my brother will send the liquor to the bus to Beipiao. It will be sent from Heichengzi to Beipiao Bus Station at 03:30. You can pick it up at the bus station and just ask the driver. I'll give your phone number to my brother, and my brother will give your phone number to the driver, do you know the big bus from Heichengzi to Beipiao?" she asked.

"I know, okay, I'll take it when the time comes." I said.

The trip she was talking about was the one that Sister Ma took, starting from Heichengzi and passing through Quanjuyong.

"Should I go back to the provincial capital first and then to Binhai?" she asked.

I said: "No, go directly to Binhai." Then I said: "Tell your brother not to bring too much wine, because if you bring too much, you won't be able to bring it in the car."

"It's okay, I can bring ten catties, if there is a package, I can bring a box."

"Are you hungry for alcohol?" I asked with a smile.

"It's a little——" she said, "Don't you know that our wine is delicious? Li Shuang has always wanted to drink it. This time, you just brought some. Also, my brother said that I would bring two mountain rabbits. Pack it up." , frozen."

"What else?"

"No, please come back."

"just wait."

"I really miss you, uncle, I won't lie to you, I don't miss you every time, I miss you especially now."

I said, "You don't miss me, you miss wine and rabbits."

Put down the phone and drink slowly. At 02:30, I left the snack department. I went to the farmer’s hall to buy a pound of land vegetables, a pound of dried pepper skins, three pounds of dried tofu, and a big goose that was killed. Follow these things and walk to the passenger terminal.

(End of this chapter)