Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 430 429 Steamed Buns
"Didn't you bring back pine nuts when you went there? Why did your uncle return them to you? Meat is so precious now, and your uncle still sends it here. Hey, how is your uncle doing?" Zhang Guifang kept grumbling while packing her things.

"When I went there, everything was fine. Let me see what the letter says." There was a letter stuffed in the bundle and pressed under the pine nuts. Tang Zhitong took out the letter and read it carefully.

Reporting good news but not bad news is not just a habit of children to their parents, it also exists among some relatives.

Tang Wenbang did not complain or cry poor like the relatives on Wang Jingwen's grandmother's side. In his letter, he said that everything was fine at home.

The cabbages grown at home are about to be harvested, plus the fish and soybeans sent by Tang Zhitong, and the wild boars killed by the two brothers. Although the quantity is not sufficient, we can have a good new year this year, so Tang Zhitong doesn't have to worry.

The sausages are made from wild boar meat, which is very tender. The pine nuts are picked by ourselves on the mountain. Although there are not many of them, don’t despise them.

Finally, I wrote to ask if everything was okay at home.

Tang Zhitong said what he could to Zhang Guifang, put the letter into his pocket, and threw it into the space.

But I can’t let my family know that I went into the mountains and brought back a wild boar, otherwise they will worry again.

After dinner, Tang Zhitong lit a candle and sat at the desk to write a reply to his uncle.

Although he asked his nephew's colleague to bring the mountain products, Tang Wenbang was still careful and told in the letter how many sausages and pine nuts there were.

Tang Zhitong didn't weigh it, but the weight felt about the same in his hand, and he trusted Zhang Jinbo and Kong Yiqun.

In the reply, I naturally said that the gift was of good quality, and that everything was fine at home and asked him not to worry, and that I would come to visit him during the Chinese New Year.

The next few days passed uneventfully.

Tang Zhitong went to school as usual and took his younger sisters to school with him.

The job of picking up children from school was temporarily taken over by Xiao Wang because Tang Zhitong had to go "buy firewood".

Even when winter comes, since the couple both go to work, they only light the fire at night for heating, and the fire doesn't burn much.

With one cartload of firewood a day, plus the firewood he had stored previously, Tang Zhitong felt that it would be enough to burn for two months. After "buying" a few more times, he could stop for the time being.

After stacking firewood and eating, Tang Zhitong packed up, took a flashlight and ran to the jade factory.

The flashlight is Xiao Wang’s “dowry”, a Tiger Head brand, which uses two batteries and has an iron ring at the end that can be pulled out, making it very convenient to tie around the waist.

The reason I brought a flashlight is because it gets dark early and the jade factory doesn't allow lights to be turned on.

Although it was waste, it was still inside the factory. When Tang Zhitong first started picking up the scraps, he stuffed a box of cigarettes into the doorman's hand.

The gatekeeper happily accepted it, it was just a matter of opening and closing the door.

The raw materials and semi-finished products of the jade factory are all in the warehouse, which is guarded 24 hours a day. He is not afraid at all that Tang Zhitong will steal them.

People become more shrewd as they get older. Although he thought so, the gatekeeper still took Tang Zhitong's box of cigarettes and handed two to the warehouse manager to prevent him from talking too much and causing trouble.

Tang Zhitong squatted quietly beside the waste, checking them one by one with a flashlight. When he found a good one, he held it in his hand and threw it into space.

Given the current conditions, and without a high-intensity flashlight, we can only make do with this kind of flashlight.

If Tang Zhitong had not been afraid of being discovered by the jade factory, he would have thought of taking all the waste away and sorting it out slowly at home. But it was obviously not possible to do so. He could only make a quick decision because today's batteries are not very durable.

In addition to these two things, Tang Zhitong also drew two drawings of skin-beating tools during class.

As a family man, Tang Zhitong used to do a lot of housework. He really liked a brand called Tu Rui for peeling tools, and he didn't feel bad at all for copying foreign products.

Tang Zhitong likes this brand not because of how sharp the blade is, but because of its excellent ergonomic design, which makes it comfortable to use.

Although this brand of knives is advertised as being very impressive, their actual performance is just so-so. They just integrate many tools together for easy carrying.

The blade of the peeler is just that good, but it's quite sharp if you look closely.

But then again, when it comes to cutting skin, there aren't many hard objects involved, so the requirements for the blade are lower than those for a kitchen knife.

Tang Zhitong believes that with the existing industrial foundation, this kind of blade can be produced in China.

As for what materials to use, how to install the blades, whether there is a market, how to achieve mass production and other issues, Tang Zhitong simply does not care. This is not a problem that ordinary people need to worry about.

In the past few days, Tang Zhitong has received replies from Shao Jianlin, Jiang Xinwen and Hao Limei.

Without exception, the three classmates from the training came up and expressed their congratulations to Tang Zhitong on going to university.

The next thing, of course, was reminiscing about the past, and then talking about their respective promotion progress and complaining.

Except for Shao Jianlin, the other two also asked Tang Zhitong to show some mercy during the assessment.

As for any behind-the-scenes operations, the letter certainly could not state it explicitly. It only said that there would be a chance to take Tang Zhitong to visit the local natural scenery.

Shao Jianlin's letter arrived last. It was a package and arrived on November 11th.

This elder brother was also more down-to-earth and treated Tang Zhitong differently, sending him raisins from thousands of miles away.

Tang Zhitong went to the post office to pick it up during lunch.

As a post and telecommunications college, the department took very good care of us. Not only were there telephones in the dormitories, but there was also a post office facing the street, making it very convenient to send and receive letters.

Tang Zhitong borrowed a pair of scissors from the post office to cut open the package, went out, threw the raisins into the space, and started reading the letter.

In addition to the congratulatory words, Shao Jianlin specifically mentioned in the letter:
“I asked the transportation staff, and they said that cantaloupes cannot be sent by mail, as they would be rotten by the time they arrive. We can only send raisins, which are not afraid of shock.

As for the cantaloupe, you should come and taste it yourself when you have a chance."

As for asking Tang Zhitong to take care of him during the assessment, Shao Jianlin didn't mention it at all.

Wow, look at this level, even Tang Zhitong admires it.

As soon as he returned to the dormitory, Luo Zhiping went to find Tang Zhitong.

"Teacher Tang, some students are anxious and want to ask when the wages for this social practice will be paid. Do you know?" Since Luo Zhiping is close to the students and easy to talk to, many people go to him when they have problems.

Luo Zhiping naturally didn't know, and was too embarrassed to go to Wei Zhizhen to ask. After comforting his classmates, he went to find Tang Zhitong.

"I don't know." Tang Zhitong shook his head, thought for a moment, and added: "According to the normal process, we have to wait until the event is over and the Material Bureau or the coal yard settles with the college, and then it will be distributed to individuals."

"Okay, I think so too. I'll tell them this later and ask them to be patient and wait." Luo Zhiping nodded after hearing this.

"Well, don't be anxious and don't make a fuss. If there are classmates who need money urgently, you can ask them to come to me to borrow." Although Tang Zhitong felt that these were just a few students who were impatient, he still gave instructions.

As a student here, food and clothing are guaranteed, but it is not ruled out that one may learn of financial difficulties at home and send more money back home.

As a student living committee member, Tang Zhitong is indeed concerned about the living conditions of students, but this is limited to school. As for families, who has a good life? He can't manage it at all!
Tang Zhitong didn't want to show off his wealth, but he didn't want to bring this matter to Wei Zhizhen, as that would be too ungrateful.

"It's probably not a lack of money. If there's something urgent, I have it." Luo Zhiping shook his head and said. "Okay, then wait a little longer." Tang Zhitong breathed a sigh of relief, as long as there was no urgent need.

When he returned home in the afternoon, Tang Zhitong "bought" another cart of firewood, intending to stop for the time being and wait until it was almost gone.

"Mom, a friend sent me some raisins." After returning home, Tang Zhitong first put down the raisins and some personal belongings, and then prepared to go out to collect firewood.

"It's given to you, so keep it." Zhang Guifang had no intention of keeping it.

"Keep them at home and eat them. They're sweet, and a handful can fill you up like a steamed bun." Although the raisins weighed only about three or four pounds, Tang Zhitong had no intention of keeping them for himself and eating them slowly. He still wanted to keep the right of control at home.

"Then why don't you give half of it and take it to Wenwen's parents' home?" Zhang Guifang asked suggestively seeing her son's determination.

"Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll go collect the firewood first." Tang Zhitong responded with a smile.

At dinner time, Fengzhi asked Zhang Guifang as if she had an imperial sword: "Mom, the teacher said that we should eat dumplings on the beginning of winter. Tomorrow is the beginning of winter. Are we going to eat dumplings at home?"

"Eat, eat, eat. All they do all day long is eat. Aren't you teacher ignorant? What kind of food are you talking about at this time of year? Besides, dumplings are only eaten on the Winter Solstice. Who eats dumplings on the Beginning of Winter?" Zhang Guifang retorted angrily. If you don't run the household, you don't know how expensive firewood and rice are. The child only knows how to open his mouth. The one who suffers is himself. Even if he has money, he may not be able to buy them.

"Mom, how about making steamed buns? I haven't eaten cabbage for a long time, and I'm a little craving for it. Pull out a cabbage and soak some vermicelli. I'll make the stuffing. It guarantees it'll be delicious." Tang Zhitong didn't take any food out of the space this week, but life had to go on, so he would make do with what he had now.

"Yes, yes, steamed buns are fine too." Before Zhang Guifang agreed, Fengzhi kept nodding, fearing that her mother would not agree. She used her homework as an excuse and said confidently, "My homework is to write a story based on the picture. I can't write it without eating steamed buns."

"Just now you were talking about dumplings, but now you're talking about steamed buns? What you eat is related to your homework? You're just fooling me." Zhang Guifang was amused. After talking about Fengzhi, she didn't forget to instruct Tang Zhitong: "Then make more stuffing. Go and send some to your mother-in-law tomorrow."

"Okay." Tang Zhitong nodded in agreement. There were so many cabbages in the yard that the family would have no problem eating them for the whole winter.

In previous years, we would share some with the neighbors, but this year, the two families will eat it first, and the neighbors will not share or will share less.

"Thank you, Mom." Xiao Wang did not refuse and thanked his mother-in-law with a smile.

"We are all family, there is no need to thank each other. Let's eat." Zhang Guifang ended the conversation by tapping her chopsticks.

The supply during this period is hard to describe, with side dishes sometimes available and sometimes not.

There were radishes available for a few days a while ago, but they are gone again recently.

The winter melons at home have been eaten up, and there are not many pumpkins left, but it is not yet the best time to harvest the cabbages.

Zhang Guifang could only calculate the amount of food and cook it.

On weekdays, there would only be one dish in the evening, and at noon when the two daughters came home they would also have steamed bread and pickles.

November 1959, 11, the eighth day of the tenth month in the lunar calendar, the beginning of winter, Sunday.

In fact, most men are very loyal. For example, if he liked Tiga when he was a child, he still likes D+ when he grows up.

Tang Zhitong hugged Xiao Wang and took a short nap. The soft jade in his arms was so soft that he couldn't even hold it with one hand. It felt really good.

After getting up, Tang Zhitong lit the stove first.

When making a fire, Tang Zhitong felt that he had made a mistake by trying so hard to light the stove all day. In the future, he could just pick a few pieces of burning wood and throw them directly into the furnace when using them. This would not only save matches but also be more efficient.

After a quick wash and breakfast, Tang Zhitong soaked vermicelli in warm water, then picked up two large cabbages.

The cabbage is grown at home without any pesticides. Just rinse it simply, cut off the roots, cut it into shreds and chop it into stuffing.

The cabbage roots were not wasted and were thrown into the chicken coop to feed the chickens.

It can be used to feed chickens now, but by next winter, an alternative "planting" method will become popular. The cabbage roots will be soaked in water and wait for them to sprout, and the harvested cabbage will be a meal.

After chopping the cabbage, mix it with some salt to remove the water.

Taking advantage of this gap, Tang Zhitong chopped the green onion and ginger, then beat four eggs and made a few omelettes.

Zhang Guifang was responsible for kneading the dough, while Xiao Wang was responsible for learning on the side.

Due to the different family environment, Xiao Wang is not proficient in cooking, or even knows nothing about it.

She was still very young when she came to the city. According to her, her family hired a nanny for a while at that time, but later it became unavailable, so Ye Zhijuan mostly went back to her old job and did everything herself.

Forget about adding more oil. The Spring Festival is less than two months away, and Zhang Guifang has already consciously saved oil in preparation for the New Year.

After Tang Zhitong finished, he took a break for a while to smoke a cigarette, then got up, found a piece of white cloth, wrapped the chopped cabbage into stuffing, and squeezed it hard.

At this time, it is best to put a book or something like that under the chopping board, so that the chopping board has a certain slope to facilitate the flow of cabbage juice. You should also connect a basin to the lower end to prevent the cabbage juice from flowing onto the ground.

Press the cabbage into a ball and ensure it doesn't fall apart after you untie the cloth. That's basically it.

After pressing the cabbage, Tang Zhitong chopped the soaked vermicelli into pieces.

Then he put all the ingredients into the bowl, poured a little oil and soy sauce, added some salt, and then Tang Zhitong prepared to mix the stuffing.

In order to make the filling more delicious, Tang Zhitong turned on the cheating device, added some oyster sauce and soy sauce to the bowl, and then stirred it vigorously.

The cabbage and vermicelli filling is originally very plain, and there is not much oil this time. If you want it to taste good, you have to make it slightly salty, otherwise it won’t have any flavor.

"Brother, it smells so good. Is it delicious? Can I try it?" Feng Zhi, who was doing homework nearby, was always paying attention to Tang Zhitong's movements.

Tang Zhitong looked up at his sister, then picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it into his mouth under Fengzhi's gaze. He smacked his lips twice and nodded with satisfaction: "I tasted it for you. It's delicious."

"Sister-in-law, my brother bullied me!" Fengzhi was so angry that she started to complain to her backer.

"Then he will be punished to eat last, but you have to do your homework seriously and not be distracted. You have to be a good student." Xiao Wang, a classmate sitting nearby, saw the interaction between the brother and sister and found it very interesting. At Jingmin's mother's house, he asked Tang Zhitong to make the decision, and here at his sister-in-law, he asked himself to make the decision.

"Okay, I'll write it seriously." Feng Zhi nodded after hearing that, made a face at Tang Zhitong, looked straight at the textbook, and began to concentrate on doing her homework.

When it comes to listening to advice, Fengzhi is much better than Wang Jingmin.

When making steamed buns, Zhang Guifang called Fengzhen and asked her eldest daughter to learn how to make steamed buns with her.

In Zhang Guifang's simple opinion, girls should learn to do these things, otherwise they will be gossiped about after they get married.

Although Zhang Guifang is very satisfied with her daughter-in-law, there are still people who talk behind her back about her not being able to cook.

Zhang Guifang had heard about this, but she didn't take it to heart. But sometimes she wondered, if she didn't mind her daughter-in-law not being able to do it, would Fengzhen's future mother-in-law mind that her daughter-in-law wasn't able to do it?

Zhang Guifang didn't dare to gamble, so she subconsciously wanted to pass on some skills to her daughter.

As long as she has these skills.

Maybe, this is my mother.

(End of this chapter)