The story of a cook

Chapter 39

My mother got up early, glanced at me sleeping soundly on the kang, opened the door to the outhouse, filled the stove with firewood and lit it, then filled half a pot of water into the pot, and covered the pot.Returning to the inner room with the basin in hand, scooped up two bowls of noodles from the noodle bag, and started kneading the noodles, preparing to make dumplings.

The hot Kang head became more and more comfortable to sleep on, and it was still hot, so I turned over and woke up.

Seeing me wake up, my mother said, "Make some noodles and make some dumplings."

"It takes a lot of effort to make dumplings, and you have to chop the stuffing." I got up from the bed and said.

"I've already chopped the stuffing. I'll chop it in a pot. When to eat and when to pack it. What's the trouble? It's just a piece of noodles, which saves trouble." The mother said.

After washing my face, I made dumplings with my mother.

Seeing my mother wearing the shoes I bought for her, I joked: "Mom, don't save the shoes to go out and wear them."

"Wear it, it's not a new year, and you're wearing it." The mother said, looking at the shoes on her feet, and then said: "It fits well, and it's soft."

"Mom, you've been wearing it at home, and you've covered your long hair in the closet."

"Well, wearing, the shoes my son bought, wearing."

Dumplings are stuffed with sauerkraut.The sauerkraut stuffing made by my mother is delicious. It is an ordinary homemade recipe. There are no special ingredients, but it is delicious.

"After dinner, you go to the grave. I have said that you are not allowed to go to the grave in Xiaonian. You are not at home. Last year it was your elder brother (my uncle and elder brother) who went to the grave. This year he also went to the grave. Aren't you back? Don't mind him Whether it’s useful or not, let’s go up to it,” said the mother.

I said, "Well, I'll go after dinner." Then I asked, "Mom, have you bought all the things for the New Year? I'll bring anything back when I'm missing."

"No, it's all ready. Your fifth sister has almost bought it when you came back from the last two days." After finishing speaking, the mother thought for a while and said, "Bring a few packs of cigarettes. I see you smoking. When your brother-in-law and the others come in the first month, you have to buy them." Smoke, prepare some cigarettes."

After dinner, I went to visit my father's grave.

When I was at home, I went to visit my father’s grave every year during Qingming Festival, May Festival, August Festival, and Chinese New Year.My father's grave is on a hillside two miles away from home, backed by a pine tree field, with a village in front of it, and a Yak River in the distance. I heard that it was the place where Yang Liulang made a big yak battle, but I don't know if it's true or not. , is a legend.

Came to his father's grave.

Some people would be afraid of going to the grave of the elderly. I didn't feel that way. When I was in junior high school, I went to the grave by myself. I felt that my father was looking at me kindly there, very kind.

Draw a circle around my father's grave with a wooden stick, then press the paper on the head of the grave, kneel down in front of the grave, spread out the burnt paper, and light it with a lighter.

I started chatting with my father: "Dad, I came to see you. It's Chinese New Year. I came back from the provincial capital yesterday and went out to work. It's okay. It's good. I'm learning to cook. It costs 600 yuan a month, not too much and not too little. That's enough for the family to spend."

"Everything is fine at home. My mother is in good health. You don't have to worry about it. My fifth sister has started to work and is a teacher. She is very good. Her family is fine, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Dad, if you want to worry about me now, worry about me. You haven't talked about your wife yet. I met someone in the first half of this year, but I didn't get married. Maybe it's because I think I'm poor. Although our family is in trouble now, it's much better than before. I Working outside, leaving my mother alone at home is a bit uneasy. It would be great if I had a daughter-in-law. I earn money outside, and she takes care of my mother at home. If there is another child, our family will have a good life."

"It's not going to work this year. During the Chinese New Year, work hard and try to bring back a daughter-in-law to make my mother happy. I will tell you when the time comes, and you will be happy too. It's Chinese New Year. I will send you some money for the old man, and you can do it too." New Year's goods, have a good New Year."

After the paper is burned out, I kowtow to my father and tell him to come see him next year.

When I got home, I saw a motorcycle parked in the yard, and knew that it was my fifth sister and her husband.

Fifth Sister was sitting on the top of the kang chatting with her mother, while Fifth Sister-in-law was eating sunflower seeds on the edge of the kang, seeing me enter the room, Fifth Sister asked with a smile on her face, "Did you go to Dad's grave?"

"I went to my father's grave." I replied, and asked Fifth Sister, "When did you arrive?"

"Not long after entering the house, Mom said you went to visit Dad's grave. On 28, Dad didn't think you were late and kicked you."

"No, it's a good word, he didn't want to kick it." I laughed.

The fifth brother-in-law said: "It's not that I don't want to play. Dad sees that you won't be home for a year, so he doesn't want to talk to you."

"Like I didn't kick you." I joked.

The fifth brother-in-law smiled and asked me: "Guohua, what's the matter, you came back alone?"

"No, I will bring two or three back when I come back alone."

"Two or three don't need it, just bring one back. Mom is waiting for you to bring your daughter-in-law back." The fifth brother-in-law said.

"You don't have to worry about being late for a good meal. You have to get it back this year. Wait for next year, and you can get one back next year, so you don't have to worry about it."

"I'm not in a hurry, I'm afraid that my mother will be in a hurry, and your elder sister will be even more anxious."

Fifth Sister glared at Fifth Brother-in-law, "Why am I in a hurry, the parties are not in a hurry, and there is no need for me to be in a hurry."

Light a cigarette for the fifth brother-in-law, and then chat with the fifth sister and the fifth brother-in-law.

Fifth Sister pointed to the shoes on the ground and said to me, "Guohua, you bought the shoes for mom."

"Well." I replied.

"It's very good. I saw it just now. It's soft leather. I wanted to buy a pair of soft leather ones for my mother. We don't have them here. You just bought them." Fifth Sister said.

"Your elder sister doesn't want to buy it, and she is reluctant to spend money." The fifth brother-in-law said.

"You still don't want to spend money to buy shoes for mom?" Fifth sister glared at fifth brother-in-law, and said sharply, "You are willing to, and you didn't even think you were buying it for my son-in-law. You have to be someone else's son."

The fifth brother-in-law laughed.

"Guohua, the shoes you bought last year, my mother is reluctant to wear them. She said to wear them when you go out. I said your old son bought you shoes for you to wear. My mother said to keep them and wear them when you get married. Hehe, it's still in the cabinet now." Fifth Sister said.

"There's nothing to do at home, just wear a pair of shoes. I don't work, and the shoes don't cost me anything. What do I do with them?" said the mother.

"You can wear what Guohua buys for you. Otherwise, why would Guohua buy it for you?" Fifth Sister said, "I'll pack up your old shoes and take them away in a while to see what you wear."

Mother said: "I don't want to wear these. I put them on today after I brought them back yesterday. I will wear new shoes in the future, and I will wear them at home. I listen to you."

My fifth sister and my fifth brother-in-law laughed together.

Taking out the scarves she bought for her sisters, Fifth Sister was very happy to see them. She held the scarves in her hand and said, "This scarf is really nice. Does it cost a lot of money?"

"Not much money." I said.

"It doesn't matter how much it costs, the younger brother will surround it when he buys it." Fifth Sister said and surrounded her.

Fifth Sister is tall, on par with Sister Zhao, but now that she is pregnant, she looks fatter.I have a good relationship with Fifth Sister. She is five years older than me. When I was a child, Fifth Sister coaxed me. When I was young, my father was sick all the time. My mother, eldest sister, second sister, third sister, and fourth sister worked in the production team. It was only me My sister took care of me at home and led me to play.In order to coax my fifth sister to study at night for two years, so after my fifth sister was admitted to the Teachers College, I earned money at home to support my fifth sister to study without any regrets.

Fifth Sister studies very hard and is a three-good student every year. Most of the certificates on the wall at home belong to Fifth Sister, and I have mine too, not as many as Fifth Sister.I remember that the year when Fifth Sister took the college entrance examination was also the Spring Festival. I slept through it on the night of New Year’s Eve. When I woke up, I saw that Fifth Sister was still studying on the table. I couldn’t match her energy.

The fifth sister had a hard time when I didn't go to school. She knew that I dreamed of going to college, but the family situation was such that I really couldn't afford it.I told Fifth Sister that you should study hard, as long as our family has a college student, I will take care of my mother at home and earn money for you.

Fifth Sister cried.

My fifth sister and my fifth brother-in-law sat on the kang and chatted with my mother, chatting and chatting about the important things in my life.

"Guohua, you don't have a date at the restaurant?" Fifth Sister asked.

"No, not suitable." I said.

"Why is there no suitable one? There are so many waiters in the restaurant and none of them are suitable?" Fifth Sister obviously didn't believe what I said.

"Fifth sister, there are only six waiters in our restaurant, three are married, one is elderly, and the other two are betrothed at home. Who should I go to? Besides, I have to think about it. It can't be a woman. "I justified myself.

"It's a lie, I don't believe what you say."

"You don't believe me and I can't help it."

The fifth brother-in-law said: "It's a lie at first glance. Whose married daughter-in-law goes out to work as a waiter? You just say that you don't want to get along, and we don't say you."

"Guohua, you're already 23 during Chinese New Year, don't compare yourself to the city. It's normal for people in the city to get married at 27, 23, and [-], but it's not okay in our countryside. If you don't find a partner at [-], there is something wrong. They are all married, and if the early-married children all have children, you have to hurry up." Fifth Sister said.

"I know, hurry up." I said.

"You don't have to think about your family. Mom is taking care of me. I am paid every month when I go to work. Our family doesn't use my money. Your old brother-in-law also gets paid when he goes to work. My salary is enough to take care of my mother." Fifth Sister said to me. Said, "You work hard outside, don't worry about it at home. Don't even talk about finding a daughter-in-law to take care of your mother at home. Look, how many daughter-in-laws are still filial to the elderly? As long as you live well outside, don't worry about the old man. Mom, Mom, I'll take care of it."

I said: "Raise a son to guard against old age, mother, why do you want me as a son, don't worry, fifth sister, I can find a wife and take good care of our mother."

"You still take care of our mother, you can find a daughter-in-law first." Fifth Sister said.

After the new year, I will be 23, so I have to talk about a daughter-in-law.

It's really not appropriate to go through Shengmei's waiter in my mind.

I don't like Li Haina. In a real sense, the two of us have never dated at all, we are just colleagues.

Zhou Lan is the second daughter-in-law. Although she went home and got divorced, she couldn't be my partner after divorce, so she didn't even think about it.

Zhang Ling is impossible, there is no spark with her, she is a qualified wife, but definitely not mine.

There are three more married, and there are no one left. The little waiter who went home early for the New Year is engaged at home.

I can't bring Sister Zhao back to be my daughter-in-law, can I?
Sister Zhao is a good woman, gentle, virtuous, and understanding. She is definitely a good wife and mother.She is really kind to me, treat me as my younger brother, and I treat her as my elder sister, there is nothing wrong with it at all.Every time I want to date someone, Sister Zhao's face will not appear, which shows that she is not a candidate for dating, and it is also impossible for the two of us.

What I hope most is to find a wife at home. She and I are both close to home. It seems that this wish is not so easy to realize.

When eating at noon, the fifth sister asked me when I would go back, and I said the fifth day.Listening to me, Fifth Sister was a little bit sad to go back on the fifth day of the junior high school, and I was not very at ease.

"Elder Sister, we came back from the second year of junior high school. We were all together. There were so many people." Fifth Sister said.

"Come back in the second day of junior high school, all girls go back to their parents' home in the second day of junior high school." Mother said.

"Guohua, you have to think about it. Eldest sister and the others have to talk to you about your partner when they come back. They say they won't be as talkative as I am." Fifth sister vaccinated me in advance.

"It's okay, isn't it just a daughter-in-law, it's not a big deal."

"It's not a big deal. Everything is a small thing now, and you are the big deal." After finishing speaking, the fifth brother-in-law looked at me and asked maliciously: "You always say it's not a big deal, are you already embarrassed to say it?" ?”

After the fifth brother-in-law finished speaking, the fifth sister immediately looked at me with an expectant expression on her face.

"No, but it's coming soon, and I can't find a wife?" I said.

"It's useless to just say it. You have to take it home and let us have a look. That's the truth." The fifth sister-in-law said.

"You just wait at home." I said.

"You said that last year. We all waited at home for a year, and you didn't get it back."

"I will definitely bring it back during the Chinese New Year."

I promise.

(End of this chapter)