Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 208 He Ci'en Starts Work

He Ci'en didn't expect that the side dishes and chili sauce he brought from home had already been devoured by his colleagues. He asked if he could bring some more if he still had any at home. But was this just a little? It was as if he had emptied his house.

Jing Yan said cheerfully, "Your uncle said there's a small stove in your dorm, so you can bring a small pot to heat up food or something. That's why I brought you a small steamer and some dishes that you can heat up."

As she spoke, she pulled out some sausages: "These are sausages made by Chef Lin. They're supposedly Sichuan and Chongqing style, with Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers inside. You can use a dagger to slice these sausages later, put them in a steamer and steam them thoroughly. They'll be delicious whether you use them as a side dish or with rice porridge."

After saying that, he pulled out a bunch of paper-wrapped items: "These are braised beef. I can't make this well, so I asked your Uncle Zhou to make it for me. He is Chef Lin's personal disciple, and his cooking skills are top-notch. It's good to eat it cold. Use a dagger to cut it into slices before eating. Don't eat it as a whole piece. It's not as good as sliced ​​beef."

He Zhijun muttered to himself, "It's more delicious to eat it by munching on it, isn't it? It's all meat in your mouth. I told you, Ci'en can't eat this much. You wouldn't even leave me a little bit, you carried it all over."

Jingyan turned her head and glared at him: "You talk too much. I've already talked to Master Zhou. We'll make another batch today and keep it at home for ourselves. Are you happy now? When have I ever gone hungry? You're even fighting with the kids over it."

He Zhijun grinned and said, "If you had told me earlier, I wouldn't have been jealous."

Jingyan then pulled out a whole bunch of bottles and jars of meat sauce, chili sauce, kimchi, and pickled vegetables: "Put them all in the cupboard. The braised beef and ribs don't keep very long. You can eat them with your colleagues so you can integrate into the group sooner."

The remaining kimchi, chili sauce, and fermented bean curd will keep for a while. The sausages, as long as they're aired out, will also last quite some time. Eat as much as you like; I reckon it should last until the Lunar New Year. Just call home when you're done. We own a restaurant; we'll never lack food."

He Ci'en nodded happily: "I've always wanted to come back because I miss my aunt. You're always worried that I'm not eating or sleeping well, and you treat me even better than my mother."

Jingyan looked at the child squatting in front of her, who had grown from a young boy into a man capable of supporting his family. She felt a surge of accomplishment and, just like in the old days, gently ruffled his hair.

“I’ve always treated you like my own child, so of course I want to be good to you. You work hard, so you need to make sure you get enough nutrition. I’ve heard that overworking your brain can cause hair loss. I don’t want you to be bald in your thirties. No matter how good-looking you are, you can’t support a sparse head.”

He Ci'en immediately covered her head: "Auntie, don't scare me."

Jing Yanming knew he was joking, but she still couldn't help but giggle. He Zhijun silently helped pack things up. This child was clearly his nephew, but he acted like his wife's son. What could he do? He couldn't possibly compete for favor with a junior; he couldn't afford to lose face like that.

After packing everything up, leaving only a small bag, He Ci'en looked at the bag and asked, "What's this?"

Jingyan turned around and said, "Since your uncle and I have already come to the city, we'll stop by Tongji University to see Rongqiang later and bring him some braised beef to improve his meals."

However, the cafeteria at his school is much better than yours. At least it doesn't just serve local cuisine; it has a variety of dishes, so you won't have trouble getting used to the food. Sending some over there will be like adding another dish to your meal.

He Ci'en nodded: "I've always heard about Rongqiang, but I've never actually met him. We should be able to see him during the Chinese New Year. We'll have time during the holiday, and we can even tutor An'an and Zhizhi."

Jingyan also thought it was a good idea: "Then I'll leave An'an and Zhizhi in your care. By the way, Xiaoxiao has been spending the New Year at home for the past few years. You can bring her along too. Thanks to her these past few years, Zhizhi has become much more settled. Competition helps you improve."

She lit a fire in the small clay stove in the house, put a small steamer on it, and Jingyan used a dagger to slice a sausage into pieces of varying thicknesses. Well, her cooking skills have never been very good, but this kind of thing doesn't require any culinary skills. After slicing it, she put it in a bowl, put it in the steamer, and waited for the steam to rise. After a few minutes of heating, it was almost cooked through. The aroma was quite overpowering.

Sure enough, the neighbors all came running to knock on the door after smelling the aroma. The young men who had been playfully barging in paused for a moment when they saw the two people inside. He Ci'en introduced the two to his colleagues, and everyone knew that this was the source of He Ci'en's food, so they were particularly obsequious.

He kept calling her "uncle" and "aunt," behaving like a lackey. He Ci'en was embarrassed to look at him. Was this the same technician who usually acted so respectable? The contrast was enormous.

Although Jingyan quite liked the youthful energy of the kids, she couldn't stand how noisy they were. She and He Zhijun quickly left, giving them space to make their own noise. The couple then took a bus to Tongji University.

Finding Rongqiang was easy. He didn't have classes on weekends, so he usually read books in the school library. The two asked around for directions to the library, and sure enough, after telling the teacher who they were looking for, Rongqiang came out of there shortly afterward, holding a book in his hand.

Upon seeing the couple, she quickly came over: "Auntie, Uncle, what brings you here?"

Jingyan handed him the bag in her hand: "We made some braised beef at home, and most of it was sent to the Cien Research Institute. The food there is too bland, and he doesn't like it. This is for you. Although the school cafeteria has a wide variety of dishes, it's good to improve your meals occasionally."

Rongqiang took the bag and said, "Thank you, Auntie."

He checked the time again: "Although it's past lunchtime, it's the weekend, and there are plenty of restaurants near the school. How about we go grab a bite?"

Jingyan asked him, "You haven't eaten yet?"

Rong Qiang scratched his head and said, "Well, I've almost finished reading one of the books in the library, so I thought I'd just finish it before going to eat since there wasn't much left. That's why I missed the mealtime."

Without saying a word, Jingyan dragged him out to find a restaurant to eat. After the meal, the couple sent their child to the school gate: "Go back to school, study hard, and come home when the holidays come."

After watching Rongqiang enter the school gate, the couple went to take the bus to go home.

Time flies, and it feels like the end of the year is almost here. Jingyan and Sister Wang are busy preparing for the New Year at home. Sister Wang is almost sixty years old. In recent years, apart from letting her take care of the family's meals, Jingyan has taken over all the other housework.

Nowadays, the salary for most people has risen to three or four hundred yuan a month. Sister Wang felt that she was not doing enough work and refused to accept more than that, only asking for two hundred yuan a month. Jingyan could not persuade her otherwise, so she simply went along with her.

Sister Wang has been very comfortable working for Jingyan over the years. They have a good relationship and are closer than family. Jingyan's cooking skills have improved in recent years, but they are still only edible and have a decent taste. However, it seems that no matter how old a woman is, she can't control her shopping desires when it's time to shop.

With the domestic environment improving significantly in recent years, a dazzling array of ingredients has become available. Once inside the wholesale market, the two found everything appealing and wanted to buy it all. Needless to say, they bought plenty of cigarettes, alcohol, and beverages, as well as snacks and candies, and of course, fruit was indispensable.

They also bought a lot of durable ingredients and fresh flowers. Merchants love customers like this. They flatter the two of them as if it were free, making them happy so they don't hesitate to spend money.

After finishing their shopping, they had the vendor deliver the items to their home. The two walked out of the wholesale market hand in hand, heads held high. As soon as they stepped outside, their energy and spirits seemed to wane. Jingyan looked at Sister Wang and said, "Sister Wang, are you tired? Why don't we follow the fashionable people and go for a cup of coffee?"

Sister Wang thought for a moment and said, "I heard that stuff is really bitter. Maybe we should go somewhere else. It's just that it's cold now. If it were summer, we could go and have some cold drinks."

Jingyan pulled her along: "Let's go, let's catch up with the times and try what that bitter coffee that everyone says tastes like."

The two entered a coffee shop and found a seat by the window. A young waiter came over with a menu and said, "Sister, see what you need."

The young girl was sweet-talking and always smiling, which naturally made her easy to like by customers. Jingyan opened the package and looked at it. "Give me a slice of this tiramisu. I heard that coffee is very bitter. We've never had it before. Do you have anything that tastes better?"

"Sister, you can try a cappuccino. It's a milk-based coffee, and the bitterness of the coffee is largely masked by the milk flavor. Many girls like to drink this, so you might want to give it a try." The waiter was very understanding.

Jingyan looked at Sister Wang, who also ordered a cappuccino and a Black Forest cake. After placing the order, Sister Wang said to Jingyan:

"We can try both flavors of cake and see which one we prefer. It's only been a few years, and there are so many more cakes and pastries now than when I first came to Haishi. There are so many that I've never even heard of, let alone eaten."

Jingyan wholeheartedly agreed: "I thought coffee shops only served coffee, but I didn't expect them to have cakes too. If the food is good, I'll bring the kids over to try it in a couple of days. We're fine here on the island, but when they go out into the world, we don't want them to be laughed at for being ignorant, although I don't know what use such knowledge is."

The coffee was acceptable, and the cake was surprisingly delicious. After resting for a while, the two of them finished the last sip of coffee in their cups before leaving.

When they got home, most of their belongings had been returned. Jingyan called An'an, Zhizhi, and Xiaoxiao over: "Do you know any coffee shops?"

Zhizhi and An'an exchanged a glance and obediently shook their heads: "Mom, we'll go home after school. We don't know which store you're talking about."

Xiao Xiao hesitated and nodded, "I heard my mom mention it. She said that drinking coffee is about the mood, and she doesn't really like the taste that much. The aunt asked if you've been to this place? Is it really that bitter?"

Jingyan licked her lips: "It's not exactly bitter, it depends on what you drink. Today, Sister Wang and I went to sit down and had a cappuccino. It was a milk coffee, and I thought it was quite delicious. The cake inside was especially good, very delicate, and tasted better than the birthday cake I bought for you guys, it was just a bit small."

Jing Yan's tone carried a hint of regret. Yes, that's right, it's not worth it at all.

Zhizhi looked at Jingyan curiously: "Mom, when can you take me to eat there? I've never been before. Where is it? Is it far from our house?"

Jingyan shook her head: "It's not far. Tomorrow, I'll take the three of you, and also invite your aunt's two older brothers to come along. This thing is still quite rare for us, so let's just consider it an opportunity to broaden our horizons."

Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao were very happy, but An'an didn't have much of an emotional reaction. Boys don't really like sweets, but he wouldn't refuse to go. Just like his mother said, it's good to broaden one's horizons.

The next day, the two girls, dressed in what they thought were their best clothes, followed Jingyan and Sister Wang to the coffee shop again with a sense of ceremony. They entered and were seated by the window. The waiter came over to ask what they wanted to order.

Jing Yan waved her hand: "I'm still waiting for two more people. We'll order after everyone arrives. Let's leave the menu here for now and take a look."

The waiter left the menu and then left. The two girls huddled together, heads close, and started looking through it: "This looks delicious! This must be coffee, right? It's all black, so it must be bitter..."

Jingyan looked at her son: "An'an, your sister is figuring out what to order later, aren't you going to go and see?"

An'an shook her head: "I'm waiting for my two older brothers."

Okay, so he's complaining about girls' tastes. Jingyan ignored him and let him flip through a Chinese textbook and recite. But after trying to hold back, she couldn't help but interrupt: "Aren't you on vacation? What are you memorizing?"

An'an said helplessly, "Mom, I'm previewing the courses for next semester. I borrowed a senior's Chinese textbook from a classmate. He marked the parts that need to be memorized in their entirety. I'll try to memorize them when I have time."

Jing Yan shrugged. "Okay, you can memorize it. I won't bother you while you're working hard."

Sister Wang said with a look of satisfaction, "Our children are all very studious, which is a good thing. Look how much worry you've saved them from studying."

Jingyan wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right, mainly because Ci'en set a good example. Haven't you noticed? Since Ci'en came to our family, these children have become much more proactive."

Before, I had to use food to lure them into reading quietly for a while, but ever since Ci'en came, they've all started studying hard, and one by one they've all been admitted to university. If this were ancient times, our family could at least be considered a scholarly family.

They didn't have to wait long before Rong Gang and Rong Qiang arrived on their bicycles. Riding bicycles in the dead of winter was quite "cool," to be honest.

Upon entering, they immediately spotted a few people by the window. Well, it wasn't that they were particularly conspicuous; it was just that there were very few customers in the shop. Looking around, there weren't many at all. The two walked over, and Jingyan pointed to the seats behind them: "You can sit here. There's plenty of space; there's no need to squeeze together."