Chapter 396: Sunday Family Banquet

Sunday morning light lazily poured into Xi Kua Yuan.

Li Ping'an, who rarely got to sleep in, woke to the chattering of children in the courtyard.

He slipped on his robe, got up, and pushed open the main hall door.

In the courtyard, Li Yaozong was training with Xiao Nuanqing under the jujube tree.

The little girl still couldn't stand steady, but she mimicked the moves well, her little mouth pursed tightly, looking earnest.

"Dad!" Li Yaozong's eyes brightened at the sight of his father, "Is Aunt coming today?"

"She will." Li Ping'an walked into the courtyard, "Your uncle is also coming, along with An Bang and An Ning, two little ones."

Xiao Nuanqing pouted at the word "little ones".

"Nuanqing is not a little one."

Li Ping'an smiled and lifted his daughter.

"Right, Nuanqing is a grown girl now."

Lin Xueqing poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Li Ping'an, we must prepare well today. It's rare for Pingle to bring the children back; we need to make a good meal."

Li Ping'an nodded.

It was time to make a proper lively gathering.

These days, busy handling cases, the house had become rather quiet.

After finishing his wash, he changed into a clean Zhongshan suit.

"I'm going to buy groceries."

"Let me come with you," Lin Xueqing said, wiping her hands as she stepped out.

"No need, stay home and tidy up," Li Ping'an lifted his bicycle, "I'll be back soon."

Leaving Siheyuan, Li Ping'an did not head toward the market.

He rode his bicycle into a quiet Small Alley.

Seeing no one around, his thoughts flickered.

The Spiritual Spring Space rippled.

A plump carp materialized in the basket, still flapping.

Then a piece of Pork Belly, at least three jin, marbled with fat and lean, vivid red and white.

He also took out several seasonal vegetables, all neatly bound with grass rope.

Finally a small packet of dried mushrooms, the most fragrant for stewing meat.

These items are hard to find on the market.

Carps require tickets, pork demands a queue, and mushrooms are even rarer.

But in Li Ping'an's space, good things are always stored.

They've been added gradually over these days.

He arranged the items in the basket and covered them with an old cloth.

Only then did he ride back.

Passing Hu Tong Kou, he ran into Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu was carrying an empty vegetable basket, clearly just back from buying groceries.

Seeing Li Ping'an's basket bulging, Sha Zhu leaned over and lifted a corner of the cloth to look.

"Whoa! Carp! Pork!" his eyes widened, "Brother Li Ping'an, are you getting rich?"

Li Ping'an smiled faintly.

"My younger sister's family is coming today; we'll make something tasty."

Sha Zhu swallowed.

"Your generosity is truly grand. Alright, I won't hold you up, go back quickly."

Li Ping'an nodded and rode his bicycle into the courtyard.

In Xi Kua Yuan, Lin Xueqing was sweeping the yard.

She jumped in surprise at the sight of Li Ping'an's basket contents.

"That many? That must cost a lot,"

"It's a rare occasion," Li Ping'an lifted the items into the kitchen, "Pingle and the others rarely come; we can't be too stingy."

Lin Xueqing followed in, watching the still-flapping carp.

"This fish is truly plump. And this meat... Li Ping'an, where did you get it?"

"Someone else bought it," Li Ping'an replied vaguely, "You prepare the side dishes; I'll be the chef."

Lin Xueqing asked no further.

She knew her husband had some connections, but never probed.

Some matters are better left unknown than known.

The couple busied themselves in the kitchen.

Li Ping'an tied on an apron and wielded a kitchen knife.

As the blade flashed, he descaled and gutted the carp, washed it, and set it aside.

He cut the Pork Belly into square chunks and blanched them in cold water.

The dried mushrooms were soaked in warm water, gradually unfurling into tiny umbrellas.

Lin Xueqing selected and washed vegetables beside him, moving deftly.

Their coordination was seamless; before long, a fragrant aroma drifted from the kitchen.

In the front courtyard, Yan Bu Gui happened to be passing by the gate.

He smelled the fragrance, and his nose twitched.

"Whose stewed meat is this? It's so fragrant."

He followed the smell to the gate of the west wing courtyard, saw the bustling scene inside, and his eyes widened.

"Ping'an, are you… holding a banquet?"

Li Ping'an poked his head out from the kitchen.

"Third Elder, my sister's family came today, I just made a few dishes."

"Just a few dishes?" Yan Bu Gui looked at the ingredients piled on the stove, his throat moved, and said, "If this is your idea of casual, then our family's New Year would be just scraping by."

He shook his head, walked away with his hands behind his back.

As he walked, he muttered, "Comparing people makes you angry..."

Soon before noon, a clear bicycle bell rang from outside the courtyard gate.

"Brother! Sister-in-law!"

Li Pingle's voice sounded cheerful.

Li Ping'an wiped his hands and went out to meet them.

His sister Li Pingle pushed a cart in, its handlebars loaded with things.

Behind them followed Chen Jianghe, holding his son Chen Anbang in one hand and leading his daughter Chen Anning with the other.

The two children were both over two years old, fair-skinned, with round, gleaming eyes.

"Aunt!" Li Yaozong rushed out from the house.

Xiao Nuanqing also came out, hiding behind her brother, curiously looking at the two little ones.

"Yaozong has grown tall!" Li Pingle rubbed his nephew's head, then crouched to look at Xiao Nuanqing, "Nuanqing has grown too—come, let Auntie hug you."

Xiao Nuanqing shyly dodged away.

Chen Jianghe set the two children down.

"Call them uncle and aunt."

Chen Anbang called out in a childish voice, "Uncle, aunt."

Chen Anning also chimed in, her voice even softer.

Lin Xueqing smiled and answered, leading the two children inside.

"Come in quickly, it's cold outside."

The whole family went into the main hall.

The house instantly became lively.

Li Pingle took out two packets of snacks from her bag.

"Brother, sister-in-law, these are snacks from Daoxiang Village for the kids to try."

"You came, why bring anything?" Lin Xueqing took the snacks, "Sit down, I'll go pour tea."

Li Ping'an and Chen Jianghe sat down at the table.

"How's the Security Section lately?" Li Ping'an asked.

"Pretty good." Chen Jianghe said, "After you caught the shopkeeper, the factory's atmosphere improved a lot. Those who previously had ulterior motives are now honest."

Li Pingle interjected.

"Brother, you're really amazing. Word has spread all over our area that the Steel Rolling Mill produced a hero who caught a major hidden spy."

Li Ping'an waved his hand.

"It's just work."

Just then, Li Yaozong came out from the inner room with his two younger cousins.

He was holding a wooden handgun—Li Ping'an had made it for him earlier.

"Anbang, Anning, look at this!"

He raised the handgun and made an aiming motion.

"Pop! The bad guy got knocked down!"

Chen Anbang's eyes lit up as he watched.

"Brother, I want to play too."

"Me too!" Chen Anning chimed in.

Li Yaozong handed the gun to Anbang, then pulled another, smaller one out of the drawer.

"This one's for you."

The two children grabbed the guns, ran around the house, and went "pop-pop" with their mouths.

Xiao Nuanqing joined in, and the three little ones played together in a heap.

After a while of playing, Li Yaozong suddenly remembered something.

"Anbang, Anning, let me teach you some kung fu!"

He took a stance and assumed a horse stance.

"Look, like this. Feet steady, waist straight."

Chen Anbang tried to imitate, but his short legs couldn't stay apart and steady, and he plopped down on his bottom.

Everyone laughed.

Chen Anning managed to stand steady, but her posture was all crooked.

Li Yaozong earnestly corrected them.

"No, your hands should be like this. Look straight ahead."

That earnest little demeanor was exactly a little Li Ping'an.

Li Pingle watched, his eyes full of laughter.

"Brother, Yaozong is becoming more and more like you."

Li Ping'an also laughed.

"This kid just likes this."

Amid the bustle, Lin Xueqing's voice came from the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready!"

Everyone helped, carrying the dishes to the table.

The braised carp was placed in the center, its oily glaze coating the flesh, sprinkled with scallions.

The braised pork was stewed until tender and crumbly, fatty yet not greasy, with a thick, rich sauce.

Mushroom stir‑fried greens, fresh and crisp.

There was also a pot of cabbage and tofu soup, steaming hot.

The staple was white flour mantou, warm, soft, and sweet.

This spread, in the autumn of 1964, could be considered truly sumptuous.

Chen Jianghe watched, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Brother, your skill is just too great."

"A rare occasion," Li Ping'an beckoned everyone to sit, "Everyone sit, eat while it's hot."

The whole family sat around the table.

Li Ping'an first served the children.

The meat from the carp's belly, the most tender, was given to Xiao Nuanqing.

The braised pork, the lean pieces, were given to An Bang and An Ning.

Li Yaozong was already grown, he could serve himself.

The adults only then picked up their chopsticks.

The fish meat was fresh and tender, melting in the mouth.

The braised pork was crumbly, flavorful, leaving a lingering aroma.

Even the simplest cabbage tofu soup, because it was simmered with stock, was extraordinarily delicious.

Li Pingle ate while repeatedly praising.

"Brother, your cooking is not inferior to the chefs of state‑run hotels."

"Just ordinary dishes," Li Ping'an smiled, "If it's tasty, have more."

While they were eating, Sha Zhu's voice came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Brother Ping'an, your cooking has even caught up with mine; the whole Alley is filled with fragrance!"

Li Ping'an got up and went out.

Sha Zhu stood at the doorway, his nose still twitching.

"Zhuzi, have you eaten? If not, come in and eat together."

"No, no," Sha Zhu waved his hand, "I just smelled the aroma and came to take a look. Your cooking, truly superb."

He swallowed, turned around, and left.

He kept looking back as he walked.

That gaze was full of envy.

After the meal, the children played in the courtyard.

The adults sat in the main hall, drinking tea and chatting.

Chen Jianghe began talking about the factory matters.

"Director, Xu Damao has been a bit reckless lately. Relying on being a 'model', he meddles in the Logistics Department, and someone has already reported it."

Li Ping'an took a sip of tea.

"We don't need to deal with him; we're the Security Section, we only handle the Steel Rolling Mill's safety, the rest isn't our concern."

"Understood."

Li Pingle and Lin Xueqing talked on the other side.

They talked about everyday family matters and children's education.

In the courtyard, Li Yaozong was still teaching two little cousins some kung fu.

Although it was only the simplest horse stance, the children learned earnestly.

Sunlight poured into the courtyard, warm and gentle.

The jujube tree's leaves began to yellow, occasionally drifting down a few.

Such peaceful and warm days were exactly what Li Ping'an wanted.

He looked at the children in the courtyard, and at the family inside the house.

The string in his heart that had been tightened by the Shopkeeper case completely relaxed.

This is life.

Real, warm, grounded.

In the evening, Li Pingle's family was about to leave.

The two children, tired from playing, rested their heads on their parents' laps, dozing off.

"Brother, sister‑in‑law, we're going back," Li Pingle said, "Today was really enjoyable."

"Come often," Lin Xueqing stuffed the prepared snacks into her, "Give the children something to eat on the road."

Seeing them off at the courtyard gate, he watched them ride away into the distance.

Li Ping'an returned to the courtyard and watched the sky gradually darken.

That day was very fulfilling.

It was also very steady.

He knew that such days would become more and more frequent.

The shopkeeper's case ended, and life returned to the right track.

He still had to send his child to school and go to the factory to work.

He still had to live his life in this siheyuan.

Ordinary, genuine, warm.

That was enough.