Chapter 146

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

This time, she gathered all her strength and pushed the person out of the house in one breath, then closed the door.

"Ai ai, Xiao Nizi's skin is too thin; if she wants to go further, she still has a long way to go..."

In the corridor separated by a door, Guben looked at the tightly closed security door, laughing and crying at the same time.

—

Fourth floor.

The cousin, relying on his youth, ran back and forth several times, helping Maternal Aunt move all the bundles and luggage upstairs.

"Oh oh oh, we have a new house to live in now."

Xu Yi lived at Aunt Da's house and dared not play wildly, feeling extremely stifled; back in his own home, he finally perked up, like a happy little colt, running back and forth in the room, frolicking joyfully.

"This house isn't bad; two south-facing rooms, plenty of sunlight."

Chen Xiulan was very satisfied with the rented house and felt great gratitude toward her female cousin: "Leilei, you've really gone to a lot of trouble this time; the rented house is both cheap and good."

"What's this about?"

The female cousin didn't want to take all the credit herself and said casually: "It's just one house; to our Boss, it's nothing."

"Boss?"

Chen Xiulan's eyes flickered slightly, showing a hint of surprise: "This is your Boss's house?"

"No, not..."

The female cousin realized too late that she had carelessly spoken the truth, feeling very annoyed: "I mean, for us who do renovations, renting a house isn't easy; within a ten-li radius, we know the market prices of all the developments like the back of our hands."

"Renovating this house must have cost quite a bit of money, right?"

Seeing her flustered expression, Chen Xiulan immediately grew suspicious: "The furniture and home appliances are all new; the sofa and dining table are of better quality than the one downstairs, and the price certainly isn't cheap."

"Such a good house, and no one has lived in it yet; how could the landlord bear to rent it out? Leilei, tell Aunt Er the truth—how exactly did this house come about? If you don't make it clear, we won't feel at ease living here."

—

"Cough cough."

The female cousin gave an awkward smile: "Just live here with peace of mind; there's nothing to worry about."

"Leilei."

Chen Xiulan had already grown suspicious and wouldn't let her brush it off so easily: "You must know the inside story, right? Tell Aunt Er quickly, don't make Aunt Er anxious..."

"Can't I just not say it?"

The female cousin smiled bitterly, wishing she could slap herself.

"No."

Chen Xiulan, used to being the Academic Affairs Director, naturally carried an irresistible aura when facing juniors.

"Ai."

Under the Academic Affairs Director's pressure, the female cousin had no choice but to admit defeat: "Actually, this house is..."

"Wang Fan? Does he also have other thoughts about Xiyu?"

Chen Xiulan, as expected of the Academic Affairs Director, figured out the whole story, drew inferences from one case, and soon guessed the truth.

"Cough cough."

The female cousin didn't dare gossip about the Boss and coughed awkwardly twice.

"Ai, this matter..."

Chen Xiulan looked worried: "If I had known there were so many twists and turns, we shouldn't have rented this house; Xiyu is engaged to Guben, and we can't cause more trouble at this critical juncture."

"Aunt Er, you don't need to think too much..."

The female cousin felt it necessary to defend the Boss a bit: "Wang Fan and Guben are childhood friends, very close; he bought the house for us to live in, giving Guben face; even if he really has some feelings for Cousin, he wouldn't fall out with him over such a small matter, after all they are partners in business, with deep interests involved, not easily divided..."

"Does Xiyu know about this?"

Chen Xiulan still felt uneasy.

"She doesn't know."

The female cousin patted her chest to guarantee: "I didn't tell anyone; if I hadn't slipped up today, I wouldn't have given him away."

"Good that she doesn't know."

Chen Xiulan felt somewhat relieved: "Don't tell her in the future, lest Guben suspect, which wouldn't be good for them."

"Alright."

The female cousin agreed readily; without stating it clearly, Guben had long known, and the two had already fought, ending in Wang Fan's crushing defeat.

—

Wangfu Pool West Street.

"This pomegranate tree is great, bearing so many pomegranates."

Guben's maternal grandmother looked at the newly planted pomegranate tree, overjoyed, circling the pomegranate tree several times.

"Quite sweet, try one."

Grandfather picked a pomegranate, broke it open, peeled off a few pomegranate seeds, ate one himself, and then stuffed one into Grandmother's mouth.

"Mm, sweet."

Grandmother's heart was sweeter than her mouth, and joy could not be hidden at the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

"Tsk."

Guben clicked his tongue, his gums feeling a bit sore.

The two elders had been married for many years, and their affection was still this strong; anyone who saw them couldn't help but envy them.

"Xiao Bin, this time you did the right thing."

Grandfather, seeing Grandmother was happy, was happy himself: "Your grandmother loved eating pomegranates since she was little; every year on the ninth day of the ninth month, she would go specially to the Qianfo Mountain temple fair to buy them. The pomegranates at the temple fair were terribly expensive, seven or eight yuan a jin."

"She hates spending money; after going, she couldn't bear to buy them, buying only one or two each time, letting them rot at home without bearing to eat them. Now that our family has its own pomegranate tree, your grandmother's wish is finally fulfilled. She doesn't have to fear spending money anymore; she can eat as much as she wants......."

——

"I just thought Grandmother likes eating pomegranates, so I specially bought some back."

Guben went along with Grandfather's thinking, deliberately trying to make Grandmother happy: "Grapes are also delicious, quite sweet, it's just that the season is a bit past. The purple grapes have all been picked, leaving only a few scattered green ones. I don't know why they haven't ripened fully......"

"On one vine, there are both early-ripening and late-ripening ones......"

Grandmother, experienced in growing flowers, guessed silently: "Maybe no one tends to them, and the nutrition isn't enough."

"Exactly!"

Guben quickly caught up with the rhythm: "I was thinking the same. Xiyu's grandmother's home, the former landlord Huang Daye passed away. The pomegranate tree and grapes were raised by him. It should be just as Grandmother said: no one fertilized them, the nutrition couldn't keep up, so they didn't ripen fully......"

"What nutrition do you need to add?"

Grandfather smiled and joined in: "I'll give it a dose; good fertilizer shouldn't flow to outsiders' fields."

"Get lost."

Grandmother laughed in anger: "You're so stinky with urine; even through the window, I can smell it and get a headache."

"Hehe."

Grandfather's old face turned red; touching his nose, he gave a sheepish laugh twice.

"The two masters from the Gardening Bureau are waiting for me outside."

Guben held back his laughter and changed the topic: "They have experience. Later, when we eat, I'll ask Grandmother how to grow grapes......"

"That would be good."

Grandmother was appeased and smiled while shooing people away: "Hurry up and go; don't keep the masters waiting."

"Okay."

Guben had been waiting for these words. He put down the shovel and ran off nimbly.

"This kid, grown up, with a wilder heart."

Grandfather clicked his mouth a few times, full of emotion: "All day he just thinks about running outside. We can't keep him anymore."

"Wasn't it like that when we were dating......"

Grandmother smiled and teased him: "I remember, when we first met, you were always running to the art troupe, making me distracted during practice, almost falling off the stage."

"That's because you were thinking of me and got distracted yourself."

Grandfather had a thick skin and was giving himself credit.

"Who was thinking of you?"

Grandmother gave him a big white eye: "It was you always hanging around the art troupe, causing plenty of jokes. Because of you, I finally became famous in the troupe. Even the Regiment Commander, when he saw me, would smile and say a few words: 'Your old Gu is indeed an old Red Army soldier; this perseverance through wind and rain could march the Long March of twenty-five thousand li all over again.'"

"Cough cough."

Grandfather wiped his face, rarely showing a bit of embarrassment.

——

Da Yifu went to the Vegetable Market in the afternoon and indeed bought back quite a lot of bean sprouts.

Grandmother looked at the full large plastic bag of bean sprouts, weighing a full five jin, and laughed helplessly.

She was stunned for a long while before recalling a Sichuan-Chongqing famous dish she had eaten when young. It could use up all the bean sprouts and satisfy the whole family's appetite.

Sour Cabbage Fish Stewed with Bean Sprouts!

——

Lin Xiyu, under Grandmother's guidance, made Sour Cabbage Fish Stewed with Bean Sprouts.

The fish meat was fresh Grass Carp. The family had no pickled cabbage, so they used pickled sour beans instead.

To make Sour Cabbage Fish, the ingredients must be complete: scallion, ginger, garlic, dried chili, Sichuan pepper, egg white, starch—not one could be missing.

Lin Xiyu scooped the sour beans from the pickled vegetable jar, washed them clean with water, and cut them into small strips.

Grandmother guided her in slicing the fish with a Knife.

Slicing fish tested knife skills. The strength had to be moderate; the slices couldn't be too thin, nor could she use too much force and cut the fish in half.

Lin Xiyu calmed herself and patiently listened to Grandmother's teaching.

She had learned to cook from a young age and was skilled at cutting vegetables, but slicing fish was her first time.

The Grass Carp had been scaled and was slippery, hard to control.

She pressed the fish onto the cutting board with her left hand, held the Knife in her right hand, and carefully cut open the fish meat, cutting inward bit by bit.

"You can't do it like that. You're too slow. When will you ever finish slicing the fish?"

Grandmother saw her slightly clumsy appearance, smiled, shook her head, and took the Knife from her hand.

Grandmother had cooked for a lifetime; her knife skills were incomparable to juniors.

Lin Xiyu watched Grandmother's hand holding the Knife flit up and down. In a short while, she had sliced the fish meat into slices.

"Wow, Grandma is so amazing....."

She smiled and flattered: "Your old self's knife skills can rival famous chefs. If you said you were the head chef at a big Hotel, people would believe it."

"Stop flattering, make the fish."

Grandmother was happy to hear it and handed the kitchen Knife back to her.

Next, Lin Xiyu, following Grandmother's guidance, first salted the fish slices for a while, then mixed egg white and starch evenly and coated the fish slices with it.

Fish slices coated with starch become tender and smooth, and won't easily fall apart in the pot.

Grandmother was very pleased with her dexterity; after preparing the fish slices, she taught her how to make the soup base.

The soup base was simmered with fish bones, boiling over high heat with added water for 10 minutes until the milk soup turned white.

The pickled green beans were dry-fried in the pot for 3 minutes to bring out the aroma.

All the ingredients for the sour cabbage fish were now ready.

—

There were too many bean sprouts for the small pot, so Grandmother specifically had Cousin bring out the large iron pot used for making crispy pot dishes in winter and set it on the stove.

High broth was poured into the pot, along with the pickled green beans, salt sprinkled on top, and the bean sprouts added, then brought to a boil.

Once the bean sprouts were cooked soft, the fish slices were added.

The fish slices only needed three minutes of rolling in the soup to cook through.

Before serving, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, and minced garlic were sprinkled on top.

Lin Xiyu heated the Sichuan peppercorn oil in a small pot, then poured it into the large iron pot.

"Zila la."

The hot oil poured into the fish soup, boiling with a zila la sound, and the rising aroma filled the whole house.

"So fragrant."

Guben entered the house carrying two bottles of Moutai, smelling the aroma.

"Xiao Bin arrives just in time for the meal."

Da Yifu, seeing how considerate he was to bring wine himself, was extremely enthusiastic and called him to his side.

"I don't know what kind of wine you like..."

While speaking, Guben handed the two bottles of Moutai to Da Yifu: "I heard this wine has a good reputation, so I bought two bottles first; if you don't get used to it, we can switch to something else..."

"No need to switch, just drink this..."

Da Yifu was so happy he couldn't close his mouth: "Moutai is a famous wine; there's only not being able to afford it, not not getting used to it."

"We're basking in Xiao Bin's glory."

Uncle's eyes lit up as he came over: "Let's also try what Moutai tastes like."

"Everyone is so enthusiastic, I can't fall behind."

Cousin rubbed his fists together: "Today I must drink my fill with Xiao Bin."

"A bunch of lightweights, finally gathered together."

Female Cousin rolled her eyes in disdain.

"If they want to drink, let them drink."

Aunt Da laughed cheerfully, wanting to watch the fun.

"Is Moutai very expensive?"

Lin Xiyu slyly helped Guben out of the situation: "I haven't tried it either, I must join the fun."

"Just forget it."

Cousin pushed her away with a look of disdain: "Drinking alcohol like water, no matter how good the wine is, it's a waste in your mouth."

"Why not?"

Lin Xiyu puffed her cheeks and complained: "Grandmother, Cousin is bullying me, not letting me drink."

"Grandmother decides, let you drink."

How could Grandmother not see through her little thoughts? She smiled and tapped Cousin's head with a palm-leaf fan: "Liu Jian, you sit over there, you're not allowed to hog the wine table."

Cousin didn't dare talk back to Grandmother and quickly made room.

Lin Xiyu giggled and quietly tugged at Guben's sleeve, signaling him to sit beside her.

Guben understood, pulled out a chair, and was about to sit next to her when Cousin grabbed him.

"We men sit together, don't be all giggly and mix with a bunch of women."

"Brother Jian."

Lin Xiyu slightly furrowed her brows, showing some displeasure: "You're a bit too excited today..."

"Warming the pot."

Cousin gave an awkward laugh: "It has to be lively and bustling for Grandmother to be happy."

"You brat, don't use Grandmother as an excuse."

Grandmother smiled and scolded him, then tapped his head with the palm-leaf fan again.

"Xiao Bin, come, come, sit over here..."

Da Yifu made a grand entrance, supporting his son: "The first time drinking at home, you must drink happily; we can't let Grandfather say our old Chen family is inhospitable and doesn't treat guests well."

"It won't..."

Guben took the opportunity to mention Grandfather: "Grandfather knows my alcohol tolerance is shallow and often reminds me to be mindful of propriety in front of outsiders and not to show off..."

"Your grandfather was talking about outsiders; we are family."

Da Yifu spoke Shandong fast-talk, his glib tongue even more nimble: "Drinking at home, there's no need to be so restrained; do whatever is comfortable..."

"Xiao Bin, don't decline anymore."

Uncle chimed in from the side: "This wine was brought by you; if you don't drink it yourself, that's not being a good friend."

"That's right."

Cousin pressed him down onto the chair with both hands: "Stop hemming and hawing, sit down."

Guben helplessly blinked at Lin Xiyu and resignedly sat between him and Da Yifu.

Uncle also sat next to Da Yifu; the four men got into position, determined to have a big drinking session, not stopping until drunk.