Chapter 354: Yao Family Three-Flavor Hot Pot

The Suxi Town Party Member Meeting was held smoothly. All party members in the town, except for one who was away and couldn't make it back, all attended. An old party member who joined the party during the land reform period had his son push him over in a chicken-public cart. Seeing me, the old party member who was wrapped in a quilt and lying down had to sit up and insisted on shaking hands with me.

This scene moved me, and I was almost excited to shed tears.

I held his hand, which was like dry tree bark, tightly with both hands, smelling the breath of death coming from his mouth, and turned to call Yue Bai, asking her to arrange for the old party member.

Yue Bai understood my thoughts. Such a person who had kissed the god of death, staying for one more minute was one more minute of danger. Only by letting him leave early, and without dampening his enthusiasm, was Yue Bai the best at doing such things.

More than a hundred party members squeezed the conference room full. I asked the cafeteria Lao Wang to light a few coal stoves in the conference room and open a crack in the windows to avoid coal poisoning.

There were not many young people among the party members, mostly over fifty. There were a few women, their faces were chapped, holding warm boxes in their arms, their eyes looking around aimlessly.

I announced the appointment of the new cadres of Suxi Town, and there was a sparse applause below. They didn't come to the meeting for honor, they came for the meeting subsidy.

I knew it clearly in my heart, but I couldn't show it. In today's democratic centralism, their voting is very important.

There were too many people, and the cafeteria couldn't arrange for meals. I asked Yue Bai to discuss with Lao Zhao whether they could add dozens of yuan of meal allowance for the party members.

Lao Zhao agreed readily, saying that the party members of the town came to the meeting in the cold, so they should express it.

I wanted to laugh and said to Lao Zhao: "Revolution is not about treating guests to dinner!"

Lao Zhao didn't contain it either, and replied to me: "Put yourself in their shoes."

As soon as the meeting was over, the party members swarmed to Lao Zhao, drew a circle in the place designated by Lao Zhao one by one, took the 150 yuan handed over by Lao Zhao, and went away happily.

The old party member who stayed in the cafeteria to warm up was the last to leave. His son squeezed the 150 yuan and was reluctant to hand it to his father. The old party member reached out for it several times, but seeing that his son didn't give it to him, he sighed, lowered his head in disappointment, and shrank into the quilt, not saying a word.

This scene made my heart ache again. I took out 500 yuan from my bag, stuffed it into the old man's quilt, and said sincerely: "Old comrade, go back and buy something to eat."

The old party member still wanted to decline, but a flush of red appeared on his originally gray face. His son, standing on the side, had green light in his eyes, reaching into the quilt to take the money, saying: "Don't lose it, it's the leader's heart."

The old party member protected it desperately and didn't want to take it out, and didn't dare to scold his son, so he blinked his dry eye sockets hard.

My heart was sore. People of Suxi Town, I am sorry for you! I said in my heart, and took out another 200 yuan and handed it to his son, my voice not high, but majestic: "Take your father back well!"

The son didn't dare to look at me and left with thanks.

Watching their backs disappear behind the mountain mouth, I finally couldn't help but squat down and cry silently!

Yue Bai stood with me in the wind. Seeing me crying, the town cadres didn't dare to come over and bypassed me and ran away.

The newly appointed Xuelai, besides Yue Bai, looked at my tear-stained face and suddenly laughed.

"You can cry too? I thought you were iron-hearted." She teased me and kicked a small stone with her toe.

"Comrade Xiao Xue, human hearts are made of meat!" Yue Bai said, her tone flat, but with heavy reproach.

Xuelai stuck out her tongue, made a face, and turned to leave.

I called her and said: "Today we will go to Pan Xiaoqin's shop to eat together. It's considered a welcome for Suxi Town."

Xuelai clapped her hands and shouted, "Great, great. I've been here for two days, and I really can't stand eating in the cafeteria."

Xuelai came to Suxi Town without hesitation after receiving my call.

Yue Bai's face looked bad and said: "You guys go eat, I won't go."

I said: "You represent the government, how can you not go?"

Xuelai on the side hugged Yue Bai's arm and shook it, acting spoiled: "Yes, Sister Yue Bai, if you don't go, who will represent the government?"

Yue Bai struggled a few times but didn't break free, and seeing my look was very firm, she had to say helplessly: "Okay, okay. In the town, don't call me sister."

Xuelai smiled obediently and said: "I'm alone and cold, I can't even recognize you as a sister, Town Mayor, you are bullying me."

Yue Bai sneered and said: "In government agencies, calling sisters and sisters is not appropriate."

Xuelai was unrelenting, entangled with Yue Bai and said: "I just called! You don't let me call? I'll call loudly now." Saying that, she opened her mouth to shout.

Yue Bai sighed helplessly, glanced at me and said: "Secretary Xue, if you want to call, call when no one is around. Don't call in big occasions, so as not to make people think that Suxi Town is opened by a family."

Xuelai was happy, shaking her hand and saying: "How is it a family? Is Suxi Town a couple's shop?"

This sentence made Yue Bai turn bright red. She felt that she had spoken too fast, so she hit Xuelai embarrassedly to cover up her panicked look and said: "Aren't you going to welcome you? Why don't you go quickly."

After saying that, she left us and walked forward alone.

Pan Xiaoqin saw us coming from far away; she was wearing an apron around her waist with colorful patterns. It was obvious that she had pieced it together herself from several pieces of cloth. But because the stitches were fine and the colors and sizes of the cloth were matched very cleverly, it looked very cute.

"Brother, you are here." She greeted me. Pan Xiaoqin had always called me brother, and I had accepted this title with peace of mind.

"Come to your house for dinner." I said, scanning behind her, and didn't see Zeng Dongming, so I asked: "Where is Xiao Zeng?"

Pan Xiaoqin seemed not to hear, but went to look at Xuelai behind me.

I introduced: "The new town Youth League secretary, named Xuelai."

Pan Xiaoqin took back her eyes and said enviously: "So young, so beautiful."

Xuelai also looked at Pan Xiaoqin. She had just heard Pan Xiaoqin call me brother, and was full of doubts, but suddenly heard Pan Xiaoqin praise herself, so she felt embarrassed and said: "You are also very beautiful!"

Yue Bai took the conversation and said: "You two, you are all young and beautiful. Unlike us, we are old and not like anything."

"Sister is not old! How beautiful!" Xuelai smiled obediently and praised: "If I were at Sister's age, and had such a good figure and such good skin, it would be worth dying."

Yue Bai was praised by Xuelai and felt uncomfortable. She looked at herself up and down, reached out to gather a strand of hair behind her head and said: "Secretary Xue really knows how to talk."

Pan Xiaoqin led the way, took us into the inner room, and saw Pan Shurong also tied an apron around his waist, laughing and greeting us.

"County Magistrate Chen, eat hot pot, okay?" He asked for my opinion.

I didn't care, and turned to look at Xuelai and the others.

Xuelai clapped her hands and shouted: "Great, great! Eating hot pot in such cold weather is so warm. I want to eat hot pot."

Yue Bai didn't oppose the proposal, just asked softly: "What are we eating today?"

"Yao family three flavors, okay, Town Mayor." Pan Shurong explained: "One flavor of cured pig feet, cured pig intestines, cured pig liver, one flavor of freshly unearthed vegetables, plus one flavor of ginger and big red chili."

"I'm fine. Can Secretary Xue eat spicy?" Yue Bai asked worriedly.

"I'm not afraid. I also want to sweat spicy." Xuelai shouted to help Pan Shurong organize the hot pot, but was stopped by Xiao Qin, saying: "You are a distinguished guest, how can you do it, let us come."

A few town cadres came into the room, saw us, and wanted to leave.

I called them and said: "You guys just come to eat together, Lao Pan, you add some ingredients."

The town cadres looked at each other and said: "We won't disturb the County Magistrate's meal. We will go back to the cafeteria to eat."

I said unhappily: "You cadres, are you still like men? If I tell you to eat together, just eat together, so much mother-in-law."

The town cadres didn't dare to speak, and all came over with pursed mouths. Their expressions were solemn and serious.

I laughed: "I'm telling you to eat, not to work, why are you so serious? Just relax for me, don't make eating like going to the execution ground."

The cadres laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed immediately.

You must drink when eating hot pot! Pan Shurong put a coal stove in the middle of the room and brought an iron pot from the kitchen. The pot was steaming and emitting a strange fragrance. A full pot of Yao family three flavors was wrapped in red oily soup. Before eating, it made the mouth flow with saliva.

Pan Xiaoqin took out a few bottles of white wine and walked to my side, saying: "Brother, this wine has been kept for a long time, waiting for you to come back to drink."

I looked at the wine bottle, it was Yili Daqu from Xinjiang.

"Good wine!" I praised, and ordered the town cadres to take bowls to pour wine.

Drinking in the countryside, people like to use bowls, and it is still the same today.

Drinking wine must be drunk in large mouthfuls, and meat must be eaten in large pieces. This is my experience in Suxi Town for several years.

After a bowl of wine went down, the body was much warmer. Xuelai clearly couldn't drink, and her face was already as bright as a blooming peach blossom.

The Yao family hot pot made by Pan Shurong was famous throughout Suxi Town. It was said that he added a medicinal material to the soup, which was his ancestral secret recipe, and even I didn't know it.

After the wine went down, everyone couldn't control their mouths. Everyone scrambled to speak, and the sound was as loud as thunder.

Xuelai was almost slipping to the ground, she quietly reached out, grabbed my clothes, and shouted incoherently: "Come, come, drink, drink."

Yue Bai sat opposite me, her eyes swept over Xuelai's hand, and her eyebrows trembled slightly.

Yue Bai sat opposite me; her gaze swept over Xuelai's hands, and her brows twitched slightly.