Chapter 122: Father's Birthday

On the twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month, the township government officially went on break. Su Xinghui said goodbye to his colleagues, moved the New Year goods distributed yesterday into the trunk of Xu Xiaoguang's car, and set off.

At the entrance of the tax office, Xu Xiaoguang stopped the car and picked up Xue Qin and Lei Ming. Both of them also had some New Year goods, but not as many as Su Xinghui had received.

Xue Qin asked, "Su Xinghui, you received so many New Year goods?"

Su Xinghui said, "Is this a lot? I don't think it's a lot."

Xue Qin said, "This isn't a lot? It seems that the sum of what I and Chief Lei received isn't as much as yours."

Lei Ming laughed and said, "Don't compare with me, our police station is a poor unit."

Su Xinghui said, "Your welfare will get better and better in the future."

The car drove to the county seat. Xu Xiaoguang first sent Lei Ming home, then sent Xue Qin home. Su Xinghui helped carry Xue Qin's things upstairs. Finally, Xu Xiaoguang sent Su Xinghui home and helped Su Xinghui carry the fruit and dried goods upstairs.

Su Xinghui asked him to eat at his house, but Xu Xiaoguang smiled and shook his head, "No, I'd better go home. I haven't taken a bath for many days, I need to go home and take a bath."

Su Xinghui said, "Fine, then go back, thanks!"

The twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month was Su Wenjun's birthday. Every year, their whole family celebrated his birthday on this day, and this year was no exception. Su Wenjun and Guo Suhua were both at home, and Su Xingyun's family had also returned.

The whole family was together, and the house instantly became lively. Guo Suhua had heard her son say on the phone a few days ago that he would bring back some New Year goods, but when she really saw the New Year goods her son brought back, she was still startled: "Why did you receive so many things?"

Su Xinghui said, "The township's financial situation was quite good this year, so we received a bit more."

Guo Suhua said, "A few days ago, Gaoshan also brought a lot of things, and your father and I also received some fish and meat from our unit. With so many things, how can we finish eating them during the New Year?"

It turned out that Yu Gaoshan had come a few days ago and brought some good fish, as well as a few pheasants and bamboo rats, all cleaned and put in the refrigerator.

And the units where Su Wenjun and Guo Suhua worked also distributed some welfare, not as much as Su Xinghui received, but the sum of the two was about the same as what Su Xinghui received.

With so much fish and meat, they really couldn't finish eating them during the New Year. Su Xinghui smiled and said, "It's okay, let sister take a fish and a piece of meat back later. The three fish I received are all big green fish over fifteen jin, which are best for making meatballs."

Guo Suhua nodded and smiled when she heard this, "Good, this kind of fish is indeed suitable for making meatballs. Xingyun, Mingcheng, remember to take some when you leave."

Tan Mingcheng said, "Xinghui, isn't it said that your place is a poor township? But the welfare that your sister and I received combined isn't even half of yours!"

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "It's just better this year."

Tan Mingcheng sighed, "You have really made something of yourself."

In the county, the welfare distributed during holidays usually represented the quality of the unit. No matter what kind of unit it was, they would always distribute something during the New Year to let everyone have a good New Year. This was also the shadow left by the planned economy era. Twenty years later, it might be direct cash or shopping cards.

Like the welfare Su Xinghui received this year, compared horizontally with all units in the county, it could be considered upper-middle. It might only be worse than units like electricity, tobacco, banks, and the county government. The school where Su Xingyun worked and the Health Bureau where Tan Mingcheng worked couldn't be considered units with good welfare.

Su Xingyun said, "Yes, my husband and I only received two fish each, each weighing five or six jin, and they were grass carp. The unit is too stingy."

Su Xinghui said, "Then why don't you take more back? You can also take some of the things Brother Gaoshan brought, which can be considered a taste of something fresh."

Su Xingyun nodded happily, "Fine, let's have a fat New Year this year."

Guo Suhua said to Su Xinghui, "Then you cook today's meal. I can't kill such a big fish, and I don't know how to cook those pheasants and bamboo rats either."

Su Xinghui agreed and took the three fish to the kitchen to prepare them. For such big fish, women like Guo Suhua and Su Xingyun and white-faced scholars like Tan Mingcheng really couldn't do anything about them.

The fish were caught only yesterday, and the weather was cold, so they were still very fresh. Su Xinghui skillfully cleaned the three fish. Tan Mingcheng wanted to help on the side, but he couldn't get a hand in.

He asked curiously, "Xinghui, how are you so skillful at cleaning fish?"

Su Xinghui said, "Exercised in the township."

He hung up the biggest fish to drain the blood and said to Tan Mingcheng, "Brother-in-law, this fish is all cleaned up, take it with you when you leave later."

Tan Mingcheng nodded and agreed.

Su Xinghui took a fish, put it on the cutting board, covered the fish head with a new towel with his left hand, pressed it down, and took off the two pieces of fish meat with a knife in his right hand. After removing the fish skin and big bones, he cut them into small pieces and separated the white part from the red part.

Tan Mingcheng didn't know how to cook, so he asked curiously, "What are you preparing to do?"

Su Xinghui said, "This white fish meat is used to make fish balls, the color is good, and the red part is mixed with pork to make deep-fried meatballs."

Tan Mingcheng then understood, he nodded and said, "Xinghui, you are also a college student, but how do I feel that you can do everything? I am really ashamed compared to you."

Su Xinghui thought to himself, if you were also reborn, you would know everything too, but of course he couldn't tell Tan Mingcheng that. He said to Tan Mingcheng, "Everyone has their own strengths, and besides, these things are not very difficult to learn. If you want to learn, you will definitely be able to learn."

While talking to Tan Mingcheng, Su Xinghui didn't stop his hands. He skillfully boiled a pot of fish balls, fried a pot of raw meatballs, and also fried the fish bones after removing the fish meat, which was also a delicacy.

Next, Su Xinghui stir-fried a few more dishes and used the fish balls to make a steaming hot pot. In this way, he prepared a sumptuous birthday banquet for Su Wenjun.

At noon, the whole family ate a meal together happily to celebrate Su Wenjun's birthday. It was the first time everyone had eaten the pheasants and bamboo rats from Yezhugou. They felt the taste was great. They heard that this was the breeding idea Su Xinghui gave to Yezhugou Village, and they all nodded repeatedly, saying that the sales of these things must be good.

During the meal, Guo Suhua asked Su Xinghui how many days of vacation he had. Su Xinghui said he would go to work on the seventh day of the first lunar month. Guo Suhua said this was not bad. Su Xinghui had come back so little since he started working, so he could finally rest at home for a few more days during the New Year.

When the meal was almost finished, Su Xinghui went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of longevity noodles for Su Wenjun. There was an egg in the noodles, drizzled with sesame oil, and sprinkled with chopped green onions. It was fragrant, and Su Wenjun happily ate the bowl of noodles clean.

After the meal, Su Xingyun's family went back. Guo Suhua agreed with them that the Su family would eat the New Year's meal first on New Year's Eve, starting at eleven in the morning. After eating here, they would go back to the Tan family to eat the New Year's meal.