Quick Wear: Passerby A's Daily Life of Eating Watermelons

Today I plan to make a pork belly stewed with cabbage and tofu. The potatoes and Jiang Ma have already been chopped and put in water, so I just throw them in together. The aroma of the stew soon wafts out. When Jiang Yue was kneading the dough to prepare steamed buns, she heard the voices of Jiang Ma and the protagonist, Aunt Wang, talking outside.

"Who's cooking? It smells so good!"

"I don't know, it seems like the smell is coming from your house?"

"Could it be the Qian family? When did they become capable of doing this?"

"No, I saw your bicycle outside. Is Xiaoyue cooking?"

"what?"

"Then I'm going home first. Let's go buy chicken together tomorrow. Remember to call me."

"Ah."

When Jiang's mother walked to the door of her house, she knew that her family was cooking. She came in carrying two fish and kelp, and saw Jiang Yue kneading dough. She was a little skeptical about the fact that her daughter's cooking was so delicious, because she had never cooked before, and there was a reason for this.

She learned it when she was a child, but she burned her arm and a lot of her hair. After that, Dad and Mom didn't let her learn it. Anyway, there were many people in the family and they didn't have to force her to do it. Then my eldest brother learned to cook, and he would do it when Mom and Dad were not available.

Before Jiang Ma had time to see what was cooking in the pot, she saw what Jiang Yue had put on the table. She walked over quickly with the fish in her hand and saw the pork, mutton and lard inside. Then she subconsciously went to take a look at the door. After closing the door, she looked at the meat with shining eyes, turned it over and saw the eggs underneath.

“Did you buy these?”

"OK."

"Where did this come from? Is it safe? No one saw it, right?"

"Don't worry, our place is remote, there are trees over there and people often go there to trade, no tickets are used to buy money."

"When I came back, I carried the basket openly, covered it with a cloth so no one could see what was inside."

“How much did this cost?”

"You do the math. It's basically twice the normal price, and not much different from the black market price."

"Hiss~ It's a bit expensive, but it's good to be able to buy it. I can eat it during the New Year. Alas, your grandfather left early, otherwise I could have brought some back."

"It's okay. Just take it with you when you go home for the New Year. Dear mother, please reimburse me. My little coffers have been emptied. They used to sell spare ribs, but I don't have money to buy them."

"Pork ribs? Why did you buy that? And why is all the meat you bought lean? Never mind, it's good to have it. How much did you spend in total?"

"35."

"Hiss~, wait until your dad comes back and ask him for it. I feel bad and don't want to pay for it."

"Ah? Didn't I give you all my dad's money?"

"What's the matter? Ask him to get it for you."

After putting the things away, Jiang Ma remembered the important matter: "Did you cook today's meal? What did you cook that smells so good?"

“Pork belly stewed with cabbage and tofu.”

"You're such a spendthrift! What were you thinking of putting all these ingredients together to make it? Tofu? Where did you buy the tofu?"

"Well, I had ten cents left so I bought a piece of tofu."

"So you don't have any money now?"

"Well, today's salary was just paid. Here it is all."

"Oh, what a headache. I didn't earn a penny in the two months I worked and spent it all. I'll keep it for you when I get my salary. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't be able to save a penny."

"what?"

"Ah what? Go open the door and go get your brother back."

"Oh, where are the people?"

"Opposite door."

When Jiang Yue took Jiang Ze home, Jiang's father and eldest brother also came back. When Jiang Yue entered the house, Jiang's mother was scolding her with Jiang's father. Although she was happy to see the food, she felt too sad to think that the 35 yuan was gone before she even had time to warm it up in her hands.

"Well, the child is not wasted. All the money has been spent on the family. You can give the money to the child later. It will be considered as me buying it. The child can keep the money to buy new clothes."

"Hey, thanks, Dad. My mom asked you to give it to me. She said she felt bad for taking out the money herself, and out of sight, out of mind."

"Then Dad will get it for you."

Dad Jiang went back to his and Mom Jiang's room, and after a while he took out the money and gave it to her. Jiang Yue looked at the forty yuan and saw that he had given her five yuan more. Jiang Yue thanked Dad Jiang and went back to her room pretending to put the money away, but actually she put it in the space.

Even though Jiang's mother complained that Jiang Yue was messy and didn't know how to live, the food was really delicious. Jiang's mother ate one more bowl of vegetables than usual. Jiang's father and eldest brother were very surprised when they learned that Jiang Yue made the meal. They still remembered that Jiang Yue almost burned himself when he was learning to cook.

"Sister, how did you make the meal so delicious?"

"It's not that difficult. I'm already old enough. I can learn it just by watching my mom cook. It's a piece of cake."

"Yes, Xiaoyue has been smart since she was young."

When Jiang's mother heard her father praising her, she rolled her eyes. Why didn't she get into a technical secondary school to become a cadre since she was so smart? Jiang Jianguo at least went to high school, but Jiang Yue stopped going to school after graduating from junior high school.

"How can that be the same? The reason why he is not doing well in school is that he did not study hard. He was led astray by the girl from the Zhao family."

Seeing that Jiang's father was very stubborn, Jiang's mother was too lazy to talk to him. How could you talk to a man who was obsessed with his daughter? Besides, Jiang's mother also thought so when it came to studying. Many Chinese parents were like this. They believed that their children did not study well not because they were not smart enough, but because they did not study seriously or were influenced by bad students. They could find a lot of reasons.

After dinner, it was the eldest brother who washed the pot today. Mother Jiang was busy cutting lard and refining oil. Jiang Yue was the hero in cooking, so why didn't he wash the pot and let Father Jiang do it?

The aroma of refined oil attracted everyone to the door of the Jiang family. They all said that the Jiang family's life had improved. They had three workers and bought bicycles and meat. Jiang's father and Jiang Yue hurriedly waved their hands and said that they were talking nonsense. They had emptied the family's savings to buy Jiang Yue a job. It was his mother who was afraid that they would not have enough meat to eat during the New Year, so she sent some over. Otherwise, they would have to eat steamed corn bread during the New Year.

The topic was forcibly turned from the Jiang family to whose parents are better. Showing off wealth is not popular these days. Even if Jiang's father had said it a little later, someone would probably come to borrow money. If the news got out, he might even be reported. Fortunately, the protagonist's family has been doing well recently, which has relieved some of the firepower for Jiang Yue's family.

The good thing is that Jiang Yue finished refining the oil very quickly. After finishing, she grabbed a small bowl of oil residue and shared it with the children at the door. This calmed down the public opinion. The family reflected on it at home and decided not to eat meat recently. They would wait until New Year's Day to eat it, when everyone would eat less noticeably.

Jiang Yue was given some important advice by her father, who told her not to buy new clothes and to keep a low profile at home until the storm had passed. Jiang Yue nodded to show that she understood.