Starting a new chapter in life

He Zhijun shook his head helplessly, touched her cheek, bent down and gave her a light kiss on the cheek: "Wife, you've worked hard." Then he began to consider what other items needed to be added to the house.

The next morning, Jingyan was awakened by the aroma of meat. Rubbing her eyes, she got out of bed and saw two large bowls of hand-pulled noodle soup on the table, each with a poached egg and a few slices of braised meat. It looked delicious.

After quickly washing up, the two sat down at the dining table and started eating. "The braised meat that's been soaking overnight doesn't seem as bland as I expected. It even has a sweet and savory flavor. It seems pretty good," Jingyan commented after tasting a slice of meat.

He Zhijun nodded: "I think it's a good idea too. If we can make it at home later, we can set up a few tables in the yard and use this braising liquid with some dried chili peppers, soybeans and other ingredients to make a soup base, which can be used as a topping for noodles. It should taste pretty good."

Jingyan was also thinking seriously: "Then these noodles must be chewy, so they still have to be hand-pulled noodles, not regular noodles."

After the meal, the two of them sliced ​​the braised pork belly into thin slices in the kitchen, arranged them on a plate, and poured some broth over them. It looked quite good. They brought the meat to the dining table in the living room, and to prevent the aroma from attracting flies or other small flying insects, they covered it with a mesh cover.

He Zhijun kneaded the dough to make hand-pulled noodles, while Jing Yan scooped out a small bowl of soybeans and a handful of dried chili peppers, washed them, and soaked them in water, preparing to see if they would taste good as a noodle topping.

Just as she was busy, she heard a knock on the door: "Zhijun, it should be Sister Yuan's family. You make the noodles first, I'll go open the door." After saying that, she went to open the door. It was indeed Sister Yuan's house outside, but it wasn't the whole family. There were only Aunt Yuan and Yuan Xiaoling.

"Oh, why are there only two people? Auntie, didn't I invite your whole family?" Jingyan asked, puzzled.

"We're here to take you to pick out a kitten. Didn't we agree to go this weekend? As for the party, we can call them after we bring the kitten back," Aunt Yuan said with a smile.

Jingyan slapped her forehead: "Oh dear, my memory is terrible. You did say that, but I forgot. Why don't you come in and sit down first? I'll go tell Zhijun."

He Zhijun had already come out: "The dough is ready. We can roll out the noodles when we get back. Shall we go together?"

Jingyan also thought it was fine, "Okay, let's go then."

The four of them went out to a house two main streets away. Aunt Yuan knocked on the door, and the owner led them in. As soon as they entered the storeroom, they saw a large tabby cat in the corner with five kittens beside it. Some were playing with pebbles, while others were being groomed by their mother. They were all very lively.

As the four entered the storage room, the previously relaxed mother cat and kittens became very wary, their round eyes staring at them, yet they were undeniably adorable. "I can't keep too many cats at home. I had two litters before, and many kittens went missing after they grew up, while others were given away."

These five cats were originally planning to leave when they were older and wanted to, but I was so happy to hear from Sister Yuan that someone wanted kittens. It's better to have them as pets than to let them become strays. The owner of this house also loves these animals, otherwise he wouldn't take such good care of them.

Jingyan immediately took a liking to a kitten with yellow and black stripes on its back, pure white paws, and a white neck and belly. It was very pretty. She pointed to it and said, "This yellow one is pretty."

He Zhijun, however, took a fancy to a standard tabby cat and pointed it out to her, saying, "That one is beautiful too."

The two exchanged a glance. Jingyan looked at it too, and indeed, that one was pretty too, but she still wanted the yellow one. He Zhijun smiled and ruffled her hair. "A kitten without a playmate is so lonely. Let's choose two, so the two cats can keep each other company."

Jingyan stopped worrying about it and took out a dollar to hand to the cat owner: "Sister, this is the money for hiring the cat, please keep it."

The cat owner accepted the money somewhat embarrassedly, saying, "I'm so sorry, you adopting the kitten is actually easing my burden, and I'm still taking your money..."

Even if it was just polite talk, Jingyan felt comfortable listening to it. He Zhijun then took out a handful of fruit candies from his pocket and handed them to the cat owner: "Please keep these candies. Consider them a good omen. We hope that the kitten can be raised healthily and have a sweet life in my home."

If the cat owner was just being polite, she was genuinely embarrassed now. She looked at Aunt Yuan and waved her hand hesitantly, saying, "No need for that. You can't give money and then give candy in return."

But seeing her two children staring longingly at the candy, her heart softened, and she took it, giving each of them two pieces: "Go play, you two little kittens have found a good home, you don't have to worry anymore."

The two children took the candy and looked up at He Zhijun: "Uncle, you'll treat Xiaomi well, right?"

Seeing He Zhijun nod, the two children grinned and said, "Thank you for the candy, Uncle." Then they ran out hand in hand.

The cat owner explained with a smile, "My cats have always been mostly cared for and accompanied by my children. They were reluctant to give the kittens away, but they also knew that we couldn't afford to keep so many. Now they are at ease and won't make a fuss anymore."

The cat owner approached the mother cat, picked up the calico and tabby kittens by the scruff of their necks, and handed one to each of He Zhijun and Jing Yan. The kittens were a little flustered as they were separated from their mother, meowing incessantly.

The mother cat watched as the two kittens were taken away, merely staring without getting up to stop them. Jingyan felt a pang of sadness at this sight, and as she walked towards the door, she couldn't help but glance back at the mother cat. "Zhijun, do you think this mother cat knows we took her kittens away?"

He Zhijun held the kitten in one arm and patted her shoulder with the other: "It knows, and you don't need to be sad. Cats are different from people. Even if the kitten doesn't want to leave its mother after it grows up, the mother cat will chase the kitten away and let them fend for themselves. The separation now is just a little earlier than expected."

Jingyan looked up at him: "How do you know so much?"

“I also raised a kitten when I was a child. All the stories about cats were told to me by my grandfather. The kitten I raised was a little tabby cat like this.” He Zhijun lowered his eyes and stroked the kitten’s head and back. The kitten nestled comfortably in his arms, looking relaxed.

Jingyan imitated him, stroking the kitten in her arms, and asked, "And then, was yours male or female?"

“It died. I went to school and when I came back, I didn’t see Little Gray waiting for me at the door. When I got home, I found out that it must have eaten a poisoned rat and died from the poison. I didn’t even get to see it one last time before my dad found a place to bury it. I never kept cats or dogs again after that.” He Zhijun’s tone still carried a faint sense of nostalgia.

Jingyan also felt a little uncomfortable: "Then let's feed these two well and make sure they're full, so they won't eat the rats."

He Zhijun smiled and nodded, "Okay, cats are carnivores, so you have to be careful later, lest the mice eat our chickens instead."

Jing Yan's eyes widened: "No way?"

He Zhijun laughed when he saw that she actually believed him. "Just kidding. At most, I'm worried that these two might kill our chickens. As for eating live chickens, that's a weasel's preference, not a cat's. Hahaha."

Jingyan realized she'd been fooled. She glared at him, not wanting to talk to him. Yuan Xiaoling and Aunt Yuan watched their interaction. Aunt Yuan said to her daughter, "Look how good their relationship is. You and your son-in-law have a good relationship too, but you're not as open and honest as they are, even in public."

You need to coax your son-in-law when the time is right. Men are easily charmed and can be easily manipulated. Don't be too shy. If you don't show any affection, the relationship will fade over time.

Yuan Xiaoling looked at her mother: "Didn't you and Dad also live your lives like this? I think you two have a very good relationship."

Aunt Yuan was somewhat exasperated: "Back in those days, if you dared to hold hands in public, you'd be arrested and denounced. You had to keep all your feelings hidden."

But things are different now. If it weren't for the movement, there used to be plenty of young couples holding hands on the street, or at least secretly touching fingertips. That would have been a different feeling altogether.

You've been back for so long, and I've come to understand my son-in-law's temperament. He's a very self-centered person. He probably likes you because he's deceived by your appearance, thinking you're a delicate woman who needs protection and care.

But only family members know their own situation, right? You're probably even more assertive than him at heart, but you need to hide that side of yourself, show vulnerability when necessary, and give his protective instincts room to manifest. That's how your relationship can last, understand?

Yuan Xiaoling truly took her mother's words to heart this time, nodding, "I understand, Mom. I can have my own ideas and insist on my own beliefs, but I should let him express himself more in life, so that he feels needed."

No wonder he rarely smiled at home before; his mood only improved after he took on the house repairs for Jingyan. Did he feel unwanted?

Aunt Yuan nodded in satisfaction: "That's right. Fortunately, you're not too stupid. Your son-in-law is a reliable and hardworking man. As long as you can understand his mind, your life will be secure."

The two groups chatted amongst themselves, which wasn't boring at all. When they arrived at Jingyan's house, Aunt Yuan went back to call people over. "Aunt Yuan, we can also call over Liu Qiang's brothers who worked on my house. Everyone can give us some advice."

Aunt Yuan nodded: "Okay, I'll tell him."

Yuan Xiaoling casually asked, "Do we need to use green vegetables to cook noodles? The ones in your yard haven't grown yet, I'll go home and pick some."

Jingyan didn't stand on ceremony with her: "Okay, then I'll trouble Sister Yuan to make the trip."

Yuan Xiaoling waved her hand, took her mother's arm, and left. Jing Yan closed the door, but didn't lock it. The couple went inside and put the two kittens down. The kittens were a little timid at first in their new place and ran directly under the sofa in the living room to hide themselves.

After confirming that the kitten wouldn't run away, the two stopped worrying about it. He Zhijun busied himself making noodles, while Jing Yan prepared a small pot of broth, added softened dried chili peppers and soybeans, lit the small coal stove they had brought from the Great Northern Wilderness, and started stewing the pot. As the pot slowly boiled, the aroma wafted out.

Yuan Xiaoling and her family led Lao Chen and his two companions this way. When they got close, they ran into a neighbor who had come out after smelling the aroma. What should have been a five-minute walk took Aunt Yuan half an hour. Yuan Xiaoling saw that her mother looked like she was going to promote Jingyan's place extensively, shook her head, greeted her, and, carrying the vegetables she had picked, led the men to Jingyan's house first.

When they reached the door, just as they were about to knock, the door was pushed open. The group entered and closed the door behind them. Jingyan was watching the fire in the yard. When she saw them come in, she smiled and said, "You've come. Where are the vegetables? Wash them, and you can put them in to cook noodles later."

Liu Qiang, holding the vegetable basket, said, "They're all here. I'll take them in. There are other vegetables too. Zhijun and I will cook them together. Mom is still in the back; she'll probably have to wait a while."

The others seemed a bit awkward, so Yuan Xiaoling said to Jing Yan, "Let me take them inside; it's not good for them to all be in the yard."

Jing Yan nodded: "We've known each other for a while now, so let's all be more comfortable."

Those were all men, and they were too embarrassed to stay in the courtyard with the two girls, so they followed Yuan Xiaoling into the main room and sat on the sofa. If there wasn't enough room, they moved two chairs from the dining table. They were quite uncomfortable, but fortunately, everyone around them was someone they knew and were familiar with, so they relaxed a lot after a while.

The two little cats had already run out from under the sofa, but because of the sudden influx of people, they ran into the bedroom in a panic and hid under the dressing table. However, they were so small that the big man, who was not very observant, didn't notice them at all.

When Aunt Yuan came in, the noodles were ready to be cooked, and even the stewed soybeans were soft and flavorful. Jing Yan asked, "Auntie, why did you take so long to come over? Is something the matter?"

Aunt Yuan sat down next to her without any hesitation and called out to Yuan Xiaoling, "Go get me a glass of water. I've been talking non-stop the whole way, I'm so thirsty."

Yuan Xiaoling quickly got up to pour her some water, while Aunt Yuan boasted to Jingyan about her culinary success: "The smell of your meat is really strong; all the neighbors came out because of it, and I happened to run into them!"

They asked me what brought such a large group of people here. Wasn't this a perfect opportunity to promote? I talked to them for a while, asking if I had finalized the pricing for the meat yet. They all wanted to try it.

Yuan Xiaoling handed the bowl of water to her mother: "This is all pure meat, and it's not cheap. Mom, will they really buy it?"

Aunt Yuan finished her water and handed the bowl to her daughter: "Don't underestimate our neighbors. If they say they don't have any ration coupons, that might be true, but if they say they don't have any money, that's not entirely true."

You're young and don't know what these people's family backgrounds were like before. Although they've given up a lot, even a broken boat has three pounds of nails; they weren't poor. It's just that they've become too cautious over the years, and older people who aren't close to them don't know their true situation and think they're all very poor.