Starting a new chapter in life

Jingyan acted immediately, getting up early the next morning to make breakfast. She didn't intend to make anything complicated, but seeing only one tomato, two eggs, a bunch of wilted greens, and half a scallion in the refrigerator...

She felt that even if she wanted to treat her son, there was nothing she could do. A skilled cook can't make a meal without rice, and besides, she wasn't exactly a skilled cook.

After searching the kitchen for a while, thankfully, there was half a bag of flour and quite a bit of rice. Well, that's alright. At least I have enough rice, flour, cooking oil, and various seasonings. I could only use these available ingredients to make a noodle soup.

Sauté chopped scallions in oil, then stir-fry the tomatoes. Add water, then add chopped greens. Once the water boils, make some small dough balls with flour and water, and add them to the boiling water.

Boil it a couple of times, add an egg and beat it into egg drop soup, add salt, turn off the heat and add a few drops of sesame oil. It may not be a fancy dish, but it's a warm and comforting breakfast.

He Jin'an woke up a little late today, mainly because the sofa was a bit soft. He was used to sleeping on a hard bed, so he had some insomnia. He originally planned to go downstairs to buy some breakfast after getting up and have a quick meal, but just as he was about to wash up, he smelled a delicious aroma.

Entering the kitchen, I was surprised to see Jingyan's bowl of dumpling soup: "Mom, we're out of vegetables. Did you go out to buy groceries so early in the morning? Do you even know where the market is?"

Jingyan glared at him: "I haven't left yet. I found some wilted vegetables in the refrigerator. I really can't cook anything good, so I made some dumpling soup to eat. It's hot and will make my stomach feel better. Your dad and I will go for a walk around in a while. If you're coming back tonight, remember to call me in advance and let me know what time you're coming back so I can cook."

"Your parents are here, we can't let you go hungry. It's not that you can't cook, you're just too busy to have time. I won't nag you anymore, so you won't get annoyed. Go wash up and eat something before you go to work."

He Jin went into the bathroom happily, tidied up, and came out in high spirits. He sat down at the dining table, picked up the big bowl, and started eating with slurping noises. Mmm, delicious, fragrant, and the temperature was just right.

He Zhijun put the broom in the corner of the balcony, washed his hands, and sat down. The three of them started showing off their food. While He Jin'an was serving himself a bowl, he said, "Mom and Dad, you don't need to worry about the housework. A housekeeper comes to clean every three days."

The spare key is on the table in the entryway. Remember to take it when you go out, and keep your phones with you. If you get lost, remember to call me and I'll come pick you up.

Jingyan waved her hand: "Just let them know about the housekeeping. She doesn't need to come while we're here. She can take over after we leave. Otherwise, what's your dad doing at home? After we've explored the area, I'll go with him to see some tourist attractions and have some fun."

Don't worry about these things. We're not old enough to need someone to watch over us. You go about your business; we can take care of ourselves. We won't get lost, don't worry. If all else fails, we can always get back by taxi with our address."

With Jingyan saying that, He Jin'an stopped worrying. After all, in his memory, his mother had always been very reliable. She had even taken his grandmother on a trip around the country before. This place shouldn't be lost.

After breakfast, he went to work. The elderly couple tidied up the house a bit, then left. Once outside the complex, they asked the security guard about the nearby market.

Well, although there are a lot of office buildings around here, the surrounding facilities are quite complete. There is a nice vegetable market nearby, and also a fairly large supermarket.

The elderly couple thought for a moment and went to the market to browse. The market had everything they needed and the produce was fairly fresh. However, the stalls selling fish and shrimp were not far from the stalls selling vegetables and meat, so the smells in the market were quite mixed, which was not a pleasant experience for someone with a sensitive nose.

Moreover, the ground of the market is made of cement, and with all kinds of stalls set up here, the ground is slippery. You have to be especially careful when walking near the seafood stalls. Compared with the clean and tidy environment of the seafood market, it is indeed lacking.

The two walked around for a while, randomly asked about the prices of a few vegetables, and after leaving the market, they went to the supermarket. The supermarket had a wide variety of goods, including food, drinks and daily necessities, so the environment inside was quite nice.

At least the fish and shrimp are located quite far from the vegetables and fruits, and in a corner. As long as you don't buy seafood, you can avoid going there. The ground is dry, and the goods are neatly arranged.

He Zhijun nodded: "This environment is quite nice, clean. By the way, should we buy some tissues, toothpaste, soap, and the like to take home?"

Jingyan nodded: "That's fine. We used new toothbrushes yesterday, and I noticed that An'an's family is out of stock. Let's buy more and keep them at home so they'll be convenient to use when needed."

I bought some snacks, paper products, and daily necessities, as well as two pairs of slippers. I didn't bring slippers with me this time, so I made do last night. I had to buy them all today since I found them.

After buying those, I went to buy some fruit, fresh milk, yogurt, bread, and finally vegetables and meat. My refrigerator was empty, and I really needed to replenish my food supplies.

The vegetables in the supermarket were neatly arranged and looked quite fresh, with clearly marked prices, though they were a bit more expensive than at the farmers' market. He Zhijun pointed to the Chinese cabbage: "This is one cent more expensive per pound than at the farmers' market, and this one is two cents more expensive..."

Jingyan realized that she had really underestimated He Zhijun's ability to manage the household. She used to handle all the shopping for the family, and she didn't know that he had such a good memory for prices. She was sure that if supermarkets allowed bargaining, he would definitely tell people the prices of vegetables at the market.

Suppressing a laugh, she said, "How about we pay for these first and take them home, then go to the market? If you're looking for freshest and cheapest vegetables, the market is definitely the better place."

And look, aren't the people buying groceries here similar to us? They buy other things first and then buy vegetables and meat on the side? And they're all relatively young?

Young people are busy with work and don't bother going to several places to compare prices when buying groceries; they just want convenience. So, even if supermarket prices are a bit higher, as long as they're not excessively high, they can still sell their products.

Most older people are like us, comparing prices at different stores, not just for quality but also for price. That's why there aren't many elderly people buying vegetables and meat here, right?

He Zhijun looked towards the vegetable section and saw that it was indeed the same pattern. He nodded, agreeing with Jing Yan's statement: "Then let's pay first, and then go to the market later."

"What should we make tonight? How about we make some dumplings? Make a lot, and freeze the rest. That way, when An'an doesn't want to cook, we can just boil a few for a meal."

Jingyan had no objection. "Sure, make two kinds of fillings. It's easy to get tired of eating only one kind. Hmm, buy two more pork bones and stew a big bone soup tonight. Tomorrow morning, use the bone soup to cook noodles with some greens. It'll be warm and comforting."

After queuing to pay, He Zhijun carried the heavier bags while Jing Yan carried the lighter ones. Fortunately, the supermarket was not far from the neighborhood, so walking back wasn't too tiring. After packing up, they checked the size of their soup pot and set off again.

Once at the market, Jingyan willingly relinquished control this time. He Zhijun only noticed that after elderly people bargained with the vendors and selected the vegetables they wanted to buy, he would ask the price and then haggle with them.

Although their family wasn't wealthy, they wouldn't be so petty about eighteen cents. Jingyan just saw how enthusiastically he was bargaining, and how happy he was even with only a five-cent or ten-cent discount, so she stopped bothering him.

After all, he felt a great sense of accomplishment after negotiating down the price, so she didn't want to spoil the fun.

After buying meat, eggs, and various vegetables, the two walked back together. He Zhijun sighed, "We've been married for over twenty years, and it seems like the only time we've gone shopping together is when we're buying New Year's goods."

And there are always a lot of people with us, you're always afraid of losing this or forgetting that, so we've never really had a proper chat while shopping. This should be the first time we've ever shopped quietly just the two of us.

Jingyan nodded: "Yes, when we first got married you were busy with work and we didn't have much money. We couldn't stop working back then, but you were very kind to me. When I went to set up a stall, you went with me and helped me a lot."

Later, you were busy with work, so it was only natural for me to take care of the family more. Grandma also helped me a lot back then, as did Sister Wang. To be honest, I wasn't overworked.

Now, although we can finally enjoy life, there are fewer and fewer people around us. In the end, it will just be the two of us relying on each other. Zhijun, you must take good care of yourself and spend more time with me. I don't want you to go before me; I want to be the one being cared for.

He Zhijun readily agreed: "Don't worry, I will definitely try to live a few more years and go after you, so that you won't be sad for me."

Back home, after changing into new slippers, the elderly couple started picking and washing vegetables, chopping meat, mixing the filling, kneading dough, and rolling out dumpling wrappers... Everyone says nothing tastes better than dumplings, because they're also quite a hassle to make.

Making dumplings takes at least half a day. If you're only making a small amount, you really don't want to bother. With the filling and wrappers prepared, Jingyan first started simmering the pork bone broth, letting it boil over low heat.

The two of them took the dumpling tray, along with the dumpling filling bowl and the work surface, and went to the dining table in the living room to get busy. After wrapping a tray full of dumplings, the plump, white dumplings looked really festive.

Pull out the freezer drawer, clean and dry it, then sprinkle a thin layer of flour to prevent sticking. Arrange the wrapped dumplings neatly inside, leaving gaps between them so they don't stick together and become difficult to separate.

Arrange a drawer, put it in the freezer, and it will be frozen solid in three or four hours. Then you can divide it into food bags, putting fifteen or sixteen in each bag, which is just enough for An'an's meal.

Today, dumplings were prepared. Tomorrow, Jingyan plans to make some pies. Frozen pies only need to be pan-fried until they are about 70-80% cooked. That way, when you want to eat them, you can just thaw them and put them back in the pan. Although they won't taste as good as freshly made ones, the flavor won't be too different.

There were also scallion pancakes, chili sauce, meat sauce... He Zhijun and Jing Yan suddenly realized that they had quite a lot to prepare for their stay with An'an.

When An'an came home in the evening, we drank the fragrant bone and corn soup and ate dumplings dipped in minced garlic sauce. I have to say, I felt incredibly happy.

Listening to Jingyan's rambling on about how many frozen dumplings she had put in the refrigerator, and how she was planning to make beef pies tomorrow... He Jin'an suddenly felt like she was back in her childhood.

His mother's nagging, home-cooked meals... Now, his career has improved, but it seems like he hasn't experienced this kind of warmth and comfort for a long time.

After dinner, An'an helped clean up the kitchen, and Jingyan brewed another pot of tea. The family of three sat on the sofa watching TV and drinking tea. After the news broadcast started, Jingyan didn't like watching the news and said she wanted to go out for a walk to digest her food.

An'an was happy to accompany them. The three of them left the community and headed towards the square where people were most concentrated. It was very lively there, with adults playing with their children. The sounds of children running, jumping, and laughing filled the air, creating a real sense of life.

He Jin'an saw a stall selling sweetened water and bought a cup for her mother. After buying it, she turned around and looked in Jingyan's direction. He Zhijun was holding Jingyan's hand, and they were standing together under the streetlight watching the children playing.

The tranquility of life and the warmth of growing old together stirred something within him. It seemed that he should indeed consider his own marriage. Having someone to accompany him for life seemed like a very good thing.

Because he wanted a wife, He Jin'an really took a good look at the women around him in his spare time from work. Unfortunately, they were all women he had known for a long time, and he couldn't feel any attraction to them.

He told Jingyan how he felt, and Jingyan smiled and patted his head, comforting him: "You can't rush things when it comes to relationships. You can't just choose someone casually because you want to get married."

Throughout history, men have always had an advantage over women. If you make the wrong choice, the worst that can happen is divorce and financial loss. You can always find another unmarried young woman later.

But for women, the price is high. Not only are second marriages limited in terms of finding a partner, but there's also no guarantee of meeting a good one. For your own sake and for the sake of others, you can't be in a rush.

When the time is right, your heart will tell you, "She's the one." At that point, you won't let work or pride prevent you from finding her.

"Mom, aren't you and Dad really in a hurry to have grandchildren?" He Jin'an asked sincerely. Many of his male colleagues were being pressured to get married by their families when they were just over twenty-four or twenty-five, all because their parents wanted to have grandchildren. But his own mother had never pressured him to get married.

Jingyan was shocked: "Holding a grandson or granddaughter? Your father and I were just about to go out and have a good time, to enjoy a few more years of our life as a couple. If you want me to hold a grandson or granddaughter, how can we still go out and have fun?"

Besides, I haven't spent much time with you and Zhizhi. What, now that I'm old, do I have to become a slave to my children? I must be out of my mind.

I'm thinking that if either you or Zhizhi have a child in the future, it would be best if your in-laws were willing to help take care of the child. If they're not willing, and you young people don't have the time, then we should hire a nanny to take care of the child full-time.

I'll pay for the nanny. That way, we won't live together, but we can get together occasionally. This will prevent the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from becoming too strained, and it will also help maintain harmony in your family. As for me, I'm happy to have some peace of mind.