Rebooting 60, let's go on a rampage with the orange cat!

Shi Huai'an blinked her big eyes and said with a smile, "Are you hungry? I'm feeling a bit hungry right now! I've thought of something delicious, you wait!" With that, she enthusiastically plunged into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cupboards looking for ingredients.

Shi Huai'an skillfully took a bag of flour from the cupboard, gently placed it on the cutting board, then rolled up her sleeves, reached into the flour bag with both hands, and carefully scooped some flour into a large bowl. Next, she picked up a water glass and slowly added an appropriate amount of warm spiritual spring water to the bowl. Well, that's just how extravagant she was.

Without an electronic scale, I have to rely on my intuition. At home, I could use a stand mixer to knead the dough, but now it's all by hand. Making the dough for chive pancakes is quite simple; no yeast is needed. Just add water, a pinch of salt, oil, and flour, and knead together.

She stirred the flour continuously with chopsticks until it gradually blended together and formed a cotton-like texture. Only then did she begin to knead the dough vigorously until she produced a soft and smooth ball. Afterward, Shi Huai'an covered the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest quietly for a while.

Gu Jingxing, who had been waiting in the living room, finally couldn't contain his curiosity after hearing a series of clanging sounds coming from the kitchen. He quietly walked to the kitchen door and peeked inside.

The chubby orange dog also ran in and out, jumping up and down, as it loved watching its little owner busy itself.

When Gu Jingxing saw Shi Huai'an standing in front of the stove chopping the filling, he couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise and blurted out, "Wow, are you sure you really know how to make chive pancakes? It seems a bit dubious to me..."

Hearing this, Shi Huai'an turned around, winked playfully at Gu Jingxing, and then smiled confidently, "Haha, don't worry! Trust my skills, the chive pancakes I make later will be so delicious you won't be able to stop eating them!"

"I'll help." Gu Jingxing walked in with great interest.

Huai'an said, "No need, no need. You're a wounded patient today, so I'll cook for you. After all, it was all because of me, so it's only right that I cook for you."

Shi Huai'an was chopping green chives. A type of vegetarian pancake that was very popular in Jing City in later generations was filled with chives and tofu. It was very fresh and delicious. Nowadays, state-run restaurants only sell meat buns.

Shi Huai'an sometimes makes it herself when she craves it, but she modifies the recipe. For the filling, she chops drained chives and sets them aside; she also cuts white tofu into small cubes, blanchs them, and drains them; then she minces meat, adds four or five eggs, stir-fries them together, adds seasonings, mixes the chives and tofu together, and drizzles with sesame oil. The filling is now ready. Originally, she would also add soaked Longkou vermicelli, but she can't buy it now, so she skips it. She could have modified the filling according to local specialties, as long as it tastes good. She tinkers with it while her mother isn't home, otherwise her mother would be heartbroken to see so many eggs added.

After the dough has rested for about half an hour, you can divide it into appropriately sized portions and roll them into round wrappers. It doesn't matter if they are a little bigger. Use the same technique as making steamed buns to wrap the filling and make pleats so that the filling doesn't leak out. After wrapping, turn the pleated side down and press it down slightly. That's it.

Shi Huai'an counted and found she had made 20 in total. Seeing Gu Jingxing still watching, she casually asked, "How are they? Not bad, right?"

Gu Jingxing gave a thumbs up and said, "Awesome! Awesome!"

Shi Huai'an put oil in the pan, and once the oil was hot, she put four chive pancakes in. She turned on medium heat and asked, "Does your head still hurt? Are you feeling any better?"

Gu Jingxing had almost forgotten his headache, but after she reminded him, he reached out and touched the wound, making a "Huh~" sound. "Tsk~ It seems to not hurt anymore, and it's even scabbed over."

He chuckled to himself, and Shi Huai'an smiled to himself as well. He flipped the chive pancake in the pan over and said, "Look, isn't it beautifully fried, golden brown?"

Gu Jingxing also got itchy and said, "You're not much taller than the pot, I'll fry them!"

Seeing him reach for the pot, Shi Huai'an had no choice but to give it to him. However, she immediately added a little bit of spiritual spring water to the pot and said, "Use medium-low heat. Once the water has evaporated, it's ready to serve. This cooks very easily. The filling is mostly undercooked, except for the chives, which are raw."

Soon the water evaporated and the pan was ready. Gu Jingxing followed the previous steps and fried another batch, making a total of eight, which he then served. The two sat facing each other, with a sumptuous feast laid out before them, its aroma filling the air.

After exchanging a smile, they eagerly picked up their chopsticks and began to feast. The aroma of chives and eggs was incredibly stimulating to their taste buds; it was simply delicious. In no time, Gu Jingxing had eaten five, and Shi Huai'an had eaten three, finishing off all the chive pancakes on the plate.

Meanwhile, in the corner, the chubby orange dog, smelling the aroma of food, didn't approach but quietly hid to the side, enjoying its beloved freeze-dried treat. Dodo squinted its eyes, holding a piece of freeze-dried treat in its little paws, chewing contentedly and savoring its meal.

Gu Jingxing patted his round belly and said, "Shall I go and fry some for Uncle and Aunt?"

Shi Huai'an looked at his forehead; the wound had subsided and was no longer very noticeable. He said, "No need. This should be eaten while it's hot; it won't taste good when it's cold. You should go home now. Try not to touch the wound with tap water. I also need to hurry up and study."

Gu Jingxing laughed and said, "You're working so hard! I'll go back and study too. I got fourth place last time, and my mom said I went crazy during the summer vacation and should get back to studying. Thanks for the hospitality!" He got on his bike and turned back to ask, "What other activities do you have tomorrow?"

Shi Huai'an shook his head and said, "No, I won't be going to school for the next couple of days. I need to study hard."

Gu Jingxing nodded and rode his bike home.

When the Shi couple came home from get off work, they were surprised to see Huai'an making chive pancakes for them: "Who made these?"

Shi Huai'an said calmly, "My classmate brought some to school for me to eat. I thought it was delicious, so I tried making it myself. I didn't expect it to be so successful. You should try it too." She fried the remaining 12 pieces. If she couldn't finish them, she planned to eat them the next morning.

Mr. and Mrs. Shi also praised the food highly, saying they were very lucky to have such a delicious meal.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Master Liu's voice came from outside: "Is Old Shi home?"

Shi Renmei quickly ran to open the door and said with a smile, "Oh my, what an honored guest! Please come in quickly."

Master Liu strode in, a black briefcase tucked under his arm and a small cardboard box in his hand, shouting, "Haha, I could smell the delicious aroma from outside! What yummy treat have you made?"

Huai'an quickly stepped forward and took the box from Master Liu's hands, saying, "Master, what good thing is this?"

Xiuzhi carefully placed a brand-new set of bowls and chopsticks on the table with a smile and said, "Master Liu, please have a seat! Come and try the chive pancakes that Huai'an made himself."

Upon hearing this, Master Liu's face immediately lit up with joy. He strode to his seat without any hesitation, plopped down, and quickly reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a steaming, fragrant chive pancake. He then took a small bite.

As Master Liu chewed on the delicious food, he kept nodding and praising, "Mmm, really good! It's so delicious! I didn't expect Huai'an to have such good skills. This chive pancake is absolutely amazing! In my opinion, Huai'an, you should give up studying traditional Chinese medicine and go to a culinary school to learn how to make pastries. Becoming an excellent pastry chef in the future would be wonderful!"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone present burst into laughter. Xiuzhi laughed so hard she almost fell over. She affectionately put her arm around Huai'an's shoulder and said coquettishly, "Haha, you're right! She's such a little foodie! All she does is think about how to make delicious food." After she finished speaking, another burst of hearty laughter echoed in the room.

Master Liu devoured two pancakes in quick succession before finally putting down his chopsticks with satisfaction. He stretched out his thick, calloused hand and gently patted the small box beside him, his face beaming with pride and joy as he said, "Come and open it! This is the radio my precious son just brought back from the provincial capital!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Renmei's eyes lit up. He had already heard Huai'an mention that his master would help buy the four major items. He quickly stood up and hurriedly walked to the small box with Xiuzhi, who was also full of anticipation.

The two carefully opened the box and took out the radio. The radio was small and exquisite, with a dazzling golden luster on its casing, resembling a fine work of art.

Shi Renmei gently turned on the radio. At first, she only heard a slight buzzing sound, but then a clear and melodious voice came from the small box: "The little horn is broadcasting!" Then, a lively and cheerful melody flowed into everyone's heart like a clear spring.

Drawn by the beautiful sound, everyone gathered around. Curious and excited, they stared at the magical little box, constantly trying to adjust the frequency. Each channel change brought a different style of program and music, immersing everyone in the experience. The room was filled with laughter and joy, creating a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Seeing the Shi family so happy, Master Liu felt quite pleased. He got up, closed the front door tightly, closed the windows, and drew the curtains. Then he walked to the table and mysteriously lowered his voice, saying, "Old Shi, I've come to tell you that I've taken care of everything Huai'an asked me to do. Let me tell you first."

The Shi family of three quickly sat down and listened attentively to what Master Liu had to say.

Master Liu, beaming with excitement, recounted how he sold the 30-year-old ginseng to a seriously ill senior official. Originally, the ginseng was of excellent quality and could have been worth much more, but the official couldn't afford that much upfront and only gave him five thousand. However, the official said he owed Huai'an a huge favor, and that Huai'an could always ask him for help in the provincial capital, whether for work or emergencies. Master Liu figured he wouldn't find a better buyer anytime soon, and besides, leaving a goodwill might come in handy for Huai'an in the future.

Master Liu handed Huai'an a blank envelope, grinning as he said, "His phone number and address are in here. Whether he's here or not, his family will help you. There's another important thing: he specifically wrote down the receipt for the ginseng purchase in case someone investigates the source of this money later. It serves as proof, so keep it safe and don't lose it!"

Upon hearing this, Huai'an realized how important connections were these days, and carefully put the item away.

Master Liu pulled a piece of paper and three watches from his black briefcase, grinning as he said, “Look, these are Rodonna watches. Three watch vouchers aren’t easy to come by. One is a men’s watch, and two are women’s watches, each costing 98 yuan. And this radio is a Panda brand, 128 yuan. I’ve brought these little trinkets over for you now. Tomorrow, you can come to my house and bring back the bicycle and sewing machine. I’ve written them all down on this paper.”

He shook the paper and handed it to Shi Renmei. The paper read: 30-year-old ginseng sold for 5000 yuan; a Butterfly brand sewing machine cost 286 yuan; a Phoenix brand women's double-bar bicycle cost 198 yuan; a Panda brand radio cost 128 yuan; three Rondôme watches cost 98 yuan each, totaling 294 yuan; a total of 906 yuan was spent, leaving 4094 yuan.

Then, as if by magic, he took out a passbook and a bundle of five-yuan bills from his black briefcase and said, "The amount is quite large and it's not easy to carry. I've deposited 4000 yuan in a Bank of China passbook for Huai'an. Tomorrow, you can exchange this current account passbook for a fixed deposit; the interest will be higher. Here's the remaining 94 yuan; count it."

Why the five-yuan denomination? Because although the third set of Renminbi had already begun circulating in 1959, the ten-yuan banknote didn't start circulating until 1965. At that time, the second set of Renminbi was in circulation, with the largest denomination being five yuan. If you were to exchange 4000 yuan for five-yuan notes, you'd probably need a small sack to carry them all!

Huai'an poured a cup of spiritual spring water for his master and said with a smile, "Master, you've worked so hard today, and you even brought it to us personally. Thank you so much!"

Master Liu sipped the spiritual spring water, savoring it carefully, and said, "I can't accept your ginseng for nothing. This little favor is nothing. But this water is really delicious. Did you add sugar?"

Huai'an scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. Master Liu then chuckled and said, "Eat less sugar. Sometimes quitting sugar is harder than quitting smoking. I'm off." After giving his instructions, he hurriedly left.

The elderly Mr. and Mrs. Shi were so excited, holding the bankbook, that they couldn't speak. They were utterly shocked—four thousand yuan! That was a huge sum of money back then. They only snapped out of their daze after Mr. Liu left, and were a little flustered, mainly because they had never seen so much money before.

现在的大米平均价格为0.149-0.205元/斤，食用花生油价格为0.86-0.88元/斤，猪肉价格为0.85-1元/斤，带鱼价格0.305-0.38元/斤，一斤鸡蛋八九毛钱……

A worker's daily wage is around one yuan, while a farmer's daily wage is roughly between 0.5 and one yuan. One yuan and 0.5 is equivalent to more than one or two days' income, and public rental housing only costs a few yuan per month.

Four thousand yuan was an astronomical figure for the Shi family. It was a pity that they couldn't buy houses back then, otherwise they could have bought a big house for a few hundred to a thousand yuan.

In the 50s and 60s, my country implemented a planned economy with guaranteed supply. Housing was allocated by the state, so buying and selling houses was not allowed and was illegal. At that time, there were basically no private residences; housing was allocated by work units or rented from the housing management bureau. Both types of housing only granted the right to reside, not ownership, so they could not be bought or sold.

The family discussed it and decided to split their current account into several fixed-term accounts tomorrow to earn interest, since keeping the money at home wasn't safe.

Huai'an then took out two bicycle tickets he had prepared and said, "I found these two bicycle tickets in the cave the other day. You can buy two more bicycles for convenience when you go to work. Take 500 yuan tomorrow and keep it at home for future use."

Shi Renmei thought for a moment and said, "If we buy so many at once, people will definitely suspect where the money came from. Besides, the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow. I think it would be better to buy another men's car. I'll take Xiuzhi to work every day, and the two of us can share one car."

Xiuzhi also said, "I know you mean well, but it's better to live frugally and not squander money as soon as you have it."

Huai'an then said, "Okay, let's buy another men's bike. Mom can ride the women's one for now. I'm still too short to ride a bike right now. We'll buy another one when I'm taller in a few years."