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

At dusk, the ancient town exudes an alluring charm, from its ancient stone bridges to its tranquil river. As the sun gradually sets and the sunlight dims, casting a warm afterglow, the trees lining the streets appear even greener, and the ancient houses seem more mysterious and enchanting in the twilight, like a beautiful ink painting; as if a thousand years of history are slowly flowing by, and a serene beauty permeates the air.

Shi Renmei returned home happily, proudly took out two bags of "Hero" brand milk powder from her bag, waved them in front of Xiuzhi, and said, "This milk powder was just produced by Nanshi Dairy Factory this year. It's newly launched and very scarce. I had to ask many friends to help me get it."

Wang Xiuzhi was patting the sleeping Liu Yatou, and put her finger to her lips, saying, "Keep your voice down, she just fell asleep."

She gently placed the baby on the bed before picking up a bag of formula and examining the label closely under the kerosene lamp. "This formula is so nutritious! The little girl is so lucky!" she exclaimed joyfully. Then, she carefully put the bag away, her face beaming with happiness. "I just fed her some egg custard. She's eight months old now, time for solid foods. I'll try to get some eggs tomorrow; one egg a day is the best for nourishing a baby."

"Okay!" Shi Renmei replied with a smile. Together with Wang Xiuzhi, they picked up the kerosene lamp and tiptoed to the table in the main room, afraid of waking the baby.

On the table were a plate of stir-fried eggplant with minced meat, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, half a bowl of steamed egg custard, a small dish of fermented bean curd and coarse grain porridge. Shi Renmei looked at them, and as she sat down, she picked up her bowl and chopsticks and said, "Leave the steamed egg custard for Liu Yatou. She will definitely be hungry when she wakes up at night. Put it on the stove and steam it over low heat to keep it warm."

Wang Xiuzhi got up, covered the steamed egg custard with a plate, put it in the cupboard, and then sat down and said, "Old Shi, I need to discuss something with you. What do you think would be a good name for her?"

Shi Renmei pondered for a moment, then said excitedly, "What about Shi Huai? Actually, Huaiyu is quite good too. Cultured people all choose different names." He thought for a while longer and then said, "However, let's change a character. Do you have an idea in mind? Tell me quickly."

Wang Xiuzhi said shyly, "I've been thinking about it all day. I just hope she grows up smoothly, so let's name her Huai'an! Shi Huai'an! What do you think of the name?"

She then removed a red-knotted necklace from her neck, from which hung a teardrop-shaped, milky-white jade stone. She held the jade stone in her palm, lost in thought:

“This was left to me by my mother. Although it’s just a very ordinary piece of jade and not worth much money, it was blessed by a master back then. My mother always said she hoped that I would be safe and sound in this chaotic world. It’s just a pity that my mother had a hard life and left early, leaving all her good fortune to me so that I could live a peaceful life. I also want to pass on this good fortune to her so that she can always be safe, healthy and safe.”

Wang Xiuzhi was as gentle and mild-mannered as a lamb throughout her life. She never argued with anyone and always obeyed her husband at home. Even her sisters-in-law could be above her, yet she never complained.

Especially after the death of her biological son, she felt as if the sky was about to fall, and at only 36 years old, she was already like a withered flower.

However, at this moment, her eyes were clear and firm, as if life had been revitalized and radiated a dazzling light, which moved Shi Renmei deeply.

He gently embraced his wife, his eyes moist, and nodded repeatedly, murmuring, "Okay, Huai'an, it sounds so nice. Let's call her Huai'an, for a lifetime of peace."

……

However, because Xiao Huai'an was weaned early, children who lack breast milk have poor health and are vulnerable. The functions of various systems in their bodies and their immunity are affected, making them susceptible to diseases and frequently getting sick.

Huai'an sometimes gets a high fever in the middle of the night, his cheeks turn red, and beads of sweat cling to his forehead, making him look like a ripe little shrimp.

Wang Xiuzhi was very anxious, hoping that she could recover quickly and become lively again.

She fed Huai'an medicine spoonful by spoonful, used cold towels to cool him down repeatedly, wiped his palms and soles, and even learned infant massage. But sometimes, illness comes like a landslide and goes like a slow, drawn-out process, and no technique can be effective immediately.

The common flu usually has a week to heal on its own, but concern can lead to confusion. Although Xiuzhi has taken care of many children for others and can talk about other people's children in great detail, when it came to Huai'an, Xiuzhi was so anxious that tears streamed down her face and she was at a loss.

The child usually gets a fever in the middle of the night. No matter how bad the weather is, the couple will hurriedly get dressed in the middle of the night, take their little Huai'an to the hospital, register, wait, and consult a doctor.

Although I was exhausted, seeing Huai'an in pain while waiting for the doctor was heartbreaking. I was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, silently chanting Amitabha Buddha... hoping that she could get better soon and not suffer any aftereffects.

Due to limitations in medical resources, it was common for children who contracted meningitis and fever to suffer from sequelae such as limb movement disorders, intellectual developmental delays, and epileptic seizures due to delayed treatment; some children even contracted polio from fever, resulting in paralysis...

When adults argue, they often blurt out things like, "Did you have meningitis when you were little? Did the fever make you stupid?" This is like a very poisonous curse to a child.

When Huai'an was feeling unwell, Xiuzhi wept along with him; when Huai'an refused to take his medicine, Xiuzhi patiently coaxed him and anxiously stayed by his side; she even went to the temple to burn incense and kowtow, praying to the Bodhisattva for mercy and to bless her child with good health. What one believes in is not important; what matters is the psychological comfort it provides; even last-minute pleas are acceptable, as long as they work…

Shi Huai'an grew up under the loving care of his adoptive parents. The couple doted on Huai'an immensely, wanting to give him everything they had to provide him with the best resources and love.

Although the family was not well-off, they always made sure Huai'an ate the best food first, and if they had good fabric, they would immediately think of making new clothes for him.

The couple worked together seamlessly. Wang Xiuzhi tended to the cigarette stall at the alley entrance while caring for little Huai'an. During the day, Shi Renmei would carry a wooden box filled with cigarettes on her back and sell them outside cinemas or theaters. On her way home, she would always bring back some biscuits or candies for little Huai'an. In the evenings, she would play with Huai'an, letting him ride on her back like a horse, sharing the day's gossip and funny stories, while Xiuzhi sat beside her sewing shoe soles. The family was filled with laughter and warmth.

Since having a child, their previously mundane and even somewhat gloomy life seemed to be suddenly infused with a magical power, becoming full of hope and vitality. The arrival of this little life was like a bright star, illuminating the softest corner of their hearts and allowing them to rediscover the beauty and infinite possibilities of life.

Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight stream into the room, they gently wake their daughter, watching her stretch sleepily and then reveal an innocent smile. At that moment, they feel immense happiness, because they know that this is the family warmth they have always longed for.

As time went by, their daughter began to walk, stumbling and exploring the world. They always followed anxiously behind, afraid she would fall and get hurt, but at the same time, they couldn't help but feel proud of her courage and curiosity. Every time she took a successful step, they would cheer and applaud her.

When Huai'an got a little older, Shi Renmei would often get up very early in the morning and take little Huai'an out happily, ostensibly to exercise, but actually to look for delicious food all over the streets.

He lifted Huai'an high above his head, and little Huai'an skillfully wrapped his legs around his father's neck, as if riding on horseback, looking up at the sky. The last star in the sky was about to disappear into the morning light, the distant mountains rose and fell, and smoke curled from the depths of the nearby street. This feeling made little Huai'an feel very safe and engrossed.

She took a deep breath of fresh air, pointed her little finger at the pale blue mountain silhouette on the horizon that looked like an ink painting, and asked curiously, "Daddy, the mountain is so far away, do immortals live in it?"

Shi Renmei quickly reached out to support Huai'an's waist and hips, afraid that she would fall, and replied with a smile, "There are gods watching over us, the gods will protect us!"

"Are there any monsters that eat children?" Huai'an then asked.

"Haha... After the founding of the People's Republic of China, monsters dared not come out to cause trouble anymore. All those demons and monsters disappeared without a trace," Shi Renmei joked.

"Hahaha... Mom says the Monkey King is the best at catching demons..." Little Huai'an laughed happily.

This feeling of being valued and loved by his parents is something Xiao Huai'an will never forget.

They chatted and laughed all the way from the old alleyway to near the Seventh Primary School. Under a sycamore tree, they found a food stall. An elderly man with a wrinkled face and a slightly hunched back used a chopstick in his right hand to pick up a bit of minced meat from a bowl of chopped and seasoned meat filling. He quickly and deftly rolled it onto a wonton wrapper in his left hand, then gently gathered it up with his palm to make a wonton. He placed it on a plate next to him, which was half-covered with a piece of gauze and piled high with wontons. Another stall was filled with alkaline noodles.

These wonton carrying poles were very common at the time, and were also known as "wonton poles" by the people. As the name suggests, a wonton carrying pole consists of a carrying pole with two ends and a flat pole in the middle. One end has a cabinet containing wonton wrappers or alkaline noodles, meat filling, wrapped wontons, condiments, bowls, and spoons. The other end has a stove, an iron pot, and several pots of soup. This simple equipment makes up a small kitchen.

They could carry their wares on a shoulder pole, walking through the streets and alleys. When setting up a late-night food stall, they would stop under a lamppost at the entrance of an alley, banging on a bamboo clapper and calling out, "Shrimp soup, shredded pork noodles!" Children would come running with bowls or small pots upon hearing the call. Those setting up early morning stalls would use a handcart to pull themselves to a fixed location, setting up a few movable wooden tables and benches, which was very convenient.

These childhood scenes are forever etched in my memory; they were rarely seen in the 1990s...

It was still early, the morning light was just beginning to break, and there were few pedestrians on the street. There weren't many people going to school or work, and only a few sanitation workers were sweeping the streets with large bamboo brooms.

Little Huai'an said in his childish voice, "Grandpa, give me a bowl of clear soup."

In Jingshi, wontons are called "clear soup" or "flat food," in Shanghai people they are called "wonton," and in Fujian they are called "wonton."

There's an old joke circulating among the locals about a man named Li Si from Jingzhou who went on a business trip. When he went to a breakfast shop to buy wontons, he spoke in broken Jingzhou dialect, typical of his hometown: "How much is a bowl of clear soup? Give me a bowl of clear soup, please~"

The Shanghai waiter was puzzled but didn't want to refuse, so he aloofly filled a bowl with cold water and placed it in front of him, saying, "Thank you for your patronage, but a bowl of water is free."

Li Si was extremely embarrassed. In the end, he could only point to the menu and order another bowl of wontons, explaining hastily, "I ordered wontons, not plain water. Where I'm from, we call wontons in clear broth..."

The misunderstanding was cleared up, which caused a burst of laughter from the surrounding diners. The waiter and the business traveler both learned a lot.

……

The old man greeted his regular customers, young and old, with a warm smile: "Would you like the dried shrimp and seaweed again?"

"Mmm," Xiao Huai'an swallowed hard, staring longingly at the steaming pot.

"The little girl is so pretty, fair-skinned and chubby. She's definitely her parents' darling. They're so lucky." The old man chuckled and chatted, his hands never stopping. "It'll be ready soon."

The hot water on one side of the carrying pole was already boiling, emitting plumes of steam. The old man, wearing an apron and sleeves, skillfully counted out ten wrapped wontons and tossed them into the steaming pot.

Little Huai'an stared intently at the old man's movements, afraid of missing a single detail. When the water boiled again, the wontons floated to the surface, like sparkling pieces of jade rising and falling on the water.

The old man skillfully used a long-handled bamboo ladle to scoop up wontons and pour them into a porcelain bowl filled with a broth of dried shrimp, seaweed, and scallions. He then placed the bowl on a small wooden table and said with a beaming smile, "You little girl, you've learned it all! You're ready to graduate!"

Shi Renmei smiled sheepishly upon hearing this, quickly helped Xiao Huai'an sit up, scooped up the food with a spoon, and slowly fed her while blowing on it to cool it down.

A bowl of fragrant and delicious wontons can instantly tantalize your taste buds. The delicate wrappers and savory fillings, with each bite, are like a taste of pure bliss. This is a dish that you will never forget, a food filled with the love of your adoptive parents.

Huai'an often stole snacks from home to treat her friends.

It's important to understand that in those impoverished and difficult times, Huai'an's lifestyle was far superior to that of most people.

In the early days of the People's Republic of China, the workload was heavy and there was a severe shortage of labor in all sectors. Under these circumstances, the government learned from the practices of its elder brother and introduced policies to encourage childbirth, established titles such as "Glorious Mother" and "Heroic Mother", and gave encouragement and rewards to women who gave birth to 5 or 10 children.

Most people lacked awareness and methods of contraception. It's no exaggeration to say that having four or seven children was not considered a lot, and women would give birth as soon as they became pregnant, continuing until they reached menopause and could no longer have children. Granny Wang at the end of the alley had eleven children, although her fourth child died of childhood tuberculosis at the age of three.

Chinese demographer Ma Chu once jokingly said, "China's large population is mainly due to the lack of electricity in rural areas."

Indeed, even in the city there are corners where the lights don't reach, and there's no electricity at night and no entertainment activities, so people go to bed early to start the baby-making process.

There are even cases where mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are in postpartum confinement together. Some women give birth to children with a wide age range, resulting in a reversal of generational age differences in the family. For example, there are amusing stories of nephews being older than uncles, or nephews and uncles being classmates.

Some of the youngest children still have runny noses, yet they've already reached the rank of great-uncle, great-aunt, great-grandmother, etc., which is both funny and absurd.

Families with many children lived a very difficult life, sometimes even going hungry, with the children's clothes patched and patched. Meat was a rare treat, and everyone lived a life of extreme frugality.