In the silent place

"New...Happy New Year." Zhan Zhao felt his legs tremble a little, neither advancing nor retreating.

Liu Rong looked at the back of her nephew standing at the entrance of the hall, and felt that something was wrong, so she stood up and wanted to help her.But Zhan Zhao turned around and walked back to the living room, except that his lips were a little pale, his expression was the same as usual, still as gentle as jade.After a while, the son walked in with a handsome young man.

"Mom, don't you have good eyesight, guess who this is?" Jiang Dong started teasing his mother.

"Looks familiar...Xiao Dong, this is your friend, please invite someone to sit down." Liu Rong looked at Bai Yutang, thinking to herself, her nephew is a rare handsome baby, and this young man is also very handsome. A show of talent.Turning his head and glancing at his son again, he could only sigh.

"Dad, Mom, this is my 'boss', Bai Yutang."

"Mr. Bai, hello." Jiang Yewan greeted him first. In fact, he was also thinking about how to address Bai Yutang. Since his son introduced him as the boss, he thought it would be better for him to use his honorific title.

No wonder it looks familiar, I have seen it on TV.With this nervousness, Liu Rong's mouth became messed up. "Hello, Boss Bai."

When Jiang Dong heard his mother's name, he fell into the sofa laughing so hard that he burst into tears.

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt, you are too polite. Don't listen to Jiang Dong's nonsense, what boss is not the boss." Bai Yutang said, glanced at Zhan Zhao, saw that the other party was absent-minded, and said: "Zhan Zhao and I also We have known each other for many years, and today is just a good time to wish you two elders a new year."

"It's a coincidence, Xiao Zhao, why didn't you say that?" Liu Rong was happy. Since Zhan Zhao fell ill in the third year of university and Jiang Yewan brought him here from City A, she hadn't seen Zhan Zhaohe. What friend walked around.For a while, he was always silent, and she was even afraid that he would suffer from depression or something.

"We are classmates in high school." Zhan Zhao remained calm on the face, but his heart was extremely nervous, his heart was pounding, afraid that his aunt would mention his illness back then. "Aunt, you and uncle can continue watching the DVD, let's go to my room to chat." Zhan Zhao said, and went to pull Jiang Dong on the sofa.

"No, no, you sit down. It's almost noon, I'll have dinner with your aunt, and Mr. Bai will stay for lunch later, you haven't seen each other for so many years, just have a good chat." Jiang Yewan said After finishing, he took his wife and walked out of the living room together.

"Jiang Dong, tell uncles and aunts that I won't eat here, and I'll come back another day when I'm free." Bai Yutang was always a little uncomfortable seeing Zhan Zhao, except when he entered the door, he almost didn't look at him directly, feeling a little depressed.

Jiang Dong straightened up from the sofa, and was about to reply to Bai Yutang's words, seeing Zhan Zhao still standing beside him in a daze, with an indescribably pale face, his heart skipped a beat. "Are you all right?" He asked in a low voice, pulling Zhan Zhao's arm.

Zhan Zhao shook his head, suddenly remembered something, turned around and said to Bai Yutang, "Let's go out to eat."

Bai Yutang's heart warmed, he smiled and nodded to Zhan Zhao. "good."

Liu Rong came in with a tea tray. She specially used the blue and white cloisonné tea set that she bought a few years ago.Zhan Zhao stepped forward to pick it up, but Liu Rong turned around and avoided it.

"Aunt, you and uncle don't bother to make up, let's go out to eat." Zhan Zhao followed behind Liu Rong, just wanting to quickly pull Bai Yutang out.

Putting the tea tray on the coffee table, Liu Rong looked at her nephew with reproachful eyes. "It's cold outside, don't go out and run. Turn around..."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Zhao hurried forward to grab his aunt, pushed and pushed her to the outside of the living room, with a flattering smile on his face. "My friend has always been tricky and can't get used to the food at home, so I'll take him out to eat."

"You child, why do you say that about him?" Liu Rong couldn't help laughing, this child was acting coquettishly with her in front of outsiders.

When Bai Yutang next to him heard this, he was annoyed and funny, and a little puzzled.Why does Zhan Zhao want to go out like that?I thought of pulling him out as a shield.Could it be that his uncle and aunt's cooking is terrible?Or is he too strict on weekdays?But looking at the second elder's benevolent eyebrows, it doesn't look like it... But after thinking about it, Zhan Zhao exposed him just now, and he felt a little happy.This is a friendly gesture, right?Thinking of this, a bright smile appeared on Bai Yutang's face.

Jiang Yewan, wearing an apron around his waist, also followed to join in the fun. "What are you two talking about here?" Looking at his nephew and his wife, Jiang Yewan raised his head and asked into the living room, "Mr. Bai, are you taboo?"

"Don't be jealous, uncle, I..."

"Dad, Xiao Zhao said he wants to go out to eat." Jiang Dong rushed to talk.

"My friend has a bad taste and is not easy to serve. I'd better bring..."

"Huh? Don't believe in uncle's cooking skills?" Jiang Yewan turned to look at Zhan Zhao. He is a first-class chef in the country, and the most taboo thing is that others doubt his cooking skills.

"No, Uncle..." Once Jiang Yewan's strength came up, he was helpless, especially with his culinary skills.Zhan Zhao was so anxious that his forehead was sweating.

"Mr. Bai, try my handicraft later, I promise you won't regret it." Sure enough, Jiang Yewan's old boy's temper was aroused again.

"Okay, uncle." Bai Yutang replied cheerfully.

"That's right, Xiao Zhao, let your uncle show off today and let him show off." Even Liu Rong turned to his wife.

Zhan Zhao still held his aunt's arm, but he couldn't even utter a single rebuttal.He looked up at the people in the living room, and whispered a few words into his aunt's ear when Bai Yutang was not paying attention.After hearing this, Liu Rong looked up at him with distressed eyes.After a while, he lowered his head and patted the back of his nephew's hand lightly. "Old Jiang, let the children talk." Liu Rong said, smiling and nodding at Bai Yutang, pulling her wife back to the kitchen.

Looking at the back of the two elders talking in a low voice, Zhan Zhao's heart finally slowly returned to its original place.

In the kitchen, Liu Rong kept wiping away tears.She felt that she was more sad in her heart than when she saw her nephew lying on the bed without a friend by her side.He knew that his nephew was very strong. He fell ill when he was training in the mountains at the Armed Police University, and was sent back to the city by the instructor for medical treatment when he finally died.At the end of the training camp, Zhan Zhao, who was seriously ill, was taken back to the north by his uncle. He didn't even have time to take another look at his favorite university and say goodbye to his classmates.He was still so young, and the more Liu Rong thought about it, the sadder she became, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop it.

Seeing his wife like this, Jiang Yewan felt uncomfortable. "Don't cry, wipe it off quickly, don't let the children see it when it's Chinese New Year's Eve."

It's okay if my wife doesn't say anything, but Liu Rong cried even more when she said this, she lay on her chest and sobbed softly.Jiang Yewan sighed, stretched out his arms to embrace his wife, and slowly moved his gentle palms behind Liu Rong's back, comforting his trembling shoulders constantly.

It was the first time for Bai Yutang to visit Jiang Dong's house, thinking that he should not be too rude.He got up and went to the kitchen, and Zhan Zhao followed him. "Uncle and aunt, is there anything I can do to help?"

When Liu Rong heard the voice, she quickly wiped her eyes with the towel on hand and raised her head. "No, no, you go in and play."

When Zhan Zhao stood behind Bai Yutang and saw his aunt's eyes were red, his heart ached, and he felt ashamed and guilty like never before.I couldn't help calling my aunt, but I couldn't speak anymore.

"Your aunt just chopped the onion, and it's too spicy. You guys go into the house quickly and stand here to interfere with my cooking skills. Hurry up." Jiang Yewan pushed the two of them out of the kitchen as he said.

Zhan Zhao's heart is like a mirror, how can he not know the painstaking efforts of the two elders.Gritting his teeth, he forced a smile: "That's right, I haven't told my friend that you are a national first-class chef."

"Hey? Really? Uncle? Then I have to learn from you. I have always been very interested in food."

"Mr. Bai also likes to cook?"

"Yes, occasionally study recipes and follow them. By the way, uncle, don't call me that, just call me Xiaobai."

"Okay, okay." Jiang Yewan said three good words in a row.As soon as he got into cooking, he seemed to open up a chatterbox, and he was especially good at chatting. "Today's young people, few can cook, and even fewer are interested. If you want to learn, I will teach you."

When Bai Yutang heard this, he immediately took off his suit and threw it to Zhan Zhao beside him, leaving only a white shirt and a sleeveless fur vest on his body, with an expression of gearing up and eager to try.

Zhan Zhao took a look at the suit, turned around and walked to the bedroom, and came back with a large cardigan sweater after a while. "It's cold here."

Bai Yutang opened his mouth, and a cat sound almost came out.But in the end, I just shouted in my heart, and didn't dare to really say it.He looked at Zhan Zhao and smiled, took the sweater, and put it on without saying a word.

"My wife, go and find an apron for Boy Bai to tie on." If Jiang Yewan saw that Bai Yutang was so relaxed, his alienation would be reduced by eight points, and his address would naturally change accordingly.

Zhan Zhao leaned on the kitchen door frame, watching his aunt take out an apron with small yellow floral flowers from the cupboard, a smile appeared in his eyes. "Uncle, let me help you too."

"You, please forgive me. You are clumsy. It's good not to make trouble for me. This place is small, and there will be more people in the way. Take your aunt into the house to watch the DVD."

"Oh." Zhan Zhao faltered honestly, and pulled his aunt out of the kitchen.

"Clumsy." Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao's back as he turned and left, and laughed out loud. "Uncle, you really fit him well." Bai Yutang recalled that in high school, instant noodles were the most eaten food at Zhan Zhao's house. Later, he was annoyed by his complaints, so Zhan Zhao made another egg. Fried rice, but the rice was so salty that he couldn't eat it, so after he took a bite, Zhan Zhao put away the bowls and chopsticks, and threw the rice away.In the middle of the night, the two of them went to eat food stalls on the street. The kid got angry and glared at him while eating, saying that his mouth was too tricky.It's really unreasonable!

"Xiao Zhao's child, he can make do with food, but he can't cook." Jiang Yewan said, shaking his head with his mouth curled, and his subordinates kept busy.

"Uncle, your saber skills are incomparable." Bai Yutang didn't flatter Jiang Yewan on purpose, the old man cut vegetables neatly, looking really unparalleled.

"Knife skills, there are no tricks, only practice. Back then, I bought a sack of potatoes every day and came back to practice shredding. After I cut them up, I gave them to my neighbors for cooking. As a result, I gave them to your aunt. "Recalling those years, Jiang Yewan had a gentle smile on his face. "My sister, that is, Xiao Zhao's mother and your aunt have a good relationship. At that time, they lived in large courtyards. There were many people of the same age in the alleys. They often played together, sticking dragonflies, catching grasshoppers, fishing in rivers, etc. I’ve done it all, and it’s much richer than the lives of young people today.”

Hearing the old man's emotion, Bai Yutang couldn't help feeling a little envious.When he was a child, his family was strictly controlled, so he never played with sticking dragonflies or catching grasshoppers. "Uncle, did Zhan Zhao live in a courtyard when he was a child?"

"He was very young at that time, and I don't remember where he lived. His parents took him to the south when he was three years old." Jiang Yewan said, putting the washed chicken wings on the chopping board and placing them on the porcelain. In a basin, pour in the seasoning and set aside to marinate. "My sister didn't have it early, and his father was sent overseas to work later. He has been there for so many years. This child is not easy."

Bai Yutang really wanted to ask why Zhan Zhao suddenly gave up his studies and went overseas, but he felt that he shouldn't ask.If Zhan Zhao didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to touch this scar either. "Don't worry too much. As an adult, he can take care of himself long ago."

"Xiao Zhao has been overseas for so many years, and he doesn't have many friends when he comes back. You will come to accompany him often when you are free."

"Okay, actually, if you don't tell me, I will come here often in the future, and I still want to learn crafts from you."

In case Jiang Ye heard it, he smiled heartily. "Come on, take it." This boy Bai is good at buying people's hearts, but he likes this slickness.Without any explanation, he immediately handed the kitchen knife to Bai Yutang. Everything has a beginning, so let's start with the basic skills of knife skills.

At the dinner table, Zhan Zhao picked up vegetables for his aunt for a while, served soup for a while, and teased her with jokes when he had nothing to do, making Liu Rong very happy.Bai Yutang and the old man also had a great time chatting, boasting about the delicacies from all over the world.Jiang Dong was having a good time, texting Gao Yue with his mobile phone while eating.After the meal was tidied up, the old couple went out to pay New Year's greetings and visit friends, Jiang Dong followed closely behind, and in the blink of an eye there were only Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang left in the lively house just now.

"This is for you." Bai Yutang sat on the sofa, took out a book from the gift bag and handed it to Zhan Zhao beside him.

Zhan Zhao took it and looked at the cover. ""worth"?"

The author has something to say: