Chapter 054.

A cold wind rolled through the window.

Inside the room, separated by a layer of windowpanes, hot air warmed every corner.

The fire in the hearth was burning brightly, and the pork was boiling in the hot water with green onions, ginger, star anise and sesame leaves, gurgling and bubbling.

In the warmth of the heat, Zhen Zhen glanced at Dan Sui in her arms and whispered to Zhong Min Fen, “She’s asleep.”

After saying this, she carried Dan Sui out of the kitchen and went to her room to put Dan Sui on her cot and cover her up.

Back in the kitchen, Zhen Zhen washed her hands and came over to join Zhong Minfen in making buns.

Zhong Minfen kneaded the dough and said, “The days go by really fast, and this year will be over again.”

Today was New Year’s Day, the first day of the new year on the Gregorian calendar.

Servant Huai Ming had gone on a training exercise a few days ago, and today was the day he finished, so Zhen Zhen and Zhong Min Fen had worked all day at home, waiting for him to come back in the evening and have a good meal.

Zhen Zhen picked up the kneaded dough and wrapped the buns, picking up Zhong Minfen’s words and saying, “Yes, it’s going to be New Year’s Eve again in a month and a half.”

Counting from when she first came to the city, it had been almost two years since she arrived.

Zhong Minfen continued to knead the dough and said, “I’m homesick.”

She had been in the city for a long time, almost four months by now.

Although the city has everything, the life is free and comfortable, the food and clothing are good, but she still think the countryside home is better, especially to the New Year’s festival time, it is easier to miss home.

As the saying goes, the golden nest is not as good as one’s own dog’s nest, and the place where one has stayed all one’s life is one’s home.

Zhen Zhen raised her gaze to Zhong Minfen.

Her mother, wife and children are all here, and Squire Huaeming can’t apply for family leave, so she can’t go back to her hometown to celebrate the New Year this year. Of course, they would not let Zhong Minfen go back and forth alone, she was too old to do so, so Zhen Zhen thought for a moment and said, “Mother, why don’t you let your elder brother and sister-in-law, Danling and Xingguo, come over to the city to celebrate the New Year with us this year.”

Although you can’t go home, but letting the family come over can make up for some of the homesickness.

Hearing this, Zhong Minfen also raised her gaze.

Thinking about it felt good, but she looked at Zhen Zhen and asked, “Is it convenient?”

The ten days or so that Squire Huaixia had stayed here before, the constant friction of chirping and wailing was a real headache.

Serving Huai Zhong family in Zhen Zhen’s heart that is not the same, Serving Huai Zhong generous honest and stable, Chen Qingmei warm and sincere heart warm, has always treated her as a dear sister, before living together for five years, Zhen Zhen has long taken them as relatives.

She looked at Zhong Minfen and said, “Convenient ah, can live anyway.”

After not seeing them for a few months, Zhong Minfen did miss her boss’s family.

She couldn’t go back to her hometown for New Year’s Eve, so it would be nice if the oldest family could come over and have a lively time.

So she said to Zhen Zhen, “Then you should write them a letter tonight and ask them to come over before the New Year.”

Zhen Zhen smiled and nodded at her, “Okay.”

***

After wrapping up a drawer of buns with Zhong Minfen, the pancetta in the pot is almost done cooking.

Zhen Zhen washed her hands and went to fish out the pork from the pot, let it cool and then took a bamboo skewer to patiently poke countless small holes in the skin of the meat, and then poured in the prepared sauce and carefully applied and massaged it.

After spreading the sauce and then drying it, put the pork into a frying pan and deep fry until the surface is golden brown.

After deep frying, put it into cool water to soak, Zhen Zhen continued to work with Zhong Minfen buns, talking about things in the countryside.

When the buns were all finished, she suddenly heard crying coming from the room.

Zhen Zhen washed her hands and went to change Dan Sui’s diaper again, fed her a bottle of milk and picked her up, went to the kitchen to get the heat, watched Zhong Minfen continue to cook and cook, and continued to talk with Zhong Minfen.

The four month old baby had her own perception of the outside world and was curious about whatever she looked at.

Dan Sui was held in Zhen Zhen’s arms, her eyes staring roundly at Zhong Min Fan’s hand without blinking, as if she had to see and understand what she was doing.

Amused by the expression on her face, Zhong Minfen fished out the soaked dried plums in the basin and washed them, wrung out the water and took them to the chopping board to cut, she said with a smile, “Spike, this is called dried plums that Grandma is cutting, and if you stir fry it and steam it with fried pork, then it will be dried plums and buckwheat. You’re too young to eat it now, but you’ll be able to eat it when you’re a little older.”

When Zhong Minfen spoke, Dan Sui stared at Zhong Minfen’s face with his round eyes, as if he was trying to distinguish what she was saying.

When Zhong Minfen finished speaking, she looked at Zhong Minfen as if she understood, and said “ah ah” twice.

Zhong Minfen finished cutting up the soaked dried plums and looked up at Dan Sui again, smiling as she continued to talk to her: ”What? You want to eat it now? But you’re still too young, you can’t eat it now, you can only eat it when you grow up.”

Dan Sui waved her small white fists, “Ah ah ah.”

Seeing Dan Sui interacting with Zhong Minfen like this, Zhen Zhen only felt soft and warm in her heart, and the corners of her mouth kept hanging with a smile.

Such a cute and milky doll, especially if it’s one that she gave birth to herself, she really can never get enough of it, ah.

After the buns were steamed out, Zhong Minfen put the pork and dried plums into the pot to steam again.

When the pork and dried plums steamed out, it was just when Serving Huai Ming came back from a few days of training.

Hearing the sound of the door opening from outside, Zhen Zhen carried Dan Sui out of the kitchen.

When she saw Servant Huai Ming come in from outside, she waved Dan Sui’s hand and said with a smile, “Daddy’s back.”

Servant Huai Ming came back from a few days of practicing outside and was grimy.

He closed the door and walked over, also smiling, “Did you all miss me?”

Zhen Zhen looked at him and said, “Guess.”

Servant Huai Ming was not clean, so he did not reach out to touch Zhen Zhen or Dan Sui.

He went to the kitchen door and greeted Zhong Minfen, said a few words briefly, and then went back to his room to get clean clothes and a bath ticket, and then took a basin and filled it with towels and soap, and went to the bathhouse with He Shuo to take a shower first.

After taking a bath and coming back, he changed into clean clothes, all fresh.

He took advantage of Zhong Minfen’s inattention to sneak in a quick kiss on Zhen Zhen’s cheeks, then reached out and took Dan Sui from Zhen Zhen’s arms, talking to Dan Sui as if nothing had happened, “Did you miss dad?”

He didn’t dare with Zhong Minfen around!

Zhen Zhen’s face heated up a bit from his kisses, and she didn’t make a sound even when she pursed her lips slightly.

Dinner was all ready, made plum and vegetable buckwheat and tofu meatballs, also fried two vegetarian dishes.

Together with the thick millet porridge and freshly baked buns, it was delicious and hearty, and at the same time revealed warmth.

During dinner Zhen Zhen mentioned to Shi Huai Ming about what he had said to Zhong Min Fen in the afternoon, “I discussed it with my mother and I plan to have my big brother and his family come over this year and spend New Year’s Eve with us in the city, what do you think?”

That was his own big brother, of course Servant Huai Ming thought it was good.

Moreover, he had wanted them to come over a long time ago to have fun, so it would be good to come over during the New Year.

So he nodded his head without thinking, “Yes, if the big brother’s family comes over, this year will be lively.”

Zhen Zhen smiled at him, “Then write a letter home at night, and tell big brother and sister-in-law about it.”

Servant Huai Ming still nodded, “Good.”

Although this was quickly said to be settled, Servant Huai Ming still thought a little more about it.

After eating and washing up, he returned to his room and sat down, and when he took paper and a pen and prepared to write a letter, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Zhen Zhen and asked, “By the way, during the five years that I wasn’t at home before, how did you get along with your elder brother and sister-in-law?”

Previously, when Servant Huaixia didn’t come, he didn’t know that Zhen Zhen and Servant Huaixia didn’t get along so well with each other.

Because they had lived together for so little time since returning, this aspect of the problem had not been revealed, and he and Zhen Zhen had not chatted about this aspect either. After experiencing what happened with Servant Huaixia, he naturally gave it some more thought now.

Zhen Zhen pressed her fingers against her book and turned her head back to Shi Huai Ming’s words, “I get along quite well with my elder brother and sister-in-law.”

Hearing Zhen Zhen say this, Servant Huai Ming let out a slight sigh of relief and nodded, “That’s good.”

When Servant Huai Ming asked this, Zhen Zhen naturally thought of Servant Huai Xia.

She looked at Servant Huai Ming and added, “Your second sister, she couldn’t look down on me before, thinking that I wasn’t good enough for you, and after you came back from the battlefield, she felt even more that I wasn’t good enough for you, that’s why she treated me like that ……”

Servant Huai Ming raised his hand to touch her head, “With me here, no one will dare to look down on you in the future.”

Zhen Zhen looked at him and smiled a little, “Then can I run roughshod over you?”

Servant Huai Ming knew that she wasn’t the kind of person who could run roughshod over others, so he naturally agreed with her, “You must be able to!”

Zhen Zhen laughed again, “Bragging!”

Servant Huai Ming and Zhen Zhen gossiped for a few more moments, and with a light smile on his face, he turned back to his letter.

After writing the letter, he folded the paper twice, found an envelope in the drawer and wrote the address on it, then put the paper inside and sealed it, then put on the stamps.

Paste good stamps to put the envelope up, room door suddenly rang very light knocking sound.

Zhong Minfen pushed the door in, holding Dan Sui toward the cot, whispered: “Playing tired fell asleep.”

She put Dan Sui on the cot and covered him up, then said to Shui Huaiming and Zhen Zhen, “We still have to get up early tomorrow to go to work and go to class, and we still have to get up at night to serve this little thing, so you guys should go to bed early as well.”

Servant Huai Ming and Zhen Zhen smiled and answered at her, “Okay, Mother, you also go to bed early.”

Zhong Minfen said her words and went out, closing the door of the room with her hand.

Servant Huai Ming got up and went to plug the room door shut, came back and sat down and looked at Zhen Zhen and said, “Sleeping?”

Zhen Zhen could of course tell what he meant by those two words from his actions and tone.

Pretending not to understand, she dropped her gaze back to the book and said, “I’m getting a kick out of this book, I’m going to read two more pages.”

Squire Huai Ming of course didn’t let her read two more pages.

He reached out and closed Zhen Zhen’s book directly, and in one easy embrace, he picked Zhen Zhen up.

Zhen Zhen subconsciously reached out and hooked her arms around his neck, protesting to him in a low voice, “You’re affecting my progress!”

Servant Huai Ming carried her to the bed and set her down, leaning down to look at her and said, “If you keep progressing I’ll barely be able to catch up with you.”

Zhen Zhen’s eyes and the corners of her mouth are tinted with laughter, “How can that be, nonsense!”

Servant Huai Ming didn’t talk nonsense to her anymore.

He was serious with her and looked at her and asked, “I haven’t been back for a few days, you don’t want me?”

Zhen Zhen wanted to deliberately say she didn’t want to, but looking into his eyes, she finally whispered, “A little bit.”

Servant Huai Ming did not make a move and looked at her as he continued to ask, “Where do you want to?”

Knowingly asking, Zhen Zhen didn’t answer again and directly reached out and pinched him in the waist.

Servant Huai Ming then did not knowingly ask again, caught her hand slightly tightened his grip, lowered his head lightly and gently pressed on her lips.

Zhen Zhen was entangled in his eyes stained with mist, sheepish voice said: “Turn off the lights ah ……”

***

The letter that Servant Huai Ming wrote to the countryside was delivered to the post office the next day.

After receiving the letter, Servant Huai Zhong immediately wrote a reply, and Servant Huai Ming agreed on a time to come over.

The day before New Year’s Eve, Shui Huaizhong and Chen Qingmei took Shui Danling and Shui Xingguo to the Xicheng Railway Station by train.

When they got off the train station and were on the platform, all four of them looked very restrained and turned their heads to look in the crowd.

Shui Danling’s eyes were sharp and she was the first to see Shui Huai Ming.

She didn’t raise her voice to call out for Third Uncle, but instead tugged on Chen Qingmei’s coat and said, “Mother, Third Uncle is there.”

Servant Huai Zhong and Chen Qingmei looked over in the direction Servant Danling said and saw Servant Huai Ming in the middle of the crowd.

Both of them smiled, and Servant Huai Zhong waved his hand at Servant Huai Ming and called out, “Huai Ming.”

The moment he heard the voice, he happened to see Servant Huai Zhong and Chen Qingmei.

He rushed over to Shi Huaizhong and Chen Qingmei and first called out, “Big brother, sister-in-law.”

When he arrived, he greeted Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo with a smile, “Danling, Xingguo, you’ve grown taller again.”

Servant Danling and Servant Xingguo behaved themselves, smiling together and calling out to him, “Third Uncle.”