Chapter 434: Chapter 433: Don’t Like Sweets
They sat and talked at a table in the restaurant. Yun Shu sat quietly beside He Zichen, listening.
"Grandpa, when are you going back to Beijing City?"
"I’m not planning on going back for now. Your eldest uncle is swamped here, and I can help out a bit. I’m staying at his place now, so I’ve got someone to look after my meals. When you go back, just let your third uncle know so he doesn’t worry."
This was something Mr. He had considered carefully. He had already discussed it with He Nan and his wife. He could help carry dishes and clear tables in the restaurant, which would save them the cost of hiring someone. The two of them really were a bit overwhelmed on their own.
"When you get old, you’ve got to stay active. I was just idle in Beijing City anyway. It’s more comfortable back in my hometown."
Hearing his grandfather say this, He Zichen nodded. "I’ll let Third Uncle know."
After sitting in the restaurant for a little while longer, He Zichen decided it was time to head back.
"Take this back with you to eat."
Wang Hui Fang handed Yun Shu a bag. Yun Shu could feel it was still a little warm.
He Nan said, "It’s nothing special, just some leftover buns from this morning’s sales. There are quite a few left, so take them back and try some."
The restaurant used to only open for breakfast and dinner, but business got better, so they started staying open all day. That’s just how business is, though—if you make too much, you’ll have leftovers, but if you make too little, you might not have enough to sell.
He Zichen remembered that before they left, Xiao Yang had asked him to buy meat buns. Now he had some.
"Okay, Grandpa, Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, we’re leaving now."
"Alright, ride carefully."
As they passed the supply and marketing cooperative, Yun Shu suddenly said, "A basin."
He Zichen didn’t hear her clearly and turned his head to look at her. "What?"
Yun Shu raised her voice. "Didn’t you say you were going to buy your mom a basin?"
He Zichen put a foot down and stopped the bike. He had already forgotten about it.
"You go in and buy it. I’ll wait for you here."
As he spoke, he started to pull out some money, but Yun Shu had already hopped off the back seat and walked into the supply and marketing cooperative.
’I’m the one who dirtied the basin, so I’ll be the one to buy it.’
When she came out of the cooperative, Yun Shu had bought a basin and also two pounds of fried dough twists.
He Zichen saw this but didn’t say anything.
He simply started pedaling away once she was settled on the back.
When they got home, Little Yuan and Xiao Man ran out before the bicycle had even come to a full stop.
Yun Shu waved at them. "Little Yuan, Xiao Man, come quick! Look what your big sister bought for you to eat."
Hearing her refer to herself that way, He Zichen couldn’t help but twitch his lips. ’What kind of seniority is she claiming?’
"Wow, fried dough twists!"
Little Yuan had eaten them before and recognized them, but Xiao Man didn’t remember.
Xiao Yang and the others also came out at the sound. "Big Brother, did you buy any buns?"
"Nope."
Xiao Yang pouted. "You’re getting cheaper and cheaper."
Yun Shu glanced at He Zichen, then said to Xiao Yang, "He didn’t buy any. Your eldest aunt gave them to us."
Xiao Yang glanced into the basin and, sure enough, there was a bag inside. He walked over and reached out to take it.
"They’re still warm. I’ll have one."
With that, he opened the bag, took one out, and took a bite.
"Pork and cabbage. Smells so good. Eldest Aunt’s cooking is the best."
Gao Cuiyun came out just in time to hear this. "So my cooking isn’t good?"
Xiao Yang chuckled. "It’s all good. But my wife’s cooking is the best of all."
Wang Chunlan blushed and swatted him. "Just eat your food!"
Xiao Yang’s hand trembled. "Hey, don’t move me! The filling might fall out. Honey, try a bite. It’s really good, and it’s still warm."
Wang Chunlan smiled at him. "You eat it. I’ll have some tonight."
Yun Shu handed the fried dough twists to Wang Chunlan. "I bought these for the kids."
Wang Chunlan waved her hand in refusal. "This is too much. I’ll just give them a little bit. We can save the rest for later."
Yun Shu shook her head. "I don’t really like sweets." Then she pushed the bag into Wang Chunlan’s hands.
Xiao Ming said, "There are people who don’t like sweets?"
Wang Chunlan said, "Of course. Some people like sweet, some like spicy, and some like sour. So it makes sense that some people don’t."
"My grandpa told me about one of his army buddies who absolutely loved eating Sichuan peppercorns. When he left his hometown, he brought several bags with him. He’d eat them as a snack, and even as part of his meals. My grandpa tried one and couldn’t even swallow it."
Xiao Ming was amazed. "Well, I guess to each their own. Everyone’s tastes are different."
"Oh, you really did buy a basin! And it’s bright red with the ’double happiness’ character. So festive!" Gao Cuiyun said, looking at the ceramic basin on the ground.
Yun Shu’s face flushed. It wasn’t that she’d wanted to buy one with the character on it; it was the only kind they had.
Gao Cuiyun picked up the basin and said to Yun Shu, "You can use this basin to wash your face. I’ll just find an old one to wash my feet."
Yun Shu waved her hands. "No, it’s fine. You should use it, Auntie."
He Zichen saw Yun Shu’s embarrassment and said to his mother, "It’s just a basin, Mom. You can use it however you want."
Gao Cuiyun asked, "How’s business at the restaurant?"
"Grandpa is helping out, and Eldest Uncle said business is pretty good. They have a lot of customers."
"That’s good. Your eldest aunt is a great cook, so running a restaurant is a good fit for her."
It was still early in the evening, so a few of them sat on the kang and started playing cards.
Wang Chunlan watched the two children playing on the floor, occasionally peeking at the cards in Xiao Yang’s hand.
Yun Shu lost three games in a row right from the start. He Zichen couldn’t watch anymore and carefully explained the rules to her.
"Chunlan, I’ll watch the kids. Why don’t you come play? I’m no good at this."
Wang Chunlan smiled and said, "It’s always like that at the beginning. Last winter, we had nothing to do, so we started playing cards. We didn’t have enough people, so we even roped Mom into playing. She didn’t know how either, but after playing for a while, she got the hang of it."
Xiao Ming also chimed in, "Sister Yun Shu, it’s just a game. We’re just playing for fun, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses."
Yun Shu thought about the rules He Zichen had explained to her. After losing two more hands, she started turning her losses into wins.
"Not bad."
Even He Zichen praised her.
Yun Shu’s confidence soared, and she went on to win the next five games in a row.
Now they couldn’t help but be impressed.
Xiao Yang said in surprise, "You didn’t even know how to play a minute ago, and now you’re an expert!"
Yun Shu said shyly, "I don’t have any special skills. I just memorize the cards you’ve played and deduce what cards you have left."
Xiao Yang’s eyes widened slightly. "There are so many cards. You can remember all of them?"
Yun Shu nodded. "It’s not that many."
A corner of He Zichen’s mouth lifted in a slight smile. He remarked, "She’s a college graduate. Of course she can remember a few cards."
Xiao Ming looked at Yun Shu. "Sister, you’re a college graduate?"
Yun Shu touched the tip of her nose. "I graduated several years ago."
Everyone in the room, except for He Zichen, looked at each other in stunned silence.
Because in their family, no one was good at studying. None of them had even gone to high school, let alone college.
They had always been envious of their eldest uncle’s children, Sister Ziqing and Xiao Nian. The two siblings had both gotten into good universities in Beijing City and were now working there too.
But in their branch of the family, the second branch, they were all practically uneducated. Even though He Zichen later attended night school at He Lang’s urging, it was nothing compared to their cousins.
Some of the villagers gossiped, saying that the eldest uncle’s family had good genes, while their own brothers just weren’t fated to be scholars. If their third uncle hadn’t taken He Zichen away with him, all three brothers from the second branch might have ended up as farmers.
