Chapter 13: Big Steamed Bun

Meng Yufei poured a glass of water for Sister Zhang. “Sister-in-law, have some water.”

Sister Zhang quickly said, “No trouble, our family steamed some buns today and thought we’d bring a few over for you to try. Thank you for the candy you sent yesterday, the kids at home said it was milk candy and it was so precious.”

She placed the plate she was holding on the dining table, lifting the lid to reveal the white steamed buns.

“Ah, Sister-in-law, you’re too kind. These buns are steamed really well.”

“My skills are just average, as long as you don’t mind.”

Meng Yufei quickly said, “Yesterday, Junshan was saying that the buns you make are exceptional. I was thinking of coming to learn from you when I have time.”

Sister Zhang smiled bashfully, “You can come anytime, I just tinker around at home when I have nothing to do.”

She noticed the fabric on the sofa and asked, “Are you making clothes?”

Meng Yufei replied, “No, I’m preparing to make a sofa cover.”

Sister Zhang walked over and touched the fabric, nodding. “This linen fabric is good for sofa covers. It’s breathable and durable. I’ll give you a hand, I have nothing to do this afternoon.” She then picked up the fabric and started organizing it.

Meng Yufei said, “Thank you so much.”

The two sat on the sofa sewing the cover, while the two little girls lay on the table drawing.

With the help, the sofa cover was quickly finished. After it was placed on the sofa, the old wooden sofa was transformed into a refreshing, simple blue. The linen fabric added a neat and simple touch.

Sister Zhang took a close look and said, “Once the sofa cover is on, it looks completely different. I’ll go get some fabric and make one myself another day.” She looked at Meng Yufei and praised, “Xiao Meng, you’re really skilled. You city people know how to decorate.”

Meng Yufei smiled and said, “I just like to tinker around when I’m bored. Next time when you make a sofa cover, I’ll come over to help.”

Sister Zhang said, “That sounds great. You can give me some advice when the time comes.” She glanced outside at the sky, stood up from the sofa, and said, “Oh, it’s getting late. I should head home.”

Meng Yufei also stood up and said, “Wait a moment, I’ll pack some buns for you.”

She went to the kitchen, took a plate, and placed the steamed buns that Sister Zhang brought into it, returning the empty plate to her.

Sister Zhang told her daughter, “Little one, let’s go home.”

Fangfang reluctantly put down her colored pencil and softly said, “Okay.”

Xia Qinqin raised her head, not wanting to say goodbye to this older sister, and asked Sister Zhang, “Auntie, can Fangfang stay and play a little longer?”

Meng Yufei smiled and said, “It’s rare for them to get along so well. Let Fangfang stay and play. I’ll send her back later.”

Sister Zhang waved her hand and said, “No, no, it’s getting late, and we shouldn’t bother you anymore.” She looked down at Xia Qinqin and asked, “How about tomorrow, I’ll bring her over to play with you?”

Xia Qinqin pouted a little, not very happy, but Meng Yufei said, “Qinqin, come over to send Auntie and Fangfang off.”

“Okay.” Xia Qinqin jumped off the chair, took Fangfang’s hand, and said, “Fangfang, remember to come find me tomorrow, okay?”

Fangfang nodded and said, “Mm, I will.”

Sister Zhang pulled her daughter out the door. “Alright, you all stay busy at home, we’ll be leaving.”

“Sister-in-law, come visit us again when you have time.”

Xia Qinqin stood on her tiptoes and shouted, “Auntie, goodbye, Fangfang, goodbye.”

—

After seeing the guests off, Meng Yufei tidied up the leftover fabric in the living room. Although they were just small scraps, in times of limited resources, they were still useful. They could be saved for future use, like for shoe soles.

She put the scraps away and then used a broom to clean up the loose threads and dust on the floor.

Xia Qinqin carefully put the colored pencils and drawing paper back, placing them into the drawer of the small room’s desk.

Looking at the time, it was already past five o’clock. Xia Junshan said he usually gets home around six in the afternoon.

Meng Yufei grabbed the coupon and money, and took Xia Qinqin out to the canteen.

They had walked quite a bit today. At first, she planned to go to the canteen alone and not have her daughter follow her. But since they had just moved here, she felt a little uneasy leaving her daughter alone at home. After thinking about it, she decided to take her with her.

Fortunately, the canteen wasn’t far, just a five-minute walk.

The dishes were just being served at the canteen, each steaming hot. With a quick glance, she noticed that the vegetable selection was quite rich, and over the past couple of days, they hadn’t repeated any dishes.

Taking out the aluminum lunchbox she brought, she served herself a dish of scrambled eggs with chives, which cost 1.7 yuan.

She also got a bowl of winter melon and old duck soup, costing 3.5 yuan.

The ducks were from a breeding farm in a county by the seaside. Every ten days, a supply boat brought a batch to the island.

Since the ducks were raised by a county farm and were from the seaside, they were easy to manage. These ducks didn’t require meat coupons, which was a small benefit for the islanders.

In these times, anything that didn’t require coupons sold quickly, especially meat. So, whenever a supply boat with ducks arrived, everyone lined up early at the supply store’s meat stall, and before long, all the ducks were sold out.

When Meng Yufei went to the supply store in the morning, there wasn’t even a feather left. She only found out about this benefit when she saw the winter melon duck soup in the kitchen.

Since she had steamed buns from Sister Zhang for dinner, she didn’t need any more staples.

At home, she arranged the dishes on the dining table, poured the winter melon duck soup into a soup bowl, and placed the scrambled eggs with chives on a matching white porcelain plate. She carefully wiped the edge of the plate clean with a cloth.

She quickly went into the kitchen to wash the two lunchboxes and then brought out the steamed buns that Sister Zhang had sent. Since it was hot weather and the buns were freshly steamed in the afternoon, they didn’t need to be reheated.

Xia Qinqin followed her mother back and forth between the kitchen and the dining area. Meng Yufei looked up at her watch and said, “Qinqin, Daddy’s coming home soon. Go out and greet him.”

“Okay!” She happily bounced out the door.

Xia Qinqin crouched by the courtyard gate, stretching her head out to look. From a distance, several tall figures were walking towards her, all wearing the same clothes, and she couldn’t tell right away whether her father was among them.

As they got closer, Xia Qinqin spotted her father among the group, her eyes lighting up. She joyfully ran toward him.

“Daddy!” she shouted loudly, her childish voice echoing in the air.

Xia Junshan was talking with his colleagues, discussing the training plans. Hearing the familiar voice, he immediately looked up and saw a small figure running towards him.

The originally stern brows softened, and he took two steps forward, bent down to pick up his running daughter, and laughed, saying, “Qinqin, are you here to pick up Daddy from work?”

“Mm, Mom told me to come,” Xia Qinqin happily nodded.

Xia Junshan gently fixed the loose strands of hair on her forehead that had scattered from running.

“Old Xia, is this your daughter?” Behind him, Battalion Commander Fang chuckled. “It’s always the daughter who’s thoughtful. My boys never came to pick me up from work.”

“Hey, this little girl from Regiment Commander Xia’s family is really good-looking.”

“She looks like her dad. Our Regiment Commander Xia is well-known in the division for being a handsome young man, so of course, his daughter is beautiful too.”

“Haha, Old Chen, you can’t have a daughter in the future, what if that big face of yours ends up on your daughter’s face…”

“That’s not necessarily the case. Chen’s wife is pretty, so maybe their daughter will take after her.”

The group chatted and laughed, their voices loud and boisterous. Xia Qinqin, held in her father’s arms, looked at the strange uncles around her, and hearing their booming voices made her a bit scared, so she snuggled closer to her father.

Xia Junshan, holding his daughter, greeted everyone one by one. Xia Qinqin politely greeted the uncles, receiving more compliments in return.

When the father and daughter entered the house, Meng Yufei had just finished setting the table. “You’re back! The canteen made old duck soup tonight, and it doesn’t even need a coupon.”

Xia Junshan put down his briefcase and hung his hat, smiling, “I actually forgot to tell you about this.” He turned and immediately noticed the change in the sofa. “Oh, you’ve finished the sofa cover already!”

He walked over to take a closer look and nodded. “You really have a good eye, this has really changed the feel of the house. Hmm… what’s the word again? ‘A humble place shines with splendor’?”

Meng Yufei smiled. “You should say, ‘It’s like a brand new look.’“

“Right, that’s more fitting,” he said, giving a thumbs up. “Our university student is impressive.”

Meng Yufei laughed, “Now hurry up and wash your hands.”

“Alright,” Xia Junshan said, picking up his daughter to wash their hands.

Sitting at the dining table, he looked at the white steamed buns in surprise. “The canteen made steamed buns today?”

Here, rice and flour are the main staples, so it’s rare for them to make steamed buns or noodles.

Meng Yufei served Xia Qinqin a small bowl of old duck soup, letting it cool on the side, and broke a steamed bun in half for her to make it easier to eat.

“It was brought over by Sister Zhang from next door this afternoon. You were just saying how quickly I finished the sofa cover, she helped me this afternoon.”

Xia Junshan picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and said, “I have to say, these steamed buns made by Sister Zhang are authentic.”

Xia Qinqin nodded in agreement, saying, “Mm-hmm, authentic.”

She held the steamed bun with both hands, eating it with great relish. Xia Junshan smiled and asked her, “Do you know what ‘authentic’ means?”

“‘Authentic’ means it’s delicious, Grandpa said so, right, Mom?”

When Grandpa used to tell her stories, the characters in the stories would mention the word “authentic,” and she remembered it.

Meng Yufei nodded and said, “Yes, that’s right. Qinqin, you have a good memory.”

Hearing her mother’s praise, Xia Qinqin smiled happily, her mouth curving up as she continued munching on the steamed bun.

Xia Junshan paired the scrambled eggs with chives and the steamed bun, finishing a large bun in just a few bites.

Meng Yufei served him a bowl of soup. “Slow down, eating too quickly is bad for your stomach.”

Xia Junshan took the soup and smiled, “It’s been a long time since I had steamed buns, I couldn’t help myself.”

“By the way, did you send the telegram this afternoon?”

Meng Yufei nodded, swallowing the bun in her mouth, and said, “I sent it. I should go again in a few days. The books and clothes my mom sent me should be arriving soon.”

Xia Junshan said, “Don’t rush, let’s wait until Sunday when I have a day off, and we’ll go together.” He knew that Meng Yufei’s family loved reading, and they had many books at home. He figured there would be quite a few books sent this time, and he was concerned that it might be too heavy for his wife to carry alone.

Meng Yufei understood his kind intentions and nodded, saying, “Alright.”