Chapter 19: Dinner

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Hua family didn’t need to visit relatives.

Hua Youcai’s daughter-in-law passed away early, and he had severed ties with her family long ago.

Every year during the New Year, he felt envious watching his brothers accompany their wives back to their parents’ homes.

Not only did he have no relatives to visit, but his daughter and son also envied other children who got to go to their maternal grandparents’ homes.

Rural children love visiting relatives; they get to eat delicious food and receive lucky money.

When his daughter and son were young, he took them to visit his brothers’ families…

They lived in the same village, close enough to walk a few steps to reach each other’s homes, yet the ritual of visiting relatives was never lacking.

It was a reciprocal exchange; he also asked his brothers to choose a day to come to his house for a meal and some festive cheer.

Around 10:30 AM, Hua Youcai was pondering whether to have cabbage or radish for lunch when someone knocked on the Hua family’s door.

“Uncle, are you home?”

Hua Fangfang dropped his comic book, the first to get up and put on his shoes, “I’ll open the door!”

Before his father could reply, he was already in the yard.

Hua Yuanyuan was also curious who it was and looked out the window. It was someone in a military uniform, but she didn’t recognize him.

She only knew three people in military uniforms: Zhazha, Hao Li, and the Political Commissar Liu.

Hua Youcai hurried out to see what was going on.

Zhang Xiangnan lost at rock-paper-scissors and had to come and call them.

Several military families in the village were having a meal together that day.

They were all far from home and didn’t need to visit relatives, so they decided to have a festive gathering during the New Year.

They had specifically chosen this time, coordinating with their comrades to get together.

After discussion, they decided to invite the Hua family, even though they weren’t sure if they would accept. A refusal would be fine; it wouldn’t be impolite.

They were wrong. When Hua Youcai heard that it was a gathering of military families, he was delighted and readily agreed.

Zhang Xiangnan… well, he felt quite proud of himself.

Hua Fangfang listlessly returned to the house and complained to his sister, “Sister, look at Dad, he went off happily just because they invited him to a meal without even asking us.”

“Do you want to go?”

“It’s okay if I go.”

“I don’t want to go…”

“Sister, Dad’s not home for dinner, let’s make something delicious!”

Hua Yuanyuan… what a scheming brother!

“Okay, let’s make something delicious.”

The New Year is all about eating and drinking, strengthening ties with relatives and friends.

The siblings worked together, making radish pancakes with shredded radish, fried minced meat, and flour.

One by one, palm-sized pancakes were fried golden brown in a large iron pot before being taken out.

They made a large batch, filling a whole basin.

They also made a stewed cabbage dish, warmed up some steamed buns, and leftover dumplings.

Hua Youcai arrived at Zhang Xiangnan’s house, and there were many people there.

Men, women, and several children – it was lively.

There was a familiar face among them: Hao Li, the battalion commander.

Zhang Xiangnan rented two rooms in the north wing, with a kitchen outside and a kang (heated bed) inside. The rent was two yuan.

Rent was generally this price in the area, with varying house conditions but similar rental costs.

Hua Yuanyuan’s large house and yard, rented for ten yuan, was an exception.

That house had been vacant for a long time before Hua Yuanyuan rented it.

Zhang Xiangnan, Fang Dayong, Liu Jianye, and Wang Fugui’s wives all rented houses in the village. Li Xi’an’s wife was at her hometown, and Hao Li didn’t have a wife.

Hua Youcai sat on the kang, drinking tea and listening to everyone’s conversation, feeling very comfortable.

He particularly liked the children. His daughter had been married for five years without children, which was a drawback of marrying a soldier.

Around 11 AM, the food was almost ready, and dishes were served one after another.

Hua Youcai went outside to the toilet and went back home.

He had been so happy to go that he forgot to bring something; it was the New Year, and he couldn’t go empty-handed.

His house was very close, just separated by a row of houses.

His children had just set the table and were about to eat when they heard their father calling at the door.

Hua Fangfang opened the door for his father, “Dad, why did you come back? Did they not serve food?”

“I came back to get something. Have you guys eaten?”

“We’re just about to eat. Sister fried radish pancakes and stewed cabbage; it smells delicious.”

Hua Fangfang boasted.

After tasting it, Hua Youcai asked his son to get a basin to take some home.

Hua Yuanyuan… this was her special dish.

“Dad, don’t take the vegetables, the radish and cabbage aren’t presentable. They have those there. Take a bag of fried meat; that’s good.”

Her daughter made a good point. Fried meat was suitable to take, but vegetables should also be taken.

Hua Youcai’s selfishness was to let them taste his daughter’s cooking, even the simple cabbage and radish dishes were delicious.

His daughter’s marriage was not a current concern, but it would be in the future.

When his daughter wanted to find someone, he could ask Hao Li and the others if they knew any suitable candidates among their comrades.

Hua Youcai didn’t know his daughter was already famous – a formidable woman whom people wanted to stay away from.

“Daughter, let me take everything; there are many people.”

Hua Yuanyuan… “Dad, my cooking isn’t really that good.”

“It’s okay, if they don’t eat it, I’ll bring it back.”

…

Hua Yuanyuan watched helplessly as her father carried a full basin of food – cabbage at the bottom and radish pancakes overflowing at the top.

He also carried a cloth bag with melon seeds, peanuts, candy, and half a bag of fried meat (about two kilograms).

Unable to stop him, Hua Yuanyuan shouted in the yard, angrily, “Dad, you’re going to lose big time with this meal!”

Hua Youcai had just stepped one foot out the door when this shout almost made him stumble. It was difficult to snatch food from his daughter’s clutches.

Hua Fangfang watched his father with glee and closed the door.

His daughter was protective of her food. Most of the fried meat was locked up in her room, with the key in her possession.

Hua Yuanyuan had nowhere to appeal; she just used it as an excuse to put the food in her space.

The temperature in Beijing was getting warmer day by day after the New Year; it would be wasteful to leave the fried meat outside and let it spoil.

Hua Youcai entered the house with all this food, and Zhang Xiangnan quickly took the basin.

“Uncle, you’re too polite!”

“Uncle isn’t being polite; if I was, you wouldn’t get to eat this cabbage and radish. I’m not exaggerating; my daughter’s cooking is amazing.”

…

The dishes were quite impressive.

Bean sprouts and garlic chives were made by Fang Dayong’s wife.

Chicken stewed with potatoes, fish stewed with tofu, and stir-fried peanuts – compared to these, the cabbage and radish were a bit inferior.

Hua Youcai looked at everyone, waiting for them to start eating.

“Try it, my daughter’s cooking skills are better than the chefs at state-run restaurants.”

Everyone… Uncle, you don’t know how famous your daughter is here, do you?

No one dared to tell the old man.

Captain Hao was the first to use his chopsticks. The golden-yellow radish pancakes looked quite good and appetizing.

He took a bite… “They’re really delicious.”

“Hahaha, Captain Hao, the old man didn’t lie to you, eat more, eat more.”

Hao Li couldn’t pinpoint what made them so delicious; the taste was just right, fragrant.

The seasoning was perfect, the saltiness was just right, the surface was crispy, and the inside was soft.

This dish of cabbage and radish pancakes was the first to be finished at both tables.

The true skill is in making home-cooked dishes delicious, especially cabbage and radish, which people eat every day.

Several wives had discussed privately that the meat in the radish pancakes was also generous; how could it not be delicious with that much meat!

There were also many large pieces of meat in the stewed cabbage.

The men drank a few glasses of wine, and their conversations became livelier.