Chapter 172.2

The adults were busy moving things inside and didn’t know about this little episode. Xiao Fantuan didn’t publicly criticize his younger brother outside just now, but when they returned to the house, he harshly criticized Xiao Roubao: “From now on, you can’t pinch a girl’s face, even a boy’s face is not allowed. Do you understand?”

Xiao Roubao thought carefully and said: “So, can I pinch your face, big brother?”

Xiao Fantuan slapped his buttocks and said: “Try it.”

Xiao Roubao didn’t understand and said, “But you guys often pinch my face. You say you like me, so you pinch me. Why can’t I pinch a cute little girl’s face when I see one? Are you guys lying to me?”

Xiao Fantuan wanted to pinch his face again. “Mom! I can’t teach your son, Come quickly!”

Su Xiaoxiao was so busy that she didn’t have time to pay attention to these little cubs.

Xiao Roubao pouted and decided not to play with anyone’s little girls except for Xiao Tangyuan, nor would he give them candy!

……………

Bai Lan and her son also came to help; they couldn’t help but look at this lively family with envy.

With more people, things were done quickly, and there weren’t many things to tidy up anyway.

Su Xiaoxiao had ordered a roast suckling pig in advance, set off some firecrackers, and paid respects to the four corners and the heavens and earth, completing a simple housewarming ceremony.

Su Xiaoxiao also bought a bunch of vegetables. Lunch was prepared by Bai Lan and Uncle Yang. The meals that were served were not so particular. Bai Lan made a large pot of steaming, hot braised noodles as the main dish, while Uncle Yang made a traditional dish of longevity pork with blanched lettuce (representing prosperity). It was said to bring good luck when moving into a new home.

Although it was said that family members were not so particular about what they ate, making the longevity pork still involved several steps. The pork elbow needed to be blanched first, then cooked until partially cooked, removed from the water, dried, and rubbed with soy sauce for color. After drying for a while, it was fried in oil until half-cooked, then removed. Every few centimeters along the elbow, a cut was made to help it absorb the flavor. Then, it was braised with scallions, ginger, and star anise, along with yellow wine, until soft and tender. The blanched lettuce served as a base, and the soft and tender elbow was placed on top, with the remaining broth cooked to a moderate thickness poured over it, allowing both the elbow and the lettuce underneath to soak up the broth. Finally, sprinkle some chopped green onions for decoration, and carve a few radish flowers to decorate the plate. This dish of longevity pork was then considered complete.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the finished product of the longevity pork and couldn’t help but give Uncle Yang a thumbs up. A chef is indeed a chef. The dishes made by a chef and those made at home were completely different concepts in terms of presentation. Su Xiaoxiao admitted that the dishes she made would never look so good, even if the taste was the same. The appearance would be far behind.

Today, all the food in front of the cubs was new to their eyes; it was the first time they would eat these kinds of dishes. The cubs were beaming in delight as they looked at the dishes in front of them. 

The roast suckling pig needed to be heated on a charcoal stove. After finishing the pork elbow and braised noodles, everyone gathered around the charcoal stove to eat the roast suckling pig. 

Xiao Roubao was the most playful. He held the pig’s head and gnawed on it for a long time, unwilling to let go. When he couldn’t bite any meat, he went to bite the pig’s mouth. Su Xiaoxiao said the pig’s head was mostly skin and bones, so they could save it to make porridge tomorrow. He reluctantly let go, then went to nibble on the pig’s buttocks, making everyone laugh heartily.

Han Songbai didn’t know about their plan to open a shop. He kept lamenting that it was a waste for Bai Lan and Uncle Yang not to open a restaurant. Their culinary skills were comparable to those of state banquet chefs.

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t hide it from him and told Uncle Han about their plan to open a shop together.

Originally, they had planned to split the profits with Bai Lan on a 50-50 basis, but in the end, the three of them decided to split it on a 30-30-40 basis. They requested that Su Xiaoxiao take 40% before agreeing to this partnership; however, they did not disclose it to the public. Of course, this is only a general direction, and the specific implementation will be discussed later, probably after the Lunar New Year.

The warm house meal was enjoyed by both hosts and guests. No one disturbed them much. After lunch, everyone went their separate ways. Xiao Zhuzi didn’t want to go back immediately. Since the New Year was approaching, Grandpa Zhang said they could come to visit on New Year’s Day. Xiao Zhuzi could only follow his family back.

Han Songbai said he wanted to visit an old friend nearby, so he didn’t go back with them.

……..

On the way back, Xiao Zhuzi discussed with his family, “Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I want to come over here to study with Fantuan in the future. We’ll have lunch here every day and go back only at night.”

The three elders exchanged glances, feeling somewhat helpless. Both families had a deep bond, and Xiao Zhuzi had grown up with Han Cheng’s children, especially with Fantuan. They had been in the same class since school started. If they were separated for school even after coming to the capital, he naturally wouldn’t agree.

Xiao Zhuzi had always been decisive, and since he was already twelve, he could decide for himself. They had no reason to worry, nor could they disagree.

After thinking for a while, Grandpa Zhang said: “Since Hongtu will be stationed in the military area in the future, Ya Li will also be attending university and will only be able to come back on weekends. We might as well buy a courtyard nearby. We’ll live here from Monday to Friday and return to the old house on weekends.”

Xiao Zhuzi was surprised. “Grandpa, will you be okay? You’re used to living in the old house, and I can just come back every night to accompany you.” 

Grandpa Zhang thought long-term. He pointed to the nearby Peking University. “Even if we don’t move now, with your grades, you and Fantuan will come to study there in the future. From elementary and middle school to university, not counting skipping grades or postgraduate studies, it’ll take at least ten or eight years to study here. Instead of being like this all the time, it’s better to move there as soon as possible. But we don’t have to hurry; let’s just go with Zhuzi’s arrangement for now and move houses when we find a good courtyard.”

Zhang Hongtu and Ya Li thought it made sense. Su Xiaoxiao often told them that the world was different now and that it wouldn’t hurt to buy more houses if they had the money.

Ya Li said: “Then let’s listen to Dad’s wishes. Let’s wait until the Chinese New Year and let Xiao Wu pay attention to the houses here. To be honest, I’m not used to being so far away from Xiaoxiao, Fantuan, Xiao Tangyuan, and Xiao Roubao all of a sudden, let alone Zhuzi.”

Xiao Zhuzi rarely showed his childish side. He leaned against his mom’s arm and rubbed it. “Thank you, Mom; thank you, Dad.”

Ya Li patted her child’s head. “Silly child, why are you thanking us? As long as we’re together as a family, it doesn’t matter where we live.”

Xiao Zhuzi nodded with a smile. “Okay.” 

That’s great.