Meanwhile, Wen Jiajia was cracking eggs into the brown sugar water. She didn’t stir them, instead watching the eggs slowly solidify, estimating the time in her mind. She wanted the eggs to be slightly tender with a little runny yolk.

Snow started falling outside again, though it was lighter than the previous day and melted as it touched her palms.

“You used my fruit charcoal^[1]is a type of charcoal made from fruit waste, such as seeds, peels, and other byproducts of fruit processing.?” Wen Jiajia asked as she picked up the casserole. She noticed that the charcoal was too neat, unlike the charcoal at home.

At home, they used charcoal left after burning firewood, which came in various sizes and was easy to break and burn. It was fine for steaming rice, but for making soup, they needed to add charcoal halfway through, sometimes multiple times.

Wei Dai, having just finished his work, tied up all the sawed parts with ropes and put them in the utility room. Hearing Wen Jiajia, he said, “Yes, I wanted to try your new charcoal to see if it works.”

Wen Jiajia said, “I bought this for barbecue and hot pot. Please don’t use it for this purpose.”

“Hot pot?” Wei Dai asked.

“Yes,” Wen Jiajia replied. “I’m also thinking of buying a copper pot. One of my colleagues’ fathers works in a big hotel, and he can get copper pots. The kind used for shabu-shabu^[2]is a hot pot dish that involves cooking thinly sliced meat and vegetables in a pot of boiling broth. in the capital. I want to cook it in a couple’s style.”

She had tried to make a copper pot herself, but copper was difficult to obtain. Although iron was easy to find, she couldn’t get the copper she needed with just a few coins. Realizing it was simpler to buy one, she decided to do so.

Wei Dai said, “So it’s actually hot pot.”

Wen Jiajia asked puzzledly, “Have you never eaten it?”

Wei Dai had eaten hot pot but not in the way Wen Jiajia described. He had only had it boiled in a pot and then served directly from there.

Wen Jiajia curled her lips. “That’s not a hot pot, it’s just a hodgepodge^[3]is a term used to describe a mixture of ingredients that lacks the traditional or proper method of preparation..”

She patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll make you an authentic dish once I’ve bought all the ingredients.”

Wei Dai thought to himself, He’s still thinking about eating.

…I let it slip again.

Wen Jiajia was still contemplating whether to buy some sesame paste. She had seen it in department stores, but it was a bit expensive.

The snow grew heavier and the wind stronger. The door to the living room was blown open by a gust of wind, letting in cold air and snowflakes, causing a chill.

Wei Dai hurried over to close the door, leaving a small gap. To keep the door from blowing open again, he propped it up with a wine jar.

The charcoal fire in the stove was still burning, so it would be useful later. He planned to roast the pig’s trotters on it and then stew them in a casserole the next day.

It was too late to eat them today; even if he started cooking now, they wouldn’t be ready until after seven o’clock at the earliest.

Wen Jiajia sat on a chair, eating the brown sugar and red date soup, taking spoonfuls.

“Come and eat something too,” Wen Jiajia called to Wei Dai.

Wei Dai hesitated, “Something sweet…”

“Sweet things are best in winter. Why do you think they’re too greasy?” Wen Jiajia replied. She usually enjoyed sweet foods, so she didn’t understand his reluctance.

Wen Jiajia frowned. “Come on, I’ll crack four eggs and leave two bowls for Wen Chun and Wen Xuan later.”

Wei Dai replied, “Okay. I’ll finish roasting the pig’s trotters first.”

Before the pig’s trotters were finished roasting, there was another knock on the door.

Wen Jiajia was puzzled. “It’s strange; why are so many people coming to our house today?”

Wei Dai glanced through the window and said, “It’s Sister Bao.”

The gate was not closed, so Sister Bao knocked twice and entered. The door to the living room was slightly ajar, and before she could knock again, Wen Jiajia opened it.

“Sister Bao, why are you here? Come in and warm yourself by the fire.” Wen Jiajia took Sister Bao’s hand and turned to Wei Dai. “Move the stove out.”

Sister Bao quickly said, “No need. Your room is warm enough; you don’t need a fire.”

Wen Jiajia brought over another bowl. “Then have some sweet soup. It’s freshly made and will warm you up.”

Sister Bao waved her hand. “No need. I just have something to ask you.”

Seeing that Sister Bao was not in the mood for roasting her hands or drinking sweet soup, Wen Jiajia pulled her to sit down and asked, “What’s the matter, Sister Bao? Just ask.”

Sister Bao then explained what had happened. She wasn’t seeking advice but was concerned about how the situation might affect her niece if it escalated.

“I’m not afraid for myself, but I’m worried that Sihua’s job might be in jeopardy. It wasn’t easy for her to get this job. When I gave birth to Gao Fei, she was only 15 or 16 years old and came all the way from our hometown to take care of me. It takes three trains and five or six days to get here. She was so young but took the train alone…”

Her mother-in-law often praised her for taking care of her family, but she always remembered that only her niece had come to help during her first confinement.

“She took care of me for two years and lived in our family compound for that time. She later worked as a replacement at the pharmaceutical factory and eventually got a full-time position. She’s been very hardworking and thoughtful, and I’m afraid I might affect her job.”

Wen Jiajia was surprised. She had guessed correctly.

She thought for a moment and then asked, “Wasn’t this red medicine given to Xiaopang by Feifei when she saw him injured?”

“Yes… yes,” Sister Bao confirmed, pausing as if deep in thought.

Indeed, she hadn’t sold the red medicine to Xiaopang’s family. This red medicine was for her own use. When a neighbor’s child was injured, her daughter, Gao Fei, who was kind-hearted, gave the medicine as a gift. How serious could this be?

Wen Jiajia considered the situation. Logically, there was still a problem, and Sister Hong’s family had to take responsibility. The issue had shifted from selling to giving out of kindness.

However, the fact remained that she had distributed medicine without proper authorization, which was still problematic.

Wen Jiajia didn’t fully understand the laws at the time, but decades later, fines for such actions would be light, and Sihua might be fired.

Wen Jiajia said, “The factory does not strictly monitor finished drugs like Mercurochrome since they are not controlled substances.”

She added, “But if someone goes to the factory about this issue, the factory will definitely take a stance.”

“What stance?”

“It will likely result in a demotion, salary deduction, and disciplinary action. Dismissal shouldn’t be an issue, as there’s precedent for handling such cases.”

Sister Bao sighed, feeling troubled even at the thought of a salary deduction. Her niece, who had just secured a permanent job last year, sent money back home every month. How much could she afford to lose?

Sister Bao left in a hurry after her brief visit.

As she departed, Wei Dai said to Wen Jiajia, “Our family is not short of money. If someone asks you to provide medicine in the future, don’t do it.”

The risk was too high.

Wen Jiajia sneered, “Do you think I’m foolish? You can’t just distribute medicine carelessly. If there are side effects, it could be disastrous.”

She didn’t even dare to use the simplest red medicine.

Wei Dai sighed. “This matter is going to be troublesome.”

Wen Jiajia nodded, then said, “Should we buy something for Xiaopang?”

After staying in the village for a while, she noticed that when someone in a family was seriously ill, the villagers would visit with eggs, brown sugar, or even bones.

This practice continued decades later. She remembered that when someone from her hometown was seriously ill or had an operation, her father, who had been away for years, would still ask village relatives to send gifts.

Even she, when a classmate had a car accident, organized a group gift for the visit.

Wei Dai agreed. “That’s the right thing to do.”

Wen Jiajia decided to send half a pound of meat to Xiaopang, given how well he got along with Wen Chun and Wen Xuan.

The next day, Wen Chun and Wen Xuan learned from Xie Yi that Xiaopang was still in the hospital. They became a bit worried.

Wen Chun frowned and asked his aunt, “Is Xiaopang seriously ill? When I vomited, I took medicine for two days and was fine.”

Wen Jiajia replied, “There are many causes of vomiting. Your vomiting was due to a fever, while Xiaopang’s is due to poisoning. They’re not the same.”

“I’m worried about Xiaopang. We planned to play ball together once school starts,” Wen Chun said, her concern evident. She put her hands on her waist like an adult.

Although young, she understood how serious “poisoning” could be.

People in the village had said her parents died from poisoning.

“Aunt, I want to visit Xiaopang,” she said after a moment. “I’m afraid if he dies, I’ll never see him again.”

Wen Jiajia’s mouth twitched slightly, and she was momentarily speechless.

“It’s not that serious yet,” she said, tapping her bowl. “Eat first, and we’ll talk after you’ve finished.”

This morning’s meal consisted of preserved egg and lean meat porridge, soy sauce fried eggs, and two fried dough sticks that Wei Dai had brought back from the cafeteria.

It was quite a rich meal, but the two children had no taste for it.

After eating, the two children ran into the room. Wen Jiajia heard the sound of rummaging through drawers and cabinets, but she didn’t know what they were up to.

Then, Wen Chun and Wen Xuan ran to the next door and hid by it, as if they were planning something.

Wei Dai was not at home, so Wen Jiajia had to sweep the snow by herself.

The snow melted into water and soaked the soil. The mud stained the white snow, making the snow shoveled to the door dirty.

Wen Jiajia shoveled for half an hour and was sweating all over.

Wen Chun and Wen Xuan, probably having finished their discussion, asked Wen Jiajia for a small basket and began putting their toys into it.

“Aunt, we plan to visit Xiaopang,” Wen Chun said seriously. “We all know the way to the hospital.”

“Are you so anxious?” she asked with a smile.

Wen Chun nodded heavily. “Yes! It’s urgent.”

Wen Jiajia rubbed her head, took out the half pound of meat that Wei Dai had bought that morning from the cupboard, wrapped it in oil paper, placed it in her small basket, and said, “Go ahead; Auntie will go with you.”