Chapter 176

The twenty-ninth day of the year was the happiest day for the kids because it was time for the annual deep-frying feast.

In these difficult times, even families like Su Xiaoxiao’s, who were doing relatively well, only set up the large frying pot once a year.

Han Cheng took his two young children to the public market early in the morning to buy red paper firecrackers and some necessary items for the New Year. red paper firecrackers and some necessary items for the New Year.

Bai Lan brought her some dried cassava peels. When cut into diamond shapes and deep-fried, they tasted even better than shrimp chips. Sprinkling a handful of them could fill up a large pot. Although they were delicious, frying them consumed too much oil. Su Xiaoxiao planned to fry them only when there was leftover oil at the end.

Yesterday, she bought some fried food at the New Year’s goods stall. Today, Su Xiaoxiao decided to fry less. She started by making oil cakes. In previous years, they mostly ate sweet ones, but this year, she decided to make some savory ones.

This year, she plans to make some salty, fried glutinous rice dumplings. A little salt is added to glutinous rice flour, wrapped around green beans that have been pre-soaked and fried with salt, and fried in the oil pot. This snack was called “green bean fried cake” in Su Xiaoxiao’s hometown. Compared to the sweet oil cakes, these were even more fragrant and delicious.

Su Xiaoxiao also planned to make a taro cake. These were childhood memories for her, and she rarely got to eat them as an adult. She mashed taro and mixed it with glutinous rice flour, salt, and some whole fennel seeds. Then she shaped them into small cakes the size of her palm and fried them directly in the oil pot.

These two traditional snacks are really delicious, not to mention Xiao Roubao; even Xiao Tangyuan’s saliva is flowing.

“Mommy, I want to taste it.” Xiao Tangyuan rarely asks for anything to eat voluntarily, so Su Xiaoxiao naturally couldn’t bear to refuse her.

Su Xiaoxiao divided a green bean fried cake and a taro cake into halves and put them in two bowls, then handed them to the kids. “Just try half of each. Eating them when they’re freshly fried will easily get you a sore throat.”

Both little ones are very well-behaved. They eat whatever their mother gives them. They sat at the small table, each with a bowl, enjoying the snacks.

Xiao Tangyuan ate very politely, taking small bites and saying, “Mommy, this taro cake is so delicious, even better than the candies.”

Xiao Roubao, on the other hand, ate greedily, even dividing the palm-sized oil cake into halves. After finishing it in two bites, he felt like he hadn’t even tasted it. When he heard his sister’s comment, he asked, “Is it salty?”

Su Xiaoxiao looked at his empty bowl and said, “…?”

Xiao Tangyuan said, “Big brother, didn’t you finish it all? How come you don’t know the taste?”

Xiao Roubao licked his lips and said, “I ate too fast, but I found it particularly fragrant. I didn’t pay attention to whether it was sweet or salty. Little sister, can I have a bite of yours?”

Xiao Tangyuan was about to give him a bite when Su Xiaoxiao tapped his little hand with chopsticks. “You’re not allowed to eat your sister’s food by lying.”

Xiao Roubao withdrew his hand and looked pitifully at his mother, his aggrieved little face as cute as ever.

Su Xiaoxiao really couldn’t do anything about him, so she had to tear up half of the green bean fried bun and give it to him. She also tasted the remaining half herself and said, “Eat slowly this time, and once it’s gone, I won’t give you another one.”

Xiao Roubao smiled brightly: “Thank you, Mommy. I will definitely taste it slowly this time, and I will definitely be able to determine whether it is salty or sweet!”

After taking a bite, Xiao Roubao squinted and nodded. “It’s salty! So delicious!”

Su Xiaoxiao: “…” 

Apparently, he really couldn’t taste the flavor of those two halves just now. It was like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit, utterly clueless about the taste.

Next, Su Xiaoxiao planned to make her favorite radish pancakes from her previous life. The process was simple, but the frying method was a bit more complicated. She shredded a large amount of radish and sprinkled some garlic chives for fragrance. Then she added some flour to bind the shredded radish together, seasoned it with salt and five-spice powder, scooped a spoonful onto a ladle, and fried it in the oil. When the radish pancake formed and could separate from the ladle, she could remove it from the oil.

As Li Yufeng often said, even frying a shoe in that much oil would smell good. It was true. The first two snacks were already fragrant, and this radish pancake would make anyone’s mouth water, even the adults next door.

Even Su Xiaoxiao wished he could take it out and eat it right away. These things were best eaten right after they were cooked; otherwise, the radish would become watery and lose its texture, whether hot or cold.

The procurement team happened to arrive home at this time and couldn’t help but sniff the air as they entered the house.

Fantuan couldn’t help but swallow his saliva and say, “What is Mom cooking? It smells so good!”

Han Cheng reminisced about the days in Qingfeng Town, where he could smell the fragrance of home-cooked meals from afar every day. He replied, “What food does your mom cook that doesn’t smell good?”

Fantuan put down his things and ran to the kitchen. “No, I have to go and take a look.”

Xiao Doubao also put down the things in his hands and followed his big brother.

Su Xiaoxiao’s radish pancakes were just out of the pot when she saw the cubs: “You’re back? Perfect timing. Radish pancakes should be eaten hot. Go wash your hands and call Dad to come over and eat it together.”

Xiao Roubao is already holding his small bowl and smiling as his mother distributes the food.

Su Xiaoxiao was worried about this little foodie. Such a cute and adorable kid not being able to eat enough was pitiful, but he was only three years old, yet his appetite exceeded Han Cheng’s. However, despite being a bit chubby, he was very healthy. Among the four kids in the family, he got sick the least. He hardly ever got sick from childhood to this day, not even catching a cold often, only having a fever once or twice when his teeth were growing. “Son, you’ve already eaten so much. You can only have one, okay?”

Xiao Roubao shook his head and said, “It’s not okay; Xiao Roubao can finish eating this. Mommy talked about equal distribution, and Xiao Roubao will eat as much as my big brother eats.”

Su Xiaoxiao: “…” 

Was I worried that you wouldn’t finish it? I was worried you’d eat too much! You’re really giving me a headache!

Su Xiaoxiao has also seen many big eaters who can eat without gaining weight in his previous life. Could it be that Xiao Roubao was one of them?

Su Xiaoxiao had no choice. She didn’t fry many radish cakes—only enough for each person to have two. Xiao Tangyuan couldn’t eat so much; she could only eat one. Xiao Roubao wanted to eat the extra one, so Su Xiaoxiao quickly put it in Han Cheng’s bowl.

Han Cheng smiled but remained silent.

Fantuan and Xiao Doubao also tried the other two snacks. They probably ate too many sweet oil cakes, as they both expressed that the savory ones were tastier.

Han Cheng also liked the savory ones. He didn’t eat much of these things on regular days, but today, they really suited his taste, so he ate quite a bit.

The remaining oil was used to fry a handful of cassava. Despite only sprinkling a small amount, it resulted in a full pot. This snack was also savory.

The cubs also love it very much, and Su Xiaoxiao also likes it very much. 

She thought it was even better than potato chips. They had plenty of potatoes at home, and the freezing weather outside served as a refrigerator. She really wanted to make some potato chips, but considering the tight budget for oil at home, she decided against it. They had already exceeded the limit of fried foods for the day. Su Xiaoxiao packed a few pieces for each person to eat later.

At noon, she brewed a large pot of monk fruit chrysanthemum tea for the kids to drink and clear the heat. Han Cheng was also forced to drink from a large bowl. Then she made a simple dumpling soup with extra vegetables, and everyone enjoyed a pleasant lunch.

Bai Lan knew that Su Xiaoxiao’s family had fried oil cakes, so she had Chen Ping’an bring over a plate of egg crisps and sesame cookies. Su Xiaoxiao didn’t stand for the ceremony and gave him a few savory oil cakes to try.

The weather in Beijing is not as good as in Qingfeng Town. It takes minutes for the wind and snow to blow. Taking advantage of the good weather today, Han Cheng took the children to write spring couplets in the afternoon.

Xiao Doubao continued to draw the God of Wealth. He found inspiration from the new clothes he bought for the twins and thought that wearing bellybands in the middle of winter looked cold. So when he went to Su Xiaoxiao’s room to draw, he changed the design to a red jacket. Surprisingly, it looked quite warm.

Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan also started doodling with their brothers. They had been practicing calligraphy since last year, with Fantuan as their teacher. He was strict, making them write or recite poetry or practice arithmetic every day. The Han family had good genes, and the two little ones were naturally smart. Xiao Tangyuan was particularly adept, much like Xiao Doubao. They could concentrate on learning anything. If you thought Xiao Roubao was just a kid with a developed appetite, you were wrong. When Fantuan taught him to write and draw, he was very serious. Sitting properly like a little meatball, he had a certain style.

A few days after posting the red paper that brought great joy to the house, the whole house was about to put on New Year’s greetings again. The four cubs divided their work and cooperated, discussing where to write and what to stick. They even decided to decorate the newly bought pots of flowers with blooming flowers and prosperity.

Su Xiaoxiao usually didn’t manage these things; it was Han Cheng who led the children to do them. She took out the clothes the kids had bought yesterday to see if they needed to be washed first. Unexpectedly, there was still a red cheongsam with a furry collar!

Su Xiaoxiao asked, “Fantuan, Doubao, did you buy this? Didn’t you only buy jackets for your siblings?”

Fantuan said: “Xiao Doubao said Mama would look really pretty in this dress and insisted on buying it. I also thought it was good. After all, Mom looks good in anything.”

In the 1970s, the salespeople were very sincere, and the workmanship and materials of the clothes were good. However, the red cheongsam doesn’t have any fancy patterns on it. She really didn’t want to wear it.

Su Xiaoxiao: “Mom will thank you two for your kindness first, but don’t buy me clothes next time. I’ll buy them myself when I find something suitable.”

Xiao Doubao said, “Mama, don’t you like it? You’ll definitely look beautiful! You’ll bring happiness as the red envelope given on New Year’s Day!”

Xiao Roubao agreed: “Looking as beautiful as a red envelope will trick people into giving us candy!”

Su Xiaoxiao: “…” She really couldn’t compliment the kids’ aesthetic taste. Wasn’t she just worried about looking like a red envelope when she went out?

Fantuan took Xiao Roubao’s clothes and pinched his face. “Try on your own red clothes quickly; let your brother see if you look like a red envelope. Sister, try it on too.”

There is no child who doesn’t like new clothes. Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan happily try on their clothes. The two already cute and pretty kids looked even more festive with their red clothes on and their little faces all rosy, making them look exceptionally cheerful.

The two older brothers nodded in agreement. “Looks good, looks good. Wearing this out will definitely trick people into giving us lots of candy.”

“Let brother see which child is dressed so beautifully.” Xiao Zhuzi, who suddenly arrived, stood at the door.

The little two ran up and hugged one thigh each, holding their heads high and shouting in unison, “Brother Zhuzi!”

Xiao Zhuzi put down the things in his hand, rubbed each of their heads, and said with a smile, “Good, good, good. Brother brought you some delicious snacks. Go and eat.”

Su Xiaoxiao said: “Today, we can’t eat any more fried foods. We’ll have them tomorrow. Why did you bring so many things over?” Su Xiaoxiao glanced behind Zhuzi in surprise and asked, “Did you come here alone?”

Zhuzi shook his head and said, “No, Grandpa’s police officer, Uncle Du, brought me here and went to run some errands. He’ll come back to pick me up in two hours. If we can’t eat fried foods, we can have some fruit. Auntie, I brought your favorite fruits.”

Su Xiaoxiao rubbed his head, which was already taller than hers. and said, “It’s very convenient to buy things now. We don’t need anything here, so you don’t have to worry about us all the time.” 

It seemed that she might only see Zhuzi once a week after he started school, and Su Xiaoxiao would have to get used to it.

“Auntie, I have discussed with my parents and grandfather, and they have agreed for me to come and stay here for junior high school. Grandpa has already asked someone, and the junior high school here welcomes me very much. Then I can have the same class as Fantuan, and we can go to school together again.” As soon as the matter was confirmed, Xiao Zhuzi hurriedly came over to report the good news.

Su Xiaoxiao and Fantuan exchanged a glance.

Fantuan said, “Brother Zhuzi, I’m afraid we can’t go to school together.”

“Why?” Xiao Zhuzi asked in surprise.

Fantuan: “Because my dad, your Uncle Han, has arranged for me to repeat the sixth grade for another semester, so I have to go back to elementary school.”

Xiao Zhuzi: “…”

---

Green bean fried cake

Taro Cake

Radish pancakes

Monk fruit chrysanthemum tea