The Sweet Stepmother and Her Cute Cubs - Chapter 197
Digging for gold is on the agenda, but it can’t be done until Hancheng finishes the postgraduate exam.
Recently, Gu Zhanwang has appeared “three meals and four seasons” with a high frequency.
It’s a coincidence. In the past, Su Xiaoxiao and Han Cheng seldom ate in the school cafeteria, but now Han Cheng has reached the sprint stage of the postgraduate examination. In order to accompany the examination, Su Xiaoxiao will either accompany Han Cheng to eat in the school cafeteria at noon, or in the morning. Let Uncle Yang prepare a lunch box and take it to school, and go to the cafeteria at noon to warm it up and eat it. In short, he rarely comes back for lunch.
After such a long time, Gu Zhanwang never met Su Xiaoxiao once, and he even wondered if the children were deliberately harassing him.
However, he likes to chat with a few children very much. He likes the fireworks of “Three Meals and Four Seasons”, and also likes the food of “Three Meals and Four Seasons”. It is a pleasure for the driver to take him over for dinner, to chat with the children, or to glance at them from behind while the children are doing their homework.
Gradually, he developed a habit. One day he was so busy that he didn’t have time to come, and he didn’t see a few children. He felt uncomfortable all day.
When he didn’t come one day, even Xiaodoubao, who didn’t talk to him very much, would ask, “Why didn’t that uncle with glasses come today? Could it be that he was sick?”
Time has come to mid-May, and the door to postgraduate examinations, which has been closed for ten years, has finally reopened.
Han Cheng’s foundation was already very solid. In addition to his hard study during this period, he was very stable and confident, but he wasn’t nervous at all.
It’s just that here in Su Xiaoxiao, no matter who has the big test in the family, and whether the roll noodles are 100% or not, they have to eat “100%” before going out for the test. Comrade Hancheng ate a fried dough stick for two An egg, and a bowl full of soy milk before going out.
Capital University is on holiday today, Su Xiaoxiao sent people to the door, tidied up Hancheng’s collar, and said with a smile, “Comrade Hancheng, I wish you a successful victory and win the champion in one fell swoop.”
Han Cheng raised his lips, kissed his wife’s cheek, and said softly: “I will try my best, I will come back early at noon to have lunch with you.”
Su Xiaoxiao raised Xiao Liwu and nodded: “I’ll tell Uncle Yang, let’s eat at home at noon today, and I’ll cook something delicious for you myself.”
Since the opening of “Three Meals and Four Seasons”, Su Xiaoxiao has rarely cooked. At most, she cooks something to satisfy their cravings in the store. The pots and pans at home are probably rusted.
Han Cheng shook his head: “Don’t be so troublesome, just take a bite in the store.”
Su Xiaoxiao stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the face: “No trouble, I want to make it for you, what do you want to eat most?”
Han Cheng looked at his wife’s smile. He felt that he could maintain a good mood all day: “I like to eat everything you make.”
Su Xiaoxiao: “Then I’ll make up my mind, then take the exam obediently, and try to hand in the papers as soon as possible and come back for dinner.”
The curvature of the corner of Han Cheng’s lips never went down, he nodded: “Okay.”
…
The cubs all went to school. Su Xiaoxiao rarely visited the market by herself. The market here is almost half-open, with more and more varieties, and more and more people are blatantly setting up stalls. What is cutting the tail of capitalism? The argument has been rarely spoken of.
Han Cheng is indeed not a picky eater. No matter what Su Xiaoxiao does or buys for him, he always eats cleanly, but Su Xiaoxiao knows that Han Cheng actually likes chicken legs, but there are only four in the family. Child, every time you buy a chicken, one person will share half of it. She and Han Cheng each share a chicken wing. Han Cheng knows that she likes chicken wings, and every time she puts the chicken wings into her bowl, she says that she likes chicken breasts.
People in the 21st century eat chicken breast for health reasons. Everyone lacks oil and water these days. If they were to choose, no one would really like chicken breast.
Today, Su Xiaoxiao bought two smaller hens in one breath, and planned to make soy sauce chicken so that the whole family could eat chicken legs.
In fact, the first winter in the capital, Su Xiaoxiao was very uncomfortable. There are vegetables all year round in the south, but it is difficult to eat fresh vegetables in the winter in the north. There are also many radish and Chinese cabbage. It is not that the radish and Chinese cabbage are not delicious, but If you eat it all the time, you will get tired of eating everything.
The vegetables in the greenhouse at home are not very long, and the thin plastic film can’t resist the absolute cold. Hancheng has to put the onions and garlic in pots and move them to the edge of the kang, so that they can germinate, but It also grows very slowly.
Su Xiaoxiao bought wolfberry leaves today, but she was so happy that she saw this vegetable that is common throughout the year in the south. She came to the capital for the first time for almost half a year.
She planned to boil a wolfberry leaf soup with chicken water, and the chicken blood was not wasted. She asked the hawker who helped to kill the chicken to pick it up in a bowl. Then, along with the chicken liver, chicken gizzard, chicken heart, and chicken intestines, order **** slices and white wine to boil the soup, eat The last bowl can fresh off the tongue.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t cook for some time, and her cooking skills seemed a little rusty. Wash the chicken, put the skin into hot water to scald it tightly, and then run it through cold water, so that the skin of the chicken can be crisper.
Heat the **** slices in a pan with oil, then scald the whole chicken until slightly charred and set aside for later use.
Red flake sugar is the soul of soy sauce chicken. One chicken is the amount of one bowl of soy sauce, three bowls of water and one piece of red flake sugar. These two chickens are relatively small. Su Xiaoxiao used the amount of one and a half chickens. Add in enough amount to cover the chicken. If there is rose wine, it will be better. If not, Su Xiaoxiao will add a little rice wine instead. Finally, add a green onion knot, two star anise, and a few slices of ginger. Just cover and cook.
During this period, you need to turn the sides several times, otherwise the coloring will not be uniform. When the chopsticks can be inserted into the meat, it means that the chicken is cooked. At this time, turn on the high heat to get the juice to the extent that it can hang on the chicken body, and the color of the soy sauce chicken will change. very beautiful.
Taking advantage of this gap, Su Xiaoxiao made the soup. Save the wolfberry leaves until they are ready to eat. Sprinkle a handful of red wolfberry and wolfberry leaves and scald them for a few seconds. You can eat it now. .
In the morning, Su Xiaoxiao told the cubs to eat at home at noon, and when Zhuzi came to pick up the dragon and the phoenix to go to school, he also ordered him to call the old man at home for dinner.
At this time, Xiaodoubao happened to be leading his younger brother and sister back from school.
Xiao Rou Bao sniffed, swallowed wildly, let go of his little brother’s hand and ran towards the kitchen: “What did Mama do today? This smell will make you cry your own child!”
Su Xiaoxiao really couldn’t take this foodie cub: “Mom, soy sauce chicken, you can eat when everyone is together.”
Although Xiaoroubao was very greedy, he did not ask to eat it in advance, so he obediently went back to the house and waited for dinner.
Tiantian missed her grandmother, but Su Xiaoxiao didn’t force her, and asked the rice ball to send her back to “Three Meals and Four Seasons”. Su Xiaoxiao didn’t cook the rice, and let the rice ball come back with a pot of rice by the way.
After Han Cheng got home, Zhu Zi came with his grandfather and Han Cheng’s front and back feet. Su Xiaoxiao ordered Han Cheng to chop the chicken. Han Cheng habitually put a flower knife on each chicken leg and then divided it into two parts. She cut the red wolfberry and wolfberry leaves. Put it in the soup, boil the soup again, add some salt to taste, and then the rice can be cooked.
When the rice ball came back with the rice, Su Xiaoxiao asked the cubs to give everyone a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup, and a rich lunch was ready.
The old man is very happy. He likes to eat Su Xiaoxiao’s food the most. Unfortunately, she rarely cooks now, and he even asked Han Cheng to bring wine over for two drinks.
Before moving the chopsticks, Su Xiaoxiao put half a chicken leg for each person. She first put the half of the chicken leg on the old man’s rice, and said with a smile, “Hancheng has an exam in the afternoon, so I can’t accompany you to drink.”
The old man laughed so hard that he could not see his teeth but his eyes: “It doesn’t matter, I will decide for myself. If there is a good dish, I will drink it as much as I like it, but I will not eat this chicken leg. Let’s leave it to the children.”
Xiaoroubao grabbed the chicken thigh that his mother had brought with his fleshy little paws and said, “Grandpa, we all have it. Everyone in our family has a share of chicken thighs. I’ll toast you with chicken thighs!”
After Xiaoroubao finished speaking, he raised his drumstick to the middle, and the old man squinted and touched his with his drumstick: “Alright, grandpa and Xiaoroubao toast.”
Zhuzi said with emotion: “Grandpa, when I used to live in Aunt Su’s house in Qingfeng Town, Uncle Han also cut the chicken leg in two like this, and it was the same way when we put a flower knife on the chicken leg and we ate it. At the age of two, he can eat a chicken leg by himself.”
Every time Zhuzi recalls the past, all the happy memories are related to Su Xiaoxiao’s family.
The old man put his chicken legs into his grandson’s bowl: “It’s a pity that Grandpa didn’t know about your existence at that time, and our family will eat chicken legs like this in the future.” He kept it all in his mind.
Zhuzi put the chicken legs back into grandpa’s bowl: “Okay, grandpa, let’s eat together.”
Even Su Xiaoxiao, who doesn’t usually eat chicken drumsticks, also held up the drumsticks like a small meat bun: “Come on, let’s toast with drumsticks and celebrate the success of the Hancheng Comrade Exam in advance!”
Han Cheng, who had no pressure at first, suddenly felt the pressure, and laughed: “I haven’t finished the test yet, so let’s celebrate first? What if I don’t pass the test?”
The old man smiled and said: “If there is no such case, Hancheng, don’t be humble, Xiaoxiao is the top student in the college entrance examination, at least you have to make a sample for the children and come back with a top score. In the future, our children’s goals are all Scholar.”
The cubs roared: “Zhuang Yuan, cheers! Champion, cheers!”
The happy lunch time passed very quickly. The old man was full of praise for Su Xiaoxiao’s craftsmanship. No matter what cuisine, she can be very authentic, which is the most rare.
The old man had two drinks, and his face was bright and refreshed: “When Xiaoxiao has the opportunity, I must open that kind of restaurant with several floors to promote cuisines from all over the country.”
Su smiled and nodded: “I will, and I believe this wish will be realized soon.”
…
Han Cheng finally finished the exam, and he feels pretty good about himself. As for whether he can get the first place in the exam, it’s hard to say.
The country has all kinds of careers waiting, and it is thirsty for talents. The college entrance examination in 1977 and 1978 is only half a year apart. Two months later, the college entrance examination will usher in a new year. For those who want to take the college entrance examination, Time is also really tight.
Han Cheng’s tutor gave him a few days off, and Su Xiaoxiao didn’t have to go to class on weekends. The whole family gathered around to discuss how to dig for gold.
Su Xiaoxiao: “The wind and rain bridge is very good, and the piers are not small. You have to invite a professional team to come over to dismantle it, right?”
However, if you invite a professional team to dig, and you are worried about the money being exposed, it does not seem to be the best choice.
Han Cheng said: “Let Hongtu borrow the tools and we can dismantle them ourselves. Those bridge piers are just decorations. I think their purpose is to hide gold, not the main load-bearing structure. If the bridge piers are damaged, it will not affect the wind and rain. The load-bearing of the bridge.”
“Is that so.” Su Xiaoxiao, who is knowledgeable about architecture, really doesn’t understand, “That is to say, as long as we smash the piers with tools, we can take out the gold without affecting any buildings?”
Han Cheng nodded: “Theoretically, this is the case. The premise is that the gold is really hidden in the bridge pier. It would be best if you can borrow a metal detector to confirm it. However, borrowing this thing is too eye-catching and will easily arouse suspicion from others, so you should just smash the bridge pier directly. .”
Su smiled and nodded: “Okay, I’ll listen to you, the cubs remember not to spread our family’s secrets out, okay?”
Husband and wife rarely hide from the children, and they will let the cubs participate when discussing anything, and this time is no exception.
A few cubs nodded obediently, and Xiaoroubao said, “We know, with gold, you can buy meat to eat, right? I heard Dongdong say that their family eats meat at most several times a month, so I won’t tell him. Our family eats meat every day, what if he finds out that he wants to come to our house for food?”
The rest: “…”
Xiao Tangyuan pinched her little jade pendant and asked with her little head tilted, “Then Mama, can’t Tiantian and brother Zhuzi talk about it? But we never lie to brother Zhuzi?”
Small dumplings with white skin, big eyes, melon seeds face, and shoulder-length straight black hair have turned into a very beautiful little girl.
Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her head: “Brother Zhuzi can say, Tiantian can’t.”
Xiao Tangyuan nodded: “I see, brother Zhuzi is his own, and Tiantian is a good friend. You can say that you are a good friend, but not a good friend.”
Su smiled and nodded: “That’s right. Brother Zhuzi will never say it, but good friends are not necessarily. The less people know about our family’s secrets, the better.”
“Han Cheng, do you have any features in the calligraphy and painting that the uncle said?” Su Xiaoxiao asked Han Cheng.
Han Cheng thought for a while, then shook his head and said: “Those things are easy to mold and rot, and they are not easy to preserve. I feel that they should not be at home. They may exist in a certain place. I will find some time to find the things my father left behind to see if there are any. There are no clues.”
Su Xiaoxiao frowned and thought for a while: “Did your parents leave you any safe keys or something? Maybe it’s really possible to open a safe in the bank or somewhere to keep them, or maybe there are A special custody institution?”
Han Cheng shook his head and said, “They haven’t mentioned it, and they’re not even sure whether these things exist. We can only slowly solve the mystery ourselves. The most urgent task is to dig out the gold first.”
The rice ball suddenly asked: “Mom, I told you that there is a glasses uncle named Gu Zhanwang who comes to the restaurant to eat every day recently?”
Su Xiaoxiao and Han Cheng have been very busy recently, and the rice ball is not sure if he has told them.
Su smiled and nodded: “I said, it’s the uncle who returned from the investment mall and asked you to help him paint murals? Why did he suddenly talk about him, what happened to him?”
Onigiri shook his head and said, “It’s nothing, I just think of him suddenly. He also talked to others about the auction of calligraphy and painting in the store, and he seems to be very interested in these. Besides, I think he is quite sincere. Before he went to the store, he still bought the monthly card directly, and persevered to come to the store for dinner every day at noon and at night, always asking about you, probably because he really wanted to see you.”
Su Xiaoxiao and Han Cheng looked at each other.
“Ask us? Come every day?” Now Su Xiaoxiao is completely a hands-off shopkeeper, and even hand over the bills in the store to the rice ball, teach him how to keep accounts, and report the bill to her once a week.
Onigiri is also very interested in this. The customers in the store now think that Onigiri is the boss, and they subconsciously go to him to solve anything.
Speaking of which, Su Xiaoxiao is a little ashamed. She only takes a small part of the dividends in the “Halal Restaurant”, and Mu Xiaocao is in charge of the operation, and Mu Xiaocao is also a hands-on practice. Prepare, Mu Xiaocao will discuss with her if there is anything, but Su Xiaoxiao usually doesn’t intervene, as long as there is no loss.
Rice Ball nodded and said, “He always said that he wanted to see what kind of parents could raise a child like us. Recently, he has been here almost every day. When he doesn’t come, even Xiaodoubao will ask him why he doesn’t come.”
Xiaodoubao said: “Because he is very good, he is very good at speaking foreign languages, and sometimes he will teach me. By the way, mother, he is also selling gold recently.”
Su Xiaoxiao blinked: “You still sell gold?”
Onigiri shook his head: “I haven’t heard that. He prefers Xiaodoubao and Xiaoroubao, and occasionally teases them.”
Xiaodoubao nodded and said, “He and the other uncle said it in a foreign language. I heard them say that selling gold abroad would be expensive.”
Han Cheng ordered the table and asked, “Is that other uncle a foreigner?”
Xiaodoubao shook his head: “No, that uncle looks just like us. They usually communicate in Mandarin, but they occasionally switch to other foreign languages. I can understand some English, but I can’t understand a word of some foreign languages. I don’t know. What are they talking about.”
Su Xiaoxiao and Han Cheng looked at each other and smiled. It was interesting. It seems that after they dug out the gold, it was really necessary to meet Mr. Gu Zhanwang, a returned overseas Chinese, and maybe he still wanted to ask him.