sbdcsierra Chapter 1711 This young wife got more and more excited as she talked (8K2 combined)
Chapter 1711 This young wife got more and more excited as she talked (8K2 combined)
Chapter 1711 This young wife got more and more excited as she talked (8K two-in-one)
Today is the second time Zhao Jun has accompanied his wife back to her parents' home since the wedding.
Although the two families lived not far apart, the Zhao family had a lot of work to do every day, so Ma Ling didn't have time to come back and visit.
So when he came back this time, Zhao Jun didn't leave in a hurry. He played with the little black dog and Ma Yang in the west room of the Ma family, while Ma Ling and Wang Cuihua cooked and whispered to each other in the outer room.
And so, the young couple stayed at the Ma family's house until the forestry worker finished get off work and Ma Dafu returned. This was Zhao Jun's way of giving Ma Ling a chance to talk to Ma Dafu.
"Oh, my daughter's back!" Ma Dafu was overjoyed to see his daughter and son-in-law when he got home.
In Zhao Jun's hometown, there are generally two ways to cook river fish: one is to braise it in soy sauce, and the other is to deep-fry it.
Small crucian carp have many small bones and can only be fried. On the other hand, small loach and minnows, although small, only have one large bone, so they can be fried or braised.
By this time, the crucian carp had already been fried, and the braised fish and rice were placed in a large pot, filling the room with a delicious aroma.
"Where did the fish come from?" Ma Dafu asked, seemingly already knowing the answer. He then asked Zhao Jun, "Jun, did you catch it?"
"Okay, Dad, we're going out to get a taxi today," Zhao Jun replied with a smile. Then Ma Dafu asked, "Has the Dongda Ditch thawed yet? Are there any people collecting rotten fish along the riverbank?"
"Huh?" Zhao Jun was taken aback. In his previous life, he would go to Dongdagou twice every spring with Ma Dafu. Now that Ma Dafu mentioned it, Zhao Jun thought of the peculiar smell of the fishy and rotten fish that came out of the river.
While Zhao Jun was slightly stunned, Ma Ling and Wang Cuihua quickly gave him meaningful glances. Realizing what was happening, Zhao Jun hurriedly said to Ma Dafu, "Dad, Dongdagou hasn't opened yet. We're going to the Northeast Branch today."
"Ah...it's not open yet." Hearing Zhao Jun say this, Ma Dafu said, "Okay, then I'll go check it out on Sunday when we're closed."
Upon hearing Ma Dafu's words, Wang Cuihua, Ma Ling, and Ma Yang all changed their expressions.
"Well..." Afraid that Ma Dafu would say something else, Ma Ling didn't care about talking to her parents anymore and quickly said to the elderly couple, "Dad, Mom, then Zhao Jun and I will go back now."
As she spoke, Ma Ling went into the east room to get her and Zhao Jun's coats.
"Huh? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Wang Cuihua said, "The food is almost ready. Why don't you two eat here before you go?"
"Oh no, Mom." Zhao Jun was afraid that Ma Dafu would ask him to pick up the rotten fish, so he said, "The food over there should be ready soon. If we don't go back, my mom and the others will have to wait for us."
As Zhao Jun was speaking, Ma Ling came out of the east room with their coats. The young couple hurriedly put on the coats and then went home together.
Watching the young couple flee in disarray, Wang Cuihua shoved Ma Dafu with her pestle and said, "Let me tell you, we're not making rotten fish this year!"
"Why should I?" Ma Dafu glared and said, "I just like that taste!"
After saying that, Ma Dafu stormed into the inner room and saw the wine box on the kang table.
"Hey, what's this?" Ma Dafu didn't even bother to take off his coat. He picked up the wine box and saw a big tiger drawn on one side and words on the other.
“That was given to you by your in-laws.” Wang Cuihua appeared at the door and said to Ma Dafu, “That’s tiger bone wine. Last year, Zhao Jun beat up that big claw and then had the pharmaceutical factory take it to make wine.”
"Really?" Ma Dafu's eyes lit up, only to hear Wang Cuihua say irritably, "It's Mom's and Dad's, isn't it written on there?"
"Let me see!" Hearing Wang Cuihua say this, Ma Yang quickly went over. Seeing his youngest son coming over, Ma Dafu handed him the wine box and said, "Read it to Dad."
Holding the wine bottle, Ma Yang read aloud: "Northeast Tiger Bone Wine... This tiger was killed by forest ranger Zhao Jun on November 26, 1987..."
"Wow!" Ma Dafu smiled after hearing this, took the wine box and examined it carefully, saying, "My son-in-law is really something!"
As he spoke, Ma Dafu looked up at Wang Cuihua and said, "Now, people in the city know about our son-in-law, right?"
"So what are you thinking about?" Wang Cuihua said with a hint of pride and smugness, "Have you forgotten? Our son-in-law has even been on TV!"
"You bet!" Ma Dafu said, picking up the wine box and getting up. He turned around and looked around when Wang Cuihua asked, "What are you doing?"
"Cuihua, find a place," Ma Dafu replied. "Set up the wine, and when the guests arrive or leave, let them all see it!"
While the elderly Ma couple were preparing for their future display, Zhao Jun and Ma Ling had already returned to the Zhao family compound. The moment they opened the door, the distinctive aroma of fried fish wafted out.
It was a very distinctive aroma, with a slight fishy smell. It also had a bold and intense flavor, so even though the fish had been fried for half a day, the smell still lingered in the house.
Along with the aroma came the laughter of the crowd. By this time, those who had gone to work or school had returned, but there was no one in the outer room, only a table set up and a steaming pot.
On the table, plates, bowls, chopsticks, and wine glasses were all laid out, and fried fish and stir-fried shredded potatoes were already on the table. Steam was still rising from the two large pots and the ladle on the stove, and it was unclear what else was still cooking.
Just then, another burst of laughter came from the west hut, which aroused Zhao Jun and Ma Ling's curiosity, so they went over to see what had happened.
This family is always like this, full of life and so lively.
When the young couple arrived, they saw that the area outside the west hut was full of people.
Upon seeing Zhao Jun and Ma Ling return, Yang Yufeng, who was standing outside the door, hurriedly called out, "My brothers are back!"
"Quick, take a look at the pot!" Xu Chunyan said next, walking towards the outer room while telling Zhao Jun and Ma Ling, "You two hurry up and take a look, that little thing is quite interesting."
"What's wrong?" Zhao Jun asked, pulling Ma Ling along curiously.
By this time, the women outside had finished watching the commotion and went to the outer room to prepare the dishes and rice. This made room for Zhao Jun and Ma Ling to go to the door of the west room.
The west room was still full of people, men and children. With so many men, the room inevitably became filled with smoke, like a demon's cave.
But the most enchanting scene was yet to come. Upon seeing Zhao Jun and Ma Ling, Li Ruhai patted the little black bear licking its paws on the shoulder, then pointed at Zhao Jun and Ma Ling, and immediately said to the little black bear, "Little Black, your young master and young mistress are back. Aren't you going to greet them?"
It's unclear what the little black bear understood, but it turned around and pounced on Zhao Jun and Ma Ling.
The little black bear has been with them for so long, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, it has never hurt anyone. So even though they saw it coming panting heavily, Zhao Jun and Ma Ling had nothing to worry about.
The little black bear approached Zhao Jun and Ma Ling, stood up like a human, and then clasped its front paws together, bowing twice to Zhao Jun.
"Wow!" Zhao Jun and Ma Ling were stunned by this scene, and then they both laughed.
"Good dog... bear!" Zhao Jun was used to praising dogs, but his timely addition made things right.
But the little black bear didn't seem satisfied with Zhao Jun's praise. It stood there with its paws together, no longer bowing, but staring straight at Zhao Jun.
"What's going on here?" Just as Zhao Jun and Ma Ling were wondering and everyone was laughing, Wang Meilan came over from the outer room carrying a small plate.
"Son, here you go." Wang Meilan handed the small plate to Zhao Jun from behind.
"Brother!" Zhao Hong called out to Zhao Jun, "You have to reward it."
"Ah..." Zhao Jun looked down at the small fried fish on the plate and immediately understood what it meant.
"Brother, give it a fish." Li Ruhai, who was standing to the side, smiled and instructed Zhao Jun, "Tell Qian'er about the reward."
"Did you teach this, Li Ruhai?" Upon hearing these words, which carried a strong personal flavor, Zhao Jun knew that the little black bear's strange behavior must be related to Li Ruhai.
"Ling'er, why don't you give Xiao Hei a treat?" Zhao Jun handed the small plate to Ma Ling. Regardless of what happened in his past life, Zhao Jun in this life was a doting husband, and he wanted Ma Ling to experience this kind of fun entertainment.
Ma Ling picked up a small fried fish with two fingers and called to the little black bear with a smile, "Little Black, open your mouth."
Black bears are more intelligent than dogs. Living with people every day and being fed by them, the little black bear can understand these words.
At this moment, the little black bear tilted its head back, opened its mouth, and let Ma Ling throw the small fried fish into its mouth.
The domesticated black bear cub doesn't have the habit of being greedy. When you feed it by hand, it will be very careful, just like a dog, and won't bite your hand. But most of the time it will lick with its tongue, which will leave your hand covered in saliva, so everyone feeds it this way.
It was clear that the little black bear really liked the fried fish. The fish went down in a couple of crunches after it entered his mouth. After finishing, the little black bear licked his lips and then looked at the small plate in Zhao Jun's hand.
"What are you looking at!" Li Ruhai shouted from behind the little black bear. "Xie En! All you know is eating?"
Everyone burst into laughter, but Zhao Jun and Ma Ling were somewhat bewildered.
Then, something happened that completely astonished the young couple. The little black bear bent its two hind legs, then bent over, and with its two front paws on the ground, it smoothly knelt down in front of Zhao Jun and Ma Ling.
Immediately afterwards, the little black bear's head hit the ground.
The little black bear banged its head on the ground twice, leaving Zhao Jun and Ma Ling stunned.
After kowtowing, the little black bear straightened up and looked up at Zhao Jun and Ma Ling with pleading eyes.
Before Zhao Jun and Ma Ling could react, they heard Li Ruhai shout, "Sister-in-law, give it another reward."
"Ah, ah." Coming to her senses, Ma Ling quickly took the fried fish out of the bowl and gave it to the little black bear.
Two loaches stuck together when they were fried. When they were thrown into the little black bear's mouth, the little black bear ate the fish while bowing his head.
"Oh dear!" Zhao Jun was amused by the little black bear's adorable appearance, but he also felt sorry for the little black bear's hardships. He immediately called to the little black bear, "Alright, little black bear, get up quickly."
The little black bear could understand these words. But for some reason today, after finishing the fish, the little black bear knelt up straight again and looked up at Zhao Jun and Ma Ling.
"That's all." Zhao Jun showed the empty plate to the little black bear. This little black bear loved to eat, especially its favorite foods, and it would eat without ever feeling full. But whenever he showed it an empty plate or bowl, it would stop bothering him for more.
This time, even after seeing the empty plate, the little black bear remained kneeling on the ground, not moving.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Jun assumed it was an attempt to force the issue and immediately questioned Li Ruhai, "Ruhai, how did you teach him?"
In Zhao Jun's view, the originally well-behaved little black bear had been turned into this by Li Ruhai.
"Haha, big brother, you didn't call me correctly." Li Ruhai laughed, then called to the little black bear, "Rise, little black bear."
As soon as Li Ruhai said this, the little black bear put its front paws on the ground, pushed off with its hind paws, and arched its back to stand up.
The little black bear was well-fed every day at the Zhao family's house, and his meals were even oily and delicious. He was chubby and round like a ball, and everything he did looked adorable and endearing.
Seeing it get up, Zhao Jun couldn't help but smile. He then reached out and rubbed the little black bear's head, while Ma Ling also pinched the little black bear's ears.
"Dinner's ready!" Wang Meilan's voice came from the outer room, and the men inside got up. They went to the outer room to eat, leaving the little black bear, the little lynx, and the little fat black bear in this room.
The ground outside the house was steaming hot.
On the stove, in the iron pot, was braised old man fish in soy sauce. In two large pots, one was a one-pot meal of tofu stewed with catfish and rice. The river catfish was cut into chunks and pan-fried; while cutting, Zhao Youcai specifically reminded everyone to remove the oil from the back of the catfish.
Normal people wouldn't do that, but Zhao Youcai said that the catfish's oily parts were what made it delicious. So, the oil from the catfish's back was used to feed Little Black Bear and Little Fatty Black Bear.
As for the lynx at Zhao Jun's house, it doesn't eat fish; this has nothing to do with its habits. Last winter, when they caught fish during the winter fishing season, the lynx even ate the fish guts that were removed from the fish.
But with the New Year celebrations and Zhao Jun's wedding, which included plenty of meat, the little lynx became craving more meat.
Nowadays, young lynxes only eat five kinds of meat: pheasant, rabbit, roe deer, venison, and wild boar. They do not eat fish, rats, cannonballs, or old sow meat.
Whether the bear would eat it or not, Zhao Jun certainly wouldn't dare feed it. Firstly, he feared the little lynx might attack the little black bear at home; secondly, he worried that one day the little lynx would return to the mountains and hunt bears again.
As for the meat of livestock, including cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs, we dare not feed them any of it. This is also because we are afraid that if the lynxes get used to eating it, they might attack the livestock in the village, which would be a real problem.
Now that we already have a butcher for slaughtering cattle, if we add another one for slaughtering sheep or lynx, life will be unbearable.
In another large pot were braised small river fish and cornbread.
In Northeast China, mixed fish and flatbread are a perfect match.
The Ma family steamed rice because they didn't have time to let the dough rise. The Zhao family, on the other hand, started rising the dough early this morning; Zhao Jun and the others had barely left before they started.
The flatbreads, made from cornmeal and a small amount of wheat flour, are golden on one side and reddish-brown on the other, with a hint of sweetness amidst the aroma of the cornmeal.
The braised river fish is so delicious that you can pick up the fish head with chopsticks and put it in your mouth. With a gentle bite, all the fish meat is gone, leaving only the fish head and bones on the table.
The braised old man fish tastes similar to the braised small river fish. However, the old man fish is also called the mountain fathead fish, and it has a lot of meat, which is mostly garlic-clove-like meat, making it very satisfying to eat.
Besides braised fish, there's also fried fish. Deep-fried crucian carp is something most people can do, but the Zhao family's method is unique.
Although Zhao Youcai didn't personally help with the preparation of this dish, he did offer guidance from the sidelines.
Zhao Youcai instructed Wang Meilan and the others to use knives to remove the heads of the crucian carp and then split them open along the back, thus turning a small crucian carp into two pieces.
After marinating the fish with salt, fry it in a pan. Be careful with the heat when frying; never let the heat be too high, otherwise the oil will smoke and the fish will burn.
There are also fried small river fish, some are dry-fried and some are coated in batter and then fried; the two frying methods result in different flavors.
Add to that stir-fried shredded potatoes and stir-fried cabbage with wood ear mushrooms, and there are eight dishes in total. For the Zhao family, eight dishes may not seem like much, but the portions are generous and filling.
The families ate, drank, chatted, and laughed as they finished their dinner. Before each family left, Wang Meilan divided the remaining small river fish among them, giving each family a little over a pound of fish to make sauce for themselves.
……
The next morning, Zhao Jun and Ma Ling got up at 5:30 again. After getting ready and washing up, they went out together to feed the dogs.
Unlike usual, Zhao Jun took Little Black Bear and Little Fatty out today.
The weather is getting hotter every day; it's impossible to keep the little black bear and lynx at home until summer.
Zhao Jun thought about it. If the two little guys could adapt to staying at home, he would keep them. If they couldn't, he would release them back into the mountains. After raising them for so long, Zhao Jun couldn't bear to kill them or see them die.
Before releasing them back into the mountains, Zhao Jun will definitely need to help them acclimatize to life in the wild. Once they've settled in, he'll probably leave. What happens to them after that is beyond Zhao Jun's control.
I didn't bring the baby lynx out today because if it gets startled, it will run and dart around wildly. It'll climb onto the roof, leap into the garden, and disappear in the blink of an eye. Zhao Jun can't even find it, let alone chase it; it can't even find it once it hides somewhere.
So if you want to walk a lynx cub, you have to take it with you alone when you're not working. As for black bear cubs, they are large and slow, so they are relatively easier to manage.
Zhao Jun led the little black bear to the door. The moment the door opened, the little black bear darted out, while the little black bear curiously peeked out but never dared to take that step.
Zhao Jun bent down, lifted the little black bear by its armpits, and threw it out of the house.
"Awooo!" The little black bear, having landed, turned and ran back. Seeing Zhao Jun close the door, the little black bear instantly stood up and grabbed Zhao Jun's leg with its paws.
"Go, go!" Zhao Jun shook his leg to no avail, grabbed the little black bear by the scruff of its neck with one hand and pried open its paw with the other.
Unfortunately, the little black bear had two front paws. When Zhao Jun pulled away its left paw and then tried to pull away its right paw, it used its left paw to hug Zhao Jun's leg.
"Woof! Woof!" At this moment, Little Black Fatty jumped in front of Little Black Bear and barked twice. It seemed to feel the encouragement of its little friend. In addition, Zhao Jun stroked its neck, which calmed Little Black Bear down. Little Black Bear then let go of Zhao Jun's leg.
The little black bear, now on all fours, shakily placed its rump on the ground and cautiously looked around.
"Don't be afraid, Little Black." Zhao Jun bent down and patted the little black bear's head to encourage it. At this moment, it's just like training a dog; you can't be impatient or scold it, otherwise the more you scold or hit it, the more timid the little black bear will become.
"Little Black!" At this moment, Ma Ling, who had gone down to the cellar to get potatoes, came over from the vegetable garden carrying the little black bear, calling out to it from afar.
The little black bear stretched its neck to look at Ma Ling, while the chubby little black bear ran towards Ma Ling.
This puppy is a black tiger's offspring. Although small, it's incredibly healthy. Especially lately, it's been eating at Zhao Jun's house, and it's been growing like crazy, almost as big as a small lynx.
"Come on, Little Black." Just as the little black bear was looking at Ma Ling, Zhao Jun had already walked two meters away. As soon as he called out, the little black bear ran towards Zhao Jun, waving its paws.
The black bear ran with a rather amusing gait. Zhao Jun watched the little black bear approach with a smile, and once it got close, he led it away.
Zhao Jun and Xiong were in front, while Ma Ling and the dog were behind. This bear was with people every day, and it smelled of the Zhao family and their guests.
So it wasn't until the little black bear appeared in the backyard that the hunting dogs realized something was wrong when they saw it from afar.
Led by Black Tiger, a large group of hunting dogs barked and howled at the little black bear while pulling on the ropes.
The little black bear had poor eyesight. The Zhao family's backyard was nearly a hundred meters apart on both the east and west sides, and the little black bear could only vaguely see the hunting dogs. So it didn't show much fear. Although it hid behind Zhao Jun, it quietly peeked out and looked eastward.
Unlike the little black bear, the little black fat bear ran happily towards its mother.
But when Ma Ling started a fire, boiled water, and peeled potatoes, and Zhao Jun took a shovel to the east side to collect dog poop, the little black bear dared not go with Zhao Jun.
Halfway there, it turned around and slipped back to Ma Ling's side, quietly watching Ma Ling peel potatoes.
At first, Ma Ling didn't pay attention, until she heard a whimpering sound next to her. When she turned around, she saw the little black bear clasping its hands together and bowing to her.
"Huh?" Ma Ling was taken aback. She looked down at the potato in her hand and immediately realized what was going on.
"You wait here." Ma Ling patiently washed the peeled potato, then used a knife to cut off a piece and threw it into the little black bear's mouth.
The little black bear, while eating potatoes, knelt down on the ground and was about to kowtow.
"Little Black!" Ma Ling, both amused and exasperated, reached out and pulled the little black bear's arm, saying, "Get up quickly, you don't need to."
It was clear that the little black bear wasn't one to eat for free; he kowtowed to Ma Ling before straightening up and looking at the potatoes in her hand.
Ma Ling looked at the potatoes in her hand, then at the little black bear kneeling there, and got up with a sigh. She picked up the water ladle next to the stove, rinsed the potatoes with water, and then poured the water out. Then, Ma Ling used a knife to cut the potatoes into pieces, put them in the water ladle, and brought them to the little black bear.
In this way, the little black bear stopped kowtowing and stuck its head into the water ladle, eating potatoes.
A normal bear should use its paws to hold a potato and put it in its mouth. This little black bear has been spending too much time with the lynx cub, and its eating habits have been influenced by the cub.
And so, Ma Ling would peel a potato, and the little black bear would eat one; it ate potatoes very quickly.
Ma Ling spoiled it, and by the time Zhao Jun arrived, the little black bear had already eaten four potatoes.
"You've started eating?" Zhao Jun asked with a smile. Ma Ling laughed and said, "Yeah, watch me peel potatoes. I'll kneel down there after I'm done."
"This is like the sea," Zhao Jun laughed, "it doesn't teach us anything good."
Upon hearing Zhao Jun mention Li Ruhai, the little black bear lifted its head from the basin and glanced at Zhao Jun.
"Alright, that's enough," Zhao Jun said. "It's all cold, why are you eating that? We'll cook it later."
The young couple prepared the dog food, first giving the little black bear a large spoonful, then Zhao Jun carried the water container filled with dog food to feed the dog, while Ma Ling stayed behind to wash the pot.
By the time Ma Ling finished washing the pot, Zhao Jun hadn't finished feeding the dog yet, but the little black bear had already finished eating.
Boiled potatoes mixed with cornmeal are a dish that the little black bear really enjoys.
"Let's go back inside." Ma Ling led the little black bear back inside, where they saw Wang Meilan frying fish sauce.
Ma Ling wiped the little black bear with a damp cloth, then chased it back to the west hut.
After they came out, Ma Ling went to Wang Meilan's side and asked, "Mom, is there anything I can help you with?"
Wang Meilan, who was peeling scallions, looked up and said, "My dear girl, go over to the stove and make some pancakes."
After saying that, Wang Meilan added, "I asked your dad to put it on, but he insisted on getting tofu pudding instead, saying you'd like to eat it."
Hearing Wang Meilan's words, Ma Ling felt very happy. She smiled, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Mom, no need for Dad. I'll wash my hands and I'll put it on."
Ma Ling washed her hands repeatedly with soap, then rinsed the ladle with clean water. She then took the ladle to the stove and used her free hand to remove the stove lid using the stove hook.
Seeing the large pieces of pine wood burning brightly inside, Ma Ling placed the ladle on the stove and then added a little water to the pot.
Ma Ling turned around and took a small helmet from the dish rack. When she returned, the water in the pot was bubbling.
Ma Ling placed the little helmet on the water, then moved a stool to the side, and brought over the dough basin and small water bowl, placing them on the stool.
After finishing the preparations, Ma Ling went to wash her hands again. This was something Wang Meilan had taught her; Wang Meilan said that everything must be clean when cooking. Before touching the food, after touching the stools and basins, she had to wash her hands again.
After washing her hands, Ma Ling returned to the pot, which was now bubbling with water. The water was covered by Xiao Kui'er, and the pot wasn't covered; there wasn't a trace of steam around the rim.
At this moment, Ma Ling dipped her hand into the bowl of water, then lightly flicked her hand around the edge of the pot to wet it. After that, Ma Ling quickly grabbed a lump of dough from the basin.
Ma Ling lightly squeezed the dough with her right hand and tossed it into her left hand in the blink of an eye. She then tossed the dough back into her right hand in quick succession. In less than two seconds, the dough had formed a ball.
Then, Ma Ling flicked her wrist, and almost simultaneously, there was a "smack" as the dough was slammed onto the side of the pot, forming a flatbread that stuck to it.
When someone makes flatbread, the dough will spill out when the flatbread hits the pan. That means the dough wasn't kneaded properly or was too runny. The Zhao family has the best chef in Yong'an, Wang Meilan and Jin Xiaomei, who have both been trained and knead the dough just right.
The pancake stuck to the side of the pan, the dough as thick as a finger didn't budge, that's because the dough was well-kneaded. And the pancake was perfectly round, not quite as perfect as one drawn with a compass, but almost perfect, that's because Ma Ling's technique was good.
Ma Ling's hands never stopped moving, and in the blink of an eye, she had already stuck the second pancake into the pan.
The two pancakes were exactly the same size and top to bottom. What's even more amazing is that although the two pancakes were right next to each other, if you looked closely, there was a gap of two sheets of paper between them.
"Slap, slap, slap..." One pancake after another was slammed onto the pan. When the last pancake was stuck to the pan, there was a perfect circle of pancakes around the edge of the pan, and the dough in the basin was all gone.
"Wow!" Wang Meilan looked at Ma Ling in surprise and said, "My daughter is quite something, she'll keep going for a while!"
Ma Ling smiled, and just as she was about to speak, the door opened, and Zhao Jun was holding the door open while Zhao Youcai came in carrying a small basin of steaming hot food.
"What are you two chatting about?" Zhao Youcai asked casually. Wang Meilan smiled and said, "I'm praising my daughter. I'm saying that the pancakes she makes are really good."
"Really?" Zhao Youcai laughed. "Great, my daughter never falters when she does anything."
Ma Ling is the type of person who responds better to gentle persuasion than force, and she can't stand being praised. When her father-in-law and mother-in-law praised her, Ma Ling immediately said, "Dad, I can do anything! I can even make big pancakes!"
"Wow!" Wang Meilan exclaimed with a smile, "Wow, that's amazing! I can't do that at all!"
These days, the Zhao family has been eating only wheat flour and rice, so Ma Ling hasn't had a chance to show off her cooking skills. Now that the atmosphere has gotten more interesting, Ma Ling said to Wang Meilan, "Mom, I just saw that the bean sprouts in the basin on the windowsill are almost ready. I'll mix some dough later, and I'll make you some big pancakes tonight."
"What are you talking about?" Suddenly, a voice rang out behind Ma Ling. Zhao Youcai, who had just put the bowl of tofu pudding into the dish rack, rejected Ma Ling's suggestion.
Ma Ling was taken aback, while Wang Meilan glared fiercely at Zhao Youcai. How could you say such a thing? Isn't that discouraging the child?
But then Zhao Youcai waved his hand at Ma Ling and said, "My dear daughter, listen to your father. We're not going to go through all that trouble for them."
Wang Meilan: "..."
Hearing Zhao Youcai's words, Ma Ling smiled broadly and said, "Dad, it's alright, I can't just stay here all the time."
“Who’s staying here?” Zhao Youcai retorted, “How much work does my daughter do every day? She gets up early to feed the dogs, then cleans the house, and takes care of all the furs. She’s exhausted all day long.”
Wang Meilan's lips twitched slightly as she glanced at Zhao Youcai. At that moment, Zhao Jun, who had just finished dropping off the chubby little boy, also glared at the back of Zhao Youcai's head, thinking to himself, "Wasn't it you who told us to feed the dog?"
Zhao Youcai seemed oblivious to Zhao Jun's strange gaze. He looked at Ma Ling with a kind smile.
“It’s okay, Dad, I can do it!” Ma Ling said decisively. “My mom said you’re good at carrying big pancakes when you run up the mountain, right? We won’t need to buy them anymore, I’ll make them for you!”
Zhao Jun and Wang Meilan: "..."
Why is this young wife getting more and more excited as she talks?
"Oh my god!" Zhao Youcai exclaimed in shock, "My daughter made me a giant pancake, and I wouldn't even get tired running up the mountain!"
"Alright, Ling." Zhao Jun saw that Zhao Youcai was too good at acting and was afraid that Ma Ling would be fooled by him, so he hurriedly called to Ma Ling, "Hurry up and put the table down."
"Yes!" Ma Ling responded and turned to stand aside. While Ma Ling turned around, Zhao Jun and Wang Meilan glared at Zhao Youcai.
After eating and drinking his fill, Zhao Jun went back to his room and rested on the kang (a heated brick bed) for a while. Last night, Li Dayong told Zhao Jun that Liu Jinyong wanted him to go to work today. It wasn't bad news; the organization wanted to commend Zhao Jun for his bravery in apprehending Wang Haitao.
This is a prestigious job, so Zhao Jun definitely has to go. Not only will he go, but he'll also bring six members of the forestry security team with him.
Zhao Youcai didn't want to go. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Zhao Jun make an appearance, but rather that Zhao Jun was the team leader while he was just an ordinary security guard, which made Zhao Youcai somewhat unhappy.
"Oh dear!" Zhao Youcai sighed as he got dressed, but there was nothing he could do; he still had to go to work.
"Alright, stop whining." Wang Meilan, who was tying Zhao Na's hair, laughed, "You're the one who wanted the job transfer, what are you whining about?"
Hearing Wang Meilan say this, Zhao Youcai recalled his original intention for being transferred to another post. He had hoped to go hunting in the mountains, but after only a few trips, he was either physically injured or mentally frustrated.
I wrote yesterday's chapter and today's update in one go, and posted them together without separating them.
(End of this chapter)