In 1992, a small village owner became the richest man in the village by owning a car.

Chapter 221 Confrontation
Yu Dawei repeated the posture from his previous life, leisurely leaning against the quilt, eating peanuts and drinking tea while chatting with his third uncle, second brother-in-law and others.

The dumplings were quickly wrapped. This time, Yu Dawei didn't wait for food on the kang (heated brick bed) like he did in his previous life. Instead, he got off the kang and moved the round table to the edge of the kang on the west side.

At one moment, he seemed to see his past life self, gazing at his present self on the kang (a heated brick bed), before saying goodbye.

Set up the table, pick up the bowls and chopsticks, peel the garlic and put the garlic cloves into the garlic jar, then use a rolling pin to mash them into garlic paste.

Some families like to add soy sauce to the minced garlic, and whoever is eating it will take a small spoonful and put it in their own dipping bowl.

Some families add water to the minced garlic to reduce its spiciness, and whoever eats it will scoop some into their bowl with a spoon.

The dipping sauces for dumplings eaten in the North are quite different from those eaten in the South.

In the south, people dip their food in vinegar. This custom extends all the way south of the Yellow River. Dipping it in soy sauce is considered a "wrong way," much like eating salty tofu pudding.

In the north, starting from Hebei, most people dip their food in soy sauce, but it's not just soy sauce.

For example, Yu Dawei would pour a little loose soy sauce into a bowl, add a small spoonful of minced garlic, and a little bit of chili flakes. Those who could afford it would add some chili oil.

Finally, add a touch of MSG for the soul, and you're all set!

Some people who like vinegar will add more vinegar, but of course, what you dip the dumplings in is entirely up to personal preference.

Some people eat dumplings by simply dipping them in minced garlic and water, like his own father.

The steaming dumplings were served, and Grandpa Yu Chen took out some loose liquor and poured a cup for each person.

Yu Dawei only needs half a cup of wine. After the meal, he still has to drive his third uncle back to Minquan. The rural roads are difficult to travel, and this is also for safety reasons.

The old man doted on the child, and whatever he said went. He then poured the extra half-glass of wine into his own glass.

The round table was full of people, and the seating was arranged in a certain order. My third uncle sat in the middle of the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), next to my eldest uncle and second brother-in-law. Then I sat on a stool, next to my aunt. After that, everyone sat down in order.

Besides dumplings, there were two large, filling snacks on the table to go with drinks. The old man ate with great relish; eating and drinking well was his greatest pursuit in daily life.

Seeing that his eldest sister's husband had remained the same all these years, the third uncle couldn't help but feel a little sentimental. In fact, everyone in his family said that his eldest sister had found an honest and kind man.

"Huh? This is cabbage and egg?" Yu Dawei took the first bite of the dumpling. The aroma of eggs and cabbage lingered in his mouth. The old lady was quite good at making dumplings. It wasn't that they were particularly delicious, but they had their own unique flavor.

"Delicious!" Although Yu Dawei had eaten cabbage and eggs many times at his uncle's house, he still couldn't forget the taste of the dumplings made by his aunt.

Two kinds of dumpling fillings were prepared, and they were cooked in two separate pots. Yu Dawei wanted to try the pork and scallion dumplings, so he reached out with his chopsticks to pick up the dumplings from the other plate that was closer to his third uncle.

The moment Yu Dawei put the dumpling in his mouth, he sensed something was wrong as he chewed, and his brows furrowed slightly.

After the third uncle had a drink with his eldest sister's husband, he noticed that Yu Dawei looked a little surprised and didn't understand what was wrong with the dumplings. He instinctively wondered if his eldest sister had "poisoned" the dumplings.

It's either cloyingly salty, or there's some kind of unpalatable ingredient in it; maybe the dumplings are filled with soot from the bottom of a pot.

The more Uncle San thought about it, the more nervous he became. In the end, the chopsticks he had stretched out stopped in mid-air, unsure whether to pick up the food or not.

"Eat," Hou Xiaorong said casually, then ignored her.

"Okay." Uncle gritted his teeth and finally picked up a dumpling from the plate, dipped it in garlic sauce, put it in his mouth, and began to chew with his eyes closed.

He thought to himself that as long as it would let his older sister vent her anger, he would accept it even if the dumplings were full of salt.

After chewing a couple of times, he froze. The familiar taste of pickled cabbage, the perfectly seasoned flavor, and the unique aroma of Sichuan peppercorns in the filling...

These are sauerkraut dumplings, a dish he has loved since childhood.

Hou Wanshan chewed harder and harder, his head drooping, and he dared not open his eyes as he chewed, afraid that opening his eyes would blur his vision.

The others at the dinner table noticed the third uncle's unusual behavior and didn't dare to say anything for a moment.

"Open your eyes and eat properly." Hou Xiaorong's voice rang in Hou Wanshan's ears.

"Hmm!" Hou Wanshan opened his eyes, staring at the dumplings on the plate in front of him. He kept stuffing them into his mouth, chewing them in big mouthfuls, as if he had finally tasted a delicious food that he hadn't eaten in many years, and he couldn't stop eating them.

"Eat slowly, eat slowly." Seeing that his third uncle was eating so fast, the second brother-in-law quickly poured him a bowl of water and placed it next to him.

Hou Xiaorong stared blankly at her most troublesome younger brother, and finally couldn't help but advise, "Eat slowly, there's still a lot left in the outer room." When the third uncle heard the familiar voice and words, his chubby cheeks stopped, and tears slid down his nose.

Many years ago, he always liked to bring his younger sister to his older sister's house, because every time they came, his older sister would make them a meal of sauerkraut dumplings, with no meat, only sauerkraut, and no lard.

But for him, that was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten; the best dumplings he had ever tasted in his life.

"Okay." The third uncle swallowed the dumpling in one bite, sniffed, and then smiled at his eldest sister.

"Eat quickly," Hou Xiaorong said, looking at him with some concern.

It seemed that at this moment, her heart, which had originally intended to be ruthless towards her younger brother, softened again. She began to ask about Xiao Sanzi's life in recent years, whether he had eaten well, and whether he had met any girls he liked.

While eating, Hou Wanshan agreed, answering the questions raised by his elder sister with even more care and seriousness than when answering questions from project leaders.

The atmosphere gradually warmed up without anyone noticing, and Sister Jiu and Yu Dawei took the initiative to become the atmosphere team, encouraging everyone to eat and drink.

Occasionally, the two would exchange a few playful insults, and they managed to master the last remaining tacit understanding between the older and younger cousins, filling the small house with laughter.

After several rounds of drinks and a few bites of food, the party was about to end, but Yu Dawei was very happy, because the matter that Lao Qi had entrusted to him had been perfectly resolved.

The third uncle and his sister-in-law have completely opened their hearts to each other. From now on, the third uncle will no longer need to ask him to deliver things; he can bring them himself.

The old man had almost finished the loose sorghum liquor in his party, with only a little left. So the men decided to divide it all up, and he'd get another bunch of loose liquor tomorrow.

"Third brother, you should find someone at your age. Without someone to care for you, life is meaningless." Hou Xiaorong brought up marriage for the second time.

"Big sister, with my life hanging by a thread, whoever's with me is just asking for trouble," Hou Wanshan said with a wry smile, taking a sip of his wine.

He knows his own knife best; he knows himself best. He and his second brother are happy to have a marriage, get married and have children. It's a blessing that God has been kind to the Hou family.

"Then why don't you stop doing those wicked things? Who forced you? Was it your second brother who forced you, or your cronies?" Hou Xiaorong's voice grew louder and her anger increased as she spoke. "Tell me, who forced you? I'll go find them!"

"Big sister." Hou Wanshan lowered his head, his lips pursed deeply. "No one forced me. It was my own choice."

"Can't you let go? Stop living in such fear." Hou Xiaorong began to persuade him earnestly. "Your second brother has been smart since he was a child. He knows what he should and shouldn't do. Even if he does something he shouldn't do, no one can really find out why. But what about you?!"

“You’ve always been fearless, always charging ahead like you’re out of your mind. Tell me, if it weren’t for your second brother protecting you all these years, how many times would you have been in jail! Do you want to keep going like this?” Hou Xiaorong stared intently at Xiao Sanzi, her eyes filled with the expectation of a prodigal son turning over a new leaf.

Hou Wanshan couldn't bear his older sister's expectant gaze, so he gritted his teeth and gulped down the full two ounces of liquor in his glass: "Dawei, it's getting late, let's go."

Hou Wanshan lowered his head and stood up, not daring to meet his older sister's gaze. He knew that if he looked at her even once, he would waver.

But this road isn't something you can just stop on. And some things, once you're in that position, aren't things you can simply choose not to do.

"Huh? Oh." Yu Dawei hadn't reacted for a moment. How did a perfectly good ending of siblings recognizing each other suddenly turn into a 180-degree reversal?

"Old Qi, it's not that I didn't want to help, I tried my best, I tried my best," Yu Dawei silently murmured to himself.

Hou Xiaorong sat quietly in place, her fingers holding chopsticks without moving, just as she felt Xiao Sanzi get up to leave.

In fact, she has been waiting all these years.

He came to her house to tell her, "Sister, I'm not doing those dirty things anymore. I'll work hard and live a good life."

"Big sister, I'm married. My wife is from *** village. She's not particularly pretty, but she's very gentle and sensible."

"Sis, I have a son, but I don't know what to name him. Can you suggest one?"

These scenes that Hou Xiaorong had constantly fantasized about shattered like glass as Xiao Sanzi got up and left.

"Bang!" Hou Xiaorong slammed her chopsticks on the table and shouted angrily, "Stop!"

For a moment, everyone around, whether they were eating dumplings or not, fell silent.

After finishing the last sip of wine, the old man Yu Chen quietly stepped aside, afraid of being splattered with blood.

Then he secretly signaled to Yu Dawei with his eyes that he should quickly find a place to hide so as not to accidentally injure friendly forces.

(End of this chapter)