60s: I have a store

Chapter 626 Celebration
Zhou Yimin spent the entire afternoon in his office working diligently. The number of documents on his desk gradually decreased, and the sky outside the window slowly darkened.

When the factory's closing bell rang, he let out a long sigh of relief, finally looked up, and rubbed his sore eyes.

Zhou Yimin stood up, stretched, and his bones made a series of soft "crackling" sounds. The fatigue that had accumulated throughout the afternoon seemed to dissipate a lot with this stretch.

"Finally off work," he said softly, a relaxed expression on his face.

After tidying up his desk and locking the office door, Zhou Yimin headed out of the factory area.

He got on his motorcycle, started the engine, and the motorcycle emitted a steady roar as it carried him away from the steel mill.

On my way home, I ran into many acquaintances, including colleagues from the factory and neighbors who lived nearby.

Everyone greeted Zhou Yimin warmly when they saw him.

"Yimin, are you off work?" a middle-aged man riding a bicycle asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I just got off work. Where are you headed, Brother Li?” Zhou Yimin replied with a smile.

"I just came from the factory and am going home to cook for the kids."

Throughout the journey, such conversations continued, and Zhou Yimin responded with a smile to each one, always with a gentle smile on his face.

Soon, Zhou Yimin returned home.

He opened the door and went straight to the storage room, where he took out something he had prepared beforehand: a full ten pounds of pork, tied with hemp rope, still smelling fresh.

Five pounds of mutton were carefully wrapped in oiled paper; five pounds of beef were also plentiful; in addition, there were some eggs, brown sugar and several packets of fruit candy.

Zhou Yimin checked all the items one by one, and after confirming that nothing was missing, he put them in a large bamboo basket and hung it on the side rack of the motorcycle.

With everything ready, he started his motorcycle again and headed towards Zhou Dazhong's house.

Not long after, they arrived at Zhou Dazhong's house.

Zhou Yimin parked his motorcycle, picked up a bamboo basket, walked to the gate, and gently pushed open the courtyard gate.

As soon as I entered, I saw that the courtyard was already bustling with activity.

Zhou Dazhong and Zhou Dafu were sitting on small stools in the yard talking, while their wives Chen Shumin and Li Xiulan were busy by the stove, and Xiaomei and Zhao Gang were helping to pick vegetables.

When everyone saw Zhou Yimin come in, they immediately stopped what they were doing and greeted him warmly.

"Sixteenth Uncle, you've finally arrived!" Zhou Dazhong stood up first, his face full of smiles.

"Sixteenth Uncle, come in and sit down," Chen Shumin said with a smile, wiping the water off her hands.

Zhou Dafu quickly greeted him, "Uncle Sixteen, sit down and rest. You must be exhausted from the journey."

Xiao Mei and Zhao Gang also shouted in unison, "Brother Zhou!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded, handing over the bamboo basket in his hand: "I brought some things over to help Shumin recover."

Looking at the contents of the bamboo basket, Chen Shumin's eyes were full of gratitude: "Uncle Sixteen, you're too kind. You've gone to so much trouble."

"We're family, no need for formalities, here you go," Zhou Yimin said with a smile.

The atmosphere in the courtyard became even more lively with Zhou Yimin's arrival, and everyone chatted excitedly, filling the air with laughter.

Chen Shumin and Li Xiulan quickly took the bamboo basket from Zhou Yimin's hands; its heavy weight made their wrists sag slightly.

Chen Shumin lifted the lid of the bamboo basket and looked inside. Her gratitude deepened. She smiled and thanked Zhou Yimin. Then, she and Li Xiulan carried the bamboo basket to the kitchen.

Once inside the kitchen, the two quickly got to work. Chen Shumin sorted the pork, mutton, and beef onto the cutting board and carefully washed them with warm water.

Li Xiulan picked up the eggs and carefully cracked them into the bowl, then put the brown sugar and fruit candies into the cupboard.

The flames crackled and danced in the stove, casting a warm glow on their faces, and soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of meat, scallions, and ginger.

In the courtyard, Zhou Yimin sat down on a small stool and, looking at the uncontrollable smile on Zhou Dazhong's face, couldn't help but tease him: "Dazhong, it seems that people are really in high spirits when they have good things happening. This smile hasn't stopped."

Zhou Dazhong blushed at the comment, scratched his head, and replied sheepishly, "Sixteenth Uncle, please stop joking with me."

Zhou Dafu chimed in, deliberately adding with a hint of envy, "That's right, I really didn't expect that. It seems your purchasing department is better; you still have so much energy after get off work every day. You've only been a section chief for a short time, and you've already conceived a baby. You're much better than us in the transportation department who are always running around doing fieldwork."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dazhong's face turned even redder. He opened his mouth but couldn't say anything for a long time. He didn't know where to put his hands and could only laugh awkwardly.

Just then, the sensible Zhao Gang noticed Zhou Dazhong's embarrassment and quickly changed the subject: "Brother Zhou, I heard from Brother Dazhong that you are a capable person in the factory. You were the one who led the development of that equipment modification plan last time. I've always wanted to ask you some questions."

Seeing Zhao Gang's quick wit, Zhou Yimin nodded inwardly and followed up, saying, "It's not so much asking for advice, but exchanging ideas. That plan did take some effort, but it was mainly the result of everyone's joint efforts."

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him, and they all surrounded Zhou Yimin, asking him about things at the factory. Zhou Dazhong also took the opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief, no longer being teased by everyone. His embarrassment gradually faded, and he joined in the conversation.

The conversation in the courtyard shifted from everyday family matters to work-related anecdotes, but the atmosphere remained lively and filled with harmonious laughter.

Chen Shumin placed the pork, mutton, and beef separately on the cutting board and carefully washed them with warm water.
The pork she chose was pork belly with skin on, the fat was snow-white and the lean meat was bright red. She picked up a cleaver and first cut the pork belly into evenly sized cubes, then soaked them in water to let the blood slowly seep out.

"Shumin, this mutton looks really fresh. Let me prepare it." Li Xiulan rolled up her sleeves and picked up the piece of mutton.

The mutton still had some tendons and membranes, which she carefully removed with a knife, then sliced ​​it thinly, put it in a bowl, sprinkled it with salt and cooking wine, and mixed it well. "Let it marinate first to remove the muttony smell, and then I'll make some stir-fried mutton with scallions later. It's quick and delicious."

Chen Shumin smiled and agreed, then turned to prepare the beef.

She chose a piece of beef tenderloin, which is tender and perfect for stir-frying.

Cut the beef into thin strips against the grain, put it in a bowl, add some cornstarch and soy sauce, and mix it evenly with your hands. "I'll make a stir-fried beef dish tonight, perfect for serving with drinks."

The iron wok on the stove was already smoking hot. Li Xiulan poured some oil into the wok, and after the oil was hot, she added a few slices of ginger. With a sizzling sound, she quickly poured in the marinated mutton and stirred it rapidly with the spatula. The aroma of the mutton mixed with the scent of scallions and ginger instantly filled the air. In no time, the slices of meat were dyed a beautiful caramel color. She sprinkled on some scallion segments, stirred it a couple more times, and then put it on a plate. The stir-fried mutton with scallions was ready.

Chen Shumin was also busy. She took out the soaked pork belly, put it into a pot of boiling water to blanch it, skimmed off the foam, and then took it out to drain.

She poured oil back into the pot, added a few rock sugar pieces, and simmered it over low heat until the rock sugar turned into an amber-colored syrup. Then she quickly poured in the pork belly and stir-fried it, ensuring that each piece of meat was coated with the caramelized sugar.

Next, I added soy sauce, star anise, and cinnamon, then poured in hot water to cover the meat, covered the pot, and simmered it over low heat.

The kitchen was immediately filled with a rich, sweet aroma of meat, making one's mouth water.

"I'll stir-fry the beef." Li Xiulan took the spatula from Chen Shumin, poured some oil into the hot pan, added minced garlic to sauté until fragrant, then added the marinated beef strips and stir-fried them quickly over high heat.

The beef quickly changed color, so she added some shredded green peppers, stir-fried it a few times, and then served it. A plate of tender and delicious stir-fried beef was ready.

Chen Shumin lifted the lid of the stew pot and poked the pork belly with chopsticks; it was already stewed until tender.

She added some salt to the pot for seasoning, simmered it for a few more minutes, and then turned up the heat to reduce the sauce. The sauce became thick and coated the meat tightly, giving it a bright red and appealing color.

The stove was quickly filled with dishes. In addition to stir-fried mutton with scallions, stir-fried beef, and braised pork, they also stir-fried two kinds of green vegetables and stewed an egg custard.

The aroma of the food wafted out of the kitchen window and filled the yard.

Li Xiulan poked her head out and called out, "Dinner's almost ready! Everyone, get ready to wash your hands and eat!"

Upon hearing this, everyone reacted as if they had heard a bugle call to charge, immediately jumping up from their benches and rushing towards the kitchen.

Zhou Dazhong was the quickest to act, rushing into the kitchen first and reaching for the steaming plate of braised pork. He hissed as soon as he touched the edge of the plate and quickly pulled his hand back, which made Chen Shumin and Li Xiulan in the kitchen laugh.

"Let me do it." Zhou Dafu took the plate, placed it on a rag, and carried it out. Zhao Gang and Xiao Mei were not idle either. Each of them carried a plate of green vegetables and the other carried a bowl of smooth egg custard, carefully walking towards the main room.

Zhou Yimin also got up and went into the kitchen to help bring the stir-fried mutton with scallions and the stir-fried beef to the table.

In no time at all, the square table in the main room was filled with dishes.

The braised pork belly is a bright red color, with each piece distinct and glistening with oil under the light. The scallions in the stir-fried mutton with scallions are emerald green, and the mutton slices are fragrant with caramelization and still steaming.

The stir-fried beef with shredded green peppers, a vibrant mix of red and green, looked incredibly appetizing. There were also refreshing green vegetables and golden steamed eggs, filling the table with a delicious aroma that made everyone's stomachs rumble.

Everyone sat around the table, their eyes fixed on the dishes, and they subconsciously swallowed.

Although Zhou Yimin often came over for meals, and everyone could improve their lives, with so much delicious food right in front of them, no one could resist the urge to eat.

Zhou Dazhong's hand was already on his chopsticks, his fingertips twitching slightly. Several times he wanted to pick up some food, but then he remembered the rules and forced himself to hold back. His eyes were still fixed on the braised pork.

Seeing everyone's eager expressions, Zhou Yimin couldn't help but smile. He cleared his throat and said, "Alright, everyone, stop staring and let's eat!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the chopsticks on the table started moving like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Zhou Dazhong was the first to pick up a large piece of braised pork, stuff it into his mouth, and the fatty but not greasy meat melted in his mouth. The sweet broth coated the meat with its aroma, making him squint his eyes in comfort. He mumbled, "So delicious! It's so good!"

Chen Shumin gave him a reproachful look, picked up a piece of stir-fried beef with her chopsticks and put it in his bowl: "Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you. Eat more beef to nourish yourself."

Zhou Dafu, on the other hand, preferred the stir-fried mutton with scallions. He picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The tender mutton mixed with the fragrance of scallions had no gamey taste at all. He nodded as he ate, "Xiulan's cooking skills are getting better and better!"

Li Xiulan smiled and put a piece of green vegetable on his plate: "You have such a sweet tongue, eat more vegetables, don't just eat meat."

Xiaomei and Zhao Gang didn't stand on ceremony. They each picked up their favorite dishes and occasionally put a piece of food on each other's plates. The table was filled with the crisp sound of clinking bowls and chopsticks and satisfied exclamations, creating a lively and warm atmosphere.

The atmosphere at the dinner table grew increasingly lively, with everyone's face beaming with satisfaction.

Zhou Dazhong ate until he was out of breath, his mouth stuffed full of meat, and he still didn't forget to put food on Chen Shumin's plate, which made Chen Shumin both angry and amused. She could only wipe the oil from the corners of his mouth while telling him to eat slowly.

Zhou Dafu and Zhao Gang got along very well, clinking glasses from time to time and talking about interesting things at the factory, laughing constantly.

Xiao Mei sat quietly to the side, eating her food in small bites. Occasionally, she would chuckle to herself when they made jokes, and she would thoughtfully refill everyone's tea.

Zhou Yimin put down his wine glass, looked at the lively scene on the table, cleared his throat and said, "Today's meal is mainly to celebrate Da Zhong's wife's pregnancy, which is a joyous occasion."

He paused, glanced at everyone, and continued, "Since we're celebrating this, let's skip the alcohol and have tea instead. That's enough."

Upon hearing this, everyone put down their chopsticks, their faces showing agreement.

Zhou Dazhong excitedly put down his bowl, quickly picked up the teacup in front of him, and looked at Chen Shumin with eyes full of joy.

Chen Shumin blushed, gently picked up her teacup, and felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

“Uncle Sixteen is right. Tea can express our feelings just as well as wine,” Zhou Dafu said with a smile, raising his teacup first.

"Yes, yes, yes, I wish Sister Shumin a good recovery and a healthy baby boy." Zhao Gang also raised his teacup, his tone full of sincere blessings.

Xiao Mei and Li Xiulan quickly picked up their teacups, and everyone's eyes were focused on Chen Shumin, as they all said auspicious words.

"Come on, let's all have a toast!" Zhou Yimin said with a smile, raising his teacup.

"Cheers!" everyone responded in unison, their teacups clinking together with a crisp sound.

After taking a sip, everyone joined a new round of eating. After all, with so much delicious food, how could they not eat more and treat their stomachs right?

Seeing everyone's reaction, Zhou Yimin could only shake his head helplessly and join the "battle".

The meal lasted a long time, until almost all the food on the table was gone. Everyone reluctantly put down their chopsticks, their faces filled with satisfied smiles, their hearts filled with warmth and joy.

(End of this chapter)