How did hiring someone to press a pig image during Chinese New Year become a top trend?

The wind along the Haihe River carried a unique damp chill, seeping into Xu An's collar and blowing away his last bit of interest in "viewing the scenery."

The three-egg jianbing guozi had long since been completely digested by the cold wind and the psychological battle just now.

Xu An tightened his grip on the birdcage, feeling that the rumbling in his stomach was even louder than the myna bird at Ma Dazui's house earlier.

"Hey, you bald guy, are you hungry?" Xu An asked in a low voice.

The black bird in the cage tilted its head, its beady green eyes darting around, and suddenly yelled at the top of its lungs, "Rice! Rice! Braised! Braised!"

Xu An was so frightened that he quickly covered the black cloth on the cage.

This bird is so clever, it even knows how to order food.

He strolled along the riverbank, looking for an inconspicuous little restaurant.

He would never dare to go to those trendy Instagrammable spots; there are too many people, and he could easily get himself killed on the spot.

All he wanted to do now was find a corner, curl up in a ball, and quietly drink some hot soup.

After turning two alleys, a rich, salty and savory aroma mixed with the fragrance of sesame paste, like an invisible little hand, hooked Xu An's nose.

This flavor is so strong, with a rich, heavy taste characteristic of carbohydrates.

Xu An looked up.

In front of me was an inconspicuous storefront, without even a proper signboard, just a wooden board with the words "Breakfast" written on it, half of the paint of which had peeled off.

A large pot was set up at the entrance, steaming hot, with white mist drifting into the street on the wind.

The place was bustling with people, and there wasn't the long queue that terrified him; it looked like a place that catered to local residents.

"This will do." Xu An swallowed hard; he was truly hungry.

He lifted the heavy cotton curtain, and in that instant, it felt as if he had stepped into a high-decibel sound field.

"Is this what it is? Two bowls of soup! Add extra sugar!"

"Flatbread rolls! Fresh out of the pan! Be careful, they're hot!"

"Second Aunt! Why didn't you bring your grandson today?"

There were only seven or eight tables in the room, and they were packed full of people, mostly elderly men and women wearing pajamas or down jackets, and a few taxi drivers who had just finished their night shifts.

When Xu An entered the room in his signature military overcoat, it was like a drop of oil falling into water.

Although it didn't cause a sensation, it still attracted a lot of attention.

"Young man! How many of you are there? Would you mind sharing a table?"

The boss was a chubby man with a ruddy complexion, holding a large strainer in his hand, and speaking in a voice as loud as if he were singing opera.

Xu An shrank back, instinctively wanting to back away.

"One...one person."

"Alright! Please come in! You there, Old Zhang, squeeze in, make room for the kid!"

Pushed by the boss's enthusiasm, Xu An reluctantly sat down in the innermost corner.

Across from him sat an old man engrossed in drinking tofu pudding, while next to him was a young girl playing on her phone.

Xu An placed the birdcage at his feet, fearing that Er Tuzi might cause some more trouble.

"What do you want to eat? Look at the sign!" The owner pointed to the red paper strip on the wall.

Xu An looked up and was stunned.

Soup? Fried dough sticks? Poached eggs? Firm tofu?

I know them all.

But what the heck is that "Gaba Cai" that's ranked first?

Xu An imagined it for a moment, could it be some kind of dried vegetables stir-fried with meat?

Like the dried green beans from my hometown?

"Um... Boss, a bowl of 'Gaba Cai' (a type of Sichuan street food), please." Xu An tentatively ordered, "Add extra meat, I'm hungry."

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy shop suddenly fell silent for two seconds.

The old man across from Xu An lifted his face from the bowl, his beard still covered in braising liquid, and looked at Xu An with a strange expression.

The little girl next to her, who was playing on her phone, was also stunned, her hand holding the phone frozen in mid-air.

The shopkeeper stopped using the strainer and stared at Xu An in disbelief.

"Meat? What kind of meat?" The shopkeeper chuckled. "Young man, you're from out of town, aren't you?"

"If you want meat in your 'Gaba Cai' (a type of Sichuan street food), you'll have to bring your own!"

In the live stream, the netizens who loved watching the drama burst into laughter.

[ID Tianjin Foodie]: Hahahaha! Add more meat! I'm dying of laughter! Anzi, are you trying to make things difficult for the boss?

[ID Science Popularizer]: Anzi! Gaba Cai isn't a dish! It's made by spreading mung bean flour into thin pancakes, cutting them into strips, and then pouring braising sauce over them! It's a staple food!

[ID Xujiacun Second Uncle]: Our Xu family's reputation... Anzi, if you don't know, don't talk nonsense. Is it going to kill you to order a steamed bun?

Xu An's face turned as red as a large red cloth.

Little did he know that the name was so deceptive.

Just then, from the birdcage at their feet, Er Tu Zi suddenly said something.

"Chopsticks! Chopsticks! Add cilantro! Extra chili!"

That shout completely stunned the entire audience.

The boss was stunned for a moment, then burst into an even louder laugh.

"Wow! That bird is amazing! It knows more than this young man!"

"Alright! A bowl of fried dough sticks! Extra cilantro! Extra chili! It's Bird Master's order!"

The surrounding diners also laughed good-naturedly.

"Young man, don't be shy, it's normal to be like this the first time you come." The old man across from me wiped his mouth with a napkin and said with a smile.

"The 'Gaba Cai' of Tianjin is all about eating it hot and having that braised flavor."

"Here, try this, it's on me."

The old man pushed a plate of finely chopped pickled vegetables in front of Xu An, and also handed him half a freshly fried dough stick.

"It tastes delicious when eaten with these."

Looking at the unremarkable plate of pickled vegetables and the half-fried dough stick in front of him, Xu An's embarrassment at having "shown his ignorance" suddenly dissipated.

A short while later, a steaming bowl of amber-colored gabacai was served.

It's topped with bright green cilantro, bright red chili oil, and a layer of rich sesame sauce.

Xu An imitated the old man and used chopsticks to mix the ingredients on top.

Pick up a piece with your chopsticks and put it in your mouth.

Soft and chewy, savory and fragrant, with the aroma of mung bean flour and the richness of braised sauce.

That complex flavor melts on the tip of the tongue, warming it all the way down the esophagus to the stomach.

"That's great..." Xu An couldn't help but blurt out a Henan dialect phrase.

"That'll definitely be great!" the owner shouted from a short distance away. "More soup if you're still hungry! All you can eat!"

While eating, Xu An secretly glanced at the comments section.

【ID: Wandering Stomach】: Makes me hungry... Is this the joy of carbs?

[ID Missing Home]: I've been abroad for three years and I'm craving this kind of fried vegetable. Anzi, you eat more of it and eat it for me.

Xu An ate until his nose was sweating.

He discovered that in this small shop full of everyday life, no one surrounded him to take pictures just because he was an internet celebrity.

Everyone is busy with their own lives.

The two middle-aged women next to me were chatting about vegetable prices, the taxi driver was complaining about the traffic jam last night, and the young girl playing on her phone was sending a voice message to her boyfriend, acting all cute.

These ordinary, mundane moments made Xu An feel incredibly grounded.

Just as he was finishing his meal, a woman in gray overalls came to the table next to him.

The older woman looked to be over fifty years old, with some gray hair, but it was combed meticulously.

She ordered a bowl of tofu and two fruit sticks, and ate them slowly and politely.

But Xu An noticed that the eldest sister's right index finger was wrapped with a thick layer of tape, as if she had suffered some old injury.

Moreover, a red thread was sticking out of the pocket of her work clothes.

That's... a type of yarn unique to cotton mills.

Xu An's heart skipped a beat.

He subconsciously reached out and touched the canvas bag in his arms.

The next letter lies there.

If he remembered correctly, the mailing address on that letter, though written in a blurry way, vaguely contained the words "Cotton Mill No. 2".

That was the old name of Tianjin No. 2 Cotton Mill.

"Big sister..." Xu An blurted out as if possessed.

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to talk to a stranger, although his voice was still a little shaky.

The eldest sister raised her head, her eyes gentle, carrying a calmness that comes with the passage of time.

"What's wrong, young man? Don't you have any tissues?" the woman said, reaching for a tissue in her bag.

"No...no." Xu An swallowed and pointed to the loose thread in his older sister's pocket.

"You used to work at the cotton mill?"

The older sister paused for a moment, looked down at the loose thread, and a hint of nostalgia and bitterness flashed in her eyes.

"Yes, he's from Old Cotton Mill No. 2. He's been a machine operator his whole life."

"The factory is long gone now, replaced by a creative district. I've been retired for quite some time now."

The older sister smiled, a smile tinged with helplessness.

"What? Do you have an elderly relative who does this too?"

Xu An didn't speak, but reached into the canvas bag and touched the slightly cool envelope.

There was no name written on the envelope.

There is only one number: [Fine Yarn Workshop No. 038].

There is also a poorly drawn little spindle pattern.

This is a letter without a name.

Or rather, this is a letter sent to a code name.

"Big sister, do you know... who number 038 is?" Xu An's voice was very soft, so soft that only he and the big sister could hear it.

The older sister's hand trembled violently, and the spoon in her hand almost fell into the bowl.

That originally gentle gaze instantly turned sharp, as if it wanted to see right through Xu An.

How did you know this number?

The eldest sister's voice suddenly became a little hoarse.

"That was the model worker's number back then, and also... that 'fool's' employee number."

The surrounding noise seemed to fade away at that moment.

Xu An felt that he had touched upon a secret that had been sleeping in time.

Just then, the boss's loud voice broke the solemn atmosphere.

"How's it going? You're chatting away? Hey lady, this young man's not bad; he even makes time to chat with the elders while eating!"

The eldest sister took a deep breath and regained her calm expression.

She gave Xu An a deep look.

"After you finish eating, if you have nothing else to do, why don't you take a stroll around the former site of the No. 2 Cotton Mill in Hedong District?"

"That's what those older women are longing for now."

After saying that, the older woman stood up, paid the money, and left in a hurry.

That figure from behind looked somewhat frail, yet also stubborn.

Xu An sat there, looking at the half bowl of tofu that his older sister had left.

He didn't rush to chase after them.

Grandpa said that sending a letter can't be rushed.

Sometimes, you have to let the person receiving the letter prepare in advance.

"Hey, Er Tuzi, are you full?" Xu An patted the birdcage.

"I'm full! I'm full! Check, check!"

Xu An smiled.

He stood up and walked to the counter to scan the code.

"Boss, how much is that bowl of 'Gaba Cai' (a type of Sichuan street food), and the other lady's half bowl?"

The boss waved his hand, looking at Xu An with a look of disdain.

"Pay me! Didn't that old man say it was on him?"

Xu An turned his head and saw that the old man who had been sitting opposite him was nowhere to be seen.

Only the half-eaten fried dough stick remained quietly lying on the table.

Xu An's eyes suddenly felt hot.

This is Tianjin.

They may be sharp-tongued, but their hearts are warm enough to burn.

He bowed respectfully to the empty doorway.

Then, carrying the birdcage, he walked out of the little shop filled with the aroma of fried vegetables.

The wind outside is still cold.

But Xu An felt that the letter in his arms seemed to have become warm as well.

The number of viewers in the live stream has exceeded two million.

[ID Next Stop Cotton Mill No. 2]: Anzi, let's go! Let's go see that nameless number 038!

[ID Xujiacun]: Slow down, don't rush, the road is still long.

Xu An stood by the roadside, looking at the bustling street.

He didn't know who that "fool" was.

But he knew that no matter who it was, he had to deliver the letter.

Even if it might be another painful memory.

"Let's go, Baldy."

"Let's go see if we can reconnect this broken wire."