Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

In the east room.

For a time, it was bustling with activity.

On the scorching hot kang (heated brick bed), sat an old lady and Xu Dahong, holding hot tea, covered with a small quilt and with their feet up.

Xu Dashan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with his back against the wall, chatting enthusiastically with them while rubbing the cold soles of his feet.

The panel that had been moved over was placed at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Next to it were small aluminum basins for dumpling filling and a lid tray with half-wrapped dumplings laid out.

Xu Juan was kneeling on the kang (a heated brick bed), rolling out dumpling wrappers with a rolling pin, her sleeves and clothes still covered in flour.

Sitting on the bench on the ground, Zhao Fengying quickly pinched a dumpling wrapper stuffed with a lot of filling, and chimed in with a few words.

When Xu Bei returned from using the restroom outside, he washed his hands in the kitchen and entered the house, only to find this scene before him.

He shook his still slightly damp hands and said with a smile, "Xiaojuan, I'll roll out the dough. You and Mom can make the dumplings."

Xu Juan immediately smiled and handed over the rolling pin, saying, "Okay, brother, you can roll it then."

Zhao Fengying smiled and moved her stool to the side. "Okay, let your brother roll it out. He's strong and fast, so he'll definitely be able to supply us with enough buns."

Then, she turned to Xu Bei with concern and said, "Son, I'm telling you, aren't your feet cold? Why don't you take off your shoes and get on the kang (heated brick bed)?"

"I'm fine, I'll just sit on the stool, it'll be more energizing to work."

Xu Bei pulled over a wooden stool from the game space next to him, sat down, picked up a rolling pin, but instead of sprinkling flour and rolling out the dough, he first brought it close to smell the dumpling filling.

The homemade pickled cabbage was finely chopped by my mother, giving it an enticing pale yellow color and a tangy aroma that whets the appetite.

Most importantly, it contains a large amount of golden-yellow oil crumbs, cut into soybean-sized pieces, evenly distributed in the sauerkraut, like little gems.

With the addition of appropriate amounts of soy sauce, salt, MSG, thirteen-spice powder, and shallots, the aroma alone is enough to make it smell incredibly rich.

"Mom, this filling smells amazing!"

Being praised by her beloved son made Zhao Fengying feel very proud and pleased, but in front of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, she humbly smiled and said, "With oil on it, how could it not smell good?"

Xu Dahong, who had been watching Xu Bei and his family ever since they entered the house, chimed in, "That's right! Even if someone who can't cook makes dumpling filling, it's bound to smell good with all that oil in it!"

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

Zhao Fengying's smile froze for a moment, just as she was about to say something.

Xu Bei, his face turning cold, spoke up even faster than her, "Auntie, are you saying you can't cook? I remember you could make sauerkraut so cloyingly sweet it was unbearable, and rendering sesame oil was like burning charcoal, let alone mixing dumpling filling—no wonder it wouldn't smell good!"

Xu Dahong never dreamed that her nephew, who had previously become taciturn and aloof, would become so sharp-tongued and confrontational just because of a single sentence she uttered.

"you!"

Then, looking at Xu Dashan with a mixture of anger and grievance, she said, "Second Brother, look at your son! He won't even let anyone speak! How can he expose someone's past like that!"

Xu Dashan also knew how protective his son, whose temperament had recently changed drastically, was of Zhao Fengying and wouldn't tolerate anyone saying anything unpleasant to him.

Especially since my mother and sister just arrived, if they really start arguing, we won't even be able to enjoy this dumpling meal, let alone get along peacefully in the future.

Therefore, he spoke with a desire to avoid trouble, saying, "You little brat, how dare you talk to your aunt like that? Even if she's only five years older than you, you can't be so disrespectful!"

And Da Hong, you too, you're married now, and you still can't speak properly. Are you like this in your in-laws' house too?

Your second sister-in-law must have been busy since last night, working herself to the bone, so that you could have dumplings to eat after you get off the bus. Even if they weren't very tasty, she should at least say something nice, especially since everyone knows that good food is delicious.

Zhao Fengying felt much better because her husband's comments weren't biased. She nudged Xu Bei, who was about to speak, and then smoothed things over, saying, "Oh, we're all family, no need for such formalities. I was really happy to know you were coming, so being a little busy and tired is nothing."

Xu Dahong rarely suffered such a setback. His face turned red with anger, and he was unwilling to give in, so he tried to retaliate, but the old lady, who was also sitting on the kang, pressed his hand down forcefully.

"Your second sister-in-law is right. We're all family, so don't take things too seriously, whether they're being too blunt or too blunt."

As he spoke, he gave her a wink, and Xu Dahong had no choice but to swallow her anger for the time being.

"Fengying, we've made you work so hard because of our visit. You clearly put a lot of effort into making these fried dough sticks and fillings. We've recovered a bit now, so let's wrap some together."

As she spoke, the old lady pretended to lift the small blanket, as if to help make dumplings.

Xu Dahong followed suit, saying, "Yes, it's faster to wrap them when there are more people."

Xu Dashan was not the only one who disagreed.

Zhao Fengying can't do it either.

"Mom, you must have suffered a lot on this journey. We don't need you now that we've just gotten off the bus. The three of us are enough."

Xu Bei watched the old lady and Xu Dahong putting on an act with a cold eye, his hands never stopping rolling out the dough.

Xu Juan, who wasn't very noticeable, was also quietly making dumplings, but she secretly cast an admiring glance at her brother.

Xu Bei noticed his sister's expression and exchanged a knowing glance with her.

The little incident was temporarily put aside.

When the number of frozen dumplings placed under the south window outside the house increased to three, Xu Li and Zhu Wenliang also rode their bicycles over from get off work early.

Upon meeting, a brief exchange of pleasantries and reminiscing was naturally inevitable.

Xu Li's feelings towards her grandmother and aunt were similar to Xu Bei's; they would definitely side with her mother. However, she didn't know what would happen in the future, and she was still able to maintain a semblance of harmony on the surface.

Zhu Wenliang was originally an outsider and was very good at chatting. He would only visit his wife's relatives once or twice a year, but he knew how to make them happy.

Now that everyone is back, the large pot of water that had been boiling earlier is now bubbling vigorously.

So, while they were chatting noisily in the east room, Xu Bei quickly went outside and brought back the lid of the frozen dumpling container.

Beside the stove in the kitchen, Zhao Fengying, wearing an apron, was putting dumplings into the pot when she whispered to Xu Bei, "My son is really quick-witted. He really made your aunt choke. Her face turned red."

However, as Mom said, even if you're not that far apart in age, she's still an elder, and besides, they won't be staying long. So, you should just ignore her, little one.

Xu Bei smiled, put his arm around his mother's shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Mom, that won't do. I have to stand firmly on your side. Besides, it's only because I'm the younger generation that I said some things without any problems. You, as my sister-in-law, are of the same generation, so it's harder for you to say anything."

Zhao Fengying was touched by her son's filial piety and felt a warmth in her heart. She also understood that there was some truth to what he said. With a loving touch, she gently rubbed Xu Bei's face with the back of her hand, "Mom really didn't spoil you for nothing."

Although Xu Bei was no longer a true twenty-year-old at heart, he was still happy to be doted on by his mother. "That's right. Mom, don't worry, as long as your son is here, no one can bully you."