1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Upon hearing his wife's words, the eldest brother, Dong Baoguo, darkened his face.

"Why are you saying this?!"

"What, you can do it but you can't say anything?"

Ignoring the embarrassment on the faces of her elders Zhang Guifen and Dong Xuewen, who were walking behind her, Liang Qiuyue glared at her husband before taking off her shoes and going inside.

Seeing his sister-in-law's attitude, Dong Jianguo and Zhou Xiuyun exchanged a glance, but neither of them said anything more.

Firstly, neither of them intended to accept any gifts, and secondly, it was a rare occasion for them to get together, so there was no need to argue over such a small matter.

Seeing the anger on his older brother's face, Dong Jianguo quickly took the beer box from his brother's hand:

"Brother, you're here just in time. Help me move the table with Second Brother, and we'll get ready to eat."

After Dong Baoguo entered the house, he greeted his second uncle and aunt, and while moving the table, he couldn't help but ask his second brother:

"Where are the defenders and protectors of the nation?"

"I heard the two brothers and their child all caught a cold and can't come..."

Dong Baoguo frowned, thinking to himself, "What a coincidence!"

The solid wood square table that Dong Jianguo chose when buying furniture was really good; it was big enough.

Pull out the seat from the wall, and it can comfortably seat more than a dozen people.

The dining table was laden with the fruits of Dong Jianguo's labor after a long day's work:

Sweet and sour pork, cherry pork, sauerkraut and pork ribs, braised pork knuckle, chicken stew with mushrooms...

One after another, hearty dishes were served, their steaming aromas filling the air.

With Dong Jianguo busy, the only two vegetarian dishes on the table were a cold salad and a plate of stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers.

That wasn't all. Once everyone was seated, Dong Jianguo brought out a dozen more bowls from the kitchen.

The broth in each bowl was a beautiful golden color.

The only downside was that there was a large, dark worm in the soup, with a protruding antenna at intervals. The Dong family members, who had never eaten this before, were all startled.

Her niece, Dong Aiyang, was so frightened that she covered her eyes and dared not look.

Among the group of people at the table, it was the eldest sister-in-law, Liang Qiuyue, who had traveled all over the country and was very knowledgeable. She recognized what was in the bowl at a glance.

She winked at Dong Jianguo and exclaimed in surprise:

"Hey, Jianguo, is that a sea cucumber?"

Dong Jianguo nodded:

"Family members, please don't be shy. This is 'Golden Broth Millet Sea Cucumber' that I specially learned from the head chef of a restaurant."

"This is my first time making it too, everyone please try it and see how it tastes."

This dish is a recipe he learned from a chef from Liaocheng in Shenzhen. Although it's not a specialty of Heilongjiang Province, the three northeastern provinces are closely related, so it's considered a genuine Northeastern dish.

This wasn't the first time he'd made this dish; he'd made it countless times in his previous life in Shenzhen.

Before, I was always eating alone at home, and no matter how well I cooked, there was no one to praise me. This time, I can finally show off my skills in front of the whole family.

"I heard from the master chef that Liaoning sea cucumber is rich in nutrients, helps to replenish blood, promotes fetal brain development, and enhances immunity. It is especially suitable for pregnant women in the second trimester, so I specially bought some for Xiuyun to try."

"Oh, is that so? Then I won't eat it. I don't like this kind of food. Xiuyun, you eat it."

When Zhang Guifen heard her youngest son say this, she casually pushed her bowl in front of her daughter-in-law.

"Mom, you eat. I checked at the bookstore; pregnant women shouldn't eat too much, as eating too much at once can increase the burden on the kidneys."

"Ah, I see... This thing not only looks strange, but there are also a lot of strange stories about it..."

"Mom, this dish not only has many variations, but it's also quite troublesome to make. Just the sea cucumber alone needs to be soaked a day in advance!"

Xiuyun smiled, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Dong Jianguo.

Upon hearing this, the second uncle nodded and said earnestly:

"Well done, Jianguo! You've become both serious about your work and family now. You truly are a worthy son of the Dong family!"

With the affirmation from his elders, everyone at the table smiled and looked at Dong Jianguo, except for his second aunt, who looked down at the sea cucumber in her bowl, lost in thought.

Dong Jianguo raised the Mingyue wine brought by his elder brother, stood up and said:

"In the past, we would listen to the elders speak before meals. Today, my second uncle and my father are both here, so according to custom, they should say a few words first."

But this is my and Xiuyun's housewarming party, so I'll just overstep my bounds a little.

To be honest, I've been looking forward to this day for several years.

We used to live in small bungalows allocated by the factory, where conditions were much harsher than here.

Lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) back then, I wondered when I could sleep on a bed with a Simmons mattress with my wife.

Today my wish actually came true!

Ultimately, I have to thank my wife, Xiuyun. It was she and the children who suffered with me and gave me the motivation to work hard.

I especially want to thank my second uncle, who decisively extended a helping hand to my little family during my most difficult time...

No need to say anything more, I'll spin one first!

Dong Jianguo raised the Mingyue Island beer in his hand, tilted his head back and spun it around. The beer formed a vortex in the bottle and flowed down the spout into his mouth.

It still has that familiar bitter taste, along with a hint of alcohol and malt...

"good!"

The older brother shouted, and the brother-in-law led the applause.

Dong Xiaojun and Dong Aiyang also joined in, clapping enthusiastically.

After finishing a bottle of wine, Xiuyun couldn't help but pat her husband's back with a touch of heartache:

"Hey, slow down..."

"Haha, I'm fine. Everyone, hurry up and eat while it's hot, try my cooking! Don't be shy, feel free to criticize and give me feedback!"

Dong Xiaojun shouted with a cheer, "Dinner's ready!"

He had been staring at the braised pork knuckle in the middle of the table for a long time. As soon as the meal started, he poked a chopstick into the skin of the knuckle!

Dong Jianguo simmered this pork knuckle over low heat for a full three hours, until it was tender and mushy. When you pried it open with chopsticks, large chunks of lean meat fell right off the skin.

The steam from the meat fills the whole table with its aroma!

Dong Xiaojun quickly picked up a piece of pork knuckle with skin on and put it in his mouth to chew.

The fatty parts of this meat are not greasy at all; they melt in your mouth, filling it with the flavor of high-quality protein.

When mixed with the lean meat in the pork knuckle, the whole thing was soft and chewy, so delicious that the child rolled his eyes!

Not to be outdone, the others at the table also started eating the braised pork knuckle, each with a chopstick.

Eldest brother Dong Baoguo: "Brother, this isn't right! If you have this skill, why didn't I see you show off your cooking skills when we made New Year's Eve dinner before?!"

Second brother Dong Weiguo: "Delicious! The taste is really good!"

Older sister Dong Shaoying: "Jianguo, your dishes look amazing! Even if you stop selling eggs, you could easily support your family by flipping a wok at any restaurant!"

Dong Jianguo: "You're absolutely using flattery to kill me! Are you thinking that by praising me so much, everyone will be counting on me for their New Year's Eve dinner?!"

The eldest sister-in-law Liang Qiuyue, the second sister-in-law Zheng Rui, and the niece Dong Aiyang were not very interested in this kind of greasy main dish.

The three of them took a sip of the golden millet and sea cucumber soup at the same time.

Dong Aiyang, who was initially somewhat afraid of the sea cucumber in the bowl, suddenly exclaimed in surprise after drinking the millet juice:

"Wow, this is so fresh!!"

Not only her, but even her sister-in-law Liang Qiuyue, who has a rather picky palate, praised the golden millet and sea cucumber soup.

"Jianguo, what did you do?"

Dong Jianguo glanced at his curious sister-in-law and smiled slightly:

"You want to learn? I won't teach you!"