In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

When they arrived at the market, Li Xiuping and the others were already cleaning up. Wang Xingguo didn't go in; instead, he waited at the entrance.

When Li Xiuping came out and saw Wang Xingguo, she was overjoyed.

She jogged up to Wang Xingguo, who cheerfully said, "Wife, get in the car, I'll take you home!"

Li Xiuping rolled her eyes at him, and after getting on the vehicle, Wang Xingguo started pedaling.

"Wife, I'm lucky today. I traded fish for two pounds of pork. I'll keep one pound for my family to eat. Take the other pound home with you and give it to our parents."

Li Xiuping blushed and said, "Pah! Who's your wife? Who are your parents?"

Wang Xingguo chuckled and said, "Hehe, I'm yours now, so you can't be a heartless woman who starts something and then abandons it. You have to take responsibility for me to the end!"

"Pah, shameless! Who's going to take responsibility for you? You've already said everything I have to say, what am I supposed to say now?"

"Oh, don't worry about the details, they're all the same."

Amidst laughter and chatter, Wang Xingguo escorted the woman back to her courtyard gate. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating that night; one of Li Xiuping's neighbors had just returned from get off work, so Wang Xingguo couldn't take advantage of his wife.

Li Xiuping was still quite reserved in front of outsiders, so after greeting her neighbor, she grabbed the meat and ran home.

There was nothing they could do; neighbors would tease them whenever they bumped into them, making Li Xiuping very embarrassed, so she fled in embarrassment.

Wang Xingguo had no idea what embarrassment was. When the neighbors asked them when they were planning to get married, he just said soon, without the slightest bit of embarrassment.

His neighbor handed him a cigarette, lit it for him, and after chatting for a few minutes, Wang Xingguo rode his bicycle home.

Mao'er Hutong is a little over a kilometer away from Beixinqiao Grocery Store, a 20-minute walk, but Wang Xingguo took the person back in just 10 minutes by tricycle.

At this time, it was a little past 7:40.

Wang Xingbang didn't work overtime tonight either; he's already at home waiting for dinner. The braised pork is ready, and he's just waiting for Wang Xingguo to come home so they can eat.

So as soon as his car returned to the Intermediate People's Court, Wang Xingmin, who was waiting at the entrance, shouted into the house, "Second Brother is back! Time to eat!"

Wang Xingguo laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, fourth brother, can't wait to eat braised pork, can you?"

Wang Xingmin chuckled and said, "Hehe, you bet! I'm practically drooling. Second brother, hurry up and park the car, let's eat first and then talk about other things."

Wang Xingguo nodded and said, "Okay, I'm hungry too, let's eat first."

After he parked his car, washed his hands, and returned to the house, everyone sat and waited for him.

Wang Xingguo laughed and said, "Hehe, let's eat! What are we waiting for?"

Wang Xingmin cheered, "Dinner's ready!" and eagerly picked up a piece of braised pork, stuffed it into his mouth, and ate with such satisfaction that he almost closed his eyes to savor the taste.

Wang Xingbang happily poured two glasses of wine, clinked glasses with Wang Xingguo, and laughed, "Haha, second brother, you cooked eel yesterday and braised pork today, your skills have really improved. Big brother is also benefiting, he won't have to worry about these nutritional supplements anymore."

Wang Xingguo mumbled as he ate the braised pork, "That's... but Third Sister, your cooking skills are a bit lacking. Why does this meat taste a bit too salty?"

Wang Xingning was displeased. She pouted and said, "Second brother, you're talking nonsense. It's not salty at all. It's just right."

Wang Xingguo quickly begged for forgiveness, "Okay, okay, it's not salty, it's not salty. Second brother misspoke. Third sister, please don't be angry. The family can't do without you..."

The three brothers each spoke up, criticizing Wang Xingguo. He himself joined in, and then praised Wang Xingning, which finally calmed her down after a while.

The meat was indeed a bit salty, but it didn't matter. Now that the weather is hot and we sweat a lot, we should eat something salty to replenish our salt intake.

The main problem is that Wang Xingning rarely uses even a pound of meat to make braised pork, so he's a bit unsure about the amount of salt to use.

It seems funny, but that's the reality.

In Wang Xingguo's memory, even in years with good weather, his family would usually buy meat by the half-pound or eight-ounce, and rarely by the pound.

Meat is only sold by weight during the Lunar New Year, but most of the pork is used to make dumplings, and only a portion is used to make braised pork.

Southerners don't understand the true value of dumplings; they're a combination of refined grains and meat, a luxury of this era.

Occasionally, we'll treat ourselves to some meat to improve our lives. It's not about eating our fill, but rather each person in the family sharing a couple of pieces of braised pork.

Eating refined grains is also a way to improve one's life. Steamed buns with a very small cornmeal content are something that can only be eaten a few times a month.

Therefore, the northerners' obsession with dumplings stems from the fact that they rarely get to eat meat and refined grains.

When this habit became integrated into the lives of the older generation, it gradually became a traditional and widespread custom because they had been eating dumplings since childhood.

The older generation feels that dumplings taste better because they represent a memory etched into their bones from the days of scarcity.

The younger generation prefers meat and considers dumplings only an occasional treat. This is because they didn't experience a time of scarcity, so their memories of dumplings are simply that they're not greasy and were a staple during holidays—nothing more!

If there really are no dumplings to eat, the younger generation doesn't care. They can still enjoy meat and fish just as well, right?

During dinner, everyone chatted and the topic of the eldest brother finding a matchmaker came up again.

Wang Xingbang scratched his head and said, "I'll go to Aunt Wang's house for a chat after I get off work tomorrow night?"

Wang Xingguo nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, okay, it's settled then. Don't forget about this, brother."

Wang Xingning asked, "Brother, can you finish your shift a little earlier? I'm worried that if I finish late and arrive just as they're having dinner, it might be a bit awkward."

After thinking for a moment, Wang Xingbang nodded and said, "This is not a big problem. I'll talk to the boss tomorrow. It shouldn't be a problem to leave work early. Work at the wire factory isn't particularly busy right now."

Wang Xingmin asked, "Brother, when do you think the matchmaker will bring someone to meet you? I'll catch some eels to add to your meal then; I want to do my part in this."

Wang Xingguo said with a wry smile, "This won't work. Fourth brother, think about it. What were your reactions when I brought back eels yesterday? If I were to serve this stuff to the girl my brother is dating, she would be scared away immediately."

Wang Xingning was stunned for a moment, then remembered his reaction when he saw the eels in the bucket last night. He immediately shook his head and said, "No, no, we can't use this thing to cook for guests! No matter how delicious it is, people will definitely not dare to eat it when they hear that it is a long worm like an eel. Moreover, they will think that our family is not particular, poor and stingy."