Yue Zhongyao kneaded the noodles, then clumsily helped Qiao Mingjin pick up the noodles, roll them into little-finger-sized pieces, and prepare to fry the orchid roots.
From time to time, he looked up at the woman opposite him. This was her wife, the first wife who gave birth to his flesh and blood. She was supposed to be his closest person, someone who shared the same quilt and rubbed their ears together. Why was she so alienated?
Woolen cloth?
There is only an arm's width table between the couple, within arm's reach. Why do they feel so far away?
The breathing of the two could be heard, and Qiao Mingjin felt the gaze from Yue Zhongyao, but she didn't know what to say, so she remained helplessly silent.
Wan'er looked at her mother, then turned to look at her father. She didn't understand that when she and her mother were together, they were always lively. But with the addition of a father and one more person, they became even quieter.
.
"Mom, dad, look at the noodles Wan'er made."
Wan'er instinctively felt happy that her father and mother were by her side.
"Stand still, but don't fall off the stool."
Wan'er was not high enough for the table, but she loved to join in the fun, so Qiao Mingjin had no choice but to move a small bench for her to rest on.
"Wow, our Wan'er is so smart, she has rubbed her so much." Yue Zhongyao did not hesitate to show off. Anyway, in his eyes, everything his daughter did was good.
He also wanted to make up for the shortcomings of the past four years bit by bit.
Qiao Mingjin glanced into her daughter's small basin, pulled it with her hands, and said with a smile: "The fat one is thick and short, and the thin one is thin and long. How can we put this on the altar? The New Year's Eve mother will be embarrassed to serve it."
The guests are eating it. It seems that it will be left to Wan'er to eat. After a while, it will be fried. It seems that I have to pack up a jar specially for Wan'er to put it in. "
After hearing what her mother said, the little thing pouted and looked at her father with watery eyes.
Yue Zhongyao couldn't bear his daughter's grievance, so he quickly said: "Your mother is kidding you. We Wan'er did a good job, rubbing it better than dad. Who wouldn't praise it when it is served? I can't finish it, but dad is here."
After hearing what her father said, the little thing immediately grinned. She quickly picked up the dough and kneaded it. Anyway, her father said that no one would eat it and there was still daddy. Knead more and save it.
.I will give it to dad slowly from now on.
Qiao Mingjin glanced at the father and daughter, shook her head and smiled.
Yue Zhongyao looked at his wife who was smiling across her face and was stunned.
The lady is getting more and more beautiful, her face becomes fairer and more supple. She looks better than when she first married him. She has more of the charm of a mature woman than when she first married him, making her more attractive.
Yue Zhongyao felt that his throat was tight. He swallowed his saliva at his wife's pink lips so close.
How long has it been since he was close to his wife?
It was so long that he almost forgot the sweet taste of his wife.
Yue Zhongyao stared at Qiao Mingjin's face crazily.
Qiao Mingjin frowned calmly. When she found that the other party was still there, she finally raised her head and asked, "What's wrong?"
Yue Zhongyao's face burned and he was a little flustered. He hurriedly lowered his head and tried to calm down his expression.
That's fine now, don't scare her, just let him stay by her side.
"It's okay. Are you almost done? Shall I heat up the pot?"
Qiao Mingjin looked at the table and saw that the dough was only the size of two fists. There were a lot of kneaded orchid roots piled on the table.
He said, "I'll do it." He turned around and prepared to light the fire.
Yue Zhongyao hurriedly reached over and grabbed Qiao Mingjin's wrist: "Mother Jin, I'll do it. You can just watch from the side, in case the oil collapses accidentally."
Before Qiao Mingjin could react, she turned around and went to clean her hands.
Soon, the fire started to burn, and Yue Zhongyao poured oil into the large iron pot that contained the water.
Throughout the whole process, Qiao Mingjin and her daughter were kept from getting close to the iron pot, for fear that oil stars would splash on them.
Qiao Mingjin couldn't help but let him go.
When all the orchid roots and dough are fried, don't rush to clean them up. Just spread them out in a griddle and let them cool.
When it came to cleaning up the kitchen, Yue Zhongyao didn't let Qiao Mingjin do anything, and tidied everything up very neatly.
It wasn't until just before dinner that he went into the kitchen to help Qiao Mingjin put the fried orchid roots into a jar and prepare dinner.
"Don't your family know you are coming back today?"
This whole day, no one came to call him.
Yue Zhongyao glanced at Qiao Mingjin and shook his head.
"You entered the village and no one saw you?"
"No one at home saw me coming back."
Qiao Mingjin understood, no wonder.
Yue Zhongyao glanced at Qiao Mingjin cautiously, and said calmly: "Jin, Madam Jin, can I sleep here at night?"
Qiao Mingjin looked up at him in surprise.
Yue Zhongyao's face started to burn again, burning to the base of his ears.
"Mingqi's family has gone. This is outside the village. Only you and your daughter live here. I'm not worried. If the charcoal pot goes out at night, I can add some to you."
Qiao Mingjin shook his head: "That's not necessary. Wan'er and I never added any charcoal pots at night. We burned them before going to bed, and both charcoal pots can burn until morning."
"I...I, I'm not worried. You two live here, if something happens..." Yue Zhongyao expressed his meaning in a hesitant way.
Why can't he live with his wife? She is still his wife.
Yue Zhongyao thought of the scene he had seen before. In this kitchen, there was a man chatting and laughing with his wife. The smile on his wife's face was as bright as a flower, which dazzled his eyes and hurt his heart.
He opened his mouth and wanted to ask a question or two, but found that he couldn't open his mouth.
He looked up and saw Qiao Mingjin looking at him like that. There was no warmth in his eyes, which made him feel like there were thousands of mountains between them.
Yue Zhongyao felt pain in his heart.
He wanted to reach out and touch his wife's smooth face, hold her tightly in his arms, and whisper his thoughts into his wife's ear. As he talked, he couldn't sleep at night.
, thinking of my wife’s soft and fragrant body.
"Jin Niang, I will live in the wing room. Okay? I live alone. I can't let you mother and daughter spend the New Year alone. I, I feel uncomfortable. I will stay with you here. I, I won't live in the main room."
Yue Zhongyao finished speaking with difficulty and looked at the person in front of him very anxiously.
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, the Jade Emperor, Tathagata Buddha, Ksitigarbha, City God, Earth God, Stove God, who saves the suffering, please don’t let Jin Niang reject me, please don’t.
Yue Zhongyao wanted to kneel on the ground with his eyes closed and plead with each of these Buddhas. But he didn't want to miss any expression on his wife's face.
Qiao Mingjin looked at him without opening her mouth.
When Wan'er heard that her father would no longer behave like before, he looked at her and left. Instead, he wanted to stay here with her. His grin almost reached the base of his ears.
Seeing her mother's delay in responding, she was extremely anxious.
He stepped forward and grabbed the hem of her mother's clothes, shaking her again and again: "Mom, I want daddy. Can you let daddy stay?"
Seeing that her mother only glanced at her without responding, she shook her head again. Tears were almost coming out: "Mom, mother, can you let dad stay? I want to have a father and a mother during the Chinese New Year. Mom, let dad stay.
Can you stay with Wan'er? Mother, can you?"
Qiao Mingjin glanced down at her daughter, who had watery eyes and raised her head with a wronged look on her face. Next to her, Yue Zhongyao had a worried look on his face, and was also praying and pleading earnestly.
Qiao Mingjin sighed deeply, looked at Yue Zhongyao and said, "You'd better go home and tell me."
When Yue Zhongyao heard this, he felt as if the rain was coming after a long drought.
He immediately raised the corners of his mouth and nodded: "Okay, I will go back and tell them now. Just wait for me. I will come to have dinner with you in a while."
As if she was afraid that Qiao Mingjin would regret it, she left the kitchen in a flash. She quickly opened the door to the courtyard and no one was there.
"Mom, can daddy stay?"
Qiao Mingjin leaned over angrily and poked her daughter's forehead with her finger. She said angrily, "I raised you for nothing, why are you so close to your father?"
After hearing this, the little thing immediately twisted around and lay still between Qiao Mingjin's legs.
Yue Zhongyao returned home quickly, and Mrs. Wu was preparing dinner with her two daughters-in-law.
When he saw Yue Zhongyao coming back, he was stunned: "Lao San? Why are you coming back at this time? Is it because the Yamen is on leave?"
When everyone heard the sound of people, they came out of each house one after another.
Yue Zhongyao hurried into his room and replied: "Yes, mother, the Yamen is on vacation, and I will not return to the Yamen until after the Lantern Festival."
Mrs. Wu followed in: "Why did you come back empty-handed? Not to mention preparing some New Year's goods, where is your luggage?"
Yue Zhongyao packed up two sets of clothes for daily use at home, and replied: "Didn't you bring money back with someone? Haven't you prepared the New Year's goods at home?"
Mrs. Wu's face twitched. This son would bring something back more or less every time he came back. Didn't he even bring back a bag of candy this time?
"Where are you going to pack your clothes?"
"Oh, Jinniang and Wan'er live outside the village. I'm not worried. I'll stay there during the Chinese New Year. I'll come back during the day."
Wu frowned: "What? You stayed there during the Chinese New Year? So you came back a long time ago and put your luggage there?"
Mrs. Wu thought that her son might have left a bunch of New Year's goods at Qiao Mingjin's place, and her heart ached.
He dragged Yue Zhongyao tightly as he turned to go out: "Where are you going? Your parents are here, why are you spending the New Year at someone else's house? Is this your filial piety?"
Yue Zhongyao pushed Wu's hand away and said: "Mom, how can you and I be outsiders? Besides, I just went to live with them. I came back to help you during the day. You don't know that I'm back today. I'll have dinner with you."
I'll use it at Jin Niang's place. I'll be back tomorrow morning."
"no!"
Seeing that Yue Zhongyao couldn't be restrained, he shouted again: "You can't leave, or let them come back to live."
"Mom! They are used to living outside. In the next two days, there will be ancestor worship at home, and I will bring them back. I will also ask her to come over early to help at the reunion dinner."
As he spoke, he glanced at Lao Yue who was standing at the door and said, "Dad, I'll go then. I'll be back tomorrow morning."
He just went out in a hurry.
Wu chased her to the door, and when she was about to step out, she was pulled back by Lao Yuetou.
"He's not going anywhere, he's in the village. He just sleeps there at night. Can he be lost?"
As he spoke, he asked his two sons to close the door to prevent Wu from going out.
Under the heavy winter night, I could only hear Wu's sharp scoldings... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.
.)
ps: ps: I’m going home for the Chinese New Year. I spent a day shopping and I don’t know what to buy for my parents:(
