nucmednet Chapter 76
Chapter 76
While Zhao Tingming and the others were busy preparing to call Cheng Jinxiang back from her parents' home, Zhao Da'e was indulging in a hearty meal and drink with the encouragement of his cousin, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Zhao Da'e has been quite tired lately, so he's been eating a lot.
Today, Zhou Chunwen steamed mutton-filled buns for Zhao Da'e. The main reason was that we had some leftover mutton filling from the last batch of dumplings we made, so we ate the leftover filling in buns. After all, buns use less filling; a bowl of dumplings can make a whole pot of meat buns.
Zhao Da'e even deliberately instructed Zhou Chunwen: Add some spicy vegetable greens, saying that he wanted to remember the bitter past and appreciate the sweet present.
Zhou Chunwen was furious. In the dead of winter, she had to go to the fields to find wild vegetable greens for Zhao Da'e—what an infuriating guy! The thing is, Zhou Chunwen didn't know why, but she actually went to look for them and actually dug some wild vegetable greens out of the snow for Zhao Da'e.
Spicy mustard greens, as the name suggests, are the leaves of spicy mustard greens grown in northern China, the part that grows above ground, similar to the tops of radishes. Because it's a somewhat unique term, not many people outside of Dongtaizi Village might understand it, but fortunately, most of the locals are from nearby, and Zhou Chunwen understood it too.
However, the chili greens were already quite dry. Even though Xue covered them up and they didn't completely dry out and crumble, they were still yellowish and didn't look very appealing.
But Zhao Da'e really likes this, mainly because he actually wants to eat cilantro, but in the dead of winter, there are no vegetables from the south available. However, the strong smell of mutton can sometimes make people feel very uncomfortable after eating it.
Spicy mustard greens, which are traditionally bitter, can perfectly change this flavor.
So, Zhao Da'e wanted to eat spicy vegetable leaf buns.
Zhou Chunwen finished wrapping the buns, and Zhao Da'e started the fire. The two cousins were having a great time together.
Zhou Chunwen asked Zhao Da'e, "Da'e, what did your dad want with you today? I don't think he has good intentions."
“My dad,” Zhao Da’e said, shaking his head as he added firewood to the stove. “My dad is a good-for-nothing. He can’t do anything decent, but he’s a master at making up stories. He came to me to ask why my mom hasn’t come back yet. Tell me, what is he thinking? How could my mom possibly come back? Without my permission, Zhao Da’e, she could stay at her parents’ house forever.”
"So you don't miss your mother?" Zhou Chunwen asked.
Zhao Da'e was stunned: she must miss her mother very much.
Having been reborn, Zhao Da'e's biggest worry is his mother, but he can't let her live in a hellish environment forever.
Actually, Zhao Da'e's main thought was that they should just get a divorce. Life had become like this, and staying together would be unbearable.
However, Zhao Da'e also had to consider other factors, such as his younger sister. If she were born without a father, that would be very difficult. Although his own father, Zhao Tiesheng, didn't show much paternal love, he wasn't entirely useless. At least he was a bit of a wimp, and wouldn't beat or scold Zhao Da'e…
He's a bit of a chatterbox, but Zhao Tiesheng is actually quite capable. He's a good worker. Since his father is quite capable, he should make the most of his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, letting him do the work; after all, he can't stay idle.
Zhao Tiesheng is somewhat of a mama's boy, but not severely so. He's just very filial and a little unable to distinguish right from wrong.
Many people, in fact, never figure out in their entire lives who is a good person and who is not. This is especially true in rural areas, where interpersonal relationships are even more complex and changeable.
Moreover, it is so unpredictable that it catches you off guard.
Sometimes a sudden major event can instantly make a relationship that was already very difficult become even closer than blood ties, which is something that gives Zhao Da'e a real headache.
After all, my father died of depression because my mother went insane.