The sky is overcast and gray, as if the next scene is brewing.

Although the snow stopped falling, the sun did not come out. It was strangely cold, freezing, and a little overcast.

Returning to the compound, Xu Qing's heart was agitated all the way, because the cold weather also cooled down.

At this time, Xu Qing walked into the front yard carrying two hemp ropes with half a catty of pork belly hanging on each.

In the front yard, Yan Bugui stood at the door of the house, repairing his bicycle, holding a vise in his left hand and a wrench in his right hand, constantly tinkering.

Yan Bugui is a good-looking and shameless person. He was the first person to buy a bicycle in the courtyard, followed by Xu Damao.

Because he was a teacher in school and saw that other teachers had them, he felt that he could not fall behind.

I gritted my teeth and bought it.

When I first bought the bicycle, Yanbu Gui’s body ached for a while. After all, he had spent three months’ salary on it and had been treating it like a baby.

I wish I could find a place to offer it, but I’m afraid that others won’t be able to see it and I won’t be able to show it off. I’m also very careful when riding on the road, for fear of splashing a speck of mud.

However, no matter how much you cherish it, it will become old after all.

The pedals were replaced twice, the brake cable collapsed five times, the bell was stolen no less than ten times, and the rim was broken once.

But fortunately, Yan Bugui kept her appearance spotless, just like others, always dressed decently.

Seeing Xu Qing walking back from the yard with pork in his hand, Yan Bugui stopped the wrench in his hand, poked his eyes out from behind his glasses, took a look, smacked his mouth, but said nothing until Xu Qing left.

He muttered something in a low voice.

"Where does this kid get the money to buy meat?"

But Xu Qing didn't hear it, and even if he heard it, he wouldn't pay attention.

Live your own life and don't care what others say.

Besides, if someone else has a mouth, you can't stop them from saying whatever they like.

You can't be angry, right?

When he returned to the backyard, Xu Damao was riding his bicycle and preparing to go out.

Seeing Xu Qing buying meat, he felt strange. He stepped across the crossbar of the bicycle, looked at Xu Qing and said:

"Hey, you guys can do it. It's the end of the month, and you still have some meat tickets secretly."

"If I had known it, I would have borrowed it from you last week."

Xu Qing stopped and said: "Brother Damao, aren't you kidding? You are a regular worker, and the factory will give you more meat tickets than me. I am an apprentice and only have a few tickets. You need to find me."

Borrow?"

Xu Damao was choked up by Xu Qing's words. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

He is indeed a regular worker, and according to the factory's regulations, his monthly meat stamps are more than those of an apprentice worker.

But he can't afford to spend a lot of money. He is used to spending a lot of money. The sum of several meat tickets is not enough for him to open his belly and rub it.

It's just that it's hard for him to refute what Xu Qing said. If he said he wanted to borrow it, it would be too embarrassing.

If a formal worker borrows meat tickets from an apprentice worker, if word spreads about it, he will lose his face.

However, Xu Damao knew that the amount of ink in his stomach was not as much as that of Xu Qing.

Xu Qing went to high school. Although he didn't finish it, he studied longer than him.

He just graduated from elementary school and dropped out of school in the first grade of junior high school.

He hummed and waved his hand.

"Go, go, go...who cares about your meat tickets?"

He turned around and pedaled towards the central courtyard.

Seeing this, Xu Qing turned around and walked to the door of the house, quickly shrank in and didn't bother to talk to Xu Damao.

Although his parents are gone, Xu Qingke is never afraid of anyone!

After running outside, my body was already cold. Especially when I was chatting with my old classmate Ma Jiefang for a while at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, my feet were even numb from the cold.

At this time, the three little ones who were still reading comic books on the kang in the room looked up and saw the elder brother coming back after buying meat.

All of a sudden, they all jumped off the kang.

Although comic books are very attractive to them, they are not as popular as meat.

Besides, the three little guys haven’t eaten for more than half a month, so they are already hungry.

It's just that the current situation at home is that the little ones are not very old, but they are very sensible.

Even if I saw other people eating meat in the courtyard on weekdays, I would only look at them from afar and never take the initiative to respond.

At this moment, the three little ones burst into cheers.

One by one, they raised their hands to help the elder brother carry the meat into the kitchen.

Xu Qing handed the two pieces of meat to the little girl Xu Xiaoya and the third brother Xu Fengming respectively.

Then he patted his second brother Xu Aiguo on the shoulder and said:

"Let's go with my eldest brother to get radishes from the next room."

Xu Qing's family has two rooms, one large and one small.

It turns out that Xu Qing has moved to a small house alone since he entered high school.

But now that his parents are gone, he has moved back to the big house so that he can take care of his younger siblings more conveniently.

Secondly, a fire must be lit in the hut in winter, otherwise you will catch a cold sooner or later while sleeping on the cool bed.

Now that the hut is idle, Xu Qing puts some sundries and vegetables in the hut.

Xu Aiguo smiled and said:

"Brother, I can go there alone, don't go."

After that, Xu Aiguo put on his cotton shoes, took the key, opened the door, and walked towards the cabin next door.

There was no fire in the hut all winter, and it was cold and gloomy.

Within a minute, Xu Aiguo ran back shivering with three white radishes in his arms.

"Brother, I brought the radish. Should we make dumplings or steamed buns today?" Xu Aiguo placed the radish on the edge of the kang and quickly stretched his hands to the stove to warm himself.

Xu Qing originally wanted to make dumplings, but he heard Xu Aiguo ask this.

Then he said to the three little ones:

"Do you want to eat steamed buns or dumplings?"

Xu Fengming bared his teeth and said with a smile:

"Brother, I want to eat them all."

Xu Xiaoya’s little head was also nodding.

Xu Aiguo didn't say anything or nodded, but he was the one who asked just now, and he obviously wanted to eat both of them.

Seeing that the three little ones had the same opinion, Xu Qing said:

"Then make dumplings first, then make buns."

One pound of meat is obviously not enough to make dumplings and steamed buns.

Xu Qing also had to eat in two meals, which was not enough.

So Ta Qing just asked Xu Aiguo to go to the hut and get three radishes.

The purpose is to mix it with meat.

After all, if anyone only makes dumplings with meat in their house these days, there won’t be one in the entire courtyard.

In other words, the dumplings in restaurants outside are pure meat. As for every household, buying meat only saves a few meals.

If someone eats dumplings or steamed buns with only meat, they are either a stick or a loser.

Meat is so scarce these days, no one dares to make it. It’s not that I don’t like to eat it, but I can’t afford it, and I can’t buy too much.

Chop the stuffing, knead the dough, and roll out the dough.

Xu Qing was busy working non-stop, and the three little ones were constantly helping him.

Although the little guy is not very good at making dumplings and his dumplings are strangely shaped, Xu Qing thinks they are quite cute.

After working hard all afternoon, the four of us were feeling hungry.

Fortunately, I made more than fifty dumplings and eight steamed buns.

The water in the iron pot on the stove also boiled.

Xu Qing divided the dumplings into two parts and put them into the pot.

Ask Xu Aiguo to stuff two briquettes into the stove. Ask Xu Fengming to help pound the garlic.

The little girl Xu Xiaoya was holding a small enamel bowl and surrounding the stove, her little eyes full of expectation.

Xu Qing prepared the dipping sauce and vinegar. At this moment, the first pot of dumplings was also cooked.

As soon as the lid of the pot was lifted, a puff of white hot air rushed directly to the top of the kitchen. When it encountered an obstacle, it swirled out along the window.

Xu Qing took a colander and filled a bowl for each of the three little ones, and asked them to take it to the front room to eat.
Chapter completed!