"Uncle Wei is here?" Ding Sha was happy to see him. She had a lot of things she wanted to do.
Uncle Wei stood up and said, "Hey, here I am. My little brother asked me to make a crib for him. I have a problem, so I came to ask you guys."
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Ding Sha asked hurriedly.
"It's nothing. I just got a batch of good materials recently. They are all good woods, including cherry wood. It has good stability and beautiful patterns, but it's a bit expensive. I came to ask if you want it?" Uncle Wei gestured.
His old friend brought back a batch of wood from a foreign market, saying it was some good C9 grade wood. He didn't know what grade it was, but he knew that the wood was dense and solid, no matter how it looked, felt or sounded, and it was a good piece of wood.
Xiao Jun nodded, "We want it, Uncle Wei, you can do it."
Ding Sha also nodded, "Don't use too many patterns, just keep it simple and elegant, I'm afraid it will hurt the baby."
Uncle Wei rubbed his hands happily and put away his pipe. "I feel relieved when you said that. Don't worry, I will definitely use good materials. When it's done, I will bring it to you. I guarantee you will be satisfied."
Uncle Wei couldn't wait to leave.
After Xiao Jun sent Ding Sha back to the house, he went out to find a parking space. He wanted to finish everything quickly, otherwise it would be too bad if it was not ready when he needed it.
After two or three days, the parking space was rented, photos were taken, and all the procedures were completed.
Ding Sha took Tong's wife to the vegetable market, bought a lot of things and wanted to have hotpot.
When Xiao Jun was not at home, Ding Sha verbally instructed Aunt Zhuang to fry the base ingredients.
First, use a small pot to stew a pot of beef bone and chicken soup, which simmers slowly and fills the air with fragrance.
Then I asked Aunt Zhuang to prepare some dried chilies, boil them in water and chop them into pieces, cut the green onions into sections, and a large plate of green onions, coriander and onions. Then I packed some bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and other spices, soaked them in white wine and crushed them.
Light the fire and put half a pot of butter in. When the oil is hot, put the onion and coriander in and fry them until fragrant, then take them out. Then pour the chili segments, bean paste, some secret chili sauce and spices into the pot. After stirring it for a while, pour in a can of beer and a few rock sugars.
Finally, throw in a handful of green and red peppercorns.
After waiting for it to cool down for a while, a pot of spicy and fragrant butter base is ready.
After working in the kitchen, my face was covered in grease and even my body was soaked with the smell of the spicy hot pot.
Mrs. Tong was washing the ingredients while urging Ding Sha to go back and change his clothes.
When Ding Sha came out after changing clothes, she saw Xiao Jun coming back with a paper bag in his hand.
He sniffed it and said, "It smells good. Do you want to have hot pot tonight?"
"Yeah, let's eat hotpot." Ding Sha went up to him with a smile.
Xiao Jun pulled her to sit down and handed her the paper bag.
"A gift for you."
"Gift?" Ding Sha asked, unable to help but raise the corners of his mouth.
"Open it and take a look?" Xiao Jun looked at her expectantly.
Ding Sha opened the red paper bag and took out a red box. When he opened it, he saw a green and transparent jade bracelet.
Xiao Jun put it on her.
The bracelet looks particularly beautiful on the slender, white and tender wrist.
"It looks good." Xiao Jun indeed thought it looked good.
Ding Sha's wrist was empty, which always made him feel uncomfortable. Now he finally felt relieved.
He thought that the peace locket pendant he had just seen was also suitable and he would buy it for Shasha next time.
"It's time to eat," Mrs. Tong came out with a steamboat, "Is Xiao Xiao back?"
Xiao Jun helped put the induction cooker on, "Yeah, I just got home."
"Go wash your hands quickly and eat. We have prepared a lot of dishes today..." Mrs. Tong went back to the kitchen while nagging.
Ding Sha also stood up, "Let's go, let's go! I'm dying of hunger!"
The four of them set up a table full of dishes, including yellow throat, tripe, fatty beef, and spicy beef, and put them on plate after plate. They were not worried about not being able to finish the food. Xiao Jun's appetite had grown again, and no matter how much was cooked in a meal, he could finish it without batting an eyelid.
"Ajun, have you grown taller?" Ding Sha looked up at Xiao Jun's thin and resolute chin.
Xiao Jun looked down at her and said, "I don't know. I haven't paid attention to it recently."
"I think you've grown taller. When you first came back, I could still see your chin, but now I can only look up to see it." Ding Sha thought for a while.
"The food is ready. You're still at the age of growing up, so you must grow taller." Mrs. Tong threw the spicy beef and thousand-layer tripe into the spicy pot.
"Why haven't you gained weight?" Ding Sha looked at Xiao Jun's face and thin body with some concern. "Did you have worms?"
"Hahaha, no, you will naturally get fat once you grow taller." Aunt Zhuang said with a smile.
Ding Sha touched the tip of his nose and lowered his head to eat.
"I'm still a little fatter," Xiao Jun whispered, "I only weighed 110 pounds before, but now I weigh 130 pounds."
Ding Sha glanced at him and said, "Be a little fatter."
I'm not unhappy just because I see myself getting fat!
"By the way, the New Year is coming soon. Sister-in-law, are you and Brother Dazhuang going home to celebrate the New Year or are you going to spend it here?" Ding Sha suddenly saw the calendar hanging on the side.
"We promised the child that we would buy him new clothes for the New Year," Tong's wife said apologetically, "so we can't spend the New Year with you."
"What's the big deal?" Ding Sha smiled at her. "You should go home for the New Year."
"Xiao Le is about to have winter vacation, so I will let the two brothers live here for the New Year. I won't have any expectations of their mother anymore." Ding Sha said again.
"I'll do whatever you say." Xiao Jun cooked a lot of vegetables and meat for Ding Sha and put them on the plate in front of her.
Si Le will have winter vacation soon.
He consciously came to the shop carrying his schoolbag and small stones.
When he got home and saw that his mother had gone out to drink again, Si Le cleaned up the dirty and messy room with an expressionless face, and went to the store with the silly little Shitou who was sleeping beside him.
Little Shitou eats in the shop every day and has become white, plump, round and cute. He is so adorable when he sits aside and stares at people with his big watery eyes.
Si Le has also grown taller and stronger. He even feels that every day is no longer filled with fatigue. He feels happy every day.
I received a package when I woke up in the morning. When I opened it, it turned out to be a magazine.
"Ajun! Editor Hu sent the magazine!" Ding Sha shouted happily.
Xiao Jun came out from the kitchen. "Are you here?"
"Yeah!" Ding Sha couldn't wait to watch it with him.
The interview about the small shop actually starts with a few photos of food, a few photos of the shop's displays, and the rest is a long text.
Includes interview content and home cooking recipes prepared by Editor Hu.
Ding Sha watched with great interest.
The interview ended with:
“I don’t know what others think, but I think this is not only a delicious shop, but also a warm shop.
The boss and his wife are very loving, the food is delicious, and life is very happy.
I love this world.”
Ding Sha couldn't help but write down this sentence in his notebook.
Editor Hu also attached a handwritten letter, written in neat and elegant handwriting with a fountain pen.
Very ceremonial.
As humble and elegant as he is.
"Mr. and Mrs. Xiao,
The end of the year is approaching and I have been very busy recently. The magazine has been published and I have received many calls and letters asking for the address of my shop, which shows that my shop is very popular.
I would like to come back on New Year's Eve to film and interview the New Year's Eve dinner. Is that possible
—Hu Zhilin.
Ding Sha gave the letter to Xiao Jun.
Xiao Jun was a little embarrassed, "Shasha, your due date is at the end of the year, I'm afraid..."
Ding Sha touched his belly and said, "Let's go back then."
No matter how big the world is, in her eyes, it is not as big as the baby in her belly.
Author's side note: First update of today!
Seriously I could eat hotpot five days a week...