"Oh, oh, I have been here before," the middle-aged man finally smiled a little on his worried face, "My father came here once and said that the noodles with soybean paste were very delicious and the old man praised them highly."
"He said he would bring us all here to eat next time."
Ding Sha laughed when he heard this, "I was saying that when the old man passed away, he also kept saying that he wanted to eat these things."
"But you and your father look so much alike. I felt your face was familiar to me the moment I saw it."
The middle-aged man nodded. "Indeed, my mother said that my father and I are cut from the same cloth, especially our faces, which are both square."
He also introduced the frail old lady beside him to Ding Sha, "This is my mother."
Ding Sha quickly moved two stools and said, "Please sit down first. I'll ask the kitchen staff to prepare the food."
Xiao Jun was packing up some pots that were not being used at the moment. When he saw Ding Sha coming in, he asked, "Is someone coming?"
"Well, the old man's family, it's still the same three dishes, you prepare them and pack them up and bring them out." Ding Sha wiped his sweat, "Take a break and clean up later, there's no rush."
Xiao Jun hummed, stood up, and drank a large glass of water. "I'll listen to you."
The old lady was looking at the furnishings in the room. "Your place is well decorated. It's not like other restaurants that are dirty and dark. I don't feel like eating there."
The middle-aged man hurriedly whispered, "Mom!"
The old lady smiled at her apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, I just think this is good."
Ding Sha shook his head, "Thank you for the compliment."
"Where's the old man? Why didn't he come with us today?"
The middle-aged man was a little sad, but the old lady smiled and said, "He can't come."
Ding Sha looked at her with some confusion.
The middle-aged man took over the conversation, "My father is old, and he got sick and didn't survive. He just finished his funeral two days ago."
Ding Sha was stunned for a moment, somewhat unable to believe it.
She still remembers the old man dancing with joy when he ate noodles with soybean paste. He was so lively and cute, and yet he was gone just like that.
"Ah... My condolences..."
"It's okay. We are both in our seventies and eighties. We have lived for so many years and experienced so many things. It's enough," the old lady said generously. "Everyone has to die. If we live forever, won't we become old witches?"
"I just feel a little sorry."
"What regret?" Ding Sha asked.
"I'm from the south, and the old man is from the north. We've never eaten together in our lives. He eats his noodles with gravy, and I eat my wontons. We came here noisily. Don't you think it's magical?"
The old lady recalled with a smile on her face, "He always said that I was unwilling to accept new tastes, but he still made wontons for me every day. He kept saying this and that, but he still cooked southern dishes for me all his life."
"My mother was a daughter of a landlord when she was young, and my father was a kitchen helper," the middle-aged man explained skillfully, obviously having heard this many times before. "My father has been the one cooking at home all my life, and he can make several different dishes for every meal."
Ding Sha thought about the scene and indeed felt like laughing.
"It's time now, and I haven't had much of the Beijing food he talked about all his life," the old lady said with some regret. "I remember he was very happy when he went home that day, humming a little tune he hadn't hummed for a long time, and his steps were brisk. He said he had eaten some delicious noodles with soybean sauce, and he wanted to take me to eat with him."
"What a pity..." The old lady touched the bracelet on her wrist, feeling nostalgic, "I haven't had it yet..."
The middle-aged man also sighed.
The atmosphere was somewhat frozen, and an unknown sadness enveloped everyone.
Life is beautiful and fragile. People are gone, but the feelings are still alive.
Xiao Jun brought out a package of crispy pork slices and said, "I'll give you one first."
He put it on the table and looked at Ding Sha, "What's wrong?"
"It's okay," Ding Sha looked up at him and couldn't help pouting and acting coquettishly.
Xiao Jun reached out and pinched her cheek, "Be good."
He turned back to the kitchen and brought out a glass of freshly squeezed juice, "Remember to drink it."
The old lady looked at Ding Sha with loving eyes, "The young couple has a great relationship. Did they just get married?"
"The baby is only two months old." Ding Sha pointed to the back, "He is sleeping in the room."
The old lady listened to it with even more kindness, and finally sighed, "It's so good..."
Xiao Jun steamed the rice noodles with meat and began to prepare the dream-fulfilling sesame cakes.
Dream-Fulfilling Shaobing is a relatively authentic Beijing dish. According to legend, Empress Dowager Cixi once dreamed of eating sesame seed cake with minced meat. When she woke up, she found that this dish had really been served, so she named it Dream-Fulfilling Shaobing.
Mix the all-purpose flour, sugar and yeast into a hard dough, pinch out some small pieces, add oil and mix them, set aside, then pinch out normal-sized pieces.
After the dough is pressed open, put the small dough dipped in oil into it and wrap it up. Dip it in some sugar water and plenty of white sesame seeds. Press it slightly to make a thick small pancake, only half the size of your palm, and set it aside to rise.
After it has doubled in size, put it in the oven and bake for fifteen minutes. The fragrant and soft pancakes are ready.
Heat a pan with plenty of oil, add the minced meat, and stir-fry until it turns white and crispy. Then throw the diced water chestnuts and minced ginger into the pan. Season with cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, sugar and pepper. Stir-fry for a few times and it is ready to serve.
Finally, the rice noodles and meat on the other side of the pot can be taken out of the pot.
Xiao Jun packed up the two dishes and brought them out. The old lady was staring at the crispy pork slices in a trance.
She might be thinking about the old man who would dance with joy when he eats something delicious.
The middle-aged man paid the money and helped his trembling old mother back home.
Xiao Jun looked at them at the door for a long time, and suddenly said, "We must die together, and no one will leave anyone behind."
"Pah, pah, pah, the New Year isn't over yet!" Ding Sha reached out to hit him, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Xiao Jun was very serious, "I'm serious."
"We must die together. I don't want to leave you alone in this world, nor do I want to stay here alone."
Ding Sha felt touched again. She stood on tiptoe and touched Xiao Jun's head. "Okay, I'll try my best."
"There's a saying that goes 'sharing the same bed in life and the same grave in death,'" Xiao Jun held her waist, which had become much thinner, "I will only be with you in this life, sharing the same bed in life and the same grave in death."
Ding Sha smiled and stretched out his little finger, "Let's make a pinky promise."
Xiao Jun made a pinky promise with her, "It's a deal."
Ding Sha always felt like she had forgotten something. She scratched her head and said, "They say pregnancy makes women stupid for three years. I am becoming more and more forgetful..."
Xiao Jun raised his brows and watched her thinking hard.
Ding Sha slapped his forehead, "Xiao Ping An! I forgot about Xiao Ping An!"
She ran in like a whirlwind. Xiao Ping'an had already woken up. He was holding back tears and looking at the door, wondering whether he wanted to cry or not.
Ding Sha quickly picked him up and coaxed him, "Good baby... Mommy will sing a song for you..."
Xiao Ping'an finally held back her tears and started to speak in a language that Ding Sha couldn't understand.
Fortunately, Xiao Ping'an is easy to coax. Even if his mother forgets about him for a short while, he still looks at Ding Sha with a warm smile.
Xiao Jun started packing the things he wanted to take away.
After a while, the middle-aged man came back.
"Hello, what's the matter?" Xiao Jun was a little confused.
"It's about my father." The middle-aged man took out a carefully wrapped book and said, "I want to give this recipe to you."
Author's side note: It's still the same ~ The second update will be later ~
(It rained today, I am a little unhappy...)