Chapter 43: Chapter 37: Grandma, Love Me One More Time

"Zhou Yan, not opening up today?"

"Haven’t seen you in a while. Heard your restaurant is doing great."

"Bringing so much to see your grandma, huh? Such a good grandson."

Villagers greeted Zhou Yan along the way. He’d exchange a few words with those he recognized and just offer a nod to those he couldn’t recall.

Soon, an old house came into view. Its rammed-earth walls were covered in brown moss stains, and foxtail grass swayed on the gray-tiled roof. A persimmon tree stood by the door, laden with golden fruit.

A reclining chair was placed under the tree, where a white-haired old woman sat partially reclined. Dressed in a navy blue, diagonally-fastened tunic, she was smiling warmly at a scrawny young man squatting beside her, holding an enamel basin.

The young man was hunched over, his clothes tattered and torn. His messy hair was so dirty it was matted. He polished off the sweet potato congee in the basin before setting down the bowl and spoon. He gave the old woman a goofy grin, then got up and left.

As Zhou Yan rode over on his bike, the man smiled at him as they passed.

Zhou Yan recognized him. It was Mr. Tree from Zhou Village. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Grandma!" Zhou Momo called out, her voice soft.

The old woman turned around, rising with a smile. "Ah, Momo and Zhou Yan are here."

The old woman’s name was Zhang Shufen. She was seventy-five this year, but her body was still strong and sturdy. Her posture was ramrod straight, and her short, silver-white hair was combed neatly and tucked behind her ears. She still had a full head of hair, more than many college students.

Her clothes had a few patches but were washed clean, and her smile was gentle.

Zhou Yan parked the bike by the entrance and lifted Zhou Momo off, setting her on the ground.

"Grandma!" Zhou Momo ran straight to the old woman and hugged her leg.

"Good girl." The old woman reached out and patted her head, smiling. "You’ve grown a little taller again."

"Grandma," Zhou Yan said as he took the things hanging from the handlebars. He asked casually, "Was that Zhou Qi just now?"

"That’s him, that reckless boy. Still as foolish as ever, with his head in the clouds. He’d chase an ant colony for a mile just to see where they were going." The old woman nodded with a smile. "He looked like he hadn’t eaten, so I gave him the leftover sweet potato congee from the pot."

"Grandma, what’s wrong with him?" Zhou Momo asked curiously.

"He had a fever when he was two and took the wrong medicine, and it addled his brain. His father died when he was four, and his mother couldn’t manage with a simple-minded child, so she ran off. He’s been scrounging for food in the village and town ever since, living like a beggar." The old woman shook her head, a look of pity on her face, and sighed. "He’s a poor, unfortunate child."

"Then... I’ll give him one of my Tangtang candies next time." Zhou Momo didn’t quite understand hardship yet.

"Alright." The smile returned to the old woman’s face. She looked at the fish and pork ribs in Zhou Yan’s hands. "What’d you bring all this for? You think I don’t have anything here to feed you two little ones?"

"I got you two jin of liquor. I just learned how to make Huo Xiang Carp, so I came to show off my skills for you today. I guarantee you’ll love it," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"The village gossips have been saying my grandson struck it rich these past couple of days. Seeing you show up like this, it really does look like it." The old woman’s tone was playful as she bent down to pick up the enamel basin from the ground. "Come on, let’s go inside and sit."

Zhou Yan carried the items inside. The main hall was neat and clean, the square table and stools polished to a shine.

A black-and-white photograph hung on one of the walls, showing a middle-aged man in an old military uniform. On the small table below the photo sat a slender-necked wine bottle holding a single wildflower.

"Hi, Grandpa." Zhou Momo walked over, took out a candy, and placed it on the table. "Have a big bunny candy, Grandpa," she said warmly.

"He doesn’t like sweets, so I’ll help him eat it." The old woman casually picked up the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. She smiled. "Mmm, this Dabai Rabbit candy is nice and sweet."

"Then I’ll bring Grandpa some ’kuoluo’ next time," Zhou Momo said, looking at her grandmother. "’Kuoluo’ is super yummy."

"’Kuoluo’? What’s that?" The old woman looked at Zhou Yan.

"It’s a drink invented by the foreign devils," Zhou Yan explained with a smile.

"Your grandpa crossed the Yalu River back in the day to fight those same foreign devils. He even wrote me a letter saying their chocolate was delicious and that he’d bring a box back for me." The old woman beamed. "If you give him some of the foreign devils’ ’kuoluo’ to drink, I’m sure he’d be happy too."

Zhou Yan smiled but didn’t reply, his gaze fixed on the man on the wall, whose stern expression held a hint of awkwardness.

This was his grandfather, Zhou Yi. He was part of the Sichuan Army during the War of Resistance Against Japan and later volunteered for the Korean War. He never came back.

His father and his four brothers were all raised by the old woman alone. The youngest, his fifth uncle, was born the year his grandfather died in battle. The old woman had named him Zhou Weiguo.

The old woman opened a cabinet, pulled out a pile of snacks, and set them on the table. "Here, you two little ones, eat up. Take whatever you want."

The fruit plate was filled with melon seeds, candies, dried longans, and an assortment of loose cookies. There was quite a variety.

She also brewed them some tea.

Zhou Momo had already climbed onto a stool on her own and was sitting at the table, nibbling on a small cookie.

"Where’s little uncle? I don’t see him." Zhou Yan placed the two carp in a wooden bucket in the kitchen to keep them alive, then came out and asked his grandmother.

"He went out to weed the fields first thing this morning. He’ll be back for lunch, don’t you worry about him." The old woman was shelling melon seeds for Zhou Momo as she replied casually.

"Okay." Zhou Yan pulled out a stool and sat down as well. He took two tangerines from the bag and handed them to his grandmother. "These are the new red tangerines. Very sweet."

"I can’t eat that many. Pack up half to take back with you later. Your little uncle doesn’t eat any fruit," the old woman said, eyeing the bag of tangerines.

"Okay."

"How’s business at your restaurant?" the old woman asked in a gentle voice.

"It’s alright," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "We sell noodles and hot pots. I can make about a hundred yuan a day."

"Making a hundred yuan a day, and you call that ’alright’?" The old woman chuckled. "Don’t be so modest."

"Then just assume your grandson is about to get rich and will give you a good life in the future." Zhou Yan peeled a tangerine for Zhou Momo.

The old woman said leisurely, "My life is plenty good right now. I have dried meat every day, wine to drink, and I go play a little mahjong in the afternoon. I have no worries about food or clothing; my days are better than a god’s. As long as you get fat while you’re alive, who cares if you stink or smell sweet when you’re dead."

"That’s a great attitude," Zhou Yan praised sincerely.

"Your restaurant is doing well and making a lot of money. Don’t go telling everyone." The old woman looked at him and warned him carefully, "Be like a mute eating dumplings—keep it to yourself. That way you won’t attract unwanted attention."

"Mm, I’ll remember that." Zhou Yan nodded, a warm feeling spreading in his heart.

’So this is what it feels like to have a wise and loving elder in the family.’

’It’s a kind of happiness.’

Zhou Yan chatted with his grandmother. She was very talkative, and when she spoke of her youth, her eyes shone and her face was wreathed in smiles.

Especially when she mentioned his grandfather, her smile grew even more brilliant, and her tone was filled with pride: "Your grandfather was in the Sichuan Army. He left Sichuan in ’38 to fight the Japanese. He came back to recover from an injury for a year, then returned to his unit to keep fighting. His body was covered in scars, but he said they were his medals.

Later, after the war with the devils was over, the family was given land. He wanted to come home and farm, but then the foreign devils started a war at the Yalu River. The orders came down from above. He was a company commander, you know. He packed his things overnight, returned to his unit to fight the foreign devils, and even wrote me a letter from over there. It was never mailed, though. It came back with his belongings.

He said he wasn’t a coward, that he’d killed seven or eight of the foreign devils, and that he hadn’t brought shame on me or the children..."

The old woman’s voice was slow, like a gently flowing stream.

Zhou Yan listened quietly.

Zhou Momo, however, was engrossed in her snacks, oblivious to the world around her.

When the old woman finished her story, Zhou Yan went to the kitchen to braise the pork ribs. The ribs had to be cooked until they were fall-off-the-bone tender; the Fire Control couldn’t be lacking.

"Zhou Qing brought over some beef intestines, beef tongue, and a jin of beef shank this morning. I already braised them and left them to soak in the pot. We can slice up a couple of plates for lunch. Don’t make too many other dishes. With the three of us plus a baby, we can’t eat that much."

The old woman lifted the lid off a nearby pot, and the rich aroma of braised meat immediately wafted out. Inside the pot was a glistening, reddish-brown brine, with a corner of beef shank peeking out and braised beef intestines floating on the surface.

"That smells amazing!"

Even Zhou Yan couldn’t help but swallow. This pot of old brine... his grandmother had been cultivating it for over a decade. During holidays and festivals, she’d use it to braise beef offal, tongue, and shank, as well as chicken feet, duck heads, and rabbit heads. Anything braised in it was delicious.

The moment the braised dishes were served, they’d be devoured completely.

The old woman treasured this pot of old brine. Not even her most beloved great-grandchild was allowed to touch it.

The year before last, Fanwa had accidentally knocked the brine pot over, spilling a third of it. The beating he got from his father and grandfather with a thin bamboo switch was brutal. In the end, it was the old woman who had to step in and smooth things over.

Zhou Yan only found out later that his eldest uncle and Fei had been afraid of getting a beating from the old woman themselves, so they had struck first to gain the upper hand.

Everyone in the family knew how precious the brine was, but no one dared to have any designs on it.

[DING! High-quality old brine detected. Triggering Side Quests: Acquire this brine to obtain the Initial Old Brine and begin your journey of braised-food cooking! Quest Reward: The Complete Compendium of Braised Dishes. Accept: Yes/No]

Zhou Yan’s eyelid twitched.

’This system is such a bastard!’

’But selling braised foods is a great business.’

’They can be served as dishes in the restaurant, and customers can also buy them to take away.’

’Once they’re braised, I just need to assign someone to slice and weigh them. It won’t take up any space in the back kitchen at all.’

’Fortune favors the bold. I’m going for it!’

"Grandma, this old brine of yours tastes absolutely incredible. Could I maybe... take it back to my shop to use?" Zhou Yan asked cautiously.

"Get lost!"

"Magic Cloak!"

"You dare to have designs on my old brine? Don’t make me smack you!"

The kind, gentle grandmother vanished.

In her place, a shadow was cast by the primordial Sichuan and Chongqing Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Zhou Yan: ༼;´༎ຶ۝༎ຶ༽

"Grandma, love me one more time..."