CH 41

Chapter 41: 饺子 {?Dumpling}

When he got home, Zhong Ziqi had nothing to do so he dragged Zhao Zheng’an to water the vegetable garden. After such a long time, the vegetables in the garden were ready to be eaten. Some of them still needed to wait a little longer before it could be eaten. The crooked fence made from wood around the garden had been fixed by him and Zhao Zheng’an.

Now, looking at the greenery in the garden, he is not without a sense of achievement. While watering the vegetables, Zhong Ziqi jokingly tells Zhao Zheng’an about the time when he first came here. He had to go to Wang Cui Hua’s garden to pick the vegetable, which also provoked a roll of eyes from him.He also said that he had never done this kind of work at home and that he was very delicate!

Zhao Zheng’an let him ramble on about the past, but gently followed with some guilty as he feel heartache for him then he replied “It’s been hard for you.”

Zhao Zheng’an knew how hard it was for him. He had been there after all, so he understood. He vowed in his heart to give his wife a good life in the future.There is a saying, ‘It is better to do than to say a lot of nice words’. So he didn’t need to say all those fancy words,he would let the facts speak for themselves.

After watering the vegetables, Zhong Ziqi sent Zhao Zheng’an away. Then he sat down in the courtyard to do the laundry. As he did so, he thought about how he still had to find time to go shopping and go back to the Zhong family. Saving them from a trip to coming up here and said that he was unfilial.Since they are playing in the name of filial piety, he will go to see them in the name of filial piety too.

In the evening, during dinner, Zhong Ziqi suddenly remembered something. He had overheard in town today that there was a miracle doctor who was particularly skillful in treating diseases so there was nothing he could not cure.But this miracle doctor was unknown where he was especially by the common people.

Zhong Ziqi wanted to look for a cure for Zhao Zheng’an’s headache, as it was not a good idea for him to be in pain all the time. But he had no idea where to look, he didn’t even have any destination. He talked to Zhao Zheng’an about it.

Zhao Zheng’an laughed without much concern: “If you can find it, go and take a look! It doesn’t matter if you can’t find it, it doesn’t affect my normal life.”

Zhong Ziqi gave him a disapproving poke. He secretly decided that he would find the doctor no matter what.

Next day, in the morning, Zhong Ziqi went to the town together with Zhao Zheng’an. Zhao Ning and Zhao Sheng were surprised to see them here together.

“Didn’t Ziqi say you weren’t well yet? Why are you here too?” Zhao Ning looked at him with curiosity. They had little contact before and only gradually got along more with him after he tied knot with Zhong Ziqi. Thus, he suddenly recovered. Whenever he and Zhao Sheng went to their house in the morning, occasionally, they would come into contact with him.

“If you guys listen to him, I’ll have to recuperate for a few more months before I can see anyone.” Zhao Zheng’an smiled helplessly, but he was still very flattered that there was somebody who worried about him other than his grandfather and grandAmu who had ever cared about him like this.

“I’m doing it for your own good too! You’re not happy?” Zhong Ziqi gave him a sidelong glance, as if ‘I would make you look good if you dare to say a word of no’.

Zhao Zheng’an immediately understood as he said to curry a favor, “I’m happy. This proves that you care about me and like me.”

Zhong Ziqi poked him in his back. “What are you talking about?”

What’s all this talk about love and affection in front of a public?

Zhao Ning watched the two of them flirting with each other with ‘black lines expression’. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t ignore us two living people, okay? It’s really not good for you guys to show your love like this.” Zhao Ning persuaded them patiently.

There were still two unmarried ones here! Can you pay attention and not irritate people?

All the way to the town, there was a lot of noise. When they went to pick up the wooden cart from Huang Amu’s house, they saw that Huang Amu’s house had an additional wooden cart. Zhong Ziqi and Zhao Zheng’an looked at each other and knew immediately that Huang Amu had figured it out. Uncle Huang is a carpenter so he work very quick,just in a day’s work, he had made the cart.

As a matter of fact, without waiting for Zhong Ziqi to ask, Huang Amu took the initiative and said that he would join him at the stall today.

“That’s good, Huang Amu will set up the stall next to me.” Zhong Ziqi said with a smile.

The pier was as busy as ever today, Zhong Ziqi’s stall was full of people. It was Zhong Ziqi who had the least to do. Usually he had to do all the work of kneading the dough and frying the doughnuts, but Zhao Zheng’an took over. At first, he was a bit rusty, but gradually he became more and more skilled. Zhong Ziqi was soon free. When he saw he had nothing else to do, he would go to help Huang Amu next door to sell congee. When people bought the chinese breadsticks, he would tell them that the fried breadsticks were the best to eat it with congee. Everyone was a hardcore fans of Zhong Ziqi’s, so when they heard him say that, they immediately bought a bowl of congee at Huang Amu’s stall and ate it with the chinese breadsticks. No need to say anymore, it was really good!

The number of people who bought the congee increased one after another.

After noon, Zhong Ziqi’s fried breadsticks sold out as usual, along together with Huang Amu’s congee. Huang Amu grinning and counting the money at the same time, he also did not forget to thank Zhong Ziqi.

Zhao Zheng’an smiled back and said, “What is there to thank about? If you want to thank us, then we have to thank you and Uncle Huang first for taking care of us all this time.”

Huang Amu sighed, “It’s okay! It’s not easy for everyone. It’s good to live a better life than anything else.”

Zhao Zheng’an and Zhong Ziqi nodded their heads in agreement.

At this time, not far from the Zhao family village,the news of Zhao Zheng’an’s recovery had already spread. Some people ‘just smile and forget it’ at the news, some others was rejoice in other people’s misfortune, some regretted it, some had their own agenda, but all were curious about Zhao Zheng’an’s attitude, because at that time, the Zhao family had gone too far and they didn’t believe that Zhao Zheng’an could still able to treat them calmly.

There was not many entertainment in the ancient times so the most interesting thing was to discuss something trivial such as the strengths and weaknesses of other people enthusiastically, it’s just as fun as watching TV.

Soon after Zhong Ziqi and Zhao Zheng’an returned home, Wang Cui Hua brought over a bowl of dumplings, which looked full, but in reality there were not many, not enough even for one person to eat.

Wang Cui Hua learned his lesson this time. He only sat down for a while before leaving, saying that he would bring them something tasty next time.

Zhong Ziqi took one of the dumplings with his hand and said, “It’s stuffed with veggies or cabbage! I thought it would have some meat in it! There’s not even much oil, tsk, tsk! Is that how you please someone? Is he pleasing you or me? Who can eat these twenty or so dumplings?”

Zhao Zheng’an pinched his tender face: “That’s not bad, my Amu has never been so generous since I was a child. We don’t eat white flour more than a few times a month. Let alone give it to other people to eat.”

“What can he save (money for) if he lives so stingy? At the end of the day, his children and husband are as malnourished as if they were.” Zhong Ziqi disagreed with this approach. In his opinion, saving anything else is better than saving food! A good body is the revolution of assets. If your body collapses, how can you make money?

“Here you go! ” Zhong Ziqi pushed the dumplings to Zhao Zheng’an as he sat on a chair, propping his chin up to watch him finish them: “His dumplings are not good. One day I will buy some meat and wrap it. It’ll be much better than his. We’ll have enough to eat too.”

“Good! Your cooking is definitely the best.” Zhao Zheng’an was used to eating Zhong Ziqi’s delicious food. When he ate Wang Cui Hua’s food again, it was like chewing wax. Their comparison in cooking was two kinds of extremes.

[tastes as if one is chewing wax (idiom) / tasteless / insipid]

Two words: taste awful.

Translator has something to say:

Lack of sleep… ??