Chapter 37: Grandma, Love Me One More Time!

“Zhou Yan, not opening up today?”

“Haven't seen you in a long time. I heard your restaurant business is doing very well.”

“Bringing so many things to see your grandmother, how filial of you.”

Along the way, the villagers greeted Zhou Yan. He replied to those he recognized and gave a simple acknowledgment to those he didn't.

Soon, an old house came into view. Brown moss stains were scattered across the rammed-earth walls, and foxtail grass swayed atop the blue-tiled roof. A persimmon tree stood by the doorway, laden with golden fruit.

A lounge chair sat under the tree, where a white-haired old lady leaned back. Wearing a navy blue diagonal-collar cloth shirt, she was smiling warmly at a thin young man squatting nearby, holding an enamel basin in his hands.

The young man was hunched, his clothes tattered, and his hair so messy and dirty it was matted. He finished every last bit of the sweet potato porridge in the basin before setting it and the spoon down. He gave the old lady a silly grin, stood up, and left.

As Zhou Yan rode his bike past, the man even flashed him a smile.

Zhou Yan remembered him—Mr. Shu from Zhou Village.

“Grandma!” Zhou Momo called out, her voice soft and sweet.

The old lady turned around, stood up with a smile, and responded, “Ah, Momo and Zhou Yan are here.”

The old lady's name was Zhang Shufen. She was seventy-five this year, but her constitution was robust; her back was straight, and her silver-white short hair was neatly combed behind her ears. She had quite a full head of hair, more than many college students.

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

Zhou Yan parked the bike at the entrance and first lifted Zhou Momo off to the ground.

“Grandma!” Zhou Momo lunged straight at the old lady, hugging her legs.

“Good girl.” The old lady reached out to pat her head and smiled. “You’ve grown a bit taller again.”

“Grandma.” Zhou Yan took the items hanging from the bike handles and asked casually, “Was that Zhou Qi just now?”

“That reckless boy, still as dim-witted as ever. His head is like a dull stone; he’ll chase an ant for three miles just because it's moving house.” The old lady nodded with a smile. “He looked like he hadn't eaten, so I scooped him some of the leftover sweet potato porridge from the pot.”

“Grandma, what happened to him?” Zhou Momo asked curiously.

“He took the wrong medicine during a fever when he was two, and he turned into a simpleton. When his father died when he was four, his mother couldn't survive raising a boy like that and ran away. He’s been scavenging for food all over the village and town like a beggar.” The old lady shook her head, a look of pity crossing her face as she sighed, “A poor soul, truly.”

“Then... next time I'll give him a piece of candy,” Zhou Momo said, not yet fully understanding the concept of suffering.

“That’ll do.” The old lady smiled again, looking at the fish and ribs Zhou Yan was carrying. “Why bring so much stuff? Don't I have enough here for you two little ones to eat?”

“I got you two catties of wine. I just learned how to make garlic-braised crucian carp, so I'm here to show off my skills today. I guarantee you'll love it,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“These past two days, all the gossips in the village have been saying my grandson has struck it rich. Looking at this setup today, it really does look like it.” The old lady spoke with a humorous tone, bending down to pick up the enamel basin from the ground. “Come, let's go inside and sit.”

Zhou Yan carried the things inside. The main hall was kept very clean, and the square table and benches were polished bright.

A black-and-white photograph hung on a side wall—a middle-aged man in an old military uniform. On a small table beneath the photo sat a slender-necked wine bottle with a single wild chrysanthemum tucked into it.

“Hello, Grandpa.” Zhou Momo walked over, placed a piece of candy on the table, and greeted him warmly, “Grandpa, eat a White Rabbit candy.”

“He doesn't like sweets. I'll eat it for him.” The old lady picked up the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth, smiling. “Mmm, this White Rabbit is still sweet.”

“Then next time I'll bring Grandpa some Cola,” Zhou Momo said, looking at the old lady. “Cola is so delicious.”

“What is 'Cola'?” The old lady looked at Zhou Yan.

“A drink invented by the foreigners,” Zhou Yan explained with a smile.

“Your grandfather crossed the Yalu River to fight those foreigners back in the day. He even wrote to me saying their chocolate was delicious and that he wanted to bring a box back for me.” The old lady said with a beaming smile, “If you give him that foreign Cola, he'll surely be happy too.”

Zhou Yan smiled but didn't respond, looking instead at the man in the photo whose expression was serious yet held a hint of restraint.

This was his grandfather, Zhou Yi, a soldier of the Sichuan Army during the War of Resistance, who later volunteered for the Korean War and never returned.

The old lady had raised her five sons alone. The youngest, the fifth uncle, was born the year the grandfather died; the old lady named him Zhou Weiguo.

The old lady opened a cabinet and pulled out a pile of snacks, spreading them on the table. “Come, you two little ones, eat. Take whatever you want.”

The fruit plate contained melon seeds, candies, dried longans, and various loose-packed biscuits.

She also brewed tea for them.

Zhou Momo had already climbed onto a stool of her own accord, sitting by the table and munching on small biscuits.

“Where is Little Uncle? I didn't see him.” Zhou Yan placed the two crucian carps in a wooden bucket in the kitchen to keep them fresh, then came out to ask the old lady.

“He went to hoe the weeds early this morning. He'll be back for lunch. Don't mind him,” the old lady replied casually while peeling melon seeds for Zhou Momo.

“Okay.” Zhou Yan pulled out a stool and sat down, reaching into a bag to pull out two oranges and handing them to the old lady. “New red oranges, very sweet.”

“I can't eat that many. Pack half of them to take back later. Your uncle doesn't eat any fruit at all,” the old lady said, looking at the bag of oranges.

“Alright.”

“How is your restaurant business?” the old lady asked softly again.

“It's alright,” Zhou Yan said with a smile. “Selling noodles and soup pots, I can make about a hundred yuan a day.”

“A hundred yuan a day is 'alright'?” The old lady chuckled. “Are you just testing the waters?”

“Then just pretend your grandson is about to strike it rich and take care of you in the future,” Zhou Yan said, peeling an orange for Zhou Momo.

The old lady said leisurely, “My life is already very good. I have dried meat every day, I have wine to drink, and I go play a little cards in the afternoon. I don't worry about food or clothes; my life is like an immortal's. As long as I eat well while I'm alive, who cares if I smell or not after I'm gone?”

“Great mindset,” Zhou Yan praised sincerely.

“Since your shop is doing well, don't go around telling everyone how much money you make.” The old lady looked at him and gave him earnest advice, “Keep it to yourself, like a mute eating a tangyuan—just know in your own heart. Don't invite people to covet what you have.”

“Mhm, I've got it,” Zhou Yan nodded, feeling a warmth in his heart.

So this was what it felt like to have an elderly person in the house who was sensible and loving.

It felt a little bit like happiness.

Zhou Yan kept the old lady company. She was very talkative; when she spoke of her youth, her eyes sparkled and her face wore a smile.

Especially when she mentioned his grandfather, her smile became even more radiant, and her voice was filled with pride: “Your grandfather was in the Sichuan Army. He went out to fight the Japanese in '38. He came back to recover from injuries for a year, then rejoined the fight. His body was covered in scars, but he said they were medals.

Later, after the war ended, the family was allocated land. He wanted to come back and farm, but the foreigners were fighting at the Yalu River again. There were orders from above—he was a company commander, after all. He packed his things overnight to rejoin the fight against the foreigners. He even wrote a letter to me from over there, but it wasn't mailed; it was sent back with his belongings.

He said he wasn't a coward. He fought seven or eight foreigners and didn't bring shame to me or the children...”

The old lady's tone was slow, like a gentle flowing stream.

Zhou Yan listened quietly.

Zhou Momo, meanwhile, was buried in her snacks, oblivious to the world.

Only after the old lady finished did Zhou Yan go to the kitchen to braise the ribs. The ribs had to be braised until they were tender to be delicious; the heat couldn't be lacking.

“Zhou Qing brought some beef intestines, beef tongue, and a pound of beef shank this morning. I braised them all in the pot this morning; we can slice two plates for lunch. Don't make too much food; the three of us plus a baby can't eat that much.”

The old lady lifted the lid of a nearby pot, and the aroma of braised spices immediately wafted out. Inside the pot was a bright red braising liquid, with a corner of beef shank peeking out and braised beef intestines floating on the surface.

“Smells so good!”

Even Zhou Yan couldn't help but swallow hard. This pot of old braising liquid had been maintained by the old lady for over ten years. During holidays and festivals, she would braise beef offal, tongue, shank, chicken feet, duck heads, and rabbit heads. Everything she braised was fragrant.

As soon as the braised dishes hit the table, they were devoured.

The old lady cherished this pot of old braising liquid dearly; even her most beloved great-grandson wasn't allowed to touch it.

The year before last, Fanwa accidentally knocked the pot over, spilling a third of the liquid. He was whipped so mercilessly by his father and grandfather with thin bamboo strips that it was quite a sight; in the end, it was the old lady who had to step in to settle the matter.

Later, Zhou Yan realized that his eldest uncle and Brother Fei had struck first only because they were afraid of being whipped by the old lady themselves.

Everyone in the family knew this braising liquid was a treasure, but no one dared to eye it.

【Ding! Detected one pot of high-quality old braising liquid. Triggering side quest: Collect this braising liquid to obtain the Initial Old Braising Liquid and begin your journey of braised cuisine! Quest Reward: Encyclopedia of Braised Dishes. Accept: Yes/No】

Zhou Yan's eyelid twitched.

This system was truly a dog!

But selling braised dishes was a good business.

It could be served as a dish in the restaurant, and customers could also buy it to take home.

Once braised, one just needed to assign someone to slice and weigh it; it wouldn't take up much space in the kitchen.

Fortune favors the bold. Let's go for it!

“Grandma, the flavor of this old braising liquid is truly incredible. Can I take it back to my shop to use?” Zhou Yan asked cautiously.

“Get out!”

“Magic Cloak!”

“You dare even think about my old braising liquid? Don't force me to slap you!”

The kind old lady vanished.

The first generation Sichuan-Chongqing Tyrannosaurus cast a shadow.

Zhou Yan: “...”

“Grandma, love me one more time...”