"Come give grandma a hug!"
After washing her hands, Zhuang Auntie hurried over and gently touched Little Ping An's face.
Seeing a stranger suddenly, Little Ping An was a little scared and shrunk back into Ding Sha's arms.
Zhuang Auntie also drew her hand back, her face full of kindness, "So handsome!"
"You're back?" Ding Sha was also quite happy.
"Yeah, Da Zhuang drove us back," Zhuang Auntie smiled.
"Da Zhuang heard that you had a baby, and prepared some things that his family produced, they're all pretty safe, don't worry." Gong Sister-in-law said, tidying up the things behind her and coming over to see Little Ping An.
"He looks so healthy and sturdy!" Gong Sister-in-law hadn't seen Little Ping An for a while and said somewhat emotionally.
"Of course, eating eight meals a day, crying for food after a while, he's eaten into a little fat pig!" Ding Sha tucked Little Ping An's clothes.
"It’s good that he has a big appetite, less likely to get sick!" Zhuang Auntie thought Little Ping An looked better and better.
"Where is Brother Da Zhuang? Is he outside too?" Ding Sha looked towards the door.
"He went to park the car, parking is difficult around here. I pointed him to a place to find parking himself," Gong Sister-in-law waved her hand.
"It's just nice to have Brother Da Zhuang stay for a meal," Ding Sha stood up, "There are still a lot of ingredients in the kitchen out back."
"He was hoping to stay for a meal," Gong Sister-in-law laughed, "When he's home, he can't wait, talking every day about the dishes from our shop. As soon as he heard we were coming over, he was exceptionally eager."
Ding Sha laughed when she heard this.
Du Rourou bit her spoon somewhat enviously, “It’s so nice. Boss lady, are you recruiting part-timers? I can do it!”
Ding Sha was stunned for a moment, “But we’re moving away...”
"School hasn't started yet for us...it’s still uncertain when school starts...it’s possible school won’t open at all...” Du Rourou said, “Even if school opens, it’ll be online classes. I’m already in my third year, there aren’t many classes... "
Before Ding Sha could reply, Du Rourou went on, “Plus my grandparents live right there, so I wouldn’t have to worry at all!”
Ding Sha thought about it. She did need a part-timer; Little Ping An needed someone with him at all times, there was only Xiao Jun in the kitchen, even with Zhuang Auntie helping out, Gong Sister-in-law would be overwhelmed.
"Then let's talk about it again once we've moved," Ding Sha didn't reject or agree, "Could you give me your contact info?"
"Sure, sure!" Du Rourou quickly reported her phone number to Ding Sha.
When Xiao Jun came back, Ding Sha had already started getting Zhuang Auntie to prepare the ingredients.
Da Zhuang was just standing at the side with a silly, honest smile, teasing Little Ping An. With no reason to go out during the pandemic, Da Zhuang hadn't even bothered shaving and had grown a full beard. He made faces at Little Ping An, wriggling his brows and pulling expressions.
At first Little Ping An frowned, seemingly disgusted. Then he made little giggling sounds showing his amusement.
Having worked up a sweat, Wang Wenhao lay limply on the table panting heavily without regard for appearances. Xiao Jun frowned at him, “Haven’t you practiced flipping pans before? With strength like that can you handle woks?”
Wang Wenhao paused for a moment, somewhat guilty, “I practiced when I was little...”
Meaning he didn’t practice now.
Xiao Jun silently discarded the plans he had prepared in his heart and started over from zero.
“Wenhao, stay and eat with us,” Ding Sha said from the doorway. “It’ll be lively with more people tonight.”
Wang Wenhao blinked his eyes, “Mother-in-law, these special times call for no gatherings or shared meals, we should implement separate dining.”
Ding Sha was stunned for a moment.
Xiao Jun grabbed him by the collar and marched him outside. “It’s getting late, hurry home.”
Wang Wenhao looked up at the blazing midday sun overhead and fell silent.
Ding Sha stood smiling in the doorway. “Jun, stop teasing. Come in you two, neither of you have masks on, can’t have you arrested later.”
Xiao Jun silently dragged Wang Wenhao back inside.
Ding Sha took out a plate, “We’ve prepared separate servings on plates.”
Wang Wenhao had only meant to jest. He hadn’t expected Ding Sha to actually prepare for separate dining and immediately conceded defeat.
“Mother-in-law, you’re too amazing!”
Ding Sha rubbed her head. This was Da Zhuang’s idea, to eat separately for safety.
Lunch was prepared very lavishly.
Six adults and one baby in total.
Seven dishes and one soup.
The little one busily sucked away at his formula.
But the most popular was the Lion’s Head meatballs Ding Sha had personally cooked.
This time Ding Sha used fatty pork belly with a ratio of four fattiness to six leanness. She removed the skin then chopped the meat into filling.
Hand chopped filling would taste much better than machine processed.
She added green onion, ginger, shaoxing wine to the meat, then salt, starch, white pepper powder. She used her hands to mix it into the meat.
After mixing evenly she added more green onion, ginger, and a bit of flour to continue hitting and mixing.
Finally she beat in an egg and continued hitting until it became a sticky paste, then added flour, five spice powder, and soy sauce to adjust the taste.
At the end she diced fresh water chestnuts and lotus root to mix in.
She heated oil in a wok, added green onion, ginger and garlic to infuse the oil. Then she added some soy sauce and water, old soy sauce and spices, finally pouring in some shaoxing wine, white pepper and a little sugar.
Once the soup was boiling she turned down the heat. Using her thumb and index finger or a small spoon, she took portions of the meat paste and rolled them into little balls, dropping them into the soup.
Then she used low heat to slowly simmer for an hour before taking it off the heat.
Though cooked in water, it was as delicious as traditional red braised lion’s head meatballs.
With one bite the texture was both tender and springy, and full of flavor.
Healthy and tasty. The bowl was quickly cleaned out between everyone.
It had been a long time since they’d eaten such a lively meal with so many people. Xiao Jun and Ding Sha both felt somewhat sentimental.
Xiao Jun looked at Ding Sha next to him, smiling gently with Little Ping An in her arms. He was filled with complex emotions.
“What is it?” Ding Sha noticed his gaze. Though she asked, she still reached out and interlaced her fingers with his.
“Nothing, just happy,” Xiao Jun said.
Xiao Jun suddenly took out a small box from his pocket.
Everyone looked over at them. Xiao Jun said, “I never dared wish for such a happy life before, it always felt unreal.”
“All these years it had only been the two of us. Though I never felt lonely, I still felt I owed you, making you stay with me as the eccentric loners in others’ eyes.”
“I’m very happy with our current life. Thank you Sha Sha for always being with me, waiting for me, giving me a perfect home.”
“But I feel guilty.”
Xiao Jun’s eyes grew red. “I greedily take warmth from you, but it seems I keep bringing you unhappiness—not being there when you were pregnant, letting you have a child at such a young age, it’s all my fault.”
“I owe you a lot,” Xiao Jun said. “But I want to slowly make it up to you.”
Xiao Jun stood up and opened the box. Inside was a ring, with a dazzling diamond set into the platinum band.
“Sha Sha, will you marry me?”
Xiao Jun looked only at Ding Sha’s eyes as he slowly lowered to one knee. His eyes were brimming with intense, fiery ardor overflowing with love.
Ding Sha’s nose soured.
She currently faced the sky bare-faced, smelling of oil smoke, her postpartum belly not yet flat, tightly cradling their child.
“I...”
She choked up.
“I...will.”
