Chapter 59 Tao Hua Tao Yuan Hangs a Thousand Miles Away

When the kelp was taken out of the space, it had a lot of salt stains and dirt on it, so it needed to be soaked and cleaned before it could be put into a large iron pot to cook. There was so much cooked kelp that it couldn't be eaten all at once, so the cleaned kelp could be dried again. When it was time to eat it, you could cut it with scissors, soak it in water for a while, and then cut it up to eat. Whether it was used in a cold dish or stewed, it was just the right texture.

Grandma can make tofu. The beans they used were picked from the fields last autumn when Grandma led them to collect them. They were beans that had fallen on the ground and were hard to find. It's the same principle as picking peanuts. You have to go to someone else's harvested bean field, squat there, and filter and sift them bit by bit. It's very difficult, but the beans that slip into the bowl under these circumstances are even more precious.

The beans in her space were big, plump, and golden yellow, as if each one had been carefully selected. She couldn't add too many, because it would be easy to be noticed. So, while her grandmother was soaking the beans, she took the beans from her space out, washed them, and added them to the soaking basin. Hey, these beans wouldn't look so out of place after soaking.

Their family eats soybeans every few days. The tofu they make isn't as thick as the ones sold outside, but that doesn't affect its taste at all. Especially when they stew it in a big iron pot with their homemade sauce, the flavor really shines through.

This summer they planted a lot of eggplants, so Dad sent them to the county town. Mom steamed buns with green peppers and eggplants, which tasted delicious and sold very well in the county town.

Besides eggplant, my mother also made spicy tofu buns, pickled mustard greens and chili buns, vegetable, tofu and vermicelli buns, and pumpkin buns. Whatever she had at home, she would try to send to the county town so that she could turn them into delicious buns. They were cheap, down-to-earth, and tasted good, so they always sold well.

Of course, my mother didn't have time to make tofu, so she contacted families who specialized in making tofu. This was all thanks to my father. Almost every village had such a skilled person. The tofu made with underground spring water tasted excellent, definitely not like the tofu made with tap water in later generations.

She has beans in her space, but no tofu. Even if she does have some, they are processed products like thousand-layer tofu, which can't be considered tofu.

Before the Dragon Boat Festival, my father happily brought back two large packages from the county town. As if they had planned it together, the two packages arrived at the post office at about the same time, and then a telegram came to notify my father to pick them up.

Xiao Jiu remembers that there were no packages before the Dragon Boat Festival last year, so when these two big packages were brought into the house this year, Grandma happily walked out of the main room, her little feet moving much faster than usual.

"Did your sisters send it back?" Grandma's voice trembled slightly, clearly from excitement.

"Yes, Mom. My brother-in-law and his wife have unstable jobs, they keep moving around. They only sent us a package now that they've settled down. This one was sent by my eldest sister. She's in Shancheng, you know Shancheng? It's..."

"I know, I know, they've all stabilized this time? Quick, hurry up and open it to see if there's any news."

Grandma was halfway through her story when she realized her son probably didn't know either, so she quickly told her husband to open the package. When she turned to look at another package, she asked again.

"And this one, where did it come from?"

"Mom, this is Ice City, in the Northeast,"

"How come these two sisters, one ran off to the south and the other to the northeast? They're so far away from me, is it even possible for them to come back if I die?"

Father's smile vanished: "Oh, Mother, why are you here again? My brother-in-law and the others are soldiers, they're always following orders. Wherever they're needed, they go. My sisters have no choice either. Last year they were unsettled, but look, this year, as soon as things stabilized, they started sending letters and packages."

"Didn't they say there was a war these past two years? Didn't they go?"

Father wasn't sure either. "Shall we check the letter first?"

After the packages were opened, they were found to be filled with local specialties, dried meat, clothing, and other items. They were very tightly packed, with each package weighing around 30 pounds.

After opening the packages, each one contained a thick letter.

First, Dad opened Aunt Tao Hua's letter. After reading it, Xiao Jiu understood why things were unstable last year. Uncle had participated in the first battle and after retiring, he was transferred to Shancheng at a high rank, as a regimental-level cadre.

My aunt Tao Yuan's letter was no less than my eldest aunt's. My aunt's husband participated in the Third Battle. He had to leave the battlefield because of a shoulder injury. After recovering, he did not go back but was transferred to Bingcheng to do support work. His rank was similar to that of my eldest aunt's husband. Both of them got their current stable jobs because of that battle.

The letter was filled with details of the past two years. It didn't mention the two uncles much, since their jobs were confidential and they couldn't tell their families much. Even their current workplaces were only mentioned in the words "mountain city" and "ice city." Of course, that wasn't what Grandma cared about. She was already satisfied as long as she knew that her two aunts were doing well with her older siblings.

My aunt from Harbin sent me Harbin sausage, dried mushrooms, a cashmere vest and knee pads for my grandparents, and a sweater, pants and socks that she knitted herself.

"Mother, my little sister sent two packages. This is the first one; the other one hasn't arrived yet."

"Why did you send two more? There are so many already, why waste the money?"

"Mom, my little sister's package contained fifty jin of Wuchang rice. She sent us rice, and inside are warm clothes for you two, as well as red sausage, dried mushrooms, and things like that,"

“This child, rice is so heavy, and it costs so much money to send it. When you write to her, tell her that we are doing well at home, and that they don’t need to worry about us or be anxious because we can’t come back. There’s nothing to worry about. I have you, and her sister-in-law is taking care of us. Everything is fine!”

My aunt from the mountain town sent me snacks such as cured meat, fermented black beans, fried dough twists, red dates, and peanuts, as well as four sets of summer clothes and spare underwear that she made herself for my grandparents. In the letter, she also said that she would send back their cotton-padded clothes when it gets cold.

Because it's hard for people to gain weight these days, my aunt and uncle knew my grandparents' height, weight, and build. While packing the things they sent, my grandmother kept talking about her old clothes, all made for her by her two daughters. Ever since she got married, she's been traveling all over the country and only comes back once every few years. When she got emotional, she even shed tears. Seeing this, Xiao Jiu felt uncomfortable and took her handkerchief to wipe her grandmother's tears.

When Grandma saw her thoughtful little gesture, she hugged her tightly and burst into tears. She missed her daughter. Even Dad hid to the side to wipe his tears. Zhaodi and Pandi watched from the side, feeling a mix of emotions. Their parents would never have felt this way towards them, and likewise, they had never felt this way towards them.

Mutual affection is what creates resonance, isn't it?