Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 1074 - 523: Beggar (Part 9)_2

"In the north, people eat dumplings for the New Year, but my family doesn't," Jiang Weiguo said. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

An Youyou was shocked again: "Why? Is it because dumplings require white flour and your family can't afford it because you're poor? But I feel your family used to be quite wealthy. Among all the little brothers I've picked up, you're the tallest, strongest, and most capable of fighting, and you are the best at not begging for food. It seems you've never had to beg before; only children from rich families don't need to beg."

"My dad is a cook," Jiang Weiguo said calmly. "The New Year is the busiest time for restaurants. It's pretty good if my dad can get home before midnight on New Year's Eve. He doesn't have time to make dinner, so he cooks several dishes at the restaurant, packs them in food boxes, and brings them home."

"My older brothers also help out at the restaurant, and later, I did too. Our family has nobody at home during the New Year."

"I had an aunt. When my aunt hadn't married yet, she would prepare the dishes at home on New Year's Eve, waiting for my dad and my brothers to come home with me, my fifth brother, and sixth brother. Back then, we could still eat freshly cooked hot dishes for our New Year's Eve dinner."

"After my aunt got married, the New Year's Eve dinner became more casual. Beiping is much colder than Shanghai, and our food box keeping the food warm wasn't too good. If we hurried home, the food might still be hot, but business was always especially good on New Year's Eve at the restaurant; after a busy day, everyone was so tired and couldn't walk fast home. By the time we got home, the food was already lukewarm. Heating it on the stove didn't taste right, and eating it cold didn't taste good, so we just ate whatever, and the New Year passed like that."

"In my memory, my family has never eaten dumplings for New Year."

"But my third brother told me that when my mother was alive, the family ate dumplings for New Year. Back then, during New Year, it was very lively. My mother wasn't good at cooking, but she was excellent at making pastries. On New Year's Eve, while my dad worked at the restaurant, my mother stayed home leading everyone in making dumplings, enough to last the entire New Year season, sometimes making more than ten flavors."

"Throughout the New Year season, our family would eat dumplings every morning."

"But I have no memory of these things. My mother went through a difficult childbirth when I was born and passed away a few years later. I don't even remember what she looked like. I was basically raised by my aunt."

An Youyou quietly listened to Jiang Weiguo finish speaking. After Jiang Weiguo finished, he noticed An Youyou didn't react much, which felt strange to him, so he deliberately looked up at her and found that she was looking at him with a sympathetic expression.

Jiang Weiguo: ?

"Thirteen, while your story isn't as tragic compared to others, you at least had a dad, mom, and aunt at some point. Little Ninth and many others never had parents from the start and don't even know who their parents are."

"But I could tell—you want to eat dumplings!"

Jiang Weiguo: ...

"How did you figure that out?"

An Youyou had a look that needed no explanation, as if the boss understood everything: "Small problem, it's just dumplings, right? The boss will sort it out for you!"

Jiang Weiguo: "Boss, you don't even know what dumplings are."

"So what?" An Youyou looked as if it didn't matter, "It's not important what dumplings are. What's important is to eat dumplings on New Year's Eve. You're a northerner, and this is your northern New Year tradition."

Finishing her words, An Youyou pointed at the potato buns in the steamer: "I declare, these are potato dumplings!"

Jiang Weiguo: ???

Seeing Jiang Weiguo's confused face, An Youyou kindly explained: "See, doesn't this work? Tonight, I'm in charge; you eat three potato dumplings and make up for the dumplings you missed in past years all at once."

"Boss, these are buns..." Jiang Weiguo said timidly, trying to defend the last shred of dignity for the potato buns as buns.

An Youyou gave Jiang Weiguo an exasperated look, shouted, "Xiao Si, Little Ninth, come here!"

Xiao Si and Little Ninth hurriedly ran in. As soon as they entered the kitchen, they took a few deep breaths and swallowed their saliva. Xiao Si even covered his mouth to stop drooling.

"Do you know what these are?" An Youyou asked, pointing at the potato buns in the steamer.

Xiao Si wanted to respectfully say, "Boss, these are buns," but the witty Little Ninth stopped him.

"Boss, what are these?" Little Ninth asked.

An Youyou was very satisfied with Little Ninth's cleverness: "These are potato dumplings. You know dumplings, right? Northerners eat them for the New Year. Thirteen is from the north, so he must eat dumplings for the New Year, and we're all following suit, celebrating the New Year with him and eating dumplings together."

Jiang Weiguo had no strength to argue whether the contents of the steamer were buns or dumplings, nor did he want to point out An Youyou's misuse of idioms; using "when in Rome" here was odd.

He could only silently watch the situation with resignation.

"Got it, boss, this year we'll eat dumplings with Brother Thirteen for New Year!" Little Ninth said loudly.

"Eat potato dumplings!" Xiao Si spoke each word clearly.

An Youyou loudly announced: "Great, pass this message to everyone. Tonight each person gets one potato dumpling. Thirteen hasn't had dumplings for several New Years. This year we're eating with him to make up for the dumplings he didn't have in past years!"

"Yay, dumplings!" Xiao Si cheered.

Xiao Si and Little Ninth quickly spread the good news about eating dumplings tonight to everyone.

An hour later, everyone gathered in the dining room on the second floor, with 19 people packing the room to the brim. Naturally, the Chen family didn't have a table large enough to seat 19 people at once, so besides the five members of the Chen family, only An Youyou, Jiang Weiguo, and Xiao Si, the youngest, could barely squeeze in at the table.

The others held bowls, either sitting on the floor or squatting, as long as they ate near the dining table.

The food on the table was very lavish. The pork knuckle and braised pork were originally supposed to be the main attractions, but tonight, the potato buns stole the show, and even the Chen family's gaze was drawn to them.

"So, large buns are actually dumplings." Sister in law Chen said in sudden realization, "I always thought dumplings and buns were completely different, but the difference is just the size."

Jiang Weiguo: ...

"That's right." An Youyou nodded, "Sister Chen, northerners eat dumplings for the New Year. We should eat dumplings first. These potato dumplings are particularly delicious; I already ate one in the kitchen."

Brother Chen, a rustic country man, laughed along as An Youyou spoke: "Then we should eat them first. If it weren't for Weiguo, I wouldn't have known dumplings were like this."

Jiang Weiguo: ...

Chen Shun quietly picked up a bun and nibbled on it, while Chen Shun's younger siblings, like Xiao Si, happily ate the buns, saying things like: "So dumplings are like this. They're quite similar to buns, why call them dumplings?"

Qin Huai could tell Jiang Weiguo looked a bit like he wanted to disappear.

But Jiang Weiguo was very aware of his role as a little brother. He knew that things had escalated to a point where whatever the boss said was right. Not mention today when An Youyou pointed at potato buns and said they were potato dumplings, even if she pointed at them and called them potato shumai, potato mooncakes, potato steamed cakes, or potato pancakes, Jiang Weiguo would act as if he heard nothing.

That's the cultivation of a good little brother.

As a potato bun was eaten, the room filled with chatter about how rich northerners must be, eating such large potato dumplings for the New Year.

After the snacks, it was time to eat the dishes.

However, before eating the dishes, An Youyou, as the boss, had to say a few words.

"Does everyone remember our slogan? Let's shout it again before we have our New Year's Eve dinner!"

"Remember!" The little brothers, all except Jiang Weiguo, shouted in unison.

"Begging is the best job in the world!"

An Youyou glared at Jiang Weiguo: "Thirteen, why aren't you shouting?"

Jiang Weiguo: ...

"Come on, let's shout it again!"

"Begging is the best job in the world!"

This time, Jiang Weiguo joined in, although his voice wasn't loud, but Qin Huai heard it.

Brother Chen and Sister in law Chen tried to hold back their laughter, with Sister in law Chen whispering to Brother Chen: "It's my first time seeing that expression on Weiguo's face."

"It's really lively, even more than in our old home place."

"Yes, lively is good." Brother Chen nodded, "New Year should be lively."

Amidst the bustling New Year's Eve dinner, Qin Huai drifted into memory.