The 20th Section is roughly finished (middle)
He quietly closed the door, put down the basket of eggs, and saw that his father was still asleep, but his breathing was much smoother than before. Only then did he feel at ease, and suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, unable to hold on any longer, and fell heavily onto the bed, fast asleep...
Today, he was really too tired, as if he had returned to his previous life before the age of 24. Days with nothing but ideals and future... Survival depends on oneself, dignity depends on oneself to maintain, status depends on oneself to win, and the future depends on oneself to fight for... But starting from scratch again, it has to be more comfortable than last time, not only because he has become very mature after being tempered for a long time, but also because now he has family, home, and a spiritual haven.
In a daze, Shen Mo thought of his favorite song again:
"The past has gone far away, but the future is right in front of you."
Even if you have nothing, stand up again.
Strive for tomorrow with sweat and hard work, no complaints no matter how bitter or tired.
The world will not change for anyone, and time will not stop for anyone.
Sometimes I feel tired, but tomorrow there's still a show to put on.
From zero point to the starting point of eternity!
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The next day he woke up was a relaxed, refreshed and light Shen Mo. He got out of bed and the first thing he did was to check on his father's condition.
But then Shen He was already awake, staring blankly at the beam in a daze. Shen Mo called him but he didn't respond, yet his stomach protested loudly.
"Are you hungry? Want to eat something? Baozi or fried dough sticks? If you don't speak, I'll buy you fried dough sticks." This guy is so wicked, knowing that the patient can't stand greasy food, he uses fried dough sticks to disgust the old man.
Shen He indeed fell for it, and upon hearing the word "oil", he felt wave after wave of nausea, so he could only spit out a single word: "noodles".
A faintly sinister smile flickered across his face as he asked, "Is it Yangchun noodles or clear broth noodles?"
Yangchun noodles are just clear broth noodles. Shen He knew he was teasing himself by speaking, and to show his protest, he refused to answer this question.
"It seems that no one likes to eat." Shen Mo rubbed his chin and said, "Then let's change to oil-splashed noodles. This noodle is too delicious. After cooking the noodles and sprinkling the ingredients, the final step is crucial." He picked up a large bowl and said, "The master chef scooped out a full bowl of lard from the boiling pot and poured it onto the noodles."
He was eloquent, and his vivid description made Shen He feel like he was there in person: "All I could hear was a 'sizzling' sound, a cloud of smoke rose up, followed by the aroma of oil wafting up to my nose. Then I looked at the noodles that had been splashed with hot oil, their surface golden brown, and when I took a bite, it crackled with oil..."
"Shut up... Ugh..." Shen He couldn't help but dry heave, and Shen Mo quickly came over to pat him on the back. Shen He raised his hand and slapped him twice, panting heavily as he cursed: "You little brat, how dare you play tricks on your old man like this?"
The old man let out a silent fart and chuckled: "If I didn't do that, you wouldn't have any way to vent, and would just ignore me."
Shen He wiped away the tears that had been forced out, and laughed scolded: "I think you're just unhappy that I died too early." Although he said so, the lump in his heart actually loosened a lot.
She gazed at him silently for a moment, then said softly: "You are the only family I have left, you must take good care of yourself and live to be a hundred..."
"Alas..." Shen He's tears flowed out, and he quickly reached out to wipe them away. His eyes were red as he said: "A scholar is useless in a hundred ways, Father can't do anything, living is also a burden to you."
If it were someone else, they would probably advise him to be more open-minded and say things like "what would I do without you". But Shen Mo was different. He just shook his head and smiled, saying: "What's the point of having useless skills? Those who have read books are stronger than those who are illiterate. The reason you're facing setbacks now is not because of your ability, but because you haven't chosen the right career."
"Did I choose the wrong profession?" Shen He said in a low voice.
"Right!" Shen Mo said confidently: "When the time comes, I'll help you choose a career, as long as you listen to me. I won't say that you'll rise to great heights, but at least you can stand out in this Shaoxing city."
"What's going on?" Shen He asked with great curiosity.
"I haven't thought about that yet." Shen Mo spread his hands and said, "But don't worry, the doctor said you need to rest for a month, I'll help you think it through during this time." He rubbed his hands together again and said, "The most important thing now is eating, I'm going to cook." Then he started bustling around.
Looking at his busy back, Shen He suddenly smiled with satisfaction. Although I'm not capable, having a very capable son is enough to make up for it.
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His silent craftsmanship was not to be covered, it was honed from years of independent living. All that could be seen was that he would occasionally knead the dough again, then roll out a large and round piece of dough skin, cut it into thin strips with a knife, sprinkle starch on it and place it on the chopping board to air dry.
After preparing the noodles, the remaining steps are much simpler. Shen silently took an egg from the basket, cracked it into a bowl, and beat it evenly with chopsticks. Then he put the wok on the fire, spread the egg into a thin omelette, took it out and cut it into fine strips. Before the noodles were cooked, sprinkle salt and egg strips on top, and a steaming hot Yangchun noodle dish was done.
Shen He took a sip and nodded repeatedly: "Light and refreshing, not bad." Then he sighed and said: "When your mother was around, she always put scallions in the noodles."
"Got it." Shen Mo responded vaguely while slurping down his noodles.
~~~~~~~~
Just after finishing breakfast, I heard a knock at the door.
Silently wiping his hands, he put the washed rice bowls in order and opened the door to find it was the young servant from the Qingyi family yesterday.
He was seen carrying two brand new quilts, with two attendants dressed in the same attire following behind him. One attendant carried two chairs and some miscellaneous items such as a mosquito net and tea bowls. The other attendant carried two baskets, one containing firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea, while the other was filled with vegetables, poultry, and various foodstuffs.
"Master, this is allocated by the public." The steward Shen Mo smiled silently: "The old master has instructed that from now on, your family's daily expenses will all be borne by Gong Zhong."
Shenmo hastily invited the three into the house, expressed gratitude, and then poured water for them to sit down. The three declined, saying "There are still things to do, can't stay long." and quickly left the small building.
As soon as they left, Shen He complained: "Chao Sheng, how can we ask for others' things? You shouldn't have accepted it."
"What's the use of telling them about the decision made above?" Shen Mo shook his head and said, "You should focus on recovering from your illness first, then we can discuss a way out together. It would be best to move out as soon as possible." It seems he really wants to open up now.
"What about human feelings?" Shen He couldn't change so quickly.
"It's all the same whether it's one louse or two, scratching is scratching," Shen Mo rolled her eyes and said, "It'll be fine eventually."
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It's so late, I'm sorry, I'll make it up tomorrow by being earlier.
