Originally written by Wang Yiwei Economic Observer.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, I set off for Beijing, and the trunk was full, including three barrels and 60 catties of peanut oil. This is the real Yimeng earth-pressed peanut oil, the taste of childhood.
Author: Wang Yiwei.
Cover photo: Economic Observer Network.
In 1985, I was admitted to university.
This was a significant event to be expected. Relatives and friends have long been mentally prepared and have expressed warm congratulations with practical actions.
Some of them sent eggs, some sent rice noodles, and the most face-saving one was 10 yuan.
Along with 10 yuan, there is a set of "two cents" saying. They came to my house, chatted for a while, and then took out a 10-yuan ticket from their pocket and said, "Give the child two cents and buy water on the way."
Until now, the term "two cents" is still popular in our side. When it comes to red and white gifts, no matter how much money is sent, it is said that it cost two cents.
Of course, for the close relatives on both sides of the parents, this major incident is not something that can be passed away with two cents.
There's got to be a big meal.
My mother has 5 siblings and she is the youngest. In other words, I have two uncles and two aunts. The two uncles are in Songjiagou, the aunt is in Xianggou, and the second aunt is in Yinjiagou. According to my mother's arrangement, I will sweep these three "ditches", have a banquet in each ditch, and recover a total of 40 yuan.
The first two stops of Operation Trench Sweeping went well. I enjoyed the highest standard of banquet at the time, 8 plates and 8 bowls. I gathered with my uncle, aunt, uncle, cousin, and cousin, and the table was full of plates and bowls. They were really happy, on the one hand, they were happy for me, and on the other hand, a feast of 8 dishes and 8 bowls was rare for them.
At the last stop, the second aunt's house in Yin Jiagou impressed me the most.
The second aunt gave birth to 1 daughter and 6 sons. After arriving at my second aunt's house, my second aunt and cousin and I were in the hall (living room), and my second aunt and cousin were in and out of the kitchen.
On the table, instead of 8 plates and 8 bowls, it is 6 bowls, with little water in the clear soup, more vegetarian and less meat.
When my cousin brought the last bowl to the table, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and explained to me apologetically that she wanted to make 8 plates and 8 bowls.
My nose was sore, and tears almost fell from my eyes.
When I left, my second aunt took out 10 yuan and stuffed it into me. I resolutely refuse to accept it. The family surrounded me and forced me to take it.
I shed a few tears outside Yinjiagou Village, and then collected my mood and went home.
Time flies, decades have passed, my mother, two uncles and two aunts have become ancient, and my father has also moved to the suburbs of Linyi. Except for the New Year's holidays, our family and these cousins don't move around much, and we don't know each other very well.
In the summer of 2021, my father called me ** and said Yin Jiagou, do you remember your cousin?
I said yes. My father said that your cousin has been working as a nanny for a family in Beijing for 7 years. He's just found out, too.
I was taken aback!
My father gave me the ** number. I immediately contacted, and a familiar voice came from the other end.
A few days later, at noon, my cousin and I met near Maliandao Tea City and had a meal together.
My cousin was old, but I recognized her from afar. She said that the employer had been working in Linyi for a period of time, and when the child was born, he asked a friend in Linyi to help find someone to watch the child. The employer said that the people in the old Yimeng area were too good and they had to find someone. In this way, my cousin came to Beijing, when the child was only 6 months old, and now 7 years old.
I asked the employer what was going on with her. My cousin said, very good. She only has to take care of the children, she doesn't have to do anything else, and her wages are paid in full and on time. If you go home, the round-trip ticket is bought by your employer. She showed me the child's **, a lean boy. I asked, isn't it skinny? Cousin said yes. I know that no matter how skinny this child is, my cousin can handle it. She can take care of 6 younger brothers and a Beijing boy at home, no problem.
There was one detail that almost made me laugh. Meeting me was probably my cousin's only foreign affairs event in 7 years. My employer was also curious, thinking that I had come to Beijing to work. My cousin told the other party that my brother graduated from Tsinghua University and worked in Beijing. Employers expressed admiration.
I'm not from Tsinghua.
But I cannot, and don't need to, correct my cousin's mistake. She had not been to school and was illiterate. In her impression, this cousin was admitted to Beijing and must have gone to the best school, Tsinghua University.
After that meeting, my cousin and I didn't contact each other again. She has two daughters, the younger daughter is in Shanghai, and she said that she is going to Shanghai to watch the children for the younger daughter. The children here are older, so they don't need to look at it.
This Chinese New Year, I went back to Linyi. Chinese New Year's Eve, my cousin had a WeChat voice call with me and asked me if I was back, and I said yes. She asked me if I was in the car or by car, and I said by car. We agreed that she would come and visit my father and me in the second year of junior high school.
Early in the morning of the second day of junior high school, my cousin came in a Wuling Hongguang. I went out to greet him. She opened the back door of the car, and in addition to several boxes of gifts, there were three barrels of peanut oil, each barrel of 20 kilograms, and three barrels of 60 kilograms. She pointed to three barrels of peanut oil and said, this is for you. Then he pointed to the other gifts and said that these were for my third aunt (my father).
I said too much to want. She said don't you drive, take it all back. I excused myself and accepted.
When they came to the house, they talked about various things and informed each other's ages, and everyone was very emotional. My cousin is 63 years old. Her youngest daughter graduated from Shandong Normal University, worked in Shanghai, and married a young man from Jiangsu. My cousin said she would go back after the New Year. I asked, are you going back to Shanghai? She said, back to Beijing.
I was taken aback again!
It turned out that my cousin's youngest daughter didn't have children yet. The employer's family in Beijing was reluctant to let his cousin stay and continue to take care of the children.
My father commented that after 10 years, I have become a family, and my feelings are too deep.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, I set off for Beijing, and the trunk was full, including three barrels and 60 catties of peanut oil.
This is the real Yimeng earth-pressed peanut oil, the taste of childhood.
Remembering that in a few days, my cousin will also return to Beijing, my heart is as warm as spring.
For her, she has the best brother, Tsinghua's.
For me, there is a best sister. She used the sincerity of Yimeng women to accompany a Beijing boy, who grew up from 6 months to 10 years old, and will continue to accompany him.
I am her pride.
She is my pride.
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Three barrels of peanut oil Spring Festival planning original Wang Yiwei
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Original title: "Three Barrels of Peanut Oil Spring Festival Planning".