I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 38: Hot and Sour Rice Noodles

"Xiao Yuan, what are you thinking about?"

Yuan Xiu snapped out of her daze. "It's nothing. The clothes fit perfectly, no need to alter them."

After leaving the tailor shop, Yuan Xiu passed by the service center and pulled Chunmei's sister-in-law inside.

"What do you want to buy?"

As soon as the two entered the store, the salesperson asked with a smile.

Judging from the clothes they were both carrying, the clothes made from the fabric they bought last time were finished.

Sister Chunmei pointed at Yuan Xiu, "Ask her."

Yuan Xiu: "Do you have a thimble?"

"have."

"Could you please get me a thimble, a large hand sewing needle, pliers, an awl, and cotton thread?"

The sales clerk immediately understood, "You want to make shoes?"

These days, most women in the countryside know how to make shoes. There are many rural wives among the military dependents, and the service center has never stopped supplying these little trinkets.

Yuan Xiu nodded: "Yes."

Chunmei's sister-in-law said, "Why bother with all that trouble? Jiangzhou has a good job, and you can get several industrial vouchers every month. Just buy some liberation shoes to wear."

Yuan Xiu: "Wearing liberation shoes and sweaty feet."

The name "sweaty shoes" didn't come from nowhere.

Now you need industrial coupons to buy a pair of Liberation Shoes. In the countryside, if someone wears a pair of Liberation Shoes, they will attract a lot of envy.

In ten years, not many people will wear the Liberation Shoes anymore.

Chunmei's sister-in-law laughed and said, "That's true. When my husband comes back from training, the smell of his shoes can be smelled for miles around."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xiu thought to herself, "Jiang Zhou doesn't have smelly feet."

The sales clerk brought out everything Yuan Xiu wanted, and Yuan Xiu paid before leaving with Sister Chunmei.

This was Yuan Xiu's second time visiting the family quarters. Sister Chunmei pointed to a window on the second floor and said, "That's the home of Deputy Battalion Commander Zhou."

Yuan Xiu looked up and went into the house with Sister Chunmei.

Chunmei's sister-in-law had sent a lot of things through someone from her hometown. As soon as Yuan Xiu entered the house, she saw several nylon bags piled up in the corner.

"A fellow villager came to visit relatives here, and my parents-in-law and my parents received a lot of things for him to bring over." Sister Chunmei came in and put down the clothes, then asked Yuan Xiu to sit down.

She showed Yuan Xiu the items one by one: steamed and dried sweet potato chips, various beans grown in her hometown, and roasted sunflower seeds and peanuts.

"Last time I wrote back to them telling them not to bring so much stuff anymore, that we have everything we need here, but they just wouldn't listen."

Chunmei's sister-in-law was complaining, but she had a smile on her face.

It's a heartwarming smile that comes from the heart, a smile that comes from being remembered and cared for.

Yuan Xiu was very envious.

"Take some of these dried mushrooms home, and these glass noodles too. They were all made by the elders in the family. I'll also give you some dried green beans and dried radishes. Just soak them in water before cooking, and they're great for stir-fries or stews. They're really delicious."

Sister Chunmei packed Yuan Xiu the same thing she asked for. "Do you want some pickled vegetables? If you like them, take some with you. They're great with rice. In our area, we pickle several large vats of them every winter."

Yuan Xiu quickly said, "Sister-in-law, you've given too much."

Chunmei's sister-in-law pushed her hand away, "What's the big deal? It's not like it's anything valuable."

As he spoke, he took a bowl and filled it with a large bowl of pickled cabbage and pickled mustard greens for Yuan Xiu.

Chunmei took down her own vegetable basket and filled it with all these things.

Yuan Xiu said, "Once I buy the kimchi jars, I'll send some of our local kimchi to my sister-in-law so she can try it."

"Sure. I've never tried your kimchi before. Don't you have that kind of jar you wanted at the market?"

Yuan Xiu shook her head. "No, the market only has jars."

Sister Chunmei laughed and said, "That's right, we use jars to pickle sauerkraut here, but you use small pots where you're from. It's different from what we use here. I've heard that. But you should be able to find them in the city."

"I'm thinking of seeing if they sell them when I go to town someday."

Yuan Xiu wasn't in a hurry to leave. Chunmei's things had only been delivered yesterday, and she hadn't had time to unpack them yet, so she stayed to help organize them.

After Yuan Xiu finished tidying up, Sister Chunmei wouldn't let her leave and wanted her to stay for dinner.

"Old Li is eating at the camp headquarters. Xiao Jun and his school went to the countryside to experience farm work, so they won't be coming for lunch. You can eat here. You'll be eating alone when you go back anyway, so why don't we cook together? How about some glass noodles? I soaked half a basin of them when I left this morning."

Yuan Xiu wanted to leave, but Chunmei stopped her, so she had no choice but to stay. "Then I'll do it," she said.

Chunmei, the sister-in-law, didn't fight her for the kitchen; she gave it to her.

Chunmei's sister-in-law's house is on the first floor, and there is a small yard outside. The yard is small, so she doesn't grow anything else, only some scallions, garlic and a small row of bok choy.

Her house is right next to the entrance of the staff housing building. Standing at the small gate in the courtyard, people coming in and out of the building can see her.

Yuan Xiu went to the yard and picked two scallions and a few leaves from a bok choy.

She had just straightened up when she saw Zhou Lei leading a large adult and a small child into the building through the entrance of the stairwell.

The larger one was a man, carrying a large sack on his back. Judging from his clothes, he had just come from the countryside.

The little one was a girl, dressed in a floral dress, with rosy cheeks and two little braids. She looked to be only four or five years old and was being held obediently in Zhou Lei's arms.

After Yuan Xiu finished picking the vegetables and came in, Chunmei's sister-in-law already knew who Zhou Lei had brought.

"Zhou Lei's older brother brought his daughter over." Sister-in-law Chunmei looked on with a gossipy expression, glancing frequently at the ceiling.

Yuan Xiu smiled and said, "If you want to go and see it, then go ahead."

Sister Chunmei shook her head. "Forget it. I don't have a good relationship with his family. If I go up there, they'll think I'm just here to watch the show. If I hadn't thought Yuan Juan was you, I wouldn't have gone to greet her."

Yuan Xiu nodded, "Yes, I understand. My sister-in-law is only nice to me because of Jiang Zhou."

"No, that's not it, I really like you," Chunmei explained. "I think you're just so compatible!"

Yuan Xiu laughed and said, "I know, I know, I was just joking with my sister-in-law."

Yuan Xiu made hot and sour noodles, using pickled cabbage for flavor, adding chili peppers, two pieces of bright green bok choy, and a few chopped green onions. Lunch was ready.

Chunmei's sister-in-law swallowed hard as she watched. Not only her, but the neighbors nearby also came over after smelling the aroma.

"What is this? Just smelling it makes my mouth water."

Yuan Xiu sprinkled chopped green onions into the bowl, "Hot and sour noodles."

"You can eat glass noodles like this? I usually use them to stew cabbage."

"Xiao Jiang's wife is such a good cook! Chunmei said your cooking was delicious when she came back last time, but I didn't believe her. I even said, 'You're so young, how could your cooking be better than ours that have been cooking for decades?' But it turns out it really is true."

Sister Chunmei raised her chin and said, "Now you believe me, right? Xiao Yuan's cooking skills are even better than those in restaurants."

She started shooing them away, "Go cook your own food, don't delay our hot and sour noodles."

"Look at you, so confident! Anyone who didn't know better would think you did it. You're practically strutting around like a peacock." The neighbor joked.

Chunmei snorted, picked up her bowl, and pulled Yuan Xiu into the house.

"Little Jiang's wife, tell me how you make these hot and sour noodles later?"

Yuan Xiu smiled and replied, "Sure."