Chapter 20: Second Meat Shop Ning Weidong returned to the earthquake shelter and packed up the things he had just bought. He took off his green cloth shirt with frayed edges and put on the dark blue thick cotton Zhongshan suit he had just bought. With a freshly cut hair, new clothes, and a height of meters, Ning Weidong looks more energetic than before. I looked at the time and it was already half past one. The shift is at 4pm, so I have to go to the bus stop an hour in advance to wait for the bus. Ning Weidong simply gathered his things together and went out again. I went to the front yard again, but I didn't see Aunt Wang. After leaving the courtyard, Ning Weidong walked north along the alley and soon arrived at Gongmenkou Ertiao. To the west of here is the Lu Xun Museum.

Ning Weidong walked eastward, and encountered a "pants road" along the second street in front of the palace gate. He bought a box of mung bean cakes from a grocery store at the intersection and carried it with him. After coming out, walk north until you reach San Tiao, the gate of the palace. He looked around a few times, trying hard to squeeze out the original owner's memory. Ning Weidong walked west for another ten meters and found a small alley opposite the Sui Fujing Building. The alley is only one meter wide. If you walk in about ten meters, you will find a courtyard. Ning Weidong walked in and found that the inside was as cramped as the narrow alley. The yard, which was already limited in space, was almost filled with earthquake-proof sheds. Ning Weidong frowned and stretched his neck to look for the house number. But at this moment, a middle-aged woman with a bad face came out from the side and asked in a hoarse voice: "Who are you looking for?" Ning Weidong said with a smile: "Hello, big sister, I'm looking for the old Ning family, they are my family." When the woman heard this, she calmed down a bit and shouted inside, "Sister-in-law Lao Ning, your family is welcome." Just as he finished speaking, a young man of about sixteen or seventeen came out from the room next to him facing west and east. Ning Weidong looked at the man. He was about meters tall, with delicate features, but a little thin. His cheeks were sunken, but he didn't look sickly. His eyes were dark and bright, and his whole body was tense and he looked alert. Ning Weidong guessed it at a glance. This kid must have gotten into trouble outside and thought someone was coming to his house to look for him. Only after seeing Ning Weidong's appearance clearly did he ask uncertainly, "Are you... the third brother?" Ning Weidong walked over with a smile and patted him, making him stagger: "You little brat, it's only been a few years and you can't even recognize me?" In the original owner's memory, Ning Wei was his younger brother. Before he went to the Northeast to join the team, he always followed behind him for a while. He was only eleven or twelve years old at that time, with an age difference of four or five years, and the original owner didn't like to play with him at all.

Later, the original owner went to the countryside and we stopped contacting each other. He came back last year and we haven't been in touch. It has been several years since we last saw each other. No wonder Ning Wei didn't recognize him at first glance. "Third brother! It's really you~" Ning Wei showed his joy: "When did you come back?" Ning Weidong was too embarrassed to say that he hadn't visited for more than a year, so he laughed it off and changed the subject: "How's my sixth aunt? Is she in good health?" Ning Wei was distracted and did not ask any more questions. He let Ning Weidong go into the house and replied, "Everything is fine in the house." Ning Wei's father died early, and he had an older brother, but he was stabbed in a dispute with someone in 70. The person was gone at that time, and only Ning Wei and his mother were left in the family. The room is not big, and there is some sunlight in the morning, but no sunlight in the afternoon. Hearing the noise, an old lady with a gloomy face who was doing needlework rushed to the door. Ning Wei said, "Mom, my brother Weidong is here." Ning Weidong then called out "Sixth Aunt" and put the mung bean cake on the kang table next to the old lady. I sat down and chatted with the old lady about family matters. Actually there is nothing much to say, it’s the same thing over and over again. After sitting for a while and fulfilling all the formalities, Ning Weidong called Ning Wei out. There is a small restaurant with two meat dishes at the entrance of the alley. There are many such "two-meat shops" in Beijing. There are various explanations for the so-called "two-meat" but generally it is just a small restaurant that is not very upscale. The business is mainly based on old customers from the neighborhood, and the core competitiveness is "oil" and "seasoning". This time was not like decades later, when food was extremely abundant. During this time of year, people hardly cook anything with oil except during the Spring Festival, and families don't prepare peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, angelica, etc. Later on, as 'oil' and 'seasonings' became less scarce, these small restaurants naturally died out. Also, it’s a large compound and some dishes are really inconvenient to cook at home. For example, when you stew a pot of meat and the aroma spreads out, a few children gather around, drooling as they look at the pot. Would you give them some food or not? I finally bought some meat, but I feel bad if I give it to myself. If I don't give it to myself, I'll just wait for those old ladies in the yard to complain behind my back. This matter could take half a year to talk about. It’s better not to do it. When you feel craving for something, just go to a small restaurant like Erhunpu, order some food, and satisfy your craving. There’s no need to worry about those other things. The restaurant is not big, with only two doorfronts. The stove is on one side of the door, so you can directly see the chef cutting vegetables and cooking. There are five tables inside. Ning Weidong had money in his pocket, so he walked into the house and glanced at the stove. This kind of small restaurant does not have a fixed menu. It follows the principle of making whatever is available. If there is nothing delicious, you can buy it outside. "Comrades, what would you like to order?" Behind the stove, the cook wiped his hands with his apron as usual, picked up the ladle and pointed: "The kidneys are good today, would you like to try them?" Ning Weidong glanced at it, nodded and said, "I'll give you some pork kidneys, and some beef stewed with potatoes, stewed until it's a bit mushy." "Okay, wait a moment, it will be ready soon~" The cook was very skillful and had already torn off a layer of fascia from the outside of the kidney...

Ning Weidong and Ning Wei found a table against the wall and sat down. Ning Weidong glanced at the wine jar placed against the wall and said, "Want a drink?" Ning Wei shook his head: "Third brother, you are here to talk to me about something important~" Ning Weidong was very satisfied with this attitude. Although Ning Wei is young, his brain is quick and he has a good attitude towards work. He nodded, didn't mention drinking anymore, and instead asked about Ning Wei's future plans. At Ning Wei's age, he is also unemployed. Ning Wei said: "My mother wants me to join the army. My uncle is in the army, so he can lend me some help." Ning Weidong could easily hear his hesitation: "Joining the army is a good thing, why are you worried?" Ning Wei said in embarrassment: "Third brother, you know the situation of my family. With my mother's health, I want to die. If that day comes, I... I'm afraid..." Ning Weidong pursed his lips, not knowing what to say. There's no point saying anything about this kind of thing. If you really have the courage, just say it directly: Don't worry, brother. I will take care of your mother. If you don't have the ability and determination, just shut up. The two were silent for a moment, and Ning Wei turned and asked, "By the way, are my elder brother Weiguo and elder sister-in-law doing well now?" Ning Weidong hummed and said, "It's pretty good. I suffered a lot in the past few years, but now I feel happy after all the hardship." (End of this chapter)