Chapter 98

Liu Ming stood by the door of the classroom, holding a cup of water, and played the invisible man for quite a while. Finally, Li Han, who still had a bit of conscience, glanced at the dejected Liu Ming and said with a smile, "It's not early anymore, Liz, why don't you chat with Liu Ming? Dudu, entertain Michelle. Good, I'll go make something delicious."

"Okay, Dudu is very well-behaved. Michelle, let's eat ice cream and watch TV, be good, okay." "Okay." The two little ones nodded obediently.

Liz glanced at Liu Ming unhappily and shook her head slightly. "No, Han, I don't think I have anything in common with this uncle. Perhaps I can help you; I can make a salad." Liu Ming felt utterly defeated. This little brat, calling him "uncle," made his chest burn with anger. He huffed, stood up, and rolled up his sleeves. "Little one, today you'll see what I can do. Han, I'll make lunch."

Dudu and Michelle, the two little ones, blinked their big eyes. Dudu lowered his head and whispered a few words to Michelle. The two little ones raised their hands. "Uncle Liu Ming, we want to eat dumplings." "Dudu wants shrimp and fish dumplings." "Michelle wants beef dumplings." "And, and, cake." "And a good soup." "..." Dudu seemed to want to list all the delicious things Li Han had made, which amused Li Han and Liz.

Liu Ming looked at Dudu and Michelle, pointed at himself in a daze, and thought these two little ones had too many demands. Looking at Li Han's half-smiling face, his teeth ground together. Liu Ming sighed, "Alright, alright, I won't argue with these two little ones. Han, you guys go ahead, I'll watch some TV."

"Ha ha ha, that's really funny." Liz giggled and turned to Li Han, asking curiously about dumplings. Li Han had no choice but to explain the history of dumplings. Dumplings have a long and varied history, with many names in ancient times, such as "lao wan," "bian shi," "jiao er," and "fen jiao." During the Three Kingdoms period, they were called "moon-shaped wontons." In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, they were called "wontons." In the Tang Dynasty, they were called "half-moon-shaped wontons." In the Song Dynasty, they were called "jiao zi." In the Yuan Dynasty, they were called "bian shi." In the Qing Dynasty, they were called "jiao zi." Dumplings originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty, created by the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing. At that time, dumplings were used as medicine, with Zhang Zhongjing using dough to wrap herbs that could dispel cold (such as mutton and pepper) to treat patients and prevent frostbite on their ears. During the Three Kingdoms period, dumplings had become a food item, known as "moon-shaped wontons." In the book "Guangya" by Zhang Yi of the Wei Dynasty, this food is mentioned.

Liz was clearly more interested in myths than history. Li Han had to casually tell her the myth about dumplings. According to the myth, when Nüwa created humans from clay, due to the cold, the ears of the clay figures would easily fall off. To keep the ears in place, Nüwa pierced a small hole in the ears and tied them with a thin thread, with the other end of the thread held in the mouth of the clay figure. This way, the ears were secured. People made dumplings to commemorate Nüwa's achievement, shaping them like human ears and filling them with stuffing (the thread), and eating them by biting.

"That's amazing, Han, let's make dumplings." Liz had never imagined that a food could have a history of thousands of years, and even a myth. She was very curious about what dumplings looked like.

"Alright, let's have dumplings today." Li Han went to the kitchen and organized the ingredients. There were some shrimps and fish in the bucket, ready to be used. He skillfully peeled the shrimps and removed the bones from the fish, his movements graceful. Liz watched in admiration, and even Liu Ming, who glanced over, secretly wiped his sweat. This guy's cooking skills were impressive. Liu Ming's scrambled eggs with tomatoes were edible, but compared to Li Han, they were worlds apart.

Dudu and Michelle sat next to Liu Ming, swinging their legs, eating ice cream, and watching TV. They asked one question after another, making Liu Ming feel like he was being grilled. Finally, Liu Ming switched the TV to an educational channel that Li Han had subscribed to, which was showing a special on dinosaurs. Seeing the big creatures flying on the screen, Dudu pointed and Liu Ming patted his bottom. "Dudu, Uncle will help Dad, you two watch on your own."

Liu Ming ran into the kitchen, wiping his cold sweat. Li Han smiled and said, "Oh, you came just in time, we need a helper." "Han, I can help." Liz raised her hand, giving Liu Ming a glare, "Uncle, go away." Liu Ming felt depressed. "Alright, I'll show you my skills." Liu Ming took the rolling pin, looking quite professional, pressing the dough and rolling it with one hand while gently pinching it with the other, applying just the right pressure. The dough under the rolling pin slowly turned into a round wrapper.

Li Han gave a thumbs up and said, "Not bad, you have some skills." "Of course, it's no big deal." Liu Ming was pleased but then realized something was off. He was a guest, yet he was doing all the work and even felt like he was doing a favor.

Liz pouted, standing aside. This bad uncle, Liz couldn't help, so she had to be the teacher for Dudu and Michelle's endless questions. The two little ones were happy, and Liz was very patient. "Han, little Liz is really good, maybe in two years..."

Li Han almost choked on his filling. After wrapping the dumplings, he said, "Do I need to seal your mouth with a dumpling wrapper, or should I let Liz roll the wrappers while you watch TV with Dudu and Michelle?" "No, I was wrong, okay? You don't know how many questions these two little ones ask, one after another, each more tricky than the last. I feel like I'm a walking encyclopedia, Han, I really admire you." Liu Ming said while rolling the wrappers.

The two men were busy in the kitchen, and it was quite a sight. They looked at each other and laughed. After finishing, Liu Ming realized that Li Han had treated him like an assistant, not a guest. "Alright, I can handle it from here." Li Han started boiling the small dumplings, frying the medium ones, and steaming the large ones. The small and large dumplings were cooked and steamed, and the medium ones were fried until golden brown, filling the kitchen with a delicious aroma.

The four of them, two adults and two children, gathered around the kitchen counter, staring at the pan of medium dumplings. It smelled so good. Liu Ming and Liz each held a child, their eyes fixed on the pan. The oil sizzled, and the golden dumplings were irresistible. Liu Ming swallowed his saliva. He had just arrived in Montana and hadn't expected to find Chinese food. It was all beef, lamb, and vegetable salads, which made him feel a bit queasy. Dudu had told Michelle that Dad's dumplings were the best, and Michelle nodded in agreement.

Dudu leaned on the counter, smacking his lips, and asked his dad, "Dad, the dumplings smell so good." "Yeah, they smell great," Michelle nodded enthusiastically. Li Han smiled and poked Dudu's nose. "Alright, they're done. Help me get the plates." Li Han ordered Liu Ming, who grumbled but handed over the plates.

The boiled dumplings were ready, and each person had a small bowl. The boiled dumplings were served with shrimp, scallions, and a broth. Michelle and Liz preferred the boiled ones, while Li Han and Liu Ming went for the fried ones. "Not bad, Han, you could open a restaurant with these skills."

Li Han smiled and said, "When I first came to America, I had nothing. I worked in a dumpling shop for half a year, didn't get paid a cent, but I learned the skills." "Oh, you have a story there." Liu Ming sat up, curious. Li Han was now quite successful, with a farm worth over ten million, and Liu Ming had thought he had a wealthy background.

Li Han smiled, picked up a dumpling, dipped it in vinegar, and said, "When I was young and naive, I thought coming to America would make me rich. But the reality was harsh. I had no status, no skills, and worked as an illegal worker, working 13-14 hours a day, leaving me exhausted. I never thought my luck would be so bad. The shop owner got caught for hiring illegal workers, and I lost my job and money. It was close to the Spring Festival, and it was freezing. All I could think about was having a plate of dumplings made by my mom. You might not know, but I once had to fight a stray dog for a bucket of garbage for my New Year's Eve dinner. That was no fun." Li Han rolled up his sleeve, showing a few scars. "These are from fighting the dog for food in the winter. Back then, I wasn't afraid of anything; I just wanted something to eat."

Liu Ming was surprised by Li Han's past. Liz wiped away her tears, and Li Han smiled. "Why bring this up? Luckily, I won that fight. I ate the leftover pizza for two days and survived. The dog froze to death on the street. I didn't feel much at the time, but now, why bring it up? Let's eat dumplings."

"Alright, brother, I admire you. Let's have a drink." Liu Ming patted Li Han's shoulder, poured a beer, and Li Han smiled, taking a big sip. "Thinking about now, I should be grateful for those days. A year of hardship, eating leftovers, sleeping in parks and on the streets. But when I was on my knees, I still thought about moving forward. I survived, and now, let's drink."

They drank and talked, and before they knew it, they were drunk and fell asleep. After a while, Liu Ming woke up, feeling a bit dizzy.

"Wow, Dad's awake." Dudu was holding a towel, wiping Li Han's forehead. The little girl had been taking care of her drunk dad. Li Han was surprised to find himself drunk and saw how happy Dudu was to see him awake. "Dudu, you're so good, must be tired."

"Not tired, Liz said if Dudu helps Dad wipe his forehead, Dad's head won't hurt." Dudu touched Li Han's forehead. "Dad, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. Dudu will rub it for you."

Li Han hugged Dudu and kissed her chubby little face. "Dad's not in pain, Dudu's the best at rubbing." "Okay, Dudu will rub more." Dudu climbed up and rubbed and wiped. Li Han remembered feeling a cold little hand on his forehead while he was sleeping, and he held Dudu's hand. "Dudu, did you keep rubbing Dad's forehead?" "Yes, Dad's head hurt." Li Han held Dudu's hand, which was red and cold, and there was a small ice bucket nearby.

The little girl, Li Han rubbed Dudu's hand and placed it on his chest to warm it up. Dudu leaned into his chest. "Dad, don't cry." "Dad's not crying, Dad's happy." Li Han hugged Dudu, who was quite tired and soon fell asleep.

Li Han gently carried Dudu upstairs, tucked her in, and covered her with a blanket. He went downstairs, and Liu Ming returned with a small bucket of water. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine, really sorry, I must have looked ridiculous."

Liu Ming patted Li Han's shoulder. "Don't say that. Look, I just caught some fish. I didn't expect you to have carp here. Let's make some braised fish tonight." "I'll clean them later." Li Han smiled, took the bucket, and Liu Ming put away the fishing rod and clapped his hands. "Han, did you really walk from California to Montana?"

"Yes, along the Pacific Crest Trail. I should thank those kind people. When I arrived in Montana, I only had a tattered shirt and a pair of worn-out sandals."

Liu Ming gave a thumbs up. "You're a tough guy. I'll be your friend. You're capable." "Back then, I didn't have many thoughts. Since I had come so far on my knees, I decided to keep going, even if I had to crawl. Luckily, the sky in America is still blue." Li Han put the bucket in the kitchen, opened the fridge, and poured a cup of plum juice for Liu Ming. "I brought it from home, it's quite good and helps with hangovers."

Liu Ming took a sip and found it quite refreshing. They chatted for a while, and Li Han remembered Liz and Michelle. "Don't worry, I had Philip take them back. By the way, little Liz was crying a lot. She might come back."

Li Han smiled bitterly. "Kids. By the way, it's my birthday tomorrow. If you have time, come over for a drink and meet some friends. They might not be able to help you much, but they're good people. It's always good to have more friends."

"Sure, I'll come even if you don't invite me." Liu Ming smiled. Li Han didn't know what Liu Ming's family did, but it must be something significant. He didn't ask too many questions, as friends don't need to share everything; that way, the friendship lasts longer.

---

The page turned, and the advertisement began.

The page turned, and the advertisement ended.