Chapter 31

Wang Liang, holding his second mother's arm, walked into the room with laughter. Wang Yong's younger brother, Wang Liang, was the complete opposite of the introverted Wang Yong; he was extremely outgoing. At nineteen years old, he was a senior at the county's No. 1 High School, with excellent academic performance, recognized as a top student by the school, and well-liked by teachers and classmates. He was the school's undisputed heartthrob, standing at 178 cm tall, with a strong build, a firm face, and a pair of bright, spirited eyes. The ordinary school uniform was stretched tight by his muscular body, making it seem a bit small. This was something Wang Yong envied greatly. He himself was only 170 cm tall, with a thin and weak body, and could only be considered passable in appearance. Wang Liang, on the other hand, was tall, strong, and handsome, inheriting all the good genes from their parents.

"Uncle, Aunt, Uncle Li, and this uncle, good to see you all!" Wang Liang greeted everyone as he entered the room, then walked over to Wang Yong and hugged his brother tightly. Wang Liang knew that after their parents' death, his brother had endured a lot of hardship. As the older brother, the introverted Wang Yong never complained in front of his younger brother, always urging him to study hard and not to worry about other things. Especially in recent years, he hadn't even come home for the Spring Festival, always saying he was busy with work. But Wang Liang knew that his brother was probably not doing well outside and felt too embarrassed to return due to his conflicting feelings of inferiority and pride. His brother was just too concerned about face.

"Alright! You're almost a college student next year. Why are you crying like a baby?" Wang Yong patted Wang Liang's shoulder. His younger brother, who was a head taller than him, had truly grown up and was no longer the little kid who needed to be held to sleep. He remembered how, when their parents first passed away, both of them were in shock. Wang Yong, with his introverted personality, kept everything bottled up inside, while the young Wang Liang would cry and throw tantrums, refusing to be comforted. He would follow Wang Yong everywhere, even to bed, and would only fall asleep if his brother soothed him, often having nightmares. It took a year for him to get better.

Wang Liang wiped his face, just as he was about to have a good chat with his brother, a female voice suddenly came from the side:

"Hey! The great Chairman Wang is crying too! Tsk tsk! This is big news."

Wang Liang knew without thinking that it must be Li Xiaoxia, the little devil who loved to tease him. Ever since he went to her house with his aunt, they had known each other, and every time they met, he would be teased. Because he knew about her condition and that she was a younger girl, he couldn't get angry with her. So Wang Liang always tried to avoid this little devil, thinking that if he couldn't fight her, he could at least avoid her. In fact, Wang Liang genuinely cared for this younger sister (his aunt had specifically instructed him to take care of Xiaoxia, saying, "You've always regretted not having a sister. From now on, Xiaoxia is your sister."). Especially after learning about her condition. What could he do about her occasional tantrums and pranks? Just endure them!

"Xiaoxia, you're here too? Oh! Big brother's eyes are bad, I really didn't see you."

"Hmph! You saw me, you just pretended not to!" Xiaoxia stretched her long, fair neck and said angrily. Then she pouted to her aunt, "Aunt, Wang Liang always bullies me at school. You have to do something about it!"

"Alright, Aunt will do something about it. Aunt will give him a good scolding later, and see if he dares to bully our Xiaoxia again."

"Women and small people are hard to deal with!" Wang Liang muttered to Wang Yong. Unfortunately, Xiaoxia heard it, and a world war broke out. She chased Wang Liang around the room, and everyone hurried to stop them.

Wang Yong chuckled and watched the two of them play, shaking his head and quickly stepping in to stop them, finally managing to calm them down.

After chatting for a while, mainly the second uncle and aunt asking Wang Liang about his school life, the usual concerns about the cold and food, they showed great care for their grandson who was away from home, fearing that he might suffer. Parents always worry about their children who are far away.

Around three in the afternoon, everyone started to leave. Of course, when they left, Wang Yong gave the remaining ten golden eggs to Xiaoxia, and then went to the greenhouse to pretend to walk around, picking a bunch of vegetables from the small world for her to take back. When the crowd dispersed, only the two brothers were left. Everyone knew that the long-separated brothers had a lot to talk about and intentionally left them some space.

"Brother, can you make me some spicy cabbage? I haven't had your pickled vegetables for years!" Wang Liang reminisced and swallowed a few times. Just as he had inherited his parents' good looks, his brother had inherited their father's steadiness and his mother's cooking skills. Especially in making fish stew, his brother was recognized as the best in the village when he was a teenager. However, Wang Liang always thought that his brother's pickled vegetables were the best. Thinking of the crisp, spicy, and numbing spicy cabbage, his mouth watered uncontrollably.

Seeing Wang Liang drooling, Wang Yong couldn't help but smile, remembering his childhood. After their parents' death, the second uncle had wanted the two brothers to live with him. The strong-willed Wang Yong refused without hesitation, ignoring everyone's persuasion and insisting on raising his younger brother alone. Wang Yong's cooking skills were top-notch, and for a long time after he went to college, Wang Liang would still call to complain that the second mother and aunt's cooking wasn't as good as Wang Yong's.

"Sure, I'll make you a lot, and you can take it back to school to eat slowly. The cabbage isn't in season yet, so I'll use radish instead. If you want anything else, just call me, and I'll drive it to you." Wang Yong said to his brother.

"Brother, did you strike it rich? First a car, now a greenhouse." Wang Liang asked, puzzled. When his brother first came back, he looked extremely down and out. How did he turn things around so quickly, from a poor guy to a rich one?

Wang Yong told Wang Liang about the gold bricks again, but after much hesitation, he decided not to tell him about the small world and the AI, Xiao Guang. In modern society, the crime of possessing valuable items was not uncommon. Until he had enough power, it was better not to tell them, for everyone's good. After all, the existence of the small world and Xiao Guang was too astonishing. If exposed, he might not be afraid, but his family members could be used as leverage against him and might be harmed.

At Wang Liang's constant urging, Wang Yong let his brother watch TV in the room while he went to the kitchen to make the spicy cabbage. What Wang Yong made was not the usual spicy cabbage but a kind of cold salad.

Generally, Wang Yong used radish as the main ingredient, tearing it into small pieces or strips by hand. He then boiled a pot of water on the gas stove, and once it was boiling, he blanched the radish, being careful not to cook it through. If cooked through, the radish would lose its crispness, so he just blanched it slightly. He drained the blanched radish and placed it in a bowl, adding salt, vinegar, and sugar. Then he heated oil in a pan, added whole dried chilies and a small amount of Sichuan pepper, and fried them until fragrant. He poured the chili oil over the radish. That's it—a simple, sweet, spicy, and fresh spicy cabbage. This was actually a variation of sweet and sour cucumber, which didn't require fermentation and could be eaten immediately. It retained the freshness and crispness of the vegetables, locking in the nutrients. It was very refreshing and delicious, especially with steamed buns or pancakes, just like eating pancakes with scallions, the taste was absolutely irresistible. The two brothers often ate a mouthful of bun and a mouthful of vegetables, sweating profusely but unwilling to put down their chopsticks.

Wang Yong made an entire 7-8 pound radish, enough for Wang Liang to take back to school and eat for a few days. Wang Liang, smelling the fragrant chili oil, couldn't wait to run into the kitchen. He grabbed a piece and put it in his mouth, savoring it. After eating several pieces, the spiciness hit him, making him grimace, but he still called it delicious and satisfying!

Taking advantage of the time, Wang Yong secretly caught a pair of small fish from the small world. He planned to make some crispy fish for Wang Liang to take back to school. The method was simple: clean the small fish, coat them in egg batter, and fry them in hot oil until they were crispy and dry. This would remove the moisture from the fish, making them crispy.

After frying the fish, he set them aside. Next, he put a pressure cooker on the gas stove, sliced pickled radish and laid it at the bottom, then layered the fried fish in the pot, adding salt, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. He added more vinegar to soften the fish bones and remove the fishy smell. He cut the scallions into large pieces and added them, sliced ginger, and whole or crushed garlic. Then he added Sichuan pepper, bay leaves, star anise, fennel seeds, and tangerine peel. For those who liked spicy, he added a few chilies. He added water to cover the fish, cold water, and added monosodium glutamate. He covered the pot and turned on the heat. After the steam came out, he cooked for about half an hour. The crispy, bone-soft, and delicious fish was ready. The fish remained intact, the meat was tender and flavorful, and it could be eaten without any bones, even better when eaten cold.

Crispy fish was not only a great dish to go with alcohol but also a delicious snack, known for its golden color, delicious taste, tender and crispy texture, and lasting flavor. It could be made in various flavors, such as salty, sweet, fresh, spicy, and numbing, satisfying people with different tastes. For Wang Yong, who had always loved fish and had a heavy taste, crispy fish was his absolute favorite.

For dinner, Wang Yong made a few pancakes, and the brothers had their first meal together in years, with spicy cabbage (actually radish, but he couldn't change the name, so he still called it spicy cabbage) and crispy fish. They had seen each other a few times, but it was always in a hurry. This time, they had a lot to talk about. They ate from seven until after ten, both having a lot to say to each other.

The villagers began to fall asleep, and the village became quiet. Wang Yong's house was the only one with the lights still on, like a star fallen to earth, twinkling in the night, echoing the countless stars in the sky, as if whispering and telling stories.

The contract is being sent out today, I'm very excited! Thank you all for your support and love! Special thanks to the editor, Taozi!

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