Chapter 35: The Bone Broth Craze and a Haircut Dilemma

A new trend of simmering bone broth suddenly swept through the family quarters.

On every household’s coal stove, pots of milky white bone broth simmered, their rich aroma wafting through the air above the residential area.

Every family yearned for their children to be bright and successful.

With Xiang Chen, the little genius, serving as a living example, parents reasoned that if their children’s innate talents couldn’t compare, they should at least try to supplement them through nurture.

Perhaps by eating well, their children might become a little smarter?

As employees of the machinery factory, meat might have been scarce, but large bones, which didn’t require ration coupons, were inexpensive and relatively easy to acquire.

Previously, people might have grumbled about the effort and firewood needed, but now, knowing the potential benefits, no family would quibble over such trifles.

Thus, one by one, all the children in the family quarters began drinking the rich bone broth.

While it might not have been as satisfying as fatty meat, the flavor was undeniably good.

Moreover, the bones contained warm marrow. Before it could melt into the soup from the broken ends, children would pluck out a bone and suck, letting the piping hot, oily, and incredibly fragrant marrow flow out.

Watching their own children eat with such gusto, parents would invariably mention Xiang Chen. They’d say he became so intelligent and excelled in his studies precisely because he ate this broth.

Now that their own families were making it, the children had to study hard, or else, no more bones for them.

Upon hearing this, the children, who were happily drinking bone broth and sucking marrow, immediately reacted. “What? No more bones if we don’t study well? That won’t do!”

At an age where they would move mountains for a bite to eat, studying seemed like a small price. “Just read!”

Consequently, the children in the family quarters saw their enthusiasm for studying reach an unprecedented high, all under the allure of bone broth.

The curriculum for elementary school was not particularly difficult. Any child with normal intelligence, if they applied themselves, could certainly grasp most of it.

With such renewed dedication, academic progress was naturally evident. Seeing their children’s achievements, the parents were overjoyed.

They all felt that Director Song truly lived up to his reputation as an educated man and a cadre, possessing a unique method for educating children. Their trust in him deepened considerably.

Because of this incident, Song Wenbin’s prestige throughout the entire machinery factory saw a notable increase, as the family quarters were home to the relatives of many workers.

This could only be considered an unexpected bonus, yet Song Wenbin didn’t dwell on it. He was currently savoring the cold pig ears his grand-nephew had specially prepared for him, taking contented sips of wine.

A few days prior, Song Wenbin had scoured various places for some braising spices.

Combined with what Xu Hengzhou had retrieved from his space, pretending to have bought it from the supply and marketing cooperative, they finally gathered all the necessary ingredients and began preparing the braising liquid.

The braising liquid had a strong, rich aroma, but because every household was simmering bone broth, its scent wasn’t particularly conspicuous.

Xu Hengzhou seized this opportunity to braise all the cleaned pig trotters and other ingredients.

It must be said that true genius, like Xu Hengzhou, could effortlessly excel at anything they attempted, surpassing most others. Even when learning to cook, everything he made was delicious.

When the braised dishes were fresh out of the pot, Song Wenbin and Xiang Chen, one large and one small, stood guard, squatting by the pot.

Huang Hengzhou had no choice but to cut a freshly braised pig trotter, giving each of them a bowl to enjoy.

The pig trotters were incredibly flavorful, melting in the mouth with just a slight press, yet retaining a pleasant gelatinous texture without being overly sticky.

The lean meat tucked within was tender, offering another exquisite taste.

That day, Xiang Chen stood by the pot, and after finishing his bowl, he would hold it up and ask his brother for more. If refused, he would gaze at him pitifully, softly calling “Brother” and claiming he wasn’t full.

Huang Hengzhou refilled his bowl several times, but eventually, seeing the child’s belly distended, he had to steel his heart and put the braised dishes away.

Xiang Chen watched his brother pack things away, tears welling up in his eyes. He was certain he could have eaten just one more small piece of braised pig tail!

However, through their long time together, Xiang Chen had come to understand his brother’s temperament. For minor, unreasonable requests, a little coaxing would often win his brother over.

But if his brother had made up his mind, no amount of charming would work; he could only obey.

Fortunately, Song Wenbin had also been conquered by the delicious braised dishes. He specifically took Xu Hengzhou to Master Zhu’s house at the meat processing plant, and they returned with many items.

Besides the pig trotters and tails, there were several cuts of pork belly and ribs. While the bone broth craze was still ongoing, they braised what needed braising and boiled what needed boiling. Braised in soy sauce was, of course, also indispensable.

With such a continuous supply of food, and Xu Hengzhou secretly supplementing their diet, the two children, both at a rapid growth stage, shot up in height in no time.

Song Wenbin noticed both children’s ankles were showing from their pants. He anxiously rushed to Granny Li, who helped make clothes, worried that new clothes would be too small by the time they were finished.

Fortunately, Granny Li was meticulous in her craft. Knowing children grew quickly, she had deliberately tucked extra fabric into the cuffs and pant legs.

Now, comparing the children’s heights, letting out the hidden fabric made the clothes fit perfectly.

The shoes were also ready. They had been made a size larger on purpose and now fit just right.

With their handmade, thousand-layer soles and black cloth uppers, they were soft and comfortable to walk in. Xiang Chen put them on and didn’t want to take them off.

His maternal grandmother used to make him a few pairs, but her health had deteriorated, and she hadn’t made any since.

Huang Hengzhou and Xiang Chen’s clothes looked quite similar: blue cloth jackets and long trousers, differing only in size. Seeing his brother dressed identically, Xiang Chen secretly chuckled for a while behind his back.

‘This is what you call it… matching brother outfits!’

Children’s emotions were always plainly visible on their faces, making them incredibly easy to read.

Seeing Xiang Chen’s joy, Xu Hengzhou felt a sense of his easy contentment, yet also couldn’t help but feel a softening in his heart, always wanting to make him even happier.

The new clothes were very comfortable, but in truth, they weren’t particularly stylish; for Xu Hengzhou, they were barely ordinary.

However, Xiang Chen was handsome, and he looked good in anything.

Xu Hengzhou thought of the little military uniform Xiang Chen liked so much, and realized he might need to check the children’s clothing section of the department store again.

And, the clothing channels also needed to be re-evaluated.

***

Carefree days always passed quickly, and time flew by.

Perhaps Chen Fen’s previous betrayal had hurt Cai Zhen, as her favoritism towards her eldest daughter diminished significantly. Instead, she began to focus on her other children.

However, she found Chen Fang’s timidness unsuitable for public display and disliked Chen Xiaohua’s dull, quiet nature. All her maternal affection was now directed towards Chen Xiaocao, who couldn’t even speak yet.

After all, the child was young and highly impressionable, frail yet not prone to crying, making her relatively easy for Cai Zhen to care for.

Chen Xiaohua, who had always played the role of a ‘little mother,’ suddenly found this identity stripped away. Initially, she felt a bit unaccustomed, always wanting to check on Chen Xiaocao.

After being chased away by Cai Zhen a few times, and seeing that Chen Xiaocao was well cared for, she stopped trying to get close.

As a result, she found herself with more time to study. Xiang Chen taught her pinyin and some basic Chinese characters, and Chen Xiaohua gradually became able to understand some texts by guessing.

Every day, when Xiang Chen and Xu Hengzhou went to school, they would hide their books in the woodpile in their own corridor.

After the other Chen family members left, Chen Xiaohua would retrieve the books, poring over them repeatedly, memorizing everything she could, and then solving the arithmetic problems Xiang Chen gave her.

After a month of this, Chen Xiaohua’s progress was truly visible to the naked eye; courses below the third grade were almost no longer a challenge for her.

Xiang Chen secretly told Xu Hengzhou that he thought Chen Xiaohua was the true child genius, and he himself was merely an impostor.

Huang Hengzhou neither confirmed nor denied this. Chen Xiaohua was indeed clever, but it was an ordinary cleverness; frankly, by Xu Hengzhou’s standards, she wasn’t a genius.

What truly impressed him was her character: a girl not yet six years old, capable of persistent, dedicated study. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this child would likely be the most accomplished in the Chen family.

Huang Hengzhou didn’t share this with Xiang Chen. His little bundle of joy had no grand ambitions; as long as he ate and drank well, he didn’t concern himself with anything else, always radiating simple happiness.

This personality, so utterly different from Xu Hengzhou’s own, he found impossible to dislike. Instead, he only wanted to indulge him, wishing for him to remain forever joyful.

Therefore, speaking unnecessary words that might cause Xiang Chen to overthink would be counterproductive.

***

One evening in late April, after dinner, Xiang Chen cheerfully told his paternal uncle and brother, “Liangliang got a haircut today! His dad cut it for him, and here…”

His hand gestured to the back of his own head, a little off-center. “He got a bald spot there. Apparently, his dad wanted to leave some hair in the front, but he couldn’t cut it straight, so he just cut it all off!”

Xiang Chen laughed as he spoke, clearly finding his friend’s new haircut utterly hilarious, unable to contain himself.

As he laughed, Song Wenbin’s gaze fell upon Xiang Chen’s head. Having not been cut for so long, the child’s hair had grown quite long, with his bangs nearly poking his eyes.

Song Wenbin reached out, tousled it, and casually remarked, “Chenchen, your hair has gotten long too. How about your uncle cuts it for you?”

Xiang Chen’s laughter abruptly ceased. He stiffly turned his head to look at his uncle, confirming he wasn’t joking, then stammered, “No, no need…”

“Cut it!” Song Wenbin slapped his thigh. “Both you and your brother will get haircuts.”

Huang Hengzhou, who had been enjoying the spectacle from the sidelines, found the fire now burning him. Unhurried, he said with a smile, “Uncle, your hair has gotten long too. How about we all get haircuts together?”

Upon hearing this, Song Wenbin reached up to touch his own hair. It did seem a bit long. His hair grew slowly, so he hadn’t paid much attention.

“Alright,” Song Wenbin nodded, speaking with great experience. “Boil plenty of hot water. After the cut, take a bath to avoid getting itchy from hair clippings.”

Xiang Chen felt a pang of anxiety, looking expectantly at his brother, hoping he had a brilliant solution.

Huang Hengzhou continued leisurely, “Uncle, can you cut your own hair?”

“How could I do that!” Song Wenbin laughed. “I can’t see the back. No problem, I’ll find someone else to cut it. Many people in the family building know how to cut hair.”

Huang Hengzhou showed a troubled expression. “Liangliang’s dad also said he knew how to cut hair…”

Song Wenbin immediately understood. Yes, people might know how to cut hair, but the result was uncertain. If it was truly ruined, like a dog-chewed mess, you couldn’t go back to them.

Huang Hengzhou, seeing his uncle’s expression waver, quickly added, “How about… we go to a barbershop? Those who can run a shop usually cut well.

We can all go. It doesn’t matter for us, but if your hair doesn’t look good, you won’t appear authoritative enough. And if Chenchen ends up like Liangliang, his classmates will laugh at him.”

Song Wenbin’s eyes lit up. That made sense! He didn’t care for himself, but his own child couldn’t be laughed at. A barbershop it was. It was only a few dimes; he could certainly afford that.

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