Chapter 27: The Story of Pork Stewed with Vermicelli

Li Yousi carefully studied the files.

As expected, upon entering the core of the cultural troupe, he was exposed to materials that were previously invisible to him. However, he understood one thing well: it was better not to know too much. He would have to be careful to keep these things confidential in the future, never letting a single word leak out.

He Dehua had brought him not only the records of the Sichuan Army but also those of many other military units that had fought during the years of the War of Resistance. Because the "Battle Flag" was the largest cultural troupe in the Southwest, these documents contained nearly all the information regarding the Southwest battlefield and its soldiers, covering Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing, with even some slight involvement in the Southeast Asian theater.

As the cold, stark figures drifted before his eyes, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Li Yousi. He immediately began to write on his manuscript paper, his pen scratching rapidly. He entered a state of deep concentration, almost like meditation; for those three hours in the afternoon, aside from taking a quick sip of water, he wrote incessantly, producing three thousand words in a flurry.

He Dehua was surprised. "Comrade Li, you really started writing?"

"What are you writing about?"

Li Yousi smiled slightly. "Old man, didn't you suggest I try my hand at this? I wrote a story based on the files. I'll let the Director review it in a few days."

"That's a good thing. Your handwriting is beautiful, too."

"Old Chen, are you going to eat?" He Dehua turned to ask.

Chen Xiaotao replied, "Don't be silly, of course! If I don't eat, I'll starve to death!"

He Dehua nodded. "Comrade Li, you're the newcomer. We two old-timers should look after you. How about we go get some extra food today?"

He Dehua's invitation was partly an apology and partly because Wang Hai had instructed him to help the comrade get familiar with the environment—and nothing broke the ice faster than a meal together.

"Extra food? Don't we all eat at the main canteen?"

Before Li Yousi could finish, Chen Xiaotao leaned in and said with a laugh, "The extra food is for us to eat ourselves! A few days ago, I got Old Wang to get me a copper pot for the dormitory! I still have a few bottles of liquor in my room."

"We're having hot pot in the dorm tonight!"

Li Yousi smiled. "Alright, since you two veterans are treating me, I certainly won't refuse." It seemed the two seniors often improved their living standards in their dorms; they were well-versed in such things. He Dehua went to the canteen alone.

Chen Xiaotao led Li Yousi back to their shared dormitory. As it was a two-person room, it was naturally more spacious than Li Yousi’s. A stove sat in the middle of the beds.

Chen Xiaotao lit the coal until it glowed bright red, then pulled his copper pot from under the bed. He smiled and said, "Don't worry about the ingredients. Old He has some friends in the canteen; he'll bring some back soon."

Once the copper pot was filled with water and boiling hot, Chen Xiaotao took his lunchbox from the head of his bed. The top layer contained chili peppers, and the bottom held a block of lard. He tossed them both into the pot. Li Yousi was quite surprised.

"You keep lard in the dorm? You old hands are really something."

"My wife brings me a small jar every month. Old He and I improve our meals once or twice a week," Chen Xiaotao said with a grin. Although they were at the core of the cultural troupe, aside from their housing and salary, their benefits were largely the same as the regular members, save for an extra day or two of leave each month.

After adding some peppercorns, the pot slowly began to emit a fragrant aroma.

He Dehua didn't rush. He pulled out a bag of noodles and set them by the stove. "After we finish the vegetables, we'll eat some noodles. This pot of noodles is going to be incredibly delicious!"

He Dehua slowly opened the door and let out a sigh at the cold air. "Ah—I only had a little bit of minced meat left, but there’s plenty of cabbage and potatoes." He hurried over and dumped the contents into the pot.

"Your wife's skill with those chili peppers just keeps getting better!" He Dehua sniffed the aroma and sighed in admiration.

"Ahem!"

The door was pushed open, and Wang Hai coughed. As a superior, his sudden appearance caught He Dehua and Chen Xiaotao off guard. "Director Wang!"

Wang Hai walked over and produced a bowl containing a large piece of cured meat. "If you're having hot pot, how can you not have meat? What was that bit of mince you had earlier?"

"This isn't from the canteen, is it? Director, that's not fair!" Chen Xiaotao teased with a look of mock disdain.

"Nonsense, this is cured meat my wife sent over. I couldn't even bear to eat it myself, and here you are complaining." Wang Hai dropped the sliced meat into the pot. Now, it was complete.

Li Yousi watched the scene and couldn't help but smile.

"What are you smirking at, kid?" He Dehua nudged him with his elbow.

Li Yousi collected himself and said, "Watching you all, I was reminded of a story I once heard."

Chen Xiaotao asked, "What story?"

Li Yousi continued, "It’s about a group of soldiers during the War of Resistance who wanted to have a meal of pork, cabbage, and vermicelli stew..."

Hearing this, the three men leaned in with curiosity. With his natural gift for storytelling, Li Yousi soon had them completely engrossed.

Before long, the pot was ready. Without the leisurely pace of a restaurant, they simply cooked everything together and began to eat. The three men plucked meat and vegetables from the pot with their chopsticks, listening to Li Yousi tell his tale.

When He Dehua finally shouted, "Put the noodles in! The vegetables are gone—hurry up, let's just stew a pot of noodles!" Chen Xiaotao emptied the bag of noodles into the pot.

After a few boils, the noodles were ready. They scooped them into their iron bowls.

Wang Hai scratched his head and asked, "So what happened next? Did they eat? Did they get their pork, cabbage, and vermicelli stew?"

Li Yousi took a mouthful of noodles, exhaled the steam, and continued, "They did, they did. They scraped together what they could—Meng Fanle found the vermicelli, A-Yi found the pork, Bula found the cabbage... In the end, everyone got their wish and enjoyed a meal of pork, cabbage, and vermicelli stew."

Just listening to the story made He Dehua feel that the bowl of noodles was incredibly precious. He slurped up two large mouthfuls and sighed, "We must thank those predecessors! Whether it was the Northeast Army or the Sichuan Army, all those soldiers were great men. Without them, we wouldn't be here eating such delicious noodles today."

Wang Hai nodded heavily. Even as cultural soldiers, they were still soldiers themselves, and they could naturally feel that sincere emotion. He wiped his eyes and said, "That makes me a bit sad. My grandfather was also part of the Sichuan Army! He left my father and grandmother behind and went off on his own!"

Chen Xiaotao asked, "That's a fascinating story! Did you just think of that, Comrade Li? Why don't you write it down?"

"Not quite. I've heard bits and pieces from some elders and summarized them," Li Yousi said, making up an excuse to brush it off.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hai got an idea. Li Yousi was the troupe's newly recruited writer, after all. "You should definitely write it down. It’s a second-angle look at our martyrs!"

He Dehua laughed, "Didn't you say you had no inspiration earlier? Isn't this inspiration you came up with yourself?"