Chapter 7 Meat Soup for a Long Walk

When I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, I once saw my father coming back from the field sweating profusely, holding a brand new iron pot tied with a straw rope in his hand.As he walked, he summoned us: "Come, come and eat meat soup, this is the best meat soup Dad has ever eaten." He untied the straw rope, and talked about the origin of the pot of meat soup. My father went to the distant Fengshan to hold a farmer's association. At noon, he went to the market to eat meat soup and found that the meat soup was very delicious. He thought to himself: "I hope my wife and children can also eat such delicious meat soup." Ah!" But in that era, there were no plastic bags, so it was really difficult to take out meat soup.Immediately, Dad went to a nearby hardware store to buy an iron pot and asked for a straw rope from the head shop. Then he went back to the meat soup stall, bought a pot full of meat soup, tied it with a straw rope, and carried it home.

At that time, the traffic was inconvenient, and the road from Fengshan to Qishan was bumpy. Usually, if you don’t mention anything, you will feel dizzy and disheartened when you take a passenger car, not to mention carrying a pot full of meat soup? It is conceivable that the father who took the whole pot of meat soup between his legs and returned home in a passenger car was thrilling.Although he was so careful, the meat soup still overflowed a lot. When he got home, the outside of the pot and the straw rope were already covered with meat soup, and even Dad's trousers were wet a lot.The pot was opened under our onlookers, and there was only half of the pot of meat soup left.Mother added half a bowl of meat soup for each of our children, and half a bowl for herself.

Because we know that this is the meat soup brought back from Fengshan by our father, we have a solemn, joyful, and expectant mood when we eat it. Contrary to the way we usually gobble it up, we taste the long-distance journey in small bites. , meat soup full of love and the remaining warmth of love. Dad sat happily on the sidelines admiring our eating, showing his usual cheerful smile.While eating the meat soup, my mother said: "The meat soup brought back from Fengshan is really delicious!" Dad said: "It is really delicious, so I will go all out to bring it back so far! The price of this iron pot is meat. It's ten times as good as soup!" When Dad said this, I felt the warm atmosphere fill the entire dining room with the smell of meat soup and coriander.

No, at that time we didn't call it a dining room, but a kitchen. That year, in the dark kitchen, the meat soup eaten under the dim candlelight was so delicious. After more than 30 years, I have never eaten better meat soup than that. Because the meat soup has a special seasoning added, which is the expression of father's abundant love and long journey!This made me truly experience that sufficient love alone is not enough. Equally important as love is hard work and true expression. Love without practice and expression is invisible and illusory.I think this is the reason why the generation of parents, whose love is so full and true, never say "I love you", or even say a word of "love" in their whole life!Love is the seasoning, and it will be more delicious if it is added to the meat soup.

Ever since I ate the meat soup that my father brought back from Fengshan, every time I pass by Fengshan, I feel a sense of intimacy.This Fengshan is where Dad used to buy meat soup! My parents are both good at expressing love. Therefore, when I was very young, I knew that even the smallest things can be used as expressions of feelings; face. Happiness is often hidden in ordinary things. As long as you put a little effort into it, ordinary things will become extraordinary, beautiful and solemn.As long as you add a little heart, the mundane days will become lovely, amiable, and memorable. Just like no matter how old I get, no matter where I am, as long as I think of the pot of meat soup that my father brought back from Fengshan, there will still be a turbulent craze rolling in my heart thirty years ago.The meat soup may be cold, but the love and wishes in life will always be hot; the meat soup may overflow in the turmoil, but the true love treasured in life will never die.