Ideal of the late 10th century

  Lin Zhenhua's spicy boiled fish won a round of applause, this dish was something he had painstakingly studied during his graduate school days in order to win over his girlfriend, and the effect was naturally extraordinary. According to Lin Zhenhua's own evaluation, this pot of boiled fish only reached less than one-third of the level of what he used to make before crossing over, because it lacked all sorts of seasonings, especially cooking oil. If Lin Fanghua hadn't snatched away the oil bottle in time, Lin Zhenhua was about to pour an entire month's worth of the family's allocated oil into the pot.

  "Xiao Hua, you've really changed since joining the army. Originally, all you knew how to do was eat, who would have thought you could cook too? I didn't expect that now you can make such delicious dishes, even Liu Da Chef from the small cafeteria isn't as good as you." Xun Hongyang said with relish, savoring the last fish bone.

  "In fact, I only know how to make this dish." Lin Zhenhua said humbly, "During the War of Self-Defense and Counterattack, our troops stayed in Yunnan for half a year, that's where I learned it."

  "This fish is really good," Zhao Yongqun said. "And this Wuliangye liquor, it's much better than the highland barley wine from our county."

  Chu Hongyang gave Zhao Yongqun a white eye: "What do you know, this wine is over three yuan a bottle? My dad has been dealing with reception in the supply and marketing department for so many years, but he hasn't had a few drinks."

  "How much is it?" Peng Shaozhe clicked his tongue, "Xiaohua, you've made a fortune?"

  "Hehe, a friend gave it to me," Lin Zhenhua said. "I saved an official from Hunan Province on my way back, and he gave it to me."

  "When will we have such a good thing?" Zhao Yongqun said, "I'm too full, I need to go back and sleep. Let's all leave, let Xiaohua sleep early too."

  A few old friends said goodbye and left, with a few boxes of Red Double Happiness cigarettes that Lin Zhenhua had stuffed into their pockets. They were all iron buddies who had skipped class and fought together with Lin Zhenhua in the past, sharing good fortune and bad, and when Lin Zhenhua had good tobacco and wine, they wouldn't be polite about it.

  "Brother, the fish you made is really delicious, I haven't had enough yet. How about we eat it once a month from now on?" After sending off Hong Yang and others, Lin Fanghua was tidying up the bowls and chopsticks while sharing her grand ideals with Lin Zhenhua. Earlier, she was too embarrassed to eat more in front of so many people, but now looking at the empty dish, she felt a strong attachment. It's also strange that Lin Zhenhua's friends are such big eaters, they even drank all the chili oil in the bowl.

  Lin Zhenhua patted Lin Fanghua's head and said with a smile: "If you want to eat, I'll buy another fish tomorrow and cook it for you. You can eat your fill."

  Lin Fanghua has already started to get used to her brother's intimate movements, and the siblings have not been so close for many years. This feeling makes Lin Fanghua feel warm in her heart. As for her brother's proposal, she didn't think much of it: "Good things can't be eaten every day, this fish costs over a dollar, not to mention you used so much oil."

  Lin Zhenhua said, "Xiao Fang, now that I'm back, our lives will get better and better. I promise you, it won't take a year, I'll make sure you can eat fish like this every day until you're tired of it."

  "You must be dreaming," said Lin Fanghua. "When we were writing compositions in school about a day in the year 2000, we didn't even dare to say that we would eat fish like this every day."

  "What did you write?" Lin Zhenhua asked with great interest, wanting to know what a day in the year 2000 was like in people's minds at that time.

  "What I wrote didn't tell you, our class teacher read out the model essay which said that in the morning, put the rice into a special pot, plug it in and go to work. By the time you come back from work at noon, the rice is already cooked and still hot. Isn't that amazing?" Lin Fanghua said.

  Lin Zhenhua was at a loss for words: "Sister, is your ideal just having an electric rice cooker?"

  "What's an electric rice cooker?" Lin Fanghua asked in puzzlement.

  Lin Zhenhua thought for a moment, nodded: "This ideal doesn't have to wait until 2000, I'll make it come true in 1980. Once I find the right materials, I'll make you a pot like this."

  "Brother, you're really good at bragging." Lin Fanghua felt that she had thoroughly seen through her brother's true nature. "Do you think this is an electric stove? When the rice is cooked, it will automatically turn off the power, and it needs to be controlled by a robot."

  "This doesn't need any robot at all." Lin Zhenhua let Lin Fanghua continue, "The temperature controller of the electric rice cooker is just a simple bimetallic strip, one side is iron and the other is copper. They have different thermal expansion coefficients, so when the temperature rises, it will bend and cut off the power supply. It's a purely mechanical product, not even using a single transistor."

  Lin Fanghua listened to Lin Zhenhua's serious words and couldn't help but believe a little: "Brother, do you really understand these things? Are you not bragging?"

  "Cut, I don't have the leisure to brag. If you give me a cow, I'll definitely slaughter it and eat it. By the way, Xiaofang, next time I'll make boiled beef for you, it's even better than boiled fish..."

  After washing the dishes, the siblings cleaned up the house and went to bed separately. According to Lin Zhenhua's past habits, he would not go to bed before 11 o'clock, but after crossing into this era, he could only adapt to the times. In this era, there was no internet or television, and the young workers in the factory had nothing to do at night except play cards. Lin Zhenhua's previous incarnation was very enthusiastic about playing cards, but now he had no interest in it, so he could only sleep.

  Before going to bed, Lin Zhenhua just found out that there was only a curtain between the two rooms where he and Lin Fanghua lived, but no door. This made Lin Zhenhua feel a bit awkward. In his previous life, Lin Zhenhua was an only child without sisters, and he had not developed his relationship with his girlfriend to the point of cohabitation, so he felt quite uncomfortable living in the same house as a girl.

  "This might be a bit inconvenient, otherwise I'll make a door another day." Lin Zhenhua said to Lin Fanghua.

  "What's wrong with sleeping in the same room?" Lin Fanghua asked in surprise, she had never thought that there was anything inconvenient about it. Before her parents passed away, she had always shared a room with Lin Zhenhua. Even now, in the factory dormitory, there were still many 16- or 17-year-old brothers and sisters who shared a room, and in an era when the per capita living space was only eight square meters, this phenomenon was not considered strange at all.

  "You're just a girl..."

  "Bang!" Lin Zhenhua's words were not yet finished, his head was hit by Lin Fanghua. Lin Fanghua's almond-shaped eyes rolled up and stared at Lin Zhenhua: "Did you become an idiot after serving in the army for two years? I'm your sister, what's inconvenient about that?"

  "Hmm... mainly because I've been living with guys all these years, need to get used to it slowly." Lin Zhenhua scolded himself in his heart, turned off the lights and went to bed.

  In the middle of the night, Lin Zhenhua woke up and listened to the even breathing sounds coming from Lin Fanghua's room next door. He couldn't help but get out of bed and walk into her room, sitting at the head of her bed. With the light from the streetlamp outside casting a glow, he carefully examined this sister who had been brought together with him since their past lives.

  This is the face of a sixteen-year-old girl, as delicate and beautiful as a spring flower, with a hint of a smile still on her lips, as if she were dreaming of something pleasant. Her hair was scattered across the pillow, and the entire room was filled with a faint scent of hair fragrance. It was summer at this time, and Lin Fanghua wore only a short-sleeved shirt at home, with two white arms exposed outside. She wore a pair of seven-point trousers on her lower body, revealing a small section of her calf and round feet, each toe so plump and delicate, like crystal agate.

  Looking at the girl who was fast asleep, Lin Zhenhua only felt that his heart was as clean as if it had been washed with clear water, without any evil thoughts. He whispered to himself: This is my sister, my own sister. Since heaven brought me to this era and gave me such a beautiful sister, I must take good care of her and make sure she has a happy and blissful day every day...