Grandma Su never made small steamed buns; they were always large, about the size of an adult's fist.
The filling wasn't pure meat but a mix with forty percent vegetables, making them not greasy at all.
"As I'm getting older, I can only eat two at most. Any more than that, and I won't be able to sleep well tonight."
Shen Zizhen smiled. Su Xiaotian suddenly noticed that the wrinkles on Shen Zizhen's face had indeed deepened, even more so than when he was at the brigade.
This showed that Shen Zizhen had been truly working hard during this period.
"Uncle Shen, have some malted milk. Grandma asked me to bring a large can for you." Su Xiaotian pushed Shen Zizhen's cup towards him.
"Last night, Auntie Taohua said I wouldn't need to prepare anything, that Auntie would have it ready. And indeed, she did."
Shen Zizhen took a sip of malted milk and ate the steamed buns with relish.
"It would be even better with soy milk, but soy milk isn't easy to bring on the train," Su Xiaotian said regretfully.
It was much better decades later, with more convenience foods. Unlike now, where things were somewhat inconvenient.
After eating the steamed buns, they waited a short while for the post-meal fruit.
After eating and drinking their fill, Shen Zizhen couldn't help but sigh.
"On the train, the food is even better than what we have in the research lab."
When things got busy in the lab, they would often just grab a quick bite.
"Uncle Shen, you also said you're getting older. You can't keep pushing yourself like this," Su Xiaotian said with concern.
"Some things, I only feel at ease when I do them myself. Fortunately, Sanggong is working very hard now. In a few more years, I can finally relax!" Shen Zizhen looked at Su Sangong with satisfaction.
He was currently leading several people, but Su Sangong was the one he was most pleased with.
Xiao Mei was also good, but once a girl gets married, she inevitably gets distracted.
In the future, she would likely have to focus more on her family.
He subconsciously looked at Su Xiaotian again. She was also a girl. He wondered if she would also focus her priorities on her family in the future.
If she truly focused her priorities on her family, it would be somewhat regrettable.
"I will work hard, Teacher!" Su Sangong said respectfully.
"Since Xiaotian has reminded me, let's get some rest early later. Sleeping on the train isn't secure, and not resting well makes one very tired!" Shen Zizhen said with a smile.
In the years since he resumed work, he had become accustomed to a life of constant travel.
There was no other way.
The climates in different parts of the country varied. For his seed breeding research, he had to establish bases in various locations, which meant he had to travel back and forth throughout the year.
Fortunately, Taohua took care of things at home, so he had no worries.
When he returned home, there were always hot meals and warm greetings, which was good.
Eating and drinking their way through the journey, and discussing lingering doubts in their research projects outside of eating and drinking, time passed quickly.
However, Chi Yiyuan, at home, felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, very uncomfortable.
Su Xiaotian had left the capital for the south, and he felt an emptiness in his heart.
What's more, those who shouldn't have left had left, and those who shouldn't have arrived had arrived.
His so-called parents had returned from abroad with a pair of children.
These two children were related to him by blood, but he could never feel any sense of closeness.
Of course, closeness was a mutual thing.
He didn't feel close to this brother and sister, and they didn't feel close to him.
In fact, they seemed to harbor a bit of animosity towards him, their elder brother.
Chi Yiyuan was older now and couldn't be bothered to argue with children.
But these two children clearly didn't think that way.
These two children at home would deliberately show their parents' favoritism towards them and occasionally say bad things about Chi Yiyuan, their elder brother, in front of their parents.
And this couple was also quite peculiar. They were both their children, yet they couldn't treat them equally.
As soon as the younger two said something was wrong with their elder son, these two would criticize him directly without asking for details.
"Chi Yiyuan, how old are you? Don't you know to give in to your younger siblings a little?"
"Chi Yiyuan, your behavior is truly terrible."
"Chi Yiyuan, how could you be like this?"
"Chi Yiyuan, do you even have a heart? Or is your heart all with someone else?"
Finally, Chi Yiyuan couldn't take it anymore.
He went back to his room, packed a few things, and walked out with a small bag.
"Grandpa, I'm going to stay somewhere else for a few days!"
He couldn't stand being in this house any longer.
Chi Niandong's face turned red with anger as he watched his son leave like that, without even saying goodbye to him, his father.
"Dad, look at this child. You've spoiled him rotten!"
"A child's misbehavior is the father's fault," Chi Ge glanced at Chi Niandong.
Chi Niandong was speechless.
Was he blaming him?
"Dad, I had no choice but to go abroad back then. If I could have stayed, I wouldn't have left!"
However, even he didn't believe these words.
Chi Ge smiled faintly.
"Is that really the case? How many years has that Huo kid been back?"
This son was no longer the child he once was.
"Dad, some things were beyond my control."
"Be a little nicer to this child, don't hurt his feelings."
After saying this, Chi Ge ignored his son and turned back to his own room.
Chi Niandong sat in his chair, lost in thought.
Just then, Yu Yuexi walked out, fuming.
"Darling, this house is terrible. That old Western-style building was so much better. Why do we have to live here? I'm not used to it, and the children aren't either!"
Yu Yuexi was accustomed to living upstairs and truly disliked the courtyard house the Chi family was currently living in.
If nothing else, even going to the toilet was inconvenient, let alone bathing.
"Just bear with it. We won't be living here for too long!" Chi Niandong said. "You and the children should be nicer to Xiaoyuan in the future. Over the years, we, as parents, have failed this child!"
"What? You want me to be nice to him? Why don't you say anything about how he treats his younger siblings? How he treats me, his mother?"
Yu Yuexi was very angry. Since her last visit, she hadn't had a good impression of her son, Chi Yiyuan.
This child had been spoiled!
"It was our fault for abandoning him early on!" Chi Niandong said.
"Was that our choice? Do you not know what the situation was back then?" Yu Yuexi clearly did not accept this explanation.
"I know, but no matter how many extenuating circumstances we had, leaving him in China was our mistake."
"Chi Niandong, what do you mean by that? You feel you owe him? You want to take him back to Germany with you?" Yu Yuexi looked at Chi Niandong in disbelief, feeling that he was a stranger.
Chi Niandong suddenly felt that perhaps taking the children abroad might be a good option.
He began to seriously consider this possibility. Would Chi Yiyuan become closer to them if they were abroad?