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My Trash Can is Ancient
墨書 Inktalez
Hanno returned from the countryside with his parents, bringing back his grandfather's belongings. Among them was a round-bellied Porcelain Jar, its color long faded. Han Dad suggested it might be an antique, but after Hanno consulted an expert, he learned it was just an ordinary old Porcelain Jar. Hanno wanted to throw it away, but Han Dad couldn't bear to part with it, as it belonged to his father. So they brought the jar home. Mom Han repurposed it by putting a garbage bag over it and using it as a trash can in the kitchen.
That evening, Hanno was cooking. The quality of rice cookers these days was quite poor; they claimed to be non-stick, yet every time the Han family cooked rice, a layer would stick to the bottom of the pot, impossible to scrape off. They could only soak it in water and wash it during the next cooking session. Hanno scrubbed the pot with a wire mesh and poured out the softened rice residue, which filled nearly half a bowl, dumping it into the garbage jar. Busy with cooking, Hanno didn't notice that the rice residue in the trash jar swayed and then vanished.
He peeled some asparagus skins and tossed them into the trash can; trimmed some sinews from the meat and discarded them; broke an egg and threw it away; tossed out a chicken head and chicken butt... After preparing three dishes and a soup, Hanno and his parents enjoyed a hearty meal together. Han Dad washed the dishes while Hanno went downstairs to take out the trash. Huh? Why was the garbage bag so light? Although puzzled, Hanno didn't think much of it. After replacing the garbage bag in the jar, he took the trash outside.
As he walked along, humming a tune: "The soul sealed in starlit brilliance awakens from a dazed nightmare's confusion, unraveling this fate's thread, unable to escape this lifetime's solitude. Ahead lies gloom; behind are mountain passes; no matter how one tries to flee, escape is impossible. Destiny reigns supreme; yet a steadfast heart will not change, regardless of shifting sands or turbulent seas..."
Hanno loved this song "Sword Heart," but he wasn't fond of the television adaptation "Ancient Sword." Although Xiaoqiao was good, she didn't portray the Boss he envisioned.
"Xiaonuo, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?" Mom Han immediately asked when her daughter entered.
"What’s up? Did someone whisper something in your ear again?" Hanno replied irritably. After graduating, she had worked in a coastal city for five years but had grown tired of office politics and decisively quit her job to return home. Hanno didn't want to go back to that kind of life in a company again and hadn't looked for work since returning home. As a result, many relatives viewed her as someone who relied on her parents and often nagged Mom Han about it.
Mom Han understood her daughter's concerns and smiled sweetly: "It's your aunt; she said she could have your cousin-in-law help you find a job."
Hanno's cousin-in-law worked in a government department with a decent position, thus holding considerable status within the Han family. Whenever there was something needed, they would turn to him for help. Although he appeared enthusiastic on the surface, he often tactfully declined many requests and looked down on those who constantly sought his assistance. The three members of Hanno's family disliked bothering others and had never asked their cousin-in-law for help; thus he held them in higher regard than most and sometimes offered assistance on his own.
"No need; I've already made up my mind. I still have some savings; I’ll just open a small shop instead—it's more freeing."
"What kind of shop do you want to open?" Mom Han asked. "Do you want me and your dad to help?"
"No thanks," Hanno declined. "I want to open a casual self-service hotpot restaurant."
"Opening a hot pot restaurant?" Mom Han said, "Daughter, working in the food industry is exhausting, and hot pot has a lot of grease. Can you handle it?"
"I'm planning to open a Shabu-Shabu place where each person has their own pot. The flavors are light, and the preparation is simple." Hanno settled onto the sofa. "I've looked up some well-known Shabu-Shabu chains online, and I can just franchise from them. The chef can be provided by the company, and I can hire a few people to wash and chop vegetables. I'll just be in charge of collecting money; it won't be tiring."
Mom Han was swayed; being a boss was certainly better than working for someone else.
"So, are you buying or renting the shop?"
"I've decided to buy a shop."
"Do you have enough money?"
"Yes, I won't buy a big one; just a small place will do. The decoration will be simple, like a beverage shop, creating a relaxed atmosphere."
"Oh, as long as you have an idea." Mom Han stopped asking her daughter further questions. She now had something to say to others.
Hanno leaned back on the sofa and watched TV with Mom Han for a while. After Dad Han returned from his walk, she went back to her room, leaving the two of them to chat and watch TV. As the saying goes, young couples grow old together; the two elders used to argue often when they were younger, but now that they were older, their relationship had improved, and they no longer fought.
Lying on her bed with her phone tossed aside, Hanno's mind went blank for a moment before a man's image floated into her thoughts. He wasn't the typical handsome man of today; his features were not striking but very proper. His expression was resolute, and he had a tall and strong physique. Dressed in a crisp military uniform, he looked incredibly dashing.
"Where are you now?" Hanno murmured. This man was Wei Feng, her boyfriend and a member of the Special Forces. He had gone missing during a mission and had not been found since. His teammates believed he had sacrificed himself, but Hanno preferred to think that Wei Feng was merely missing or had somehow crossed through time and space.
Li Yishu clutched his stomach; there was nothing to eat at home, and he had to go out to find something. His sister was sick in bed, and without food, she would die. The young boy shouldered a bamboo basket and opened the door, the cold night wind making him shiver.
"Little brother, little brother," a woman's anxious voice called out. It was not loud, but it was enough for Li Yishu to hear.
"Sister!" Li Yishu hurriedly dropped the bamboo basket and ran into one of the bedrooms, where he saw his sister, Li Zhoule, lying on the bed and calling for him in distress.
"Little brother, it's already dark outside; you mustn't go out," Li Zhoule urged. She was already ill and didn't want her brother to fall sick because of her.
"Sister, there's nothing to eat at home," Li Yishu said with a frown on his small face.
"There is still something; there’s a pancake buried in the stove. You can eat that."
"I won't eat it; you should eat it," Li Yishu replied before rushing to the kitchen to dig out the pancake. The pancake was about the size of an infant's palm, barely enough for his sister to have one meal.
Li Yishu cut the pancake into small pieces, placed them in a pot, poured in a bowl of water, and lit the fire. As he stood by the stove, he suddenly noticed something in the corner of the kitchen—a porcelain jar. He distinctly remembered that there had been nothing inside it before.
Curious, Li Yishu walked over. This porcelain jar had been brought back by his older brother, Li Wei Feng, from the mountains; it could still be used after being cleaned. After Li Wei Feng was conscripted by the government, this jar became a keepsake for Li Yishu and his sister as they missed their brother.
Peering inside, Li Yishu was immediately startled and almost cried out; fortunately, he quickly covered his mouth with his fist to stifle any sound. The once-empty jar now contained many items: lettuce peels, bits of meat, an egg, a chicken head, a chicken butt, and a shallow layer of rice grains.
Li Yishu felt a surge of excitement; although these items were few in number, together they were enough for him and his sister to have two meals—poor children that they were; their two meals would consist of thin porridge. This was heaven's help; it was his brother's protection over them.
Carefully, Li Yishu took out the lettuce peels from the jar, washed them clean, chopped them finely, and added them to the pot along with the chicken head and chicken butt. He poured in a sea bowl of water and a few grains of salt and began cooking everything together with the leftover pancake scraps. As for the remaining bits of meat and rice grains, he decided to cook them tomorrow—mainly worried that food might not suddenly appear in the jar again.
Soon, a savory aroma wafted from the pot. Li Yishu took a deep breath, drawing the scent into his core. How long had it been since he last ate meat? Three or four years, perhaps. Ever since his parents passed away and the family land was sold off, he hadn't tasted meat again.
Li Yishu looked at his sister, who appeared to be six or seven years old, but in reality, she was already ten. Her stunted growth was due to malnutrition. The Li family had always valued education and farming; not only Li Yishu and Li Wei Feng, but even their sister Li Zhoule had learned to read and write from a young age. Their father was a scholar who taught in the village, and life had been relatively good for the family. However, misfortune struck when the government conscripted Li Wei Feng into the army, and taxes increased, making life increasingly difficult for the common people. Their mother couldn't bear the burden and fell ill, never to recover. A year later, their father also fell sick. To pay for his treatment, the Li family sold their land and all valuable possessions but still could not save him. After their father was buried, the family's situation could only be described as destitute. Now that Li Zhoule was ill, they had nothing to eat.
The villagers were not heartless; they wouldn't let a woman and child starve to death. However, everyone was in the same predicament with no surplus food to spare—each family could only ensure their own survival.
Li Yishu ladled out the mixed food he had prepared—what could only be described as slop—into two bowls. One bowl contained mostly black noodles along with chicken feet and heads, with just a bit of lettuce peel. He brought this bowl to Li Zhoule.
"Sister, there's something to eat! Hurry and eat it while it's hot," Li Yishu said excitedly as he placed the bowl in front of her.
Li Zhoule struggled to sit up and stared at the food in shock, her eyes wide. "Li Yishu, where did this come from?"
Li Yishu replied eagerly, "Sister, I have to tell you! The porcelain jar that Big Brother found is an Immortal Jar! This food just appeared in it out of nowhere."
Li Zhoule gasped in amazement. "Is what you're saying true?"
Li Yishu nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at grain. "Of course it's true! Otherwise, how would we have chicken meat like this?"
Thinking it over, Li Zhoule realized he was right and became excited as well. "Thank heavens! Li Yishu, you must protect that jar! And no one else can know about its magic except us. Do you understand?"
Li Yishu nodded repeatedly; he knew better than to tell anyone about the jar. Although he was young, he understood human greed all too well. With just one woman and one child in their family, they could not safeguard such a treasure—and it could even cost them their lives.
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