There are three mid-range supermarkets, Aldi, Penny, and Kaufland, in the city center. Since I plan to make dumplings with everyone in the evening, flour, meat fillings, and Chinese cabbage are all essential. In addition to fresh seasonal fruits such as apples and pears, Dong Qiangqiang also bought several bottles of Trier's "treasure of the town" - ice wine.
After reading magazines for three months for his landlord Tiannanhaibei, Dong Qiangqiang now has accumulated some wine background.
It is said that German ice wine originated around 1830, but its birthplace was not in Trier, but in a small town called "Bingen" on the Rhine River. Time flies, as the vineyard area moved south and the winemaking process became more popular, it was finally moved to Trier. In 2002, one of the most famous ice wine producing areas in the world was Trier, Germany, and the other was Ontario, Canada. France, Austria and Switzerland also have their own ice wine brands, but their world rankings are not as high as the first two.
Trier's ice wine is famous mainly because of the high production costs, and one of the reasons for the high costs is the precious raw materials.
There is only one raw material for ice wine, which is ice grapes. However, ice grapes are not grape varieties like Kyoho or Sunshine Rose. They refer to grapes that are not picked after they mature in the natural environment and are still hanging on the vines to absorb the essence of the sun and the moon. of grapes.
Grapes usually mature and fall to the ground after October, but some grapes remain on the vines, taking on a mummy-like form. As time slowly enters the middle of winter, the temperature in the natural environment will get lower and lower. When the temperature finally reaches minus eight degrees and lasts for more than 12 hours, the water in the grapes will condense into ice and the grape juice will be extremely concentrated. , then the ice grapes can be picked. The cost of picking ice grapes and brewing ice wine is usually higher than similar processes, and 4 kilograms of ice grapes can only produce about 400 ml of ice wine, so ice wine is also known as "liquid gold".
Dong Qiangqiang didn't know this when he first arrived in Trier. He occasionally saw salesmen putting ice wine on the shelves in the supermarket. After he gained knowledge about ice wine, the ice wine in the supermarket had long been sold out. If he wanted to buy it, he could only go to the winery to try it. Try your luck.
He was usually reluctant to drink such luxurious things, but this time was different from the past. When he was putting the ice wine generously into his shopping cart, he heard whispers coming from beside him, and when he turned his head, he found a pair of dumbfounded faces and pointing hands. Dong Qiangqiang knew that Germans had a reputation for being strange, so he didn't take it seriously and just smiled politely in response to these surprises.
The queue for payment was long. He was bored and thinking about what gift to buy, but he inadvertently discovered various fireworks at the promotional area at the checkout counter. Although he didn't see the amazingly powerful two kicks that he used to do when he was a child, he still couldn't see them. The variety of fireworks really opened his eyes. He couldn't help but think of his hometown, which had banned fireworks for many years, and the New Year scenes in his childhood. After sighing, he simply put all the fireworks in the photo into his shopping cart. He planned to enjoy his addiction to setting off flowers on German territory. However, when he was checking out, he realized that the price of fireworks was much higher than the food, but he had already thought about setting off fireworks, and it was not easy to give up.
There is a Chinese supermarket next to the train station run by Thais who cannot speak Chinese. Dong Qiangqiang added Zhenjiang rice vinegar and all the condiments needed for eating dumplings. He had actually bought the same things in Hanover, but he left them with Lu Shan when he moved. After he arrived in Trier, he ate out almost every day and seldom opened fire after returning home, so he took advantage of this time to buy everything. The trunk of the pickup truck was easily half filled.
After meeting the needs of eating, drinking, and playing, he asked Ding Haifeng to look at the car while he flashed into Kaufhof, the well-known and only local comprehensive department store.
Although it is a well-known shopping mall, for Dong Qiangqiang, its scale is far less prosperous than domestic shopping malls such as Wangfujing Department Store, Scitech, Contemporary, and Shuang'an, and its products are also very few. If there is one advantage, it is that every time During the Christmas discount season, all kinds of products are really discounted, and some products are even broken.
When he walked out of the mall carrying large and small bags, Ding Haifeng came towards him and said loudly: "Brother Bai and the others will be here soon."
"So fast?" Dong Qiangqiang thought that everyone would have to play by the river for a while longer.
"My dear, Brother Dong, how many things have you bought?" Ding Haifeng is also a tour guide. He glanced at the bag in Dong Qiangqiang's hand and knew that he spent a lot of money. Looking at the heavy paper bags in his hand, he said distressedly, "You I just bought so much food and drink, and if I buy these again, you..." At the end of the sentence, Ding Haifeng remembered that he should leave a few words.
If you are in China, everyone usually gives each other gifts during the Spring Festival gatherings, but in Germany, during the Spring Festival, everyone is either busy with exams (Dong Qiangqiang took the preparatory final exam during the domestic Spring Festival before), or returns to the country, or works part-time, and may not have time to meet. Therefore, international students usually celebrate Christmas as the Spring Festival. After all, Christmas is the most important holiday of the year for Europeans and Americans. It is also a day for family reunion, and its meaning is similar to the Spring Festival.
"It's rare for you to come here. I'm so happy. These are all on discount. It's only once a year. It's okay." Dong Qiangqiang pursed his lips towards the back seat. "Besides, you didn't come empty-handed. You paid back the money and brought food." , I, a local landlord, can’t be ignorant, right?”
Since moving to Trier, Dong Qiangqiang has not spent money so happily for a long time. Firstly, he has no time, and secondly, he is not in the mood. However, under the Christmas atmosphere, he will inevitably have the mood to spend impulsively. He has been in Germany for a year and a half and has passed the stage of calculating the RMB he spent by multiplying 11 by 11 when buying things. His attitude towards money is also different from when he first arrived in Germany. For him now, money is of course very important. But it’s also important to exchange money for happiness. He couldn't compare which one was more important, but the people who came to see him from afar today were all true friends he met after arriving in Germany. He was very grateful to his fate for allowing him to meet these people.
"These are for you." Dong Qiangqiang dug out a few marked bags from a pile of bags, stuffed them into Ding Haifeng's hands, and warned, "Open them at night."
Ding Haifeng thanked Dong Qiangqiang and took a few paper bags. The two walked side by side to the back of the pickup truck. As soon as Dong Qiangqiang threw the things into the back seat of the pickup truck, he heard two harsh brakes coming from behind.
He subconsciously turned his head and saw a silver-white Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle and a dark green Passat parked not far behind him. Then the door opened wide and men and women jumped out of the car.
"Oh, let me go. Isn't this Mr. Dong? I haven't seen you for a long time. I miss you so much." A greasy voice floated into his ears.
Dong Qiangqiang could tell that this voice was Lei Lanting even with his eyes closed. He shook his head with a wry smile and strode towards the speaker. At the same time, he opened his arms and gave the other person a firm hug.
Lei Lanting seemed quite surprised by his reaction. He stretched out his arms and was held in Dong Qiangqiang's arms. He looked weak and helpless like a chick held in the arms of a hen. He pretended to be horrified and shouted : "Master Dong can't do it. My brother is also married to a girl now. I can't follow you Long Yang anymore..."
"Uncle Long!" Dong Qiangqiang scolded and pushed him away. Lei Lanting smiled and pulled He Yuanjin, who was wearing a colorful woolen hat, from the side to Dong Qiangqiang: "You didn't expect that, did you?"
"Well, I really didn't expect it." Dong Qiangqiang smiled and blessed, "Congratulations."
Before He Yuanjin could speak, someone shouted from behind He Yuanjin: "Brother Qiang! We are here to see you."
A white-faced scholar with a smile like a fresh apple hanging on a branch in early autumn flashed out from behind He Yuanjin. It was Lu Shan who had taken over Dong Qiangqiang's house in Hanover. I saw that his face was rosy and his cheeks were much rounder than when he first arrived in Germany.
"You guys haven't eaten too much German bread, have you?" Dong Qiangqiang smiled evilly and hugged him.
"How did you know?" Lu Shan was stunned by what he said. He turned his face behind him and asked Dong Qiangqiang, "Did my sister tell you?"
"Does your sister need to tell me this?" Dong Qiangqiang looked over his shoulder, and a familiar face came into his sight.
"Long time no see, Lu Wei." It was not appropriate to hug a girl, so Dong Qiangqiang took the initiative to extend his hand in front of her, "Welcome to Trier. Nice to see you again."
"Hello." A pair of white bead-like eyes met Dong Qiangqiang's gaze for a second before flicking away with a guilty conscience. She turned her gaze to the street shop aside. As soon as her fingers touched Dong Qiangqiang's, she shrank like lightning. go back.
At this moment, Dong Qiangqiang couldn't help but think of the scene when he met Lu Wei for the first time. He looked at Lu Wei from head to toe. She seemed to have nothing to talk to but Lu Shan, who was a bit more hunched than when he last saw her. Her smile was unnatural. Those eyes that once looked at Shenghui and the pearls of a thousand dendrobiums seemed to be still there. He saw something interesting when he met her outside the post office during the summer vacation.
The last time Dong Qiangqiang saw a similar expression was at the beginning of the year. Lao Bai, who was cowering in the hospital and lost his mind, also had the same expression. Unexpectedly, Lu Wei would have the same expression. It seemed that she had not completely emerged from the shadow of prison.
"Hey, your eyes widen when you see a beautiful woman?" Someone nudged Dong Qiangqiang's arm from the side, and he came back to his senses. He turned around and saw a pretty face staring at him with a smile.
Dong Qiangqiang carefully identified him for a few seconds before he recognized that the beautiful, sassy and intellectual person standing in front of him was Tong Lele, with big wavy hair, exaggerated red lips, and a khaki windbreaker.
"You said who can't walk when they see a girl?" Dong Qiangqiang seemed to be dissatisfied with the big label Tong Lele put on him.
"Isn't it you?" Tong Lele asked with a smile.
"That's Lei Lanting. Don't show off."
"Hey, who called me?" Lei Lanting, who was whispering to He Yuanjin, heard his name keenly and raised his neck with a vigilant look on his face and asked the person next to him, "Why do I seem to hear someone saying bad things about me? ?”
No one picked up on him.
"When did you start acting like a female star?" Dong Qiangqiang asked, "The lipstick is so glamorous."
"How do you feel?" Tong Lele spun around in a circle, "Does it look good?"
"It's beautiful." Dong Qiangqiang extended his thumb and praised, "It's like an ugly duckling turned into a swan. It's so beautiful that I don't even dare to recognize it."
"That's a good compliment, please don't do it again." Tong Lele complained, "Have you ever praised someone so much?"
"Yes, it was originally a swan, but now it has grown into a swan."
"Really?" Tong Lele seemed a little unsure, "This is my first time perming and dyeing. I have no experience. My hands shook when I was nervous. As a result, the rolls underneath were burned."
"Well, it's quite fashionable," Dong Qiangqiang joked, "I look more than ten years younger than before. No, some people believe me when I say I'm twenty years younger."
"I know you can't spit out ivory from your dog's mouth," Tong Lele asked with a slight smile, "Do you dare to talk to Du Lan like this?"
Dong Qiangqiang smelled an inappropriate question in his words. He looked around and changed the topic: "Where is Lao Bai?"
"He's on the phone in the car," Tong Lele nuzzled at Mercedes-Benz, "He has a lot of phone calls now."
"He's the boss, what about the travel agency?" Dong Qiangqiang suddenly felt a little indescribable sadness.
Tong Lele nodded.
"It's great that you are all on the right track." Dong Qiangqiang sighed, "I didn't think so before, but today I am really envious."
Tong Lele smiled: "Don't be envious, he will have something good to tell you later."
