HIDDEN PASSION

As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, Emily Johnson was jogging through her small town, with her grandfather, James "Ironhead" Thompson, leading the way. James, a former soldier with a stubborn streak, had grown even more stern with age, and his disciplined lifestyle had kept Emily in good health. Despite suffering from old war wounds, on good days, James would still set the pace, running at the front.

Emilys forehead glistened with small beads of sweat. She panted, slowing down as she saw her home in the distance, and said to James, "Grandpa, meat! Lets buy meat!"

Waking up early and not going to buy meat would be a waste! It wouldnt be as fresh if bought during the day or afternoon; it was best to go early in the morning.

Running to Jamess side, her eyes sparkling, Emily suggested, "Grandpa, how about making dumplings, your favorite cabbage and pork dumplings!"

James, with a stern face, pulled out some money from his pocket and handed it to Emily. "Buy wisely," he instructed.

"Got it!" Emily took the money and quickly headed to the market to pick out the meat.

Cabbage grew in their own garden, so there was no need to buy it, and they made their own dumpling wrappers, saving all the money for the meat.

Emilys mental calculations were as sharp as her spirit, and she ran to the pork stall run by "Pork Pete" and carefully selected several cuts of good meat, even getting some offal for free.

Pork Pete couldnt help but mutter, "Youre such a clever girl, who taught you this? Does school teach you this kind of thing?"

"Of course," Emily replied with a straight face, "School teaches everything. If I cant learn this at school, whats the point of going!"

"Just you wait," Pork Pete said, giving Emily an extra piece of meat, watching as the small figure of Emily ran off. This little girl was a treasure of the town; everyone knew her.

Emily was well-liked, not only for her looks and intelligence but also for her love of money. Despite losing her mother at a young age and her father remarrying in the city, she remained cheerful and lively.

While other children were still messy and running around with noses full of snot, Emily always kept herself clean and tidy. She didnt have many clothes, but she always wore them neatly, and even if they were torn, she could make the best of it. While other children ran wild after school, Emily would finish her homework neatly, earning praise from her teachers.

People said Emily didnt seem like a child from a small town; she seemed more like she was from the city.

Jamess family conditions were indeed not very good. He had married late, and his wife was weak, passing away after giving birth to a daughter. James was a veteran who was reassigned to a job, only to find the factory performing poorly, leading to his layoff.

To make matters worse, the family was divided at this time.

Since James was unwilling to remarry and only had a daughter, according to traditional views, it was considered "extinguished." Thus, the family estate was given to his two brothers, and James could only buy a small bungalow to live in.

Emilys mother was also not well and followed the same path as her own mother, leaving behind a daughter.

James was stubborn; he knew the marriage was not a good match and didnt want this short marriage to drag down Emilys father, so he insisted on keeping Emily with him.

Emily grew up in the small town.

On weekends, when there were no classes, Emily would make the meat filling at home, while James would be responsible for making the dumpling wrappers.

Despite being sixty-six years old and having various health issues, James still had more strength than many young people, easily kneading the dough and rolling out the wrappers.

Once the meat filling was ready, Emily pulled up a chair and watched as James rolled the dough into thin sheets, eager to try: "Grandpa, let me try too!"

"You cant do it," James said, looking at Emilys small arms and legs. "You dont have the strength."

"Im strong! I can even win an arm wrestling match with Fat Ye!" Emily said with a smile, "I have to learn someday! In a decade or two, when you cant use the rolling pin anymore, Ill be the one to make dumplings for you!"

"Even in a decade or two, Ill still be stronger than you," James, who never admitted to old age, couldnt argue with Emily and handed over the rolling pin.

Together, they made stacks of dumpling wrappers, thin on the outside and thick in the middle.

With the wrappers and filling ready, all that was left was to wrap the dumplings.

Emily happily pinched the dumplings together and asked James about his past: "Grandpa, did you only eat dumplings during the New Year?"

"Of course," James nodded. "And there was less meat, half as much as what we have now, mostly vegetables with just a bit of minced meat. Back then, fat meat was the most popular; it was greasy and fragrant! Now its much better, with more meat and less vegetables, and every bite is full of meat flavor."

As they talked and worked, the task was completed quickly and easily. The dumplings were ready, and Emily followed James to the pot, watching as he poured the white dumplings into the boiling water.

Well-sealed dumplings wouldnt spill their fillings, sinking into the water one by one.

James stoked the fire while Emily watched the dumplings. The fire crackled, and the water in the pot boiled, until finally, one dumpling floated to the surface, followed by others, like submarines surfacing for a reconnaissance mission.

"Ready!" Emily ran to get a skimmer,