mijobooks Chapter 19: Laning Phase
Chapter 19: Laning Phase
Xu Damao was carrying fish, and his arms were bulging with something else he was carrying.
Qin Huairu wanted to stop him to ask what was going on, but Xu Damao, who usually gave her a second glance, ignored her and ran back to the backyard in a flash.
Qin Huairu returned home dejectedly, carrying Banggeng. She put the sleepy Banggeng on the kang (a heated brick bed) and helped Jia Zhangshi cut out shoe patterns: "Mom, I just saw Xu Damao come back from the front yard. He was carrying a really fat fish, and I don't know what else he was carrying, but he hid it very well."
Madam Jia smacked her lips; she was actually craving some too, as there wasn't a single piece of meat in the house. When she heard Qin Huairu mention the fat fish, she swallowed hard: "It must have been brought back from out of town by Zheng Hong from the front yard. Xu Damao got him a bicycle, so he should thank him properly."
"By the way, aren't you going back to your parents' house this week to exchange for grain? See if you can borrow your bicycle then, so you can exchange for more."
Qin Huairu's eyes lit up, but she shook her head again: "Mom, I can't ride a bicycle. If I fall and hurt myself, I'll have to pay for it. I was thinking, should I talk to Dongxu? He definitely brought back more than one fish."
"I don't think it's going to work out. You forgot, even though Old Tang is gone, Zheng Hong still has his parents back home. I heard last time that he went back to Hongxing Village with lots of bags and even bought all the groceries on his ration book and sent them home. This is not something for people in our compound to do."
Undeterred, Qin Huairu asked, "What if they give me money?"
"You're going to pay for it? Why are you acting so unpredictably?"
"We don't need to pay. We can have Dongxu and my uncle tell them that Banggeng is craving something sweet, and that we'll make some more for the deaf old lady. My uncle definitely won't let us pay for it then."
Jia Zhangshi remained silent. She wondered where her daughter-in-law had inherited her scheming nature. Was it really that easy to take advantage of Yi Zhonghai?
At noon, Tang Zhenghong finished taking care of the bicycle with Xu Damao and then leisurely strolled around Beijing.
"The Zhenghong Brothers".
When Tang Zhenghong heard someone calling him, he turned around and saw Tong Zhi, whom he had met on the train, pulling his wife towards him.
"Brother Tong, I didn't expect to run into you here. Hello, sister-in-law."
Tong Zhi, beaming with delight, pulled Wen Li aside and introduced her, "Haha, that back view just now looked like you. Wen Li, this is Comrade Tang Zhenghong, whom I told you about. We were so grateful to him on the bus."
"Comrade Tang, thank you. My husband, Lao Tong, is always so forgetful. He must have caused you a lot of trouble on the bus."
"Sister-in-law, you're too kind. This is our job. What a coincidence! You look exactly like a friend of mine, but you look a few years younger."
The couple had just gone to their hometown in Sichuan to have their belongings shipped. At that time, the train station already had luggage and parcels available for shipment, and some even offered door-to-door delivery.
Wenli was somewhat skeptical. She had two older sisters, but had never heard of another missing sibling. Could there really be two strangers who looked exactly alike? "Do they really look alike?"
"They look exactly alike. It's the owner of the small tavern near the front gate, named Xu Huizhen. You can go and take a look later; they might be relatives."
"Brother Zhenghong wouldn't joke about something like this. Lili, let's go check it out when we have some free time; who knows, we might just bump into each other."
At this point, Tong Zhi warmly grabbed Tang Zhenghong's hand and invited, "I was just talking about you, Brother Zhenghong. Come on, you have to come to our house for a meal today to properly thank us."
Wenli was inwardly resentful that her husband had invited people over without consulting or preparing. After sending gifts and money to his hometown today, they didn't have much money left. If they had to invite people over now, how would they survive for the rest of the month?
But she still gave her man face in public, and helped him by inviting him, saying, "Yes, Comrade Tang, my husband Lao Tong always talks about this when he comes back. It's a good opportunity for him to get acquainted with the place. You can come over for a visit when you have time."
"Brother Tong, sister-in-law, it really won't work today. I have something to do later. I'll definitely do it next time."
Tong Zhi didn't press the issue: "Alright, it's a deal. You'll definitely come to my house next time."
After Tang Zhenghong left, Wenli complained to Tong Zhi: "You didn't even think before you spoke. We weren't prepared at all, and you invited them to dinner. Are you going to treat them to noodles? There's no meat at all."
"Look at what you're saying, noodles can fill you up just the same. Brother Zheng Hong isn't the picky type. Besides, if there's no meat, we can just buy some."
"You don't know the cost of living until you're in charge of the household. We've spent all our money today, and I'm worried about how we're going to get by for the rest of the month."
The couple had been married for less than a year, and some minor conflicts in their lives were already starting to emerge. Tong Zhi had a good temper, while Wen Li loved to dress up, and she had already bought a dress before summer even arrived.
"What's there to be afraid of? I'm just a technician, how could I not be able to support a family?"
Wenli wanted to talk about sending money back to her hometown, but she sighed and didn't say it.
Tang Zhenghong walked around, bought two feet of cloth, and then went to Liubiju to buy some pickles before returning to the courtyard.
It was noon, and the women who stayed at home were busy cooking. Apart from the children, there was no one else in the yard.
This noon, Liang Ladi didn't come back to bring food to the children. Da Mao next door lit a fire on the stove at the door to heat up the food, which Liang Ladi must have prepared and saved for them this morning.
Er Mao is doing well and is playing with his younger brothers at the door.
Upon seeing Tang Zhenghong passing by, Da Mao greeted him obediently: "Hello, Uncle Tang. Have you eaten? There was a letter for you today. I saw that it was signed for by your third grandmother."
"Oh, it's Da Mao! Thank you. How about you heat up your own food? Is that alright?"
"Yes, my mom taught me. Would you like to eat something with me?"
Everyone likes well-behaved children, and Tang Zhenghong was no exception. He went to Liang Ladi's house, took a bowl, and gave her some sweet bean sauce and pickled vegetable shreds.
"Uncle Tang, we can't accept your things."
Tang Zhenghong patted Da Mao's head: "This is your uncle's way of thanking you. Consider it a reward for your hard work. Okay, be careful to keep the fire burning when you heat up your food. After you eat, don't go too far when you go out to play."
Tang Zhenghong was curious about who had sent him the letter.
"Aunt Yan, are you busy? Did Da Mao tell you I have a letter?"
"Hmm, I was just thinking I should bring it over when you get back. Wait a moment, I'll get it for you."
The third aunt was literate; she had checked the address when she signed for the letter.
"Judging from the address, it must have been sent to you by your comrade. Zheng Hong, I heard from people in the compound that you brought back a lot of good stuff?"
"Who told you that? I just brought a few Yalu River carp back to my hometown, and I'm planning to send them back in a bit."
The third aunt, wanting to cultivate a good relationship with Tang Zhenghong, 'kindly' reminded him, "It's true, I just overheard Zhongyuan Huairu and her aunt talking about wanting to buy one from you, make it, and send some to the old lady. Since you're taking it back to your hometown, just pretend you don't know anything about it and send it back as soon as possible."
Tang Zhenghong passed the buck back: "Thank you, but my sister-in-law is pregnant. She only has a few fish left, and she can't bear to eat them herself. She has to send them back to her hometown. You know life is hard in the countryside. They rely on this little bit of food to supplement their nutrition. If anyone in the yard complains about me behind my back, you'll have to explain things clearly for me."
The three women looked distressed and could only nod awkwardly.
Hmph, trying to manipulate me to gain favors?
impossible.
After a brief and successful online battle with Aunt Yan, Tang Zhenghong felt much better and hummed a song as he went home.
Little Jiedi clung pitifully to her mother's leg, licking her lips, "Mom, I want to eat fish too."
"You want to eat it? Tell your dad when he gets back. He's been fishing all day, and we haven't even had fish soup at home."
Then, Tang Zhenghong's shrewdness made him question his own existence, and he muttered to himself, "Where did this kid get his cleverness from? He never suffers a loss. Xu Damao and Shazhu are much better; they get carried away after a few compliments."