Chapter 69 A Little Interlude About Dividing the Fish

"Whenever the order is set up, that's when the fish will be served. I have plenty of time to waste with you." You could tell from that tone that she was angry.

In a flash, two long lines formed instantly, leaving the three of them stunned!

"Xiaxia, Jiang Chao, and... you there, hurry up and get in line."

Although they knew each other, the upright and incorruptible Director Liu had no intention of giving anyone special treatment.

Having arrived late, the three of them, carrying plastic buckets, resignedly joined the end of the queue.

The saying "It is not scarcity that is to be feared, but inequality" is a wise and insightful statement that is applicable everywhere!

The fish leaders, who were very particular about every little thing, often got into heated arguments over a small fish or a shrimp, which made the line move very slowly.

By the time it was Jiang Chao and his group's turn, the sun was already scorching.

"Jiang family's Wu Lifang and Yun family's Yun Xia each contributed 3 yuan for the fish fry, and each received 7 jin of fish. Pick your fish!"

Hmm, what are you still choosing?

Half-dead carp, black carp with white eyes, grass carp belly up, wriggling and jumping, and lobster with broken claws!

The original plan was to keep them in water so we could catch them whenever we wanted, but now... that plan has completely fallen through.

Their eyes met, speechless with embarrassment. The manager, knowing full well that the rest were all inferior goods, scratched the back of his head and said, "Alright, that's all. Take them all."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chao's gloomy aura intensified, and his eyes, sharp as knives, stared intently at the steward.

Yunxia tugged at his sleeve. "Even if the fish we caught last night are dead, the meat is still fresh. If we coat it in batter and fry it, it can last for a few days."

"hehe!"

The boy, his face etched with displeasure, stubbornly turned his head away. His sharp gaze finally shifted, and the steward picked up a slightly damp towel and vigorously wiped the sweat from his face.

"Add all of them together, 20 jin, please pack it up."

Jiang Chao stood still, and Yun Xia was a little girl, so Feng Jingling took the initiative to take on the task of catching the fish. While scooping the fish out, she grinned foolishly, as if she had gotten a great deal.

"Xiaxia, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Uncle Liu. Even if the fish are jumping around, we still have to kill them when we get back, right?"

"That's not the same thing. How about... I'll give you a few dollars, and you can go to the market and pick out a few fresh ones."

"Uncle Liu, really, you don't need to. This is enough. See you later!"

As he was saying this, he turned to leave, but unexpectedly bumped into Li Cuihua who was running towards him.

"Ouch, that hurts so much! You little brat, are you blind?"

The boy pulled his sister behind him, his face grim, his eyes wary, his muscles tense, as if he would attack her if she made any sudden movements.

"You little wolf cub, just like your short-lived father."

"Grandma, the deceased is gone. Please be mindful of your words."

“*** (national essence), I’m only 36 this year, I’m still young, who are you calling grandma?”

The boy, his mouth pounding on his fist, exclaimed in utter shock, "What? Grandma's 36! Look at that hair, all black and white, that weathered, wrinkled face, that hunched back and stooped posture. Saying you're 60 would be an understatement."

puff!

Yunxia could no longer hold back and covered her mouth to chuckle.

"Pah, you son of a bitch, I'm going to tear your mouth apart today."

"Oh no, a shrew is attacking people in the street! I'm so scared!"

As he spoke, he made a smug face, and then... he darted behind Jiang Chao, his fingers still fidgeting restlessly.

"Jiang the Lame, get out of the way!"

“Aunt Li, are you sure you want to take action? If you offend his parents, the Wang family will only be kicked out of Jiangcheng.”

The young man had a good demeanor and wore high-end clothes. Coupled with Jiang Chao's words, the woman didn't dare to step forward, but she still kept swearing.

"Li Cuihua, you foul-mouthed bastard, shut up! What are you doing at the neighborhood committee office?"

The woman got angry at the mention of this, glared at him, and said angrily, "What are you here for? Ha, I'm here to collect the fish, of course."

“Miss Li, you must be mistaken. The Wang family did not pay for the fish fry,” the steward, who was tidying up the table, interjected.

"Nonsense, I asked Sister Kang to pay it for me. Bring me the account book, I'll look at it myself."

Li Cuihua was notorious for her shrewishness and unreasonableness, leaving the manager with no choice but to hand her the account books.

The woman looked at each line carefully, flipping through the pages to the very end, but she couldn't find any names belonging to the Wang family.

"Impossible, this is impossible! I clearly remember asking Sister Kang to pay one yuan for me!"

"Aunt Li, did you give her the money when you asked someone else to pay it for you?"

"You brat, who gave you the right to speak? You didn't even see the fish, so why should you give her money?"

Well, even if they do meet, they'll probably make up an excuse to avoid paying the money.

"No fish if you don't pay, that's the rule. Sister Li, you should go back now!"

Remembering her son's nagging about wanting fish yesterday, the woman hardened her heart and launched into a tantrum, "I don't care, this fish must be paid for in full. Not paying is Kang's problem, go find her..."

"If you want to make a scene, go home and do it there. Don't embarrass yourself in the neighborhood office. Nobody here will tolerate you!"

Ever since that incident before the Lunar New Year, Director Liu has grown increasingly displeased with the Wang family.

Upon hearing this, the woman paused in her clapping motion. As she pondered a retort, she caught a glimpse of a plastic bucket filled with fish and shrimp, and her mind immediately began to work with ideas.

"Pah, you heartless bastard! You did your research before you came. You knew there were three 7-jin (3.5 catties) buckets in the Jiang family's bucket, right? Could it be that you can't forget your first love, Liu Rou, and you brought her along... Oh!"

The last syllable was meaningful, his expression a mix of bewilderment and a wicked grin, as if he had discovered a secret but couldn't reveal it.

"You...you...you are unreasonable."

These words made Director Liu so angry that he almost couldn't breathe.

“Li family sister, don’t speak recklessly without evidence. The Jiang family and the Yun family each paid for a portion of the fish fry, and that’s how you received so much. What you just said is an insult to the reputation of public officials. Apologize quickly, or I will write a statement and submit it to Director Yin.”

The layoffs are over, and the Wang family has given many gifts to promote her to factory manager, but that won't work for Li Cuihua anymore.

"Pah! Even if the factory manager comes, things still need to be sorted out. That brat has been eating and drinking for free at the Wang family's place for a year. The share she paid should be attributed to the Wang family. Quick, give me back my fish."

As she spoke, she tried to grab the fish, but the group quickly hugged the bucket tightly and began a tug-of-war with her.

"Li Cuihua, you're capable of stealing fish in the street, are you... even human?"

Pooh!

Luckily, Director Liu dodged quickly, otherwise his spittle would have been sprayed in his face.

"I don't care, you have to give me the fish today."

Protected behind her, Yunxia saw the woman's fearless demeanor and, recalling her timid manner when she met Director Liu before the New Year, suddenly realized the key word: 'position'.

Moving to the stall, he poured out the fish while casually saying, "Uncle Liu, the scale was broken just now. Let me weigh it, it's about 20 jin. Not taking a single needle or thread from the people is a matter of moral awareness. Here, the extra 4 jin, we'll return it to the neighborhood committee."

"Oh, by the way, I heard from the neighbors that there's something fishy about the textile factory's layoffs. They're preparing to write a 'petition' and submit it to the relevant departments. I believe it won't be long before they send people to thoroughly investigate. At that time, those who formed cliques and offered bribes are probably going to be in big trouble!"

The last syllable was drawn out meaningfully, as if afraid the shrewish woman wouldn't hear it!