"That's definitely not possible!" Zhou Yiding shook his head. "That bastard Wang Chunming values ​​money more than his life. If he knew that Xiong Laosan and Zhou Huaixing were having an affair with his wife and he couldn't bear to part with her, what would they do?"

Zhou Huaian rolled his eyes, "What can I do? Ask them to pay compensation! This kind of thing is not uncommon. There are still several families like this in North Street of the county town! The wife is a secret doorman, and the man is a pimp who takes money to guard the door... Damn it, I don't know why these people are alive?"

"Let's go!" Zhou Yiding stood up, "Let's go find Old Xu. That guy has a lot of connections, and he can easily pass the message to Wang Chunming's ears."

"It's already this late, where are you two going?" Zhou Xiaomei came out of the kitchen holding Xiaowan, "Youngest brother, let's eat together at my house."

Zhou Huaian smiled and said, "No, everything is ready at home. We'll be back soon."

Zhou Yiding pulled up the heels of his sandals and said, "Little sister, you guys can eat first before we come back!"

"I understand!" Zhou Xiaomei hugged Xiao Wan and turned to say something to Wan Xuejiao.

Zhou Huaian and his friend rode their bicycles towards Xu Hongbing's house. There were villagers hunched over in the paddy fields by the roadside, planting rice seedlings. They all wanted to plant the seedlings quickly so that they could take advantage of the rainy season when the mushrooms in the mountains would bloom like wild flowers all over the mountains. They could pick up more and earn more money.

"I forgot to ask you, what's going on at Sancha Road? Are you still renting Secretary Yao's house?"

"Yes! It's still his yard, and the rent is the same as yours. When I told Secretary Yao about it, he immediately turned on the loudspeaker and broadcast the news. Before I left, I also posted a notice saying that I would take the bus with Xuejiao tomorrow."

"It's fine to stay at his house. I'll drive the tractor over to pick up the goods in the afternoon."

"No, it's too late to come to my place after you come back from Baicaoping. I have already made an appointment with Secretary Yao to hire his tractor to transport the goods. It's much more convenient than you coming here to transport them."

"Alright."

The two arrived at the door of Xu's house. As soon as they got off their bicycles, they saw Xu Hongbing coming out of the house. "Hey, you two are here. I was just about to go look for the youngest brother!"

"I'll give you the list and talk to you about something else." Zhou Huaian handed him the list, "Collect according to what's on it. There are many types. Remember, be sure to check carefully when you collect them!"

"Yes! We will be careful." Xu Hongbing smiled and invited the two into the house. "What's the matter? Come inside and talk."

"It's the same here." Zhou Huaian told him what happened. "What do you think about this?"

Xu Hongbing smiled slyly and said, "This is easy. Find a chance to pass the message to Mrs. Wang, and Wang Chunming will naturally know about it."

Zhou Yiding nodded repeatedly after hearing this, "Yes, Wang Chunming's mother is not an easy person to deal with. If she finds out, there will be something interesting to watch."

Xu Hongbing smiled and said, "That's right, let's just wait and see what happens."

Zhou Huaian patted his shoulder and said, "Thank you for your help!"

"You're still telling me this." Xu Hongbing raised the list in his hand, "Xiaofang and her daughter want to eat fried fish. I'll go into the house and put the list away. I'll go with you to your house. Lend me the fishing net to cast a few nets."

"Okay." Zhou Huaian and the other person turned their bicycles around, waited for him to come out with the urea bag, and then walked back together.

"Did your mother go to pick bamboo fungus today?"

"Why didn't you go? You left at daybreak with a machete in your hand, saying that if you go too late, your home will be occupied by someone else. I couldn't stop you. You said that bamboo fungus is worth several yuan a pound, and only a fool would not pick it up."

Xu Hongbing sighed, "It's so early, and she doesn't worry about encountering wild animals. I don't know why she is so brave?"

Zhou Yiding nodded, "It's the same for old people. If you don't make money, it's as painful as losing it."

“That’s right, I found that old people are all like this.”

When Zhou Huaian and Xu Hongbing got home, the gate was already locked. He opened the door and went into the house to get the fishing net. "I haven't had time to go out recently. I'll leave it with you first. I'll go get it when I need it."

Xu Hongbing smiled and nodded, "I'm only free today. I'll go down and call Li Wu later to go to the river to catch a few more fish. The ones we can't finish will be put in the water tank. If you want to eat them, just catch a few and eat them."

Zhou Huaian winked at him, "I heard that eating more fish is good for children's brains."

Xu Hongbing was a little surprised after hearing this, "Is there such a saying?"

"When my daughter Chunyan was pregnant with Jiuer, Doctor Wang said that white meat is better than red meat, and eating more fish will make you smarter."

"Besides fish, which other meats are white meats and which are red meats?"

"Chicken, duck, goose, and fish are all white meat, while pork, beef, and lamb are red meat."

"Yes, I'll let Xiaofang eat more white meat when I get back." Xu Hongbing thought about it and said, "Ah! Educated people are more knowledgeable!"

"Let's earn more money and educate our children well, so that they can be educated people in the future."

"That's right, I'll tell Lao Li too, his son Xiaoping will take the exam tomorrow."

"That's right!"

Zhou Huaian sent him to the door and then went to the baking room. Jiang Yu and the others had already finished work and left. The old man and Zhou Huairong were repairing the broken handle of the bamboo basket.

There were bamboo flats on each layer of the bamboo racks in the yard. He looked at the gloomy sky and thought that when he delivered the goods to Huang Yongcai tomorrow morning, he would go to the agricultural supply company to weigh some plastic sheets to cover the yard to prevent him from having no place to put the bamboo racks when it rained.

Zhou's mother, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law happily put the food on the table, "It's time to eat, eat first and we'll prepare it later."

Starting from this afternoon until the end of the mushroom season, the charcoal fire in the furnace will be burning day and night. Zhou's mother and Yang Chunyan moved some things from the kitchen over here, and they will cook and prepare pig food here from now on.

"Here we are." Several children ran to the sink to wash their hands and brought small stools and straw stools to place around the low square table.

There were two tables in the yard, one for adults and one for children.

This was Lao Xiazi's first meal at home today. Zhou's mother and Yang Chunyan killed a few fish and chopped up pickled peppers, pickled ginger, and pickled cowpeas to cook the fish with fermented black beans.

Braised pork belly, stir-fried pork with green pepper, tender pumpkin, eggplant, and cowpea are the three vegetarian dishes, and finally the cold cucumber salad.

Except for the pork belly which was bought today, everything else is from home, not to mention the vegetarian dishes. We don’t have to spend money to buy them all year round.

Old Xiazi was called to the table by the old man. He sat there somewhat uncomfortably. He was used to being alone and lonely, and was somewhat unaccustomed to the hustle and bustle of the Zhou family.

Zhou's mother smiled and said to him, "Uncle Xia, the youngest one regards you as his master, and we are all from the same village, so don't be polite!"

Zhou Huaian picked up the wine can and poured him a glass, "Yes, Uncle Xia, don't be polite when you eat, otherwise you will be hungry."

"You're welcome!" Old Shrimp's eyes were a little hot, "If you're polite, I won't come."

Everyone was tired after a whole day and was already hungry, so after a few polite words, they started eating.

Yang Chunyan carried Xiao Jiuer into the sedan chair and placed his small wooden bowl in front of him. "Eat slowly, don't spill it everywhere. Look, little ducks don't spill their food."

I don't know if the little guy understood it or not. He nodded, grabbed the spoon and started eating.

Yang Chunyan looked at the way he held the spoon, smiled and shook her head. She didn't know what was wrong. No matter how she taught him, he just liked to hold the spoon like holding a knife to scoop rice.

After the family finished their meal, Zhou's mother cleaned up the dishes, Yang Chunyan and her sisters-in-law went home to feed the pigs, and after finishing their housework, they came back to help Jiang Yu and others who were working to wash the mushrooms they had harvested today.

Jiang Yu put the bamboo stick on the shelf and said to Zhao Huifang, "Huifang, my grandson has to go to town to take an exam tomorrow. Your grandson will also go, right?"

"My kid is going too tomorrow, and I don't know if he can pass the exam." Zhao Huifang thought that her thirteen-year-old child might not be able to pass the junior high school entrance exam and couldn't find any connections to help him go home and work. It would be better to find a master and let him learn a craft.

Jiang Yu smiled and said, "My grandson just went there to make up the numbers. His old man said that if he couldn't pass the exam, he would let him learn carpentry from his uncle."

"If you ask me, it's better to learn carpentry and masonry than to go to junior high school. You see, there are so many people repairing houses and making furniture now. A master like Carpenter Liu can't finish his work all year round."

"Yes, junior high school is also three years, and apprenticeship is also three years. For peasants like us, it is better to let our children learn a craft than to study for three years in junior high school."

"I think it's better to learn carpentry. Carpenters work indoors. They don't have to climb up and down like bricklayers, exposed to the wind and sun all day long."

"You're still trying to be picky. It's said that teaching an apprentice a lesson will only make the master starve to death. My third child wants to learn a trade, and he has sought out several masters, but none of the carpenters or masons are willing to teach him. If he wants to learn a trade, even if he's not a relative, they won't teach him!"

Zhao Huifang was worried after hearing this. "I was thinking, if Jiaming can't pass the junior high school entrance exam, I'll let him come back and find a master to learn carpentry!"

"What kind of skills do you want to learn? It's such a big job. I'll just follow you guys and do it from now on!"

"How can a thirteen-year-old kid sit still?" Zhao Huifang sighed, picked up the bamboo stick and followed Yang Chunyan to the baking room, "Chunyan, I regret it so much, why didn't I teach Jiaming to read well before?"

I just thought that the family had no money, and even if the child had good academic performance, there was no money to send him to higher education. Why didn't I think that as long as he could get a good education, he wouldn't have to work in the fields?

Seeing that her brows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill a mosquito, Yang Chunyan whispered, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. Didn't Huai'an say the other day that if you don't pass the exam, go find Fang Dongming first. If he doesn't have a connection, asking Secretary Xu for help should work."

Zhao Huifang's eyes lit up after hearing this. She put the bamboo flat on the grill and looked back at her. "If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten that Uncle Xu used to work in Baima Town. He must have connections at Baima Junior High School."

Yang Chunyan smiled and nodded, "No matter what, I have to finish junior high school, serve in the army for a few years, and train myself in the army for a few years. When I come back, I will be in my twenties.

If you don’t want to follow us to collect goods, you can also learn how to do business from Sister Yumei. No matter what, people who come from the army are more down-to-earth than ordinary people! "

Zhao Huifang said gratefully: "Chunyan, you still think far ahead. Sister-in-law will listen to you and let him finish junior high school no matter what." (End of this chapter)