Chapter 75: 1968 is coming

Old Lady Liu's face was filled with growing disdain. Seeing Zhou Zhixing still showing his affection to the Jiang family even in the new year, she rolled her eyes and said loudly, "Zhou's boy, you said you were living with your uncle, so it's fine if you don't help him with his work, but why are you showing your affection to the Jiang family on New Year's Day? This is just like marrying into the Jiang family's family. Didn't you say..."

Her voice was quite high. Just then, Old Lady Cao came over to the Jiang family with a plate of steamed buns as a gift. She retorted loudly, "Liu Daya, it's a big holiday, why don't you stop driving a wedge between our two families? I agreed to Xiaoxing coming here, so why should we ask for your opinion on how our family does things? Stop meddling in other people's business!"

Old Lady Liu's expression was somewhat unnatural. She couldn't bear to see others having such a good life. She snorted and said sarcastically, "I'm just concerned about Xiaoxing."

She looked up and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Oh, Sister Cao, you're giving me white flour steamed buns as a gift."

Old Lady Cao held her head high, very proud: "Of course not, my family and the Mancheng family are relatives, how can we be treated like ordinary relatives?"

Chen Jinhua was sewing shoe soles in her room. Upon hearing this, she put down her needlework, stood up, and greeted the guest. "Aunt Cao, please come in. I can't have you deliver this in person. I was thinking of visiting your house later."

Old Mrs. Cao came into the house carrying a plate and said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? I'm just sitting around with you. Xiaonan is busy, isn't he?"

With someone coming, Jiang Nan naturally couldn't sit at the sewing machine anymore and got up early to get some water. There was some high-quality tea her father had bought at home, so Jiang Nan pinched a handful and put it in the teacup. As she poured the hot water, she said, "Grandma Cao, I'm making cotton-padded jackets for Grandpa and Uncle. It's almost Chinese New Year, and my mom wants to make them two coats."

Old Mrs. Cao's face was wrinkled with laughter. Although Jiang Nan didn't do much housework, she was good at sewing. Her daughter Xiaoxing said that all the clothes she wore were made by her own. When she married Xiaoxing, wouldn't Xiaoxing have to change everything to new? The more she thought about it, the happier she became. She picked up the teacup, blew away the tea leaves, and said with a smile, "Xiaonan is really capable."

She pointed at the steamed buns with flower patterns and said, "This is steamed by your aunt. You know, she's from Shaanxi and Gansu. It's customary there to steam steamed buns during festivals and holidays. This is also the New Year, so your aunt steamed a pot. Take some and try them. There are red dates in the buns, which are good for your health."

Shaanxi and Gansu are also rich in oil resources. When the Chaoyang Oilfield was established, a group of people were transferred from Shaanxi and Gansu to support its construction. They later stayed. My aunt-in-law, Huang Yuxiu, was one of them. At that time, she was the chief surgeon, but later she got married and put her family first, so she was transferred to the pharmacy.

Chen Jinhua smiled in response. Her family had also prepared a gift for Old Lady Cao. She stood up and went to the cupboard, pulling out the small wontons Jiang Mancheng had made that morning. They filled a whole bag, and when cooked, they would probably make two bowls. Made with both white flour and meat, they were just as good as plain steamed buns. She brought them over, placed them on the coffee table, and said with a smile, "Auntie Cao, these are the wontons Mancheng made this morning. Take them home and enjoy."

Old Mrs. Cao smiled kindly. Because it was a major holiday, her concerns were somewhat lessened. She asked softly, "I heard there's no holiday this year for the Lunar New Year. Jinhua, you're in the union, so you're the most informed. Is that true?"

Chen Jinhua nodded helplessly. She didn't know what was going on these days. They actually said the Spring Festival was a feudal dregs and that they should just skip the holiday and keep working. Chinese people had been celebrating the Spring Festival for thousands of years, so how could it be considered a dregs? She couldn't understand it, but given the situation, she didn't dare say anything. She only whispered, "Who knows what's going on? But it's probably true. It's not for us to comment on this matter."

Old Mrs. Cao began to feel uneasy. Who doesn't look forward to the Chinese New Year? Even though she was old, she still loved it. When Xiaoxing's parents were still around, although they didn't come home often, whenever they did, it was around the Chinese New Year, and the whole family would be together to celebrate the festival. It was so wonderful and lively.

Now that he's gone, they can't even celebrate the festival. Old Lady Cao sighed, no longer in the mood to talk. She simply stood up and said, "Then I won't sit here any longer. I still have a lot of work to do at home. Let Xiaoxing eat at your house. Just don't despise him, Jinhua."

Chen Jinhua smiled and said, "Look at what you said. I like Xiaoxing so much. Aunt Cao, take care. Come and sit with me often in the future."

Old Mrs. Cao held a lid of wontons, nodded to show that she understood, and went home with a smile to continue her work.

Although it was the Gregorian New Year, not as grand as the Spring Festival, everyone prepared delicious food to suit the occasion. Every household was filled with fragrance, children laughed, and adults were happy, making it very lively.

Jiang Nan specifically traded in some chicken, duck, and fish. Taking advantage of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Mancheng simply minced it all and fried it into meatballs, so they could just heat it up whenever they wanted. Otherwise, cooking meat all the time would be too conspicuous. Jiang Nan had originally wanted to trade in some seafood, but the seafood in the mall was all semi-finished, and their kitchen was outside, so their family was afraid of being caught. So, they traded in chicken, duck, fish, and other meats that could be bought at the Chaoyang Oilfield, leaving the seafood alone.

Jiang Nan didn't even dare to trade for more than seafood, not even beef or mutton. These days, city dwellers barely get a pound of meat a month, mostly pork, with beef and mutton reserved for ethnic minorities. Han Chinese who wanted to eat had to pay exorbitant prices on the black market. Jiang Mancheng had to pretend to go to the black market several times before he could find a source for a pound of beef and mutton.

Because it was winter, Jiang Mancheng had specially made mutton soup, which was so comforting to drink while still warm. The four of them cooked five dishes and one soup for lunch, a total of six dishes. The soup was mutton, and the stir-fries included stir-fried beef, braised pork, spicy cabbage and tofu, and spicy and sour cabbage with shrimp and scrambled eggs. It was better than most people's meals in the building.

While the beef was being stir-fried, Sun Qiaolian, who was used to taking advantage, even tried to get Fang Nansheng and Fang Nanhai to come over and ask for some meat. It was only thanks to Jiang Mancheng's quick eyes and hands that he quickly plated the food and took it back to the house, preventing the two naughty kids from getting their hands on it.

After the dishes were served, Jiang Nan sipped the mutton soup and sighed comfortably, "Dad, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

Jiang Mancheng raised his eyebrows proudly, raised his chin and nodded at the hawthorn juice. Jiang Nan had bought this hawthorn juice specifically from the system mall, specifically to help with digestion during the New Year holidays. He had bought several boxes and was storing them in the warehouse.

Zhou Zhixing understood what he meant, filled everyone's cup, and sat down obediently waiting for his father-in-law to lecture him.

Well, very well-trained.

Jiang Mancheng nodded with satisfaction, picked up his drink, and said with a smile, "Let me say a few words. Today is the first day of 1968, a very auspicious day. Last year was a fruitful year. Our Xiaonan found a job, became a police officer, got engaged, and is about to welcome a new member to our family. Everything is moving in a positive direction. Let's go together. I hope that 1968 will be as fruitful as last year and will continue to get better and better!"

Chen Jinhua: "It's getting better and better!"

Jiang Nan: "Of course, it's getting better and better!"

Zhou Zhixing raised his cup: "......"

He was still a little uncomfortable with this straightforward expectation.

The three of them looked at Zhou Zhixing. Zhou Zhixing coughed lightly and echoed, "Uncle Jiang is right. 1968 is getting better and better!"

The four of them drank the hawthorn juice in big gulps. Jiang Mancheng picked up his chopsticks and shouted, "Eat!"

Jiang Nan yelped and took a big piece of beef with his chopsticks, then narrowed his eyes. "It's delicious! I haven't eaten beef in a long time. I used to buy braised beef in soy sauce, but today I'm having freshly fried beef. It's really different."

Jiang Mancheng said proudly: "Of course, let's eat some more shrimps. They are fresh and delicious."

"The mutton soup is delicious too, so fresh."

The Jiang family is very harmonious, but the other families in the building are not so happy.

Take the Lin family, for example. Lin Bing's wedding this year should have been a happy occasion, but who could have stopped Tong Lili from bringing up the idea of a visit to Secretary Tu's house to pay his respects? At the wedding, it was revealed that Uncle Lin Youliang had been injured while rescuing Secretary Tu. It was actually quite simple: Secretary Tu had gone to inspect the well, and due to a mismatch in drilling pressure, an accident occurred. Lin Youliang, by chance, had saved Secretary Tu, and from then on, these two people, who hadn't had much in common, became connected. That's the story.

But no matter how simple it was, it was still a life-saving favor! Tong Lili wasn't like Lin Youliang, who was so hypocritical and wouldn't use such a powerful connection. She was really eager to show her face at the leadership compound. If she didn't get into the oil field, she might be able to get in through other means. But after all her persuasion, Lin Youliang refused!

"I saved Secretary Tu by accident. I can't use this as an excuse to ask for repayment. I'm not that kind of person!"

Lin Youliang's words were so harsh that they made Tong Lili's chest ache. She felt that she had made a huge mistake. For such a big thing as a gift, she should have acted first and consulted later. Let's see what her father-in-law can say!

Tong Lili lowered her head, her eyes rolling around, thinking that the end of the month would be the New Year, and there would be a chance then, so she didn't need to rush. So she took a few deep breaths and persuaded herself to let it go.

The atmosphere at the Lin family gradually became harmonious. Things were a bit strange at the neighboring Fang family. The Fang family wasn't unhappy, at least Cheng Meijuan was. This was her first year spending New Year's Day at the Fang family, and being able to spend time with her beloved was naturally wonderful. But Sun Qiaolian was a bit of an eyesore. It was because her mother-in-law was unruly and had a bad reputation.

There were also two naive children, Fang Nansheng and Fang Nanhai. Ever since she married Fang Nanshan, she had been very patient with them. But they were both nine years old and still didn't know how to do anything around the house. They even threw their underwear to her, her sister-in-law, to wash. This made Cheng Meijuan unhappy.

She was a pampered girl at home, so she had never been treated like this. Although she could cook for Fang Nanshan, not everyone was willing to serve her. Fortunately, Nanshan loved her and talked to her mother-in-law about it. After that, she stopped interfering in the affairs of her two brothers-in-law.

Today, New Year's Day, she had made a special trip back to her parents' home to bring some hairtail and pork. Cheng Meijuan was very proud of her family's generosity; just based on this three-finger-wide hairtail, she was confident no one else in the building could come up with it. But what did she see?! Her mother-in-law, Sun Qiaolian, had actually sent her two brothers-in-law to the Jiang family to beg for meat!

What’s the difference between this and begging!

Cheng Meijuan's family was very supportive, and she had grown up in a leadership compound, so she had never seen anything so embarrassing! Her face flushed with shame, and she almost wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Jiang Nan was delighted to see this. Cheng Meijuan had been married for so long, but she still didn't know enough about the Fang family. It was because Grandma Fang had been arrested. If she hadn't been arrested, this kind of meat-begging drama would be played out every day, and never the same.

Fang Nanshan knew Cheng Meijuan quite well, and he scolded his two younger brothers harshly: "Okay, it's not like we haven't cooked meat at home. Your sister-in-law is frying hairtail fish and meatballs. If you two don't behave, you won't have meat at lunch!"

Fang Nanshan had always been favored, and his two younger brothers listened to him, which was why they didn't throw a tantrum. Otherwise, even if Jiang Mancheng was very skillful, he would have had to talk the two children over and over again before he could bring the meat into the house so easily.

Sun Qiaolian's eyes flashed, and she took her two little sons into the house.

Fang Nanshan coaxed Cheng Meijuan softly: "Meijuan, you know the situation in my family. Since my father passed away, my mother has been raising the family alone. We can hardly eat meat once a month. My two younger brothers are inevitably greedy. In the past, grandma... I won't say more. In the future, if they don't listen, just teach them a lesson. It's okay, mother won't be angry."

Cheng Meijuan's face flushed red. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't embarrassed, but rather irritated by the two naughty kids. She took a few deep breaths and whispered, "Brother Nanshan, I don't dislike my two younger brothers. I just think this isn't good. It's bad for you and our family's reputation. It's not like we can't afford meat, so how can we ask for food from others? That would make us beggars."

Fang Nanshan's eyes were unfriendly for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by tenderness. He nodded and said sympathetically, "I know, Meijuan, you're doing this for my own good. Hey, I'll talk to Mom. You mean well, and Mom will tell Nan Sheng and Nan Hai about it."

Cheng Meijuan hummed, fished the hairtail out of the pot, and with a smile on her face, she took credit for it and said, "Brother Nanshan, this is the hairtail my dad and his friends gave us. Look, it's so plump, you can't even buy it at the supply and marketing cooperative. Don't worry, with my dad and his friends watching over us, our lives will get better and better in the future."

Fang Nanshan lowered his head, thinking about how his father-in-law had secretly called him over after the gambling case. He sneered. What about threats and warnings? Your daughter is still completely devoted to me. He quickly adjusted his expression, raised his head and said with a smile: "Yes, you are right. With Dad watching over us, our lives will not be bad. Is the food ready? Let's go and eat."

Cheng Meijuan went to her parents' house to search for food, and the Fang family also had a sumptuous lunch. The Qiu family also had a sumptuous meal. Although the Qiu family only had Qiu Pan'er and Tian Jiaguang, the young couple would not make do. Qiu Pan'er had a salary, so she went to the supply and marketing cooperative early with Tian Jiaguang to grab some meat and vegetables. This was her first New Year's Day with Tian Jiaguang, and Qiu Pan'er was looking forward to it.

"Iemitsu, look, there's fish. Let's make tofu stew. Isn't that your favorite?"

"Oh, there are some big bones here, Jiaguang. I'll make you some bone soup when we get home to nourish you."

Tian Jiaguang was smiling the whole time and was giving out nice words without asking for anything in return.

"Pan'er, you are truly the most beautiful and kind-hearted girl I have ever met."

"Pan'er, you're pregnant, so you should eat more. Why are you just thinking about me? I'm alone at home, so I can just make do with what I have. But it's different for you. You have to eat better. Let's save this bone and eat it when you go to work."

Qiu Pan'er had been helping Old Lady Qiu and Tao Meiyu with cooking since she was little, so her cooking skills were quite good. With her already noticeable belly, she skillfully fried meatballs and stir-fried vegetables, as if she had been given a shot of chicken blood.

Tian Jiaguang looked down on others in his heart, but he didn't show it on the surface. He smiled and provided emotional value.

Speaking of which, Tian Jiaguang looked down on Qiu Pan'er. If he hadn't been lucky, he wouldn't have married such a stupid woman. You know, his first target was Jiang Nan. Unfortunately, Jiang Nan didn't take the bait, so he had to settle for Qiu Pan'er.

Although she felt uncomfortable, she couldn't help but start planning. Qiu Pan'er's belly would definitely get bigger after the New Year, so she had to start planning her work early.

Tian Jiaguang raised the corner of his mouth and started to make plans in his mind.

As for the Cheng, Wu, and Zhou Zhixing's uncle's household, the atmosphere was, unusually, relatively good. While the Wu family had Old Wu's constant annoyance, at least they hadn't done anything truly illegal. For the holiday, the family still enjoyed a happy meal.

After New Year's Day, the police station was plunged into unprecedented bustle. Because the Lunar New Year fell early this year, the twelfth lunar month arrived immediately after New Year's Day, and the festive atmosphere grew increasingly intense. This brought with it an increasing workload, with frequent incidents of looting New Year goods at the supply and marketing cooperatives, sometimes even requiring police dispatch to maintain order.

The truth is, supplies are so scarce these days that we have to grab them.

The police station's pre-New Year thief-catching competition was in full swing. Group 6, with two top scorers, Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng, both volunteered to patrol the streets on New Year's Day. While they didn't catch any thieves, they did manage to resolve a quarrel.

The argument was bizarre, as it turned out to be over whether to eat dumplings or tangyuan for Chinese New Year. Much like the later divisions of sweet and savory tofu pudding, there have always been different customs for Chinese New Year dishes. The two groups argued so fiercely that if the two brothers hadn't been wearing military coats and aggressively interjected, both groups would have been so in awe of the clothing that their faces would have been red and their necks thick, preventing a fight.

You have to know that this is the Northeast where people can start fighting just by asking "What are you looking at?" or "What can I do if someone looks at you?"

In northern China, most people eat dumplings during the Lunar New Year. In southern China, some people eat tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). However, the main goal is to celebrate family reunion.

While Chaoyang Oilfield is located in the northernmost part of China, it's assumed to be populated by northerners. However, there are also quite a few southerners. When the oilfield was first built, talent was drawn from all over the country, so naturally there were also quite a few southerners. Furthermore, in the late 1940s, the south was wealthier than the north, and many of the southerners transferred there were educated and had considerable influence. Take Secretary Tu, for example; he hails from a southern province and is a university graduate.

Therefore, in the oil field, you can hear dialects from all over the country. This is also the reason why Mandarin is widely spoken in the oil field. Because everyone has different dialects, others won’t understand you when you speak in a different dialect.

I've gone off topic, so let's just talk about the quarrel. Since the people in the oil field are mixed and the customs between the north and the south are very different, it's not surprising that they quarreled.

Before the New Year, the police station was busy catching thieves. On the oil field side, because the oil field discovered a high-reserve oil well this year, it held a large recruitment campaign and its ties with the surrounding production brigades became closer. In order to deepen its ties with the oil field and to alleviate the tight supply of materials during the New Year, the local government specially held a New Year's fair.

Of course, under the banner of "Workers and farmers are one family, exchanging supplies for the New Year," it was essentially a big market, except that people couldn't buy things with money; they had to barter. If they found a good deal, they would exchange it; if not, they would find someone else. The countryside was short of cloth and sugar, and the city was short of grain. This mutual exchange greatly alleviated the shortage of supplies before the New Year.

The market is right between the West River Bank and the oil field. It runs from Laba Festival to New Year's Eve. It is crowded with people every day. Even at the oil field headquarters, many people come to the market.

Jiang Nan and the other three planned to take advantage of the weekend to join in the fun. The night before leaving, the Jiang family had specially discussed the New Year gifts, thinking that if they met Du Hehua and the others while visiting the market, they could give them to them, so that they wouldn't have to take leave to go back home during the New Year.

Oh, that’s not right. I can’t take a leave for the New Year this year. I have to go to work.

The oilfield has already issued a notice, giving frontline workers a holiday. The oilfield will use the holiday to overhaul the machinery. But those working in the office building are required to work. This means they won't be able to go home for the Lunar New Year. So, shouldn't the New Year's gifts be delivered early?

That night, Jiang Mancheng called Chen Jinhua over and discussed the matter: "Since everyone in the family has a job this year, the annual gifts will probably be a bit heavier. Should we give more this year?"

Chen Jinhua nodded: "Then give more. Xiaonan has a lot of melon coins this year, so he can exchange more things."

This year, thanks to the skyrocketing price of Chiguabi, the Jiang family's savings had increased. The system had everything, so they didn't need to buy anything. But they still had to buy what they needed, because if they just took something out of thin air, people would be curious. And if someone with bad intentions reported them, even if they weren't afraid, they'd still be in big trouble.

So the Jiang family had to buy it anyway, just for show, but most of the money was exchanged with melon coins.

Jiang Nan hummed in agreement: "Sure, I have five or six thousand melon coins now, which can be exchanged for a lot of meat."

Jiang Mancheng pondered, "Then I'll exchange it for six pounds of meat, three pounds each from Mom and Dad. And some wine, snacks, and candy, and that'll be enough."

Chen Jinhua: "Xiao Nan's clothes are almost done. Mom and Dad have one each. I've made shoes for your family, two pairs for each of you. I've also made a set of clothes for my eldest and second brothers."

Chen Jinhua was actually a little nervous. After all, clothes used more fabric than shoes and were more expensive. Even if each person had two pairs of shoes, it wouldn't be as good as a full set of clothes. Never mind whether the fabric was flawed or not, the shoes were made of scraps of fabric. In a sense, the Chen family was getting a bargain.

But Jiang Mancheng didn't care. He knew Chen Jinhua was especially worried because she didn't see him often. He smiled and said, "Okay, big brother and second brother are always out and about, and their clothes and shoes are worn out. Anything is fine."

Gifts were also required not only from the parents and relatives of both parties, but also from Chen Jinhua's martial arts teacher. This was a formal apprenticeship, with the kowtows being made, and just like nephews and children, gifts were expected during Chinese New Year and other festivals. The old man had been away with his son in another province the previous two years, so otherwise, a visit would have been appropriate. However, the two sides maintained close contact through frequent correspondence, so the annual gifts couldn't be less generous.

After discussing the New Year gifts, the three of them packed their bags, and then the family washed up and went to bed.

The three of them woke up early in the morning, had a quick breakfast, and went to the post office to mail a package before riding their bikes to join in the fun at the market. Of course, Zhou Zhixing was also going to go along.

At the Jiang family, Zhou Zhixing didn't need to hide; he could be free and unrestrained. He felt like he had grown up there. Except for sleeping at his uncle's house, he would come to the Jiang family all the time. Since he and Jiang Nan were engaged, everyone else just assumed they had a close relationship and were always close to each other.

Oh, what a sweet misunderstanding.

The four of them rode their bikes, speeding towards the market. A few days ago, the Yongjiu trucks had arrived, and Jiang Mancheng had finally become a car owner. When they arrived, the market was already crowded with people buying New Year's goods, and children's laughter could be heard in the distance.

From afar, the gray-blue ocean stretches for two or three miles, and shows signs of continuing to extend, which is spectacular.

These days, most people wear gray and blue. Occasionally, women will use a rare red or yellow cloth to tie their hair. This touch of red amidst the gray is bright and vivid, making people feel happy. Jiang Nan and Chen Jinhua wore red scarves today, standing out in the crowd and turning heads.

After enjoying themselves enough, the mother and daughter strolled through the market, pushing their cart. Baishui City attached great importance to this fair, thoughtfully dividing it into sections for groceries, vegetables, poultry, eggs, and pastries. From afar, long lines formed in front of each stall, the chattering and bustling atmosphere was vibrant, brimming with the festive atmosphere.

When passing by a stall, Chen Jinhua exchanged a stack of cloth coupons and sugar coupons for two big roosters. Both parties were very satisfied with the transaction.

Just as Jiang Nan was sighing about the candied haws, he noticed that Chen Wanli, his eldest uncle Chen Jinhai, and his second uncle Chen Jinyang had also arrived and were exchanging roe deer meat for the meat. Jiang Nan quickly jumped to Chen Wanli's side and grabbed the old man's arm: "Grandpa, eldest uncle, second uncle!"

Chen Wanli showed a surprised look and nodded modestly: "What a coincidence, Xiaonan, Mancheng, Jinhua, you are also visiting the fair?"

Chen Xingwei was behind him, teasing his grandfather: "Xiao Nan, Grandpa wrote to me a while ago, asking me when you guys would come to the market."

Being exposed by his grandson, Chen Wanli didn't feel embarrassed at all. He just reached out and tapped his second grandson's head.

Jiang Nan chuckled: "Grandpa, I knew you would come to see me before the New Year."

Chen Wanli squinted his eyes: "Oh, you know it again?"

Jiang Nan said sweetly: "Hehehe, I just know it. Grandpa, you love me the most. And my uncles will definitely come to see me."

Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinyang were immediately overwhelmed by the sweet words and were so happy that they were grinning from ear to ear.

After coaxing the old man, she asked Chen Xingwei loudly: "Xiaowei, are your frontline workers on holiday?"

Chen Xingwei nodded. "It's frozen now, and the oil fields are closed. After Laba, everyone will have a holiday. Dad and Grandpa told me not to rush back yet, but to wait until I finish shopping at the market and buy New Year's goods before returning."

Hearing this, Jiang Nan turned to Chen Jinhai and said, "Uncle, what do you want to buy? If you can't find it, I'll take you to see my grandma and let her find a way for you."

Chen Jinhai laughed: "There are so many things at the market, how can I not buy them?"

He turned to Jiang Mancheng and asked, "Is my aunt-in-law also setting up a stall at the market? Take us over to say hello. Since we're here, we'd better not be rude."

Jiang Mancheng was holding two large roosters, smiling, and fawning over his brother-in-law: "My mother can't sit still, so she set up a stall and exchanges supplies with the people in the city. It's just up ahead, I'll take you there."

Chen Jinhua couldn't get a word in, but she smiled happily. Although favored, she felt somewhat restrained in front of Chen Wanli. It was really Old Man Chen himself, with his peculiar temper. He loved and disliked his three children at the same time—it was a very contradictory thing. Not to mention Chen Jinhua, even Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinyang, two brothers in their late forties, didn't dare to act rashly in front of the old man.

I was really afraid that the old man would spank me if we disagreed. Yes, can you believe it?! The two brothers were so old, and Old Man Chen would still spank them! Two grown men, really can't afford to offend.

Everyone walked ahead, laughing. Zhou Zhixing's face was a little stiff, and his steps were slow. He had to slow down. He still hadn't found the tiger penis wine, and he didn't know how to explain it to Old Master Chen.

Chen Wanli seemed to have eyes behind him and asked quietly, "Xiaoxing, how's the wine you bought?"

"Well, old man, I just bought a tiger skin a few days ago. It's in great condition." Zhou Zhixing trotted forward and said mysteriously in a low voice, "I spent a full 180 yuan on it from an old hunter. You don't know how thrilling it was. It was Xiaonan's cleverness that caught the gang that was trying to steal the tiger skin, and the old hunter finally agreed to sell it to me."

Seeing that the old man liked to listen, he started to talk about how he caught the thief: "Oh, you don't know how cunning Xiaonan is. We were patrolling the streets to catch thieves. Xiaonan took a look and thought that the boy in front of us looked shifty and didn't look like a good person. The other people in the team believed Jiang Nan. After they walked away, they quietly dispersed and carefully tracked the boy from different directions. They followed the boy to an alley and heard him discussing with three people. They planned to take advantage of the transaction to rob the tiger skin and run away. We didn't take any action at the time. Instead, we hid and waited to see if they were really going to commit a crime. After all, we can't arrest people casually."

He chattered non-stop, "We waited until almost six o'clock, when it was already dark, before the hunter showed up. He was a cautious man, only handing out the tiger skin when he saw the money. But he didn't expect the guy to have accomplices who would grab the tiger skin as soon as they saw it. All six of us in our six groups went out and captured the four thieves who were stealing the tiger skin. That's how we saved the old hunter's tiger skin."

He continued, "The old hunter was a lonely widower. He sold the tiger skin because he had his eye on a coffin. He said the wood for the coffin was exceptionally fine, a treasure trove from the village carpenter that had been stored in the cellar. I heard the carpenter prepared it for himself. If the carpenter's youngest son wasn't getting married and needed a large dowry that his family couldn't raise right away, he wouldn't have sold it."

He spread his hands. "That's how it is. I contacted the old hunter and bought this tiger skin. You didn't see it, but it's in great condition. I mailed it to your home at headquarters yesterday, and it should arrive tomorrow. If I had known I'd meet you today, I wouldn't have mailed it and brought it directly to you. How wonderful!"

Chen Wanli raised his eyelids and patted Zhou Zhixing on the shoulder: "You kid, not bad!"

Zhou Zhixing straightened his back instantly, forming a sharp contrast with Jiang Mancheng who was nodding and bowing beside him.

Jiang Mancheng quickly interrupted, "Dad, Xiaonan worked hard to find the tiger skin for you. The package also contains the sweater and trousers that Jinhua and I prepared for you. Jinhua spent a long time searching for the wool, and I knitted it for the better part of a month."

Jiang Nan couldn't help laughing when she thought of Jiang Mancheng and Zhou Zhixing secretly knitting sweaters at home. Who would have thought that the best knitters in the family were actually two men? Jiang Nan couldn't help laughing every time she thought of it.

Jiang Mancheng didn't care about his daughter's smirk. He was the old man's favorite son-in-law, and Zhou Zhixing, his grandson-in-law, had to stand aside. He continued to smile, "Jinhua and I didn't expect to meet him at the market, otherwise we would have prepared the New Year gifts. We prepared meat, wine, snacks, and candy. It's even more abundant than last year."

Jiang Mancheng drove all the way until he saw Du Hehua and her family standing in front of a wheelbarrow not far ahead, bargaining with people to sell things. Only then did he stop.

A few days ago, it snowed heavily. Jiang Mantang, Jiang Bai, and Jiang Gui went up the mountain together and hunted two roe deer. They kept one and a half for the New Year, and traded the rest. Along the way, there were other stalls selling roe deer meat, but Jiang Nan didn't like it very much, so Jiang Mancheng didn't trade.

By the time the group arrived at the Jiang family's stall, the transaction had already concluded. Du Hehua had traded nearly ten pounds of meat for three feet of corduroy fabric. And that was only thanks to the fact that the corduroy was defective; otherwise, it wouldn't have been worth the exchange. You know, these days, corduroy is considered a high-end fabric.

Du Hehua happily put away the fabric and said to Jiang Tong, "Grandma will save some more and make you a jacket with corduroy. You can wear it when you go to work. You'll look like your sister Xiaonan and look energetic."

Jiang Tong nodded like a chick pecking at rice, with light in his eyes.

Seeing this, Jiang Nan remembered Zou Li's story about his father working in a textile factory. He wondered if he could find some corduroy. Three feet of cloth wouldn't make a coat, and considering Xiaotong's figure, she'd need at least another three feet. The Jiang family, as they were all tall, had to rely on others for fabric to make their clothes.

But Jiang Nan hadn't yet asked Zou Li, so she had no intention of saying anything. She only brought Chen Wanli and his two uncles to say hello. Because Chen Wanli was an exploration engineer and knew the people from the West River Bank Brigade very well, he was stuffed with all sorts of things along the way, and he couldn't refuse. By the time he reached Du Hehua, his arms were already full.

Facing Du Hehua, Chen Wanli greeted her warmly: "Hello, relative, you are quite a crowd, right?"

Du Hehua nodded happily, turned around and handed the torn bag on the cart to Chen Wanli: "My dear, wrap it in the bag and carry it along the way before scattering it."

Chen Wanli laughed: "Big sister, you are really thoughtful."

He took the package and asked about the exams. He was delighted to learn that both of his children had passed, and he was thrilled for the Jiang family. Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinyang, tasked with buying New Year's goods, greeted Jiang Mantang and were taken on a tour. Most of the vendors were from Xihe'an Village, and with Jiang Mantang, a local, leading the way, Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinyang quickly managed to find four large roosters, two bamboo baskets, a bag of about ten pounds of millet, and other miscellaneous items.

Chen Jinhua hadn't seen her father in a long time, and she had been following Chen Wanli around, laughing foolishly. Chen Wanli had always believed that his daughter was a fool with good fortune, and now it seemed to be true. Her son-in-law, granddaughter, and even her future grandson-in-law were all smart. Even if Jinhua wasn't smart, she would have no worries in her life.

At noon, the group returned to the Jiang family's courtyard for lunch, some on bicycles and some pushing carts. The Jiang family had quite a few workers, so the lunch was quite sumptuous. There were five dishes, including two meat dishes, braised roe deer, pickled pork and white cabbage, spicy cabbage stewed with tofu, stir-fried spicy radish strips, and mushroom stewed with vermicelli. Everyone was quite full.

After eating and chatting, Du Hehua invited, "This fair will be going on for quite some time. If you have nothing to do, stay home for a few days and go shopping. I'm sure more and more people will set up stalls, and the goods for exchange will be richer."

Chen Wanli shook his head regretfully and declined: "I have an important meeting to attend tomorrow, so I have to go back today and can't go shopping."

Hearing this, Du Hehua stopped trying to persuade him to stay. She simply took out a bag of dried vegetables she had prepared for her youngest son and said, "These are dried mushrooms from our home. Xiaonan told me you like pine mushrooms, so these are specially picked out for you. The other villagers heard you like them, so they sent quite a few to my house. They're not expensive, they're readily available in the mountains. Feel free to take some home and eat them. Tell Jinhua when you're done, and we'll prepare more for you. You discovered oil on the west bank of the river, so you're a benefactor to the brigade, and everyone in the brigade remembers you."

After seeing Chen Wanli off, Jiang Nan and the other three stayed for a while, leaving behind their New Year gifts and taking the bacon and duck Du Hehua had prepared before leaving. Du Hehua had worked as a servant in a wealthy family, so she was quite skilled at making bacon. Every year, Jiang Mancheng would bring some back, and any stir-fry would create a delicious dish.

When they passed by the market, some of the supplies were cheaper because the stalls were about to be closed. The four of them jumped out of the car, changed into four pairs of cotton slippers and two bamboo baskets, and then left.

By the time they returned to their workstation, it was already dark. Passing by the grove, Jiang Nan hesitated for a moment. This grove, in fact, held a story.

It was used when they were having an affair, when they were catching ghosts, and when the four of them were doing something bad and had Yuan Jianshe and Dong Jiaojiao tied up to death.

This grove is a familiar scene. As soon as Jiang Nan entered, he habitually slowed his breathing, even the sound of his footsteps and the cart became quieter. The three people next to him did the same. There was nothing they could do; they were used to it. It seemed as if coming here would lead to something happening unconsciously.

Sure enough, this time it was not surprising, and everyone discovered another big secret.

Jiang Nan covered her mouth: "Oh my god, why are they the two!"

Jiang Mancheng was not surprised at all. He found the best position to eat the melon immediately and couldn't help gloating in his heart. These two together were a perfect match.

Jiang Nan was speechless. When it came to eating melons, she could never be faster than her father. But Jiang Nan looked at Zhou Zhixing and saw him raise an eyebrow, as if he had known this was going to happen. She asked softly, "You knew?"

Zhou Zhixing laughed, "I'm not a god, how would I know about their affairs? I just think Fang Nanshan is undeniably a character. He must be feeling frustrated by being a gigolo at Cheng Meijuan's, so he's gone to Dong Jiaojiao to find a sense of existence."

Yes, the ones who were having an affair earlier were Dong Jiaojiao and Fang Nanshan.