Chapter 12: Things in the Ming Dynasty

Cheng Xuyuan didn't know that he had just passed by his nominal wife.

After delivering the manuscript, Cheng Xuyuan rode his bike to Dazhalan.

This alley is only over 300 meters long, but it is home to many famous brands.

For example, Liubiju's pickles, Zhang Yiyuan's tea, etc.

It's just that these well-known brands are now called other names! He is just here to feast his eyes.

After all, he didn't have tickets for many things.

Even though I have money, I can only watch.

Although today is not Sunday, there are still a lot of people in Xinhua Bookstore.

The books here are still divided into nine categories, six of which Cheng Xuyuan is not interested in. As for the other three categories, he is also not interested in many of them.

After walking around for a while from Xinhua Bookstore to Qianmen Street, Cheng Xuyuan had only one feeling: Quanjude's roast duck was really expensive.

Eight yuan for a duck! It hurts just thinking about it.

You know, his current salary is only more than 40 yuan.

In other words, his salary alone would not be enough to buy six ducks even if he didn't eat or drink for a month.

So, after swallowing his saliva, Cheng Xuyuan finally had no choice but to return to the cultural center obediently.

A penny can make a hero fall.

Although Cheng Xuyuan couldn't say that he had no money, the consumption of food and daily necessities in the past few days had reduced the hundred yuan he had saved to eighty-three yuan.

I can’t eat roast duck for now, but I still have to eat dinner.

Cheng Xuyuan rode Lao Li's bicycle to the state-owned dumpling restaurant and ordered four taels of dumplings for himself.

The waitress is already familiar with Cheng Xuyuan, a young man who often comes to eat.

When she brought over a large plate of dumplings, the waitress, who was in her forties and looked a bit chubby, said, "Young man, you can't keep eating out."

"It's okay to eat out once in a while, but who can stand it if you eat out every day?"

"You can save at least half of that money by cooking for yourself."

Listening to this simple advice, Cheng Xuyuan was deeply moved.

In later times, would waiters in restaurants actively advise customers to eat out less? But in this simple and unpretentious era, such advice is normal.

After all, waiters at state-owned dumpling restaurants receive a fixed salary, which means they are guaranteed a stable income! Cheng Xuyuan hesitated for a moment, then said with gratitude: "Sister, thank you for thinking about me. You are so kind-hearted!"

"I don't want to eat out every day."

"But our company doesn't have a cafeteria. I just reported in and I don't have all the pots and pans, so I have to go out to eat."

"Don't worry, I'll cook for myself once I've cleaned up my place."

The middle-aged lady nodded in relief and said, "That's good. I was just worried that you, a young man, didn't know the importance of things and only wanted to eat delicious food."

"Hey, your company is the same, why is there no cafeteria?"

"By the way, where do you work?"

Cheng Xuyuan said: "I'm at the district cultural center."

The middle-aged lady curled her lips and said, "Your cultural center sounds good, but in terms of cost-effectiveness, it's not as good as the plastic factory next to us."

"Young man, if there are people at home, move around and find another place as soon as possible."

While eating the pork and sauerkraut dumplings, Cheng Xuyuan suddenly felt that the dumplings were not very fragrant.

Is the Cultural Center so shameful? Fortunately, this lady was just showing concern temporarily. After chatting for a while, she returned to the kitchen and chatted with another waiter who was making dumplings.

After quickly finishing the dumplings, Cheng Xuyuan returned to the cultural center.

At the gate, Old Li was eating, and there were also dumplings in his aluminum lunch box.

Seeing Cheng Xuyuan, he smiled and said, "Xiao Cheng, have you eaten yet? My wife made dumplings today, stuffed with pork and cabbage. Would you like to try some?"

Seeing that there weren't many dumplings in Old Li's lunch box, Cheng Xuyuan hurriedly said, "Thank you, Uncle Li. I just ate outside."

"I've left the car here for you. Eat first. I'm going back."

As he spoke, Cheng Xuyuan handed Old Li another Mudan cigarette.

Old Li took the cigarette and said with a smile, "Xiao Cheng, go back and have a rest early."

"Will you use the car when you go to your relative's house tomorrow? If you need a car, just ask me to borrow it."

Going to a relative's house?

Cheng Xuyuan was stunned for a moment.

Suddenly I remembered that Shen Yulin invited me to dinner at his house on Sunday.

Old Li was also there at the time.

I also agreed to it.

It seems that I need to go and meet him!

Cheng Xuyuan exchanged a few words with Old Li and then walked towards his residence.

As he walked, he was thinking about his memories of Shen Yumo's parents.

Shen Yumo's mother seemed to be a doctor. I heard that her medical skills were very good, but she came from a poor family. According to my memory, she seemed to be from a wealthy family.

As for Shen Yumo's father, my memory of him is rather vague.

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

But one thing is certain, that is, Shen Yumo's father is much more powerful than his mother.

Shen Yumo and I were able to return to Beijing this time thanks to this father-in-law.

Or the light of my former father-in-law.

This person seemed a little nervous about going into the city to meet Shen Yumo's parents, fearing that he would leave a bad impression.

But I'm not afraid of anything!

I want to divorce Shen Yumo, not to mention the reputation of being a heartless person, which seems to be borne by Shen Yumo! However, no matter what, after all, now I don't have to fight on the river bank to dig the river, which is because of this father-in-law.

This time someone is treating me to a meal, so I have to bring some gifts.

But what to bring?

When he arrived at the dormitory, Cheng Xuyuan took out a small iron box that was placed on the bedside. In the box were various tickets that Cheng Xuyuan currently had.

There are more than 20 kilograms of food coupons. This thing is not suitable as a gift for visiting a door.

Two cloth coupons, one wine coupon, one meat coupon, and one soap coupon...

Although there were quite a few tickets, none of them were suitable as gifts.

It seems that I have to find another solution tomorrow!

Cheng Xuyuan turned on the coal stove, boiled a pot of hot water in an enamel pot, added some of the fine tea leaves he had bought at dinner yesterday, and sat down at the simple desk.

I haven’t written the manuscript I promised to Meng Dezhi yet!

Cheng Xuyuan has been mainly busy with his novel these days. Now that the novel is finished, it is time to put this matter on the agenda.

What to write?

The fifteenth year of the Wanli reign! It seems not possible. If I remember correctly, it has been completed and is about to be published.

Wouldn't it be embarrassing if I wrote it down at this time? After thinking for a moment, Cheng Xuyuan made up his mind to simply copy the events of the Ming Dynasty. Anyway, Meng Dezhi said that the purpose of his Ming history was to popularize it and make it easy to understand.

The things about the Ming Dynasty are the most appropriate!

Having made up his mind, Cheng Xuyuan picked up the pen and started writing on the manuscript paper.

To be honest, it’s not very comfortable to write with a fountain pen. It’s a pity that he doesn’t have a ballpoint pen!

One page, two pages, three pages...

Cheng Xuyuan turned on the manual copying mode and wrote more than 3,000 words in just two hours.

Only at this moment did he feel that copying a manuscript was faster than writing it.

After picking up the manuscript he had written and taking a look at it, Cheng Xuyuan couldn't help but calculate his income.

I used to get five yuan for one thousand words, and now I only get fifteen yuan for these three thousand words.

Can eat two Quanjude roast ducks!

Thinking of the delicious duck at Quanjude, Cheng Xuyuan felt full of energy and spirit! Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday, so I will write more...

I'm going to Shen Yumo's house tomorrow, so I probably won't have much time.

(End of this chapter)