Back at the courtyard house, the main gate was an unavoidable hurdle. Since the fish were legally obtained, Sun Zhengguo didn't hide anything and simply carried the bucket through the gate.
The elderly folks in the courtyard, whenever they see someone coming back from fishing, will definitely come over to watch the excitement, regardless of whether they caught anything or not.
So everyone gathered around to see how much they had gained.
But upon seeing this, I was instantly unsettled. So many fish! Who wouldn't be envious?
"Zhengguo, where did all these fish come from? We can't do anything like speculation."
Aunt Li from the backyard got jealous and, under the guise of doing what's best for you, started making a bunch of random accusations.
Before Sun Zhengguo could speak, Li Dama's husband, Li Dama, couldn't hold back any longer.
"What nonsense are you talking about? You spendthrift old woman, the fish that the other kids caught themselves, when did it become speculation? Can't you speak properly?"
"Zhengguo, don't be angry, your Aunt Li didn't mean it that way."
After scolding his wife, Grandpa Li quickly apologized to Sun Zhengguo, and then winked at his wife, signaling her to apologize as well.
Aunt Li then realized that her words had been a bit extreme, and quickly tried to remedy the situation.
"Zhengguo, I'm sorry! This lady doesn't know how to speak properly, but I didn't mean anything by it. I hope you won't take it to heart."
"Never mind, Aunt Li, it was all unintentional. But you should be more careful next time; some jokes are not to be taken lightly."
Judging from Sun Zhengguo's tone, although he still harbored resentment, he ultimately forgave her.
Aunt Li breathed a sigh of relief. Having lost so much face, she had no intention of staying any longer and turned to walk towards the backyard.
Having learned from Aunt Li's experience, no one dared to make sarcastic remarks anymore. Everyone praised Sun Zhengguo for being capable and competent.
Sun Zhengguo gave a few perfunctory replies, then picked up the bucket and headed home.
When I got home, I found it was really lively. Not only was my younger brother there, but Yu Li was also there, as were Sun Zhenghong and He Yushui, and my cousin-in-law Huang Hua, who was also playing with Xiao Kangri.
"Wow! It's so lively! Everyone's here!"
Seeing Sun Zhengguo's attire and hearing the sound of fish splashing in the bucket, the group gathered around.
"Wow! Zhengguo, did you rob Shichahai Lake today? How did you catch so many fish?"
He Yushui said with a look of admiration.
"Wow, that's amazing! Brother Zhengguo, it must weigh ten or twenty pounds!"
Yu Li also praised it from the side.
"Big brother, you are this one."
The younger siblings couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
"Fish, fish, eat fish, fish."
"Hahaha……."
The little anti-Japanese soldier eating fish made everyone burst into laughter.
"No problem, if I hadn't run out of bait, I wouldn't have needed another bucket."
Hearing everyone's praise, Sun Zhengguo also felt elated and said in a very Versailles-like manner.
"Better late than early! We're in for a treat today! Let's have a few for lunch."
"Yay!..."
Upon hearing Sun Zhengguo's words, everyone cheered.
He Yushui was alone, which was rather awkward. Everyone else in the house was family, and she was the only outsider. She didn't know whether she should leave or stay.
"Rainy Girl, I heard you're a good cook. I'll trouble you to cook for us later so we can have a taste of your cooking."
Actually, Sun Zhengguo said this on purpose because he saw that He Yushui was a bit embarrassed. Otherwise, who among the people present couldn't cook?
"Alright! Jung-guk, everyone just wait for the meal to start."
After making the decision, everyone got to work, scooped out a few fish, and started cleaning them.
Lunch wasn't too complicated: steamed buns made with two kinds of dough, a crucian carp soup, braised fish chunks, and stir-fried shredded potatoes.
In this day and age, such meals are considered very high-profile, but since the fish were caught by himself, Sun Zhengguo wasn't worried.
After everyone finished lunch happily, the women took over all the follow-up work without needing to be told what to do.
After washing the dishes, He Yushui thanked them, said goodbye, and went home.
The rest of the people stayed and played until after 3 p.m. Huang Hua, seeing that it was almost time to get off work, said goodbye and prepared to go home to cook.
Sun Zhengguo wasn't stingy; he gave her a two- or three-pound carp so she could have a nice meal with her cousin when she got home.
When Yu Li was about to leave, Sun Zhengguo also gave her one, which made her feel a little embarrassed. She couldn't refuse, so she finally accepted it.
Seeing that there were still many fish in the bucket, Sun Zhengguo took three more, one to give to Wang Aifang and two to his mother-in-law.
"Zheng'an, Zheng Hong, I'm going to your sister-in-law's house tonight, so I'll be leaving now."
"Don't worry! We'll take care of things at home."
As Sun Zhengguo visited the compound less and less, Sun Zheng'an took over the reins without hesitation.
After saying hello, Sun Zhengguo packed the fish into a bag, tied it to the back seat of the car, and then pushed the car out of the yard.
As they reached the door, they ran into Yan Bugui again, who was looking at the bags in Sun Zhengguo's car with envy.
"Uncle, my spot was pretty good. How was your haul today?"
You shouldn't insult someone by revealing their shortcomings, and you shouldn't hit someone in the face. Sun Zhengguo's question was like stabbing Yan Bugui in the wound again.
Today, Yan Bugui was out of commission again, with no results whatsoever, but for the sake of saving face, he still forced a smile.
"Not bad! Not as good as you, I only caught two small fish."
"That works too. Add a pot of water and cook a pot of fish soup. We can have a delicious meal tonight. Brother Jie and the others are in for a treat!"
Hearing Sun Zhengguo's teasing, Yan Bugui's lips trembled with anger.
Listen to this, is this even human language?
I only boasted about two small fish, and you asked me to cook a pot of fish soup? Do you know how big my pot is?
If you were to actually cook a pot of soup, it probably wouldn't even cover the cost of firewood.
However, for the sake of that ridiculous face, Yan Bugui still maintained his smile and nodded in agreement.
After speaking with Yan Bugui, Sun Zhengguo got on his bicycle and went back to Ju'er Hutong.
"Brother Zhengguo, why are you back? Weren't you going to your mother-in-law's house tonight?"
As soon as they returned to the courtyard, Wang Aifang asked.
"Sister-in-law! You're in for a treat tonight! I went fishing this morning and had quite a catch, so I brought one over for you."
After saying that, Sun Zhengguo took off the bag, picked out a big fish and left it for Wang Aifang, and tied the other two back up.
"Brother Zhengguo, I can't accept this! Why don't you take it home to eat?"
"No need, we caught a lot today, everyone will get some, so please eat in peace!"
"Thank you, Brother Zhengguo."
After thanking her, Wang Aifang happily put the fish away.
After delivering the fish, Sun Zhengguo didn't linger. He left the courtyard and headed towards the Ning family's house.
When I arrived at my mother-in-law's house, I found that I was still too early; the door was still locked, so it seemed that she hadn't gone home from get off work yet.
However, none of this could stump Sun Zhengguo. As a good son-in-law of the Ning family, how could he not have the key?
After unlocking the door and entering the yard, Sun Zhengguo took out some apples from his spatial storage and began cleaning two bluefish.
After cleaning the bluefish, Sun Zhengguo noticed that there weren't many other dishes in the kitchen, so he took out a piece of braised beef.
Just as I was about to take out a knife to cut the beef, I heard a faint sound outside.
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