As she spoke, Wang Guixiang hurriedly ran back to the kitchen and quickly added firewood to the stove. The water in the pot immediately began to bubble.
She specially prepared a bowl of dough last night and is now busy rolling it into thin pancakes and filling them with brown sugar.
The oil in the wok was scalding hot. With a flick of her wrist, Wang Guixiang sent the dough into the wok, where it immediately began to sizzle with golden oil.
A sweet aroma mingled with cooking fumes filled the kitchen.
"Fry a few more eggs."
Wang Guixiang muttered to herself as she scooped out two oily salted duck eggs from the pickling jar.
"My brother definitely can't get this authentic food in the city."
Su Jianjun got dressed and went into the kitchen. He was astonished when he saw his wife's preparations.
"Goodness, I've never seen you this attentive during the New Year."
Wang Guixiang rolled her eyes at him.
"What do you know! Didn't you say last night that your older brother said he'd give us twenty acres of land to farm? Can we just take this lightly?"
She lowered her voice.
"I did the math last night. Based on the current market, twenty mu of irrigated land can earn at least 200 yuan a year."
"Look at you, so pathetic."
Su Jianjun scooped up a ladle of cold water to wash his face.
"My brother said it was for us to plant, not that he'd give us ownership."
"Are you stupid?!"
Wang Guixiang was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet.
"Won't it be ours after a few years of planting?"
She suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled a small paper packet from deep inside the cupboard.
"I almost forgot, the jasmine tea someone gave you as a gift last time, I checked, it costs 1.2 yuan per 50 grams!"
When the couple brought the food to the old house.
Su Jianguo and his family all got up.
The old house is small, and last night Su Jianguo's whole family squeezed onto one kang (a heated brick bed).
Su Jianguo was fetching water in the yard to wash his face.
"Big brother!"
Wang Guixiang's face immediately lit up with a smile.
"Why are you up so early? Come inside and eat!"
Su Jianguo wiped his face and raised an eyebrow when he saw the sumptuous breakfast in his sister-in-law's hand.
"So lavish?"
"Of course, of course."
Wang Guixiang solicitously led Su Jianguo into the house.
"Knowing you have a sweet tooth, I specially fried some sugar-coated fried dough sticks, and also some homemade salted duck eggs; the yolks are practically oozing oil!"
Su Jianjun set up a low table, and Wang Guixiang laid out the food one by one.
Golden and crispy sugar-coated pancakes, tender fried eggs, sliced salted duck eggs with runny oil, and a dish of homegrown cucumbers with dipping sauce.
Finally, I solemnly brewed the jasmine tea, and its aroma immediately filled the entire room.
"Brother, please try this tea."
Wang Guixiang handed over the teacup with both hands.
"I brought this especially for you. I heard that city officials love to drink this."
Su Jianguo took the teacup and gave his sister-in-law a half-smile.
Wang Guixiang felt uneasy under his gaze, so she quickly put another sugar-coated fried dough into his bowl.
"Brother, sister-in-law, you two eat first, I'll go call the old man."
After saying that, Wang Guixiang walked towards the house where Grandpa Su was.
Su Jianjun couldn't stand his wife's obsequious manner.
He said it directly.
"Brother, she's been thinking about those twenty acres of land all night."
Su Jianguo laughed heartily.
"I thought it was something serious! We're all family, no need to be so polite."
After finishing their meal, Su Jianjun led his brother to the village secretary's house.
On the way, Su Jianjun couldn't help but ask.
"Brother, I've been thinking about this all night, and I still can't figure it out. Those barren mountains have nothing to offer, so what's the point of buying them?"
Su Jianguo smiled but did not answer; instead, he asked a question.
"Is it easy to get on the good side of the village party secretary?"
"He's tough to deal with, a real old fox!"
Su Jianjun pursed his lips.
"You know perfectly well that whoever managed to beat our old man to get elected wasn't someone easy to get, was they?"
Su Jianguo nodded.
Logically speaking, given Old Master Su's prestige in Sujiatun, the village party secretary should have been his father.
However, when the election took place that year, Mr. Su was not elected.
There's a story behind this no matter how you look at it.
However, many years have passed, and Su Jianguo doesn't need to delve into it further.
After turning a corner, the village secretary's impressive red brick house came into view, standing out among the mud-brick houses.
"Old Party Secretary!"
Su Jianjun shouted from outside the courtyard gate.
"Who is it? So early in the morning..."
The old Party Secretary shuffled out in his cloth shoes. When he saw that it was Su Jianguo and Su Jianjun, a smile immediately spread across his face.
"Hey, Jianguo and Jianjun, what brings you here so early in the morning?"
Before the two could reply, the old Party Secretary warmly ushered them into the main room and instructed his wife to pour tea.
"Come in, come inside and let's talk!"
After exchanging pleasantries, Su Jianguo got straight to the point.
"Old Party Secretary, we'd like to contract those barren hills at the east end of the village."
"What?"
The old Party Secretary almost spat out the tea he had just drunk.
"Jianguo, don't joke about an old man so early in the morning."
"I'm not kidding."
Su Jianguo said solemnly.
"My brother and I have discussed it and made a decision."
The old Party Secretary squinted, his face crinkling with wrinkles.
"Those rocky hills are useless; what do you need them for?"
"Plant fruit trees and raise livestock."
Su Jianguo was prepared.
"I know some people at the agricultural research institute in the city. They said there are new tree species that can even grow in cracks in rocks."
The old Party Secretary was skeptical, so he turned to ask Su Jianjun.
"Jianjun, you agree too?"
"I'll listen to my brother."
Su Jianjun said, forcing himself to speak.
The old Party Secretary stroked his chin and pondered for a while, then suddenly slapped his thigh.
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