Chapter 344: The 29th Night, New Year's Eve
The consumption level in Pu City has been rising alarmingly in the past two years, almost approaching that of second-tier cities, but the wages are still at the level of fourth-tier cities. Most office workers receive a salary of less than 3,000 yuan, and after overtime they may receive more than 3,000 yuan. A salary of more than 4,000 yuan, as Zhang Baiyan's current salary, is a waste of money, and it is impossible for him to just give up that job.
Zhang Wanwan helped him put the chairs in the room in order and said with a laugh, "Then you just wait for me to make some achievements in my hometown, and then you can come back. But the time is unknown, and what I will do is unknown. I only know that my parents seem to be discussing finding a partner for you in my hometown."
Speaking of dating, Zhang Baiyan frowned irritably and said self-deprecatingly, "Why would I get married with my conditions? I'm just ruining a good girl."
He has always felt that his current conditions do not allow him to provide his partner with a stable and happy life, and that he would only drag that person into trouble. Otherwise, he would have found a partner long ago, and would not be still single several years after graduation.
Zhang Wanwan didn't like Zhang Boyan's self-destructive attitude. She kicked him in annoyance and said, "Can you be more ambitious? Mom is in much better health now. Take her to the hospital for a checkup after the New Year. If she is really better, then it will be almost over. You can also take a breath. At most, you can work for another two years and save enough money for the wedding. Okay, okay, I won't say any more. Go out and help."
Zhang Wanwan went out first, and Zhang Baiyan followed her out with a somersault.
Zhang Baiyan had not observed Zhang's mother's condition in detail just now, and he didn't know that Zhang's mother had recovered so well now. Not only could she exchange gold and silver, but she could also talk and laugh. If he didn't know how serious her illness was before, he would have thought that Zhang's mother was a healthy person.
"Mom, what about your body?" Zhang Baiyan asked in surprise.
Mother Zhang gave him a reproachful look, and then she slowly stood up by holding on to the chair without Father Zhang's help. "How are you? Am I feeling better now?"
"It's more than much better! It's much better! Is the soil and water in my hometown really so nourishing?" Zhang Baiyan was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of his window, especially when Zhang's mother was standing in front of him like this.
Before Zhang Baiyan could digest the information, Zhang's mother sat down again and put a pile of gold and silver in his arms, "Help quickly, fold as much as you can, and we will join in the fun tonight."
After living in the city for several years, Zhang's mother almost forgot what the night of the 29th is like in Qingpu. Listening to the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers going off from time to time around her, she also smiled happily.
Zhang Baiyan obediently took a stool and looked around while working. Seeing that the roof on the north side was surrounded like that, he asked in confusion and learned that it was someone who raised chickens and ducks. He was very impressed with Zhang Wanwan.
Father Zhang echoed, "The vegetables we ate today were all grown by your sister herself. They are much better than those sold outside. I made three dishes with porridge in the morning, and the three of us ate them all. At noon, I fried two more dishes, a plate of steamed fish and a plate of braised pork. In the end, the fish and meat were left over, but the vegetables were still eaten up. I thought it was because my cooking skills had improved, but now it seems that the ingredients are good enough!"
There was a flash of surprise in Zhang Baiyan's eyes, and then he smiled with relief. In the past, things were expensive in the city, and his family had to live frugally. A meal would have at most two vegetables and one meat. The most common side dish for breakfast was a plate of scrambled eggs, and it was extremely rare to have three dishes. But in the countryside, there were no such concerns. The vegetables were grown by themselves and there was no money. Fish and meat were also much cheaper than in the city, and the food was indeed much better than there.
Thinking of this, Zhang Baiyan felt more and more that it was right to send Zhang's mother back home.
The family sat in the courtyard folding gold and silver, talking and laughing. Time passed quickly. At about midnight, Zhang's father brought the folded gold and silver to the yard, and asked Zhang Wanwan and Zhang Baiyan to help Zhang's mother go over to burn incense. While burning the gold and silver, there were suddenly dense explosions in the sky, and gorgeous fireworks bloomed in the night sky. The night turned into day, and there was no sign of stopping.
They didn't buy fireworks, but they did buy firecrackers.
Father Zhang took a super long firecracker and set it off at the door, and the three people in the room covered their ears.
The strong New Year atmosphere begins now.
That night, the sound of fireworks and firecrackers continued, so the four members of the Zhang family watched TV in the living room until late at night before going back to bed.
The next day was New Year's Eve. According to Zhang's father's plan, they would offer sacrifices to their ancestors at noon that day.
Early in the morning, Zhang's father took Zhang Baiyan to the port to purchase some fresh crabs and two eels, and bought some abalone for Zhang's mother to stew with dendrobium. When they passed the town market, the father and son bought a pig's trotter and some live shrimps. In total, they bought more than a dozen items.
When Zhang returned home, he found that there were many more vegetables in the kitchen, including cauliflower, cabbage, mustard greens, beans and pumpkin. He was stunned for a moment, then asked Zhang's mother, "Did the girl go to buy vegetables?"
Zhang's mother nodded. "She went around the village and bought some from the villagers. She said she was afraid that you would eat up all her half-grown vegetables."
Father Zhang pouted unhappily and muttered, "I just want to eat the vegetables she grows!"
Zhang's mother smiled but said nothing. The vegetables planted by Zhang Wanwan had not really grown yet. They were edible, but it would be a bit of a waste to pick them now. No wonder the girl was so heartbroken.
When Zhang's father was cooking, he found that there were not enough eggs in the kitchen, so he shouted to Zhang Boyan, "There are no eggs left. Bring me some eggs quickly."
"Eggs?" Zhang Baiyan was confused and turned to go out. After taking two steps, he turned back and asked, "Dad, how do I get to the store?"
He hadn't been back for many years and had long forgotten the roads in the village.
Father Zhang laughed angrily and roared with full force: "Why is it so troublesome for you to go up to the roof and get a few eggs?"
Zhang Baiyan reacted, touched his nose with a wry smile, turned his head to look at the iron ladder, and resignedly took a plastic basin and climbed up.
When he reached the roof, he found that it was well planned, with a small path for people to walk on. There was also a door inside. Zhang Wanwan was cleaning inside. When she saw Zhang Baiyan coming up, she smiled and asked, "You want eggs?"
Zhang Baiyan nodded and exclaimed, "Little sister, I think you are almost turning the old house into a treasure land. It can be used for living, growing vegetables, and raising chickens and ducks. It's good to raise them up here. You can't smell anything down there."
There was really no smell down there, but once you got up there the stench was overwhelming.
Zhang Wanwan glanced at him, put the eggs she had picked up into Zhang Baiyan's basin, and muttered, "Most of them are duck eggs now, and some hens and ducks have just laid eggs. The eggs are too small. You can boil them. It would be a waste if you fry them. You can ask Dad to make some boiled eggs for Mom."
(End of this chapter)
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