Zhang Guoqing came to Zhou Xiaozheng and saw that the two bamboo baskets full of crabs were now empty. He looked at the several bamboo baskets of different sizes around him in surprise.
Zhou Xiaozheng looked at him with a smile in his eyes and comforted him, "It's okay. If it's gone, Dad will go buy more in a few days. You and Jiaojiao will definitely have enough to eat next time. We are not short of money. These live crabs are only 1.4 yuan per pound. You can have as many as you want."
Zhang Guoqing was touched and amused. His father treated him like a child. "Well, Dad, you have to go there before you go back to Beijing. Buy some to take back for yourself or as a gift. The ones in the provincial capital are only 40 cents a pound, but they're not this big and fat."
"Scarcity makes things valuable. The fishing village only buys rice privately from other villages for 1.6 yuan, but 1.4 yuan is a high price for them. And it doesn't even have meat, so they don't want to eat it. All the good stuff is wasted. In the fish farm cafeteria, everyone eats the prawns directly, throwing away the heads and tails. Even the yellow croaker heads and tails are thrown in the trash."
Zhou Xiaozheng sighed, shook his head, looked across at them, saw they hadn't noticed them, and whispered, "Look at these sacks of fish. They're all good, but the boxes were broken in the cold storage and piled up at the door as wasted goods. I gave the custodian five yuan privately to buy 400 kilograms, and I only got this bag for two yuan and fifty cents. That bamboo basket of miscellaneous goods only cost one yuan, I can't believe it. In a village not far away, rice and flour are only ten cents, all first-class quality. I bought 400 kilograms and also got 50 kilograms of dried sweet potatoes. I spent four yuan on a bunch of vermicelli, but there was no place to put it all, so I tied it to the roof of the car. It's a pity the car is too small. The management over there is too lax. I have to buy it as soon as possible if I have the chance. Even passing drivers know where to buy food. Seeing how they are messing around, something bad will happen sooner or later."
Zhang Guoqing listened and shook his head. "Isn't their village very remote? There's not enough food here, but there's plenty of food over there. I guess it's because there are fewer people and more land."
"I didn't look closely at the village; it's quite remote. After buying the crabs, I hurried with my friends to the fishing village. It's hard to find the way without someone I know. I happened to meet a driver from the seafood company today. He's got plenty of money and a real gourmet. He bought 200 kilograms of rice and flour, and everything else was the same as ours. He also bought the live crabs from someone he knows; I heard other places mix male and female crabs together, regardless of size. He was the one who thought of the red-cream buns because he was thinking about them."
As they talked, the father-in-law and son-in-law laughed out loud, and Zhang Guoqing said that he was a foodie. Zhou Xiaozheng saw that the things were almost packed up, so he took Zhang Guoqing to the main living room. He wanted to talk to him about something that came to his mind.
The two sat down and drank some water. After a while, Zhou Xiaozheng said to him, "Look around the county town. Besides your Uncle Dashan and Zuo Lin, is there anyone else you want to send gifts to? Send them as soon as possible. The remaining food will be cold and you can freeze it and eat it later."
Zhang Guoqing shook his head. "You don't need to give away the rest. You worked hard to buy them in other provinces, so it's not my turn to give them away. Save them and give them to Uncle Guang tomorrow. Also, last time Mom went to Aunt Xiaofei and got back a lot of bills, give her some of the extra ones as a favor, what do you think? It's Fang Jianmei from the Fang family in Beijing. Is there any relationship? I think Grandpa means to let things take their course. Dad, speaking of this, I need you to help me think about it. Last time Grandpa took me to the provincial capital, we met some people. I eliminated some of the people of the same generation who didn't get along well with me, and there are still three families left. Do you think I should give some gifts to visit at the end of the year?"
"Are they all from the military area?"
Zhang Guoqing nodded. "They are all higher-ups in the military region, with positions higher than Uncle Guang. They seem to be my grandfather's former subordinates. They also know some people in the provincial departments and the government. The relationship is not yet established, so I don't plan to exchange gifts."
"Forget about the military district. There's no need to have close contact with them while Dad is around. Dad knows all your grandfather's old subordinates. Just keep in touch with them regularly. There's no need for favors.
I'll ask your Uncle Guang to take care of you when you're free. His father-in-law is a top official, and his two older brothers-in-law have promising careers. The youngest brother-in-law works in the provincial government. His two sisters married well, and it wasn't arranged marriages; they found their own partners. They both have influence in their husband's families. You'll see when you meet them. They're beautiful and capable. His eldest brother was promoted to Beijing last year, and your Uncle Guang is a section chief at the JXC. He's the real gold nugget.
No one knows his family background, not even your mother, so she's only willing to share some information because of our close relationship. His wife is Jin Huimin, and your Uncle Guang used considerable means to marry her. Jin Huimin is a bit spoiled, and her attitude towards people and things is very similar to our Jiaojiao, who doesn't take things to heart easily, but she's not as smart or cunning as our Jiaojiao. Of the 12 of us brothers, she's only friendly to me and polite to everyone else. Your Uncle Guang was afraid of his wife and fame, so when he had two sons, his wife was afraid of the pain and didn't give birth to any more children. Your Uncle Guang cheerfully admitted to the public that he didn't want any more children.
Also, think about our Jiaojiao's personality. She doesn't like to approach strangers and doesn't like to flatter others. So if you want to see Uncle Guang, go to his workplace and go to his house less often. Unless Jin Huimin asks you to go, don't be polite. How can you describe her? If you catch her eye, she will treat you as one of her own and won't be polite to you. If you are polite, she will get angry. She has a very straightforward personality and no scheming. If you are not familiar with her, you may think she is arrogant. Jiaojiao is more suitable to get along with her. I will talk to Jiaojiao about this.
Your Uncle Guang is a very loyal person. We have entrusted our lives to each other several times. He is as stubborn as his wife. He cares about Jiaojiao and you. He is more reliable than your grandfather and others. When I am not here, you can go to him whether you have something to do or not. If you need anything, you can go to him. He will not be annoyed and will feel that you can trust him.
As for the four last night, I observed them and they're still no match. They're too weak, not even as good as you. It's okay if you have the will but not the strength. Don't tell them if anything happens. Zhao Dashan can be entrusted, but he won't be of much help to you. However, he's a good person and has good means. You can see if there's an opportunity to help him. They've been together for decades, and even if we decline in the future, it's good to have someone standing by in the dark."
Zhang Guoqing listened carefully, and when he paused, he asked, "Dad, I heard Zuo Lin say that you made your own fortune and later married Mom. So how much do you know about the Lin family? I always feel that I can't trust them."
Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at him sideways. "Why do you trust them? You have to be skeptical. In this world, besides your parents, your father-in-law, me, and Jiaojiao, you can't trust even your mother-in-law. I'm not saying your mother-in-law can't be trusted, but she's easily emotional and easily influenced by others. No matter who you are dealing with, you must always be vigilant about boundaries.
For example, your mother said today that she wanted to leave Liu Xiaoya to take care of Jiaojiao and Ping'an. I immediately told her not to even mention it. I'm worried that after being with you for too long, she'll become jealous, and over time, resentful, and try to get your attention. Does that mean I don't trust your character? No, I never worry about my Jiaojiao encountering any problems. With her intelligence, she can live a good life. Even if I believe in your character, I will still be on guard.
I've been out there for so many years, and I've seen so many people lose their families because of a careless word. So many people fail to guard against the little ones, pity the weak, and end up in trouble. So you must always remember to set boundaries in your mind, always be mindful of your words, and think before you speak when you're talking to others, or better yet, say less. When interacting with people and doing things, it's better to give a little effort than to be completely involved.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
