Chapter 9: Roasted Pork
Jian Li was dumbfounded. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend her summer vacation in the countryside.
She was just thinking about her unfinished business.
She has to ask her mother to change seats!
"Mom, can I wait two days before going to my uncle's house?"
Wang Mengmei stood up and crossed her arms: "Why? Didn't you always ask me to take you to your grandmother's house in previous years?"
Jian Li racked her brains: "I, I didn't say I wouldn't go, I just wanted to go a few days later."
When she said a few days later, Wang Mengmei just thought it was just a few days of fun.
Wang Mengmei immediately raised her eyebrows: "Just a few days ago, I didn't tell you what your grades were in the last semester. I kept it to myself for the past few days, thinking that you have grown up and need to save face. If you did poorly in the exam, you will know how to improve yourself. I saw you like this these few days, and I know that you didn't take the results to heart at all..."
Wang Mengmei thought about what her daughter had done in the past few days. She was smart, but too smart.
She noticed that Jian Li had changed a few days ago, and was relieved that her daughter was finally not as self-abased as before, which was a good thing.
But as Jian Li sold salted duck eggs and kept talking back, Wang Mengmei deeply felt an old truth.
A sapling will not grow straight if it is not pruned.
She is now afraid that Jian Li will go from one extreme to another.
"Don't be like those street urchins who play with random people."
Now that society is open, there are not only many hooligans on the streets, but also many female hooligans. Wang Mengmei has heard many stories of girls from other families who have picked up bad habits due to careless friendships. They usually swear and smoke cigarettes. Wang Mengmei feels like the sky is falling just thinking about her daughter becoming like this.
When Wang Mengmei thought of this possibility, she wanted to send Jian Li away right away. Jian Li's strong delay successfully aroused Wang Mengmei's suspicion.
"You don't want to go to the country, who is there in the city?"
Jian Li: ...
Seeing Jian Li didn't say anything, Wang Mengmei became even more frightened and made the final decision: "The day after tomorrow, you should go to Wangjiazhuang to spend the summer vacation as soon as possible, and don't bother me in front of me."
Send this girl back as soon as possible so that she can make money freely.
When school starts in the fall, the money for school uniforms, textbooks, miscellaneous fees, and various expenses will all have to be earned during this summer vacation.
Since her mother's job was not working, Jian Li could only persuade herself that at worst she could go to the market management office tomorrow and register her family in advance, and then fool her mother. Anyway, this position must be changed.
Before Jian Li could go to the market management office, two managers wearing red headbands came with registration books the next afternoon.
"Wang Mengmei, right? Let me register your business information."
The staff looked inside and asked: "You are selling pancakes now, right?"
Wang Mengmei nodded: "There are also pancakes with vegetables and salted duck eggs."
The staff wrote a few words: "Do you want to change your location? Your place is now planned as a fruit and vegetable area. Our market has a separate prepared food area. Do you want to consider moving there?"
Before Wang Mengmei could say anything, Jian Li immediately jumped out and said, "Switch, switch, switch!"
Wang Mengmei frowned: "Don't listen to the child, my place is good, why change it..."
She had chosen this shop location on purpose. The market had a total of eight doors, with two large doors on each side. Her shop location happened to be next to an exit, which was better than any other location.
"Comrade, you don't have to listen to her. I won't change."
Jian Li was very anxious: "Why not change it? Our area is not right, it is not convenient for them to manage it."
The people from the management office were originally here to register, and since it was a routine job, they rarely advised others. However, Jian Li was really jumping around, disturbing Wang Mengmei so much that she could hardly speak.
The people from the management office could only stop and say a few words.
"This kid is right, big sister, look around you, everyone is selling fruits and vegetables. We are not saying this to ask you to change stalls. It's really better for you to sell biscuits over there. It's more spacious over there."
If Jian Li said to change it, Wang Mengmei could just ignore it, but if the staff of the management office also said so, Wang Mengmei would have to consider it carefully.
Seeing that her mother was still going to refuse, Jian Li quickly used her clinging skills: "Mom, let's change places. You're not selling vegetables, so what are you doing here? There's no business right now, so why don't we go over there and have a look?"
Wang Mengmei really couldn't defeat her own girl, nor could she beat her in public, so she could only be dragged to the cooked food area by Jian Li.
"...Comrade, I'm going to go check it out first. I'll come back to see you later. I'll be ten minutes late, okay?"
The two people in charge of registration nodded: "Okay, better hurry up."
The cooked food area of the market is on the other side. Wang Mengmei enters and exits through this door every day, so she really has no idea what the other side looks like.
She followed the directions given by the staff and soon found the place...
I have to say that as the busiest area in the market, the cooked food area has begun to take shape. All the shops facing the outside are open. There are two salty food shops next to each other, and there are queues at both doors. The shops facing the inside are also good. One or two shops have obviously just moved in and are cleaning up the stoves...
Wang Mengmei was more and more satisfied the more she looked at it. Although the exit of this place was not as good as her own, it was also next to a door, and most importantly, it was already popular. The door faced a main road, and the main road was full of shops, most of which sold food. The shops facing the outside were no worse than those of regular shops.
Jian Li looked at her mother carefully, and she didn't feel relieved until she saw Wang Mengmei asking around to see if there were any vacancies.
Sure enough, Wang Mengmei found the person who registered.
"I'll change."
She was not stupid. She didn't know until she compared it with the hustle and bustle over there. Then she realized that the dozens of pancakes and side dishes she sold at noon were nothing.
Others who sell salty food make much more than her.
Having successfully achieved her goal, Jian Li couldn't control herself and jumped for joy.
"Very good!"
With the shop over there, her mother finally had one less regret in her life.
Wang Mengmei glared at the girl unhappily, and felt that if she continued to endure it, she would really break her bottom line and beat the child.
"You can take a bus to your grandmother's house tomorrow."
Let's go quickly! Otherwise she can't help it!
****
The next morning, Jane Li was dug up. Her mother stuffed two packets of fruit candy and a packet of cereal into her and stuffed all her books into her schoolbag.
"Don't forget your things in the car. Remember to get off when you get to Wangjiazhuang. I called your uncle and he will pick you up at the intersection... Did you hear me?"
Jian Li yawned: "I heard it, I heard it...Mom, have I finished altering my clothes?"
She was going to the countryside, so she didn't want to wear long sleeves and long pants.
Wang Mengmei: "Change it, change it, it's really troublesome. You were the one who said you didn't want to wear short clothes before, and now you are the one who insists on changing it to a shorter one."
"Here, I've altered your trousers to 6-7, and I've loosened up your skirt."
Jian Feng couldn't take a day off today, so Wang Mengmei sent her daughter to the national highway and stopped a bus.
"Two blocks to Wangjiazhuang."
Jian Li took out two yuan from her pocket and the ticket seller gave her a ticket.
Wangjiazhuang is neither far nor near from the city, about thirty or forty kilometers away. Ten years later, it would only take a single step on the accelerator to get there, and it would only take about half an hour to drive on the highway.
But now there are no highways, and the dirt roads full of potholes caused by large trucks are extremely bumpy. The cars are filled with all kinds of things, and the weather is hot, so everyone smells of sweat. Jian Li almost vomited on the closed bus.
After enduring for two hours, the train finally arrived at the entrance of Wangjiazhuang village.
From a distance, Jian Li saw her uncle squatting under the shade of a tree at the entrance of the village waiting for her. After getting out of the car, Jian Li took a deep breath for a while before she got over the disgusting feeling.
"Uncle!"
Jian Li jumped onto her uncle's back with a giggle, then lay down under him.
Uncle Wang knew that his niece had gained weight in the past six months, but he was still startled when he saw someone. And soon, the startle turned into almost falling down...
"Oh my ancestor, please come down quickly. Your uncle's old waist can't bear it."
Jian Li came down happily: "Uncle, you are really young now."
Uncle Wang: "You are still young, but you are old now."
I have been doing farm work in the fields for more than ten years, and I know everyone will get old.
Jian Li thought to herself, compared to his previous life, what else could Uncle Wang be called if not young?
Uncle Wang kindly hung the things that Jian Li brought on the handlebars, then tied the luggage to the front crossbar of the car and asked Jian Li to sit in the back.
"Come on, your aunt just cut some meat this morning and will make you braised pork for lunch."
Jian Li held onto the back seat and jumped up with two jumps.
My uncle's house was far from the entrance of the village, and I met many people along the way. It was noon, and most people were eating under the shade of the trees, so Jian Li received many greetings along the way.
"Xiao Li, why hasn't your mother come back yet?"
"Wow, this girl is much stronger than when I saw her last year."
"Would you like to come home for something to eat?"
…
Jian Li didn't know anyone, but that didn't stop her from responding to every word.
"My mother is busy with work."
"Isn't this because my mom feeds me well?"
"I don't want to eat it, aunt. My aunt has already prepared it for me."
…
Wang Yuedong listened to his niece's chattering all the way, and thought that it was indeed what his sister said on the phone, that Jian Li was different now.
He used to be like a little child, but now he is like a little adult.
The bike quickly reached home, and Jian Li smelled a fragrance before she even entered the door.
After sitting in the car for half a day, she was already hungry.
My eldest aunt, Sun Cuifang, was fanning herself at the door of the kitchen. When she saw us, she smiled and said, "I thought we'd have to wait a little longer. Okay, we'll cook the noodles when we get here."
My aunt's family has a son and a daughter. They are said to be twins, but they are actually one year apart in age. But at that time, family planning was not strictly enforced, so after the eldest daughter Wang Yunyun was born, her household registration was not registered. Then, after the youngest son Wang Shuai was born, they registered twins.
When Jian Li entered the room, her cousin Wang Yunyun was reading a book inside, but her cousin Wang Shuai was nowhere to be seen.
Wang Yunyun was very happy to see Jian Li coming: "Finally you're here. I missed you so much. I said if you didn't come, I would ask my mom to call and ask."
Jian Li hugged her cousin: "I missed you too, sis."
The two sisters were talking and laughing when they suddenly heard a coughing sound coming from the inner room.
Wang Yunyun curled her lips and asked Jian Li in a low voice: "Why don't you go to the inner room?"
Jian Li: "I haven't taken care of it yet."
She stretched her head and said, "Grandma! I'm back! My uncle has put the oatmeal and candy my mom brought for you on the table in the living room!"
Wang Yunyun: ...
Jane Li shrugged.
Her grandmother can be summed up in one sentence.
Prefer sons over daughters.
She has two daughters, and she thinks every day about how to get something from her daughter to give to her sons. Her biggest hobby in life is to criticize and compare.
When her mother came back, she would say to her mother, "Your sister bought me a scarf a few days ago, and she said it was made of goat wool. Hey, why would an old lady like me use goat wool? I didn't even know goats have wool..."
After her mother left, she said to her aunt, "Your sister brought me some black sesame paste. Oh, how can I drink so much? In fact, this thing is not as good as cereal..."
In short, the purpose is to make the two daughters compete with each other.
If Wang Mengmei was here, she would probably go straight to the inner room to see her grandma as soon as she entered the door. But if it was Jian Li, she didn't feel any psychological pressure at all and just howled and was done.
After hearing what Jian Li said, the coughing in the inner room stopped. After a while, the old lady came out with crutches.
"Xiao Li is back."
Jian Li responded with a greeting.
"Why didn't your mother come back this time?"
Jian Li: "My mom is busy. She just booked a stall in the city and is too busy to take care of you."
The old lady's face fell, she was still waiting for Wang Mengmei to come back to give her a bath and trim her nails. She couldn't use her daughter-in-law for this job, so she waited for her daughter-in-law to come back to serve her.
The old lady sat at the door and soon began talking to herself.
"Alas, I am old, and it is normal for me to be unpopular."
Jian Li: ...Here it comes, here comes her grandmother’s chanting.
Another hobby of the old lady in her life is to complain about herself. Maybe it's because grandma passed away early, and the old lady has been using the same tricks to control her children over the years.
Jian Li has heard this kind of words countless times in her life and has become immune to them.
She didn't say anything back. Just then she heard her aunt-in-law calling for dinner, so she dragged Wang Yunyun to the kitchen to get the meal.
The old lady was angry, but she couldn't do anything about the girl.
She said that her own daughter was always right, but she had never taken care of this girl for a single day, and Wang Mengmei still felt aggrieved when she talked about it.
She is biased.
"You took care of my eldest brother and then my second brother. I asked you to come at that time, but you refused even though I paid you a salary every month. You still took care of my eldest sister Ping Ping. So I am the only unlucky one in the family, right?"
The old lady refused to admit that she was biased.
It was one thing for her to take care of her own grandson, but she shouldn't have taken care of her grandson-in-law. Not to mention her granddaughter-in-law. How could she not raise a little girl?
It's just that the second brother has lived in the city for too long, so he is so presumptuous.
As for taking care of the children for the eldest daughter, isn't that a problem? Who told the eldest daughter to marry close by, she married far away. The eldest daughter is now living a better life, and the eldest son-in-law was originally an ordinary man, but now he has become famous by building houses for others. Look at Wang Mengmei's second daughter...
He is a city resident who lives on a very low salary and has only one daughter.
Just thinking about it made her wonder why her second daughter didn't know how to worry. What hope did she have in her life?
The old lady sighed and waited for someone to serve her meal.
The aunt-in-law served Jian Li a big bowl of handmade noodles in the kitchen. The noodles were made by a homemade noodle press. Although they were irregular in shape, they were strong and delicious.
It was covered with several large pieces of braised pork, thick red sauce, and mixed with noodles. It was so fragrant that it was beyond words. The braised pork made by my aunt-in-law was absolutely amazing. I don’t know if it was because the pork from the countryside was good, but the braised pork was just different.
The large piece of meat was so tender that it could be easily separated with chopsticks. The skin was crispy and the meat was tender. The fat part was not greasy, and the lean meat was not dry or tough. Jian Li finished a large bowl of it in no time.
My aunt urged us to eat more: "There is more in the pot. If you don't have enough, just serve more."
Jian Li was still not satisfied, but she did not order more dishes.
If you say you want to lose weight, then you want to lose weight.
After she finished her bowl, her cousin Wang Shuai went home with a face covered in black dust.
"Mom, Mom, I'm starving, give me some food!"
My aunt scolded me: "Didn't you see your sister come back? Say hello."
Wang Shuai chuckled and said, "I saw it all over the village just now."
He circled around Jian Li twice, looking surprised and surprised with a hint of sarcasm: "Sister, why did you become a landmine?"
Jian Li: ...My fist is hard.
Wang Shuai was still laughing, but Uncle Wang suddenly shouted, "What are you talking about, you bastard! Are you looking for a fight?"
As he said this, he was about to go find a stick.
Wang Shuai was so frightened that he dared not move. He could only look at his mother and grandmother as if asking for help.
When my aunt heard that damn kid say that people are big like landmines, she knew that something bad was going to happen.
But she couldn't stop it.
Uncle Wang started beating him right away, grabbing the skinny Wang Shuai and giving him a few beatings with a stick.
Suddenly, a loud cry broke out in the yard.
Jian Li: ...This familiar scene.
Every year when Jian Li came back for summer vacation, Wang Shuai would basically get beaten every three days.
Uncle Wang’s educational philosophy is very simple, that is, if children are disobedient, they should be beaten less often.
As long as you beat them more, the education is successful.
He beat people so hard that Wang Shuai felt that he was like a mouse seeing a cat since he was a child.
The opposite of Uncle Wang is Aunt Wang. Aunt Wang is a warm-hearted person, but she is a little protective of others.
As soon as Uncle Wang beat Wang Shuai, Aunt Wang started to quarrel with Uncle Wang.
There were two of them, one beating him and the other protecting him, and in the middle there was an even more protective grandmother.
Wang Shuai has lived in such an extreme educational environment since he was a child, which also paved the way for him to go astray later.
Jian Li frowned as she watched her uncle beat the child.
She didn't think that the beating was wrong, but she felt that her uncle should at least tell Marshal Wang what he did wrong before beating him.
It would be strange if Marshal Wang could learn his lesson after being beaten like this.
The fight was going on fiercely here, and Grandma Jian Li hurriedly dropped her walking stick and came over to help.
"Wang Yuedong, are you trying to piss me off to death? If Wang Shuai said something wrong, you should just say a few words. He is your own son, not your enemy. How can you beat him to death like this?"
Wang Shuai cried so hard that his nose was covered with tears and he kept shouting, "Grandma, save me."
The old lady felt even more distressed: "Stop beating! You are acting so arrogant by beating the child during dinner!"
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