Xia Liang has been in the provincial capital for almost two months. She received meat and grain coupons from Gu Yanxiao, who wanted her to help make some food and send it to him. Xia Liang hadn't had time before and wasn't familiar with the area, so she hadn't taken any action. After get off work today, Xia Liang went to the black market to see if there was a stove. If so, she would buy one and some charcoal.
After get off work, Xia Liang waited for Zhao Weiting outside her department. Zhao Weiting worked in the plate-making department and had been quite busy lately, so she was still working overtime even after her shift ended. Zhao Weiting was scribbling on paper when she heard a colleague say someone was looking for her at the door. She looked up and saw her roommate waiting there. She quickly packed her things into her bag and went out to follow Xia Liang. Xia Liang said, "You said the black market was in Lotus Lane. Shall we go check it out today?" Zhao Weiting hadn't been there in a long time and happily nodded, "Let's go!" She then took Xia Liang's arm and they headed towards the black market.
When the two arrived at the black market, it was bustling. Most people in the provincial capital were at work, and it was rush hour, so most people would be there to buy things. Xia Liang looked around but couldn't find any stoves for sale, so she figured she'd have to buy one at the department store. She'd thought that since she didn't need coupons at the black market, she could just pay a little more, but there was nothing she could do since the black market didn't have any. Charcoal was available, but it was expensive. Charcoal was a precious commodity that could only be purchased with coupons, not just with money, so Xia Liang was charging four or five times the normal price. After paying, Xia Liang asked him to deliver it to her that evening. It was after get off work, and the neighbors would be cooking in the hallway; going back now would be too conspicuous. The two continued shopping, buying a wok, a steamer, dozens of eggs, seasonings, vegetables, and rapeseed oil. They also bought pork, beef, and lard from the butcher, though the prices were exorbitant. They returned to their dorm when they were too tired to carry any more. After putting their things down, they went to the department store and bought a stove and a mortar to store oil. Remembering they didn't have a knife, they bought one and a cutting board.
After returning home, Xia Liang found some old newspapers to start a fire and lit the charcoal. While the fire was burning, Xia Liang washed the lard, cut it into small pieces, and then put it in a wok to render the fat. Zhao Weiting watched over the rendering process while Xia Liang started cleaning the beef and pork. After cleaning them, she first cut them into strips and then into chunks. It took her more than twenty minutes to finish cutting them all. Xia Liang's wrists were sore. She put the beef and pork into two separate basins, added seasonings, and marinated them for twelve hours. Xia Liang then placed the two basins on a shelf next to her. This shelf was one that Xia Liang had specially bought to store basins and other miscellaneous items.
The aroma of rendered lard wafted through the corridor. The neighbor next door sniffed and said, "It smells so good! Is it stewing meat or rendering lard?" Families with children were immediately tempted, and their kids cried, "I want meat! I want meat too!" After being slapped twice by their parents, they were silenced. After about half an hour of rendering, the previously white lard had turned into yellow cracklings. Xia Liang scooped up the cracklings and put them in a bowl, then popped a piece into Zhao Weiting's mouth. The aroma made Zhao Weiting shudder. Xia Liang poured the clear lard into a bowl and put it on a rack to cool. Suddenly, she heard Zhao Weiting's stomach growl behind her. The two smiled at each other. Zhao Weiting wasn't embarrassed anymore. After all, they had been together for quite some time, and their relationship wasn't as distant as before, so Zhao Weiting didn't feel awkward. After getting off work, the two went straight to the black market, so they didn't eat. Xia Liang took out a pot, added water, and started cooking noodles. While the noodles were cooking, Xia Liang chopped up the pork cracklings. After the noodles were cooked, she took them out, put the pork cracklings on top, poured in a little soy sauce, mixed the noodles, and started eating. Although the seasonings were simple, it was probably because the pork was more fragrant at this time that it tasted very good even with just pork cracklings.
The next morning, Xia Liang got up early to prepare the meat that had been marinated the day before. After lighting the stove, she poured rapeseed oil into the pot. Once the oil was hot, she added the marinated beef and stir-fried it until it changed color. Then she added dried chili peppers, dried Sichuan peppercorns, and other seasonings, and stir-fried it for a few more minutes. She did the same with the pork. The aroma made Zhao Weiting, who was still asleep, drool. She groggily got up and saw Xia Liang cooking, so she asked, "Is this the beef I bought yesterday?" Xia Liang nodded, "Get up and try it. How does it taste?" Zhao Weiting got up and said, "No need to taste it. Just by looking at the flavor, I know it's delicious." She then took her basin outside to wash up. When she returned, Xia Liang filled a small bowl for her with both beef and pork. She picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The flavor lingered on her lips and teeth, leaving a wonderful aftertaste.
In the afternoon, Xia Liang finished lunch and was reading in her office when she heard a knock on the door. Looking up, she saw Zhang Taiwei from the workshop. She put down her book and asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with the machine?" Zhang Taiwei nodded, "Yes, one of the machines keeps disconnecting and skipping threads." Xia Liang stood up and said, "Let's go, I'll go take a look." The two went out, and Xia Liang closed her office door and followed Zhang Taiwei to the workshop. When they reached the machine he mentioned, Xia Liang tested it and confirmed that it was indeed experiencing disconnections and skipped threads. She removed the needle plate and pointed inside, saying, "There's too much dust here. Go find me a small brush, I'll clean it." Zhang Taiwei went to the tool room, got a small brush, and handed it to Xia Liang. After cleaning the dust, Xia Liang replaced the needle with a new one, put the needle plate back on, and tested it a few more times. This time, there were no problems. Xia Liang then said to Zhang Taiwei, "The cleanliness of this machine still needs to be a key focus. After all, sometimes even a small thing can affect the entire machine." Zhang Taiwei nodded and prepared to see Xia Liang out, but Xia Liang waved her hand and said, "No need to see me out. It's just inside the factory, only a few steps away. If you have any questions in the future, just come to me." Seeing how approachable and unpretentious Xia Liang was, Zhang Taiwei couldn't help but admire her even more.
After returning to her office, Xia Liang recalled seeing a fabric vendor at the black market the day before. A middle-aged woman had asked the vendor about the price, and Xia Liang overheard that it was much more expensive than what they sold in the county town. Since she was with Zhao Weiting at the time, Xia Liang didn't say much. She thought she would go back to the black market when she had time to see if she could talk to that young man about a collaboration. If she could expand the fabric business to the provincial capital, the money she would earn would be far more than the meager sums she had made before.
After get off work, Xia Liang had just put down her book and was about to leave when she saw Zhao Weiting waiting for her at the door. Smiling, she went up and took her arm, and the two went home together. Seeing Zhao Weiting's excitement, Xia Liang asked, "What's wrong?" Zhao Weiting replied, "Someone just gave me two movie tickets. Let's go see a movie together." Xia Liang asked curiously, "Who gave them to you?" Zhao Weiting blushed and said, "Don't worry about who gave them to you, just come with me." Xia Liang understood and didn't ask any further questions. They changed clothes at their dormitory and went out to see the movie. Xia Liang was wearing the same dress she had worn at the workers' cultural palace social event in the county town. When she first put it on, Zhao Weiting was incredibly envious, pulling Xia Liang aside to ask where she bought it. Upon learning that Xia Liang had made it herself, she insisted that Xia Liang make one for her. Only after receiving Xia Liang's assurance did they let go. The two young and beautiful girls went to the cinema together. At the entrance, they were suddenly stopped by several women. Confused, they saw one of the women look at Xia Liang and ask, "Comrade, where did you buy that dress? It's so beautiful! I want to buy one too!" Xia Liang replied, "I didn't buy it; I made it myself." One of the younger women said, "Then could you make one for each of us and sell it to us?" Xia Liang coughed twice, and her slightly older companion pulled her aside, saying, "Comrade, she's wrong. We'll trade with you. See what you need." She then led Xia Liang and Zhao Weiting to a secluded spot. In this day and age, they dared not do business; they didn't even dare mention it. Xia Liang raised her price by two yuan compared to what she had charged in the county town. The girls agreed without hesitation; after all, it was the provincial capital, and the living conditions were much better than in the county. They paid a deposit and left when they agreed to pick up the goods. Zhao Weiting, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. It was only after Xia Liang shook her hand that she came back to her senses. She repeatedly assured Xia Liang that she would not tell anyone. Xia Liang knew that she was not that kind of person, which was why she dared to make a deal in front of her. Of course, it was not a big deal. If she really went to report Xia Liang, as long as those women insisted that it was exchanged for something, she would not be able to produce any evidence. Therefore, Xia Liang was fearless.
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