# c18: sweet and sour fish

Wang Yaozong stood at the door of his house, looking at the two dilapidated houses in front of him, he was very puzzled.

He hadn't come home for a little more than half a month, so why was there such a big change?

Li Chunjuan was laying in the house sulking. She didn't even want to go out to the yard these days. Even if she stayed in the yard, she couldn't help but feel angry and her blood pressure would rise. The newly built courtyard wall is much higher than the one that was originally torn down, which is a huge eyesore. She didn't pay attention when Xu Shuang's people were were building the base. Later, she noticed that the opponent kept building up, and only then did she realize something was wrong.

If Wang Ying's courtyard wall is so high, won't it cover them up? Her house is covered by such a high courtyard wall during the day. Wouldn't that affect her ability to dry out her quilts and clothes?

As a result, when she made a fuss, Wang Ying said that although the courtyard walls were built high, she didn't feel that her yard had any change.

Li Chunjuan was angry. Wang Ying's yard was originally larger than her own, with the same layout. But this time Wang Ying was getting married, so the brigade assigned Xu Shuang's homestead area to be merged with Wang Ying's.

Xu Shuang immediately used this area to double the size of Wang Ying's yard. Therefore, the courtyard wall of Wang Ying's house cannot block sunlight coming into their yard.

But my family was not so lucky. When the high courtyard wall was pressed down, only one of the two rooms in my house could get sunlight, while the other one could only get a glimpse for half a day. The yard was also tightly sealed off from any light.

Entering through the gate, you will see a small courtyard with a high courtyard wall, which looks cramped and uncomfortable.

Li Chunjuan also wanted to go to the brigade to cause trouble, but Wang Yongshun said with a smile that the brigade captain would be biased towards Wang Ying, and she would be going in vain.

Li Chunjuan didn't believe this evil and ran away two or three times, but Tian Youfu didn't give her a good look. He only said that it was Wang Ying's house and they could change it however they wanted. If your family is not convinced, just change it too. Anyway, there is nothing else in the countryside except a large area of land. Wang Yongshun's family had three children, and now the originally designated homestead area has even less people using it. At worst, you can also expand the yard.

Li Chunjuan wanted to ask Tian Youfu to stop Wang Ying from renovating the yard, but Tian Youfu said that he had only designated the homestead and they could do whatever they wanted with it. Li Chunjuan wanted to act recklessly, but Tian Youfu ignored her.

Despite all the fuss, Li Chunjuan still watched helplessly as Wang Ying built the courtyard wall.

Li Chunjuan leaned on the bed, scolding Mrs. Wang Ying, Xu Shuang and the Xu family, all the way to Tian Youfu in her heart.

That little whore Wang Ying can even recruit a husband and doesn’t care about her own family at all, what a bastard!

Xu Shuang is just a lowly kitchen worker. After all, she was still his mother-in-law before, but now he is blinded by lust and is also a scoundrel!

There is also the old and immortal Mrs. Xu, whose life is so good, she even keeps track of the things she gives to her in-laws, just to pit her until death.

The brigade leader is also shameless and always favors others. I often hear that people who bully others are sent to the bullpen. Why don't they put him in the bullpen?

……

With such resentment, Li Chunjuan heard her son Wang Yaozong's voice. She originally thought she heard it wrong, but when she heard the voice becoming clearer and clearer, she immediately stood up and stretched her neck to look into the yard.

Ever since Wang Ying smashed the windows of the two rooms in her house before, she didn't bother to replace them, so she covered them with paper. Through the raised corners of the window paper, Li Chunjuan saw her own heart and soul.

"Yaozong! Why are you back?!"

This is not the time for a vacation.

Because Hongqi High School is next to the brigade and close to the mountains, it is difficult to move around when there is heavy snow and the mountains are closed, so they usually go to school until the end of November, and then they take more than two months of vacation at a stretch.

Why is my son back now?

Li Chunjuan rushed out the door and pulled her over son to see if he had lost weight: "Did you lack something at school? Or were you bullied?"

Wang Yaozong waved his hand impatiently. He is now in his second year of high school, a half-grown boy, and will graduate next year. At first glance, he looked like an adult. He was tall and strong, with a frame similar to that of Li Chunjuan, but his face inherited his parents' shortcomings. He had thin lips and a long, narrow face, which made people dislike him at first glance. But Wang Yongshun and his wife didn't realize it. Wang Yaozong had his hair glossy and wore a pair of leather shoes that were rare in the town.

He waved Li Chunjuan away and said, "You still remember me? I've been eating Erhe[^1] noodles at school for several days."

In fact, Erhe noodles are not bad either. Although corn flour and soybean flour are not as expensive as white flour, it is already a good family in the countryside to eat Erhe noodles every day.

But Wang Yaozong couldn't do it. He always ate fine grains at school, and the food cooked in the school cafeteria was low in oil and water. He couldn't eat it if he didn't order a meat dish with meat slices to go alongside, and now having to eat mixed-grain noodles for several days in a row\...

Wang Yaozong was full of complaints: "Did you and father forget what time it is? The food stamps I brought are almost all used up."

Li Chunjuan then remembered that on the day the Xu family came to cause trouble, Wang Yongshun said he was going to town, but was interrupted by Wang Ying's incident and was delayed.

"It's mom's fault, I'm starving you. Go back to the house and lie down for a while, and mom will find someone to trade half a chicken for you."

Li Chunjuan's heart was almost broken. She only had this son after giving birth to two daughters. She had been ridiculed a lot when she didn't have a son. People in the brigade said she couldn't give birth to a son. She was so frightened that she even asked a Taoist woman for talisman water, for fear that she would birth a daughter again.

Later, she finally had such a son, whom she held dear to her heart. No matter how hard it was for her family, she never lost her son's mouth.

Asking her son to eat whole grains for a few days was like putting a needle in Li Chunjuan's heart.

"What do you want to eat? Mom should stew chicken soup with noodles for you, or fry it with steamed buns?"

Wang Yaozong waved his hand: "It doesn't matter... Mom, I just asked you, what's going on in our yard? Why is my house separated?"

Wang Yaozong didn't know that Wang Ying had moved back to his room. He thought his room was still on the other side of the courtyard wall.

Li Chunjuan opened her mouth. She didn't feel guilty or anything, she just felt sorry for her son.

The parents were so incompetent that they lost their son's house.

What a great idea she originally had. After her son got married, they could knock down the wall of the two rooms. The son and daughter-in-law would live in a spacious place, and the remaining empty one would be reserved for the grandson. If there were more grandsons, they could build more rooms, and the whole family would be happy and harmonious.

But in less than a month, her son's house was gone, leaving only the two rooms on their side.

Li Chunjuan wiped away her tears and talked about the recent events at home, and of course she did not leave out the part about Wang Lingling.

"Your second sister is a black-hearted person. She left our house alone and ran away, leaving your father and me to fend for ourselves. The Xu family was unreasonable and came to ask for money... That bitch Wang Ying just watched. Not to mention, she also told Xu Shuang that they are going to get married. "

Wang Yaozong:? ? ?

Li Chunjuan's words contained too much information, and Wang Yaozong was immediately confused.

There was a commotion at home, and Wang Ying went directly to the brigade leader to take back the things and money.

His second sister, Wang Lingling, was planning to change her brother-in-law, so she secretly ran away and moved to another family to become a stepmother.

Wang Ying is with his former brother-in-law, and the two are getting married.

……

Wang Yaozong is not a child. He is sensitive to the changes in his family that are very detrimental to him.

"...Have you given her all the things at home? Also given her my quilt?"

Li Chunjuan shed tears: "I gave it all, but our family things still couldn't add up, so the brigade leader cruelly asked us to pay a price to replenish it for her... I didn't even take as much as she did!"

Li Chunjuan was so angry because she felt that she was at a loss.

It was true that Wang Ying's money was used to buy things, but those things were so difficult to get, as they required tickets and favors to obtain. She went through a lot of trouble to get these things, but in the end it was all cheap to Wang Ying.

Tian Youfu's discount was based on money, but he didn't count their tickets and favors!

Wang Yaozong was furious. He and his father had the same idea, and they thought further than his mother who just stared at the missing things.

He felt that since the second uncle and his wife were gone, and there was only one daughter and no son, Wang Ying, then didn't the things in the second uncle's house belong to him? He is the male member of Lao Wang's family, and the only one in his generation. Not to mention that the second uncle is gone, even if the second uncle is here, the second uncle still has to support himself with his father.

Otherwise, after he dies, who will [break pots and bowls](#user-content-fn-2)[^2] for him and [keep mourning](#user-content-fn-3)[^3] for him?

Of course, he hadn't smash pots and bowls for his second uncle, because his second uncle was not confirmed to be dead yet. If the second uncle's body really came back and went down to the Wang family's ancestral tomb, wouldn't he be the first to stand in front of it?

Can Wang Ying do such an important thing?

Since he has made such a big contribution, why don't the things in the second uncle's house belong to him!

Wang Yaozong stood up and went to next door to find trouble: "I'll ask her! Why would she do this!"

Wang Yaozong was full of confidence. He felt that he would be able to render Wang Ying speechless.

His parents just didn't expect these things to happen. Wang Ying seems to have no weakness now, she can do whatever she wants, and the brigade is also on her side. But can she not think of her parents?

When her mother died the year before the last, he was the one who broke pots and smashed dishes.

This account has not been settled yet!

If she insists on asking for a house, then that's fine. When her second uncle comes back for his burial, don't even think about him raising a finger!

Wang Yaozong kicked open the door of his house in a fierce manner. Li Chunjuan followed behind him and twitched in distress, "You're supposed to kick the door of Wang Ying's house. Why are you kicking your own door?"

Wang Yaozong wanted to kick down her door but couldn't.

When Xu Shuang built Wang Ying's courtyard wall, he simply replaced the door. Don't know where, but Xu Shuang found a large piece of good quality wood. It was hard and heavy. The carpenter made it in a hurry and also pressed two holes on it. Large brass ring.

Such a high courtyard wall and such a magnificent door made everyone envious. They all said that this door looked like it was originally owned by a wealthy landlord.

Wang Yaozong kicked the door but it didn't move. Instead, his feet hurt.

All of a sudden, his anger was increased from 10% to 70%.

He knocked on the door: "Wang Ying! Come out!"

After knocking like this for a long time, his hands hurt, and Wang Ying still didn't come out.

Wang Yaozong was angry, but he couldn't do anything.

I wanted to rush in, but the door was too heavy to open, and the courtyard wall was too high to go up.

I wanted to scold someone, but Wang Ying didn't answer or open the door.

Although Wang Yaozong had no communication with Wang Lingling, he had the same thoughts as her in this moment.

The dog wants to bite the tortoise and but finds nowhere to bite.

In the end, Wang Yaozong could only go back to his home with a sigh of relief from the pain in his hand.

And what about Wang Ying?

She is collecting herbs in the mountains.

Wang Ying got bored after hearing the voice of her cousin next door in the yard.

After inheriting the memory of the original owner, she had no expectations for the character of her uncle's family. The uncle was hypocritical and selfish, the aunt was stupid, short-sighted and mean. The married first cousin Wang Pingping was not very impressive, but the original owner didn't have a good impression of the first cousin either. The second cousin is Wang Lingling's reborn daughter...

In such a litter, not one of them is decent.

Wang Yaozong is even more accomplished.

Wang Ying was too lazy to waste words with this kind of person. Anyway, since they were separated from each other, people shouldn't disturb. There was no need to listen to this person coming to talk to her about his nonsense.

Wang Ying carried the basket on her back and went up the mountain.

The family has been busy building the courtyard wall in the past few days. Wang Ying originally thought that she would be busy, but Xu Shuang and Mrs. Xu arranged everything without letting her interfere at all.

The people who built the courtyard wall were a few descendants of the family that Mrs. Xu found from her natal family, and the rest were a few people who were still in contact with her family after the accident. Xu Shuang also stepped forward to find a few people with good character in the brigade. A dozen young men worked together, fast and speedy like a rocket.

Mrs. Xu also asked Xu Shuang to buy steamed buns and braised vegetables from the restaurant. At noon, Mrs. Xu cooked the hare meat caught in the mountains, stir-fried with lard, and added cabbage, potato and vermicelli slivers. The stew was a big pot. Those who couldn't finish the food were asked to take some home with them.

There is no pay for this kind of work in the brigade. People with big surnames can get dozens of hands to help just by shouting, and other people with lower surnames can also gather a dozen by pulling strings and checking their connections. You help me, I'll help you, I'll take care of lunch, that's all.

The Xu family was not short of money. At noon, each person had a large bowl of hare meat stew, topped with two large slices of braised pork, and two large steamed buns with two noodles per person. They eat better than some people during the Chinese New Year.

At first, some people were relieved and thought they was lucky that Xu Shuang didn't come to call them. The next day, they couldn't sit still. The smell of the big meat slices penetrated directly into their noses. Mrs. Xu's house had two cooks, and when she was younger, she could eat food cooked by her man. When she was older, she could eat food cooked by her son, and the skills he has cultivated were pretty good.

The rabbit meat is stewed firm and chewy, and lard is not included in the dish. The stew is so fragrant that it spreads everywhere in the team.

At this time, people approached Xu Shuang and offered to help, but Xu Shuang refused, saying that it was just a courtyard wall and there was no need for so many people.

When these people went home and thought about it, they slapped their thighs and felt that they had lost money.

It turned out that the Xu family's life was so easy, but they were not disliked by others because of this realization. The big reason was that Mrs. Xu excelled at being a good person. Every time she stewed something at home, she would exchange food for some eggs from the neighbors, and she would do it very casually. In the past, if anyone had spoken about building a courtyard wall like this, Mrs. Xu would definitely not refuse to offer a helping hand.

Anyway, it’s okay to add one or two people to a big pot of stew, especially if you have a good relationship. If you come and have two bites, this old lady doesn’t care at all.

But this time around, this kind of good thing will disappear in the future.

They found people on their own, and they don’t want you even if you come to them, saying it sounds good but they were afraid of troubling you. But what kind of trouble is there? Eating big meat slices, a mouth full of oil, just doing a little work, not even tired, and after a while, I can give just another person a meat bun.

During this period of time, everyone who had been estranged from the Xu family felt regretful and thought that they were too impulsive.

After thinking about it again, they couldn't catch up to construction of the courtyard wall, but up ahead, there was also a wedding banquet for the two people!

Someone's mind was agitated, and she immediately asked Xu Shuang about the wedding banquet.

Xu Shuang was not ambiguous and said directly: "My mother has found someone, so I won't bother my aunt. I will give candies to my aunt then."

Look, if you could only be given sweets, who could tell whether you’d even be called to the wedding banquet or not!

The person who asked the question was not stupid. She smiled dryly and said: "I heard that you are working on the 26th, right? Auntie will definitely go to help your mother early that day."

I won’t talk about it up front, but let’s repair the relationship later.

Think about it again, if your son has skills, he can do well wherever he goes. There are many benefits to knowing a cook in your own family, and this relationship cannot be broken.

After such a lively few days of building the courtyard wall, Wang Ying didn't feel busy at all.

The big pot of food cooked by Mrs. Xu was very fragrant, and she also ate it. She wanted to help but was refused. Mrs. Xu had long heard from her son that Wang Ying had learned some medical skills from her mother, and now she was even more satisfied with Wang Ying. Mrs. Xu told her to rest in the house, and to go for a walk in the town if she felt restless. If you want to eat anything, go to Xu Shuang and ask him to make it.

Wang Ying thought that if she went into town, she could only wander around. Xipo Town was not that big, so there was only so much to do.

As for food, she has eaten well enough in the past couple days, and there is no need to be greedy for the time being.

Let’s go up the mountain.

After the next few days, Wang Ying figured out the range of the mountain that she could access. She could clearly map out where there was a large area of ​​growth and what kind of medicine had yet to grow.

Wang Ying found a cave with a basket on her back. A clump of plants with small green fruits climbed on the rocks below the cave.

Wang Ying turned over the plant. The fruits on it were as big as raisins, but the difference was that the green fruits were plump and round.

Wang Ying was very satisfied. She discovered this stone olive clump by chance. When she found it, the plant was already dry and yellow, and it looked unusable.

She poured two handfuls of spiritual spring water and thought about trying it to see if it would have any effect. As a result, the plant quickly became energetic and the fruits on it also grew.

Wang Ying carefully picked off the stone olives, wrapped them in the prepared newspaper, and then carefully put them in her backpack. Although wild stone olive is not a precious medicinal material, because few people know about it, it needs to be prepared before it can be used, so the price is not cheap.

Wang Ying thought that when she entered the city, she might not have enough time to bring the prepared ones, so she might as well bring fresh ones and ask for the price.

After picking the fruits, Wang Ying poured some spiritual spring water at the roots of the plants.

It was strange, during the end of the world, she tried to sprinkle spiritual spring water on the plants specially cultivated in the base, but none of those plants responded. On the contrary, here, she tried to use spiritual spring water to water the flowers, and they all grew thicker and more robust.

With this bonus, Wang Ying planned to carve out a piece of land in the mountains and try transplanting some herbal plants. If successful, she would be able to grow a large field of good medicinal herbs!

Wang Ying picked several herbs and followed the path she had found.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, a colorful animal flashed past.

Wang Ying took a closer look and saw that it was a pheasant.

She was immediately overjoyed. There were more hares in the mountains, and she also saw squirrels and monkeys. But this was the first time she saw pheasants. Pheasant meat is more delicious. Pheasants also like to wander down the mountain, so if there are a few of them, they will be caught and eaten.

This one probably stayed on the mountain, so no one had caught it yet.

The pheasant was wary, and when it noticed the person, it started to flap and run away. Wang Ying chased after it around and around three times, until the pheasant jumped directly onto a big pine tree.

The pine tree was tall and it was difficult to rely on strength. Wang Ying could only look at the chicken and sigh.

Looking around again, Wang Ying was dumbfounded.

The place where the pheasant brought her actually had a small pond!

Wang Ying had a clear sense of direction and had memorized the route all the way here. With a little calculation, she knew that this small pond was within the scope of the fourth brigade.

There were lush trees around the small pond, and there wasn't even an obvious road. Wang Ying groped around and couldn't find any trace of anyone coming here.

Is this a wild pond that no one has discovered?

Wang Ying threw a stone into the pond, and the sound was quite shallow.

Wang Ying thought to herself, such a deep pond is probably an underground water source, so are there any fish in this pond?

Speaking of which, there is a creek in the Shengli Commune she had passed through. It's surrounded by mountains and rivers. However, people use the creek all year round to wash clothes, bathe and drain sewage. There are only some palm-sized fish in the creek, and bigger fish have never been spotted.

There are no big rivers or lakes in Nanshao County, and the locals rarely eat fish. There are a few places in the countryside with rivers where you can catch some fish, but many people are not used to it, and they won't buy it unless they have important guests at home.

Wang Ying didn't dare to go into the water, so she emptied her backpack, tore some of the steamed buns she brought with her and sprinkled it inside, fixed the basket with rattan, and threw it into the pond.

Next, a beautiful scene unfolded that Wang Ying had never seen in her life.

A big fish half an arm long dived into the basket with a splash!

And there was more than one!

Wang Ying was dumbfounded as she watched the fish jump into the basket one by one and was too stunned to move. She was in shock for just a moment, then hurriedly pulled it out. She couldn't lift it up without pulling hard, and she was leaning about halfway into the basket!

After struggling to get the basket up and out, Wang Ying saw five or six large long fish in the basket , each half as tall as a man! It was heavy, estimated to weigh more than thirty kilograms.

After being stunned, she was ecstatic. Wang Ying was not greedy, she felt that with such a big fish and such a pond where no one came, she would have a steady stream of fish to eat from now on!

Wang Ying recalled a traditional folk tale; [hit the deer with a stick, scoop up the fish with a ladle, and watch the pheasants fly into the cooking pot.](#user-content-fn-4)[^4]

Although this is not the Northeast, it's only a small place a little closer, the rich products are really satisfying.

Wang Ying sorted through the fish and kept the three largest ones at the bottom. No one came to this fish pond, so she could bring Xu Shuang with her next time. Winter is about to come, and Xu Shuang will pickle the fish then, which will also be a reserve for the winter.

Wang Ying deliberately avoided people and returned home. As soon as she arrived, she saw Xu Shuang waiting at the door.

Speaking of the two of them, she was the only one who had the key to Wang Ying's house. Xu Shuang took advantage of her free time and came over. Seeing that Wang Ying was not around, he waited at the door.

"Quick, quick, quick, I'll give you the key, hurry up and open the door!"

Wang Ying did not forget that there was Wang Yaozong next door who had just returned home. He was holding back his anger and was ready to stir up trouble. If he saw the fish in her basket, there might be another incident.

Xu Shuang opened the door very obediently, without saying a word, and helped Wang Ying take off the basket off her back when she entered the door.

Wang Ying, like showing off a treasure, said "behold\~!" and showed him the fish in the basket.

"...Where did it come from?"

The brigade cannot get fish, and those in the county town who want to eat fish can still go to the food station to buy it. The brigade below always pick the largest fish in the river to exchange with others.

But even if it was exchanged, it would not be possible to get such a big fish.

This one must weigh six or seven pounds.

Wang Ying told how she found a wild pond on the mountain and was very proud: "There is a bigger one inside."

Xu Shuang picked it up, looked around, and commented: "Good fish."

This fish is naturally raised, it grows big and is flexible, and the meat must be of good quality.

Wang Ying came up with an idea: "You go up the mountain with me tomorrow, and we can get more and come back to dry the fish."

Xu Shuang: "Let's wait until next month. Then we'll go to the mountain to seal the fish, get them back and make them into frozen fish, and then raise a few more in the tank."

When it comes to eating, Wang Ying completely listens to Xu Shuang, after all, he is the one in charge.

"Okay! Let's get more by then."

Before she left, she could see clearly that all the fish in the small pond were frighteningly big, and the fish weighed more than ten kilograms at a glance. She caught these fish just in time to take advantage of the small fish growing again in the spring.

Xu Shuang pointed to the three fish in the basket and asked, "How do you want to eat these?"

Wang Ying immediately thought of the sweet and sour fish. If there was anything she was lacking now, it was sugar. Sugar at this time was too expensive, and all she ate these days were salty dishes, which made her miss some sweet and sour dishes.

"Sweet and sour fish... can you make it?"

Xu Shuang looked through it, preparing to choose a lucky fish. Such a big fish would definitely be too big to finish in one meal. Fortunately, there was a tank in Wang Ying's yard, so they could just keep the fish in the tank and eat them slowly.

"Able."

Xu Shuang picked the biggest one and put it back in the basket: "Will you come to my house to eat it tonight?"

The seasonings at Wang Ying's house were brought by Mrs. Xu when she was cooking a big pot a few days ago, and they were not complete. The kitchen of the Xu family is fully equipped with all kinds of things.

Wang Ying nodded without thinking: "Okay!"

After agreeing, I realized later that I was going to the man’s house?

Speaking of which, this was her first time going to Xu's house.

When she lowered her head, she happened to miss the soft light flashing in Xu Shuang's eyes. Wang Ying hesitated: "Should I bring something?"

Help, she was single in her last life. It was really difficult to deal with this kind of situation.

Xu Shuang seemed to see her uneasiness and showed the fish in his hand: "Isn't this what you brought? I'll take it away first. You can come over in the evening."

After sending Xu Shuang away, Wang Ying felt that her face was burning up.

As for why it burned, it was probably because she was too tired from going up the mountain to catch fish.

Wang Yaozong came back, and Li Chunjuan was busy making a large pot of chicken nuggets and noodles, pouring a spoonful of toppings on the thin white noodles, and placed the rest of the chicken in front of him.

When Wang Yongshun came back from work, he was happy to see his son at home. However, although he valued his son, he still pretended to be a strict father.

When Wang Yaozong saw his father coming back, he didn't let anyone else have the chicken in front of him. He was still slurping the noodles in a hurry.

Li Chunjuan sat aside, not eating, but just watching, her eyes full of love.

Wang Yongshun choked for a moment, cursed the brat in his mind, and asked: "Why are you back?  School is suspended?"

Since the year before the last, schools in some places have been shut down and the teachers were wiped out, so there is no need to study anymore. It's just that Hongqi High School has always been a peaceful place, and their schedule went about as normal.

Wang Yaozong had just been told what has happened by his mother, and when his father asked, he became even more impatient.

"I came back from leave... Dad, why did you give the house to Wang Ying? Didn't you tell me that everything second uncle had belongs to me? I even broke the pots and bowls for the second aunt, why didn't you give me the house?"

Wang Yongshun was originally thinking about how to tell his son, but who knew that Li Chunjuan had already finished before he could start. Wang Yongshun glared at Li Chunjuan, who had turned her back to him. The wounds from the fight between the two that day still left marks, and these days, they were too lazy to care about the other person.

"Don't listen to your mother's advice. This matter is complicated. I'll explain it to you later."

Li Chunjuan didn't know about the little money he had hid, nor the past affairs of Wang Ying's family, so she confusedly thought that he just wanted his brother's house. Only Wang Yongshun knew that there was more than that.

"After you finish eating, come in and I'll explain it to you in detail."

Wang Yaozong hummed and slurped the noodles happily. Li Chunjuan saw that he had eaten a big bowl, so she wiped his mouth with her sleeve: "Is that enough? If it's not enough, I'll give you another bowl."

There was not much white flour at home, so she exchanged the only remaining chicken for the noodles and a chicken leg.

A family in the brigade gave birth to a fat boy. They killed the chicken today so that she could come back with a new leg.

Wang Yaozong shook his head and avoided her sleeve: "I'm full. I don't mean anything by this Mom, but the chicken you cut is too small. Next time, cut it bigger."

I can barely even pick up the small pieces.

Li Chunjuan quickly agreed: "Next time our family kills chickens, we will cut them into big pieces so that my son can eat enough!"

The chicken drumsticks this time were cut by the shop, and the diced meat was so small. Li Chunjuan spat in her heart. So small-minded and frugal, he cut the chicken into such small pieces!

Wang Yongshun and Wang Yaozong entered the back room. Wang Yongshun faced his tall son and suddenly felt that his life was worth it.

After raising a son, the Wang family will have achieved their purpose of passing on their legacy. The next step is to find a good job for his son and find him a good wife to marry. His life will be completed.

Wang Yaozong was very irritated. He felt that there was something wrong with both his parents, even more so Sanya next door, how could he let her hold his family hostage when she looked so cowardly? If it doesn't work, just beat her to death! A girl only knows how to be afraid when she is beaten into submission.

Wang Yongshun didn't know what his son was thinking, but this time he was uncharacteristically prepared to silence his son's thoughts.

"Yaozong, I know you don't want it in your heart, and I don't want it in my heart either. Your second uncle has no other descendants, and she is just a girl. If he was alive, let alone a house, he would have to arrange a job for you and send you to work and get a peasant's education. He is from the Military University. He has to rely on you for his retirement, so he should dedicate everything he has to our family."

Wang Yongshun didn't think there was anything wrong. It was his brother who joined the army not long after he got married. He didn't have Yaozong at that time. If Yaozong had been born at that time, he would have made it clear to his brother before he joined the army.

The two brothers were separated, but he couldn't watch his brother have no male descendants and no one to worship him after a hundred years. His son is his brother's son. Two families support one Yaozong. If Yaozong succeeds, isn't it also a share of his brother's contribution? His brother can also have descendants.

"As a result, your second uncle didn't believe it all of a sudden, but our family was already having a hard time. I was thinking of taking care of your cousin for your second uncle, but who knew that Sanya, this girl, suddenly had a twitch in her head, and now she has to say Recruiting a wife. It’s your second sister’s partner.”

Wang Yaozong had already heard this story, and he was too lazy to listen to it now. He said impulsively: "I will go next door, smash up her house and beat her to death! I broke the pot for her mother. Even if the second aunt is alive, she still has to say that this house belongs to me!"

Wang Yongshun frowned, pulled his impulsive son to a chair and sat down, and then he said: "Your second aunt can't say that. You are young now and don't know what's going on here."

Wang Yongshun took out a paper bag from his arms, opened it and saw a large stack of banknotes inside.

Wang Yaozong's eyes lit up instantly, and he grabbed Wang Yongshun's hand very excitedly: "Dad, where did this come from?"

This big pile must be more than 200, right?

Wang Yongshun hissed. He had just stared at Wang Ying's house when he came back. Knowing that Wang Ying had gone out, he dared to talk to his son about these things so unscrupulously.

"The matter about your second uncle sounds very complicated. In fact, after your second uncle came down from North Korea at that time, there was still news about him."

Wang Yongshun recalled the old things from more than ten years ago and spoke slowly: "Your second uncle was asked to carry out a secret security mission. He didn't say the details in the letter, only not to worry about him. He will probably move somewhere else later."

"It must have been five or six years. In fact, your second uncle has always corresponded with your second aunt. Your second uncle sent dozens of yuan to your second aunt a month."

Originally there was no news about his brother, so he had the wrong impression.

Wang Yingniang is good-looking, so it will be easy for her to get married again. She didn't give birth to a son for the Wang family, so why should she occupy his brother's house?

But halfway through the idea, Wang Yingniang showed him the letter, as if to warn this dishonest uncle. Wang Yingniang made it very clear that Wang Yongfu was performing a secret mission in the army. Even the brigade leader did not know this, but this news reached the commune.

As long as she goes to the commune, someone there will be there to issue instructions.

Wang Yingniang made it clear that the commune would not interfere if she was fine, but if something happened to her, someone from the commune would come to investigate immediately, and Wang Yongshun would have to weigh everything he wanted to do.

I have to say that these words scared Wang Yongshun. In those years, he suppressed Li Chunjuan and did not even start a quarrel with Wang Yingniang. I'm afraid that the other party will go directly to the commune to file a complaint.

"When Wang Ying was seven or eight years old, your second aunt became a barefoot doctor and she was able to make money on her own. But at that time, it seemed that your second uncle had changed places and stopped communicating with your second aunt."

It was a coincidence that Wang Yongshun knew about this, and he got it out of little Wang Ying's mouth.

"But although your second uncle didn't write anymore letters, no letter is still good news. If he is really gone, your second aunt will definitely be sent the news and be visibly affected."

Wang Yongfu and his wife have a good relationship. If it weren't for their good relationship, Wang Ying's mother would not have stayed alone for so many years.

"This was the situation until the past two years, where everything was chaotic. Your second aunt looked at you in confusion for a while, as if there was some bad news. I asked your mother to try to trick her to reveal what it was, but she couldn't get anything. Later, your mother went to pick you up in the middle of the night. The second aunt was heard crying at the window and said that a leader in the commune told her that her man was gone. "

Wang Yongshun was in a daze. He recounted these events as if they had happened yesterday, but it was already a long time ago.

"I don't know if your second aunt was in poor health due to fatigue, but she died unexpectedly on the way to transport food."

Wang Yongshun's eyes gradually became gentler when he looked at his son. Compared to his second brother, who died of unknown whereabouts, his own life was difficult but much safer. It can be seen that people should not fight for anything noble. You are just a small person, and only small people can live a better life.

Looking at it now, he doesn't even know where his second brother's body was buried. His family only has a girl left, while he himself still had a son and daughter. Although the future will be hard, his son has a bright future ahead of him.

"I'm telling you this to give you some idea."

Wang Yongshun didn't lie down in vain these past few days. He thought about it carefully several times. In the end, he decided on how to take the next step.

"What happened to your second uncle was two years ago. It was a chaotic time. We still don't know whether your second uncle belongs to the category of a martyr or something else."

"I originally thought about telling Sanya that we would occupy the house. Even if your second uncle comes back, he would have nothing to say. They are not here, so it's okay for us to take care of his daughter. Besides, the family that your mom was looking at for Sanya was at worst overcrowded, not a drunkard or a gambler."

Wang Yongshun never thought about leaving no escape route from the beginning. He planned to do these things in an honorable manner.

"But it can't be done now. Sanya has broken up with us. I know you're angry, but you should listen to dad's advice and don't trouble her again."

Wang Yongshun has a discerning heart and always remembers to give himself a way to escape.

Once something is torn, it's not appropriate to do it again. It would be fine if Wang Yingniang was an ordinary person, but she died transporting food for the brigade. Even if Wang Ying didn't mention her father, Wang Yingniang's position alone would earn her a reputation in the commune.

Wang Yongshun thought to himself, the worst case scenario is that his second brother really sacrificed his life for the country, If the commune announces this and Wang Ying's previous incident with them becomes a bigger issue, what's the use of taking over her house? How would they be able to enjoy it if they were in jail then?

Wang Yongshun took more than 200 yuan and said sincerely to his son: "This money was left by Wang Yingniang. The woman secretly hid it under the water tank at her house and only said it before she died. Fortunately, she was unconscious at that time and couldn't see clearly. I just sent the others away and listened to what she said."

Wang Yongshun actually got five hundred, and his hands were shaking the moment he got the money. In his entire life, this was the first time he had touched so much money.

But even though five hundred seems like a lot, I can't help but spend it.

In addition to official expenses, Wang Yongshun also secretly gave his son a lot of pocket money. In order for his son to go to high school, he also spent 50 yuan to get permission from the commune.

It was only when he was about to buy a job for his son that Wang Yongshun realized that he had lost so much money.

There is no other way but to think of ways to recover it from Wang Lingling and Wang Ying.

He had saved more than 300 yuan, and when adding up Wang Lingling's gift, it was almost Then a series of events happened which sent his plans spiralling down the drain.

Wang Yongshun gritted his teeth: "We probably can't buy a job with this little money. I think you are a high school graduate, and you will go to the county to find a temporary job. If you have passed the academic qualifications, you will definitely be promoted. When the critical moment comes, we will give you a push with money to make you a regular employee.”

If you have little money, you have to spend it wisely. Wang Yongshun thought, if two hundred yuan can't buy a job, then what about giving gifts?

When the time comes, my son will already be qualified. Once he spends his own money, he will have a secure job!

Wang Yongshun said happily, but ignored his son's sudden change of color.

Wang Yaozong looked uncomfortable. He understood what was said about Wang Ying's family earlier. He thought it was okay. His father had a sharp mind and was right.

If Wang Ying's family has such a hidden secret, then it's really not the right time to cause trouble.

Isn’t it just two houses? A mud house in the countryside! When the time comes, he will go directly to the city to work as a worker! Divide the house!

When Wang Yongshun asked him to take the exam on his own, and his family would give him a push at the critical moment. Wang Yaozong felt guilty.

He always told his family that he was studying hard in school, but in fact he knew what he was like.

He has been in school for more than a year, and his books are still new.

But Wang Yaozong couldn't directly tell his father that he couldn't pass the exam as a temporary worker in the county.

You must know that there are few high school students now. If the county recruits workers, high school students will generally have a 100% chance of taking the temporary worker exam.

If he said he couldn't pass, then how bad must he be to fail the exam?

Wang Yaozong stared at the more than two hundred yuan in his father's hand: "Dad, shouldn't we think of other ways as well?"

His dad has a quick mind and can definitely think of ways to make money.

For him to take the exam, he really can't do it!

Wang Yongshun frowned. He knew that his son did not want to start as a temporary worker. In the unit, temporary workers did the most tiring work and received the least money.

He glanced at his son distressingly: "Dad is incompetent. If your second uncle was here, dad could borrow some money even if he goes out of his way to kneel down to your second uncle, but now\..."

The Wang family moved here from the outside, separated from most of the other people in the brigade by one floor, so it is difficult to borrow money. Besides, who can borrow a few hundred yuan?

if it's like this, Dad will try harder, and we've got a good half year before you graduate anyway, so there's no telling what would happen then."

Wang Yongshun handed over the foundation to his son, and he felt much more secure. His son didn't come back a few days ago, and the house was a mess right now. Li Chunjuan, this woman, still hadn't recovered, which made him irritable.

Now that his son was back, Wang Yongshun feels much calmer.

"Take these five dollars. There's still a month until the school holiday. Don't be stingy and at something good to get through the winter."

Wang Yongshun drew five yuan for his son, frowned and stuffed the remaining two hundred into a wooden compartment in the corner.

Little did he know that his son, who was usually happy with just five yuan a month, was staring straight at the wood behind him...

When Wang Ying knocked on Xu Shuang's door, she tugged on her clothes uncomfortably. She wondered if this was like the first time going to a boyfriend's house.

She was wearing clothes with the least patches, her hair was combed into two big braids, her face was clean, and she was holding a bag of herbs and a bag of dried mushrooms she got from the mountains.

The door to the Xu family opened very quickly, as if someone was waiting not far from the door.

The person who opened the door was Mrs. Xu. Her whole face was wrinkled with a smile.

"Girl Ying is here, come in, come in!"

Originally, Mrs. Xu called Wang Ying by the nickname Xiao Ying, but Wang Ying resolutely refused this. She always felt like she was going to pull out her deck of cards and start a magical girl transformation in the next second...

Wang Ying handed the two bags in her hand: "This is a medicine I prepared myself. I saw you coughing a few days ago, and this is to cure the cough..."

Oops, it seems wrong to send medicine when visiting for the first time?

Mrs. Xu didn't stutter at all. She took it very naturally and pleasantly: "You are so attentive. Come in, come in."

Mrs. Xu didn't think it was bad to deliver the medicine. She thought happily that she was indeed a bit of a wife. Look, after leaving such a bad one, there is still such a good one.

The good things that are destined for you cannot be obtained from wishing for them, and it will happen only if it is destiny to.

Wang Ying smelled a sweet smell when she walked into Xu's house. The sweet and sour smell wafted in the air. It was the sweet and sour fish she dreamed of!

Mrs. Xu pointed to the kitchen and said, "My little boy is cooking in there. Let's leave him alone. I'll show you around the house."

Wang Ying swallowed her saliva and reluctantly turned her eyes away from the kitchen.

Mrs. Xu took Wang Ying's hand and showed her room by room. The Xu family's house was undoubtedly very spacious.

The four houses are all tall old houses, three of which are adobe houses, but this adobe house is very different from other houses. The other houses are all messy, and the house looks dilapidated and weathered. As for the three rooms of the Xu family, the carvings on the doors are very delicate, and the walls are also well maintained.

Mrs. Xu babbled: "My old man built this house at that time. Just because of this house, I almost became a rich farmer."

Fortunately, both of them were working for wealthy families in the city at that time, so they signed a contract to become one of the oppressed working class, which gave them a good social standing.

The layout of these three houses is essentially one, with one main room and two side rooms. Regardless of the placement in the house, the two side rooms are equipped with kang heads.

Mrs. Xu: "This kang is still good, so when Xiao Yao'er mentioned it before, I said that I didn't want to take it down and rebuild for this earthen kang. It's very warm in the winter. You and Xiao Yao'er will have a baby later, so it's best to get one in the house, we can’t handle the winter without one.”

Wang Ying didn't know whether to nod or shake her head. This was too thinking too far, she'd already thought about having a baby.

"...I have a room with a kang in my house. I can use it in a few days."

Let’s just talk about the kang.

"That's good. It's really cold in the winter. By the way, I'll tell Yao'er later and ask him to order more coal this year."

When people in the city buy coal, they have a coal purchase certificate. When people in the countryside buy coal, they go to the coal mine to buy it themselves. There is a quota and you cannot buy too much.

Wang Ying nodded. It was only after she inherited the memory of the original owner that she realized that the preparations for winter here were really complicated. We would have to account for more than two months of eating, drinking and cooking. After entering November, the whole month was busy.

Mrs. Xu took Wang Ying to the only brick house in her courtyard: "This one was built later, and it was built together with the kitchen. The younger brother said that I am old and that house doesn't have much light, so it’s better to live over here.”

Let's talk about the kitchen. When Wang Ying walked through to the door of the kitchen, she saw Xu Shuang.

It was cold and foggy, and Xu Shuang was busy working attentively while wearing an apron.

Wang Ying has never seen Xu Shuang like this. He is extremely relaxed in front of the stove. Although his movements are fast and deft, his whole person is very relaxed, as if it was his battlefield and stage.

Mrs. Xu said: "Little Yao'er built this kitchen by himself, dear. His father, who is a cook, didn't even mention buying such a big kitchen for himself, but he insisted on it. Look, it's as big as a house.

Sure enough, the kitchen was spacious and equipped with all kinds of things. Xu Shuang also built two shelves with a bunch of things arranged in an orderly manner.

Old Mrs. Xu didn't understand it at first. Her husband was a cook, and he cooked for rich people. Of course, he should be more precise. Those people have picky tongues and can distinguish whichever seasonings were put and the heat in each dish couldn't be a few minutes late. But Xu Shuang went to work in the town, so there was really no need for all this.

It’s not that Mrs. Xu discriminates against working people, she is also a working people herself. But even she herself couldn't tell the big difference between the details. Not to mention that Xu Shuang occasionally cooks some [Kung Fu dishes](#user-content-fn-5)[^5], which takes most of the day.

Mrs. Xu didn't understand. Meat was hard to come by, but wasn't it easy to get vegetables? You spent half of the day preparing a vegetable dish. Who can wait so long to eat cabbage?

Wang Ying: "I think it would be better if the stove is bigger."

The bigger the kitchen is, the more space you can use. Otherwise, can so many delicious foods be made in just one pot?

Mrs. Xu looked at Wang Ying, whose eyes were full of approval, and couldn't help but be speechless. Sure enough, she was originally afraid that the young couple were just haphazardly making do, but looking at it now, could this be a match made in heaven?

I really want to thank Wang Lingling for ruining the marriage so that the youngest son could meet such a wonderful wife.

Finally, Xu Shuang finished cooking the sweet and sour fish, and he took off his apron. Wang Ying felt so blessed that she set the table. The two of them cooperated tacitly, and the table was filled in no time.

Mrs. Xu was upset after she recovered. It was the first time that the person came over, where was the courtesy in asking her to do something.

After glaring at her son, Mrs. Xu quickly asked Wang Ying to sit down.

There was not only sweet and sour fish on the table, but also a dish of black fungus mixed with soy sauce, stir-fried hare meat with soy sauce, and a plate of stir-fried bean sprouts.

It’s not very rich, but it’s quite impressive at this time.

Xu Shuang didn't move his chopsticks much, and seemed to be staring at Wang Ying, waiting for her to comment.

"tasty!"

The sweet and sour fish is sour and appetizing. The fish is deep-fried with its tail raised high, and is topped with a golden glistening sauce. The snow-white tender fish meat is dipped in the sauce. The sourness hits just the right spot and the sweetness is also satisfying.

The corners of Xu Shuang's lips curled up: "Do you want rice?"

They ate a lot of wheat-based foods here, but rice is also not uncommon. Xu Shuang not only made steamed buns tonight, but also steamed a pot of rice.

“Want!”

Wang Ying nodded wildly while holding the fish in her mouth, and poured the sweet and sour sauce on the rice. She could polish off two bowls by herself!

In front of a table of feasts, Wang Ying successfully fed herself to capacity.

Xu Shuang sent her home. Halfway through, Wang Ying remembered.

"By the way, I'm ready. Let's go to the city the day after tomorrow?"

Xu Shuang naturally agreed. He still had a lot of things to prepare, and it was time to go to the city to ask for tickets from his master.

Wang Ying felt curious: "How is it that other masters accept their apprentice's filial piety, while you..."

Xu Shuang frowned: "Other people's apprentices are not as good as me."

Wang Ying: "..."

I thought this person was cold-faced before, but now he seems a little narcissistic?

Seeing that she didn't believe it, Xu Shuang added: "When I wanted to become a disciple, several of my uncles were fighting for it... Later, it was them who drank and competed to decide the winner."

Xu Shuang was a little speechless when she recalled it: "My master said that he secretly replaced his wine with boiled water, so he defeated the others."

Wang Ying: "..."

Xu Shuang: "I will take you to meet my fourteen senior brothers later. My master only has one apprentice, but my senior uncles especially like to accept apprentices."

Got it, there is an army of cooks behind you! Your division is huge!

Suddenly, Xu Shuang quickly ran forward and grabbed the figure wandering in front of Wang Ying's house.

Wang Yaozong's arm was twisted, and he yelled at the top of his voice: "Wang Ying! Tell him to let me go!"

[^1]: Mixed grain / flour foods.

[^2]: A custom done by a male family member to honour the deceased and allow them to move on from the mortal realm, by symbolizing cutting off the ties with their physical body.

[^3]: Wearing mourning clothes and keeping vigil by the body of the deceased during the funeral to comfort them in their transition to the afterlife.

[^4]: A traditional Chinese story that depicts a place where food is abundant and easy to obtain without any effort, where even the wild pheasants would voluntarily fly into the pot without having to lift a finger.

[^5]: Used to describe really complicated dishes with lots of steps and time needed to prepare them.


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