# c19: fish head puff pastry

There was no electricity in the brigade, and they all used oil lamps. It was originally difficult to see people clearly at night, but Wang Ying's eyesight was good. After Xu Shuang grabbed the person, she clearly saw Wang Yaozong's appearance.

How should I put it? It's really what you see is what you get.

Wang Ying chuckled: "What are you doing in front of my house?"

She did not ask Xu Shuang to let the person go.

Wang Yaozong gritted his teeth: "Why do you care! It's none of your damn business if I'm walking around in front of my house!"

Although he listened to Wang Yongshun's words, at the same time he felt that his family now had two hundred yuan. With the money in hand, the house was not so important. He was going to enter the county town later!

but……

[Until he reaches the Yellow River, he always feels that the Yellow River will not give a strong impact.](#user-content-fn-1)[^1]

Wang Yaozong's impression of Wang Ying was still the same as before. He felt that this person was a faceless person who didn't even dare to say harsh words and only knew how to work. Even though Li Chunjuan said that Wang Ying had changed, Wang Yaozong still didn't agree. How is it possible for her to be different?

Besides, even if he set aside the matter with his second uncle's house, there is still an account that needs to be settled.

It was regarding the time when he broke the pots and bowls for his second aunt.

Wang Yaozong felt that, among other things, he had done Wang Ying a huge favor, and Wang Ying had to make up for it no matter what.

He was strolling in front of Wang Ying's house, just wanting to wait for Wang Ying and have a good chat with her.

Wang Yaozong had already thought about it, and he didn't want more. Hearing that Xu Shuang was getting married for the sake of the family's social standing, he would ask Wang Ying for twenty yuan. Even if Wang Ying couldn't get it, Xu Shuang would always have it.

Twenty yuan, compensate him, he is a male member of the Wang family. When the second aunt was buried, he was the first one to stand up!

As a result, before he could face him, his arm was twisted by Xu Shuang.

Wang Yaozong felt that his arm no longer belonged to him, and the pain was severe. Xu Shuang was a cook, and he had some skills with his hands. He was strong and ruthless. His arm was forcefully twisted into a position that no normal person could do.

"Wang Ying! Tell him to get away from me!"

Wang Yaozong felt a little panicked when he saw that Xu Shuang didn't let go and Wang Ying didn't say anything.

"I need to talk to you about business! Tell him to let me go! It hurts me so much!"

Wang Ying didn't think she had anything serious to say to this person, so she replied casually: "You tell me, I'll listen."

Letting go is impossible.

Wang Yaozong screamed twice, breaking into a cold sweat from the pain.

Wang Ying: "Are you going to say it or not? Forget it if you don't say it."

Wang Yaozong gritted his teeth: "My dad said that you are separated from us now. Since we are separated, you have to give me twenty yuan!"

Wang Ying looked in disbelief: "Are you awake or are you dizzy from drinking? Why should I give you twenty yuan?"

Wang Yaozong reluctantly raised his head and said confidently: "Because I was the one who dropped the pot when your mother was buried!"

Wang Ying looked speechlessly at this man. When the original owner's mother was buried, the original owner was already weak and was so dizzy from crying that she couldn't care about anything. Wang Yongshun took the opportunity to let Wang Yaozong stand first in the funeral. The original owner wanted to do the pot-breaking thing herself, but one was that there was no room for her to argue at that time, and the other was that Wang Yongshun arranged the entire funeral process, and she couldn't squeeze in and make decisions at all.

Wang Yaozong actually had the nerve to talk about this matter?

Wang Ying signaled Xu Shuang to let go of Wang Yaozong: "I don't have twenty yuan, but I have two slaps to give you. If you come back to me and talk nonsense again, you will receive two ear scrapings."

No need to waste words with this person!

Wang Yaozong's hand was twisted for a while, and it hurt so much that he was sweating and hunched over. Hearing what Wang Ying said, he was very unconvinced and opened his mouth to argue: "You dare? When your mother was buried, if it weren't for me, there wouldn't even be a pot-breaker in your family, and others would have to say that your mother died miserably. You don’t have any descendants. If it weren’t for me, you would have been accused of being unfilial! If you were wiser, you should have treated me as your biological brother. I don’t want anything else, just twenty yuan!”

Wang Ying found it funny: "What if I don't give it?"

Wang Yaozong: "If you don't give it to me! If you don't give it to me, then..."

Wang Yaozong felt guilty. He remembered Wang Yongshun's words and came to ask for money, but he didn't think about what else he could use to blackmail Wang Ying.

Wang Yaozong subconsciously raised his palm. If it hadn't been for Xu Shuang, when he heard Wang Ying's first retort, he would have glued his palm to her face!

Not giving? If you don’t give it, I'll hit until you give it!

But now that Xu Shuang was here, Wang Yaozong raised his hand and put it down again, making himself gasp for breath.

He had no means to blackmail Wang Ying, but Wang Ying controlled their family's fate.

Wang Ying said to Wang Yongshun who came out after hearing the sound: "Uncle, I was really too lazy to argue with your family. I beat the old one away and the younger one came. What's the matter? Will my cousin from the town also come later? If there is a commotion at my door, let me tell you clearly. You will know whether you owe me a clear account or not. If I don't bother you now, you should thank God for your cousin's presence next time. I’m just trying to show off my temper, but don’t blame me for not giving you face.”

Wang Ying pulled Xu Shuang into the door of her house and closed the door with a bang.

Wang Yongshun's face turned green and white, while Wang Yaozong covered his arms and cried in pain, looking at his father while shouting.

"Dad, I blame Wang Ying. I was standing at the door, and she came up and asked Xu Shuang to twist my arm. Look, it must have turned blue!"

Wang Yongshun originally wanted to say something about his son, but he opened his mouth and swallowed: "Ask your mother to apply some[ purple medicine ](#user-content-fn-2)[^2]on you."

Wang Yaozong nodded, and Wang Yongshun finally said to him: "I told you, don't cause trouble with her in the future."

Wang Yaozong secretly thought it was bad luck, who would have thought that this girl would be so stubborn now? Sure enough, now that the person has a partner, they are different from before.

Wang Yongshun felt heavy in his heart after handing over Wang Yaozong to Li Chunjuan who was making a fuss.

What did Wang Ying mean by what she said just now? What do you mean the accounts have not been settled? Did she know that he had taken away the money left by her mother?

Wang Yongshun felt as if he was in the mist of the mountains, with mist everywhere.

What if Wang Ying really knows...

impossible! Judging from her recent behavior, if she can prove this, she will definitely find someone to directly do something about it!

Moreover, there was no one around in the hospital at that time. He was the only one who heard Wang Yingniang’s instructions before her death.

Wang Yongshun felt a little relieved. As long as there was no evidence, how could Wang Ying make trouble? There is no stamp on the money, so who can say that the money was left by Wang Ying's mother?

Wang Yongshun thought to himself that he had to settle his son's job quickly. As long as his son went to the city and found a city girl as his wife, he would be able to take Li Chunjuan with him to the city. As long as the three of them stay far away from Wang Ying, it will be difficult for her to deal with them in the future.

Now that the two families are only separated by a wall, it really makes him feel uneasy.

Wang Ying pulled Xu Shuang into her home and listened for a while, but except for a series of curses from Li Chunjuan, she didn't hear any important information.

Xu Shuang saw her ear pressed against the wall of the courtyard and felt that Wang Ying was very lively like this, which was completely different from her previous lazy look.

"Stop leaning your head against the wall. The newly built courtyard wall is dirty."

Xu Shuang pulled the person up, and Wang Ying regretted: "My uncle is really strict with his mouth."

Ever since Xu Shuang took a hundred yuan from Wang Yongshun, Wang Ying was basically sure that the original mother must have left something behind. Otherwise, with the mediocre abilities of the uncle and his wife, how could they possibly make a hundred yuan at once?

Chances are, it could very well be from the savings of the original owner's family.

During this period of time, Wang Ying still had a dozen yuan in her hand. Xu Shuang gave her a hundred yuan, but she felt embarrassed to spend it.

Speaking of this marriage, I actually got more benefits than Xu Shuang. It seems that Xu Shuang's family has relied on their own social status to survive the difficulties, while she did nothing except for getting married.

Xu Shuang built the courtyard wall for her and took care of all the wedding stuff. It seemed like only one person was needed to do everything...

We still have to get back all the things left by the original's mother!

It's just that things have been going on for too long, and Wang Ying really can't find a clue.

Xu Shuang thought for a while: "How about we find a solution in the hospital?"

Wang Ying's mother went there in a hurry because there were many injured people and the captain was very busy. Only Wang Yongshun and his wife stayed with Wang Yingniang. Wang Ying was still in school at that time, and it was already too late to rush there the next day.

Thinking about Wang Yongshun's character, it was probably normal to send Li Chunjuan away.

After calculating this, she estimated that they could only find a clue from the hospital.

Wang Ying nodded: "That's all we can do."

This kind of thing is difficult to investigate. There are no witnesses or physical evidence, so we can only look for a breakthrough first. Fortunately, Wang Ying went to the county town this time to establish a relationship with the hospital there, and she could check it out slowly in the future.

It was agreed that the two of them would open letters of introduction the next day, so Xu Shuang went home in the dark. Wang Ying sent the person to the door, thinking that Xu Shuang had bought so many things, should she repay him tomorrow? What to buy?

If you can’t buy something big yourself, why don’t you buy him a flashlight?

When Wang Ying got up the next day, she didn't hear a sound from next door, and when she opened the door, she didn't see a shadow of the family of three. But when you think about it, you will understand that the couple must have sent their son to school.

Gee, I don’t know how pampered he is. A young man has to be sent to high-school by his parents.

Wang Ying sorted out the medicinal materials she had saved during this period and selected some of them to take to the county town to gauge the prices tomorrow.

In the middle of the afternoon, Wang Ying went to the captain to write a letter of introduction.

Tian Youfu also heard about the Xu family during this time. He felt a little pity for Xu Shuang's character, and when he heard that Wang Ying was planning to marry Xu Shuang, he felt that they were a good match. However, he was a leader and had to pay attention to not to being impartial, so he didn't show any special treatment.

But towards Wang Ying, Tian Youfu was grateful. This girl saved his family's Xiao Shitou last time, and Xiao Shitou often went to play with Wang Ying recently.

I heard from Xiao Shitou that Wang Ying dried a lot of medicinal materials in the yard.

Tian Youfu asked Wang Ying about medicinal materials, and Wang Ying was also very frank: "I learned a little from my mother before, and I also read books at school."

Tian Youfu asked her: "Can you treat people in our brigade now?"

It would be great if Wang Ying could take over the job of the barefoot doctor. Tian Youfu never found it difficult to see a doctor before, but after Wang Ying's mother passed away, their seventh brigade has not been able to choose a decent barefoot doctor, so they can only look for the one in a nearby brigade every time.

Not to mention, people have to pay 20 cents for a visit. This caused all the members in the brigade to complain.

Wang Ying: "It should be possible. But the barefoot doctor has to learn, right? It shouldn't work if they haven't studied?"

Tian Youfu waved his hand: "It's going to be winter soon, so you can start the job first. After the winter is over, I will send you to the commune health center to learn."

It's not that Tian Youfu doesn't follow the rules, it's just that it will be difficult to do things until winter was over. Their seventh brigade is at the foot of the mountain. After winter, the heavy snow seals the mountain. They would be isolated from the rest of the world for more than two months, and even the roads in Xipo Town were inaccessible.

The brigade can also call on young people from each family to shovel snow together and clear the roads in the village to facilitate patrols. Meanwhile, the situation is different once you leave the brigade area. As soon as people go out, their eyes are filled with white.

At this time, if someone has a baby or there is an emergency, the only way would be to go to the brigade next door to find someone, but the person may not be able to come in time.

"The barefoot doctor in our brigade will cost two yuan a month per visit, and the work points are not deducted in the winter. I will tell you later who has old people and children. Please pay more attention to them later on."

<mark style="color:purple;">Wang Ying thought for a while and agreed. Being a doctor in the village sounded alright, and there was no big medical trouble she would need to attend to. People are already thankful to have someone who can figure out what's wrong with them. What's there to fuss about? In addition, Wang Ying also had a good impression of Tian Youfu. Although this brigade has both prominent and minor family surnames, they all get along quite harmoniously, which shows that the leader is not a confused person.</mark>

"OK."

Tian Youfu's eyes were a little complicated: "Let's do this for a few months. When spring comes, I will go to the commune to ask about you."

He just remembered that Wang Ying was the child of a martyr and she was a high school graduate. With these conditions, coupled with the fact that she has some medical skills, she could be admitted to the Spring Health Clinic in the early spring. This is also a common care policy in communes.

Wang Ying has graduated now and is about the right age. Under normal circumstances, the commune should have arranged for her this fall. I don't know if there is any delay.

Wang Ying heard Tian Youfu's explanation and understood in her heart that the original owner, the descendant of a martyr, could receive preferential treatment in the commune.

but……

"Captain, I don't want to go to the health center."

Tian Youfu was overjoyed, but he still explained to Wang Ying conscientiously: "But the barefoot doctor is half the job... Our team can only give you half the time, and the rest must be counted as work points."

That is to say, if Wang Ying is in the brigade, she has to go to work. If she doesn't go, this part will be deducted from the food distribution at the end of the year.

Wang Ying still insisted. She originally considered going to a health center because she wanted to find a place with a canteen. But now she has three meals a day, which are different, and she is unwilling to go to the health center. Besides, isn’t it nice to be like the original owner's mother?

You can just twist your body and go up to the back mountain to collect some medicinal materials, and you don't have to run around.

Tian Youfu was overjoyed: "Sure! Then I'll discuss it with the party secretary and give you three yuan a month."

Three yuan is not worth much at all. Wang Ying has to charge 10 or 20 cents anytime someone looks for her for medical help, plus the cost of the medicinal materials is only five or six yuan a month. If you look carefully, you can get more than ten yuan a month, just like Wang Yingniang.

The purchasing power of five or six yuan is still very strong at this time, and it can at least feed a family for a month.

Wang Ying agreed, and then said that she was going to the county town to buy things tomorrow and asked Tian Youfu to write a letter of introduction.

Tian Youfu took out the seal and stamped it on her without asking, and then remembered something.

"Girl Ying, here, I'll give you three yuan. You can go to the hospital and buy a bottle of medical alcohol."

It's all because of that bastard Lao Gou who drank the medical alcohol in the brigade office and had to ask the brigade to buy it in cash.

"You know this, if you see any medicine that you need to buy, buy some. Our brigade is almost running out of the Analgin[^3] that we put here before."

Tian Youfu finally found someone with some medical skills, and he needed to use them immediately.

Wang Ying took a look at the remaining medicine in the office, took a small piece of paper and wrote the names of a few of them, and reported to Tian Youfu: "These are the ones that need to be replenished. The remaining two are for emergency use. Let's also prepare them." ”

Tian is blessed in every way. He took out another ten dollars and said, "If it's still not enough, you can pay it first and I'll make it up to you when you get back."

Wang Ying read the letter of introduction and said, "I can't get enough."

These are all cheap, and no matter how expensive the medicine is, it is not cost-effective.

After sending Wang Ying away, Tian Youfu was still a little puzzled.

"This girl, I remember her mother doesn't know Western medicine, right? How does she know about Western medicine..."

"Forget it, never mind her, a high school student must have learned it on their own."

Wang Ying got up early and opened the door. Xu Shuang was already waiting at the door.

"When did you come? Why didn't you call at the door?" On such a cold morning, white smoke came out of every word, so he was waiting outside. Wang Ying locked the door and the two of them walked to the town together.

Xu Shuang took out a paper bag from her arms: "It didn't take long."

Wang Ying opened the paper bag, and inside was a steaming meat bun.

"Hmm...it's delicious. Have you eaten it?"

Xu Shuang handed Wang Ying the army-green water bottle she was wearing: "I've had it, and this bottle is filled with soy milk."

The meat buns are filled with diced lotus root and a large amount of meat. They taste crunchy. The diced lotus root is cut slightly larger, which just balances out the fat of the meat. The soy milk is also steaming hot and has a rich bean flavor.

Wang Ying took a mouthful of meat buns and a mouthful of soy milk, and she was sober after eating and drinking.

"How do we get there?"

Xu Shuang pointed outside Xipo Town: "Take a car on the roadside."

Xipo Town is the town closest to the county seat. Some people in the town go there on bicycles when they go to the city. Wang Ying and Xu Shuang stood on the edge and watched several bicycles passing by.

Wang Ying discussed with Xu Shuang: "I don't want a watch, let's buy a bicycle."

The shuttle bus from the county seat only runs once a day, so the wait is too tiring. She felt that she would definitely run a lot to the county town in the future, and it would be convenient to have a bicycle.

Xu Shuang also prefers bicycles, but he also feels that since he uses them a lot, it would be more convenient for Wang Ying to have a watch at home.

"Let's go look at the bicycles first, and then I'll ask my master if he has any tickets for the watch."

What's great is that he can buy both. It's not like he can't afford it.

Just as he was talking, the shuttle bus came over.

The shuttle bus at this time was not like to the one in the future. The outside did not have the bright white paint, but was military green. There were not many seats on it, leaving a large space for people to stand. Otherwise, people wouldn’t be able to go up at all.

It was still very early at this time, less than nine o'clock, but the car was already full of people, and some people even brought live animals. The chickens and ducks were shivering in the cold outside. As soon as the car became warm, they started to flop around. Chicken feathers, duck feathers, random children's voices. There is simply nowhere to stand.

Xu Shuang protected Wang Ying and walked up. The female comrade who sold the tickets said impatiently: "Hurry up and squeeze to the back. It's two cents per person. If you get off the bus early, you won't be refunded."

Xu Shuang handed over four cents, and the two people squeezed into the back of the bus and into an open space by the window. Xu Shuang put his hands on the window and covered Wang Ying inside.

Wang Ying:......

Xu Shuang said naturally: "Let's stand like this for now. We are standing near the back. There are usually no seats available when boarding."

The driver started the car and drove for more than ten meters before braking suddenly and stopping.

The car was already noisy, but when it suddenly braked, someone was about to fall to the ground.

A series of mutterings of dissatisfaction started, and the driver became very impatient. He was tired of hearing these sounds every day.

"What's the fuss about? Can't you see a person in front deliberately blocking the road!"

Then he stuck his head out of the window and shouted: "Don't you see this big car of people? Do you have to stand in the middle of the road?"

A woman trotted to the front door and banged on the door twice: "I shouted at you to stop but you didn't stop! Open the door for me! I want to go into the city!"

The conductor was always very conceited. When he heard her being so rude, he immediately got angry and said, "Who are you? Can you speak well or not?"

The woman below also got angry and shouted at the top of her voice: "If you don't open the door, I will stand in the middle of the road! You are serving the people, what, am I not one of the people?"

After several arguments, the conductor reluctantly opened the door, and the woman got on the bus like a victorious rooster.

Wang Ying looked at the person carefully through Xu Shuang's arm.

Oh, it turns out to be an old acquaintance.

Wang Lingling's hair was disheveled, and her whole body was no longer as plump and fair as before. Her sallow cheeks and lips were peeled due to dryness. She looked like a slightly better-looking rural woman, and had aged several years so quickly.

Wang Lingling got on the bus and gave the conductor two cents while muttering: "What a shabby car, you still need two cents."

The conductor rolled her eyes, tore a ticket and stuffed it into her hand.

Wang Lingling didn't feel that there was anything wrong with her behaviour at all, and she didn't pay attention to the fact that everyone in the car was dissatisfied with her. She found a place to lean against and her eyes started to roll.

Wang Ying pulled Xu Shuang's sleeve and motioned for him to look.

Xu Shuang just glanced at the scene and moved away: "Are you cold?"

It's good to be closer to the window as it won't be crowded, but the window leaks air and makes the person you are traveling with shivering from the cold. Wang Ying shook her head. Her physical condition had improved a lot recently, and her hands and feet were no longer as cold as the original owner would have been in this weather.

"Is that Wang Lingling?"

Xu Shuang hummed: "Several communes in the surrounding area take buses at this stop."

Other communes also have shuttle buses, but those buses have long and winding routes, and Xipo Town station is the closest to the county seat. Therefore, members of several surrounding communes would wait at this stop when entering the city.

The two people were talking in a moderately-low voice. Wang Lingling heard the familiar sound and found them after looking around for a while.

Wang Lingling's eyes widened and she couldn't believe it. She rubbed them hard and finally confirmed that the two people stuck together over there were Xu Shuang and Wang Ying.

Wang Lingling: !!

Since she married into the Zhao family, she has never paid attention to the affairs of her natal family, so she really didn't know that Wang Ying and Xu Shuang are now together.

When she first saw this picture, Wang Lingling was shocked and angry at first, as if Wang Ying had taken something from her. Then her mind went blank.

She originally wanted to pair up Wang Ying and Xu Shuang, but before she took action, the situation changed a lot, forcing her to take risks to get out.

But these two people who she couldn't get to match up, actually took the initiative to get together by themselves?

Wang Lingling wished that she could slap her thigh right there and sigh in regret. Since these two people are like this, doesn't it mean that if she acted earlier, her original idea would come true?

Why wasn't she reborn sooner!

Seeing Wang Lingling's lively expression, Wang Ying quietly leaned closer to Xu Shuang and asked, "Why do you think she went to the city?"

Xu Shuang originally held Wang Ying in his arms, when she suddenly someone moved closer to him. His whole body seemed to be frozen, and he answered stiffly: "I don't know."

Wang Ying looked at Wang Lingling for a while: "I think she went to the city to buy things."

Wang Lingling didn't bring anyone with her, just a big empty cloth bag on her back. She didn't look like she was going to the city for something important, but rather like she was going to buy something.

In fact, Wang Ying's guess was basically correct.

Wang Lingling was going to the city with money in her pockets today. During the time she married into the Zhao family, her life was not easy even if she acted against moral judgment.

The mother-in-law has such a temper, and the sisters-in-law are not easy to get along with either. The men go to work every day, and the sister-in-laws worry about the thin rice soup. You take one more bite, and I lost half a piece. Although there were not many quarrels, there were various small grievances in their day-to-day life.

Wang Lingling didn't make a lot of money in her previous life, but she didn't suffer much from anger.

Xu Shuang is the only one in the Xu family, and his eldest brother is gone. There is no trouble with the sister-in-laws in the family, and the mother-in-law doesn't like to get involved with the couple, so Wang Lingling is the head of the family.

Xu Shuang gave her half of his monthly salary, so she had no shortage of food and drink.

But the Zhao family is completely different. Although their family head is Zhao Jun, his allowance is not enough for four people to live on!

The men of the Zhao family all do the rough work in the fields. Although there are many men, they are not given much food. The sister-in-laws each have children. The five rooms are buzzing every day, and when the dishes and chopsticks are used during meals, there are more than a dozen pairs.

She has two children to take care of, one is five and the other is three years old. The five-year-old is free to run around and she has keep a close eye on him, while the three-year-old is not very stable when walking and will fall down if she doesn't notice.

However, Wang Lingling still had the idea of ​​​​taking care of these two children, and she was very dedicated in taking care of them.

But in this way, it fell into the eyes of the other sister-in-laws. They thought that she was the stepmother but took care of the children more carefully than themselves. In the eyes of the mother-in-law, weren't they, the daughter-in-laws, lazy and shirking their responsibilities?

As a result, the battle between several sister-in-laws was mixed into the daily life of the two children. Wang Lingling was exhausted both mentally and physically. After enduring such a period of time, she was not in her best shape.

This trip to the county town was originally a matter for the eldest brother-in-law of the family. Since there were many children in the family, their food was not enough for the winter, so he was supposed to take advantage of this time to go to the city and buy some food.

It stands to reason that it would be possible to exchange in the village, but the old lady of the Zhao family is really a failure in life. Only a few people in the whole brigade would want to see her, and most are not willing to exchange with her family. If she goes to another brigade, she is worried about being reported.

So, the only option was to go into the county town and find some black market sales.

This is not a good task, let alone the trip to the county. It is tiring to go such a long distance, and it is even more difficult to get into the black market, where you have to be prepared to be caught. The worst thing is that you have to walk all the way back on your own with the fear that you will be spotted.

Originally, this matter did not fall on Wang Lingling, but the sister-in-laws pushed against each other. Wang Lingling offended her elder sister-in-law, who persuaded her husband to dump the matter on Wang Lingling.

Wang Lingling rubbed her arms. She was still wearing a single layer of clothing. A few days ago, she took apart one of the thick clothes she brought to Zhao's house to make cotton-padded clothes for her two children. Now she didn't have any thick clothes on her body.

Looking at Wang Ying and Xu Shuang over there, Wang Lingling was in a better mood. Wang Ying is also wearing old clothes.

It can be seen that Xu Shuang is not very kind to her.

Wang Lingling thought of what happened in her previous life and encouraged herself in her heart. No matter what, the one she picked would be the richest man in the future, while Wang Ying would only be the wife of a poor cook and live in poverty in the countryside. After Zhao Jun separates from his family and it is just the two of them, Zhao Jun will be able to make a fortune when he comes back! Or if she lets Zhao Jun change his job earlier in this life, their life will definitely be much easier...

On the way to the county seat, Wang Lingling spent her head in the clouds in a beautiful fantasy.

When Wang Ying got off the car, she thought Wang Lingling was going to say something unpleasant, but when she got close, Wang Lingling just glanced at her and Xu Shuang and left, leaving Wang Ying confused.

Xu Shuang picked up the basket that she brought into the city and asked Wang Ying: "Shall we go to my master's place first? After dinner, we will go to the supply and marketing cooperative in the afternoon?"

Wang Ying didn't care: "Okay." She was not familiar with the county, so she naturally followed Xu Shuang.

Xu Shuang was carrying a basket on his back and walking on the road in tandem[^4] with Wang Ying. This was also a characteristic of this time. According to people in the village,  when a man and woman walked together in the county, they would be arrested. They said [they had broken shoes](#user-content-fn-5)[^5] because they did not have a marriage certificate. I heard that if they were arrested, they would be detained for a few days to be lectured on their behaviour. The brigade must also be notified.

Therefore, men and women on the street, even couples, go their own ways, and there is absolutely no such thing as arm-in-arm and hugging each other, for fear of being misunderstood by the passing red-armband patrol officers.

Xu Shuang took Wang Ying all the way to a low-rise residential house and found a large courtyard along the alley.

Xu Shuang introduced to Wang Ying in a low voice: "The houses in this area originally belonged to my master. Later, my master donated the houses and only kept this courtyard. However, there are also several other families living in the courtyard now. The state-owned factory rents my master’s property. for their workers.”

Xu Shuang's master is Chen Dong. Before liberation, he was a young master. His family worked in a sugar factory and bought a lot of property. Later, when the world became chaotic, he sold all his property and lived in the small county of Nanshao. What he loves most in his life is looking for his next bite to eat. Although his craftsmanship is decent, his mouth is very tricky.

Wang Ying looked at the large courtyard in front of her in surprise. This courtyard seemed to be modeled after a courtyard house, with the main room and side rooms remaining, but there was no reverse room in the front yard, only a screen wall. You can also see a screen wall behind the front yard, which should be the two entrances to the backyard.

Xu Shuang took Wang Ying all the way to the main house at the back. Along the way, Wang Ying saw clothes hanging to dry in the yard, briquettes at the door of each house, and a public pool in the yard.

Xu Shuang: "My master lives alone in the three rooms of the main house at the back. He works as a cook in a state-owned restaurant in the county. He is not married and has no children."

The two people walked to the main room, and there was a fat old man sitting at the door of the three rooms of the main room.

The fat old man had no hair, and he looked like a white-faced steamed bun. His face was full of joy, and there were smile lines at the corners of his eyes. He couldn't tell his age. He looked either fifty or sixty, but seventy was not an exaggeration.

"Oh, I heard the magpies chirping just now, so it turns out I'm in for a treat!"

The fat old man stood up as soon as he saw Xu Shuang, and his chair creaked just right, as if to express his hard work.

The fat old man's eyes shone: "Good apprentice, why are you free to come to me today?"

Xu Shuang pulled Wang Ying: "This is my fiance. I came here to tell you that I would get married on the 26th next month."

The fat old man: "It's good to get married, it's good to get married! This girl is worthy of you! Are you going to set up a banquet at your wedding?"

Xu Shuang said expressionlessly: "Fine, but I won't be the one to make it." Who has ever seen a groom cook the meal on his wedding day?

The fat old man seemed very disappointed: "Then, you came to me to make a banquet for you?"

Xu Shuang: "Anything is fine. The main thing is that I will get some wedding stuff and come to you to exchange the tickets."

The fat old man showed no reserve as a master: "It's easy to talk about, why did you bring such a big bag today?" After saying that, he pulled the person into the room and kept staring at the basket.

Xu Shuang already knew what kind of character his master was, so he took out the things he had prepared in his backpack.

"The fish my fiance brought for you, and the dried vegetables my mother dried before, this one is black fungus."

The fat old man was very excited: "This fish is good, it looks delicious. You cooked this fish for lunch."

At this time, the fat old man remembered that his apprentice's fiance was also there, and quickly added a few words of greeting: "Girl, sit down. There are peach cakes on the cabinet and melon seeds on the table. Grab and eat them yourself."

Wang Ying finally understood why Xu Shuang had quietly added to herself just now, saying that his master had no other problems in his life, he just liked to eat, and he hoped she wouldn't worry if the master was a little neglectful.

But this guy is so fat, is his blood pressure okay?

Seeing that it was almost noon, Xu Shuang also knew who her master was, so she simply put on an apron and went into the kitchen.

After finishing the fish, Xu Shuang stuck his head out and asked Wang Ying: "How do you want to eat it?"

The fat old man raised his hand enthusiastically to answer: "Fish head puff pastry!"

Xu Shuang: "I didn't ask you...Wang Ying, how do you want to eat?"

Wang Ying looked at the eager old man opposite and said with a smile: "Let's make fish head puff pastry."

Xu Shuang then went back and started cooking the fish.

The fat old man looked left and right, with a gossipy face: "Little girl, Xu Shuang, this brat, really listens to you. How do you two know each other?"

Wang Ying said a few words casually, and it was nothing more than that the two sides looked at each other.

The fat old man asked Wang Ying secretly: "This brat doesn't talk much in front of you either?"

Wang Ying:......

How should I put it, Xu Shuang does not like to say a lot of words, but he is definitely not indifferent in front of herself, and he has many things to say.

As he rambled on, the aroma coming from the kitchen gradually became stronger.

The fat old man moved his index finger as he smelled the fragrance, and Wang Ying thought: "Shall I take your pulse?"

This old man looks unhealthy and doesn't control his diet. Wang Ying wanted to check his pulse to see if there was anything wrong with him, if only because Xu Shuang would get a free ticket from him.

The fat old man didn't care. Wang Ying took his pulse and said, "The spleen and stomach are not very good. It's best to go to the hospital for a detailed examination. You also need to pay attention to your blood pressure and eat less oil and salt."

Chen Dong chuckled: "I've known this, but I am already seventy, and it is too late for me not to eat. When I can't taste the flavours, I won't be able to eat even if I am forced to, so I have to eat more now."

Wang Ying took out two herbs from her backpack and handed them to him: "Then take these two packets and soak them in water to drink. They strengthen the spleen and stomach and lower blood pressure."

The old man's physical fitness is not bad. In addition, at the age of seventy, a good attitude towards life is far more important than taboos. Wang Ying is not embarrassed. The fat old man had lived for many years and had experienced many things, especially since he had taken Xu Shuang along for three or four years now. He couldn't stop talking about Xu Shuang, and Wang Ying was also enthusiastic. The two chatted happily.

When Xu Shuang served the fish head cakes, the fat old man sat down in front of the table.

In a large fish plate, the fish head was cut into two halves, and the fish meat was cut into pieces. The head and tail were arranged, and the fish pieces in the middle were served directly.

A plate of baked cakes was placed next to it. Xu Shuang steamed a large pot of rice and paired it with the fish. The old man ate without even raising his head.

"Well, this fish is really good, much better than what we ordered at the food station!"

Wang Ying dipped the pancakes in the fish soup and ate them. The salty aroma was delicious. The tenderness of the fish and the oiliness of the pancakes made it particularly delicious and fragrant. Especially when paired with pancakes, the pancakes are soaked in the soup, and it's so fragrant that your tongue will fall off.

It was a big fish for three people to eat. By the end of the meal, the fat old man’s belly became more and more round, and he specially saved the remaining pieces of fish: “Let’s save some fish to go with the noodles tonight.”

Putting the plate in the kitchen, the fat old man came over with a handful of tickets in his hand.

"Come on, come on, let's see what tickets you want."

Most of Master Xu Shuang's tickets are issued, but he usually doesn't use them. His family already has everything, and there are several fellow apprentices who help each other, so life is very smooth. These tickets are usually left over, so just give it to Xu Shuang.

"This is a leather shoe ticket. You can take it back and buy a pair of small leather shoes for Girl Ying. All the little girls in the county now wear this."

"You can take all the cloth tickets, I don't need them anyway."

"This is an industrial ticket. I don't know what to exchange it for. You can take it and ask yourself."

By the time Wang Ying and Xu Shuang came out, Xu Shuang already had dozens of various tickets in his pocket.

The two went out to discuss it and decided to go to the hospital's purchasing station first to sell some of the herbs Wang Ying brought, and then go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things.

As a result, I didn't go far when I saw a commotion not far from the corner of the street. Several onlookers nearby were whispering.

"Good guy, this is the first time this month. Why are they speculating again?"

"You don't understand this. There are more people caught this month, but less people will be caught next month. Next month, everyone starts to buy winter things. At that time, everyone turns a blind eye. Then there is no income next month, so why don’t we make more money this month?”

"These people don't come from the county town at first glance. They just run to the black market in a daze. They don't pick the time."

"Let's go quickly, or we'll be targeted."

……

Wang Ying and Xu Shuang also quickened their pace. There are many people doing this kind of thing in towns, not to mention the county, and they all run away from it. Some people even deliberately let their children go just to avoid being suspected.

Just as Wang Ying and Xu Shuang left quickly, the Investment Office was twisting a woman with disheveled hair.

"You said your name is Wang Lingling, so I'm supposed to believe you are Wang Lingling. Where is your letter of introduction?"

"There is no letter of introduction, and the person is still so sneaky. She will run away at the slightest question. And you still say that you are not here for speculation?"

"Take her back and question her to see if she is a bad element."

[^1]: A saying that until he experiences it firsthand, he won't understand it's significance.

[^2]: Some kind of anti-septic medicine.

[^3]: Painkiller and treats inflammation.

[^4]: Walking one person at a time / one person in front of the other in a line.

[^5]: Engaging in an improper relationship.


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