Chapter 17: It's All Known Now

"Xiaohua, have you put on weight recently?" asked the eldest sister, Zhang Cuihua.

"That's right, Xiaohua, I see you've gained weight too; living in the city really nourishes people."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Xiaohua is pregnant," said Dong Dani.

"What? Is that true, Xiaohua?"

"Mm, Big Sister, Second Sister, keep your voices down. People in the courtyard don't know yet."

"Oh, oh, okay."

"Xiaohua, you've finally gotten your wish. You must be careful from now on."

"Mm."

Time passed in the idle chatter that the group was unaware of.

Over at He Daqing's side, Zhuzi had already started preparing the ingredients; the cold dishes were ready, just waiting to be plated.

Everyone had brought their own pots, bowls, ladles, basins, tables, and benches. He Daqing had set up three stoves in total and was ready to start stir-frying as soon as the time came.

With the crackling sound of firecrackers, the area in front of Zhang Ping'an's house was already crowded with men, women, and children, all waiting for the craftsmen to scatter candies, Steamed Buns, and peanuts.

"Whoosh!" The craftsman scattered them down in large handfuls.

"Master, throw some over here!"

"Alright, coming!"

"Over here, over here!"

In less than five minutes, everyone's pockets were bulging; it was clear they hadn't grabbed a small amount.

"This family is generous, putting out so many Steamed Buns and peanuts."

"That's right, I grabbed five Steamed Buns."

"You've got sharp eyes and quick hands; I only grabbed three, though I did get quite a few peanuts."

"Hahaha, everyone got plenty."

"Let's go, let's go, don't hold up the banquet."

"Right, right, right, let's go, let's go."

As the crowd dispersed, the neighbors in the courtyard consciously began to move tables and benches, and He Daqing began to stir-fry the hot dishes.

As the cold dishes were served one by one, everyone exclaimed in awe.

"Youcai, the Chef in your courtyard has incredible skills."

"Right, Brother-in-law? Daqing's culinary skills are well-known even in Sijiucheng."

"No wonder then; even an ordinary cold dish is made so deliciously. The hot dishes must be even more extraordinary."

Shazhu, who was in the middle of serving, heard people praising his father's skills, and his mouth stretched back to his ears.

Zhang Ping'an hadn't had time to sit at a table; he had been busy greeting everyone and seeing to their food and drink.

"Brother Yi, Brother Liu, Brother Xu, Teacher Yan, please eat, don't be polite, just treat it like your own home, okay?"

"......"

Everyone felt it was strange; a child acting so old-fashioned, even though he was their peer.

"Brother He, you've worked hard. Come, have some water and rest. You too, Zhuzi."

"Thank you, Ping'an." He Daqing wiped his sweat with a towel, took the Tea Mug, and gulped it down, then handed it to Shazhu.

"Refreshing. Uncle Zhang, you're really too polite. Did you add sugar to this water?"

"No, it's just plain boiled water."

"Oh, that's strange. Why does it taste sweet to me?"

"Maybe you've tasted too many dishes and your palate is overwhelmed."

"Is that so? That's actually possible."

"Finish drinking and hurry up and serve your dishes." He Daqing stood by with black lines on his forehead.

"Oh, hehe."

A little past twelve, all the dishes were served.

"Ping'an, sit down and eat with us." He Daqing and his son had set aside some dishes and were preparing to eat outside.

"Sure, I'm hungry too."

The three grown men ate ravenously. When people are hungry, they eat fast; in less than ten minutes, the three of them had finished most of it. And it must be said, he hadn't tasted such skills from He Daqing in his future life.

The current He Daqing must have at least the skills of a Level 4 Chef, maybe even a Level 3.

"Brother He, your skills are top-notch." Zhang Ping'an gave a thumbs up.

"Hahaha, it's just this little bit of skill that can be brought to the table."

"Uncle Zhang, my dad is a successor to the Tan Family Cuisine. Once I learn it, I'll definitely let you have a good taste."

"Shut your mouth, wait until you've practiced your chopping skills before you talk."

"I..." Shazhu was instantly deflated. He had practiced sporadically for four years, but in He Daqing's eyes, he still hadn't passed.

In fact, according to the requirements of an average master, Shazhu's chopping technique was already up to standard; it was likely that He Daqing was just being strict to ensure Shazhu built a solid foundation.

After Zhang Ping'an was full, he went to the front to take a look and found that everyone had finished eating; the bowls and plates on the tables were empty, with only some soup and water left.

The women were chatting about household matters, and the men were bragging to each other, saying things like, "Back in the day..." and "Listen to me..."

Half an hour later, the tables and benches were cleared away. Zhang Ping'an didn't need to worry about the bowls and chopsticks; everyone consciously took them back to wash, as there was still quite a bit of grease left on them.

"Ping'an, it's getting late, we're heading back. We'll come over to warm the house for you once your house is built."

"Good."

After seeing off the group of friends and relatives, Zhang Ping'an returned to see many people still surrounding Lao Jia, asking him questions.

"Old Brother, I heard from your father-in-law's side just now that your wife is pregnant."

"Hahaha, yes, it's been a while."

Everyone clicked their tongues in wonder, none of them having expected Zhang Xiaohua to be pregnant again after seventeen years; only Yi Zhonghai's expression turned sour upon hearing it.

Among this generation in the Siheyuan, he was currently the only one without offspring, even though he was only thirty-six years old this year and Tan Xiaocui was thirty-four, so everything was still possible.

But their efforts as a married couple over these years had yielded no results, so how could they not be disheartened? Zhang Xiaohua's pregnancy made him see hope again; there was no reason why Lao Jia could do it and he couldn't, as Lao Jia was even a year older than him.

That very night, Yi Zhonghai took up his spear and fought, releasing three times in a row before falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Tan Xiaocui finished cooking and called for Yi Zhonghai to get up and eat.

"Lao Yi, Lao Yi, it's time to get up and eat."

"Mm~ what time is it?" Yi Zhonghai asked groggily.

"It's already past seven; why don't you let Lao Jia ask for a leave of absence for you?"

"Alright, I won't eat breakfast, I'll sleep a bit more." Yi Zhonghai was truly too sleepy to open his eyes.

Thinking about it, it made sense; he was nearly forty, and having engaged in heavy manual labor all year round, even with a good body, he couldn't withstand such tossing and turning.

"Alright." Tan Xiaocui immediately walked toward the Jia Family.

"Sister-in-law, Lao Yi isn't feeling well today, could you have your Lao Jia help him ask for a leave of absence?"

"Alright, Xiaocui, some things can't be rushed, you have to take it slow." Clearly, she had heard the commotion from the old couple last night.

"Mm." Tan Xiaocui replied with a blushing face and returned home.

Not long after, Lao Jia returned from going out to relieve himself.

"Lao Jia, Xiaocui just came over to say that Lao Yi isn't feeling well and asked you to help him request a leave of absence."

"Done. Lao Yi isn't young anymore, how can he toss and turn like that?"

"I reckon he was anxious after hearing about my pregnancy during the day."

"That's true, they still don't have children yet, anyone would be anxious in their shoes."

"That's right."

Zhang Ping'an knew nothing of this; last night, after he finished exercising in his space and practiced the Xingyi Fist from the Martial Arts Secret Manuals twice, he went to sleep.

Early in the morning, he pedaled his tricycle out to go fishing, another day with an income of seven hundred thousand.

Half a month passed in a flash; Jia Dongxu successfully graduated from middle school, and Zhang Ping'an's house was also about to be finished, with only the final bricklaying left.

"Little Boss, I have a batch of Golden Bricks here, I wonder if you might be interested?"

"What are Golden Bricks?" Zhang Ping'an had only seen them on the Red Persimmon, and had never seen the real thing.

"They are the dark blue-black floor tiles that were exclusively used by the imperial family in the past. The manufacturing process is extremely complex. My family still has three or four hundred of them, all passed down from our ancestors."

The Lei family of master craftsmen also saw that Zhang Ping'an paid readily, and on a whim, he brought it up.

"Mm~ alright, you can lay them in the bedroom." Zhang Ping'an thought that these could be considered antiques, right?