Chapter 20: Warming the Pot

"Hahaha, you kid only knows how to say nice things. Go find Director Lou to settle the account."

"You got it."

After the two of them finished calculating the money with Lou Zhenyu and were just about to leave, Lou Zhenyu spoke up.

"Ping'an, can the fish you catch in the afternoon be counted under Xiaojun's name?" Lou Zhenyu said awkwardly.

His son was too disappointing, and the key was that he couldn't control him. Purchasing Agents had quotas every month, and his favors had almost all been exhausted by this son of his.

"Sure, anyway, what we catch every morning is enough for the monthly quota. From now on, if there's any in the afternoon, you can count it under Xiaojun's name."

"Good, thank you, Ping'an, Dongxu."

"Director Lou, you're too polite."

Returning home, the two began to settle the accounts.

"Nine hundred and fifty thousand, four hundred and fifty thousand each, the extra fifty thousand goes to San Jie."

"Good." Jia Dongxu naturally wouldn't refuse.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed. Zhang Ping'an's furniture was moved in, and the ground was leveled. Once the wheat was planted in September or October, it would be time for him to move into his new house.

During dinner that evening:

"San Jie, brother-in-law, I plan to move into the new house in a couple of days."

"Sure. Wait a moment, I'll check the almanac for you. The day after tomorrow is a good day, and it happens to be a day off. We'll go help you warm the pot."

"Great, I'll go home and tell Dad and Mom, and have Si Jie come over too."

"Right, you should go back and tell them."

The next morning, after fishing and delivering the catch to the Rolling Mill, Lao Jia even lent him a Bicycle.

"Ping'an, take it slow on the road, go and come back quickly."

"Okay."

"Dongxu, don't throw away the loaches from this morning; they'll be enough for you to use this afternoon."

"Okay."

Zhang Ping'an rode the Bicycle and hurried home. He hadn't ridden a bicycle in a long time; at first, he was wobbly, but it took less than ten seconds to adapt. No wonder they say once you learn to ride a bicycle, you never forget.

Most people also tend to lean to one side when riding a tricycle.

It wasn't until he was near the entrance of the village that Zhang Ping'an tied some things to the back seat of the Bicycle. At this hour, there was no one at the village entrance; everyone was basically in the fields.

"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm back."

"My dear grandson is back. Why are you spending money recklessly again? We don't lack anything at home."

"It's nothing much, I bought some loose liquor for Grandpa." Actually, it was something he had brewed himself over this period based on a liquor recipe—the simplest distilled spirit—and it had been in his space for nearly a year.

"Hahaha, my dear grandson is still thinking of his grandpa. Quick, quick, bring it here and let me see."

"Grandpa, this has a high alcohol content, so take it easy."

"It's fine." Zhang Dadan took the liquor and took a sip.

"Just drink it then, see if it kills you, you old thing."

"Eh? This liquor is pure enough, has enough kick. Good, good."

"Grandpa, if you like it, I'll bring you more next time."

"Ping'an, don't waste that money. Your grandpa doesn't like to drink."

"......"

"Right, Ping'an, this one bottle is enough for me to drink."

"Alright, alright, alright. By the way, Grandpa, Grandma, my house is built. I'm planning to move in tomorrow, you all should come to warm the pot."

"Alright, alright, alright, we'll all go, we'll all go."

"Okay, you two rest first, I'm going to notify Big Sister, Second Sister, and the others. We'll eat there at noon."

"Mm, go ahead."

Zhang Ping'an packed three watermelons and a few catties of dried sweet potatoes, then sped like the wind toward Li Family Village.

"Xiao Ze, Xiao Cheng, stop catching fish, come back and eat watermelon."

"Uncle."

"Mm, call your younger brothers and sisters to Big Sister's house to eat watermelon."

"Okay."

Soon, the six of them, big and small, gathered at Big Sister's house.

"Eat up, everyone." Zhang Ping'an cut the watermelon open with a few quick chops.

"Uncle, the watermelon is really sweet."

"Even if it's sweet, you can't eat too much. Everyone can only have two slices."

"Mm, okay."

"Xiao Cheng, take a watermelon back with you later, and you all can share these dried sweet potatoes."

"Okay, Uncle."

It was already eleven o'clock, and Big Sister Zhang Cuihua and the others hadn't returned yet. Zhang Ping'an went straight to the kitchen, took out a large piece of pork belly from his space, and started making Braised Pork.

Nearly twelve o'clock, Big Sister and the others finally returned.

"Xiao Cheng, go call your parents to come over for dinner."

"You got it."

"Ping'an, why are you cooking? Where is Xiao Ze?"

"Big Sister, I thought their cooking lacked flavor, so I chased them all out. You all sit down and rest, dinner will be ready immediately."

"It smells so good! Ping'an, are you making Braised Pork?" Second Brother-in-law Li Huaiyu's loud voice came from outside.

"Keep your voice down," the Second Sister said.

"Oh, oh, right."

"Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law, hurry up and wash your hands to eat."

Zhang Ping'an stir-fried all seven or eight catties of Black-skinned Pig meat, with five catties of Braised Pork and two catties of stir-fried green beans; Zhang Ping'an had also provided plenty of seasoning, and everyone ate without stopping.

"Eldest Sister, Second Sister, the house is built, tomorrow..." Zhang Ping'an said it again.

"Fine, we'll all go tomorrow." Just like that, all of Zhang Ping'an's group of relatives and friends had been notified.

After eating, the Eldest Sister and the others went back to the fields to work, while Zhang Ping'an took his few nephews to the Back Mountain to set traps, explaining the techniques for setting traps as they went.

At two in the afternoon, Jia Youwei returned to Zhang Family Village, and Zhang Laohan and his wife were still at home waiting for him.

"Dad, Mom, Fourth Sister."

"You're back?"

"Yes, Dad, Mom, wait until tomorrow to bring Fourth Sister's clothes as well; she will study at my place during the summer vacation, and after the summer vacation, she will go to school in the city."

"Agreed, the farm work is mostly done anyway."

Zhang Ping'an rushed back to Sijiucheng in a hurry that afternoon, fearing he would delay someone else's use of the Bicycle.

He arrived at the Rolling Mill at four o'clock, gave the Bicycle to Lao Jia, and incidentally handed over two carp.

"Third Brother-in-law, take this to thank your fellow workers."

"You kid, alright."

Zhang Ping'an went to the grocery store again to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea, along with three crocks—one large and two small; the large one for water, and the small ones for flour and rice.

Looking at the fully stocked kitchen, Zhang Ping'an nodded with satisfaction; damn, he forgot to prepare firewood.

It was already five o'clock, and it would be a bit tight on time to go out of the city to chop wood, so Zhang Ping'an directly summoned Third Brother-in-law.

"Hey, is that all? Leave it to me; someone will come to deliver firewood first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good."

Zhang Ping'an went straight to the usual fishing spot to find Jia Dongxu; sure enough, he was still fishing, with his old friend Yan Bugui beside him.

"Teacher Yan, your harvest doesn't look like much."

"Cough, cough, I only arrived a short while ago."

"By the way, Ping'an, what time do you all get up to fish in the morning? It's summer vacation for me too, let's go together."

"Sure, we get up a little past four."

"Ah? That early? No wonder I never saw you guys when I got up at six every day."

"Teacher Yan, my Fourth Sister is coming tomorrow; she knows how to read but has no foundation. How about you give her some tutoring in the morning, and I'll take you fishing in the afternoon?"

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up; teaching was easy enough, and if Zhang Ping'an took him fishing for the whole summer vacation, wouldn't he be flying high?

"Agreed, then it's a deal."

"Good."

Yan Bugui simply stopped trying to pick up scraps; he was about to have fish-meat freedom, so he didn't care about these small scraps anymore.

"Dongxu, pack up the rods, time to go back."

"Good."

The two delivered the fish catch to the Rolling Mill, earning another 500,000, though this time it was all Jia Dongxu's.

The next morning, a day off, it became four people going out to fish at four-something.

"Zhuzi, Damao, you two go with Dongxu to the Rolling Mill to deliver the fish later; I have to go back and check on things."

"Agreed."

At eight o'clock, Zhang Ping'an returned to the Siheyuan; the man delivering the firewood had also arrived, a long flatbed cart full of firewood, and Lao Jia was directing the unloading.

"Ping'an, see if this is enough."

"Enough, enough, we won't even finish using it this summer."

"Good, I just saw that your kitchen is well-stocked; just start cooking once Dad and Mom and the others arrive."

"Yes, good."

At nine o'clock, Jia Dongxu and the other two also returned; it seemed they had sold quite a lot, and Shazhu and Damao couldn't stop grinning when they returned to the courtyard.

"Uncle, this is your share," Jia Dongxu handed over 500,000; ever since they agreed last time that the odd change would go to Zhang Xiaohua, this 50,000 was also for her.

"Yes, good."

"Zhuzi and Damao's shares have been recorded under Lou Xiaojun's name."

"Fine, they don't mind anyway."