Chapter 17: Selling Fish at the Pigeon Market

Jingcheng

Baochao Hutong

After work, Cao Cao Weiguo carried three fish and a net bag of eggs into the hutong.

"Ding! Daily sign-in successful!"

"Obtained 10 jin of brown sugar, 1 thermos cup!"

Looking at the brown sugar and thermos cup that had newly appeared in his storage space, Cao Cao Weiguo was in a good mood.

Humming a song full of righteousness, he walked into a Sihe Academy after several turns.

Several women in the courtyard were washing clothes, and their eyes lit up when they saw Cao Cao Weiguo walk in.

A woman stared greedily at the fish and eggs, "Cao Weiguo, you've come to see your master again, bringing so many things—you're truly filial."

Cao Cao Weiguo responded with a smile and walked inside without stopping.

"Those three fish are really not small!"

"Good heavens, so many eggs—how many days will it take to eat them all?"

"Old Chen really took in a good apprentice."

Several women were envious and greedy, and it was very lively with everyone talking at once.

"Master! Are you home!"

Walking into the back yard of the Sihe Academy, Cao Cao Weiguo called out toward the east wing.

"You stinky kid, you're just talking nonsense. If I'm not home, where could I be!"

An old man with silver hair walked out with a smile, "I've told you so many times, don't always bring things."

Cao Cao Weiguo carried the things into the room and put them down, "Master, this is just a little token of the disciple's heart."

The old man's name was Chen Chen Baoshu, Cao Cao Weiguo's mentor at the rolling mill, a contemporary master of Lu cuisine who had retired from his unit half a year ago.

Cao Cao Weiguo was able to master his culinary skills thanks to his master's dedicated teaching. ===== CHAPTER 30 =====

The master cared for Cao Cao Weiguo, and Cao Cao Weiguo was grateful and filial to his master.

Chen Chen Baoshu looked at the three carp and smiled, "Oh, these fish are not small."

Cao Cao Weiguo showed off, "Master, I caught these fish at Houhai yesterday."

Chen Chen Baoshu criticized, "When you have time, study culinary arts more and go fishing and playing less. If you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old."

Cao Cao Weiguo said quickly, "Master's teaching is correct, the disciple will remember it."

The master and apprentice went to the kitchen to cook and chat, and Cao Cao Weiguo asked where his senior brother (Chen Chen Baoshu's eldest son, Chen Bin) had gone.

Chen Chen Baoshu told him with an angry face that Chen Bin and his wife had gone to participate in some ink painting exchange meeting.

Although Chen Bin had learned to cook since he was a child, he hated cooking and liked painting. Now he and his wife were art teachers at a normal school.

For dinner, Chen Chen Baoshu made a sweet and sour carp, carefully guiding Cao Cao Weiguo's culinary skills.

Although Cao Cao Weiguo had acquired intermediate Chinese cooking skills through sign-in, his culinary skills were far from those of Chen Chen Baoshu, the master.

Chen Chen Baoshu's casual guidance made Cao Cao Weiguo benefit a lot.

Yu Li's Parents' Home

The Third Master's eldest daughter-in-law, Yu Li, was recommending Cao Cao Weiguo to Yu Yu Haitang.

Yu Yu Haitang said with disdain, "Sister, you want me to date a cook—what are you thinking?"

Yu Li said, "What's wrong with a cook? Cao Cao Weiguo is only twenty years old and is already a head chef at the rolling mill, with a monthly salary of over thirty Brother Yuan. Isn't this condition good enough?"

Yu Yu Haitang said proudly, "Hmph, Sister, the ideal date I'm looking for is either a suave cultural person or a young and promising cadre. I'm not interested in a cook."

Yu Mother said, "You child, your standards are too high. I think the Cao Cao Weiguo your sister introduced is quite good."

Her daughter was beautiful, but she had always been arrogant.

Since she started working, matchmakers had introduced more than a dozen dates, and she didn't like any of them.

Now matchmakers didn't even want to come to the door.

If she kept being so picky, wouldn't she become an old maid?

Yu Li explained the Third Master's calculations, "Cao Cao Weiguo is handsome, has a good job, his father was a martyr, and his mother was an accountant at the rolling mill before she passed away. His family background is solid; if you marry him, you'll be enjoying happiness..."

Yu Mother was very satisfied when she heard this. Such good conditions—they couldn't miss out.

Yu Father said sternly, "Yu Haitang, I know you have high aspirations, but living a life is better when it's down-to-earth. Your sister also has good intentions. If you have time, go see him."

Yu Yu Haitang stood up impatiently, "Hmph, we'll see when I have time."

After saying that, she walked out of the room, feeling stifled. She was unwilling to marry a cook.

Yu Mother pounded the table angrily, "This child is infuriating."

Yu Li said, "Dad, Mom, if you have time, persuade Yu Haitang. I don't have much contact with Cao Cao Weiguo, but my father-in-law is a man who loves to calculate. If he can take a fancy to Cao Cao Weiguo, it shouldn't be bad. It's not a bad thing for Yu Haitang to go on a blind date with him."

Xihai

After having dinner at his master's house, Cao Cao Weiguo didn't return to the Sihe Academy but went to Xihai.

He sneaked toward a remote forest where there was a pigeon market.

Cao Cao Weiguo had been here before, so he was naturally no stranger to it.

Although the storage space rewarded by the sign-in was frozen in time and ingredients placed in it wouldn't change for ten thousand years.

But the storage space was limited after all and couldn't store many things.

The portable farm space was not small, but it couldn't keep things fresh.

After chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep were slaughtered, they could only be stored in the storage space.

If he didn't deal with these chickens, ducks, fish, and meat, the storage space would have no room.

Carrying a sack full of fish and white-striped chickens in his left hand and a basket of eggs in his right.

Because the pigeon market couldn't see the light, two people walked over to stop him as soon as Cao Cao Weiguo approached.

These people stood guard at the pigeon market to guard against surprise inspections by law enforcement officers.

To enter the pigeon market, both buyers and sellers had to pay money.

No one would take the risk of being caught to contribute to others for free.

After paying 1 mao, Cao Cao Weiguo carried his things into the dark forest.

There were shadows in the forest, and light groups lit up from time to time.

This was a transaction that couldn't see the light, and they didn't dare to be open about it.

When looking at goods, those with conditions used flashlights, and those without conditions struck a match.

Cao Cao Weiguo walked around with his things, and a middle-aged man with empty hands walked to his side.

The middle-aged man asked, "What are you selling?"

Cao Cao Weiguo: "Fish, slaughtered chickens, and eggs."

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, "How are you selling the chickens?"

Cao Cao Weiguo: "No coupon needed, 3 Brother Yuan each."

In this day and age, everything was supplied by coupon, and you needed a coupon to buy anything.

A chicken in the vegetable market cost about one Brother Yuan with a coupon, but you couldn't buy it without a coupon.

A chicken that didn't need a coupon for two Brother Yuan was really not expensive.

The middle-aged man swallowed his saliva, "Give me one."

Cao Cao Weiguo put the things on the ground and took a flashlight out of his pocket.

The middle-aged man looked at the flashlight with envy, "Whoa, comrade, you're doing well."

Cao Cao Weiguo smiled and said, "Just getting by. You pick one."

By the light of the flashlight, the middle-aged man picked out a fat chicken and took out 3 Brother Yuan.

The light of the flashlight and the fat chicken immediately attracted the attention of people nearby, who swallowed their saliva and crowded over.

"No coupon needed!"

"Chickens slaughtered this morning, 3 Brother Yuan each!"

"Fresh fish, 5 jiao each!"

"Eggs, 5 fen each!"

Cao Cao Weiguo casually introduced the prices.

Because the price was cheaper than elsewhere, people immediately scrambled to buy.

The more difficult life was, the more people loved to take advantage.

Being one fen cheaper could cause a scramble.

"Give me a chicken!"

"Ten eggs!"

"I want two fish!"

For safety's sake, Cao Cao Weiguo didn't take out many things.

In less than five minutes, the things were snapped up.

Those who didn't buy sighed and stomped their feet in regret.

Other sellers breathed a sigh of relief.

Cao Cao Weiguo happily put the 60-some Brother Yuan into his pocket.

One trip to the pigeon market earned two months' wages.

An old man with a thin figure walked over:

"Young man, the things you sell are good."

"The price is also affordable. Are you interested in finding a big client?"

Cao Cao Weiguo looked at the old man's horse-girdle, and a wave of ripples rose in his heart.

Manchu!

The label in Cao Cao Weiguo's heart was: rich!

As the saying goes, a thin camel is bigger than a horse.

Although he had fallen on hard times, his family background was solid, and ordinary people couldn't reach it.

Cao Cao Weiguo said in a low voice, "How much do you want?"

The old man smiled and said, "However many you have, I want them all."

Whoa!

Truly arrogant!

Cao Cao Weiguo thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "I have 50 chickens, 3 Brother Yuan each." ===== CHAPTER 31 =====