Chapter 28

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

Chen Baoshu looked at the three carp and smiled: "Yo, these fish are quite big."

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

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

Cao Weiguo said hurriedly: "Master's lesson is correct; the apprentice will remember it."

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

Chen Baoshu told him angrily that Chen Bin and his wife had gone to attend 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 Baoshu made a sweet and sour carp, carefully guiding Cao Weiguo's culinary skills.

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

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

Yu Li's parents' home

Yi Fugui's eldest daughter-in-law, Yu Li, was recommending Cao Weiguo to Yu Haitang.

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

Yu Li said: "What's wrong with a cook? Cao Weiguo is only twenty this year and is already a head chef at the Rolling Steel Factory with a monthly salary of over thirty yuan. Isn't this condition good enough?"

Yu Haitang said proudly: "Hmph, sister, the ideal partner I want is either a suave intellectual or a young and promising cadre. I'm not interested in a cook."

Yu Mu said: "Your standards are too high. I think the Cao Weiguo your sister introduced is quite good."

Her own daughter was beautiful and not bad, but she had always been arrogant.

From the time she started working until now, matchmakers had introduced over a dozen partners, and she hadn't liked a single one.

It had gotten to the point where matchmakers didn't want to come to the door anymore.

If she kept picking like this, wouldn't she become an old maid?

Yu Li explained Yi Fugui's scheme: "Cao Weiguo is handsome, has a good job, his father was a martyr, and his mother was an accountant at the Rolling Steel Factory before she passed away. His family background is solid; if you marry him, you'll enjoy happiness..."

Yu Mu was extremely satisfied hearing this; with such good conditions, they couldn't miss out.

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

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

After saying this, she walked out of the room feeling stifled; she wasn't willing to marry a cook.

Yu Mu pounded the table angrily: "This child is infuriating."

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

West Sea

After eating dinner at his master's house, Cao Weiguo didn't return to the courtyard house but went to West Sea.

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

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

Although the storage space rewarded by the check-in had frozen time and ingredients could stay in it for ten thousand years without changing.

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

The portable farm space was not small, but it couldn't guarantee quality and freshness.

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 wouldn't have any room left.

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 of day, two people walked over to stop Cao Weiguo as soon as he approached.

These people stood guard at the pigeon market, guarding against surprise inspections by law enforcement personnel.

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

No one would take the risk of being caught to make a free contribution to others.

After paying 1 mao, Cao Weiguo carried his things into the pitch-black forest.

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

This was a transaction that couldn't see the light of day; 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 Weiguo carried his things around, and a middle-aged man with empty hands walked to his side.

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

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

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

Cao Weiguo: "No coupons needed, 3 yuan each."

In this day and age, everything is supplied by coupons; you need coupons for everything you buy.

At the vegetable market, a chicken costs about one yuan with a coupon, and you can't buy one without a coupon.

Chickens without coupons for two yuan each really weren't expensive.

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

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

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

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 yuan.

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

"No coupons needed!"

"Chickens slaughtered this morning, 3 yuan each!"

"Fresh fish, 5 jiao each!"

"Eggs, 5 fen each!"

Cao Weiguo introduced the prices casually.

Because the prices were cheaper than elsewhere, people immediately scrambled to buy.

The more difficult life is, the more people love to take advantage.

Even being a fen cheaper could cause a scramble.

"Give me a chicken!"

"Ten eggs!"

"I want two fish!"

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

In less than five minutes, everything was snapped up.

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

Other sellers breathed a sigh of relief.

Cao Weiguo happily stuffed the 60-plus yuan into his pocket.

One trip to the pigeon market earned him 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 Weiguo looked at the old man's jacket, and a wave of ripples rose in his heart.

Manchu!

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

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

Although they had fallen on hard times, their family background was solid, and ordinary people couldn't reach them.

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

The old man smiled and said: "How much do you have? I want it all."

Whoa!

Truly arrogant!

Cao Weiguo thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "I have 50 chickens, 3 yuan each." ===== CHAPTER 30 =====