Chapter 53: Loving 'The Rich Fireworks of the Marketplace' the Most

Zhang Jiujiang's father was named Zhang Bawang, a side branch of the Pingyang Zhang family.

However, he was quick-witted, kind-hearted, didn't speak without smiling, and was good at accounting; he relied on the sea for a living, and his fish-selling business was very successful.

Not only did he support his whole family, but he also adopted Zhang Jiuqing, the son of his deceased brother, and raised him to be educated and successful.

Only then did he receive such kindness in return.

And Zhang Jiujiang's mother was named Sun Suzi; just hearing the name, one knew she came from a humble background.

She was still considered kind, otherwise she wouldn't have let her husband raise the son of his dead brother, and even spent money to let Zhang Jiuqing study.

However, no one is perfect.

Sun Suzi was not only stingy and greedy for small gains while losing out on the big picture, but she was also overbearing; when Zhang Jiuqing was young, she was biased toward her own biological son.

After Zhang Jiuqing revealed his talent for studying, she did a 180-degree turn and began to favor her adopted son.

But in fact, anyone who had experienced a little bit of life could see that Sun Suzi did this just so that after her adopted son gained power, he could help her own son more vigorously.

And facts proved that her approach was indeed correct.

But the problem was that Zhang Jiuqing, as an adopted son, was born a two-faced person and had secretly been hostile to Zhang Jiujiang since he was a child.

And Zhang Jiujiang, as Sun Suzi's own son, was confused by the situation and didn't understand his mother's painstaking efforts, actually feeling so discouraged that he once felt Sun Suzi wasn't his own mother.

The mother and son still have their occasional spats even now.

At this moment, hearing her son's call inside that Zhang Gui had come to pay a New Year's call.

Zhang Bade, who was thin but tall and habitually wore a smile on his face, put down his wine glass, intending to greet him.

But he was blocked by Sun Suzi, who was full of good fortune,

"You are also an old master now."

"How can you greet and send off just because a little monkey comes to pay a New Year's call?"

"Hey, Xiao Gui is an old neighbor."

"We've been together for more than ten years since we were young, and he's a brother who is close to our son."

"You don't understand these things about men."

"Even if it's for Jiujiang's face, I have to greet him."

Zhang Bawang pushed aside his wife's hand, still intending to greet him.

Unexpectedly, his wife became strong, grabbed him back, and said:

"I think you're not doing it for your son's face, but for Zhang Gui's mother, right?"

"You were unclear with that barbarian woman before, and sold three of our old houses to her for less than two..."

Zhang Bawang was so angry his face turned red, and he covered his wife's mouth, "Stop talking nonsense."

"On New Year's Day, do you want to have a bloody fight with your son?"

"I won't greet him, I won't greet him."

Sun Suzi then stopped talking.

After waiting for a while, the maid went inside to invite the master and mistress.

The couple then walked slowly to the hall.

As soon as they met, Zhang Gui didn't say anything and knelt on the ground first, kowtowing three times,

"Zhang Gui is here to pay a New Year's call to Uncle Bawang and Aunt Suzi."

"Wishing the two elders great luck and longevity."

Regardless of how Zhang Bawang and Sun Suzi treated him, their son had gone to Zhang Gui's house first to kowtow to his mother.

He had to respond like this to be proper.

And people have feelings when they meet.

Once they really met, the boy he had watched grow up kowtowing to pay a New Year's call, Sun Suzi also softened.

She stepped forward, pulled Zhang Gui up, and stuffed a small silver ingot into his hand.

"Get up, get up, the ground is cold."

"Gui boy, your uncle and aunt know your heart."

"Take a silver ingot for New Year's money, and go play with Jiujiang."

Zhang Bawang originally wanted to chat with Zhang Gui, who was a witness, about the Giant Serpent Head Island incident.

But fearing his wife would act crazy again, he waved his hand and said:

"Xiao Gui is a good child, go."

"Go play with your brother."

Zhang Jiujiang was so angry his face turned red seeing his parents treat Zhang Gui so coldly.

Zhang Gui, however, didn't take it to heart.

Pinching the small silver ingot, he said with a giggle: "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt, for the New Year's money."

"Your nephew will take his leave."

He turned around, pulled Zhang Jiujiang, and walked away.

Sun Suzi looked at his distant back and clicked her teeth.

"If you leave, just leave, why say goodbye?"

"Like a scholar."

"In the future, we must let Jiujiang hang out with him less."

"Now my son is a student at Qingdou Academy, a disciple of Mr. Huaihe."

"Maybe he can pass the imperial examination next year, and in two years he'll be a provincial graduate."

"We must pay attention to decency."

Zhang Bawang didn't refute this time, pondered for a moment, and said in a low voice:

"Can an official be brothers with a fishmonger selling shrimp paste for a lifetime?"

"Some changes will happen slowly and naturally."

"Don't be in a hurry, otherwise it will be counterproductive."

The couple was whispering secretly on this side.

On the other side, their son was losing his temper with his little partner.

"Dagui, why did you pull me?"

"My parents just look down on me."

"When Zhang Jiuqing's classmates and friends come to pay New Year's calls, they are all smiles and ask about his well-being."

"When my brother comes to pay a New Year's call, they are just polite and stuff a small silver ingot to finish it."

"It's really making me angry."

As he spoke, Zhang Jiujiang disregarded decency and kicked the rainwater accumulated on the stone road, drawing side-glances from pedestrians on the street.

It seemed he was truly angry.

Zhang Gui on the side hurriedly pulled him to walk quickly to avoid it, while whispering advice:

"You boy really don't know what's good for you."

"It's true that Zhang Jiuqing is two-faced to you."

"But your parents, especially your mother, are truly wronged."

"She treats the successful Zhang Jiuqing well and treats the down-and-out me coldly; who is it for, if not for you?"

"If you can't even see this point, then don't go to Qingdou Academy to study."

"It would be more appropriate to go to the wharf to carry heavy loads, sell hard labor, and live a life without using your brain at all."

Zhang Jiujiang was speechless with a wooden face, walked silently for two streets before opening his mouth again,

"Dagui, the reason I didn't understand the logic you said before was because I hadn't experienced it; now that I don't understand, I'm a fool."

"Actually, when I first went to Giant Serpent Island, I was a manager and you were a clerk, and I felt inexplicably itchy in my heart."

"How should I put it..."

"Don't say it, I understand."

"Isn't it, 'secretly secretly happy when stronger than a brother, but sincerely wishing the brother is stronger than everyone else'."

"Heartbroken when the brother is not doing well, anxious when the brother drives a Land Rover."

"Most people are like this, it's very normal."

Zhang Jiujiang was stunned, "You're talking strangely again, what kind of tiger is a Land Rover?"

"That's not important, what's important is that brother understands your mood."

"One life, two brothers."

"As long as the friendship is real, everything else is a small matter."

"Don't think about these messy things."

"Let's go drink, eat meat, and chat, that's the right thing to do."

"Don't you want to know how I had an intimate contact with Young Master Tong San on the night he was killed?"

"That was truly quite tortuous and thrilling."

Zhang Jiujiang's eyes widened upon hearing this, as if he had been scratched in an itchy spot, his pace quickened, and his voice became louder,

"Then why don't you hurry up, you kid."

"Let's go to a good place this year."

"Brother me treats you as an apology."

Zhang Gui waved his hand, "It's not you who slighted me, what kind of apology is that?"

"Let's not change places, let's go to Old Chen's shop."

"I crave his braised lamb hooves just thinking about them."

"Today is the first day of the New Year."

"It's just right to go to a fly-ridden restaurant, 'leisurely watching the years of the human world fade, slowly tasting the rich fireworks of the marketplace'."

Just then, an old man passed by, heard this sentence suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he looked at Zhang Gui, muttering to himself:

"Young and mature, talking nonsense is quite interesting."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 54 =====