Chapter 10: Turn It Into Money

Hongyan made a face at her mother and stood up very reluctantly. Before she could walk away, she saw Zheng Gang coming in with two bottles of wine. Zheng Gang smiled at me and said: "Secretary Chen, sorry for the inconvenience."

I hurriedly said: "Not at all! I am a brick of the revolution, moved wherever needed!"

"Insincere!" Hongyan muttered from the side.

I had slept for a day, and combined with the wine I drank last night, I now felt a hint of intimacy toward the wine.

It was still a basin of pheasant meat, but the cooking method was clearly different from last night, making it extra fragrant. Because I was very hungry, I ate without being polite. Seeing me eating happily, Liu Quan was also in high spirits.

"This is stir-fried in tea oil. We lack everything in Suxi, but we don't lack oil. Look at the mountains, they are all tea oil trees. Every family has at least eight hundred to a thousand pounds a year. When others stir-fry, they use a soup spoon, but we Suxi people use a water ladle. Just scoop it from the vat, and it's a full ladle; you can put as much as you want." His laughter was loud and bold.

I knew that tea oil was very valuable in the market; even if you had money, you might not be able to buy top-quality oil. I said: "With so much oil, what do you do if you can't finish it?"

"What to do? If you can't finish it, drink it like water. Are you afraid you can't finish it?" Liu Quan said: "The ancestors left these tea oil trees, which make the eyes of the people in Suxi Township extra bright. We have to thank our ancestors!"

It was still a basin of monkey head mushrooms stewed with pig's trotters. As soon as it was served, the fragrance was nose-piercing. I drank a few mouthfuls of soup, and it was fragrant straight to my heart and spleen.

"During this time, you should familiarize yourself with the work. If there's anything you don't understand, ask Hongyan and Zheng Gang. Township Head Zheng's health is not good, so you should take care of him more." Liu Quan instructed me, "There are no big things in the township! One is the levy, the other is family planning. Zheng Gang is responsible for the levy, and Hongyan is in charge of family planning. You just help them."

I nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

After eating and drinking, I asked: "Are there many monkey head mushrooms now?"

"Haha! You'll see when you go up the mountain tomorrow morning; there are so many you won't have a place to step." Hongyan brewed me a cup of tea.

"I want to go see now," I said.

"Okay!" Hongyan said: "It's not dark yet, I'll take you for a walk."

Liu Quan waved his hand: "Go, go, it's good to see!"

Zheng Gang wanted to say something but stopped, just looking at Hongyan. Hongyan didn't even look at him, leading me up the mountain.

The tea trees were scattered all over the mountains and plains, the green leaves showing vigorous life. Hongyan kicked a few monkey head mushrooms and said: "In a few days, there won't be any left; it's a pity."

I said: "I have an idea."

Hongyan stopped: "What idea do you have?"

I said: "Such a good thing, if it could be turned into money, how wonderful that would be."

"Haha!" Hongyan laughed: "My dad sold them, but what was the result? You just arrived, don't think about it. Rest well, work well; these are not things we should do."

"Then what should we do?" I argued: "Selling them is money!"

"For mountain people, money might not be the most important thing." Hongyan said: "Let's go down the mountain; it's getting dark."

I asked: "There's a phone in the township, right?"

"Yes, the only modernization. It's in my room. Why? Do you want to make a call?"

I nodded and said: "I want to call home!"

Hongyan took a bunch of keys from her body and handed them to me: "I'm not staying in the township tonight. My room is right next to yours. You can call yourself."

I took the keys, and after going down the mountain, I went straight back to the township government.

After getting through to my aunt, I felt like she had a cold; her voice was very nasal on the phone.

I was silent for a moment and said: "Aunt, I want to ask you for a favor, okay?"

My aunt said: "Say it, what's the matter. As long as your aunt can help."

"Help me check the market and see if monkey head mushrooms sell well," I said: "The key is the price. If you have news, call me quickly." I gave her the number. My aunt probably hadn't gotten up yet; I heard the sound of her pulling open the bedside table and searching for paper and pen.

After hanging up the phone, I stood in Liu Hongyan's room, smelling the faint fragrance overflowing in her room, and thought of Wu Qian, thinking of three days ago when she and I were lying on my aunt's soft bed, and my body began to swell.

The ecstasy I shared with Wu Qian at that moment was the most beautiful moment of my life. Ending my days as a virgin should have been worth celebrating. I imagined Wu Qian's body, imagined her fair, plump thighs, imagined her petite, moist lips, and I almost couldn't control myself.

Lighting the oil lamp, I looked around Liu Hongyan's small boudoir, which revealed an incomparable temptation amidst the coziness. A young girl's room is always mysterious, mysterious enough to make one's imagination run wild. The night wind swept past the window, and the rustling leaves made one feel desolate.

I sighed long and opened the door. Liu Hongyan was standing there quietly. Seeing me come out, she took the lamp from my hand, lowered her head, and sent me into my room without a word.

She turned and walked out. As she reached the door, she turned back and said: "Remember to cover yourself with a quilt at night. The nights in the mountains are cold; it's not like the city. You city people cover with towels, but we have to cover with cotton quilts. Even if you city people cover with cotton quilts, we still cover with cotton quilts." She giggled: "Those with good health can not cover with a quilt."

Seeing me not saying a word, Liu Hongyan said again: "What? Are you homesick?"

I shook my head.

"Then what's wrong with you?" Liu Hongyan stopped and leaned against my door, tilting her head to look at me.

"I'm fine," I said, sighing again.

"You'll be fine slowly," Liu Hongyan said: "Rest early."

"Let's chat," I said, sitting on the bed and pointing to a chair by the desk. ===== CHAPTER 11 =====