Chapter 612: Giant Whale

Li Li Xuewu, however, saw an old man watching and teasing a bird, so he asked a question.

But the old man ignored him; a mere glance from the corner of his eye told him Li Li Xuewu was an amateur.

The object this old man was watching was a round birdcage half a meter high, its top cover slightly sagging, while the bars on the "Devil's Gate" were pitch black.

Inside the birdcage were five feeding jars: two for food, two for water, and one flat one for insects; the pattern on the food jars was a set of peony designs, blooming clusters exceptionally enchanting.

"Let's go, I misjudged; it's just a thief hanging up some color~"

If Li Li Xuewu couldn't understand birds, could he not understand people? This old rascal clearly didn't think much of him; not answering was one thing, but dismissing him with a flick of the eyelids was another.

How could he indulge this behavior?

However, he was truly vicious; there were people milling about nearby, and if Li Li Xuewu spoke like that, who would still be willing to come look?

Even if they did come to look, it wouldn't be lively enough for him, yet this old man feared liveliness most of all.

For no other reason than that no bird keeper enjoys a commotion; they fear noisy crowds startling the birds, and even more they fear excessive chatter ruining the birds' songs, as too many people could literally scare a bird to death.

"You!..."

It was for something else; those flowers look delightful, but who will tend to them? It still has to be you, doesn't it?

These birds also like to vary their calls; if the tone of a bird's song changes, then the bird is raised in vain, and it certainly cannot be corrected back.

Ink Mo Longjing, Seven-Flower Pearl, Lion Head, Red Cap, Sky-Gazer, and Bubble-Eye swam leisurely outside the small wooden water basin.

"Then that counts as a life-saving grace."

Stepping forward, the mockery on Qin Qin Jingru's face vanished, leaving only seriousness.

Listen, does that sound like human speech? The old rascal is one of the Seven Pests, and people are currently beating and killing those creatures, yet I speak of a compassionate heart wanting to release them!

Li Shu was helpless; from the moment Qin Qin Jingru opened her mouth, you knew the social bandit was about to unleash her power.

After speaking, she led Li Shu toward the back, ignoring the old man staring at her retreating figure in shock, as well as the surprised expressions of the onlookers.

"If there's a problem, you can consider it ruined."

Qin Qin Jingru nodded, glanced at Li Shu who was frowning slightly, then turned to look at the man and said, "You are bargaining, but you must do me a favor."

Li Shu ultimately could not bear it; she tugged Qin Qin Jingru's hand and advised, "After buying the flowers, let's hurry home; everyone is waiting for dinner."

Seeing Qin Qin Jingru asking the price, the man knew she was sincerely interested; after thinking for a moment, he said, "I will equip you with goldfish and water lilies, and deliver them to your home; I will charge you one hundred seventy yuan, how does that sound?"

"Hey! Do we have some grudge from days past?"

Seeing someone blocking the path, Qin Qin Jingru straightened her body, drooped her eyelids, and looked at the old man, saying, "I don't have time to joke with you; this person is lying, you cannot buy his goods."

During daily care, one must be extra careful; the birdcage must often be covered with a sea-blue cloth cover.

After speaking, she pushed Xiong Xiong Zhenrong's hand and said, "Today is inconvenient, and my brother isn't home either; wait until tomorrow, tomorrow evening we will deliver it to your home, and you can pay me then."

"Oh? Is that so?"

While speaking, she teased the man, saying, "However, I will accept this fish tank; if there is a chance in the future and I see that young handsome fellow, I will tell him."

"Hahaha!" "What about this one?" "And what about that one?"

The next day, Xiong Xiong Zhenrong spent some time in the morning at the Public Security Squad, chatted with the 418 side, and finalized the equipment issues for the cannery.

The old lady didn't say anything, but Comrade Sha Sha Qizhi exclaimed in surprise.

Just as everyone was about to burst out laughing, Qin Qin Jingru raised her arm and said, "I don't have a cage and will only use my hands to catch them, but there is one thing!

Qin Qin Jingru pointed at the moss on the wooden basin and said, "It must be able to grow this."

Those factories could be considered representative directions among medium-to-large factories, and the products they manufactured were all supporting goods needed by the Rolling Steel Factory itself.

The old man also had a stubborn temper; craning his neck, he asked, "Today you...

... must give a clear explanation, or you will ruin my reputation for nothing!

How could this Huamei possibly not make the call of a Huamei? If it actually made the sound of an old rascal, then I would be the one crying.

But Qin Qin Jingru didn't care; widening her big eyes, she babbled on, accusing Qin Qin Jingru of returning so late and not buying her any toys.

Xiong Xiong Zhenrong turned to Xiong Zhen and smiled, saying, "Fierceness is always the part of you that attracts me most, more precious than anything else."

The old man's face was also full of aggrieved anger; his mouth trembled with rage, and clutching the birdcage in his hand, he simply dared not open it.

The man waited until Qin Qin Jingru finished her inspection before asking, "How does it look to you?"

Qin Qin Jingru, however, gave her a reassuring glance and said confidently, "Rest assured, raising fish is my specialty; I have secret techniques!"

However, that park was donated by the Le family of Tongrentang; there weren't many fish, as they were all donated by prominent families.

But now, he was stuck on a tiger's back; it wasn't that Qin Qin Jingru wasn't buying, but that he didn't dare to sell.

Xiong Xiong Zhenrong lowered his head and examined it carefully; it was indeed a work of craftsmanship, clearly recognizable as stone carving at a glance, yet the style looked auspicious, featuring the Fu-Shou-Lu Three Joys design with elements like goldfish, auspicious clouds, flat peaches, and the Jade Pool.

Qin Qin Jingru paid no heed, ignoring the whispers of the few people around, and only pressured the old man to open the "Devil's Gate" of the birdcage.

However, the rumors within the organization were reminding every member of the Rolling Steel Factory's organization that the crisis had not yet passed.

We ate lunch at the Chemical Plant; the chef's skills were passable, and the ingredients were decent, said to be pigs raised within their own factory.

Xiong Zhen squeezed Qin Qin Jingru's hand and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that person..."

This is also why I just told the man that it must be able to grow moss; as long as there is moss, the fish won't fear injury and can even use it as feed.

As soon as I spoke that first sentence, the man selling fish was stunned; he had truly never seen fish raised like this before.

This teasing style insists on stabbing right at your weak spot, forcing you to jump up and seek them out for a chat.

The sky is still bright; with silence prevailing, who would still be willing to look at flowers?

"You! You are..."

Qin Qin Jingru smiled, took the handbag from Li Shu's hand, and directly counted out seventeen large bills to hand over.

Seeing it was Qin Qin Jingru approaching, Li Shu reacted, gestured toward the flower pot, and asked Qin Qin Jingru, "Isn't placing the tulips here a bit inappropriate?"

Qin Qin Jingru smiled lightly as she examined the front of the fish tank; unlike the sides which were covered in blooming clusters, the rim of the tank was thick and carved with many dragon-fish, referencing the tale of carp leaping over the dragon gate.

But judging by the current situation, those toys did not belong to herself, but to that man.

As for the other miscellaneous items, needless to say, gathering them all together, they would absolutely not be sold for less than several thousand.

Speaking of quiet, it was indeed relatively quiet; the preparatory office that Xiang Xiang Jingyu was in charge of had still commenced operations.

"You are an expert."

With so few people watching, the old man was also afraid Qin Qin Jingru would turn and run away; after all, people in those days cared about saving face.

In the morning, not many leaders from the Liangma River Factory came to visit the Steel Rolling Factory; what they mainly inspected were not the factories within the Steel Rolling Factory's branch district.

But disrespecting my bird was no small matter; if it weren't for seeing that Qin Qin Jingru was tall and strong, I would have thrown an old fist at him long ago.

"Buy!"

In the old society, minor officials and wealthy merchants in the city of Qisi, in order to have something to adorn their mansions and courtyards, particularly kept goldfish bowls in their homes.

To possess without the ability is love; to possess without the ability is to commit a sin.

Buying flowers and goldfish was merely to give you some enjoyment, so as not to be too bored.

Li Shu looked at the truck bed, which was completely full, and said with some regret: "Too much; if I had known earlier, I wouldn't have bought all these."

Seeing that the old man truly would not let go, Qin Qin Jingru could only withdraw his hand; he was not good, but neither was he evil.

Only then did the old man react; it turned out Qin Qin Jingru had been lying in ambush here.

The hand Qin Qin Jingru extended went stiff for a moment; carefully observing the mockery in the old man's eyes, he finally understood that the old man had played a trick on him as well.

"Pearl, big belly and large tail."

"I am not here to seek revenge; the cold shoulders I received back then are not worth my coming to seek revenge."

"You really have no reason!"

This was the rule: for those doing business, when collecting money, one must either ask the customer to place the money on the counter or reach out to take the money from the customer's hand; no one simply held out their hand and waited.

Xiong Xiong Zhenrong paid no attention to the price I offered afterward, turned to Li Shu, and said: "Forget it; that little thing is just a Hwamei, not a 'family thief'."

The man gave Qin Qin Jingru a thumbs-up and asked with a smile: "What's wrong? Did you find something you like?"

"You!"

The fish seller was a man in his seventies; seeing that what Qin Qin Jingru said while coaxing his wife was actually quite correct, it was clear at a glance that he had studied this matter.

He also instructed Lao Lao Biaozi regarding matters at the detention center, specifically urging Lao Lao Biaozi to control the shipment volume of books and children's books, so as not to make things difficult for Director Ma of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

The Steel Rolling Factory side seemed to have returned to the calm after the storm, as if yesterday's meeting had never taken place at all.

Changing the water and feeding were easy enough to handle; the key issue was that this thing would inexplicably float to the surface, and no one knew what was wrong with it.

How could one not feel depressed? Counting the cost of the fish bowl and the goldfish, Qin Qin Jingru's entire month's wages from his unit were gone.

The man pushed aside the half-grown boy beside him with his hand, instructing him orally to watch the stall, while he himself stepped forward first to lead Qin Qin Jingru and the others into the courtyard.

Since she said so now, earlier when Qin Qin Jingru asked her whether she liked this or disliked that, she had nodded to everything.

When Qin Qin Jingru entered the room and tried to help, he was rejected by Li Shu, leaving only Qin Qin Jingru and his daughter staring wide-eyed at each other.

Even if Qin Qin Jingru cursed him once, it wouldn't matter; anyway, it wouldn't make him lose a piece of flesh.

Upon hearing Xiong Xiong Zhenrong's words, the man thought for a moment, then walked toward the corner while smiling: "Your home is truly spacious; such a large stone vat is rarely seen." "Let's go~ stop making a scene~"

Who would have thought that after so many years since liberation, there are still hooligans in this city!

"How is that lying!"

Women are all the same; when they ask for your opinion, they don't actually want to hear what you say, they are just buying themselves a little bit of time to think.

Li Shu saw the old man's cheeks bulging with effort and pulled hard on Xiong Xiong Zhenrong, reminding him not to go too far.

This stone trough is good; it is sturdy and breathable, but if the bottom is not processed well, it will scrape off fish scales; in that case, the goldfish will be very uncomfortable, and it will also injure their tails.

It was not until the Jeep drove into the courtyard that Li Shu finally asked, and Xiong Xiong Zhenrong recounted about one percent of the bastard things he did in his childhood.

By this time, several onlookers had gathered around; seeing the old man locked in a stalemate with a young couple, they all watched with amusement.

Seeing Xiong Xiong Zhenrong slightly raise his voice, the old man realized that although this person looked neatly dressed, he was actually a shameless scoundrel and a tough nut to crack!

"This trough was ground inch by inch by my great-grandfather using a whetstone; even until his death, he still remembered this trough."

Qin Qin Jingru waved his left hand and urged the old man: "I am a person who most values the virtue of cherishing life; I cannot bear to see birds and larks trapped in this cage; I caught this old 'family thief' only to release it; hurry up, don't delay my good deed."

Qin Qin Jingru opened the rear trunk of the car, lifted the back seats, and loaded pot after pot of flowers onto the vehicle.

Seeing that Qin Qin Jingru was serious and truly intended to buy, the man stood up and gestured for Qin Qin Jingru to follow him into the courtyard to take a look.

After flipping it open to take a look, Qin Qin Jingru finally understood why the man had said that.

Under Li Shu's suspicious gaze, Qin Qin Jingru raised an eyebrow and said: "Feed once a day..."

The old man carefully sized up Qin Qin Jingru, frowned, and asked: "Then why are you joking around with me like this?"

The old man was also a fierce character; he pointed at the birdcage over there and said: "Even if it is an uncolored old 'family thief', it costs eighty-seven yuan; are you buying or not?" "Sell! I'll sell~!"

The most amazing part was that at one end of the bowl, a dragon head was carved, and the dragon's mouth was hollow.

Xiong Zhen was pulled by Qin Qin Jingru and walked forward two steps, really

having no face to see people, especially seeing that the old man over there was already so angry his face was distorted, he quickly lowered his head.

Li Shu was caught somewhat off guard by Qin Qin Jingru's sudden confession; he struggled hard to break free from Qin Qin Jingru's grasping hand and walked quickly forward.

Qin Qin Jingru, however, merely revealed a helpless smile, went upstairs, and took a shower.

"It's not that you made me angry; it's just that wanting to get to know this bad person is really... we are on the main street, how can you say just anything; however... what you said actually sounded quite nice."

The man gestured for Xiong Xiong Zhenrong to look at the edge of the stone trough, pointing at the chisel marks and saying: "See that? The carved flowers were all chiseled out hammer blow by hammer blow."

"Do you have a recent grudge?"

While speaking, he had already walked to the other end of the stone trough, and his hand rested on the edge of the trough.

By the time Qin Qin Jingru and the other person walked to the car side, many pots of flowers were already placed on the ground over there; although no one was watching, not a single pot was missing.

"I just want to see whether a dog can stop eating shit!"

This display of power is nothing more than two routines: if he is willing to talk to me, I will flatter him and chat; if he is not willing to talk to me, I will tease him into chatting.

Over there, there were already fewer flower sellers and more fish sellers, and they were all selling goldfish, though there were many styles and varieties.

The man chuckled: "However, he is a Southerner; he speaks with a garbled accent, so I couldn't understand him either, and I just vaguely sent him away, hahahaha~"

Qin Qin Jingru was called back by the old man; she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Oh, you rascal, are you trying to call a deer a horse, or a rat a duck?"

During the Xinhai year, this fellow retreated from the Altar of Soil and Grain Park with my father, gaining him semi-official status.

A bad mood is hard to buy; since Li Shu disliked it, Qin Qin Jingru felt the money was wasted, and that night's effort was entirely in vain.

Li Shu's mind was simple, her dislikes few; unlike others who loved going out and wandering about, she would only lock herself in her room to read after work.

Gu Ning had been quite unhappy seeing those flower pots brought in earlier, thinking her father had bought her new toys again.

The insect seller over there was packing up, with nothing good left to see, so Qin Qin Jingru led Li Shu back the way they came.

"Hey! Why don't you open the door!"

The man tapped the dragon's mouth and said, "This was designed by my great-grandfather; it's called a siphon now. It can draw water from the vat and then spit it out through the dragon's mouth."

The man nodded, glanced at the sky, and smiled apologetically, "I've strayed a bit far; does this trough look suitable to you?"

Li Shu also glanced at the child boredly watching the fish stall by the entrance before following Xiong Xiong Zhenrong back.

"Looking up at the sky, it feels just like making eye contact with him."

The old man looked at Qin Qin Jingru, unsure which Jianghu this brat mixed in or where he learned such rules. "Hahahaha~"

Whether considered a safety inspection or safety supervision, it was a face-saving gesture given the strong support those enterprises showed when Shen Fang organized night patrols a few days ago.

Seeing Xiong Xiong Zhenrong actually take out money, the old man was momentarily stunned; however, selling this bird at a high price meant his earlier anger wasn't in vain, so he reached out to take the money from Qin Qin Jingru's hand.

The man smiled and said, "I used to feed fish and change the water at the transport squadron leader's temporary headquarters."

"No!"

"Hey, sir! Watch your mouth~"

"There's plenty of space at home, quite spacious; do you have any suitable basins?"

The man was modest; leading the two, Qin Qin Jingru and the other, to the corner, he pointed to a row of large vats on the ground and said, "Wooden and earthenware basins are fine, but for practicality, I suggest you get a stone one."

Li Shu followed Qin Qin Jingru, lost in thought, all the way into the dining hall; but upon entering and seeing Xiong Xiong Zhenrong serving tea at the table, she finally relaxed her brow and turned to walk back.

How would he dare let Qin Qin Jingru make such a racket at the door? He quickly waved his hand, frowned, and asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Just now, he was merely angry at Qin Qin Jingru; he deliberately rejected those old sparrows to bet that Qin Qin Jingru couldn't produce the money, betting that even if Xiong Xiong Zhenrong had money, he wouldn't pay a high

price for a bird.

Coming back downstairs, he saw Li Shu standing before the flower pots on the windowsill, choosing one, so he walked over to take a look as well.

Xiong Xiong Zhenrong, however, glanced at Li Shu and saw that she truly disliked the thing.

Quick battle, quick decision; Qin Qin Jingru was skilled at haggling, and though her words were harsh, they made the shopkeeper happy to exert no effort.

"Mm, suitable; I just don't know about the quality of the bottom."

"Nothing novel; it's a craft passed down from ancestors to earn a living, just enough to keep us fed and warm."

The old man pondered for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide; looking at Qin Qin Jingru again, he only felt that the little one from back then contrasted sharply with his current bright attire.

Speaking thus, he walked to the corner, pointed to an overturned stone trough, and said, "You must look at this one; it's made of old stone from Green Dragon Mouth. My great-grandfather drove a donkey cart to bring it down from the mountain, and it took nearly two years just to carve it."

"Hey! The cage is not for sale!"

Qin Qin Jingru, however, took another look at that steady and dignified birdcage; although it was already covered with cloth, he still raised his eyebrows and said, "I asked you if this is a Hwamei, and you didn't answer, so I can only guess carelessly!"

Seeing that the man spoke sincerely, Qin Qin Jingru withdrew his hand, took out a notebook, wrote down an address, and handed it over.

When Qin Qin Jingru entered the courtyard, he also glanced at the garage over there; seeing that the roof was already capped, it would probably take another three or five days to backfill, after which the car could be parked in the rear.

Good heavens, Qin Qin Jingru knew better than to argue with his wife at this time; gesturing to Moon, who had already come out, he said, "Let's hurry home; Gu Ning might be so hungry she's ready to rebel."

Following the man's guidance, Qin Qin Jingru reached out and touched it; the stone material was truly excellent.

Qin Qin Jingru squeezed Xiong Zhen's hand, telling her not to be nervous, while he himself looked at the old man and asked, "What did I ask you just now?"

Qin Qin Jingru pursed his lips and said, "What I want to buy is an uncolored old sparrow, not your Hwamei; are you one of them, or what?"

Speaking thus, he pointed to the fish tank, smiled, and said, "Trouble you to teach us how to raise fish, how to change the water, and to come regularly to help look after them for a bit."

Once both had lit cigarettes, the man began to speak; his family had been in this trade for generations, raising goldfish at the Jin Yuchi before, where there was a spring, mainly supplying the imperial court, half-official and half-private.

"Pfft~"

"Mm, the price isn't cheap." "Buying a bird!"

Going back was simple; they just priced the flower pots chosen earlier, discussed a couple of sentences, and let the shopkeeper deliver them to the vehicle.

"No, I think it's quite suitable."

Qin Qin Jingru thought for a moment and said, "One and a half meters long, half a meter wide; preferably with a stand."

After arranging the ones downstairs, they went to arrange those upstairs: beside the stairs, in the small living room, the study, the master bedroom, the guest bedroom...

"Oh~"

Perhaps it was an illusion; Gu Ning put down the documents in her hand and reminded Qin Qin Jingru that it was time to start working.

"Hehehe~" "Hey!

"Then it's settled."

Fortunately, the truck bed was narrow; otherwise, they really wouldn't have fit, and even so, two extra pots were stacked and secured with rope.

Qin Qin Jingru understood Li Shu's thoughts; seemingly from a past life, when adults bought things for children, they only let the children enjoy the novelty, never teaching them how to care for living creatures, nor teaching them about animal habits and principles.

She was just looking; to say she disliked it was true, but she wouldn't know how to raise them.

"This... not to hide it from you, I also have a proper job."

It's just like a father-in-law raising a daughter and fearing a blonde-haired boy, while that daughter strangely prefers blonde-haired boys the most.

"What is this?"

Qin Qin Jingru handed her handbag to Xiong Zhen behind her, smiling as she explained, "At home, you don't wash your own clothes; anyone doing such work must not be insulted."

Seeing Xiong Xiong Zhenrong speak thus, Xiong Zhen had no choice but to get out of the car; however, smelling the floral scent drifting from the back of the vehicle, Li Shu's mood remained quite unhappy.

"Oh, good cigarettes." "Not at all!"

With Qin Qin Jingru leading the way, everyone reached out to help, and only then was the vehicle unloaded.

Looking at Qin

Seeing that Qin Qin Jingru's expression showed she truly wanted it, the man hesitated a moment longer before saying, "Alright, I'll fulfill your Seventh Master's wish; I'll teach you, and then come once every month."

Although there were no carvings inside this stone trough, its interior was extremely smooth; even as daylight faded, and despite who knew how long it had been sitting there, one could still tell from the outside that it was the work of no ordinary craftsman.

But who could have expected that this Da Nian Zhong truly spoke of martial virtue, only to kick me hard after luring me into a pit!

The old man never in his wildest dreams expected that today's troublemaker would be someone so shameless!

Xiong Zhen frowned and thought for a moment; there had been too many flowers just now, and she couldn't quite recall what feeling she had been seeking.

Xiong Xiong Zhenrong, on the other hand, wasn't craving that stuff; the cadres at the table were eating with great relish, making him feel as though he had been used.

That bird isn't easy to raise either; whenever it encounters a few crows or something similar, it's sure to learn the bad habits and ignore the good ones.

When he came out after his bath, he discovered the room had changed; stepping out of the small living room and looking toward the study and the staircase leading to the second floor, he felt that the cold house now held an aura of life.

Taking Xiong Zhen's hand, Xiong Xiong Zhenrong pointed to the steps below the doorway and said in a cold voice, "Four years ago, a few kids were selling crickets on this street and borrowed your eaves to shelter from the rain; you should still remember what you did, shouldn't you?"

The old man huffily stepped forward two paces to block them vaguely, glaring as he said, "There's no one like you; dressed in such wealth, yet you mock us poor folks!"

Qin Qin Jingru hesitated only briefly before turning around and busying herself with Gu Ningjian's help. "That's right!

The old lady and Xiong Xiong Zhenrong came out to greet them, only to be startled by the number of flowerpots behind the jeep.

Passersby who heard the conversation over there also slowed their steps and waited, just hoping to see Qin Qin Jingru reveal something so they could learn from it.

The old man turned around, narrowed his eyes at Qin Qin Jingru, who was about to lead his wife away, and said a sentence.

Qin Qin Jingru nodded and said, "Name your price."

"How could I not have seen her? I've even seen that Lady of yours~"

Qin Qin Jingru's eyes were sharp; she spotted that cage at a glance. She couldn't tell whether the others were good or bad, but she certainly recognized the wood, since much of the furniture at home was made of that very stuff.

"You!"

Then Qin Qin Jingru's words made him burst out laughing: "Feed once a day, change the water every three days, wash the tank every seven days, and change the fish every day!"

Seeing the old man chuckle, Qin Qin Jingru chuckled too; ignoring Xiong Zhen's reminder, she pointed at the birdcage over there and asked, "They say 'open the door to welcome guests, and harmony brings wealth'; so I'm just asking: are you selling that bird or not?"

Qin Qin Jingru, afraid she would fuss any further, put an arm around her and led her toward the dining room, saying as they walked, "The first impression is the most suitable; there's no problem placing it there."

Qin Qin Jingru smiled, recalling the chaos of war back then, and could also detect the helplessness in the man's tone.

The man selling fish laughed aloud, pointing at the goldfish in the wooden basin as he said, "If all customers were like you, our business would be truly easy to do!"

Speaking of this, the man tapped his cigarette butt and said, "Chen Jicheng was a good man; he gave our family seventy jin of millet every month and even helped me avoid conscription."

Qin Qin Jingru drooped her eyelids and glanced at the street-front house she had once envied, yet now it somehow felt too short and low.

"Even if you know, you should still do it that way."

The popular rhyme of the time was "Awnings, fish tanks, pomegranate trees; Mr., fat dog, plump maid," which described precisely the lifestyle of those people.

The man found Qin Qin Jingru witty and humorous; after taking the address, he escorted Qin Qin Jingru and the other person out the door.

The man spoke of his bitter experiences catching and scooping fish larvae when he was young, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"Hahaha!"

While speaking, he pointed at the round tank half a meter in diameter on the ground and asked, "How about this one?"

Casting a somewhat resentful glance at the couple chatting and laughing over there, Comrade Sha Sha Qizhi felt that perhaps he had too much idle time, making the couple seem an eyesore to him.

"Prepare to place it right at the entrance."

Having said that, he paid no heed to the dumbfounded old man, tugged Li Shu's hand, and said:

"Let's go; let's go buy flowers."

The goldfish over there were all kept in large wooden basins; these basins rested on stands not far off the ground, and thick green moss grew on their walls, clearly indicating they were old heirlooms.

Don't even mention eighty-seven; even eight hundred and seventy wouldn't be enough to sell that birdcage!

The man smiled bitterly and said, "This was ordered by that Young Master of Marshal Zhang, the so-called Eighth Master; but damn it, by the time the fish tank was finished, he had already fled, leaving my Seventh Master's efforts all for nothing."

"Hehe~"

Seeing the man ask, Li Shu straightened up, placed a hand on Qin Qin Jingru's arm, and prepared to leave.

Xiong Xiong Zhenrong smiled and gestured slightly, saying, "Bring us a tank; it must be large. If you have any water lilies here, give us a few of those too."

Although he didn't know what had happened, seeing the little rascal beside that girl, he curled the corner of his mouth and said, "What a waste of a fine young lady."

He didn't know what had occurred, but watching the Director's retreating figure, he felt a certain desolation.

They didn't wait for those little lives to die before tossing them aside; if the child wanted more, they would simply go buy more.

Actually, Qin Qin Jingru didn't really love raising fish; it was too much trouble, even more mentally exhausting than raising birds.

Seeing that Qin Qin Jingru truly intended to buy, Li Shu tugged her slightly and asked in a soft voice, "Do you know how to raise them?"

Qin Qin Jingru seemed truly frozen in place; she pulled several large-denomination notes from her pocket, and the onlookers, upon seeing this, exclaimed, "Whoa~ Good heavens, she's serious!"

When Gu Ningjian re-entered the Director's office, he discovered the Director standing by the window, looking down at the street below.

It wasn't fear of anything else; he only worried that this old man might return because of Qin Qin Jingru's few words, which would be a grave sin indeed.

"One must not harbor a heart to harm, but one must possess a heart to save."

Qin Qin Jingru craned her neck, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I'll buy that old sparrow with the dyed feathers!"

"What? Even selling your family heirloom?"

Aren't these people simply using the opportunity of hosting me to indulge in meat and delicacies?

This was roughly the dimension of the gap from beside the villa's entrance door to the old lady's room at the entrance, extending to the main gate.

The man selling fish over there was quite honest and simple; knowing Qin Qin Jingru had some skills, he pricked up his ears to listen as she spoke.

The two on the road began chatting about childhood matters; Li Shu seemed particularly interested in Qin Qin Jingru's mischievous childhood stories, sometimes even asking proactively when Qin Qin Jingru stopped speaking.

Just as the old man reached out his hand, Qin Qin Jingru suddenly grabbed it and gestured toward the birdcage over there.

Hearing Qin Qin Jingru's words, the man also smiled, taking it merely as her speaking out of concern for her wife; he joined hands with Qin Qin Jingru and flipped the stone trough over.

"Hey! Kid!"

Seeing Qin Qin Jingru and the others, the man smiled and said, "It's fine if you buy it; I just didn't mean to worry you."

The man glanced at Qin Qin Jingru's attire and asked tentatively, "Is it convenient? Lend a hand, let's flip it over so you can see."

Qin Qin Jingru pointed at the cage in the old man's hand and said, "What you want is a colored common myna, not a hwamei; but if it dares to make a hwamei's sound, you can have people paste notices all over the small street!"

In the morning, after visiting a few more places, Qin Qin Jingru parted ways with Shen Fang and went directly to the Rolling Steel Factory.

Qin Qin Jingru leaned forward and asked again, "Did you ask him what he wanted to buy?"

Before the Xinhai Revolution, things were in chaos; the Jin Yuchi changed hands several times, and by 1974, the pits were filled and buildings erected, leaving only the place name behind.

Seeing the old man's angry expression, Li Shu felt somewhat embarrassed, but since this good person wasn't like that, she had no other choice.

That old man, seeing Da Nian Zhong wasn't playing by the rules of martial virtue, tossed out a remark and tried to leave, but how could he be allowed to get away with it?

Qin Qin Jingru smiled, walked over, extended the money in her hand, and reached out with her other hand to take the cage, only to see the old man pull the cage back.

He also realized it; this jerk wasn't here for the bird, never had been from the start—he was here for my birdcage.

The man was also stunned for a moment, waved his hand, and said, "No, no, I haven't even delivered it yet; how can I take the money? No way!"

Withdrawing his hand, he turned and went to the shelf below, picked out a birdcage, and only then looked toward Xiong Xiong Zhenrong.

He asked, "Please go ahead!"

Qin Qin Jingru watched Li Shu carry that pot of tulips back into the dining room and place it on the coffee table behind the sofa, and she couldn't help but shake her head with a wry smile.

The man smiled bitterly and said, "There might not be enough time and energy for that."

Li Shu didn't need Comrade Sha Sha Qizhi's help; letting her go to the kitchen, he himself carried pot after pot of flowers, buzzing around like a little bee, tirelessly searching for places to put the flowerpots.

The old man shook his teeth and said, "You're asking if this is a hwamei?"

Qin Qin Jingru asked in surprise, "You saw him?"

Xu Si hadn't managed to corner him yesterday, but today he was waiting early.

What Qin Qin Jingru told Xiong Zhen was all just teasing; regarding raising goldfish, how could he not understand? He had hung around that area back in the day, leaving only after he had built up enough strength.

If the Rolling Steel Factory needs them, then other factories need them too; some produce them, and some purchase them.

Seeing that Xiong Xiong Zhenrong had criticized the old man's bird, the old rascal immediately turned around to talk about his wife, bulging his eyes and ready to start spewing insults.

Qin Qin Jingru put her arm around Li Shu's shoulder and coaxed, asking, "Just now, wasn't your first instinct to place it right there?"

That old man had seen many hooligans like Xiong Xiong Zhenrong; in the past, within those four cities, what kind of people hadn't he seen? People like Qin Qin Jingru could only be considered average.

The old man raised his eyelids and said, "You'll need to bring the cage over; I'll move the bird into it for you."

That old man clenched the fist hidden inside his sleeve, but he still had no way to deal with Qin Qin Jingru.

"Ink Mo Longjing, its body is entirely pitch black."

But now is not the time to think about it; given Xiong Zhen's personality, even raising a tiger would end up being played to death, so it's better to forget it.

However, according to the receptionist's introduction, if we cooperate in production, it will not only increase capacity and achieve self-sufficiency but also allow us to exchange for other necessary materials with other factories.

Seeing that this man was truly interesting, Qin Qin Jingru also started to laugh.

However, Qin Qin Jingru found what she heard a bit itch-inducing to her ears; hearing it put that way, why did it feel like he was about to develop in that direction right now?

This Rolling Steel Factory, a giant whale that has barely produced a single high-level leader, are we still going to take a bite out of it?

After speaking, he tucked his hands back into his sleeves, straightened his body slightly, drooped his eyelids, and said, "Looking at you, you're no ordinary person; leading your wife here shows you're no longer young, and if you want to coax her for some fun, you'd have to go to the cinema, but we here... hehe!"

It was just when passing the old man's bird-selling stall that Qin Qin Jingru discovered the courtyard gate had been closed early; perhaps he feared a guilty conscience, or maybe he feared ghosts knocking at the door.

"But it's not! If it weren't for him, I might well be buried in a foreign land by now!"

"Why buy so many flowers?" "Good! I guess I'm not lying then!"

"Hehe, I guess I picked up a bargain?"

Before the old man could open his mouth to speak, he said, "Hey~ it has to be money in one hand, goods in the other, right? Rules of the jianghu~"

"What are you thinking about?"

Those who can come today show they have sincere intentions; whether they're looking for a bargain or trying to extort, anyway, they've all polished their eyes very bright, extremely bright.

Qin Qin Jingru reached out and touched the bottom of the vat; it was indeed flat and rough, lacking even a hint of smoothness.

"It's possible."

The old man, with his hands still tucked in his sleeves, nodded slightly and said, "But what I'm selling isn't a common myna, it's a hwamei! Eighty-seven yuan is the fixed price!"

Seeing Qin Qin Jingru squat down, the man squatted down as well; he was about to offer Qin Qin Jingru a cigarette, but Qin Qin Jingru took out her own and offered one to him instead.

This birdcage is valuable because red sandalwood is rare, and even more valuable because the craftsmanship is arduous; in the past, a craftsman might not even finish one in half a year, not to mention that my cover cloth is top-grade brocade and the hooks are strung with jade beads.

The few people around only felt that this young person was truly damn interesting; they each laughed and left, while Li Shu was already pinching Qin Qin Jingru hard, knowing that there was nothing serious coming out of his mouth.

Xiong Zhen also looked at Qin Qin Jingru somewhat blankly; she had never heard that Xiong Xiong Zhenrong's family raised fish, nor had she ever seen Qin Qin Jingru raise fish himself, so how did he become an expert?

The current Gu Ning is particularly clever; she knows what Li Shu cares about, and she absolutely—

—won't touch it.

As soon as Qin Qin Jingru entered the office, Xu Si followed down; he waved to decline Gu Ningjian's offer of tea, chatted with Qin Qin Jingru for a little while, and then left again.

If it weren't because Gu Ning is still young, or because he wants to have children with Li Shu, he would just raise a small cat or dog or something.

The man propped up one leg, sitting on his heel, squinted his eyes, and said, "When Li Zongren served as the Director of the Beiping Garrison Command, he lived on North Chang Street; the fish in his residence were all tended by me, including those of Chen Jicheng, Ma Zhanshan, Pu Yan Jie, and others who were garrison commanders at the time."

A red sandalwood cage, red sandalwood perches, fine porcelain food and water jars, and brass covers and grips.

"Hey! Stiff fire, is it?"

"Whoa~! Encountered a vicious lion!"

Of course, that gap wasn't always this small; who knows what might have been placed there before? When Qin Qin Jingru took over, she didn't see anything, so perhaps it was moved away.

A minor interlude, now a thing of the past, did not disturb the mood of the two; walking and looking along the Jinyu Hutong, Li Shu was curious about everything, occasionally asking Qin Qin Jingru a question or two.

The man spotted the main gate, smiled, and said, "You're quite an important cadre; thank you~"