Old Man Lan took the two youngsters out for a meal. Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei naturally wouldn't let the old man pay, and as they were arguing over the bill, they heard the old man's sincere question: "How dare you offer to treat when your monthly salary isn't even a hundred yuan?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
Ming Mei: "..."
That was quite hurtful. They wondered if the old man knew what the average income was in the capital city?
Even the five-yuan minimum living allowance was unattainable for many people, and here he was talking about three-digit figures - wasn't that a bit unrealistic?
Ming Mei thought to herself, people know my mother-in-law is the one who's reborn, but listening to him, one might think it was him instead - such grandiose talk, casually mentioning three-digit figures!
While Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei were still in a daze, Old Man Lan paid the bill and led the two confused birds out, saying, "When it's your turn to pay, I'll let you. When it's not your turn, don't fight over it. Acting as if you're so well-off."
Ming Mei protested, "My salary is now thirty-six yuan and fifty cents!"
She held her head high, quite proud of herself.
For someone her age, this was an unusually high salary. Ming Mei had received two consecutive raises to reach this income, and with her additional monthly allowance from her previous situation, her monthly earnings totaled around forty yuan.
It's worth noting that even Zhuang Zhiyuan, who had worked for over a decade and received extra travel allowances, earned about the same.
This showed just how rapidly Ming Mei's salary had increased.
Moreover, it was a remarkably high wage.
Plus, she had no dependents, which truly made her part of the wealthy class.
Ming Mei: "If you count my allowance, I'm making over forty now, which is quite substantial."
With this salary, the couple could actually live quite comfortably, more than enough for their needs, especially since Zhuang Zhixi was also a worker. To put it boldly, their combined income in the capital city would surpass at least ninety percent of the population.
Lan Sihai glanced at her and said, "Oh my, that's so much, that's really quite something."
Ming Mei snorted, "It really is a lot."
This earned her an eye roll from her grandfather.
Old Man Lan: "Come on, let's take a walk after eating. Walk a hundred steps after meals, live to ninety-nine."
Ming Mei: "...Walking makes you thin after eating."
People back then didn't consider being thin beautiful; being plump was a sign of good living conditions.
The habit of exercising after eating wasn't common then - wouldn't digestion make you hungry again? And if you're hungry, wouldn't you need to eat again? How much would be enough?
Although she grumbled, Ming Mei was actually happy to walk back, especially since she felt quite full from the meal.
They hadn't mentioned these matters at Donglaishun restaurant, but now Old Man Lan spoke up: "Little Zhuang, tell her about the situation."
Zhuang Zhixi immediately nodded, "Alright."
Ming Mei: "???"
She looked puzzled at the old man and the young man, then said, "I was wondering why Grandfather suddenly invited us both out for dinner, so there really is something going on? What is it?"
She was very curious - since they were discussing it outside, was it something that couldn't be overheard by others?
She raised her eyebrows and said, "You haven't been up to something questionable, have you?"
Zhuang Zhixi snapped his fingers and said, "You've guessed it, my wife is so clever."
Ming Mei: "...I was just saying that. Tell me, what's going on?"
Zhuang Zhixi immediately rattled off the situation, and Ming Mei rolled up her sleeves: "That bastard dares to have designs on me! He must be tired of living! What a scoundrel!"
Ming Mei was quite capable of cursing when needed.
She just couldn't understand how someone could be so shameless!
Absolutely shameless, she was furious and said, "This unfortunate..."
She said fiercely, "Tell me, how should we teach this dog a lesson? We must teach him a proper lesson!"
Just thinking about this person having designs on her made Ming Mei feel sick to her scalp. Someone who appeared to be such a proper gentleman on the surface was actually a truly despicable person.
Even though they were still on the street, Ming Mei couldn't help but curse colorfully.
Old Comrade Lan Sihai finally spoke up, "That's enough, how can a young lady curse like that!"
Ming Mei: "The fact that I'm not rushing to his house right now to beat him to a pulp shows I'm using my last bit of self-control. I'm about to throw up from disgust."
Lan Sihai: "Foolish!"
He pointed at Ming Mei from a distance and said, "I know who you take after - you're just like your father, simple-minded and all brawn, not using your head at all."
Ming Mei: "..."
How did this turn into a lecture?
Lan Sihai: "In life, you need to learn to use your brain. Is that brain of yours just there for decoration, planning to raise fish in it?"
Ming Mei: "...?"
Zhuang Zhixi also earnestly asked: "Raise fish?"
Lan Sihai: "Because your head is full of water!"
Zhuang Zhixi had a sudden realization: "I learned something new."
Ming Mei pouted: "Grandfather, am I still your most beloved granddaughter?"
Looking at her behavior, Lan Sihai nearly threw up the Donglaishun dinner they'd just eaten, which had cost quite a few meat ration tickets.
He strongly objected: "Speak properly and stop sticking out your tongue! And fix that mouth of yours, you look like a rooting pig."
Ming Mei: "I'm hurt!"
She pouted, feeling that her grandfather was indeed not very friendly.
Her mother was right.
Her uncle was right too!
Grandfather was really a difficult old man to get along with, hmph!
Lan Sihai: "Let's talk about serious matters!"
Ming Mei: "Go ahead!"
Lan Sihai: "You'll go to the bathroom and spook him with some ghostly tricks."
Ming Mei pouted: "Isn't that a bit too simple?"
Lan Sihai smirked: "There are sophisticated and crude ways to play ghost. I'm taking the sophisticated route - you think it's just about giving him a simple scare? I have a whole script planned. This time, we won't let him off easy! If we don't scare him into complete submission, won't you feel uncomfortable knowing he might still have thoughts about you?"
Ming Mei: "That would definitely make me uncomfortable."
She was already feeling extremely uncomfortable about it.
"That's exactly my point. How dare he bully my granddaughter? I'll make sure he gets a headache every time he sees a woman!" Lan Sihai wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Zhuang Zhixi spoke up: "Going into the men's bathroom to scare him... doesn't seem right? After all, there should be boundaries between men and women."
Lan Sihai: "Who said anything about going into the men's bathroom? I'm going to make him enter the women's bathroom!"
Zhuang Zhixi: "He's so concerned about his image, he probably won't go in."
Although Zhou Qun wasn't a good person, he was very conscious about maintaining his image, and probably wouldn't do something so embarrassing.
Lan Sihai: "Then we'll find a way to make him go in. There are ten thousand ways to do this, it just depends on which one we want to use." He looked at his grandson-in-law and sincerely remarked: "Your brain doesn't seem to work very well either!"
Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said: "Of course I'm not as clever as you, old man. Why else would I be your apprentice in this? Don't you agree?"
This comment finally earned the old man's approval. He nodded slightly and said: "Well, you've said something sensible for once. This time, I'll let you witness this old man's methods."
He stroked his chin and said: "Not only will I make him completely indifferent to women from now on, but I'll also make him tremble in fear at the sight of cesspools."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Ah...?"
Lan Sihai: "My ultimate goal this time is to make him take another tour in there."
Zhuang Zhixi's mouth twitched, deeply suspecting that the old man had moved here too late, only hearing jianghu legends without witnessing someone actually falling into a cesspool, so he wanted to create an opportunity to see such a spectacle.
He felt his suspicion was absolutely correct.
But still, Zhuang Zhixi very sincerely said: "Grandfather, can we discuss something?"
Lan Sihai raised his eyelids and said: "Go ahead."
Zhuang Zhixi said earnestly: "Can we not do this?"
He had a miserable look on his face and said, "You don't know how disgusting it is, I'm really not lying to you. We're family, and family doesn't lie to each other. This is truly revolting. Last time it was in the dead of winter, and even in the cold it was unbearable. Now that the weather's warm, oh my god... just thinking about it makes me nauseous. We don't have to go down this disgusting path to deal with this guy. Besides, you live next door to him. When he gets home and takes a shower, let me tell you, when that sewage meets hot water and the temperature rises, that smell lingers for three days. I'm not exaggerating - it won't go away for a week. We shouldn't torture ourselves!"
He wasn't trying to plead for Zhou Qun; rather, this matter was truly beyond disgusting.
Though they were tormenting Zhou Qun, they were suffering too.
Absolutely suffering!
Zhuang Zhixi said, "If you see it through, you'll lose your appetite for at least a week."
He was genuinely looking out for everyone's well-being. During the previous incident, for a whole week - an entire week - even the sight of sweet potatoes made him sick. And he wasn't alone in this; reportedly, every single onlooker on their street that day was affected.
During that period, everyone turned pale at the mere mention of sweet potatoes.
Poor sweet potatoes - what had they done to deserve such treatment? It was simply unfair.
Zhuang Zhixi felt that this time they absolutely couldn't let Grandfather do something like this. They could deal with Zhou Qun, but please, nothing involving sewage pits. In the height of summer, it would be even more unbearable than in winter. Zhuang Zhixi was literally begging from the bottom of his heart.
Ming Mei stood beside him, nodding vigorously with a pale face. Everything Zhuang Zhixi could think of, she could imagine too. Really, that smell was truly unbearable.
She chimed in, "Grandfather, please give us a break. I know you're disappointed about missing the show, but you can't build your happiness on others' suffering. Besides, you still live in this courtyard."
Lan Sihai looked deeply at the two of them and said, "Alright. I'll make some preparations. Tentatively planned for tomorrow night."
Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei exchanged glances, then nodded saying, "Okay."
They were both curious to see what Grandfather had planned.
However, if it meant teaching Zhou Qun a lesson, they would both applaud it - Zhou Qun was truly disgusting.
Speaking of disgusting things, there seemed to be quite a lot lately.
As the three of them walked and talked, they quickly arrived home. Upon entering the courtyard, they saw Hutou and Xiao Yanzi jumping around in the yard, playing with several children from the back courtyard, though Jinlai's children weren't there.
Zhuang Zhixi went straight inside: "Oh ho!"
He saw something good as soon as he entered and exclaimed, "Oh my!"
He pulled his wife inside and closed the door: "Mom, did you go on a raid? These fabrics are really nice!"
Zhao Guihua had already sorted through the contents of the sack that afternoon, and this time she had really struck gold.
She counted them herself - there were eight pieces that could be considered proper fabric. Adding to what she had bought herself, it was truly a bountiful harvest. If every time could be like this, they could get rich from this alone.
However, it was clear she didn't plan to go again.
Ah, life was more important!
Zhuang Zhixi came closer and said, "Mom, is this what you went out for last night?"
Zhao Guihua nodded and said, "I found a source for fabric scraps. This was my second time going."
"You call these scraps? These are too good!"
Zhuang Zhixi poked at the largest piece of fabric, and Ming Mei nodded beside him.
Zhao Guihua said, "This large piece isn't a scrap, I bought this one. The others are scraps."
Zhuang Zhixi: "...Still very good though."
Zhao Guihua: "I went last time too, but it wasn't this good. This time was unexpected. But this will be the last time. I can't go anymore - last night I almost got robbed."
"What the hell!"
Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei immediately became alert and started asking questions.
Zhao Guihua briefly explained what happened, and Ming Mei was very worried. She said, "Mom, don't go anymore. If something really happened, it wouldn't be worth it."
Getting caught would be the least of their worries - if they encountered violent robbers who knocked them out cold, that would be the end of it.
Zhao Guihua nodded and said, "I definitely won't go again. Before, they were just selling small strips of fabric, but now they've started working with insiders. Since there's internal collaboration, I can't go anymore, to avoid falling into a trap."
She could be certain that the factory must have noticed something was going on, as they had already arranged people to keep watch. They would surely make arrests in the next few days, as it would be better to catch people red-handed in these situations.
"Mom, don't bring out all this fabric at once."
Zhao Guihua gave Zhuang Zhixi a look and said, "Did you really need to tell me that? I've eaten more salt than you've walked roads. Don't I know about these things? Haven't you noticed I haven't even told your sister-in-law? If you hadn't suddenly come in, I wouldn't have planned to tell you either."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Mom, that's not right. I was the one who rescued you yesterday! If I hadn't gone out to cause a distraction, and if Yang Lixin and Bai Fendou hadn't started arguing and attracted people, you would have been in trouble. Look how ungrateful you are."
Zhao Guihua smirked: "Why should I thank you? Aren't you my son? When I gave birth to you, did you thank me?"
Zhuang Zhixi was shocked - his mother was too good at sophistry. At this point, there wasn't even a term called "false equivalence." If there was, Zhuang Zhixi would definitely say his mother was making a false equivalence.
But at this moment, he could only marvel at how clever his mother was at arguing.
Zhao Guihua ran her fingers over the pieces of fabric. Although many weren't just scraps, there still wasn't enough to make a long-sleeved adult garment. After all, even with internal collaboration, they couldn't let things get too out of hand.
However, these large pieces were perfect for making things happen. After all, normal clothing wasn't made from a single piece of fabric - it always needed to be cut and sewn. As long as she could find matching fabric from the scraps for collars and sleeves, she could make flawless finished garments.
Zhao Guihua smiled smugly, and Zhuang Zhixi came over to ask, "Mom, will you make me clothes for this summer?"
Zhao Guihua gave him a side glance and said, "We'll see."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Then make something for my wife?"
He really wouldn't give up, and Zhao Guihua said with disdain, "Get lost."
She said, "About the fabric, I need to think it through. It's not that I won't make clothes for you, but I want to make your father a set of clothes this summer. If everyone has new clothes, it might raise suspicions. So I want to wait a while."
Zhao Guihua didn't need to explain much to her son, but seeing her daughter-in-law looking expectantly at her, she thought for a moment and added an explanation.
Old Man Zhuang heard this and proudly raised his head. His wife was so good to him - what more could a man ask for in a wife? He was truly lucky to have such a wonderful partner. He smiled and said, "I can wait for mine, take care of the kids first..."
Zhao Guihua: "You shut up."
She said fiercely, "Their clothes are still quite new, it won't hurt to wait a year or so. But look at you - how many years has it been since you had new clothes? We're not young anymore, we can't always put the children first. You need to think about yourself too. They're young, they have good days ahead of them."
Although Zhao Guihua was fierce, Old Man Zhuang was happy - his wife was on his side. How could he not be pleased?
Ming Mei immediately nodded and said, "Mom is right. Mom, you're so amazing to find such a source."
Zhao Guihua's lips curled up in a smile.
Ming Mei: "Mom, if there are opportunities like this in the future, take me with you!"
She waved her fist and said, "If anyone tries to rob us, I'll teach them a lesson - I'll beat them until they're crawling on the ground!"
Zhao Guihua shook her head: "That won't be necessary. You're too obvious when you fight."
Ming Mei: "Huh?"
Zhao Guihua: "Don't get involved in these things. I won't be going often myself. You all have proper jobs - it's not worth risking everything for this."
Ming Mei immediately hugged the old lady and said coquettishly, "Mom, I knew you loved me the most."
Zhao Guihua got goosebumps from her embrace and said, "Go away, you little flatterer."
She said, "How old are you now, still trying to sweet-talk me? Look, I'm getting goosebumps. Go on, do whatever you need to do, and stop bothering me."
Ming Mei asked, "Oh, by the way, where's sister-in-law?"
Zhao Guihua replied, "Your sister-in-law went back to her parents' home this afternoon. Remember her mother was injured last time? She went to check on her and hasn't returned yet."
Ming Mei made a noncommittal sound, not particularly concerned. In her opinion, while there might be some superficial injuries, there definitely weren't any internal ones.
"Your sister-in-law... Wait, what's that smell?"
Zhao Guihua suddenly caught a faint but distinct odor. She immediately got up and looked out the window, where she saw Bai Fendou squatting at the doorway, washing something that was giving off an indescribable smell.
"What on earth is Bai Fendou doing?"
Zhuang Zhixi said, "I'll go check."
He quickly went outside and strolled over. "Brother Fendou, what are you up to?"
Bai Fendou glanced up at Zhuang Zhixi, clearly reluctant to engage with him, but still answered, "Lamb testicles!"
Zhuang Zhixi burst out laughing.
He asked sincerely, "Why are you getting into this now?"
Bai Fendou retorted, "Why can't I have these? If others can eat them, why can't I?"
Zhuang Zhixi said, "That's not what I meant." The real question was, as a single man, what was the point of eating these? It's not like he needed them.
Bai Fendou said, "Well, there you have it. If others can eat them, so can I. I'm planning to cook some. Do you know how to prepare them?"
Zhuang Zhixi chuckled and said, "Shouldn't you be asking Li the Cook about this kind of thing? Or at least Yang Lixin? With two cooks around, why are you asking me? You're giving me too much credit."
Bai Fendou's expression soured as he said, "I won't ask them."
He was quite displeased that this family, after receiving his help, had turned their backs on him.
Although, yes, he had made some profit from it, but hadn't he taken risks to help them? Should that count for nothing? Even though they said they wouldn't let him work for free, he knew exactly what kind of person Li the Cook was.
His father had told him that Li the Cook had been stingy since his youth, always taking from others but never giving back. Living in the same courtyard for decades, they had never tasted a single morsel from him.
Meanwhile, his family, with their connections to the canteen, had grown fat and prosperous.
So it was better to keep the money in hand first. After all, they wanted to buy bicycles anyway! Giving them a bicycle voucher would be good enough.
These were the words of Bai Fendou's father, Old Man Bai, and Bai Fendou found them quite reasonable. Because it made sense, he had kept the money. He hadn't completely lied - Yang Lixin's plate did have cracks and wouldn't fetch the same price as his.
For his plate, someone had directly arranged a bicycle for him, complete with official papers for steel stamping and registration.
And on top of that, they had given him an extra ten yuan.
But Yang Lixin's wasn't worth as much - it only got a bicycle voucher and fifty yuan.
To buy a bicycle with that, they'd need to add at least another hundred yuan.
In the countryside, that would be an astronomical sum, and even in their city, it wasn't something you could save up easily. A single worker might manage it, but for anyone with a family to support, it would take a year or two to save up.
So the difference was quite significant.
What Bai Fendou had kept for himself was this fifty yuan.
He didn't consider it stealing, more like... a service fee.
He couldn't work for free.
But Li the Cook and Yang Lixin kept pressing the issue, which made him very unhappy.
What's wrong with making a little money off them? If he hadn't dared to go to the ghost market, they wouldn't have gotten anything at all. They were really ungrateful.
Not only were they ungrateful, but they also resented him, which wasn't right at all.
Given Li the Cook and Yang Lixin's attitude, he absolutely wouldn't ask them how to cook these "testicles." If he did, those two might deliberately trick or deceive him. They had old grudges, after all.
He sighed wistfully and continued washing.
Zhuang Zhixi, noticing Bai Fendou's expression, asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
His expression seemed to say, "If you have something troubling you, why don't you share it so I can enjoy your misery?"
Bai Fendou looked up with disdain and said, "This is none of your business."
Zhuang Zhixi remarked, "See? I try to show concern and you treat me with contempt. You're really not very friendly."
Bai Fendou snorted, thinking to himself: Your wife kicked my door in, how could I possibly be friendly to you? You're expecting too much.
Zhuang Zhixi put on a curious expression and asked, "Hey, what were you and Yang Lixin doing outside last night?"
Bai Fendou's heart skipped a beat: "That's none of your business."
He picked up his basin and said, "If you've got nothing else to do, go home. Don't bother me."
He had visited many places after work just to buy these testicles. It took a lot of begging before he finally got them. He hadn't even eaten dinner yet.
If Zhou Qun could eat these, so could he, Bai Fendou.
Why shouldn't he have some supplements too?
Bai Fendou had always been competing with Zhou Qun in his mind. He turned and went inside, closing the door with a bang. Zhuang Zhixi, having hit a wall, walked back with his hands spread, saying, "You see, being a friendly neighbor is really difficult."
Ming Mei stood at the doorway watching, smiling like a flower.
Zhao Guihua said, "Stop meddling in other people's business. Hurry inside and seal up the doors and windows. Who knows when the stench will start."
Zhuang Zhixi exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, you're right!"
Yesterday when the Zhou family cooked that stuff, it stank up the whole courtyard, and now it would surely be the same.
He pulled his wife along, saying, "We need to wash up quickly, he hasn't started cooking yet, we can still bear it..."
Although there was already a strange smell, it wasn't too obvious yet. But they knew that once it started cooking, it would be unbearable. Suddenly, the Zhuang household was in chaos.
Zhao Guihua called out, "Hutou, Xiao Yanzi, stop playing and wash up quickly! Li Junjun, take your brother home right away."
Zhao Guihua: "Why hasn't Liang Meifen come back yet!"
Li Junjun and Li Weiwei looked at Zhao Guihua in confusion, asking, "Grandma Zhao, what's wrong?"
The other children also looked at Zhao Guihua curiously. Zhao Guihua asked, "Did you enjoy the smell yesterday?"
The children shook their heads in unison - they were young, not stupid!
Zhao Guihua: "Your Uncle Bai Fendou is going to cook them tonight!"
When the children heard this, they all understood and ran home quickly, shouting: "Oh no!"
"Mom, help!"
"Quick, close the doors and windows!"
The children were screaming and yelling. It was then that Zhuang Zhixi noticed Tonglai was there too. This child wasn't very noticeable when he wasn't with his two brothers. He had been playing with Hutou and the others.
But it made sense - although children tend to form cliques, they can still play together when there aren't other playmates around. Who knows where Jinlai and Yinlai had gone, leaving their brother behind.
Tonglai also ran home yelling, "Mom, Grandma, Bai Fendou is cooking poop..."
The three children in their family would call him "Uncle Fendou" when they needed something, and just "Bai Fendou" otherwise.
Wang Xiangxiu frowned, "What's going on? Speak properly, what do you mean cooking poop?"
Tonglai explained, "It's what Old Lady Zhou cooked yesterday, Bai Fendou is going to cook it too."
Wang Xiangxiu peeked out and saw the Zhuang family bustling about, all rushing to wash up, clearly planning to close their doors and windows and stay inside. Even Old Man Lan was moving as fast as the wind - he must have heard the commotion too.
Wang Xiangxiu complained, "Where are your brothers? And what's wrong with Bai Fendou, cooking testicles for no reason? He doesn't even need them! What a waste of money. He could have bought something useful instead. Men are so wasteful with money."
Her tone was quite harsh, as if Bai Fendou was spending her money.
After all, she could usually squeeze money out of Bai Fendou, but this was something she couldn't eat.
Tonglai swallowed his saliva and said, "Mom, I want to eat the cooked testicles."
He said, "I'll ask Uncle Fendou for some."
It was really mean of him to secretly cook testicles without sharing.
Wang Xiangxiu quickly stopped her son, saying, "They're not cooked eggs, I misspoke. Hurry up and wash, don't go out again."
Aunt Su asked, "You'd better hurry. Where are Jinlai and Yinlai?"
Wang Xiangxiu: "These two kids went out to play, really, they should have come back earlier."
Tonglai: "They didn't even take me along."
Aunt Su: "Alright, hurry up now. Let's not talk about that anymore."
At that moment, it wasn't just the Zhuang family mobilizing, but the entire courtyard was in motion. Everyone was hurriedly washing their faces and brushing their teeth, preparing to close their doors and windows early. Otherwise, that smell... it was unthinkable, they had all experienced it yesterday!
However, many people were cursing Bai Fendou behind his back. They thought, "You knew what the smell would be like yesterday, yet you're doing it again today. Isn't this deliberate? You're intentionally making us uncomfortable, showing a lack of virtue."
It wasn't that everyone was being too selfish; they all had their own thoughts, just like Wang Xiangxiu and the others. Everyone felt that Bai Fendou was a single man, so why did he need to supplement in this way? Wasn't he just deliberately trying to disgust people?
Li the Cook and Aunt Wang had a different kind of anger.
Li the Cook: "That poor wretch, he spends all his monthly money supporting Wang Xiangxiu's family, living well for the first half of the month and scraping by for the second half. By now, he should be broke, so where did he get money for this? Even though these things don't need ration tickets, they still cost money. I bet he's been stealing our money to buy food. Now he's even showing off in front of us. It's infuriating, truly infuriating."
Yang Lixin: "Next time he comes to eat at the canteen, we'll give him the worst portions."
"Absolutely!"
Despite saying this, Li the Cook was still distressed, saying: "Who knows how much money this guy has stolen from us, spending so extravagantly. It's infuriating, truly infuriating... I absolutely won't let this matter slide!"
Yang Lixin nodded in agreement and lowered his voice, saying: "Zhou Qun and Wang Xiangxiu are having an affair. Should we deliberately leak this to Bai Fendou to upset him?"
Li the Cook: "Let me think about that."
Aunt Wang was somewhat incredulous, asking again: "Is this really true? Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
Although Aunt Wang knew that Wang Xiangxiu was exploiting Bai Fendou to support her family, she could also see that Wang Xiangxiu hadn't taken any real advantage of him. So they hadn't particularly looked down on Wang Xiangxiu.
After all, both were single.
Bai Fendou had feelings for her, and Wang Xiangxiu had maintained her dignity.
But now... she cleaned her ears, hardly believing it: "I really can't believe Zhou Qun and Wang Xiangxiu... they barely even spoke to each other in the courtyard."
"That's exactly what makes it suspicious. We all live in the same courtyard, why would they be so distant? Besides, Mom, I guarantee I saw it with my own eyes. May lightning strike me dead if I'm lying!" Yang Lixin was determined to prove himself right.
He had seen it clearly.
Although it was hard to believe that Wang Xiangxiu and Zhou Qun were having an affair, that was the reality.
Li Fang: "Pah, pah, pah, don't make such oaths! I believe you, and my mother believes you too, she's just shocked."
Yang Lixin: "They were in the factory warehouse, it lasted less than five seconds, I almost got caught and had to run away quickly..."
"Uh..."
Both elderly people felt awkward discussing such topics with their son-in-law.
However, five seconds?
Li the Cook couldn't help but ask: "Really five seconds?"
Yang Lixin shook his head, and just as Li the Cook was about to speak, he heard his son-in-law say: "No, definitely not five seconds."
Aunt Wang: "...Perhaps their inability to have children really wasn't Jiang Lu's fault..."
The others nodded silently.
"Who would have thought Zhou Qun had such tendencies, you really can't judge a book by its cover."
"You couldn't tell he wouldn't last five seconds either!"
"Uh..."
Li the Cook: "I don't care about Zhou Qun, but Bai Fendou cheating us, that matter can't be left alone. Let me think about it. This isn't over!"
Yang Lixin nodded.
Aunt Wang wanted to say something but held back, thinking that her husband had a point – if Bai Fendou had really stolen their money, that was indeed infuriating.
While they were having their private conversation, on the other side, Bai Fendou had already put the eggs in the pot, and sure enough, a strange smell wafted out. This smell was far worse than before, quite indescribable really.
Madam Zhou Li was the first to come out cursing, jumping up and down shouting: "Which inconsiderate bastard is this, really not acting human, are you cooking shit at home? Are you going to let people eat or not? How can someone be so inconsiderate?"
She was particularly vocal, thoroughly cursing Bai Fendou's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Completely forgetting that she had done the exact same thing yesterday, and had felt completely justified about it.
In her mind, it was fine when she did it, but not when others did.
Bai Fendou was also angry and immediately came out to confront her. The old and young began hurling insults at each other, not just cursing each other's ancestors but also each other's body parts. It was just one big argument. Though usually any little noise would bring people out to watch the excitement, today it was surprisingly quiet.
Nobody would come out of their homes, preferring to stay inside and strain their ears to listen, but absolutely refusing to go outside.
A few more times like this and their sense of smell might be permanently damaged.
It was truly unbearable.
Was this thing really that good? Worth eating despite the suffering?
The men all became thoughtful...
Compared to others who couldn't watch the scene live, the Zhuang family in the front courtyard could see everything, being practically opposite neighbors, and their next-door neighbors the Su family could see too. Those who could see were all peering out their windows. Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei were stuck to the window like two geckos, watching outside. Ming Mei remarked: "Bai Fendou is really something, actually able to argue back and forth with the old lady. That's something not just anyone can do."
After all, the destructive power of someone like Madam Zhou Li was no less than a cesspool!
Ah, pah pah pah!
What was wrong with her today, why couldn't she get past the cesspool metaphor!
She felt she shouldn't talk about these things anymore, or else even her metaphors would start to stink.
She couldn't disgust herself.
Ming Mei shook her head and leaned against the window, saying: "Do you think they'll get physical?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "You dare ask me? I'm wrong eight times out of ten."
Ming Mei burst out laughing and said: "So you know it yourself? What do you think then?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "I don't think they will. They've been to the hospital several times because of this, and that costs money too. They shouldn't be that impulsive, right? After so many times, they should have learned some self-control... Holy shit!"
Just as Zhuang Zhixi finished speaking, they saw Madam Zhou Li swing a slap.
That slap didn't land on Bai Fendou's face, but it felt like it had landed on his own face.
Ming Mei couldn't help but burst out laughing, then broke into full-blown laughter.
She looked at Zhuang Zhixi teasingly and said: "Brother Zhixi, you're not very good at this. I can see you don't understand your old neighbors at all. They don't care about self-control. When they feel like fighting, they fight, without any hesitation."
Zhuang Zhixi pretended to wipe away non-existent sweat and said: "I admit my experience is limited."
But he could still make something up, saying: "But you see, after living in this courtyard, won't everything else seem like small potatoes? Because our horizons have been broadened. So no matter what we encounter, we can remain calm and composed."
Ming Mei couldn't help laughing again, and seeing her so amused, Zhuang Zhixi suddenly leaned forward and pecked her lips.
Ming Mei: "Mmph."
She widened her eyes, and Zhuang Zhixi wrapped his arm around his wife, saying: "Let's stop watching them and focus on more important matters."
Ming Mei's cheeks instantly turned red, saying: "Don't you get tired of being like this all the time?"
Even though they had been married for several months, Ming Mei still often blushed. It wasn't that she was particularly shy, it was just her personality.
Besides, sometimes when her face wanted to blush, even if she told herself not to, it was beyond her control.
She poked Zhuang Zhixi, saying: "Everyone else is taking supplements, you're like this every day, shouldn't you take some too?"
Zhuang Zhixi stroked his chin and said: "I really should take some supplements. How else can I keep my wife satisfied?"
As soon as those words were spoken, she playfully punched him a few times. Ming Mei's little fists showed no mercy, and Zhuang Zhixi fell back onto the bed with a smile, saying, "Ouch, I'm wounded."
Ming Mei retorted, "Stop pretending, I barely used any strength."
Zhuang Zhixi propped his chin up, gazing at Ming Mei.
Ming Mei suggested, "Let's take a day off."
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "But I don't want to rest."
Ming Mei scratched her head and said, "I've heard that doing this too much isn't good."
The older women at their workplace would often discuss such topics, making Ming Mei blush every time, though she couldn't help but eavesdrop. She added, "Won't you become exhausted if you don't rest?"
Zhuang Zhixi reminded her, "You just said you'd help restore my energy."
After a pause, he declared righteously, "Restoration is one thing, but I'd rather die than eat that stuff."
Ming Mei's initial shyness suddenly gave way to amusement.
She tried to suppress her laughter at Zhuang Zhixi's serious expression.
"But everyone else takes it, so it must work, right?"
Zhuang Zhixi insisted, "Still no way. They're all brave warriors - I'm not. Some chives are good enough for me."
He was truly terrified - that smell was more than any ordinary person could handle.
Ming Mei's smile widened, and Zhuang Zhixi promptly pinned her down, saying, "Ah-ha! I see what you're doing. You're teasing me on purpose, you little rascal..."
Ming Mei laughed while trying to dodge, saying, "No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!"
They quickly became entangled, and the room's temperature rose slightly. As for the fighting and arguing outside, what did it matter to them?
The bed creaked rhythmically...
Young people are just like that.
They really don't want to rest for even a day.
The couple quickly withdrew from the frontline of spectators, though Zhao Guihua continued watching the commotion with interest. By now, Madam Zhou Li and Bai Fendou were already in a physical altercation, with Jiang Lu helping out, while Zhou Qun remained notably absent.
That's just how he was - he wouldn't show his face in situations where he might lose face.
Without anyone trying to break up the fight, the battle lacked intensity and quickly came to an end.
You see, that's how it goes - sometimes when people try to break up a fight, the parties involved become even more determined to defeat each other! But without intervention, things often end quickly and quietly. The fight fizzled out without much drama.
But expecting anyone to step in and break up a fight while enduring that smell? Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Zhao Guihua sighed, "Our courtyard is bound to have strange smells every few days from now on."
Old Man Zhuang asked puzzled, "How come? They can't eat it every day, can they? Even if they could stomach it, they couldn't afford it, right?"
It was meat after all, and expensive at that.
Usually, people would only buy a few ounces of meat at a time. Nobody would believe they could afford this every day.
Zhao Guihua gave her husband a glance and said, "I'm not saying Bai Fendou or Zhou Qun will buy it every day, but others... You see, everyone now thinks this stuff is great for men's health. They won't want to miss out... Today this family, tomorrow that family, taking turns - it'll be enough to make us suffer."
She sighed deeply, truly dreading the thought of smelling that odor.
Old Man Zhuang also realized this possibility and sighed deeply, saying, "This is just... ah!"
Zhao Guihua lamented, "I sincerely hope they'll go ask Li the Cook how to properly prepare this stuff. If they keep cooking it so carelessly, our courtyard will smell like a toilet."
Zhao Guihua had faith in Li the Cook's culinary skills.
She believed he would know how to handle it properly.
Old Man Zhuang said, "I'll go talk to Brother Li about it. He'll agree to teach everyone how to prepare it, otherwise... his family will suffer too."
Zhao Guihua nodded.
What a situation this was!
Utterly speechless!
