Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 879 878 Sleeping with the Mountains, Yet Still Not at Ease

The vegetables belong to Tang Zhitong; this is beyond dispute.

Tang Zhitong tried to be courteous to Teacher Wang and Zheng Liangcai, but they both refused.

Because there weren't enough lunchboxes, Teacher Wang kindly provided two plates from the vocational school. One plate was placed on top of the other, and then they were tied together with a rope to create a romantic couple. The plates then hung on the handlebars, which fit perfectly.

After all that commotion, it was past closing time. Teacher Wang and Zheng Liangcai first saw Tang Zhitong off, and then stood at the school gate to have a private chat.

"Good talent, this is a rare opportunity. Although the salary is a bit low, go first, and we'll talk about it later. As long as you have a job, you won't be persuaded to go back to your hometown again." After watching Tang Zhitong ride away, Teacher Wang spoke to his nephew.

As a judge for the chef certification exam, Teacher Wang understands better than anyone what professional titles mean to chefs.

In organizations that value professional and technical personnel, professional titles are the most direct reason for salary increases, but such organizations are very rare.

Although he had served as a judge for the chef level examination for more than a year, Teacher Wang knew very well that the number of chefs who had taken the exam was less than one-tenth of all the chefs in Beijing.

On the one hand, the professional title evaluation is not mandatory, and on the other hand, some units do not value chefs. No matter how much they are touted as "one of the eight major talents", in some people's eyes, they are just cooks.

The chef painstakingly prepared the application materials and paid the application fee, but after passing the exam, the company wouldn't give him a raise. Who would want to take this exam?
On the other hand, it is also related to the overall quality of the chef community.

Some veteran chefs backed down after learning about the difficulty of the exam. They are senior chefs with high salaries, so it would be fine if they passed the Level 2 exam or above, but it would be embarrassing if they failed the Level 3 exam or even failed it.

Not only do they not take the exam themselves, they also occasionally say strange things to discourage young chefs who aspire to participate in the professional title evaluation. The reason is simple: "I have worked hard all my life to get to this level. If you are so young and you pass the Level 2 exam right away, where will I put my face?"

In Teacher Wang's opinion, based solely on Zheng Liangcai's abilities, a fifth-grade cook's salary was a bit low. But given the current situation, having any job at all was good enough, and he couldn't ask for too much.

"Uncle-Master, I'm content. It's better than being a temporary worker on a construction site cooking communal meals." Zheng Liangcai said with a simple, honest smile. Then he realized his words were inappropriate, because the construction job was something his uncle had helped him find. So he quickly waved his hand and explained, "Uncle-Master, that's not what I meant. I meant both jobs are very good..."

"Alright, I know what you mean. Go and do a good job, don't embarrass Xiao Tang. I still have two bottles of good wine. Come back with me later and find a chance to give them to Xiao Tang to express your gratitude." Teacher Wang smiled nonchalantly and made the arrangements.

"Uncle-Master, no need. I have some at home too, I'll bring them tomorrow." Zheng Liangcai knew that it was already rare for his uncle to think of him in the face of such a good opportunity, so he not only couldn't accept it, but also had to find a chance to thank him.

Tang Zhitong didn't care about any of that and went home humming a little tune.

The heatwave in Beijing started early and arrived quickly this year, with many cicadas already climbing to the treetops to sing.

People walking under the tree occasionally get a few drops of liquid splashed on their faces.

Some people will subconsciously stop and look up to check if it's raining. If they open their mouths, a few drops might fall into their mouths.

Some people know that this is cicada excrement and will lower their heads and walk past quickly.

Due to limited scientific knowledge and understanding, people generally believe that this excrement is cicada urine, but Tang Zhitong has seen another explanation, which says that cicadas are laying eggs.

Tang Zhitong had no interest in figuring out who was right or wrong; he just watched as a few mischievous kids came home from school, catching cicadas with bamboo poles.

With meat and eggs becoming increasingly scarce, the small amount of meat on the back of cicadas became a delicious treat for children.

Tang Zhitong still has the cicada nymphs he caught last year, so he won't be fighting with the kids for snacks this time.

When Tang Zhitong got home, as soon as she entered the yard, she saw her classmate Xiao Wang and her two younger sisters sitting by a bamboo pole, discussing something.

"Hey, you guys aren't planning to set up a sticky pole unit, are you?" Tang Zhitong teased, seeing that they were acting like they were going to catch cicadas.

"Brother! What can we use to catch cicadas? We don't have that many spider webs at home." Fengzhi heard Tang Zhitong's commotion and ran over for help.

"Pah! You think you're the emperor? You're married, yet you're still playing with childish things. You got caught red-handed, and you felt a little ashamed."

"I am the Emperor, so shouldn't you be the Empress?" Tang Zhitong replied cheerfully, patted his little sister's head, and pointed her in the right direction: "Wash it with flour, wash it a couple more times, and use the leftover gluten to catch the cicadas."

"My mom wouldn't allow it, and she even slapped me." Fengzhi felt wronged. She had suggested this method to her mother, but it was rejected.

"That's because you didn't explain it clearly to Mom. The water from washing the noodles won't be wasted; we'll make soup with it." Seeing that Xiao Wang was interested, Tang Zhitong decided to lend a hand. Catching cicadas normally wouldn't count as taking snacks from the other kids.

Normally, these days people use either spider webs or tung oil glue to catch cicadas; using gluten is indeed rare. But Zhang Guifang had cleaned her house so thoroughly that there were hardly any spider webs, and she didn't have any tung oil glue available. If she wanted to catch cicadas, she could only use gluten.

When Tang Zhitong was a child, he used gluten to catch cicadas. He would stuff a handful of wheat into his mouth, chew it continuously, and swallow all the starch with his saliva. What was left was gluten, which was sticky and elastic, almost like freshly baked snot.

However, since there was no wheat at home, the only way to extract gluten was to repeatedly wash the flour with water.

"How about we set up the sticky rod office again tomorrow? I brought back some good food today." Tang Zhitong said, taking out the plates that were hidden behind his back.

"What dish is it?" Taking advantage of her height, Fengzhi held the plate with both hands and sniffed it.

"A real master chef's skill, no less than that of a state banquet. Come on, let's go inside." Tang Zhitong flicked his sister on the forehead, then carried the plates into the house.

With two chefs' meat dishes laid out before him, the thought of catching cicadas was completely forgotten.

To Tang Zhitong's surprise, Xiao Wang didn't like the Nine-Turned Intestines at all; he almost vomited on the spot after taking a bite.

"What's wrong? Feeling nauseous again?" Tang Zhitong quickly put down her chopsticks and chased after her.

"I feel like there's a... a weird smell." Xiao Wang spat out two mouthfuls of sour water. He originally wanted to say it smelled bad, but since his whole family was eating with relish, he changed his words at the last minute so as not to spoil their appetite.

"Strange smell? No, I didn't smell anything." Tang Zhitong knew what Xiao Wang meant by strange smell. There was a famous chef without a title who had once carefully prepared Nine-Turned Intestines for the judges to taste. In that dish, he deliberately kept some things to ensure the original flavor.

"It might be because of me. You guys eat, I'll just have some pickled vegetables." After vomiting, Xiao Wang felt much better and pushed her husband into the room.

Once inside, water had already been poured and placed in front of her, and the whole family put down their chopsticks to wait for her.

"Mom, you two eat, don't wait for me." Little Wang first picked up a piece of braised pork intestine she'd already taken a bite of and gave it to her husband. When she was picking up some pickled vegetables for herself, she stopped, feeling the chopsticks weren't clean enough and needed replacing. "This meat isn't to your liking?" Zhang Guifang had never eaten out before. She thought the braised pork intestine and stir-fried double crisp were delicious, and she'd quietly told her two daughters to eat less so they could leave more for their daughters-in-law.

"I want some pickled vegetables today, you guys eat them." Xiao Wang switched to a different pair of chopsticks, picked up a bite of pickled vegetables, but before he could even put it in his mouth, he felt the smell wafting into his nostrils. He put down his chopsticks, covered his mouth, and ran out.

Tang Zhitong didn't expect Xiao Wang to react so strongly. She put down her chopsticks and steamed buns, went out first to take Xiao Wang to the side room, and then went back to the main room to get the dishes and rice: "Mom, you eat. Wenwen and I will eat in the side room. She can't stand the smell."

Forget about two meat dishes. Even pickled vegetables were served separately with clean chopsticks by Tang Zhitong, for fear of them getting dirty or fishy.

Even before entering the private room, Tang Zhitong rinsed his mouth twice, worried that the smell of the braised pork intestines he had just eaten might offend Xiao Wang.

After changing rooms, changing dishes, and even getting new chopsticks, Xiao Wang felt alive again after being completely isolated from the smell of the two meat dishes.

"Go back to the main room to eat, there's meat over there." Xiao Wang couldn't bear to let her husband eat pickled vegetables with her, and seeing the two pairs of chopsticks, she directly told him to leave.

"I ate some right after it came out of the pot. Let's make it a better meal for Mom and my two sisters." Tang Zhitong wasn't going back; what kind of woman would she leave a pregnant woman to eat pickled vegetables by herself?

"I haven't vomited for several days, but I don't know what happened today. It smelled really good when I first took a bite, but I felt like throwing up. Even when I went back inside, I still felt like the smell was going up into my nose." In this day and age, being able to eat two meat dishes cooked by a chef is definitely a treat, but I still vomited. Xiao Wang felt a little embarrassed and thought he was being a bit dramatic.

"Maybe the baby in your belly doesn't like these two dishes. What do you want to eat? Just tell me." Tang Zhitong knew that this was a normal reaction in early pregnancy. Xiao Wang's morning sickness wasn't too severe. The worst case was that she would vomit everything she ate and lose ten pounds in a month. It was definitely a miraculous weight loss method.

"We haven't finished the apple yet, let's talk about it after we finish. Where did you find the chef today?" Xiao Wang had calmed down by now and was even enjoying the pickled vegetables.

"During the celebration banquet..." The principle of not speaking while eating or sleeping works for some people, but it doesn't work for Tang Zhitong. The couple doesn't have much time to chat alone, and if they follow the old rule, they probably won't say more than a few words all day long.

After finishing their meal, when Tang Zhitong took the bowls and chopsticks back to the main room, Zhang Guifang had already lit incense and was clasping her hands together, murmuring to the old lady's portrait.

"Mom, are you arranging a job for Grandma again?" Tang Zhitong didn't need to listen carefully to know that her mother was asking the old lady to bless Xiao Wang.

Zhang Guifang ignored her son. After he finished making his wish and bowing three times, she turned around and slapped him: "You little brat, you can't keep your mouth shut. You say all sorts of things."

"Oh~ I'm getting spanked, I'm getting spanked!" Fengzhi yelled at the side, successfully activating her mother's skill of equalizing rain and dew, and also received a slap.

After all, he was the one who had set KPIs for the old lady before. Tang Zhitong smiled, not taking it seriously, but feeling somewhat sentimental.

My life has been busy and I've never had a moment of leisure. Now that I have some free time, I sleep with the mountains.

Even sleeping among the mountains, they remain active, blessing their descendants to make a fortune.

No matter what, children are always a debt to their parents. From the moment they are born, you have to take care of their bodily functions. You think things will be quiet once they start school? You still have to cover their books overnight.

As adults, they worry about dating and marriage, and later they have to help take care of their children.

This debt is usurious; with interest compounding, it's impossible to pay it off.

You can't pay your debts while you're alive, and you still have to pay them after you're in the grave...

June 21, Tuesday, Summer Solstice.

"Wenwen, how about we have noodles tonight?" Given that her daughter-in-law vomited twice last night, Zhang Guifang decided to consult her daughter-in-law's opinion before making any future meals. Taking good care of her daughter-in-law would make the whole family happy.

"Mom, I'm fine with whatever I eat. I'll eat whatever the family eats." Xiao Wang thought her mother-in-law was going to cook special meals for her, so she neither agreed nor disagreed.

"It's a tradition in Beijing to eat dumplings for the winter solstice and noodles for the summer solstice. Today is the summer solstice, so it's perfect for noodles. Do you think you'll feel nauseous? If not, let's eat," Tang Zhitong explained to Xiao Wang, who was hesitating.

"Okay, then let's eat noodles." After hearing her husband's explanation, Xiao Wang thought she had misunderstood and playfully stuck out her tongue at him.

"Then I'll come back early and make some braised dishes. Do you want them spicy?" Although Xiao Wang didn't want to be given special treatment, how could she not be? Tang Zhitong planned to cook a separate meal for her from now on, hoping to make her morning sickness period smoother.

Xiao Wang seemed to be thinking about something, and remained silent after hearing this.

But Tang Zhitong clearly saw Xiao Wang swallowing.

"Then I'll make a spicy braised dish," Tang Zhitong promised cheerfully.

After leaving the house, Xiao Wang finally explained why he hadn't said anything earlier: "They say sour foods indicate a boy and spicy foods indicate a girl. I eat spicy food, will Mom be unhappy? Do you think I should eat something sour?"

"You're overthinking it. You've always liked spicy food, it's normal to eat a little spicy food during pregnancy. Don't overthink it, your safety is more important than the baby's gender. That's what I think, and that's what your mother-in-law thinks too." Tang Zhitong was a little amused and exasperated. He hadn't expected his daughter, Xiao Wang, to bring up the old issue again, so he quickly tried to reassure her.

Tang Zhitong had previously advised Xiao Wang on this issue, understanding that her overthinking was caused by abnormal hormone levels, but there was no good solution but to continue to advise her, hoping that she would naturally get better after this period.

The preference for sons over daughters has always existed, but it only reached its peak in the 1980s, which led to tens of millions of single men more than 30 years later.

Having personally experienced that era, how could Tang Zhitong possibly be sexist?

When Tang Zhitong saw Xiao Wang off and arrived at the gate of the Post and Telecommunications Institute, Zheng Liangcai was already squatting at the gate with a package in his arms, waiting.

"Brother Zheng, have you been waiting long?" Tang Zhitong braked, got out of the car, and stopped next to Zheng Liangcai.

"No, I just got here a little while ago." Zheng Liangcai still had a simple smile on his face. He said he had just arrived, but he couldn't get up smoothly the first time because his legs were numb.

He was very dedicated to this job. He quit his job at the construction site last night, packed up his usual kitchen utensils, took two bottles of wine, wrapped himself in a blanket, and rushed over early this morning.

"Give me the things, let's go inside." Tang Zhitong parked the car, pulled Zheng Liangcai along, and put his package on the back seat.

"Mm." Zheng Liangcai nodded vigorously, stamped his foot, held his bag with his hand, and followed Tang Zhitong into the Post and Telecommunications Institute.

"Brother Zheng, what is Teacher Wang's name?" Tang Zhitong told Wei Zhizhen that he knew a teacher at the technical school, but he didn't know Teacher Wang's name. He took this opportunity to ask Zheng Liangcai.

(End of this chapter)