Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 14 Returning with a Full Load
"With so many radios to practice on, I should be able to fix at least one."

"If my comrade could find me some textbooks on radio, the success rate would increase significantly."

After wrapping the radio in newspaper and tying it up, Wang Chengpeng patted his chest and gave his guarantee.

Although Ji Yongyue didn't say anything, Wang Chengpeng knew that if he couldn't achieve something, his deal with Ji Yongyue would come to an end.

Next time, Ji Yongyue won't be so polite to him.

After saying goodbye to Ji Yongyue, Wang Chengpeng pushed his bicycle to the supply and marketing cooperative.

He hadn't forgotten the main purpose of his trip. After buying rice, flour, and meat, he also bought Wang Meiyan some beautifully packaged candies before riding his bicycle and taking her home.

However, compared to the ease of their journey there, the return trip was far more difficult for the two of them.

With various items hanging on his body, he perfectly embodied the meaning of returning home with a full load.

Wang Meiyan, in particular, was beaming with joy, her mouth full of candy and reluctant to chew it.

As the cold mountain wind blew, Wang Meiyan, who was tightly hugging Wang Chengpeng's waist, suddenly said, "Brother, you're amazing."

Her large, bright eyes held undisguised admiration as she stared intently at Wang Chengpeng's retreating figure.

It was his own brother who repaired the complex radio in just over an hour.
This is simply a miracle!
Not only that, the older brother also received five yuan and a large pile of books as a reward.

That's five yuan, money that many people can't earn in half a month of hard work, yet Wang Chengpeng earned it so easily.

That's why, for the first time ever, Wang Meiyan didn't stop Wang Chengpeng from buying candy.

In her opinion, Wang Chengpeng's ability to make money was more than enough to justify letting her eat delicious candy.

With her eyes half-closed, Wang Meiyan had already begun to fantasize about the happy life she would have with Wang Chengpeng in the future.

Faced with Wang Meiyan's exaggeration, Wang Chengpeng simply stated as a matter of course:

"Impressive? My impressiveness goes far beyond that."

"Just wait, I will definitely make everyone live a happy life."

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng pedaled even faster.

……

Perhaps because he had spent too much time in town, Wang Chengpeng saw Liu Chunhua, who was eagerly waiting for him, from afar at his doorstep.

The moment Wang Chengpeng was seen, his mother surrounded him, muttering to herself:

"You two really only know how to have fun; you almost delayed our important business."

"Bring everything in quickly; we need to take good care of it."

However, just as Liu Chunhua was about to take the things back to the kitchen, she was startled by the various items the two men were carrying:
"Cheng Peng, Mei Yan, where did you buy so many things?"

The moment had finally arrived, and Wang Meiyan, who couldn't hold back any longer, raised her head, ready to recount Wang Chengpeng's bizarre experiences along the way.

Unexpectedly, Wang Chengpeng covered her mouth first, interrupting her story.

We can't let our parents know too much.

They wouldn't care how much money Wang Chengpeng made; they would only feel that this matter was extremely dangerous.

For parents, their children's safety is more important than anything else.

Thinking of this, Wang Chengpeng quickly explained, "We met a kind comrade on the road who, seeing our thirst for knowledge, gave us some books."

A quick glance revealed that Wang Chengpeng had indeed brought back a lot of books.

Busy preparing the meal, Liu Chunhua didn't suspect anything. Carrying the things Wang Chengpeng had bought, she said:
"There are still more good people than bad in this world." "Hurry up and bring the things in, then help prepare dinner together."

"As for other things, we can talk about them after we finish eating."

He winked at his younger sister, signaling her not to say anything out of line and to go help first.

Wang Chengpeng carried the four radios and some repair tools he had brought back to his room.

Although he now has his own single room, Wang Chengpeng's room is basically unfurnished.
After thinking it over, he could only put the things in the corner and cover them with books, which was enough to hide them.

My parents respect my privacy and generally won't come into my room to check on me, so they're not afraid of being discovered.

Back in the kitchen, the family was already bustling about with activity.

Some were picking vegetables, some were starting fires, and some were chopping vegetables. Although they were busy, their faces were filled with hope for the future.

Wang Meiyan, in particular, was all smiles, occasionally letting out a giggle, as if she had remembered something good.

Looking around, Wang Chengpeng saw the ingredients that hadn't been processed yet, lying on the cutting board.

The cutting board at this time was far less refined than in later generations; its casual shape still vaguely reveals what it looked like when it was a tree trunk.

On the cutting board, there are even beautiful rings of age.

Without hesitation, Wang Chengpeng picked up a kitchen knife and began processing the already cleaned vegetables.

Cutting ingredients into appropriate sizes is key to enhancing the flavor of a dish.

Potatoes, in particular, require some skill to cut into even, thin strips.

Thump, thump, thump...

With the dull thud of the cleaver striking the cutting board, the words "Proficiency +1" kept flashing before Wang Chengpeng's eyes.

His knife skills also began to improve visibly.

In just a few minutes, Wang Chengpeng was already able to cut even, thin strips.
Liu Chunhua, who occasionally came to check on things, was greatly shocked and wondered to herself if her good son was a culinary genius.

After processing the vegetables, the next step is the more troublesome pork.

Even though Liu Chunhua offered a good price, Wang Chengpeng still couldn't buy much pork, since his family didn't have many meat coupons.

How to serve guests a small amount of pork without appearing stingy is a skill in itself.

After much deliberation, Wang Chengpeng finally decided to proceed with the slicing.

Cutting pork into thin, thick slices creates a visual illusion, making it appear more substantial.

Fortunately, Wang Chengpeng's knife skills have been upgraded, otherwise he might not have been able to accomplish this.

Following the grain of the pork, Wang Chengpeng carefully cut off the fat and set it aside for later use.

In this day and age, fatty meat is a favorite of everyone.

Not only can it be used to render oil, but it also has a unique flavor. Dishes with and without oil taste completely different.

Unfortunately, oil is very expensive and is not an everyday condiment, so people only use more of it during holidays.

This is precisely why some foods that require a lot of oil to cook are not popular.

It tastes good, but it uses too much oil.

(End of this chapter)