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

Chapter 15 Plenty to Eat
Under the heat, the small pieces of fatty meat began to sizzle and dance merrily in the pot.

A unique aroma of pork wafted out, incredibly enticing.

Wang Chengpeng put the excess pork into a ceramic pot and started stir-frying the meat slices.

After stir-frying the sliced ​​meat until it changes color slightly, add an appropriate amount of salt and homemade marinade, then add the prepared shredded carrots and stir-fry quickly. A pot of delicious and colorful stir-fried pork with carrots is ready.

Aside from having too few slices of meat, this stir-fried carrot and pork dish was practically perfect. Wang Meiyan, her mouth watering, kept asking for more.
"Brother, is the sliced ​​meat delicious?"

"Brother, is the shredded carrot tasty?"

"Brother, is this dish salty enough? Do you need me to taste it for you?"

Faced with Wang Meiyan's persistent questioning, Wang Chengpeng knew that the girl was definitely craving it.

Before Liu Chunhua could stop him, Wang Chengpeng thoughtfully served a small bowl of stir-fried carrots and meat in front of Wang Meiyan, saying:
"I really don't know if the saltiness is right. How about this, little sister, you taste it for me."

"Tell me any suggestions for improvement, and I'll try my best to make all the uncles and elders who come to help satisfied."

What child could resist such a temptation?

Wang Meiyan couldn't resist and picked up her chopsticks to taste it.

The sliced ​​meat was tender and not dry, and the shredded carrots were stir-fried just right, crisp and sweet, complementing the deliciousness of the meat.

Although it's a bit too salty, it's just right when paired with the main dish.

Especially for those who have been working in the fields all day, this slightly stronger-flavored food is exactly what they need to replenish their salt.

After a couple of bites of stir-fried carrots and pork, Wang Meiyan's eyes lit up with delight, and she exclaimed:

"Mom, you must try this stir-fried carrot and pork! It's absolutely delicious!"

Smelling the aroma in the air, Liu Chunhua couldn't resist taking a small bite and was immediately captivated by the deliciousness of the stir-fried carrots and pork.

However, she didn't eat much; instead, she returned the remaining stir-fried carrots and meat to Wang Meiyan, saying:
"Mother doesn't like stir-fried shredded carrots with meat, Meiyan, if you like it, eat more."

As she spoke, Liu Chunhua turned around and continued with her work.

Only the perceptive Wang Chengpeng noticed the hint of surprise that flashed in Liu Chunhua's eyes when she ate the stir-fried carrots and meat.

It's not that she didn't like it, she just restrained her desires.

Without saying much, Wang Chengpeng knew that what he needed to do was to improve his family's economic situation through hard work, rather than making grand pronouncements.

No matter how sweet the words are, nothing beats real money.

……

As the sun sets, the outside gradually becomes noisy, as those who have been busy all day return home.

From afar, they could smell the aroma of meat, noodles, and vegetables mingled together in the air.

cluck cluck,
People who had been busy all day were already starving, and they couldn't resist the temptation. They immediately sat down to enjoy the rare delicacy.

Wang Tieshan was overjoyed and said, "Please don't mind the simple, unrefined food."

"Eat as much as you want, there's plenty of whole grain steamed buns and cornbread."

Although it was a dinner party, it wasn't a wealthy family, so Wang Tieshan only dared to say that there would be plenty of coarse grain steamed buns and cornbread.

Even so, this is already an excellent treatment in the countryside, not to mention the delicious and visually appealing dishes on the table.

Everyone said that Wang Tieshan was too kind; he had only helped with a small matter, yet he had prepared such a lavish meal.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone began to feast. Perhaps it was because Wang Chengpeng's cooking was too delicious, but everyone, who usually loved to chat at the dinner table, was unusually quiet this time, all engrossed in their food.

It must be said that, given the lavish expense, the food on this table was absolutely delicious.

In particular, Wang Chengpeng specially chopped some minced meat and added it to the stir-fried cabbage and shredded potatoes, which added a lot of flavor to these two ordinary vegetarian dishes.

Even the soup for stewing radishes is made from bones, making the radishes taste exceptionally sweet.

There wasn't much meat on the bones, and given the taboo against dogs eating bones, the price was very cheap.

It's not enough for other things, but it's more than enough for making soup.

With delicious food, the consumption of staple foods naturally increases.

Fortunately, Liu Chunhua had prepared in advance and steamed a lot of coarse grain buns and cornbread, so she did not embarrass Wang Tieshan and fulfilled her promise to make sure he was full.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the conversation became more lively, with Wang Zidong leading the way in praising:
"Today's meal was really good, even better than the state-run restaurants I've eaten at before."

"I haven't been able to eat this much in a long time."

Wang Zidong, a good friend, naturally wouldn't hesitate to praise the meal, especially since everything he said was the truth. The meal was already incredibly delicious and had a unique flavor.

Uncle Xie at the next table nodded in deep agreement and said:

"That's right, this meal was really delicious, in no way inferior to that of a state-run restaurant."

"Not only is it delicious, but the portions are also so generous. In all things considered, we've actually made a profit."

At this point, Uncle Xie stood up excitedly, patted his chest, and said:

"I, Xie Feiyue, am making this clear today, Tieshan. If you need any help, just ask. If I, Xie Feiyue, even flinch, I'm not a man."

Everyone has a scale in their heart.

Compared to families who deliberately cook unpalatable food in the hopes of getting their guests to eat less, Wang Chengpeng's preparation of delicious meals showed genuine sincerity, making them feel valued.

Under the same circumstances, they would naturally be more willing to help a family like Wang Chengpeng's that is generous with money.

Led by Xie Feiyue, everyone made promises, saying that if Wang Chengpeng had any difficulties, he should just ask them, and they would definitely help without hesitation.

In this era where promises are taken very seriously, Wang Chengpeng actually came out ahead by receiving so many promises in exchange for just a meal.

Wang Tieshan couldn't stop smiling. The praise from everyone made him feel proud, and his face turned bright red.

Thinking back to the time before the family split up,
No matter how hard I tried, all I received every day was my parents' scolding; it was impossible for me to receive praise from others like I do now.

Wang Tieshan felt a strange sense of relief that "it's good to separate the family."

Shaking his head to dispel the terrible thought from his mind, Wang Tieshan murmured:
"The reason I want to separate from the family is simply because I don't want to be a burden on my parents."

……

Although preparing this dinner was hard work, it was extremely worthwhile.

Not only were the people who came for dinner satisfied, but they also said that they would feel free to ask for help if they needed it in the future.
Even those who didn't come to help learned about Wang Chengpeng's generosity through word of mouth in the village and began to regret not helping him move today, since they were too busy with work.

Under these circumstances, if Wang Chengpeng's family wants to ask their neighbors for help in the future, they will basically have no problem.
This was incredibly good news for Wang Chengpeng's family, who had just separated from their previous household.

Just as Wang Chengpeng was busy tidying up the tables and chairs at home, a familiar and pleasant voice suddenly rang in his ears:

"Cheng Peng, I need to talk to you. Could you come over here for a moment?"

(End of this chapter)