1979: Reopening Wenhao Road from the Village

Old Mrs. Chen clearly didn't believe it, but insisted on giving it to him.

"Grandma, look, I received my royalties from the editorial department today. There will be more and more in the future, so you really don't need this much money. Just keep saving it."

Chen Weidong had no choice but to take out the royalties he had just received.

"One hundred and twenty-eight dollars and sixty cents! You got this much?"

Grandma Chen said in shock.

"The payment is 125 yuan, calculated at 5 yuan per thousand words. If you write more in the future, the price will continue to increase, so don't worry, I have the money. You should lock the box again."

Chen Weidong helped Grandma Chen lock the box again and put it into the wardrobe.

"What's wrong, Mother? What happened?"

Hearing the commotion, Chen's mother, who was cooking outside, hurriedly came in, followed closely by Chen's sister-in-law.

However, upon seeing the dozen or so ten-yuan bills on the kang (a heated brick bed), Chen's mother's expression changed slightly. She glanced at Chen's sister-in-law behind her and assumed that Chen's mother was secretly giving Chen Weidong some private money again, something that had happened before.

She couldn't say anything about it, after all, it was Old Mrs. Chen's private savings, and as her daughter-in-law, she certainly couldn't make decisions on her own, especially since it was given to her own son.

But it wouldn't be good if Sister-in-law Chen saw this now. After all, they are all grandchildren. If it's given to Chen Weidong but not Chen Jianguo, Sister-in-law Chen will definitely feel uncomfortable.

"Mom, you're counting money in broad daylight. Once you're done, put it away quickly."

Chen's mother racked her brains and came up with a reason to persuade her.

"This isn't my money; it's Weidong's royalties. Look, there's a total of one hundred and twenty-five yuan!"

This is the receipt; I can't read it either. Jianguo's wife, you can read, can you read it for Grandma?

Although Old Mrs. Chen was old, she was still quite sharp. She glanced at her sister-in-law and immediately understood the implication of her mother's words.

After all, it's one thing to favor Chen Weidong, but she also really likes her grandson Chen Jianguo. She usually helps take care of Chen Xiaoteng and Chen Xiaoting every now and then, and sometimes she even gives them some money.

Sister-in-law Chen felt a little bitter at first, after all, it was well known that Old Mrs. Chen favored her younger brother-in-law, but then she thought about how good the old lady had been to them.

Since Chen Weidong hadn't been around for years, it was normal to give him some money, so he chose to remain silent.

However, upon hearing Old Mrs. Chen's words and receiving the payment slip for the manuscript, she was stunned. Her voice rose twice as high, filled with disbelief.

"One hundred and twenty-five yuan as royalties!?"

However, after seeing the figures and official seal on the royalty payment slip, Sister-in-law Chen believed it in her heart, but her mind was still blank.

You should know that Chen Jianguo only earns 33 yuan a month working at the street motor repair shop, and even a master craftsman like Chen's father only earns 53.96 yuan a month.

Chen Weidong casually wrote an article, and it was almost twice the monthly salary of his father and elder brother.

After hearing what Old Mrs. Chen said, Chen's mother thought the old woman was lying. However, when she saw the receipts and Chen's sister-in-law's expression after reading them, she became even more unsure.

Could it really be true?

He took the receipt from Sister Chen, stared at it for a while, but still couldn't recognize what was written on it.

Chen's mother felt a little annoyed. She had suffered because she was illiterate all her life, and she was really frustrated.

"Wei Dong, is this true!?"

"Of course it's true. You already knew a few days ago that I was writing articles for the editorial department. Otherwise, how would I have money to buy things?"

"How come you're paying so much? I've heard that you only get a few dollars for writing an article at most."

"Each article is different; some are poems, some are short stories. They are all short in length, so the reward is less."

The novel I wrote was a novella, 25,000 words long. I was paid five yuan per thousand words, so I only received one hundred and twenty-five yuan in royalties.

"Mom, don't cook today. Take some food coupons, and let's go to the state-run restaurant for a nice meal when Dad and my older brother get back. It's on me."

You needed food coupons to eat at state-run restaurants; without them, you could hardly move an inch.

"I see you're just wasting money. You know how to squander it. Keep your money safe and give it all to your wife. I'll write to her about it later."

"If you're short even a penny, see how I deal with you."

Upon hearing Chen Weidong's unrealistic spending habits, Chen's mother immediately suppressed her shock and began to berate him.

However, in the end, he did not completely refute Chen Weidong's request.

"I'm going to the grocery store to buy some pork. We'll make some meat pies tonight. Xiao Rong, go and knead some dough."

"I understand, Mother."

Sister-in-law Chen responded, and before leaving, she glanced at Chen Weidong again. Just now, when she saw the manuscript fee, she felt that Chen Weidong seemed to have changed quite a bit.

However, when Chen Weidong suggested going out to eat, she instantly came to her senses. Her brother-in-law was still the same brother-in-law, not much had changed, except that he was earning more money than before.

Chen Weidong gave a wry smile. He really wanted to treat his family to a nice meal at a restaurant, but unfortunately, everyone disagreed.

They've become accustomed to saving money, and it's not easy to change that overnight.

……

"Sister Ma."

"Xiulan is here, have a seat."

"No, dinner hasn't been made yet. Do you have any more pig hindquarters?"

In the 1970s and 80s, the most popular cut of pork in Beijing was the hindquarters, also known as the "hindquarters and shoulders." This part was thick with fat and rich in oil, which could be rendered into lard or sliced ​​for stir-frying. One piece of pork could provide enough oil and meat for the whole family for half a month. As a result, there were often queues in front of the counters where people would specifically ask for the hindquarters.

If you can't find the hindquarters, the foreleg (front shoulder) is a good alternative. It's not only lean but also rich in connective tissue, and its price is similar to that of the hindquarters. It's best used for mincing fillings and making meatballs.

The least desirable parts now are the later, more expensive cuts, "blood neck" and "saccharine trotters," because they are "not good-looking and have little oil content," and are often the last to be sold in grocery stores.

"That's all, but there's a piece of pork shoulder left. Do you want it?"

"Weigh them all."

Chen's mother glanced at it and said with a slightly magnanimous air.

"Did your family strike it rich today?! Your Weidong just bought eight or nine popsicles and a bag of candy, and now you're buying so much pork."

Ma Mei said with a smile as she stepped onto the scale.

"No one's destined to get rich. It's just that Weidong is back. He's been overusing his brain lately, so we're giving him a better diet."

"There's no need for that many. By the way, I heard from Weidong that we're going back to the countryside. What's the situation?"

"They haven't returned home yet; it'll probably be a while before they can come back."

"Then why did he come back? If all else fails, you should let your old Chen retire. The kids can take his place, and with Jianguo looking after him, the two brothers will have company."

"He submitted a manuscript to 'October,' and we notified him a while ago that it had been approved. We asked him to come back and revise it, and he just finished revising it today. He has to go back tomorrow or the day after. I also talked to Weidong about the replacement, and he said he didn't want to go."

"Submit a manuscript!? "October"?"

Ma Mei was so shocked that she almost dropped the pork shoulder on the ground, and looked at Chen's mother speechlessly.