Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 138 Serves Him Right

Zhu Wenliang knew that his brother-in-law disliked his father-in-law very much, and the two had even fought.

But in his traditional view, there's no such thing as a father and son holding a grudge overnight; maybe he just wants to talk but is too embarrassed to.

So, thinking himself understanding, he continued, "Even if it's delivered, it can't immediately get a ticket back. It'll probably have to stay there for a few days before heading back."

"Who knows? Anyway, even if the journey is smooth, it will take a long time to get off the train. Even if we don't wait and go straight back, we won't be able to get off until after the fifth day of the new year."

Xu Bei didn't want to spoil his mother's mood by mentioning Xu Dashan, so he paused and then specifically reminded her, "Brother-in-law, just say a few words to me, but don't mention it in front of Mom and my sister."

Zhu Wenliang quickly replied, "I know. Don't worry, brother, if your brother-in-law can't tell the difference between these two people, then we're in big trouble."

However, this is just what we were saying privately. It feels like sending those people back to their hometowns during the Lunar New Year would be even worse than beating them up, especially since the gossip and rumors in the countryside are much more intense than here; it wouldn't stay hidden for long.

Xu Bei felt nothing but disgust for the old lady and Xu Dahong, and wished they were miserable. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "They brought it on themselves, they deserved it! If we hadn't arrived early that day, but you guys, my sister might have fallen when she went to open the door, and the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Zhu Wenliang also felt incredibly fortunate, and immediately said angrily, "They deserved it! Besides, if it weren't for them, Mom and Dad wouldn't have gotten a divorce!"

Afterwards, the two went back to their room and continued playing mahjong, neither of them mentioning those people and events that had affected their mood.

The gathering didn't end until around 11:00 AM when it was time to start preparing dinner.

In the end, when it came to winnings and losses, Zhao Fengying won the most money, Xu Bei maintained a break-even point, and Xu Li and Zhu Wenliang both lost.

Playing with family members is definitely not as fun as playing with real money, but the stakes aren't high, and everyone is happy regardless of who wins or loses.

Xu Bei, the chef in charge of cooking, quickly got into the swing of things and made two hearty dishes for his pregnant sister: candied sweet potatoes and sweet and sour pork.

Xu Li was extremely satisfied with the meal, and sweet words poured out of her like they were free.

Xu Bei wasn't completely lost in the praise, but he certainly got his fill of emotional value.

Even though Zhu Wenliang doesn't particularly like sweets, he was impressed by his brother-in-law's cooking skills and praised him repeatedly while also wanting to become his apprentice.

Xu Bei certainly wouldn't refuse to teach, since his sister would be the one to benefit in the future.

In short, everyone enjoyed the meal.

However, since it was Xu Li's first year of marriage, according to some old customs, it was considered bad for both families not to see the lights at the bride's parents' home. So, before it got dark, the couple left with the large and small bags that Zhao Fengying had packed for them, and did not stay to stay.

The next day was the third day of the Lunar New Year.

After breakfast, Xu Bei was thinking about where to take his mother and sister for a stroll when Da Hei and Song Guodong came over with a lot of things.

Guests are always treated well, so it's even more important to treat them to good food and wine during the Chinese New Year.

So, when plans can't keep up with changes, quickly decide what to cook.

Later, with the combined efforts of Xu Bei and his mother, they managed to gather a total of eight dishes, including canned luncheon meat and canned quail eggs, which are both excellent gifts and appetizers.

During the meal, everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, toasting and drinking.

After Xu Juan, who doesn't drink, and Zhao Fengying, who only had one drink, left the table, Xu Bei and Dahei Song Guodong unsurprisingly took over the table again.

Dahei, holding his wine glass, let out a burp. "Dabei, to be honest, my family had the best New Year's meal this year. Lots of braised pork knuckles and fatty meat. It's all thanks to the good business you set up selling these stools, otherwise even for the New Year, my mom wouldn't be so generous—I have to toast you again."

Song Guodong then raised his glass, "Since Dahei is here, I can't fall behind. With this side business of selling stools, I'm much better off financially. When I get paid next month, I can finally buy that Shanghai brand watch I've been eyeing for so long."

Unable to reveal the truth that he was the real mastermind, Xu Bei could only helplessly clink glasses with the two of them. "Why do we keep talking about this among us brothers? When something good happens, I'll definitely think of you guys too. I can't be the one eating meat while you guys are still eating coarse food."

"Well, I have to say you're a true friend. Some people, no matter how good their relationship is, might not do this. I'll do it, you can do whatever you want."

""

After Dahei finished speaking, he raised his glass, tilted his head back, and downed half a glass of baijiu in one gulp.

Song Guodong followed closely behind, and after finishing his drink, he turned the cup upside down to show that not a drop was wasted.

Xu Bei swirled the half-full glass of baijiu in his cup and downed it without hesitation.

The three looked at each other and laughed.

Xu Bei then urged them to eat some vegetables to calm down.

After all, the liquor at that time was not heavily blended; the pure grain liquor had a high alcohol content and was quite strong, and it was also more pungent.

"Da Bei, don't just tell us to eat, you should eat too. But when did you learn to cook? You make it so well."

As soon as Song Guodong finished speaking, Dahei hurriedly chimed in, "Yes, to be honest, I really didn't expect you to be so capable. Your cooking is really delicious. How come I never noticed before?"

Xu Bei said jokingly, "I was just hiding my true abilities. I planned to remain silent until I made a stunning remark that would blow your minds."

Dahei wiped his greasy lips, "It really shocked me. If my mom knew this, she would have praised you to the skies and belittled me like dirt. This time, I'm even worse off."

"Who isn't? Especially my mom, her cooking isn't as good as my aunt's, and my sister's—"

Song Guodong paused halfway through his sentence, glanced at the open door of the east room, and, confirming that Xu Bei's mother and sister were chatting on the radio in the west room, said somewhat apologetically, "Da Bei, I have to apologize to you. You told me to keep your pursuit of Xiao Zhou a secret, but I couldn't keep it a secret. Xiao Mei is a clever girl; she deliberately tested me and eventually found out!"

Since the deed has already happened and everyone knows what they need to know, Xu Bei can't pursue it too much. Besides, it's only a matter of time before it's officially revealed, so it's not really a secret anymore.

"It's okay. Anyway, they're classmates in the repeat class, and they're pretty close. They'll find out sooner or later."

"That's true, but I still feel bad about it—"

Xu Bei picked up his glass, interrupting Song Guodong's rambling, "No need to say anything, everything is in the wine."

"Alright then," Song Guodong said solemnly, "I'll just use this glass of wine to wish you success in winning over the girl you like soon."

Xu Bei was quite pleased to hear this, and said, "Okay, then I'll take your good wishes."

When the party finally ended, Dahei and Song Guodong were walking unsteadily and riding their bikes in a daze.

Xu Bei drank quite a bit, but he wasn't drunk. He was still able to go to the new house and burn it down, and it didn't affect his work at all.

Time seems to fly by during the Chinese New Year.

The fifth day of the Lunar New Year follows the fourth.

This day is commonly known as "Po Wu" (破五), and it is both a day for sending away poverty and the birthday of the God of Wealth.

For businesses, they usually open for business after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

In this day and age, factories and workplaces officially resume work on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, which is earlier than in later generations.

Taking advantage of the rising temperature around 10 a.m., Xu Bei and his team brought a lot of things to the shop to start a fire and tidy up, preparing for reopening the next day.

When the mother and her two children arrived, Sister Liu and her husband from the tailor shop seemed to have just arrived as well, throwing some coal ash and slag out of the shop.

It was the first time everyone had met during the Lunar New Year, so they immediately greeted each other with smiles and auspicious words.

After the lively and pleasant greetings, Sister Liu clapped her hands, which were covered in work gloves, and said, "Oh right, I almost forgot to mention while we were chatting. Two people came by earlier. They saw that no one had come to your shop yet, so they came in to ask around."