I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

"Father-in-law, since everyone in the city is starting to run individual businesses, can we also do some small business in the countryside?" Qiaoqiao's father took a sip of wine and asked slowly.

Xu Zhengtai, Gao Bing, and Wang Jiakun's chopsticks, used to pick up meat, were suspended in mid-air.

Vice Governor Zhou said that we are not allowed to talk about work during meals, but wasn't Old Yang asking about work?

He won't be angry, will he?

"What's wrong? Does your in-laws also want to do some business?" Zhou Zhonghai asked with a smile.

The three people quickly put away their chopsticks that were picking up meat, as they also wanted to know what kind of business Old Yang was in.

"That's right, after Liberation, my family made and sold tofu. Later, during the political movement, when they cut off the capitalist tail, all our tofu-making tools were taken away. Now that the policies are better, I want to sell tofu again," Qiaoqiao's father explained.

"My dear in-law, making tofu is hard work. Are you having some financial difficulties?" Zhou Zhonghai asked softly.

"No, no, Yang Zheng sent a lot of money back, and we old folks can't spend much of it. I just want to do what you do while I still have some strength."

Before, I had to muster the courage to go from village to village to sell my wares. Now, my son-in-law bought me a bicycle, and I attach two wooden frames to the back seat. I ride it to sell my wares, and I can earn at least one or two yuan a day.

"My dear in-law, you're just like me, destined to worry. If you want to sell tofu, then go ahead and sell it. The city has already started reform and opening up, so the county, township, and village should naturally follow the policies."

Zhou Zhonghai made the final decision, and Qiaoqiao's father was overjoyed. Although his children were filial, Yang Zheng was not yet married, so he had to prepare some things.

"Governor Zhou, since we can sell tofu, can we also resell eggs? And what about selling cotton, wild mushrooms, and so on?" Gao Bing asked cautiously.

"Of course, the spring breeze of reform has swept across the whole country, from Beijing to Dashui Village. Small-scale operations don't need to be interfered with, but if you want to scale up, you must have an individual business license."

Zhou Zhonghai waved his hand, interrupting Gao Bing, and explained the reform policy thoroughly.

"Okay, okay, I understand."

Gao Bing was overjoyed, but still had some policy questions to ask. Zhou Zhonghai immediately said, "Let's eat! Can't such delicious meat shut you up?"

"Yes, yes, we won't talk about work over meals."

Gao Bing ate his food with a smile, thinking to himself, "It's not that I want to talk about work, it's just that your in-laws brought it up, so I just asked casually."

Xu Zhengtai shook his head. He absolutely couldn't talk about work with anyone else, unless they were his in-laws.

Jiang Deshan went even further, writing it down in a notebook so he could report it to Secretary Mao when he got back.

"It's all me, let's not talk about work. My dear in-law, please have some fish, pickled fish, it's delicious." Qiaoqiao's father served food to Zhou Zhonghai.

"Hey, in-law, your sauerkraut tastes just as good as Xiaoqi's. Why is it that my sauerkraut just doesn't have that one flavor?"

Zhou Zhonghai ate the pickled cabbage and asked in surprise.

Qiaoqiao said that the water quality might be different, and the soil in the vegetable garden might be different. Dashui Village is a hundred or two miles away from Xiaoqi's house. Could the water quality and soil be the same?

Qiaoqiao's father was taken aback: "Really? My family only started making sauerkraut this year. Is it really that delicious? It tastes just like this in our whole village."

Wang Jiakun tried a bite of the pickled cabbage and found it tasted just like his own. Everyone said that Vice Governor Zhou was biased and even the pickled cabbage tasted better than his in-laws'.

In the kitchen, Hu Xiaomei asked the same question.

"Sister-in-law, your pickled cabbage tastes just as good as Xiaoqi's. Why can't I make it taste the same?" Hu Xiaomei asked.

Qiaoqiao's mother smiled and said, "Pickled cabbage is nothing. If you like it, take some back with you."

"Sister-in-law, don't underestimate these pickled vegetables; city people really love them. But why can you make them taste so different, even though they're all pickled vegetables? Your pickled vegetables have a sweet aftertaste."

"Now that you mention it, you're right. Usually, a piece of radish with a steamed bun is delicious. Xiaomei, I'll pack some for you to take back. Before, we didn't have land at home, so we couldn't even make sauerkraut. Now that life is better, just tell me what you like to eat, and I'll make it."

"Sister-in-law, I also make pickled cabbage. The Zhou family has plenty to eat. But you should learn how to make it."

Hu Xiaomei was very confused. Why couldn't she make such delicious pickled cabbage?

Grandma Qiao chuckled, "Nothing special, it's just that the jars from Maojia Village are good. After Qiao started remembering things, we didn't even eat pickled cabbage at home, and she doesn't know why. Xiaomei, I'll have Qiao's dad go to Maojia Village to buy two jars later and bring them back for you. I guarantee the pickled cabbage will taste just as good."

"Oh, Grandma, now that you mention it, I understand. The big vat at Xiaoqi's house was sent by Secretary Gao."

Hu Xiaomei slapped her thigh, startling Xiaowei into thinking that Hu's mother had found a gold ingot.

"I also have earthenware jars at home, but no vegetable jars. Oh, I see. Sister-in-law, we must take two jars back today and try making a few more jars of pickled vegetables. If it really is a problem with the jars, then the earthenware kilns in Maojia Village will become famous."

Hu Xiaomei was overjoyed. Under the influence of the Zhou family, her ideological awareness improved rapidly, and she immediately thought that the Mao family's brick kiln was about to become famous.

"Alright, we still need to compare. Otherwise, how will we know that our commune's brick kilns are good?"

Qiaoqiao's mother was also very happy. Who says women can't make money from gossip? Look, the Maojia Village tile kiln has become famous, that's wealth!

On the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room, the men were drinking heartily.

"My dear in-laws, this pig is for you today. We've eaten the stomach, and Qiaoqiao's mother has cleaned out all the offal. We'll take it with us when we get back."

The 300-pound fat pig was a gift to my in-laws. They paid for the house repairs, found Yang Zheng a job, and helped the family immensely.

We used to be too poor to reciprocate gifts, but now things are better; we finally have something decent to give as a gift.

In the city, you needed meat coupons to buy meat; without coupons, even if you had money, you couldn't buy it.

Three hundred catties of pork offal, the in-laws can eat their fill.

"My dear in-laws, thank you for your kindness. I do need to take some pork back with me. I can't possibly eat all of it. How about this, I'll take twenty catties back with me, and you can keep the rest for yourselves, and smoke some more cured pork. We still have a pig at home, so let's sell it. As a vice governor, I'm eating too well; my subordinates are envious."

Zhou Zhonghai gladly accepted his in-laws' good intentions, but a pig? Wasn't that a joke?

"My dear in-laws, that won't do. If you can't eat it all at once, I'll smoke it all for you. Come and get it whenever you want." Qiaoqiao's father said anxiously.

"My dear in-law, although we are relatives, sending a pig as a gift still raises suspicions of bribery. All the officials present saw it," Zhou Zhonghai said, finding a suitable reason to refuse.

Xu Zhengtai, Gao Bing, and Wang Jiakun quickly lowered their heads to eat. How can you call it bribery when your family is giving gifts?

We heard nothing, we saw nothing, we knew nothing.

"This...this..." Qiaoqiao's father was at a loss for what to do.

"My dear in-law, if you send gifts today, Xu Zhengtai will send them tomorrow, and Gao Bing will send them the day after, wouldn't I, as the vice governor, be a corrupt official? Once this precedent is set, things will get complicated."

Xu Zhengtai: I don't deliver them; my family doesn't feed pigs.

Gao Bing: If I were to give something away, I would only give a few earthenware pots.

Wang Jiakun: Can I get into your house?

The situation is very serious; we cannot ruin our in-laws' careers over a pig.

"Well, since you're going home for the New Year, I'll cook for you. It's not like I'm bribing you, is it?"

"Okay, that's fine. My whole family will come to eat during the Chinese New Year." Zhou Zhonghai readily agreed.