Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

Harbin, No. 1 Department Store, second floor.

After buying those two cold, impersonal "Tiger Head" hunting rifles, the three burly men, dressed in sheepskin coats and radiating coldness, suddenly changed their tune and headed straight for the general merchandise section.

This is the most prosperous area in the province, where the air is filled with the smells of face powder, the smell of laundry fabrics, and the heat waves from the heating system.

Zhao Shanhe walked ahead, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his gaze sweeping across the counters like a searchlight.

In the eyes of this reborn individual, this so-called "Far East's No. 1 Department Store" carried a hint of the desolation of the times.

The shelves were packed full, but there was very little in stock.

You need industrial coupons to buy a washbasin, and you have to queue to buy a light bulb.

Only those bulky CRT TVs in the home appliance section still possess a certain hardcore aesthetic of the industrial era.

But in Erga and Dazhuang's eyes, it was almost like entering a royal palace.

The two of them hunched over, unsure of what to do with their hands and feet, afraid that if they turned around they might break some porcelain vase and they couldn't afford to pay for it even if they sold themselves.

Staircase entrance, rest area.

Zhao Shanhe was processing invoices, while Erga and Dazhuang squatted at the corner of the stairs, smoking and watching the pile of papers.

The two had just bought hunting rifles piled up at their feet, along with a large number of bags and packages.

"Hey, I'm talking to Ga Zi."

Da Zhuang exhaled a smoke ring, kicked a tin can that Er Ga Zi was clutching tightly in his arms with his toe, and grinned mischievously.

"What are you doing holding malted milk powder, you big man? That's for women and babies. What? You want to wean your baby?"

"Get lost!"

Ergaizi rolled his eyes at him and tightened the malted milk powder in his arms:

"You don't know anything. The salesperson said it's called 'fortified nutrition.' My dad has chronic asthma, and he's been drinking so much Chinese medicine that his face has turned green. I just wanted him to try this... what's it again?"

"Capitalist sugar water!"

Da Zhuang chimed in, laughing even harder, "One sip and it'll make your teeth fall out! Be careful, it might knock out your dad's two old teeth!"

"Even if it's so sweet it makes your teeth ache, it's still better than you!"

Not to be outdone, Ergazi glanced at Dazhuang's chest with his thieving eyes and reached out to grab the collar of Dazhuang's sheepskin coat:

"Come on, everyone, let's see what treasure our imposing and strong brother is carrying in his arms!"

"Hey! Don't move! You'll get it dirty!" Da Zhuang hurriedly protected him, his face instantly turning a deep liver color.

But that striking splash of bright red still managed to show itself.

It was a bright red scarf embroidered with golden mandarin ducks.

"Yo-ho!"

Erga let out a strange cry, the commotion attracting the attention of young women and wives passing by.

"I saw it clearly! It's mandarin ducks playing in the water! Zhuang Ge, what are you trying to do to your wife? We're an old married couple, why are you doing this flirtatious thing?"

Da Zhuang slapped Er Ga Zi's hand away and cursed gruffly:

"Stop talking nonsense! I... I just bought it because it was on sale! Besides, my mom doesn't need good fabric to make cotton pants, does she? This is just a bonus!"

"Come on! The way you look at that scarf is more affectionate than you'd look at a big white steamed bun!"

As the two were exchanging barbs, Zhao Shanhe pushed a borrowed flatbed cart over.

On the vehicle, a huge cardboard box was prominently displayed, with the word "HITACHI" printed on it.

"Alright, stop making a fool of yourself here."

Zhao Shanhe threw the two bottles of brown beverage he was carrying over:

"then!"

Ergaizi hurriedly caught it, looked at the Russian writing on the bottle, and asked blankly, "Brother, what's this? Soy sauce?"

"Kvass".

Zhao Shanhe bit open the bottle cap with his teeth, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp. The sweet and sour liquid with a hoppy flavor instantly diluted the taste of smoke in his mouth.

"We call this 'local beer' here, but the Russians call it 'liquid bread'."

He pointed to the large cardboard boxes on the flatbed truck:

"Stop arguing and come lend a hand. This is the first color TV in our village. If it gets damaged, even selling both of you wouldn't be enough to cover the cost."

"A color TV?!"

Erga and Dazhuang were so frightened by those two words that they dropped their cigarettes.

The two immediately dropped their playful smiles and cautiously approached as if they were about to move a time bomb.

"Brother, this thing... it can really be amazing?" Ergaizi swallowed hard as he moved it. "Is there really a person inside?"

"Nonsense, why would I spend over a thousand on a radio if there's no trace of it?" Zhao Shanhe kicked him in the butt. "Lift it gently! Don't carry it like a sack of potatoes!"

After shopping, my stomach started to protest.

Zhao Shanhe didn't take them to eat at a roadside stall, but went straight into this restaurant with a "state-owned" sign.

It was lunchtime, and the place was steaming hot and noisy.

The waiter, wearing a white coat, slammed the menu on the table dismissively: "Order quickly, or we'll be waiting for you."

Zhao Shanhe didn't even look at the menu, he just put the stack of "Big Unity" bills on the table and tapped it:

"Sweet and sour pork, pork tenderloin, fried twice, with a sweet and sour sauce."

"For pork stew, add more blood sausage and less pickled cabbage."

"Stir-fried pork slices, stir-fried eggplant, potatoes, and green peppers, and two pounds of pork and scallion dumplings."

"Finally, give me two big plates of Harbin red sausage over there, with some fat!"

The waiter was taken aback by the long list of dishes, but upon seeing the money on the table, his attitude immediately changed: "Alright! Please wait a moment, it'll be right there!"

Erga and Dazhuang sat opposite each other, listening to the names of the dishes, their Adam's apples bobbing up and down, their mouths practically watering.

"Brother...isn't this too much? Can we finish it?" Da Zhuang looked at the gazes of the people around him, feeling a little uneasy.

"Take away any leftovers."

Zhao Shanhe poured himself a glass of the bulk liquor he had just bought, and raised the glass:

"Brothers, we've risked our lives to get through this."

"Back in the village, we were poor hunters who were looked down upon. We ate coarse food and wore tattered cotton-padded coats."

"But from today onwards, this chapter is over."

Zhao Shanhe's eyes were piercing:

"Today's meal is just the beginning. From now on, we'll make sure our family can eat dumplings every day, and have meat with every meal!"

"Dry!"

Erga and Dazhuang were so excited by what they heard that they raised their cups and drank them down in one gulp.

The dishes were served quickly.

Golden and crispy sweet and sour pork, glistening red sausage, steaming hot stew with pork...

There was no politeness, no formality.

Three starving men ate with gusto, devouring the food in a whirlwind.

Dazhuang ate dumplings one after another, sweating profusely; Ergaizi gnawed on a pig's trotter, his mouth dripping with oil, muttering indistinctly as he ate:

"Bro...it smells so good...city people really know how to enjoy life..."

Zhao Shanhe watched his brother wolf down his food, picked up a piece of red sausage, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

This is happiness these days.

Simple, direct, and to the stomach.

After eating and drinking their fill, night fell, and the wind and snow started again.

The truck bed of the Jiefang truck was crammed full, like a moving small mountain.

Inside the driver's cab, the heater was turned up to the maximum.

Erga and Dazhuang squeezed into the back row, each holding a "Daqianmen" cigarette and bragging while puffing away.

The alcohol made them completely let loose.

"Gazi, if I take this red scarf back, could your sister-in-law make me some dumplings?"

"Pshaw, making dumplings? I bet your sister-in-law would kneel down and kowtow to you! Hahahaha!"

"Screw you! And what about you? You buy that 'sweet soup' for your dad, doesn't he think you've robbed the supply and marketing cooperative?"

"Hehe, it was worth it! You didn't see the salesperson's eyes, and the way we pulled out our money was so stylish..."

As Zhao Shanhe drove, a slight smile appeared on his lips as he listened to the carefree laughter and curses of his two brothers behind him.

He rolled down the car window, letting the cold snowflakes blow in and wake himself up.

This time, we got guns, supplies, and everyone was united.

This is the true meaning of "returning home in glory".

A road sign flashed by:

Kaoshantun, 50 kilometers away.

Zhao Shanhe floored the accelerator.

The engine roared, like a tiger returning to the mountain.