Traveling back to 1952, starting a comeback from a relief station

"That old man used to have a very high salary, almost the same as Yi Zhonghai, and his benefits were even better than Yi's. He hardly had to pay for food and lodging. Who knows how much wealth he accumulated!"

Madam Jia pursed her lips, and continued with some resentment:

"When they were on their last legs, I never heard of them entrusting their money to anyone. They were treating everyone like thieves!"

"At the rate Wang Anping spends his money, he'll squander mountains of gold and silver; sooner or later he'll be penniless!"

"People from the countryside are so ignorant, they don't have proper jobs, and they spend money recklessly. Once he's squandered all his money, he'll be crying!"

Finally, she didn't forget to remind Jia Dongxu:

"Dongxu, you must never learn this selfish and self-serving behavior!"

Jia Dongxu had been humiliated in front of the entire hospital by Wang Anping hanging him on the wall like a chick that morning, and he was seething with hatred.

But I was genuinely afraid and didn't want to continue the conversation.

He looked up and gave a perfunctory reply:

"I see."

"Mom, shall we buy some meat tomorrow?"

"It's been so long since I've had any meat. The smell of this meat just now made everything else taste bland. We still have some money, you know, my dad used to..."

The thought of Wang Anping using his uncle's pension to eat and drink extravagantly stirred a unease in Jia Dongxu's heart.

He's also someone who received pensions; how can he be outdone by Wang Anping?

Jia Zhangshi raised her hand and slapped her son's arm.

He cursed in an annoyed tone:

"Eat, eat, all you ever do is eat!"

"That money is saved for your wedding and to buy big pieces of furniture; you can't touch a single penny!"

"Forget about eating meat tomorrow, but Aunt Li is bringing her daughter over this weekend."

"That day we made cabbage and pork dumplings."

"Half a pound of meat is enough for the whole family to have a delicious meal."

Upon hearing that they would be making dumplings over the weekend and that his blind date would be coming, Jia Dongxu's craving for meat instantly diminished, replaced by anticipation as he began to dream about the girl he was going to meet.

Wang Anping's home.

After eating a bowl of braised pork noodles, Mei Mei checked his system space.

To his surprise, the chicks he had just put in had already undergone significant changes.

The little creatures, which were once covered in downy feathers, now have several with smooth feathers growing on their wings. Their growth rate is simply outrageous.

Who knows, we might be able to slaughter it and eat it in a few days!

Wang Anping thought to himself, "If I can raise chickens, I should be able to raise some other animals too, right?"

Maybe we can even cultivate a small plot of land and grow some fresh vegetables.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Before we knew it, it was the weekend. The weather was gradually warming up, and the warm sunshine shone into the courtyard.

The chicks that Wang Anping had been longing for have now grown into half-grown roosters, each one plump and strong, weighing three or four pounds, and certainly ready to be served.

Recently.

He added a lot of things to the system space.

Chickens, ducks, and several rabbits bought from the market were running and jumping around on the grass, each one glistening with oil and looking plump and tempting.

The pond in the space wasn't idle either.

Wang Anping put some small fish in the tank, and to his surprise, they actually survived.

The fish fry, which were originally only the length of a finger, have now grown to two or three pounds, a truly delightful size.

Now, Wang Anping faces only one problem:

Are these fish better braised or steamed?

Since there's no work on weekends, most people in the compound get up later than usual.

When Wang Anping went out early in the morning, he saw Ma Tiezhu on the east side tidying up his barber's tools. The copper basin on his carrying pole was polished to a shine, clearly indicating that he was about to go out and start work.

Wang Anping greeted him and said:

"Master Ma, are you heading out to find work?"

"Don't rush off yet, give me a haircut, look at my hair, it's grown quite a bit."

In the past few days, Wang Anping has gotten to know his two neighbors in the front yard quite well, and their relationship is pretty good.

Hearing this, Old Ma chuckled.

On the first day of the new year, I encountered business before even leaving the house—this is a very auspicious sign for a successful start!

He hurriedly put down the carrying pole, laid out his tools one by one, and then moved a small stool for Wang Anping to sit down, asking:

"Anping, what kind of shave are you planning to get?"

"How about I get one for you?"

"This is definitely the hairstyle that young people like these days, and it keeps you looking sharp."

Upon hearing this, Wang Anping quickly reached out to stop Lao Ma's creative enthusiasm.

He opened his mouth and said:

"No, Uncle Ma, cut it the way I told you to."

Old Ma grinned:

"Alright! I knew you were a man of your word."

"Okay, I'll cut it however you say, but let me warn you beforehand: if it doesn't turn out the way you want, don't blame me for my poor skills!"

Wang Anping sat down on the small stool.

Old Ma skillfully wrapped a cloth around his neck and then wet his hair with warm water from a copper kettle.

Old Ma's six-year-old daughter, Ma Wei, found it interesting and helped by holding up a mirror so that Wang Anping could see it.

Wang Anping gestured to indicate the famous conductor:

"First, shave off all the sides, nothing left. Shave off the sideburns too, just push them upwards. Yes, trim the top a little shorter, not too short, then thin it out a bit..."

Under Wang Anping's guidance, Lao Ma gave him a neat buzz cut.

This hairstyle is quite unique and trendy these days. After all, you can still occasionally see a buzz cut, like Yi Zhonghai, but this kind of short, neat buzz cut with varying lengths is something almost no one has ever seen.

I wonder if it's because I didn't do it myself.

Wang Anping gave instructions for a long time, but the system didn't prompt him to unlock the hairdressing skill. It seems he's not destined to be a hairdresser.

After finishing the haircut, Wang Anping looked at himself in the mirror in Ma Wei's hand and was very satisfied.

Although Lao Ma's innovative spirit needs to be strengthened.

However, his basic skills are very solid.

He shook off the stray hairs from his clothes, then lowered his head and ran into his house.

Old Ma's hot water in that little copper kettle wasn't easy to come by, so he planned to wash his hair himself when he got back and not waste the other person's hot water.

About ten minutes later.

Wang Anping changed into a brand new set of clothes.

I didn't style my hair much; I just grabbed a couple of handfuls and it was done. After all, the advantage of a buzz cut is that it's convenient and easy.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Wang Anping couldn't help but comment:

"So handsome!"

Her previous clothes were always tattered cotton-padded jackets, and her hair was haphazardly cut by herself with scissors, making her look quite pitiful.

Things are different now.

I picked up this new outfit from Chen Xueru's shop last night. The fabric is crisp, the style is novel, and it makes me look exceptionally smart.

As for the issue of taking a bath in winter.

But he was from the South in his previous life and wasn't used to being naked and crammed together with so many other people in a public bathhouse.

The pond in the system space has expanded considerably, and he soaks in it whenever he has free time.

I don't know if it's because of the spring water.

After soaking in it a few times, he felt that his skin had become much smoother and more delicate.

Besides buying brand new clothes, Wang Anping also bought brand new underwear and socks. Coupled with his new hairstyle, Wang Anping felt as if he had been reborn.

After getting ready, I pushed open the door and went out.