Siheyuan: Why does your brother beat you up every day, Shazhu?

"No, no!" Sha Zhu shuddered with fear and quickly waved his hands:

"Not too much! Definitely not too much!"

"It's...it's about this...you...you and Yu Shui, can you please not tell anyone?"

"Especially don't let anyone in the hospital know! It's so... so embarrassing..."

His voice got lower and lower, and he was so embarrassed that he wanted to crawl under the table.

The rain beside him burst out laughing:

"Second brother! What are you thinking? Big brother is helping you save money, it's for your own good!"

"What's so shameful about this?"

Sha Zhu stamped his feet anxiously:

"Yu Shui! You don't understand! I'm already an adult. If this gets out, they'll laugh at me to death!"

He looked sad and angry, as if he had already seen Xu Damao's mocking face.

He Weiguo felt both angry and amused when he saw Sha Zhu's cowardly look of wanting to save face and suffer in vain.

However, he understood the boy's thoughts. Sha Zhu was a bit of a gangster, but as a man, face was more important than anything else.

He snorted:

"Okay! I promise you, no one in the hospital will know that you handed it in on your own initiative."

"But remember this, kid! Keep your mouth shut! Keep your hands shut!"

"If I find out again that you're using the family's money and food to support outsiders, or if you're being a scapegoat and reveal your true identity... I'll beat you with my belt, regardless of whether it's embarrassing or not! I mean what I say!"

"Do you understand?"

When Sha Zhu heard that his elder brother had promised to keep it a secret, he nodded repeatedly as if he had been pardoned.

"I understand! I understand! Don't worry, big brother! I promise to be obedient! I will never make any mistakes! I will never do anything stupid!"

He patted his chest and almost swore to the sky.

He Weiguo snorted:

"It better be this way!"

As the family meeting drew to a close, He Weiguo sounded the alarm again, especially staring at Sha Zhu:

"Yushui, Zhuzi, tomorrow! You must bring me back our monthly ration, not a pound less!"

"Yushui, take the book, and Zhuzi, you're responsible for carrying the food! Do you understand? Not a single grain of rice can be left behind!"

His eyes were like lightning, fixed on Sha Zhu's face, and he emphasized word by word:

"Zhu Zi, I'm going to tell you one last time—if I come back tomorrow night and find that there's a pound of food missing from our house...you'll have to consider the consequences yourself!"

Sha Zhu felt uneasy at the look in his brother's eyes and quickly straightened his back:

"Brother! Don't worry! I guarantee you won't lose a single grain of rice! I'll bring you back safe and sound!"

He answered decisively, but his heart suddenly sank as he remembered the promise he had made a few days ago to Jia Dongxu to share ten kilograms of food by the end of the month...

Finished!

Now I have to break my promise!

On Jia Dongxu's side...Alas!

Chapter 37 Comrade, Buy It All For Me

Early the next morning, when it was still dark, He Weiguo was awakened by a series of rapid knocks on the door.

"Weiguo! Weiguo! Get up! Hurry up!"

Zhou Zhenbang's voice, which he tried to lower but couldn't hide his excitement, came from outside the house.

He Weiguo opened his eyes dazedly and looked through the window paper. It was just getting light outside and he estimated that it was around five o'clock or less than six o'clock.

Isn't he too proactive as an elder brother?

If Zhou Zhenbang could reach his doorstep by now, he would have left home at at least five o'clock! He might even have gotten up at four!

As expected! The fisherman's obsession transcends time and space and remains unchanged!

He Weiguo sighed in his heart, quickly put on his clothes, and went to open the door in his slippers.

As soon as the door opened, Zhou Zhenbang's energetic face appeared before him, holding a cloth bag in his hand:

"Hurry up! If you delay any longer you'll miss the train!"

He stuffed the cloth bag into He Weiguo's arms without saying anything.

"The steamed buns and soy milk are still hot! Eat a couple of bites quickly and give the rest to Yu Shui Zhu! Let's go!"

Seeing him like this, He Weiguo said helplessly: "Brother, can you let me wash my face first?"

Zhou Zhenbang couldn't wait any longer:

"You're a grown man, why are you so particular? Why are you washing your face? Fish wait for no one! Hurry up!"

The noise in the house woke up Yu Shui and Sha Zhu.

Yu Shui rubbed her eyes and pushed open the door: "Brother? Brother Zhou? You... are going fishing so early?" Her voice was still sleepy.

Sha Zhu also came out yawning, looking puzzled:

"Brother Zhou...this...isn't this too early? Even the third uncle in the front yard isn't fishing this hard?"

"You know nothing about football!" Zhou Zhenbang said angrily without even turning his head.

"Fishing requires an early start! If you go too late, you won't even catch fish poop! The buns on the table are for you two, brother and sister!"

After saying that, he turned around and urged, "Let's go to Weiguo!"

He pushed He Weiguo out the door like a sheep.

"Thank you, Brother Zhou!" Yu Shui hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

Sha Zhu also followed suit in a muffled voice and said thank you.

He Weiguo was dragged so hard that he staggered. With a bun in his mouth, he hurriedly put on his heels, muttering to himself:

This doesn't look like going fishing, it looks more like going to war!

The two of them hurried out of the courtyard. Zhou Zhenbang threw the jeep keys to He Weiguo and said, "Drive!"

He Weiguo accepted the key resignedly and expertly started the car. The roar of the engine broke the morning silence.

He put the car in gear, stepped on the accelerator, and the jeep sped away.

"Old battalion commander, where are we going? You have to point out a place, right?" He Weiguo asked while chewing a bun.

"Dongdan Vegetable Market!" Zhou Zhenbang didn't hesitate, his eyes fixed on the front.

"Hurry! Hurry up! If you're late, they'll be gone!"

"Ah? The vegetable market?" He Weiguo almost choked on his bun, his face completely bewildered.

"No...Brother Zhou, aren't we going fishing? Why are we going to the market? And if we're late, there's nothing left? What's the point?"

Zhou Zhenbang turned his head and gave He Weiguo a look as if he was a fool:

"Tsk! Why are you so stubborn, kid?"

"Do you really think there are still fish for you to catch in the moat and Shichahai?"

"That ditch was dredged eight hundred years ago! If a mouse went in, it would cry when it came out!"

"Then...then what should we do...?" He Weiguo was even more confused.

"Stupid!" Zhou Zhenbang had an expression that said he was an incorrigible child.

"Let's go fishing. Can we come back empty-handed?"

"I've already made a promise at home, and my wife and kids are waiting for fresh fish! If I don't catch anything, where will I put my face?"

"How can I hold my head up in front of the children?"

He came closer, with a bit of cunningness from an experienced person:

"So, there's a lot to learn about fishing!"

"The first step is to go to the market and prepare the spoils!"

"Pick a few fresh, plump fish, talk to the stall owner, order them first, and keep them with him."

"When we come back from fishing this afternoon, regardless of whether there's any catch in the river, we can just go to the stall and pick up the fish. That way, we'll be back with a full load, right?"

"We have both the face and the substance! This is called a strategic reserve! Do you understand?"

After hearing this, He Weiguo forgot to chew the bun in his mouth and his eyes widened!

Good guy!

So this is the secret of “never going air force”!

The wisdom of this fisherman is truly applicable from ancient times to the present, and has a long history!

He suppressed his laughter and could only silently give a thumbs up:

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant! Old Battalion Commander, your tactical thinking is absolutely brilliant!"

"That's right!" Zhou Zhenbang raised his chin proudly, "Learn from me! Drive!"

……

The jeep sped all the way and soon arrived at the Dongdan vegetable market.

The sky was just beginning to turn pale when the market was already bustling with people.

Zhou Zhenbang had a clear goal and dragged He Weiguo straight to the aquatic area.

Sure enough, there was a long queue in front of a stall selling live fish!

The queue was mostly made up of housewives and savvy shoppers carrying baskets and buckets.

"Look! What did I say!" Zhou Zhenbang slapped his thigh, feeling both annoyed and relieved: