Chapter 84: The Pickle Jar Farts And The Sour Stench Fills The Sky!

Today Zhou Yan came back late. He happened to hit factory shift end and had been busy until now without having dinner.

The little fellow had her heart set on going to the banquet. On the way, when they offered to serve her some food, she refused.

“All right then, we’ll see if there is still any food left when we get back.” Zhou Yan smiled, took an orange-flavored hard candy wrapped in colored paper from his pocket, peeled it, and held it to Zhou Mo Mo’s lips. “Have a piece of candy first to pad your belly.”

“Ah-woof!” Zhou Mo Mo opened her mouth wide and took the candy in one bite. She immediately beamed, her brows and eyes curving as she mumbled, “So sweet! Thank you, Pot Pot.”

Auntie Zhao filled a lunchbox with leftovers, put it in a net bag, and placed it together with three pairs of shoes into the bamboo basket hanging on the back seat of the bicycle.

Zhou Yan slung the cloth bag over his shoulder. It held all his belongings. He pushed the bicycle out the door.

After locking the door, Auntie Zhao looked at Zhou Mo Mo and asked, “Do you want to sit in the basket or on the front bar?”

“In front! I want to chat and gossip with Pot Pot!” Zhou Mo Mo scooted up to Zhou Yan.

“Come on then.” Zhou Yan bent down, lifted her up, and set her on the front bar.

The little fellow expertly grabbed the handlebars and called out happily, “Set off! Set off!”

Zhou Yan pedaled the bicycle along the river embankment, riding into the sunset.

The sky was filled with red clouds that merged with the river, indescribably beautiful.

“Pot Pot, look! It is Sister Yaoyao’s painting!” Zhou Mo Mo pointed at the sunset in surprise, her big eyes shining.

“Mm, she might be seeing it too.” Zhou Yan smiled and nodded.

……

At this moment, in Room 302 of the Chuan Mei girls’ dormitory building, the girl sitting by the window staring blankly at the afterglow of the setting sun sneezed.

“Yaoyao, did you catch a cold? Put on a jacket. It gets a bit chilly after the sun goes down.” Deng Hong’s concerned voice came from behind.

“No, it was just a sudden sneeze.” Xia Yao said with a smile, pulling her thoughts back from the horizon as the pencil in her hand scratched a few strokes on the paper.

“Has Zhou Yan not written back to you yet?” Deng Hong leaned over with a gossiping expression.

Zhu Yu Yu, who was braiding her hair at the side, paused and turned her head over in concern.

“Letters are not that fast. We do not even know if he has received it yet.” Xia Yao said with a smile. “Besides, he is so busy. He will have to be free before he can reply.”

“True. With the distant mountains and long roads, even a letter will take many days to arrive.” Deng Hong nodded.

“Deng Hong! Deng Hong—”

A drawn-out call sounded outside the window.

Deng Hong’s eyes lit up. She immediately pounced to the window and looked down.

Ma Xingye was holding three kettles of hot water raised over his head, grinning up at her. “I have fetched hot water for you.”

“Okay! I will come down right away!” Deng Hong responded, her smile blooming like a flower. She turned back to the two of them. “I will go get your hot water bottles.”

“We will go carry them. We will not delay you two from holding hands while walking around the track.” Zhu Yu Yu and Xia Yao said with giggles.

“What, we did not hold…” Deng Hong’s face flushed red in shy protest.

It took ten minutes to walk from the girls’ dormitory to the canteen, and hot water was not available at all times. These days, thanks to Deng Hong being in the throes of early romance, they had saved themselves a lot of trouble fetching hot water.

Ma Xingye had also gone from being the academy basketball team captain to the well-known warm-hearted guy of the art academy girls’ dormitory, the super warm guy who carried three hot water bottles at once.

……

Under the tree at the entrance of Zhou Village, a group of aunties were still chatting and gossiping.

Today their main topic of chirping was Second Zhou’s family, who were preparing an outdoor banquet. From under the tree they could see the steaming steamer baskets at Second Zhou’s doorway, stacked layer upon layer higher than a person, lined up four in a row, impressively grand.

“Second Zhou is welcoming a daughter-in-law. This is a different kind of spectacle. I heard the original rural cook Liu Lao Ba broke his hand, so they invited two head chefs instead, one is the head chef from the textile factory, and the other is the head chef from Rongcheng Restaurant.”

“Their connections really are something. Even at the last minute they can invite such impressive head chefs! I heard that head chef was invited by Zhou Yan and is his master.”

“Isn’t Zhou Yan still in debt by the basketful? They all say his restaurant business is good, but we have not seen him pay back the money. I think he is just bragging.”

“Gao Cuihua, do not talk nonsense. I just went to get water and my cousin-in-law told me that Zhou Yan paid back everyone’s money today. Now he does not owe a single cent. You just worry about your Zhou Liangliang.”

A sudden silence fell under the tree, and the aunties’ expressions became very interesting.

“He paid it all back, every bit? Wasn’t it said to be eight or nine hundred?”

“Exactly! Before, they said his restaurant business was no good. It only started to pick up slowly in the past half month, right?”

“Running a restaurant makes money that easily? That Zhou Yan really has skills!”

After hearing this, Gao Cuihua’s face darkened. She and Zhao Tie Ying had never gotten along, quarreling often when they were younger, but she had never once won. She could not beat her in a fight either and was always suppressed on everything.

When she heard some time ago that Zhou Yan’s restaurant had lost money, she had been delighted. However she looked at her own son, he seemed pleasing; at least he had not squandered her retirement savings.

But a few days ago, for some unknown reason, Zhou Liangliang seemed bewitched and ran off to the textile factory entrance to set up a stall to sell noodles and buy a soup pot. That flailing about lost over a hundred yuan, and he even came to her for eighty. Her heart ached terribly.

Now, hearing that Zhou Yan had made money and paid off all his debts, picturing how smug Zhao Tie Ying must look, it felt more painful than being killed.

Zhou Yan rode back to the village entrance. Zhao Tie Ying swept a glance over the crowd under the tree and spotted Gao Cuihua. She quickly tugged at Zhou Yan’s clothes and whispered, “Ride slower.”

“Huh?” Zhou Yan turned his head, just in time to see Auntie Zhao taking two pairs of leather shoes out of the bamboo basket and holding them in her arms. He understood instantly and immediately slowed the bike.

“Zhou Yan, you are back. Long time no see.”

Someone greeted Zhou Yan.

Others, sharp-eyed, noticed the two greaseproof paper bags in Zhao Tie Ying’s arms and casually asked,

“Tie Ying, what treasures are you holding there?”

Zhao Tie Ying sighed and said, “Zhou Yan bought a pair of leather shoes each for me and his old man, Shanghai brand. Soft and breathable, very comfortable to wear. This child does not know how to save at all. He makes a little money and just spends it.”

As she spoke, Auntie Zhao took the pair of women’s leather shoes out of the bag and swung them in front of everyone. The golden buckle still shone brightly even in the evening.

The aunties’ eyes lit up. Leather shoes! Golden buckle! Such a good-looking style!

Not a trace of disdain, only pure envy and admiration.

Off to the side, Gao Cuihua was so furious her nose went crooked. She turned her face away.

Zhao Tie Ying took in everyone’s reactions, the corners of her mouth nearly reaching her ears. She tugged on Zhou Yan’s clothes again.

“Aunties, we will head back first, we still have to go help at my second uncle’s place.” Zhou Yan said with a smile, then pedaled away.

“Goodbye, aunties.” Zhou Mo Mo also waved her little hand at them.

Once the bike had gone some distance, Zhao Tie Ying put the shoes back in the bag, laughing so hard her shoulders shook.

Today she truly held her head high.

So satisfying!

Especially seeing Gao Cuihua’s darkened face and crooked nose from anger, she felt completely refreshed.

All the stifled frustration of this period was released in one breath.

Zhou Yan was smiling as well. If he could make Auntie Zhao happy, he was happy too.

“Mom, what are you laughing at?” Zhou Mo Mo asked, full of curiosity.

“Mom is happy. Life is going so well, better every single day.” Zhao Tie Ying said with a smile, tilting her face up and forcing back the tears welling in her eyes.

She was supposed to be an iron lady. Why did she feel like crying at every turn today? How embarrassing.

“Tie Ying is so blessed! She is even wearing leather shoes now!”

“I saw those at the department store. One pair costs more than twenty yuan, and she went and bought two pairs at once!”

“Zhou Yan is such a filial child, willing to spend money on his mother and father. Tie Ying and Old Fourth would never be willing to buy leather shoes for themselves.”

Under the tree, they started chatting and gossiping again. Between the lines were envy for Zhao Tie Ying and praise for Zhou Yan.

“What is so special about a pair of leather shoes?” Gao Cuihua curled her lip, stood up, and walked toward home, already calculating in her heart that tonight she would call her son and daughter-in-law over for a lecture and make them buy her a pair of leather shoes too.

“The pickle jar farted—sourness soaring to the sky!” Once she had gone farther away, an auntie delivered this sharp review.

A burst of laughter rose up under the tree, and the atmosphere again became harmonious and cheerful.

The bicycle with the big 28-inch frame stopped in front of Second Uncle’s door.

Four tables of people had gathered to help today and were having dinner. When they saw Zhou Yan and the others arrive, a whole group of them stood up with a clatter.

Zhou Yan first lifted Zhou Mo Mo down onto the ground.

Looking at everyone halfway through their meal, Zhou Mo Mo pouted a little and said, somewhat aggrieved, “You all… did not wait for me? I have not eaten yet.”

“Oh dear, Mo Mo, we did not know you would only come at this time. I saved a bowl of meat dumplings just for you.”

“Come, come, uncle has candy for you, kept especially for you.”

“Pot Pot here has oranges, so sweet.”

“Mo Mo is so good. Your little braids look so pretty today.”

“Your little face is so chubby, pinching it is like a well-proofed steamed bun.”

Uncles, aunties, older brothers, and sisters-in-law all swarmed around. One offered candy, another pulled out oranges.

Her pockets were stuffed full. Both her little hands lifted her hem, and the inside was cradling wedding candy, sunflower seeds, and oranges. In her milky voice she cried, “Enough! Enough! It is full!”

Zhou Yan laughed beside her. So this was the charm of being everyone’s favorite?

Zhou Mo Mo really was blessed.

Cradling a heap of snacks and candy, Zhou Mo Mo’s eyes squinted from smiling, and she still did not forget to politely nod to everyone. “Thank you, everyone. I wish you a happy wedding and an early child.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

“You should say that to your Brother Hao. He is the groom.” Zhao Tie Ying said with helpless amusement. She had spent the whole afternoon teaching her what auspicious phrases to say to the bride and groom tomorrow, but the child could not wait and used them tonight.

Zhou Yan greeted everyone, then went to his master’s table.

Zheng Qiang and Xiao Lei were sitting together. They had drunk a bit and were clearly tipsy. Zheng Qiang held onto Xiao Lei and started chatting and gossiping. “Brother Xiao, your culinary skills are really amazing. You are thorough and organized. I should learn from you. But my master is also awesome, a national first-class cook. I think you are a bit like him, which is why I felt a connection with you at first sight…”

“Come on, Master Zheng, let us drink to that instant bond.” Xiao Lei said with a smiling squint, raising his wine cup to clink with him.

“Let’s… drink.” Zheng Qiang raised his wine cup, tilted his head back, drained it, swayed, and flopped face-down on the table.

As Zhou Yan came over, he saw Zheng Qiang drunk and sprawled on the table. His expression turned a little strange, and he whispered, “Master, did you get Master Zheng drunk? Don’t you all have to get up early to work tomorrow?”

“Get him drunk, my foot. He poured himself a tael of liquor, downed it, and collapsed right here. This is what you call playing dead.” Xiao Lei shook his head with a laugh. “Ask your brother to haul him off to sleep. With that little bit of alcohol, he will have no problem getting up at the usual time tomorrow.”

Fifth update! There will be another later tonight!

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