In 1992, a small village owner became the richest man in the village by owning a car.

Chapter 267 The Last Dinner Between Brothers at the End of the Year

As for transporting vegetables from the south, it's not realistic at the moment. In a few years, when logistics really takes off, every household in Northeast China will be able to eat fresh vegetables.

Yu Dawei only bought some pork, a free-range chicken, and an old goose. In addition, he ordered a sauerkraut and blood sausage from the restaurant.

Yu Dawei can stew pickled cabbage, but not blood sausage; he doesn't have any and he wants to eat it.

Everything was taken to Fanfan's repair shop. Inside the shop was a large stove made of welded oil drums, which Yu Dawei used specifically for heating while repairing cars outside.

There happened to be a big black pot on top. The old goose had plucked its feathers, so they lit a bottle of strong liquor and singed it over the fire, and all the tiny, stubborn downy feathers fell off.

Next, cut the goose into pieces, heat oil in a wok, add some lard if you have it, otherwise you can just add scallions, ginger and garlic, then add the goose pieces, pour in an appropriate amount of high-proof liquor, add Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, dried red chilies from your own garden, and homemade fermented soybean paste.

The most crucial point is to add plenty of broth when stewing, and simmer over low heat. If you have a bottle of green beer at home, you can open one and add a little. It's not a luxury to eat something so delicious.

Yu Dawei and the others bought an old goose from the town, which would definitely need to be stewed for a while. During this time, Yu Dawei, as the head chef, started to make stir-fried chicken pieces.

This dish is not commonly seen in Northeast China; Yu Dawei learned it from a cookbook in his past life.

The live chicken I just bought was killed and bled immediately. The blood could probably fill two large bowls at home. We couldn't waste the blood, so we steamed it together with the goose blood.

Don't add too many seasonings, as it will affect the taste of the blood.

Just garnish with a little chopped green onion and a pinch of salt; those who prefer a stronger flavor can add more.

This stuff, freshly slaughtered, is definitely much better than what you buy in the market. It's not only clean and fresh, but it also doesn't contain any of the various preservatives found in duck blood.

After that, we'll stir-fry some snacks to go with the drinks. Peanuts are definitely a must. Even Yu Dawei, who used to get flushed when he drank, has gradually gotten used to having a little wine when he has nothing to do.

Although he still gets flushed when he drinks too much, he knows when to stop. When drinking with Boss Liang and Brother Duan, he mainly focuses on keeping them company.

Around 7 p.m., in Northeast China where people usually eat two meals a day, every household had already finished eating. But Fanfan's repair shop was still brightly lit, and the aroma of stewed goose in an iron pot in the yard had already wafted to the neighboring pork butcher restaurant.

Many customers came after smelling the aroma and went to the pork butcher restaurant, so Yu Dawei indirectly brought in several groups of customers for them.

When the goose in the iron pot was completely cooked, Yu Dawei lifted the lid, and a whiff of goose meat mixed with the aroma of soy sauce wafted out and went straight into Yu Dawei's nostrils.

Who could stand this! Regardless of how many people were waiting for food in the room, Yu Dawei took the first bite of a piece of goose meat. The goose, which had been simmered for nearly four hours, melted in his mouth.

Although the meat quality is not quite as good as that of younger geese, it is still a delicacy that city dwellers cannot enjoy.

Yu Dawei immediately ladled it out and then quickly carried it into the house.

After that, everyone sat down at the kang table to eat and drink, and chatted about their respective harvests this year.

Yu Dawei, Lao Liang, and Lao Duan tacitly avoided mentioning their trip to Yao Jinfu's old village today. Xiao Agui wasn't one to gossip either; his small eyes were fixed on the delicious food on the kang table, and he had no time to care about anything else.

So this incident was a pleasant surprise for Yao Jinfu.

However, before that, Yu Dawei mentioned the arrangements for Fanfan Repair Shop. The repair shop would not have any staff on duty during the Chinese New Year and would be closed tomorrow.

By the way, Dawei also told Yao Jinfu to go back to the village tomorrow, as Teacher Yao has not been feeling well lately.

Axe didn't think much of it when he heard this, but he was more puzzled, wondering where Brother Dawei had gotten the news.

Yu Dawei and the others exchanged glances, continued drinking and eating, and then brought up the enduring topic of Fourth Uncle again.

The main issue is that medicine. Both Boss Liang and Duan Dahai took it, and now they really want to know if Yu Dawei took it too.

Of course he ate it, but he ate very little. The men in the Yu family were so strong in that area that they were losing their hair. If he were to take medicine to supplement it, it was hard to imagine whether his wife could stand it or not.

Boss Liang made up his mind to visit Fourth Uncle before the New Year and then enshrine this prescription so that it could be passed down from generation to generation.

This is simply a blessing for men! When he got into the mood, he even picked up a pen and paper and wrote a note for Yao Jinfu, since he would need it sooner or later.

Mr. Liang had already memorized the dosage of the Chinese herbs on the prescription. Last time he went to Uncle Si's house, he also got the other party's permission to spread the prescription on a small scale.

However, before Boss Liang left, the Fourth Uncle gave him a special reminder: "Every medicine has some toxicity. Whether you are healthy or not depends on your own physical condition. Medicine is only an aid. You still need to be strong yourself." Boss Liang really took it to heart. Recently, he has been helping with housework every morning and cleaning the shop every day. He has even lost some weight as a result.

Unexpectedly, the slightly thin Boss Liang was once again outmaneuvered by his wife, as women naturally view their husbands through a lens of prejudice.

Now that Mr. Liang has lost a little weight, in Mrs. Liang's eyes he has simply turned back into a handsome man.

When everyone had drunk enough and was quite tipsy, Boss Liang once again clung to Duan Dahai's leg, wailing and crying. Only now did he realize that his wife was a "tiger mom" in every sense of the word.

Unfortunately, Yu Dawei and Duan Dahai couldn't offer any advice or help in this matter. They could only raise their glasses and observe three seconds of silence for Lao Liang.

How long has it been since Lao Liang's serfs were liberated and he started singing? Could it have been a month?
It's really a disaster.

Yao Jinfu had an excellent alcohol tolerance. By the end, Duan Dahai was already struggling and his vision was blurry, but Yao Jinfu was perfectly fine.

Seeing that the peanuts on the plate were all gone, he even knew to go to the pickle jar by the door and get some mustard tubers, cut them into shreds, and make a dish to go with his drinks.

He doesn't usually drink too much, but today he really wanted to know what Brother Dawei was up to behind his back.

Although I could guess that it was related to me, I really couldn't figure out what it was.

Is he trying to find himself a wife?

The thought had barely sprouted in his mind when it quickly took root, and Yao Jinfu couldn't resist any longer!

He had to get to the bottom of it, especially after hearing these three older men at the dinner table talking about their flirtatious banter with their wives. A fire was burning in his veins.

He had longed for love for so long, but he never said it!
"Brother, what exactly were you hiding from me?" Seeing that the three of them were quite drunk, Yao Jinfu quickly moved closer to Yu Dawei and poured him another glass of baijiu. "We're such good brothers, what can't you tell me?"

"Come on, you'll find out when you get home tomorrow." Yu Dawei's face was flushed, and he glanced at Fu Zi with a dazed look in his eyes. He shook his hand and gently put it on the other man's shoulder, saying in a very gentle tone, "Brother, I wish you a happy new year in advance."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yu Dawei could no longer hold on, and he fell backward onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and fell into a deep sleep.

He has two particular characteristics when it comes to drinking: one is that his face flushes easily, whether it's beer or liquor, he's guaranteed to flush after one glass, and even though his alcohol tolerance has improved, he's still like that; the other is that he's prone to sleepiness.

Some people like to chat with others when they drink, like Duan Dahai. He'll say all sorts of things that he wouldn't normally say, but once he's had a few drinks, he'll inevitably start talking with a pitiful expression and blurt it all out.

Some people cry when they drink, like Boss Liang. When he gets drunk, never mention his wife to him, not even someone else's wife. If you do, you're guaranteed to set the stage for his crying later.

Of these people, the only normal one is Yao Jinfu. Perhaps it's because he's been drinking with his mother since he was a child, but he can really drink baijiu like water. At least Yu Dawei, who grew up with him, has never figured out Yao's alcohol tolerance.

"Happy New Year, brother." Yao Jinfu picked up his wine glass, glanced at Yu Dawei who had fallen asleep, smiled, and downed the entire glass of 50-proof liquor in one gulp.

Although Yao Jinfu didn't get any answers, he didn't take it too seriously. He knew he couldn't have a wife like that.

The next day, several people got up from the kang (a heated brick bed) and began packing their things.

Duan Dahai and Boss Liang didn't leave either; they slept in the small house last night. Yu Dawei folded the clothes and blankets and put them in the cabinet on the north wall. He then turned off the fire in the stove and went to repair the equipment in the warehouse on the north side of the factory.

Yao Jinfu had also packed his luggage and put everything in the Dafa van. When he went back, Dawei gave the van keys to Fuzi.

He drove his little red car back along the road of the fifth team of Heshan Village, instead of taking the rural road from Yongjun Village.

Although the van was second-hand, after Yu Dawei refurbished it, it was no different from a new car. In fact, in terms of appearance and interior furnishings, it was even more eye-catching than the original factory vehicle. Driving it back would definitely make you look good.

After packing up, Yao Jinfu drove off in his van. Yu Dawei didn't care whether he went to town to buy New Year's goods or went straight home.

He first took the two older brothers back to the old Duan scrap metal recycling station in the south, and then drove straight south on the highway without turning. After about ten minutes, he arrived at the highway exit at the entrance of the fifth team of Heshan Village.

Continue driving east along the road, and in about ten minutes, you'll be back at your house in front of your home in Yujiatun.

The car was parked outside the wooden fence gate. Through the gaps in the fence, one could clearly see that the inside was covered in white snow. A small, swept path stretched from the gate to the corner of the house, barely wide enough for a walk.

(End of this chapter)