60s: I have a store

Chapter 641 Help
Zhou Yimin first took a nap.

When I woke up and looked at my watch, it was already past eleven, almost midnight.

Zhou Yimin didn't think much of it and quickly washed up. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw Li Youde and Dapeng washing things at the tap.

It looks like they're preparing lunch.

"Yimin, you're just getting up?" Li Youde greeted him with a smile when he saw him.

Then Dapeng joked, "The sun's already high in the sky, and you're still sleeping!"

Zhou Yimin was a little embarrassed: "I went to bed too late last night because I was rushing to take Uncle Lu back."

Upon hearing this, the two realized that after watching the movie last night, they immediately rode their bicycles back home and did not stay in Zhoujiazhuang for another night.

Zhou Yimin suddenly remembered that he needed the two men's help with something, so he waved his hand at them and said, "Dapeng, Youde, there's no need to cook. Put the things back first."

The two were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion. It was already mealtime, so why were they suddenly not allowed to cook?
But they had grown up with Zhou Yimin since childhood and knew that he always had his own ideas, so they didn't ask any more questions and turned around to return the vegetables they were carrying to their respective homes.

A short while later, the two returned to Zhou Yimin empty-handed. Dapeng couldn't help but ask, "Yimin, why aren't you letting us cook? What's your plan?"

Seeing the two of them looking curious, Zhou Yimin smiled and gestured with his chin towards the outside of the courtyard: "Don't ask so many questions yet. I'm hungry too. Let's go out for lunch at Donglaishun!"

"Donglaishun?!" Li Youde and Dapeng exclaimed in unison as if they had been burned, their eyes widening instantly.

They hadn't been to Donglaishun for a while. Usually, they would follow Zhou Yimin around from time to time to get some good food, but most of the time they ate simple meals.

They had been wanting to eat something good for a long time, and they didn't hesitate for even half a second. Faced with the temptation of hot pot mutton, any hesitation would be "disrespectful" to this delicious dish.

"Go!"

The two did not wait for Zhou Yimin and went straight to the door.

Seeing the two so eager, Zhou Yimin could only shake his head helplessly and quickly followed them.

Soon Zhou Yimin drove his motorcycle, carrying the two of them, to Donglaishun.

In less than ten minutes, they arrived at Donglaishun from the courtyard house, leaving Li Youde and Dapeng with barely enough time to sit down before it was time to leave.

Dapeng then said, "Yimin, why don't we go for another drive? We can eat at Donglaishun a little later anyway."

Nowadays, most people struggle to even have enough to eat, so there aren't as many people dining at Donglaishun as before, and there's no need to worry about not having a seat.

Zhou Yimin had no choice but to nod and agree: "Okay!"

After saying that, he turned on the accelerator, left Donglaishun, and drove around the neighborhood.

However, there are many houses and narrow, winding roads here, so driving wasn't very satisfying. Therefore, I drove my motorcycle to the suburbs.

Soon they arrived in the suburbs. Zhou Yimin looked at the straight road and twisted the accelerator a little more.

Let Li Youde and Dapeng experience the feeling of flying.

The two were completely absorbed in it, and Zhou Yimin, for once, drove aggressively, soon arriving at an unfamiliar place.

Zhou Yimin realized that he had been wandering around for almost an hour, no wonder his stomach was rumbling.

"Have you saved enough money to afford Donglaishun yet?"

Da Peng and Li Youde had their fill of fun and didn't make any other excuses: "Great!"

Seeing the two satisfied men, Zhou Yimin then returned the way he came.

The three chatted as they drove, while Zhou Yimin drove.

You can also enjoy the scenery along the way.

The return trip took a little over an hour, not as fast as the outward trip.

When we arrived at Donglaishun, it was already past 2 p.m.

Whether it was because he arrived too late or because there weren't many people to begin with, Zhou Yimin saw that there weren't many people around.

When the waiter saw Zhou Yimin and his two companions enter, he didn't offer much enthusiastic service, but simply led the way with a calm expression.

Nowadays, whether they are waiters or chefs, they are all working class, so even if they don't do a good job, they are not afraid of being fired.

They wish there were fewer people coming, so they wouldn't have to do so much work.

So when people arrive, how good can the attitude be?
He led Zhou Yimin and the others to a window seat and asked, "How many kilograms of mutton would you like to order?"

Zhou Yimin said directly, "Give me three catties of mutton, and some offal too."

The waiter noted it down and then said, "Three catties of meat coupons and..."

Having been in this world for so long, Zhou Yimin had long been used to having to pay before he could eat.

He then took out the meat ticket and money and handed them to the waiter.

After the waiter took it, he went to the kitchen and spoke to the chef.

The chef was surprised to see three pounds of mutton; he hadn't expected such a big customer to arrive.

Many people come to Donglaishun just to satisfy their cravings, unlike Zhou Yimin who orders so many kilograms of mutton at once.

It's usually a group of people ordering a pound each, just to share the taste.

The chef skillfully sliced ​​the mutton, and soon thin slices of mutton, as thin as cicada wings, flew out of his hands.

Before long, three pounds of mutton were cut out.

From ordering to receiving the food, it took less than ten minutes, and a copper pot was also served at the same time.

In Beijing, hot pot with mutton must be served in a copper pot and with sesame sauce; otherwise, it lacks its soul.

Li Youde and Dapeng looked impatient as soon as they saw that all the dishes had been served, but Zhou Yimin did not say anything.

The two dared not make any move.

Zhou Yimin looked at the two of them, who seemed hesitant to move, and found it somewhat amusing: "Why aren't you making a move? What are you waiting for?"

Once they were given permission, the two couldn't wait to throw all the mutton in.

However, Zhou Yimin, who was quick-witted and nimble, stopped him: "If you put so much meat in at once, I don't know when it will be cooked."

Da Peng then put a little in, and then Li Youde asked, "Yi Min, you're not just trying to treat us to a meal, are you?"

Da Peng also looked at Zhou Yimin with curiosity, wanting to know what could possibly make Zhou Yimin invite him to dinner.

Zhou Yimin then answered, "There is indeed something I'd like you to help me with."

Da Peng immediately became interested in what they could do to help Zhou Yimin.

Zhou Yimin slowly said, "The situation isn't so tense anymore, so you can continue selling things on the black market."

Upon hearing this, Da Peng and Li Youde were stunned for a moment, then their faces broke into smiles of surprise.

Before the Lunar New Year, due to strict policies and crackdowns on the black market, Zhou Yimin persuaded him to stop selling goods on the black market for safety reasons.

"Really?! We can go back to selling things on the black market?" Da Peng excitedly grabbed Zhou Yimin's arm, afraid he had misheard.

Zhou Yimin quickly covered Dapeng's mouth and whispered, "Dapeng, do you want the whole world to know that you're selling things on the black market?"

Da Peng then realized what was happening and apologized sheepishly, "Sorry, Yimin, I got a little too excited." Li Youde nodded along, his eyes full of anticipation, "Yimin, you're not lying to us, are you? The investigation was so strict before, is everything really alright now?"

“The situation isn’t as tense right now, and supplies aren’t as scarce, so the checks won’t be as strict,” Zhou Yimin explained.

Upon hearing Zhou Yimin's words, Li Youde and his companion were immediately relieved, believing that Zhou Yimin would not harm them.

They are in a cooperative relationship, sharing both success and failure, so there's no need to worry about anyone badmouthing them behind their backs.

After Zhou Yimin and the other man calmed down a bit, they continued, "However, there's something I'd like you to help me with when we go to the black market this time."

Da Peng said, "Yi Min, what's making you so serious?"

Zhou Yimin continued, "I know that there are many old people and their descendants who sell their ancestral heirlooms on the black market. I would like you to help me collect these antique gold bars."

Nowadays, there's practically no counterfeiting, unlike in later generations when 99% of the items in the antique market were fakes. The vast majority of items in the current antique market are genuine.

The smiles on Da Peng and Li Youde's faces gradually faded, and they became serious.

They knew Zhou Yimin liked old objects, but he hadn't mentioned it before.

I just didn't expect that this time I would be collecting antiques and gold bars. These things are much more valuable than ordinary items and are even rarer on the black market. I'll have to put in a lot of effort to find them.

Dapeng spoke first: "Yimin, this kind of thing isn't cheap, is it?"

Zhou Yimin didn't care: "Although the goods are not cheap, they lack food and meat, but I don't!"

Upon hearing this, the two men's eyes lit up immediately; Zhou Yimin had indeed not been exaggerating.

The old folks, accustomed to a life of luxury, would indeed often take their ancestral treasures and exchange them for grain or meat.

Zhou Yimin continued, "Moreover, you won't suffer any losses. Every time you exchange for something, you can bring it back to me."

"I will estimate the value and give you an appropriate reward."

He knew that only with sufficient benefits would others work hard to help you.

This is a long-term job. Even if Li Youde and the others help for free, they won't say anything. However, in the long run, they will definitely have complaints. Whether they will put in their best effort to help you then is anyone's guess.

Li Youde said, "Yimin, there's no need for all this trouble. What more reward do you want? You've already given us more than enough."

Dapeng chimed in from the side.

Without Zhou Yimin's help, he would have made a lot of money reselling goods on the black market.

That's why the two of them can support their family even without jobs, and their quality of life is much better than before.

Zhou Yimin waved his hand: "Although our relationship doesn't need to be discussed, I don't want our relationship to be mixed with these things."

Hearing this, the two realized that Zhou Yimin was right to do so.

Just because we may not have any opinions now doesn't mean we won't have any in the future.

Zhou Yimin looked at the two of them, who seemed to be thinking about something: "Why are you thinking so much? Let's eat!"

The two then turned their attention back to the hot pot.

The three of them worked together and finished off three pounds of mutton in less than half an hour.

Zhou Yimin asked, "Dapeng and Youde, are you full?"

Li Youde and Dapeng, though not full, didn't want Zhou Yimin to spend any more money: "We're full."

Then the three of them got on a motorcycle and returned to the courtyard house in less than ten minutes.

Li Youde and Da Peng got out of the car with satisfied expressions.

They hadn't had such a satisfying meal in a long time, and they also thoroughly enjoyed riding the motorcycle.

The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked into the courtyard.

The three women saw the three of them and asked, "Are you three back from playing?"

Dapeng was the first to answer: "Yes!"

The three women smelled meat on the three men and realized that with Zhou Yimin's abilities, he could eat meat every meal, so they didn't ask any further questions.

They were just envious of Dapeng and Li Youde's good relationship with Zhou Yimin, as they could often eat delicious food with Zhou Yimin.

After saying goodbye to the three women, the three went home.

After returning home, Zhou Yimin quietly waited for nightfall to fall.

Before we knew it, it was completely dark.

Zhou Yimin saw that everyone had returned to their homes, and the courtyard, which had been so lively during the day, was now empty.

Then I bought 100 jin of cornmeal and 10 jin of wheat flour from the store.

After thinking about it, I realized that the vase was so valuable, and I felt a little guilty about buying such a small amount, so I used the money to buy another pound of fatty pork.

Zhou Yimin could give more, not because he was unwilling, but because giving too much might be harmful, which is not necessarily true.

Moreover, a pound of fatty pork is quite a lot. Fatty pork can be used for stir-frying and for rendering lard. Adding some lard when stir-frying will make the food much more fragrant.

Soon, a piece of pork wrapped in oil paper appeared on the table. The oil paper was still slightly oily, and the marbling of the fat and lean meat was clearly visible.

Zhou Yimin tidied up the items, wrapping the cornmeal and wheat flour in a large bundle, and placing the pork separately in a small cloth bag.

He stepped out of his house and found no one in the yard. After confirming that it was safe, he shouldered his bundle, carried the pork, and walked briskly toward Widow Ma's house.

Widow Ma's house wasn't far from Zhou Yimin's house; it took Zhou Yimin less than a minute to arrive at Widow Ma's house.

"Knock, knock, knock," a soft knock sounded on the door, and Widow Ma's needle and thread fell to the ground.

She quickly stood up, walked briskly to the courtyard gate, and opened it without asking any questions.

Standing outside the door was Zhou Yimin, carrying a large bundle on his shoulder and a small cloth bag in his hand, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Yimin, you've arrived?"

Zhou Yimin replied, "Yes! We just wanted to send the things over as soon as possible."

"Sister Ma, please check if anything is missing. If not, I'll head back now."

Widow Ma knew Zhou Yimin's character and said directly, "Yimin, I trust your character; you certainly won't skimp on the amount."

Zhou Yimin was pleased to see that Widow Ma trusted him so much.

"Sister Ma, here's a pound of fatty pork. It's a small token of my appreciation for the child and Grandpa Xu!"

After saying that, he put the large piece of fatty pork on the table and left without looking back.

By the time Widow Ma realized what was happening, it was too late. Zhou Yimin had already returned home.

She didn't dare to chase after him, afraid of causing trouble for Zhou Yimin.

Widow Ma's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the grain and meat on the table.

(End of this chapter)