The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 141 The Bai family is hated by ghosts, the Qian family celebrates their housewarming.

Bai Dongfeng walked ahead, while Bai Jiangshan and Zhao Dahong hurriedly followed behind.

The weather is nice tonight, with a gentle breeze and a bright moon.

The moonlight shone on the open space in front of the building. Where there should have been many household items such as camphor wood chests, five-drawer chests, wardrobes, and wooden beds, only a few large items remained.

A night breeze blew, and several sheets of toilet paper spun around in the north wind.

"Son! Where are our things?!" Zhao Dahong shouted anxiously.

She rushed into the stairwell with a glimmer of hope, but the stairwell was clean and tidy, indicating that she had not been moved there.

She kept rushing up, reaching the sixth floor in one breath until her vision was blurry, but she couldn't open the door.

The door lock has been changed.

An old neighbor from apartment 601 across the hall popped up: "Da Hong, stop making a fuss. The security guard already explained it to me. It's Xiao Qian's son coming back to inherit the property. He's a person..."

"What's it to you, you old geezer!" Zhao Dahong was so angry that he started swearing.

Bai Jiangshan caught up, panting, and after pulling his wife along, asked the neighbor across the hall, "Auntie, did you see who went downstairs to steal our things just now?"

The old lady was too lazy to pay attention to the couple, so she shook her head, closed the door, and went back inside.

Zhao Dahong kicked the security door of apartment 602 with all her might, but it wouldn't budge. All she could do was scream in heart-wrenching despair.

"Utterly depraved..."

"Let's go downstairs first!" Bai Jiangshan knew that the furniture couldn't be moved home, so he dragged his wife downstairs again.

At this moment, even the usually decisive son was stunned, while his wife slumped on the brick floor, clutching the broken half of the copper lock in her hand, lost in thought.

Bai Jiangshan felt a pang of pain in his heart as he watched.

This lock has a special history; it was a prized item from a camphor wood chest that Sun Yulan brought from her parents' home.

Now the camphor wood chest is gone, as are the five-drawer chest, the iron-framed bed, and the sewing machine covered in blue cloth—all have vanished without a trace.

Zhao Dahong went to tear at Du the Cripple and kicked Du the Cripple's good leg hard:
"Why did you steal from my house? You thieves! I've been your neighbor for so long, how come I didn't know you were all lowlife thieves..."

"Damn thief! Give my things back! The bedsheets I bought for Dongfeng's wedding haven't even been used yet! All the money and industrial vouchers I've saved up over the years..."

Du the Cripple shoved her away, baring his teeth: "I didn't take anything, why are you messing with me?"

Bai Dongfeng grabbed a frozen rock from the ground and pretended to smash it on Du's head: "Du the Cripple, you tell me! Who stole my things!"

"No! This isn't stealing, it's robbery! This is blatant robbery!"

Du the Cripple was intimidated by his madness and honestly said, "After all your things were moved out and arranged this afternoon, many neighbors came to watch the spectacle."

"Weren't you burning paper money at the gate at night?" He pointed to the gate not far away.

"Someone asked you if you still wanted these furniture and utensils, and Manager Bai, you said yourself that you didn't want them anymore. Several people heard that..."

"Did I say I didn't want these things anymore? I said I didn't want that pile of paper money to burn!" Bai Dongfeng couldn't help but shout.

"This is robbery. Don't try to fool me. Who would abandon their belongings? Who would? Who would give up their new bedding and pots and pans?"

"We still have money and tickets at home! Who wouldn't want these?"

Du the Cripple hurriedly said, "I told the other neighbors that, but someone took the lead in taking your things, and then the other neighbors joined in, and things got chaotic and turned out like this."

He spread his hands to indicate his innocence.

Bai Dongfeng forcefully slammed the coal against the wall, instantly shattering it into dust and leaving large black spots on the slogan "Neighborhood Unity Promotes New Customs".

This absolutely needs to be reported to the police!

The family of four, dragging a lame man along, staggered back to the Liangshan Road Subdistrict Police Station.

The duty room was lit by a dim, yellow light.

Wu Xizhao, the security guard who had previously fooled the four people away, took a sip of tea from his enamel mug and savored the rare peace and quiet.

Soon, the peace was shattered by the four mouths.

Wu Xizhao was shocked when he saw what the four people looked like: "Damn, what's wrong with you guys? Why are you all acting like this?"

"Did you cause trouble on Taishan Road and get beaten up by the Qian family? I can help you file a case..."

"Now, regardless of who hit whom, we need to call the police! We need to call the police to arrest that thief neighbor, that robber neighbor in the workers' new village!" Zhao Dahong shouted anxiously.

Wu Xizhao was completely bewildered: "What's going on?"

"Speak!" Bai Dongfeng pushed Du the Cripple forward.

Du the Cripple said angrily, "You're bullying a disabled person like me? Fine, then you can bully a disabled person like me!"

"You think my Du family has no one to rely on? Just wait, wait for my brothers to come and avenge me!"

"Speak quickly!" Bai Dongfeng and Bai Jiangshan roared in unison, as if they wanted to tear him apart.

Du the Cripple explained the situation unhappily.

Wu Xizhao immediately became serious.

Bai Dongfeng is right.

This at least constitutes a theft.

Du the Cripple argued: "Many people in our community can testify that someone asked Bai Dongfeng if he didn't want the items in front of the stairwell anymore, and Bai Dongfeng said twice that he didn't want them anymore!"

Wu Xizhao shook his head and said, "It's no use even if he agrees, because he has misunderstood the questioner's meaning."

"Master Du, ask yourself honestly, who in this day and age wouldn't want their own household items? Wouldn't they just stop living?"

The Bai family nodded frantically.

Bai Jiangshan said, "Xiao Wu, hurry up and go to our neighborhood to arrest those thief neighbors and robber neighbors, and sentence them to prison!"

"Could we arrest Qian Jin?" Bai Dongfeng became suspicious. "He's the one who directed people to move the things out."

Wu Xizhao shook his head: "They are the homeowners, they have the right to take your things."

"Besides, when they were clearing out their things, they had both our unit and your unit's security department supervise them. They didn't steal anything from you, so this can't be punished."

Zhao Dahong hurriedly said, "Never mind that bastard Qian Jin for now, let's get my things back first."

"My family had over two hundred yuan in change and a savings account with four thousand yuan..."

“Wait a minute,” Sun Yulan suddenly asked, “There’s still four thousand yuan in savings? But when I got married, I wanted to buy a Hongmei radio, so why did you tell me we didn’t have any money?”

Bai Dongfeng reassured his wife, "We can talk about our family matters later. Let's focus on fighting back first."

Sun Yulan crossed her arms, her face filled with anger.

Do you treat me like family?
The nature of the incident is egregious, and it involves a large number of people.

Wu Xizhao called his superior, Lao Chen, and summoned all the security guards and members of the security task force back to the area.

The first step is to tally the lost supplies.

"One three-door pine chest, one camphor wood chest, two five-drawer chests, three iron-framed beds..."

The female security guard in charge of registration looked up at the elderly couple and said, "You can't just say things like that. You have to be responsible for your words. You'll need to sign and put your fingerprints on the papers later."

Bai Jiangshan chuckled and said, "There are indeed three iron bunk beds. One is for sleeping, and the other two are for children's toys."

Sun Yulan added with a long face, "Comrade, the camphor wood chest in my house is carved with a circle of peony flowers. It's absolutely a unique treasure in our neighborhood."

Zhao Dahong added, "The five-drawer chest is also a fine piece of furniture. It was made with specially approved wood when the factory was awarded a prize in 68. The door handle is shaped like a flower, and there are even copper wires embedded in the petals."

Old Chen, the station chief, said impatiently, "No need to be so clear. Whether it's your stuff or not, you'll know when you see it. The big items won't be stolen; the important thing is the small items!"

Zhao Dahong knows every small item in her home like the back of her hand and has registered them one by one.

The numbers they mentioned were especially precise when it came to money and ration coupons:
"There is 4,000 yuan in the savings account and 242.54 yuan in cash. Our family of four just received our salaries this month, and we haven't had time to save them yet."

"Then there were many ration coupons; two coupons were for over 1,800 jin of meat, and meat coupons were for 520 jin of meat..."

The female security guard stopped registering them and looked up at the elderly couple in shock.

Old Chen's eyes gleamed as he asked, "Zhao Dahong, how come you have so much savings and so many receipts?"

Zhao Dahong panicked and hurriedly explained, "My family lives frugally, my family lives frugally, this is all money we've saved over the years!"

Old Chen's expression turned serious as he thought about Bai Dongfeng's warehouse supervisor position:
“We will definitely verify your family’s salary and assets afterward, by verifying with your employer and your son and daughter-in-law’s employers.”

"Continue with the statistics!"

Zhao Dahong's voice trailed off, "Oil coupons, uh, four or five jin of oil coupons in total..."

"Is it four pounds or five pounds?" the female security guard asked.

Zhao Dahong said with a long face, "Four jin, four jin it is."

Bai Dongfeng walked out of the police station with a gloomy face.

The cold wind whipped up shards of ice that scraped across his face, stinging him with a sharp, icy pain.

He squatted in front of the empty building, took out a cigarette but couldn't light it no matter how hard he tried.

How did things turn out this way?

Why is this so?
He couldn't understand.

What was originally a flawless plan has now deteriorated into a tattered fishing net.

His family should be able to secure Qian Zhongguo's house without any problem. Wasn't the reason he acted like a son and grandson to serve that old man just to get this house?

Now, not only have we lost our house, but our family is also falling apart?

Statistics complete.

The security team and the assault team set off together to enter a residential area.

It was almost 11 o'clock by then, and almost every household had turned off their lights and gone to sleep.

The workers' new village is very quiet.

So, as Old Chen's voice amplified through the tin loudspeaker, it spread in all directions like a series of thunderclaps exploding in the night:
"Attention all residents of the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill Workers' New Village! Attention all residents of the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill Workers' New Village!"

"Comrades Bai Jiangshan and Bai Dongfeng have moved their homes, and all their belongings, which were placed in the open space in front of the building entrance, have disappeared. Whoever took the wrong items, please return them immediately. This is no small matter..."

“This is class enemies sabotaging socialist construction work, it is…” Bai Jiangshan took a moment to try to elevate the discussion.

Old Chen shoved him away: "Shut up!"

Some children were woken up by the noise and fright, and they all opened their mouths and cried loudly.

Many people turned on their lights, which had been off, and the shouts and curses came out along with the lights.

Old Chen was very troubled.

I'm going to get a lot of flak tonight.

But he had no choice; if someone reported a case, he had to investigate it. And this case was indeed complicated, so he had to bite the bullet and handle it.

He continued shouting, the rusty iron horn rattling the frosty windowpanes, and some people opened their windows and poured cold water down.

"Will you let me live?"

“My child had just fallen asleep when you woke him up. After a long day at work, I finally wanted to relax and got him to sleep, but you woke him up right away. Are you trying to kill us?”

The sounds of cursing and swearing were incessant.

Old Chen had no choice but to use his authority, built up over thirty years on Liangshan Road, to suppress the residents' anger and dissatisfaction, and force them to return the items.

Intermittently, people with their heads covered and faces hidden behind their masks returned the household items that had been taken.

Zhao Dahong's face finally lit up with joy:
"Old Bai, the cabinet is back. I got it through connections with the head of your factory's union..."

"The sewing machine is back, that's great, that's great, it's my precious treasure..."

Someone threw something hard from a distance. A white porcelain spittoon with a peony flower printed on it rolled to the edge of the holly bush, and the sound startled the sleeping child awake.

They worked until midnight and delivered quite a few things, but the most important items—the money and tickets—were not delivered.

Old Chen frowned deeply.

He figured the money and tickets were gone for good.

If someone took something else, you can explain it by saying, "I thought their family didn't want it anymore." But how do you explain taking money and tickets?

Furthermore, since the money and tickets have no names on them, if someone takes them, they naturally become their property.

He could only hope that the money and tickets were hidden in the large suitcase, so that he could find who took the suitcase and bring them back to the station for questioning.

But Zhao Dahong's words silenced him: "I...I was afraid it would be stolen, so I put the passbook in a small tin box and hid it in a worn-out shoe..."

Bai Jiangshan was unwilling to let all the wealth he had accumulated over the years be swept away by his usually cheerful neighbors.

He trembled with rage: "This money has to be found, Old Chen, it has to be found for my family!"

"Four thousand yuan, Old Chen, here's four thousand yuan!"

Old Chen said helplessly, "We will definitely investigate, but it probably won't be easy..."

"Check every house, check every single one!" Bai Jiangshan roared unwillingly. "Go check now!"

Old Chen helped him catch his breath and said, "It's already this late, it's definitely not going to work. Let's try tomorrow..."

“They’ll transfer the money away tomorrow!” Bai Jiangshan interrupted him, shouting.

Old Chen said, "Bai Dongfeng, come here and try to persuade your dad."

"Make it clear to him that once this money is recovered, we will have to thoroughly investigate the source of your family's savings."

“According to the community members, your family has a very high standard of living, with sausages and cured meat hanging on the balcony every day. How did you manage to save up a huge sum of four thousand yuan under these circumstances? I think you need to give a proper explanation to the organization.”

Bai Dongfeng said weakly, "Dad, never mind, never mind, let's find a place to stay first."

He was completely exhausted.

Zhao Dahong was even more unwilling, because that was the stolen money she had saved up bit by bit.

Frustrated and angry, she put her hands on her hips and shouted at the top of her lungs towards the balcony: "You heartless thief who stole money and tickets! Have you no shame? Our Bai family isn't all dead yet..."

“You have utterly disgraced the working class! Remember this: if they steal my money and tickets today, they will steal yours tomorrow…”

"Whoever spent my family's money and tickets, I hope your wife gets pregnant and gives birth to a baby with only an anus and no children..."

Inside room 602, Xu Weidong exclaimed in surprise, "Chief Qian, you've offended a very powerful family this time!"

Qian Jin said, "You talk as if I'm something special. If they're something special, then I'm something special too. Let's have a match then."

"But Old Xu, you're really good at using dirty tricks. I didn't expect people in the workers' community to be so greedy. You just said they didn't want their things anymore, and someone actually came up and robbed them..."

The person who chased Bai Dongfeng around the entrance of the residential area just after dark, asking, "Do you still want these things if they're in the way?" was Xu Weidong. He was standing behind the paper money, pointing at the furniture and household items in front of the building when he asked.

However, due to the angle, Bai Dongfeng didn't see his raised arm clearly, and casually agreed, giving him room to maneuver.

Xu Weidong clicked his tongue in amazement: "Don't look at me like that, I've also had my eyes opened."

"Originally, I thought that it would be fine if someone took a few pots and pans, trench coats, pants, and bed sheets. But if the Bai family came back at night and searched the place in a big way, it would annoy the neighbors."

"Who knew these people here were so ruthless? Taking advantage of the poor visibility at night, they not only took away the benches and chairs, but they even managed to carry away the wardrobe and three-drawer cabinet!"

Wang Dong said, "They call it a habit. Why is our security department so busy? It's because we have to prevent these people from taking things out of the factory."

"The previous slogan was 'The factory is our home, everyone should take care of it,' but now it's 'The factory is our home, don't take anything home.'"

Qian Jin laughed: "I'll take my things home. There's nothing wrong with that."

This commotion makes one thing certain.

If the Bai family wants to contact their old neighbors in the workers' new village to cause trouble for him, it won't be so easy.

Zhao Dahong was being dragged away because she was cursing her parents and everyone else in the neighborhood, even going so far as to curse the ancestors of every resident in the community...

Once she starts making sweeping generalizations, she says she doesn't love anyone.

Zhao Dahong was dragged away.

The neighborhood has finally returned to peace.

Qian Jin turned on the light to check the room layout. It was an old-fashioned three-bedroom apartment that he was used to in his previous life. The area was not large, about fifty or sixty square meters.

However, there is only a toilet and no bathroom, so the bedroom and living room seem quite large.

None of the people present had ever lived in such a modern building before, and everything was new and exciting to them. Qian Jin comforted them, saying, "In the future, our mobile canteen for the people will also be built in buildings, the kind with elevators and garden villas. Everyone will have a house then, and no one will be left out!"

People either laughed or cheered.

Everyone thought he was joking.

Qian Jin, however, was very serious.

At the same time, he carefully arranged the layout of the house: "Zhentao, you don't need to go to the collective labor tomorrow. Take a few people and tidy up this place for me."

"There's a kitchen here. I've already asked Director Wei to help me apply for a gas stove. Could you go to the liquefied gas station and get me a gas cylinder so we can cook next time we come?"

"There's no rush with the furniture. As long as we can cook, that's fine. We can add the furniture later..."

Shi Zhentao nodded in agreement.

With everything arranged, the group set off on their return journey under the cover of night.

On the way, Xu Weidong warned Qian Jin to be careful: "I've dealt with a lot of scoundrels at work. The Bai family couple are typical scoundrels. They're not easy to deal with and will be very troublesome."

Qian Jin thought this was normal; if they weren't difficult to deal with, they wouldn't have been so shameless as to seize the Qian family's house.

The next day, while he was compiling reports in his office, he received a phone call:
"Captain Qian? Come to the office building right away! Someone's causing trouble and they've even toppled the honor roll in front of the headquarters!"

It was Zhang Danxin, who had just been transferred to the publicity department.

Qian Jin was furious upon hearing this.

The Bai family doesn't even go to work during the day; they're clearly trying to harass him relentlessly.

Since that's the case, he won't stand on ceremony!
You have to strike hard!
He rode his bicycle to the supply and marketing cooperative, but when he arrived, he found no one outside the gate. He asked the old man at the gatehouse and learned that the couple had been carried to the reception room.

"Lift?" Qian Jin asked.

The old man chuckled and said, "Yes, just like carrying a pig for the New Year, they lift it up and carry it away."

“Captain Qian, how did you manage to offend this family? Didn’t you see it just now? The man was waving a banner with the words ‘Advanced Worker’ printed on it on a bamboo pole, and the woman was holding up a cardboard sign that said things like ‘Down with bureaucracy’ and ‘Strictly investigate the descendants of capitalists who have infiltrated the revolutionary ranks.’”

"If the couple keeps shouting 'Qian Jin is embezzling employee housing, please have the organization investigate thoroughly,' they might cause trouble!"

Qian Jin handed the old man a cigarette and said, "I'll go to the reception room to check on things."

But after he entered the building, he was stopped by a clerk in the warehousing and transportation department office: "The boss knew you were coming and asked me to stop you and tell you."

"Focus on your work, you don't need to worry about anything else. If someone from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative goes out and bullies others, they will be punished by discipline. But if anyone outside wants to bully someone from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, they are just dreaming!"

"You should trust the leader. He has plenty of ways to deal with these hooligans!"

Qian Jin couldn't help but salute the red flag at the entrance of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

My current workplace is fantastic.

He watched from the shadows, and soon his colleagues from the security department dragged the elderly couple out, shoved them into a jeep, and sped away, disappearing without a trace.

Back in his office, he called Yang Shengzhang to thank him.

Yang Shengzhang's booming voice came through the phone: "What are you thanking me for? If our organization can't even protect its employees, what kind of cause are we in? What kind of people are we serving?"

"You can go and move in without worry. You can handle whatever trouble they cause in private. But if they dare to cause trouble at our workplace, don't worry about it. There are plenty of people to deal with them!"

"After having his house taken over and then being forced to return it, he still dares to cause trouble. He's like a monk holding an umbrella—completely lawless!"

That goes without saying.

After getting off work, Qian Jin started making arrangements for moving.

Upon learning that the couple was moving out, Liu Youniu and his wife, along with their neighbors in the tenement building, all came out to see them off.

Liu Sanbing hugged Qian Jin's arm and burst into tears, his sobs truly heartfelt:
"Uncle Qianjin, Uncle Qianjin, don't go, you can't leave! Don't leave me here, don't leave us brothers here, we can't live without you..."

Liu Youniu went up and grabbed his son's shoulders, pulling him back: "What are you crying about? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were holding a funeral for your Uncle Qianjin!"

His wife punched him.

Qian Jin was speechless.

Originally, no one had made that connection, but after he mentioned it, everyone did.

Liu Siding, holding Xiao Tangyuan's hand, asked, "Little sister, what should we do? Are we going to stay on Liangshan Road too?"

Little Tangyuan comforted him, "It's okay, Fourth Brother, Tangyuan will come to see you again."

"You're not moving anyway," Qian Jin chuckled.

The chubby girl's eyes suddenly widened, instantly turning red, and tears streamed down her face: "Auntie, Auntie, you can't leave..."

Wei Qinghuan patted Qian Jin on the shoulder, wiped away the little chubby girl's tears, and said, "Auntie is just moving there to check things out, not to live there."

“Your uncle is still working in the Taishan Road Subdistrict Office. We still live here, but your aunt has her own house now.”

Qian Jin usually lives in a tenement building.

The locals are familiar with the area, and things are convenient here, so he has to continue leading the team and running the mobile canteen for the people.

The four children were overjoyed, and Liu Sanbing burst into laughter through his tears, his snot bubbles hanging on his smiling face, which looked quite comical.

Those who had nothing else to do from the labor shock brigade came over.

Each person has less than one piece of luggage...

Qian Jin now fully understands what the leader meant when he said, "Many hands make light work!"
Wei Qinghuan poured them tea and water first: "Comrades, you'll all have to work hard tonight."

"Teacher Wei, we're all on the same side, so please don't be so polite," Xu Weidong said, patting his chest heartily.

"You don't need to bring anything, just go through quickly and neatly!"

Wei Qinghuan clapped her hands: "The stuff is all here, so I really have to go over there now. The fire is still burning over there, and we can't leave it unattended."

Qian Jin called her in the afternoon and told her about the relocation and dinner party that evening.

Shi Zhentao has already installed a gas cylinder and a gas stove for him, so he can cook directly.

In fact, the supply of liquefied petroleum gas in Haibin City was included in the national unified allocation plan in 1972. At the same time, the Haibin City State-owned Liquefied Gas Station was established, becoming the city's first gas supply enterprise.

However, those ten years were very chaotic, which slowed down the development of many jobs. Even now, residents in the old buildings of Haibin City still do not have access to gas and rely on stoves for cooking.

However, all the newly built workers' villages are equipped with kitchens and stoves, so as long as the gas cylinder is placed and the gas stove is installed, 602 can start cooking.

Wei Qinghuan took the bus first.

Two tricycles were parked downstairs, and a group of people hurriedly began to tidy up:
"The copper hinges on this locust wood box are brittle. Wrap it in a small blanket or towel or something, it's too cold outside, it'll be even more brittle."

"Bring the stove over. Didn't Chief Qian say we'd be eating there tonight? Where are we going to sit? On the floor!"

"Come on, make way, make way. We need to bring a few quilts. No beds? I don't know, but Chief Qian told us to bring them..."

The belongings that would soon be moved were packed up, and the wheels of the tricycle crunched over the snow, the sound mingling with the cheerful laughter of the group.

A group of people rushed to Building No. 2.

The families of the workers at the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill stood by and watched indifferently.

They don't welcome money in.

After all, Qian Jin is too much of a troublemaker; everything that happened in the neighborhood yesterday was ultimately caused by him.

Qian Jin didn't care.

He has so many friends and relatives that he doesn't need to start new social connections with his neighbors.

Wei Qinghuan had been waiting at the entrance on the sixth floor. When she saw everyone appear, she waved happily and said, "Come in, come in quickly."

The kitchen was right inside the door, so she retreated inside so as not to get in the way of the moving work.

The gas stove flames roared, casting a red glow on her clothes and face in the evening light. Beneath her fluffy bangs, her smooth forehead shone with a flame-like light, making her look like a fire demon from a traditional Chinese New Year painting.

Qian Jin carried the bedding into the room.

Her eyes sparkled, as if spring water had washed over frozen earth: "Did you prepare that bed inside?"

Qian Jin arranged for Shi Zhentao to do two things ahead of schedule today.

First, install the stove in the kitchen; second, buy a bed and assemble it.

Qian Jin gave her a knowing, unspoken flirtation.

Wei Qinghuan's cheeks were even more flushed and beautiful in the flames.

Upon seeing this, Qian Jin immediately felt the cotton pile catch fire and ran into the kitchen after putting down the quilt.

Wei Qinghuan picked up the cleaver that Xu Weidong had given her.

With a few quick movements, the overcooked lamb ribs, now mushy, trembled on the jujube wood cutting board and quickly crumbled into several pieces.

Seeing that the mutton was almost cooked, she took out a white radish and cut it into chunks.

The silver bracelet on her wrist jingled rhythmically against the cutting board.

The coal stove that the People's Commune canteen usually used for its stalls was also brought over. Qian Jin replaced it with smokeless charcoal and started grilling the mutton using an iron mesh grill:
"I had two barbecue grills made, but unfortunately they haven't been delivered yet. I'll drive over and pick them up when they arrive, then it will be much more convenient for us to have barbecues."

Zhu Tao asked, "Is the barbecue delicious?"

Wei Qinghuan couldn't help but nod.

She has a particularly strong memory of the skills that Guan Dabao demonstrated at home a few days ago.

Qian Jin said, "It'll definitely taste good. We'll know once we try it."

The sliced ​​lamb leg meat had been rubbed with salt water, and the garlic slices were embedded in the meat's texture, creating a clear distinction between red and white.

Put the radish in the pot, and the rest will be stewed.

Wei Qinghuan continued to prepare the dishes.

These days, when it comes to treating guests to a meal, one dish that can't be ignored is braised pork.

It's essential for any formal dinner party to have it to set the tone.

Wei Qinghuan cut the streaky pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat into bite-sized pieces. The knife made a 'rustling' sound as it touched the skin, and the pieces quickly rolled onto the cutting board.

The second coal stove came in handy.

The moment the iron wok started smoking, she flicked her wrist and sent the rock sugar into the boiling oil, where it turned into a caramel-colored vortex. The meat chunks rolled around, coated with a glistening coating, and the aroma of star anise and cinnamon mingled with the rising steam, filling the living room.

The half-pot of braised pork was bubbling away.

Wei Qinghuan then turned her attention to stewed mutton.

She bent down to stir the mutton soup, her graceful movements resembling the pose of a small bridge in Jiangnan.

Qian Jin wanted to go onto the bridge.

Wei Qinghuan, however, was only focused on her mutton soup. She nodded in satisfaction and said, "How is it?"

Qian Jin said in a low voice, "It's beautiful."

Wei Qinghuan said smugly, "That's what I feel too."

The mutton soup in the white mist was bubbling away, and she added chopped scallions and cilantro for a touch of green.

Eat the grilled meat while it's hot.

A group of people had already opened the bottles and were dividing the wine.

Everyone brought their own enamel mugs and aluminum lunchboxes. These days, having meals together has its advantages; it reduces the risk of cross-infection of infectious diseases.

Qian Jin chopped the roasted meat into small pieces and arranged them on a plate, topped with bamboo skewers usually used for skewering vegetables.

Perfect for skewering chunks of meat.

This has an advantage.

There were too many people, so he grilled slowly. Eating the meat by tying it to a tube meant everyone could enjoy it.

The aroma of the generously sprinkled cumin powder had already filled the room, making the team members' mouths water.

Now, when roasted lamb is served, they rush to stuff it into their mouths.

Although Qian Jin's grilling was just average, the aroma of the cumin-roasted meat made up for everything, making them eat with unbelievable delight.

Barbecue can grill everything.

But roasted lamb is the king of the bunch!

A plate of lamb leg was emptied in no time, and several people were shouting, "Not enough! Not enough!"

Wei Qinghuan invited them to scoop up some mutton and mutton soup: "Try my mutton soup."

Qian Jin said from the side, "Today is like treating everyone to a buffet. Whoever wants to eat something can come and take it."

The enamel mugs clanged and clattered.

Emerald-green scallion flakes float on the milky white soup, and mutton fat beads shimmer with golden light under the lamp.

Zhu Tao scalded his mouth while drinking the soup too quickly, and mumbled, "Sister-in-law, you should be in charge of our mobile canteen! Your cooking skills are amazing!"

"This mutton stew is good enough to open a restaurant." Wang Dong said, gnawing on a lamb spine, his greasy hands leaving fingerprints on the enamel mug.

Zhu Tao used chopsticks to pick out the bone marrow, which was so hot that he slurped up breath.

Qian Jin roasted a lamb leg this time and wanted to cut off the tenderest part to feed Wei Qinghuan.

Wei Qinghuan carried an enamel basin out to deliver pork belly, and when she returned, the moonlight was falling on the tips of her hair.

The kitchen was steamy, and she was only wearing a sweater and thermal underwear that Qian Jin had chosen for her. Both clothes were tight-fitting, making her figure look graceful and shapely.

The shoes, worn smooth by the coal dust, made the exposed ankles appear even whiter.

Qian Jin stared in disbelief, and Wei Qinghuan quickly came over to take over: "Why are you still daydreaming? Flip it quickly."

As she demonstrated, she flicked her wrist, causing oil droplets to fall into the fire with a crackling sound, which then ignited a blazing flame.

The aroma of mutton gradually wafts out, with cumin seeds clinging to the crispy edges, creating a unique flavor.

Wei Qinghuan gestured for Qian Jin to go eat first, but Qian Jin shook his head. After the mutton was roasted, he picked out a piece, blew on it, and fed it to his wife.

The tender meat burst with juice between her teeth. Wei Qinghuan turned around and smiled sweetly: "You go out and have a drink first. There's not much to do. I'll grill the meat. I learned how from Brother Guan the other day."

Outside, people are already laughing and drinking.

Qian Jin went outside to look. A bench served as a table, and an enamel basin of braised pork glistened with oil. The fatty parts trembled like solidified fat, and the eggs soaked in the sauce were full of the aroma of the meat.

There were side dishes on the stool next to her. It turned out that Wei Qinghuan had prepared several cold dishes in advance to go with the drinks. These could be eaten as soon as you opened the aluminum lunchbox.

Wei Qinghuan leaned against the kitchen doorway and looked out, watching the men clinking glasses and talking animatedly.

Her own man was also among them, but he was more handsome and quieter than the other men.

If someone calls out to him, he raises his cup; if no one calls out to him, he looks up and winks at himself.

She looked away from the frosted glass window and saw that all the lights in the building across the street were on. She could vaguely see the rising steam from the kitchen window and the figures of a family preparing dinner in the living room.

The lights of every household are already on.

This is the best life.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Qian Jin used the excuse that he had to get up early for work tomorrow to send them all away.

Wei Qinghuan still had to clean up the kitchen, but Qian Jin pulled her by the wrist and led her into the bedroom: "Have Liu Dajia and the others come over to clean up tomorrow."

Her husband's hot palms sent a burning sensation through her skin.

She shook off her hand and carefully checked the doors and windows, making sure they were all locked before gracefully entering the bedroom.

Looking at the hot water Qian Jin had prepared, the female teacher blushed from the tips of her ears to her collarbone.

Qian Jin hugged him from behind.

Even through their clothes, they could feel each other's warmth.

Qian Jin stroked her wrist and suddenly asked, "Why are you wearing this chain on your wrist too?"

Wei Qinghuan said, "I also want to ask you, why did you give me so many silver bracelets?"

Qian Jin chuckled, biting his earlobe and breathing hot air as he said, "It's tied around the ankle!"

(End of this chapter)