The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 151 The Tiger Arrives Down the Mountain, Celebrating the Little New Year (Seeking Monthly Tickets at the End of the Month)
Dawn is breaking, and the coldest time of day is approaching.

The sea breeze in Kaohsiung is like a whip dipped in icy water, stinging one's cheeks.

After receiving instructions from the big man, Qian Jin hurriedly turned up the collar of his military overcoat, held the gun in both hands, and hid in the corner.

He secretly groaned.

Tonight is truly an unlucky night, I'm having the worst luck.

However, that's just how the black market in Port Kapton is; it's very chaotic and is probably the place with the most incidents in the entire coastal city's black market.

He peered out through the crack, and the moonlight spilled onto the ground outside, illuminating the outlines of the oil drums scattered across the ground, like a pack of crouching wild beasts.

Qian Jin felt the hairs on the back of his neck gradually stand up.

It's so quiet outside, eerily quiet.

"Come out." The big guy suddenly straightened up, his voice loud and confident. "Aren't you afraid of getting a cold stomach lying on the warehouse roof in this freezing weather?"

silence.

Then a low laugh came from the roof of a small warehouse directly opposite the entrance. Someone got up, reached out and grabbed the edge, and jumped down.

"Your counter-surveillance skills are quite impressive; you must be a veteran?"

The big man remained silent, watching the area ahead warily.

The other party is also quite capable.

The warehouse was two and a half meters off the ground, but he jumped down without making a sound, and rolled on the spot.

The moonlight shone on his face, revealing a square head and large ears, with a scar running from his left eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, resembling a centipede crawling across it.

Qian Jin recognized him.

This is the middle-aged man in the wool coat who greeted him earlier!

"Let me introduce myself." The scarred man patted the dust off his coat. "The brothers in the underworld give me face and call me Tiger Down the Mountain."

The big man didn't reply. Instead, he reached behind his back and pulled out a dagger: "I said, come out!"

Tiger Descending the Mountain grinned and said to Qian Jin inside, "This brother looks unfamiliar. When did such a fierce tiger like you appear in the underworld?"

"Did you make that crossbow yourself? It's powerful enough to pierce a person's skull."

"But it's nothing compared to your Browning High-Powered Gun. You actually managed to get your hands on a High-Powered Gun? Bro, wanna give it a spin?"

Qian Jin remained silent, only gripping his pistol tightly.

This is one of the five guns he acquired from the sailors, a Browning M1935 pistol.

He liked the gun because it used a double-stack magazine, which had twice the capacity of a regular pistol, making it more forgiving and suitable for a novice like him.

Qian Jin's heart skipped a beat.

Where does this person come from?
He had a bad feeling.

He had been venturing into the black market without getting into trouble, so he assumed these places were safe. In reality, the security situation in 1978 was completely different from what it would be fifty years later!

His large size became his advantage.

So he whispered to the big guy, "You take charge, and I'll be your wingman."

The big man quickly understood what he meant and shouted, "We brothers aren't exactly known for our good tempers, guys, stop hiding and come out—"

"Behind the big oil drum, behind our warehouse, and the guy lying under the window, you're not snipers, stop hiding."

"Good eye!" Upon hearing this, Xia Shanhu gave a thumbs up, then raised his voice, "Brothers, come out and meet the hero!"

Three more people emerged from the shadows.

One was as thin as a stick, twirling a butterfly knife in his hand; another was short and stout as a tree stump, carrying an iron rod on his shoulder; and there was another who wore glasses, looked like an accountant, but was holding a double-barreled shotgun.

Qian Jin cursed under his breath.

This is probably a gang of ruthless bandits.

He only brought a pistol with him, and it was too late to remove it from the store now, so he decided to give the crossbow to the big guy.
"I'll give you my crossbow."

The big man nodded almost imperceptibly, reaching one hand behind him.

Suddenly, the tiger descending the mountain waved his hand and said, "Don't be nervous. We're here to make friends, not to fight."

He pulled out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, which were only available to cadres, lit one for himself, and tossed the pack to Qian Jin: "Judging from your impressive crossbow-firing skills just now, you must have been practicing for at least ten years."

"With skills like that, it's a waste for him to be trading for food stamps on the black market."

Qian Jin took the cigarette but didn't light it.

These cigarettes are of dubious origin; Zhonghua cigarettes are now exclusively supplied to the public and can't be found in ordinary stores.

"What do you mean, Brother Tiger?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

Tiger Descending the Mountain exhaled a smoke ring: "Let's get straight to the point, there are five of us who have fought our way from the Central Plains all the way to this seaside."

He counted on his fingers, “Department stores, hardware and electrical appliances, meat processing plants, we do one deal in each city, and so far, no more, no less, ten deals!”

Currently, due to poor public security and slow information transmission, many cases do not appear in the public eye or only exist in local folklore in China.

Another measure is to prevent copycat crimes. Relevant authorities will block the spread of some cases, and only the criminal investigation team will know the details.

Xia Shanhu spoke with great pride, but Qian Jin had never heard of these cases.

The big guy was taken aback: "You mean the meat processing plant, right? Quancheng Xiangyang Meat Processing Plant?"

"During the college entrance examination last month, someone broke in, injured two security guards, and stole a huge sum of 40,000 yuan!"

Tiger Down the Mountain frowned: "They only injured them? I thought we had killed them both."

He looked at the skinny man playing with the butterfly knife and said, "Ganzi, it seems you're still holding back."

Ganzi said nonchalantly, "Brother Hu, in the end, it wasn't me who handled it, it was Xiucai who did."

The middle-aged man holding a double-barreled shotgun said in a low voice, "They didn't see our faces, so there's no need to kill them. The level of investigation without any deaths is completely different from that with deaths. We don't need to cause any extra trouble."

The tiger strode towards him, its imposing presence overwhelming.

But when he got there, he just patted him on the shoulder and laughed loudly.

"That's why I said we need to have a cultured person in our team. The scholar is right, don't kill unless it's necessary. Buddha will be angry if we commit unnecessary killings."

As he spoke, he pretended to put his palms together and bow to the west.

Then he said to Qian Jin, "Our team is still missing a gunner. Brother, you can use the Browning Power, you're definitely a good choice."

Qian Jin remained noncommittal: "I got this gun by chance, and I'm afraid it won't meet your needs, Brother Tiger."

The tiger came down the mountain.

The big guy pointed at him and shouted, "Back off!"

Xia Shanhu raised his hand and smiled at him: "I saw your skills too, brother. You're a tough guy."

"Those idiots in the city management team used consecutive numbered tickets to lure people into arresting them. That's the stupidest thing they could do."

"But your ability to spot the problem so quickly shows that your insight is definitely not that of an ordinary person."

"Brother, considering your counter-surveillance skills, I dare say you were a reconnaissance soldier in the army, just like me, right?"

The big man said, "You're not a scout; you've never even been in the military."

The tiger descending the mountain was surprised: "Huh?"

The tall man pointed to the silent, short, stocky man: "He served in the army, but not in the main force, right?"

Tiger looked at him intently and said, "Brother, join our team."

"To be honest, I came to the black market recently to scout it out. I wanted to see what the black market prices were like in Haibin City."

"It turns out that you two brothers have shown off your skills. This is fate. Buddha wants you two to join us, so join us. One job will be enough to live on for ten years!"

The warehouse was so quiet you could hear the coal ash hitting the ground.

Qian Jin felt the big guy's muscles tense up, and when he bent over, his whole body looked like a fully drawn bow.

He quickly processed the tiger's words, discovering an opportunity within the crisis:
"Brother Tiger, you flatter me," he said, deliberately feigning hesitation. "However, I heard that the country is going to vigorously develop Haibin City, so since that leader of Huaye took office last year, he has sent a lot of elite troops to Haibin City."

"A new leader has joined the Public Security Bureau. He's a formidable figure; he used to be in charge of catching spies..."

"Bullshit!" the skinny guy suddenly interrupted. "We have informants! We know exactly when the police change shifts and which routes they take!"

The scholar couldn't help but say, "The least feared are those mediocre people; they're all useless."

"Shut up!" Tiger shouted sternly.

Turning to Qian Jin, he put on a smiling face again: "Brother, don't be offended, a newbie like me doesn't know the rules. But Ganzi is right, we do have connections."

He leaned closer, his breath wafting into the warehouse: "There's a big job coming up in three days. If we pull it off, we'll split the profits according to the number of people involved, how about it?"

Qian Jin pretended to be interested and rubbed his hands together, but still hesitated: "What exactly is it? Can you tell me a little bit?"

Xia Shanhu hesitated for a moment, then threw away his cigarette butt, turned around twice, and said, "The Haibin City Supply and Marketing Cooperative wants to transfer a sum of money. That's all I can say!"

Qian Jin tilted his head and looked at the other person in surprise.

The Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative...

That's interesting.

They've made a scene on his turf?
Qian Jin originally just wanted to fool this group of people and then run away as quickly as possible, so that he would try not to come to the black market in Jiagang again.

The information the other party threw out piqued his interest.

A golden opportunity to make a name for yourself!

But it wouldn't be easy to make a name for himself in the face of these desperate criminals, so he had to think of a way.

After hesitating for a long time, he put away his pistol and came out: "How much money does the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives have?"

Seeing that he was interested, the tiger immediately smiled and stretched out his palm, twirling it around.

Qian Jin asked in surprise, "One million!"

Tiger, who had subconsciously nodded and was wearing a smug smile, suddenly froze and hurriedly said, "It's 100,000 yuan!"

"No way, brother, how could you even think of that? A million? You said a million?!"

Qian Jin said innocently, "The All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives is the richest organization besides banks. I thought they were a big fat sheep."

Xia Shanhu's expression was complicated; for a moment, he didn't know how to continue the conversation.

He walked up to Qian Jin and extended his hand: "If you two want to join, go to the Jiutiaoji air-raid shelter at eight o'clock tomorrow night. Do you know where it is?"

"Never mind whether he knows or not, we've already told him the location. If he can't even find it, then his skills aren't what we need," Ganzi said dismissively.

Qian Jin naturally knew the location of the Jiutiaoji air-raid shelter.

Actually, Jiutiaoji is located near Jiutiaoxiang, which he often visits. Jiutiaoxiang leads outwards to the sea, which is Jiutiaoji.

Like Jiutiao Lane, this air-raid shelter is known for its complex internal passages. The name "Island" indicates that it is related to water, and indeed, there is a passage that leads to the sea.

So Qian Jin knew from their names that these people were very cautious.

Even the most desperate criminals hiding in places like Kujo Isok aren't afraid to leak his information to the police.

Leaving aside the question of how many options Jiutiaoji has, let's just talk about the complex situation of the people inside.

The air-raid shelter housed all sorts of people: unregistered educated youth who had fled back to the city, migrant workers from the countryside who had nowhere to go and no jobs, and some criminals—the composition was quite complex.

Qian Jin hesitated for a moment, then resolutely refused: "If you really want to invite me to join your group, then we can't meet at Jiutiaoji."

The tiger narrowed its eyes, revealing a dangerous smile: "Where do you want to go?"

Qian Jin said, "Let's go to sea!"

"What?" The tiger descending the mountain was stunned by those words again.

Qian Jin said, "Find a boat, whether it's a small one or a big one, we need to meet at sea."

"To be honest, you certainly don't trust me, and I don't trust you either, so I dare not go to Kujoiso to see you rashly."

"Brother Tiger," Ganzi said impatiently, "forget it, this kid's got guts for nothing..."

"Shall we all go to the Public Security Bureau now? Do you dare?" Qian Jin said angrily. "A contest of courage? Then let's go to the Public Security Bureau."

The pole was also furious: "I may be bold, but I'm not stupid..."

"So, you call it clever of me to sneak into Jiutiaoji when I don't even know you?" Qian Jin sneered.

"If you don't want to sincerely invite me, then forget it. But if you do, let's be honest and meet at sea tomorrow."

"There is an advantage to meeting at sea. First, the sea is open, and no one can hide anything messy."

"Secondly, even if the other party has problems, there are no lights at sea and it's pitch black at night. We can just dive into the water and get out without fear of being caught."

The scholar couldn't help but nod: "That is indeed a sound suggestion."

Ganzi said angrily, "But where are we going to find a boat? We don't know anyone here, how are we going to find a boat to get out to sea?"

Qian Jin laughed: "If you don't even have this skill, then I have serious doubts about your abilities."

The man impulsively grabbed a knife and tried to stab him.

The big guy quickly got up.

Qian Jin waved his hand to stop his reaction, showing no fear.

After all, he was wearing a face mask.

The tiger descending the mountain stopped the pole, very satisfied with Qian Jin's performance: "He's a tough character."

"Don't worry, brother, see you at sea tomorrow night—but on which part of the sea?"

Qian Jin waved to him and whispered in his ear, "Naturally, we should go to Chengtuo Bay in Houhai. It's quite vast and sheltered from the wind, so the sea is very calm."

The tiger descending the mountain glanced at the big man but didn't say anything; he simply nodded with a smile.

"Then meet me tomorrow night at 10 PM outside cargo ship 202 at Northeast Port in Qianhai." Xia Shanhu patted him on the shoulder. "Bring your crossbow, it's a really good thing."

Qian Jin shook his head and said, "I'm not bringing any of my equipment tomorrow."

Tiger Down the Mountain laughed heartily: "What a courageous fellow!"

Both sides separate.

The big man looked at Qian Jin with anger in his eyes.

At this point, Qian Jin couldn't explain, so he could only earnestly say to the big man, "Brother, please, you must..."

"Our deal is done, friend. We can't talk about this anymore. Goodbye." The big man turned and left.

Qian Jin shrugged at this.

It's a bit of a pity.

The big guy was clearly an elite fighter; he was likely just a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things.
In the past two years, many soldiers have been discharged from the military and returned to civilian life, which is related to policy.

In order to address the problems of disproportionate numbers and bloated military, the military held an enlarged meeting in June 1975, demanding a reduction of 600,000 troops within three years. Three months later, the "Plan for Reducing Military Personnel and Adjusting the System and Organization" drafted by the General Staff was approved, and the reduction began.

The large-scale troop reductions are not targeted at any individual or squad; rather, entire units at the regimental level or above are often eliminated.

This has led to many outstanding military talents flowing into society.

Qian Jin thought this big guy was one of them.

However, capturing this gang of robbers and gaining merit is far more important than befriending a veteran.

The reason he whispered to Xia Shanhu about their location was because he was afraid the big guy wouldn't be able to accept it and would turn around and call the police.

That would be terrible for him.

After all, he's wearing a hood, so if he gets caught, he won't be able to explain himself.

In addition, his decision not to call the police but to take matters into his own hands suggests that, besides wanting to gain merit, he also wanted to protect his identity.

Xia Shanhu and his gang were right about one thing.

After a decade of turmoil, the security team now has few truly capable criminal investigators; most are just there to make a living.

If we rely on this group to arrest these people, and they succeed, they could commit crimes all the way from Zhongyuan Province to Haibin City.
If he goes in and calls the police, he'll probably be interrogated first, so he's less likely to succeed in arresting the person himself.

This trip to the black market was quite a nerve-wracking experience.

He gained a lot, but it was far from what he expected.

He originally intended to make money by finding old items, but now the black market in Jiagang has become a marketplace where everyone is doing business.

Qian Jin couldn't find any valuable items to sell in the mall, so he had to go home and scavenge his inventory.

He has to thank the Fourth Elementary School for this.

The four couldn't offer him much help, but they could provide him with a safety net. They consistently helped him collect small items such as cigarette and liquor labels from nearby recycling stations.

I also recently helped him collect his old comic books.

He didn't collect many items, but when he put them up for sale in the online store, he made over seven thousand yuan.

The day after tomorrow will be the Little New Year.

In Haibin City, government agencies, factories, and mines all have a day off for the Lunar New Year.

The labor commando team also had a holiday, but Qian Jin gave the team members welfare benefits today, so the study room was already packed with people just as dawn was breaking.

The reason for distributing the benefits at this particular time is simply to avoid outsiders noticing.

It's very cold today, and it's snowing lightly. The north wind is blowing fine snowflakes that are pattering against the windows.

The team members who rushed to the study room had their faces red from the strong wind, but their faces were glowing with joy.

Qian Jin entered the room, his breath steaming in the air, and the group of people immediately burst into cheers.

He walked up to the podium and slammed his hand on the table: "Keep a low profile, everyone. What did I tell you? The meat has to rot in our own pot."

The cheers below immediately ceased.

His prestige is growing.

“We’ll collect our benefits according to our commando unit numbers,” Qian Jin said, stamping the snow off his feet and pulling a list from his overcoat pocket. “Those whose names are called, come forward and collect yours. The rest of you, don’t rush or make a fuss.”

In the study room, more than sixty welfare items were neatly stacked on the podium.

Qian Jin bought them all from the mall in the middle of the night.

The old items that the Liu family production team in Hongxing gave him this time weren't worth much; after selling a dozen or so Yuan Shikai silver dollars, they were worth less than a thousand yuan.

The production team, which was so resourceful that water would come out if you just squeezed it, had been squeezed dry, so it was very necessary for him to go to Xiamaqiao after the New Year.

Today, Qianjin had enough money to give out welfare items thanks to the cigarette labels, liquor labels, and matchbox labels that his four little ones had been collecting for him. He managed to sell them for 8,000 yuan, which was enough to buy enough welfare items from the mall.

Each person had ten pounds of pork tied with straw rope, the fat of which was two fingers thick.

Five pounds of eggs, each wrapped in rice husks for shock absorption. Five pairs of thick cotton socks, two pairs of canvas cotton gloves, and a bar of soap printed with the words "Labor is Glorious".

These things are all rare treasures for ordinary people nowadays, and you have to queue up with tickets to buy any of them.

Qian Jin glanced at the roster, then handed it to Wei Xiongtu: "You read it for me, I'm so sleepy."

He was busy preparing these welfare items late into the night last night, and coupled with the energy he's recently expended on Wei Qinghuan, he's been yawning and wanting to sleep a lot lately.

Wei Xiongtu called out names:
"Wang Dong!"

"Here!" Wang Dong jumped over, bracing himself on the table, displaying his agile skills as a security guard.

He took a look at the welfare items and was about to shout with joy when Qian Jin waved his hand: "Quiet down, everyone. Take your welfare items quietly and go home quietly later. Hurry home while there are fewer people."

Wang Dong nodded hurriedly.

One by one, names were called out, and team members quietly came forward to receive their gifts.

No one spoke; they were all grinning.

"Zhoushan Lake!"

Hearing his name called, Zhou Shanhu was still incredibly excited, even though he knew this moment would come sooner or later.

He wanted to jump off the table as gracefully as Wang Dong, but the table was malfunctioning. He pushed it up with both hands and flipped it over, landing on his back like a little girl.

The team members, who were overjoyed, couldn't contain themselves and burst into laughter and shouts.

Zhou Shanhu picked up the cotton hat that had fallen to the ground, put it on his head, and rushed forward, the ear flaps of the hat fluttering merrily up and down.

His hands were trembling as he took the welfare items: "Chief Qian, this... this is really for me? I got some too?"

Qian Jin said, "Nonsense, everyone gets a holiday bonus."

"I've heard your captain's feedback. You're performing very well in the team right now, which is a good thing. I have to praise you. Keep up the good work in the future."

"Also, take the welfare home today and have your mom make you some steamed buns. Tell them that this is the welfare you earned with your own hands!"

Zhou Shanhu hugged the pork like it was a gold ingot, bowing repeatedly: "Thank you, Chief Qian, thank you, Chief Qian!"

His father was a master photographer, and the family was well-off; they never lacked meat.

But that's all because his family members work hard to earn money and provide him with meat.

This is the first time I've ever earned enough meat to treat my family to.

Before going to prison, he was a thief. Although he made a lot of money, it was not from an honest source, and he knew he couldn't show it off.

After being imprisoned, things were even worse; he was subjected to forced labor without any dignity.

After his release from prison, neighbors and relatives avoided him. It was difficult for him to find a job or even make friends.

Everything changed after he was assigned to the labor shock brigade.

There are many tasks to be done, but he also has many friends here, and the leaders respect him and never treat him as an outsider. This respect and equal treatment is what he needs most, more than any amount of money or material things.

What excited him wasn't the welfare items distributed by the team, but Qian Jin's words, "The welfare you earned with your own hands."

This has never happened before.

Seeing the way they bowed repeatedly to Qian Jin, a burst of good-natured laughter erupted from the group.

Zhu Tao teased him in a loud voice, "Xiao Shan, you're drooling so much your saliva is practically dripping from your eyes."

Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder and said, "I understand how you feel. Like I said, what's past is past."

"You have made mistakes in the past. There is no need to avoid them or pretend that they never happened. Self-deception is unacceptable."

"But remember, since the country is letting you return to society, it means that your punishment is over. From now on, you are innocent. There is no need to be ashamed of your past. As long as you are down-to-earth and honest in the future, there will be no problem."

Zhou Shanhu gritted his teeth and said, "Chief Qian, don't worry. Anyone in our team might get into trouble, but I will never do anything wrong."

Wang Dong was taken aback: "Why the hell does this sound so off?"

Qian Jin pushed Zhou Shanhu away and said, "I think it's exactly what I'm looking for. A real man should have this kind of ruthlessness."

"And now you're throwing away all your skills to show your determination to break with the past? Listen to me, it's not necessary. If someone in the community forgets their keys, you should go and help them."

"As long as you have a clear conscience, don't care what others say."

Zhou Shanhu nodded: "Yes, I understand!"

The welfare items were plentiful, and everyone was happy.

After distributing the welfare money, the group dispersed, huddled together with their arms around each other's shoulders, their faces beaming with joy.

“My goodness, my dad has been working for thirty years, and the factory’s New Year’s bonus has never been this good.”

"I never expected our commando unit to have benefits too. Damn, isn't this better than many regular units?"

"That's true, especially when you look at the other assault teams, what kind of trash are they?"

"This is nothing!" Qian Jin handed the last two bonuses to Wei Xiongtu. "Keep up the good work, and the bonuses next year at this time will definitely be better than this year's!"

"We'll try to get a radio for each person then, and in three to five years, we'll try to get a motorcycle for each person!"

Everyone laughed and said yes.

They trusted Qian Jin completely, but still thought it was just a joke.

Wei Xiongtu was a little embarrassed: "I'm not..."

“You’re Teacher Wei, and a member of our commando team, so of course I have to prepare a copy for you too,” Qian Jin said.

Wei Xiongtu asked, "But I have two portions here, oh, and one for Xiaoqing too."

Qian Jin said, "My wife doesn't need this. Send one to Teacher Song Zhiyuan. You two are good friends, so you can go and deliver it."

By the time the benefits were distributed, the sun was high in the sky.

The light snowfall couldn't dampen the children's enthusiasm for playing.

Qian Jinxian went to the police station to inquire with Cheng Hua about the major robbery at the meat processing plant in Jinan.

Such a case did indeed occur.

Police have not yet identified who committed the crime, but have determined through footprints and other traces that there were four perpetrators.

Qian Jin asked, "Were there any casualties?"

Cheng Hua shook his head and said, "No, the robbers had guns, and the security guards at the meat processing plant are all quail eggs—worse than quails."

"When the robbers rushed in, their security guards quickly locked the door and hid. It was a good thing, because the robbers reportedly wanted to find them and tell them they were going to kill them, but they couldn't find them after searching around."

At this point, he remarked, "These security guards are quite adept at playing hide-and-seek."

Qian Jin figured that the four men, including Xia Shan Hu, were just bragging.

They were trying to kill people, but they also claimed they didn't want to cause trouble and only injured people. In reality, they only stole the money!

Having gathered the information, Qian Jin had a clear idea of ​​what was going on, so he went out and went home.

As you step into the tenement building community, the festive atmosphere becomes even stronger.

This shop has sausages hanging in its window, and that shop has salted fish drying on its balcony.

Several teenagers chased after the firecrackers, and after a crisp 'bang,' they scattered and ran away laughing.

The air is filled with the aroma of fried radish balls, mixed with a faint smell of sulfur—this is the unique atmosphere of the Little New Year.

The windows of 204 and 205 were decorated with paper-cut window decorations—a chubby baby holding a carp.

This is Wei Qinghuan's masterpiece.

Qian Jin now feels that finding a teacher as a wife is perfect for a man, especially for someone with a leisurely job like a night school teacher.

Wei Qinghuan has many holidays, so he doesn't need to worry about anything at home; the lady of the house can handle it all herself.

Before even entering the house, I could already hear the rhythmic clapping of filling inside, a light and cheerful sound like a little tune.

As I pushed open the door, a wave of heat mixed with fragrance rushed out.

Wei Qinghuan was kneading dough in front of the workbench when she heard the door open and turned around. Sweat clung to her cheeks, making her skin look as smooth as a freshly peeled egg.

Qian Jin replaced her with a full set of skincare products, changed the packaging, and said it was brought by someone else. Anyway, it was something Wei Qinghuan used at home, so no one could see it and he wasn't worried about anyone asking questions.

"You're back?" Wei Qinghuan's eyes curved into crescents. "Have you finished distributing the perks?"

"All distributed." Qian Jin hung his military overcoat behind the door, reached into his pocket, clenched his fist, and pulled it out: "Here, this is ours."

Wei Qinghuan wiped her hands, and Qian Jin opened his fist, which was empty.

"How could you be so naughty!" The female teacher twisted her waist and kicked him. Her two long, black braids swayed gently on her slender waist, like two mischievous little hands shaking.

Qian Jin saw that there was no one in the room, not even a dog, so he immediately hugged the person in his arms.

Wei Qinghuan now exudes an even stronger sense of womanhood.

Like the dough he was kneading in his hands, it was warm and soft.

That's a real talent.

Both stoves in the room were burning fiercely, and the air was thick with heat.

During the day, with people coming and going, Qian Jin could only indulge in the act of washing his hands and helping Wei Qinghuan knead dough.

"No need for that." Wei Qinghuan lifted the lid off the basin to show him.

Inside, the dough lay plump in the earthenware pot, like a small pillow.

The enamel basin next to it contained the filling.

The finely chopped pork filling was mixed with chopped green onions, minced ginger, and a small handful of cilantro that Wei Qinghuan had planted on the windowsill.

The golden oil has seeped out, forming small oil puddles on the surface of the filling.

Qian Jin washed his hands and said, "Then I'll help you roll out the dough."

The first gift Wei Qinghuan gave Qian Jin was steamed buns. In addition, the first thing Wei Xiongtu said to Qian Jin when praising his sister was: "Her steamed buns are delicious."

This is true.

Wei Qinghuan's technique for making steamed buns is amazing; it's both fast and looks beautiful.

Holding the dough in the left hand, the right thumb gently presses down, and the index finger follows with a pinch, causing each fold to unfold like a flower petal.

Finally, pinch a small tuft at the top and tug it gently, saying to yourself, "If you don't behave, I'll tug it off!"

Qian Jin felt hot all over, so he tried to distract himself: "Why are you wrapping so many?"

There were at least thirty or forty steamed buns lined up on the cutting board, but half of the dough and filling were still left.

"Make a few extra, give two to everyone upstairs, downstairs, and to the neighbors." Wei Qinghuan wiped away sweat, leaving a white mark on her cheek. "By the way, Director Wei told me yesterday that the neighborhood is organizing an event this afternoon."

"I need to steam buns for the elderly living alone and families of martyrs. I don't have much to do, so I agreed to help..."

Before she could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a knocking sound: "Open the door! Open the door!"

The little dumpling's loud cries were mixed with the sounds of tugging at the door; only Huang Chui could make something like this.

Qian went in to open the door. Little Tangyuan was already used to her uncle and aunt locking the door when they were home.

She was wrapped up like a marshmallow, and as soon as she entered, she rushed towards Qian Jin: "Delicious Uncle! Give me some water!"

Qian Jin gave her an enamel mug, which she picked up and tilted her head back to gulp down the contents.

They are very easy to raise.

After wrapping the buns, place them in the sun to rise.

Wei Qinghuan tested the temperature, shook her head, and covered him with the blanket again: "If only we had an electric blanket, the dough would rise much faster that way."

Qian Jin held her close as they looked out the window at a group of snotty-nosed children setting off firecrackers and playing around.

The child was making a ruckus and the dog was jumping around.

Wei Qinghuan nuzzled his chin with the top of her head: "This is the life I've always wanted."

She looked up, furious: "What kind of expression is that?"

Qian Jin looked like he couldn't bear to watch: "Did you see what Liu Sanbing did? His snot froze, so he just licked it off with his tongue, put it in his mouth, and then spat it out..."

Wei Qinghuan was stunned.

He also showed a disgusted expression.

The two families had a total of four stoves, all of which were turned on to steam buns.

The heat was intense, and the steam from the steamer quickly rose and grew thicker, gradually filling the entire room.

Wei Xiongtu silently pushed open the door and sat down. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed a head of garlic and began peeling and crushing it.

Qian Jin said admiringly, "Brother-in-law, your contribution is truly immense."

Wei Xiongtu said, "I also contributed the porridge I had for lunch today."

He pointed to the wooden bucket of malted milk powder he had brought, which contained fried noodles.

It contains added white sugar, so it's a delicious dessert that many families only give to children and the elderly.

Qian Jin asked, "Where did this come from? Was it a gift from Teacher Song?"

Wei Xiongtu nodded.

The sounds of mothers calling to their children could be heard outside, and the children, who had been playing wildly, began to run home.

Customs vary from place to place. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, many places have the custom of making sesame candy.

But not in Haibin City. For lunch, they eat steamed buns, and for dinner, they eat millet cakes. They eat something delicious at noon and something sweet at night. This has been the happy meal for many families since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

When it's mealtime, without Qian Jin even having to call her, Xiao Tangyuan comes running back with a cheerful "Hey hey hey."

The moment Wei Qinghuan lifted the pot lid, a cloud of white steam billowed up, carrying the aromas of noodles, meat, and scallions, domineeringly filling everyone's nostrils.

She called out to the four little ones who ran past the door, "Come back, bring some steamed buns home to eat."

The four little ones blew in like a gust of wind, laughing incessantly: "Teacher Wei's steamed buns are the best in the whole Haibin area."

At least in terms of appearance, that's not an exaggeration.

More than twenty plump, white buns lay on the steamer, their skins so thin you could see the meat filling inside, moistened by the broth, and their pleats on top blooming like a flower.

Little Tangyuan had already climbed onto the stool, her little nose twitching: "Auntie, I can eat three!"

Wei Qinghuan gave half of the pot to the four children.

She could tell that Qian Jin really liked the four brothers, and although she didn't understand why, she also grew to like them as well.

In particular, the four of them took good care of Xiao Tangyuan. Sometimes Xiao Tangyuan would cry from being with his four older brothers, but Wei Qinghuan could tell that the child's emotional state was much better than before.

The four children were very greedy, and as soon as they got the steamed buns, they each took one and started eating.

Biting into the piping hot dough reveals even piping hot meat juice.

The meat juices flowed down his hands, and the four little ones cried out in pain from the heat but wouldn't let go, even licking the meat juices directly with their mouths.

Qian Jin was convinced.

These days, kids don't care about hygiene at all. Take these four brothers, for example. They just set off firecrackers, threw snowballs, and probably even picked their noses and bottoms.

As a result, the meat juices dripped onto their hands, which they then licked directly with their tongues, swallowing the unclean stuff.

However, none of the four of them got sick.

Even Qian Jin has caught a cold twice, but the four of them are full of energy, like four toad spirits.

Tangyuan (sweet rice balls) also need to be served with steamed buns.

Wei Xiongtu quickly took her away to wash her hands.

Wei Qinghuan smiled and picked up one with her chopsticks. With a gentle lift, a stream of oily soup immediately oozed from the pleats of the bun: "You have to let it release some steam first, or you'll burn your mouth."

The little glutinous rice balls are waiting to eat this bun.

Then Wei Qinghuan touched the temperature and casually handed it to Qian Jin.

Qian Jin took the steamed bun his wife handed him and carefully took a bite.

The dough is soft yet chewy, the meat filling is tender and juicy, and the aroma of scallions perfectly balances the greasiness of the fatty meat.

The best part is that sip of soup, piping hot and rich, sliding down your throat and warming you from the inside out.

This made him nod in agreement as he ate: "Wife, your steamed buns are the best in the world, not just the best by the seaside."

Wei Qinghuan laughed: "Your mouth is the best in the world."

"Where's my tongue?" Qian Jin joked casually, and Wei Qinghuan glared at him angrily.

He was stunned.

I never expected Wei Qinghuan to hear such words.

Little Tangyuan couldn't understand, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's, and she mumbled, "One more!"

Wei Qinghuan picked out another steamed bun for her.

Zhang Aijun urged her, "Teacher Wei, you should eat quickly. I'll feel embarrassed to eat if you don't."

Qian Jin looked at the empty plate in front of him and couldn't say a word.

There were five steamed buns on this plate!

Wei Qinghuan smiled and said, "Seeing you all enjoying your meal makes me very happy."

Wei Xiongtu handed her the steamed buns: "You eat, you eat. Today is different from the past, and it will be different from the past in the future. You don't need to let others eat the steamed buns first."

He exclaimed, “Time is truly amazing. At this time last year, my family managed to buy half a pound of meat with the money we had saved up and the meat coupons. Xiaoqing insisted on using it to mix a large cabbage into the filling and made a meal of ‘meat buns’.”

"In just one year, we can already see pure meat buns on the dining table."

Qian Jin said, "Next year at this time, we'll add shrimp to our steamed buns and make big shrimp steamed buns."

Wei Qinghuan smiled, her eyes sparkling: "Okay, I'll make some for you if you like."

Qian Jin said, "Then I'll give you a gift that you'll like."

He took out a TV ticket and handed it to Wei Qinghuan: "I've already spoken to the department store, and they'll reserve one for us when it arrives."

"The department store will definitely receive the goods before the New Year. You can go there and bring back a TV then."

Wei Qinghuan looked at the ticket with a picture of a television set on it and a surprised smile appeared on her face.

Feiyue brand television.

14 inches.

(End of this chapter)