Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 137 Angry
No. 7, Hutong, Suzhou.

A middle-aged man rode his bicycle to the front yard of No. 7 Courtyard. He reached out to knock on the door, but hesitated for a long time.

This middle-aged man was Li Zhenguo. He had come to ask Li Zhe for help, but he was a little embarrassed at the last minute.

Li Zhe is a good kid and has always respected his uncle. He believes that as long as he asks, Li Zhe will definitely help him.

The problem is that his nephew came to the capital, and he, as the uncle, should have taken care of him. However, the reality was the opposite; he didn't take good care of his nephew, but was instead taken care of by his nephew.

Every time he visited the Chen family, he brought gifts for his own family. On his own birthday, he even remembered to treat his family to a meal at Donglaishun Restaurant. He kept these things in mind.

It was precisely because of these reasons that he was embarrassed to speak up.

Suddenly, the courtyard gate opened.

Li Zhe was feeling a bit craving something sweet. He had finished his chocolate and was about to go out to buy some donkey rolls when he saw his uncle standing at the door.

"Second Uncle, what brings you here?"

"Oh, I came to see you." Li Zhenguo forced a smile.

Li Zhe stepped aside, saying, "Second Uncle, come in quickly. It's cold outside. Let's go inside and talk."

Li Zhenguo asked, "Are you getting ready to go out? If you have something to do, go ahead and do it, don't delay."

"It's nothing, I just went out for a walk." Li Zhe closed the courtyard gate and led Li Zhenguo into the house.

Li Zhenguo muttered, "I know there are a lot of people here, so our factory gave us some canned goods, including luncheon meat and canned fruit. I brought you a few cans. There are also some roasted chestnuts, which my colleague roasted himself. He gave me some to have as a snack."

"That's great!" Li Zhe smiled as he took the items and casually placed the canned goods on the dresser.

Roasted chestnuts were placed on the coffee table. I opened the paper package and tried one; it tasted good.

Li Zhe brewed another pot of tea. The roasted chestnuts served with the tea were a delightful treat.

Li Zhe poured his second uncle a cup of tea. Seeing that he looked a little uneasy, he thought to himself: It's already afternoon, and my second uncle doesn't seem to have come here to drink, nor does he seem to be going back to his hometown. "Second Uncle, is there something you need to see me about?"

"Well, I came here today because I have something to discuss."

"Just tell me what it is." Li Zhe peeled a chestnut and put it in his mouth.

Li Zhenguo picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and then told him about Wang Guangwei's request for his help in purchasing vegetables.

Li Zhe countered, "How many dishes does Director Wang want?"

"Just take 4 jin of the same kind of green vegetables."

Li Zhe's vegetables were already pre-ordered, and ordering too much would be difficult, but four catties of each kind of vegetable could still be squeezed out. "Second Uncle, when do you plan to eat them?"

"We'll use them at noon the day after tomorrow." After saying that, Li Zhenguo asked with some concern, "Won't taking these vegetables affect your business?"

Li Zhe knew his second uncle well; he was the type who didn't like to trouble others. He was fine with taking a loss himself, but he would feel embarrassed if he took advantage of others.

This kind of personality isn't good; it's hard for such a person to get along well in society. However, this kind of person is definitely a good person.

"Four pounds of the same vegetable is no problem," Li Zhe replied with a smile. Unlike his uncle, who was worried about causing him trouble, Li Zhe was thinking further ahead. It is said that having more friends means having more paths in life. Li Zhe and that Director Wang were related by marriage in a roundabout way. If they didn't keep in touch, they were strangers; if they did, they could be considered relatives and friends.

That Director Wang, who became the office director of the Beijing TV Factory, must be a very shrewd and capable person. We might need his help in the future.

Li Zhe has some money now, but what he lacks are friends and connections. If he can build a network of relationships, he can go further in the future.

"Second Uncle, I'll deliver the groceries to your house tomorrow morning. That way you won't have to make an extra trip."

"That's fine. I'll cook you something delicious at home tomorrow noon. The old lady has been saying for a while that she'll definitely treat you well next time you come."

"Okay, then I'm welcome."

"Don't be shy, make yourself at home." Without realizing it, Li Zhenguo's tone had become firmer. Normally, even if he wanted to invite his nephew to dinner at home, he wouldn't have been able to make that decision.

Ever since his nephew made him look good on his birthday, he has been living a more and more comfortable life in the Chen family. He has never been so relaxed in all these years.

……

Daying Village.

In the morning, Wang Xiuying finished tidying up at home and did not go to help in the greenhouse as usual.

She had been feeling something was off lately; her younger sister hadn't been home since this summer.

She had planned to go and take a look a few days ago, but there was a lot to do in the greenhouse, so she was busy helping out.

Later, her brother-in-law also brought his eldest son-in-law to work in the greenhouse. She originally thought she would see her sister in a few days, but so many days have passed and she still hasn't seen her.

She also asked her brother-in-law, who either said he was busy or that he would be there soon. Wang Xiuying felt something was wrong; there must be something going on.

Wang Xiuying wrapped herself in a cotton coat, put on a cotton hat and gloves, and rode her bicycle out. The cold wind blew in her face, and Wang Xiuying's cheeks turned red from the cold, and her eyes were watering. She could only keep her head down and ride forward with a 'puffing' sound.

Yangma Village is located to the east of Daying Village, separated by a distance of two villages.

Ma Changhe's home is in the west of the village, and she could see the newly built brick house from a distance. She felt a little envious and thought to herself: "My family will be able to build a new house next year too."

She pushed her bicycle to the door and knocked.

"Who is it?" came a little girl's voice from the courtyard.

“Pan Di, I am your aunt.”

The door opened, and a thin, dark-skinned girl rushed out and hugged Wang Xiuying: "Auntie's here! I've missed you so much!"

"You silly girl, all you do is talk. Your dad works for us. If you really miss your aunt, why don't you take your bicycle there?"

"Auntie, I want to go too, but my dad won't let me."

Wang Xiuying frowned: "He won't let me? Why won't he let me?"

Pan Di lowered his head and remained silent.

Wang Xiuying felt something was wrong: "Where's your mother?"

"My mother... isn't home."

"You're all alone at home?" Wang Xiuying was a little skeptical. Her younger sister wasn't exactly a hard worker, so where could she have gone in this freezing weather?
Pan Di lowered his head and remained silent.

Wang Xiuying pushed the cart inside: "Auntie brought you some delicious food, let's go inside and talk."

Upon hearing that there was something delicious to eat, Pan Di looked expectant: "Auntie, what's delicious?"

"There are White Rabbit candy and Daoxiangcun ox-tongue biscuits, Sachima, and jujube flower cakes." Li Na has been eating too many sweets lately, and her teeth have started to hurt. Wang Xiuying didn't dare let her eat too much, so she shared some of the snacks that Li Zhe bought.

Pan Di swallowed hard: "Auntie, are these really for me to eat?"

Wang Xiuying patted her little dark face: "Of course it's for you to eat. Your second brother bought it all from the capital. When your two older sisters come back, you can share some with them too, okay?"

"Mmm." Pan Di nodded repeatedly and led Wang Xiuying into the north room.

"Auntie, have some water." Pan Di poured a cup of hot water, filling it a little too full, and carefully handed it to Wang Xiuying.

Wang Xiuying took the water vat: "Don't worry about me, just open the paper bag and eat your snacks. Don't eat too many White Rabbit candies at once, or you'll get a toothache."

Pan Di responded, peeled off a piece of White Rabbit candy and put it in his mouth, his eyes wide open: "Auntie, this candy is so sweet, so delicious."

"The snacks are delicious too, you should try them all." Wang Xiuying opened the paper package and pushed it in front of Pandi.

Pan Di stared intently at the pastries in the paper package, her eyes glued to the contents. She stretched out her little hand, then withdrew it—she wanted to finish the candy in her mouth before eating the pastries.

Wang Xiuying stood up, walked to the door of the east room, lifted the curtain and looked around, but saw no one else.

Then, she walked to the entrance of the west room and lifted the curtain. There was a square table on the floor of the west room with two sets of bowls and chopsticks on it. The corn porridge in the bowls was still warm, and Wang Xiuying touched the rim of the bowls.

Wang Xiuying frowned, her gaze sweeping around before landing on the wardrobe. She walked over, reached out to open the door, and tugged at it, but the door wouldn't open.

She tried another door, but it wouldn't open either.

Wang Xiuying felt even more uneasy, grabbed a door with both hands, and pulled it outwards suddenly.

"Oh dear." A voice came from inside the wardrobe.

Wang Xiuying immediately recognized the other person's identity.

"Wang Huilan! I've come all this way to see you, what are you doing hiding here? Come out!" Wang Xiuying also lost her temper. As long as Li Zhe wasn't around, she was always the one who had the final say at home.

A panicked face appeared in the wardrobe. She looked somewhat haggard, with a few white strands mixed in with her black hair at the temples, making her look older than Wang Xiuying.

"Sis, why...why did you suddenly come?"

Wang Xiuying snorted, "What's so sudden? Are you planning to never see us again? What are you doing hiding in the closet? Come out right now!"

Wang Huilan carefully climbed out of the wardrobe, holding onto the cabinet door.

Wang Xiuying stood to the side, glancing at her sideways. She should have looked away, because what she saw startled her: "My God! Your belly is so big! You're... pregnant again?"

Wang Huilan lowered her voice and quickly said, "Sister, keep your voice down, you can't let anyone hear us."

Wang Xiuying was furious, resentful, and heartbroken: "My goodness! What kind of mess have you made! You're forty years old... Don't you want to die?!"

(End of this chapter)