Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 298 Mid-Autumn Festival
The preparations Wang Chengpeng mentioned refer not only to preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also to preparations for the upcoming news of the resumption of the college entrance examination.

This year's Mid-Autumn Festival was exceptionally late, falling on September 27th, near the end of September.

However, this was not the most important thing. What followed was the announcement of the resumption of the college entrance examination on October 12, two weeks later. That was the real event that shocked the entire country.

Wang Chengpeng, who was well-prepared for this, felt no fear whatsoever. His tightly clenched right hand showed that he only felt excitement in the face of this historic event.

Shaking his head slightly, Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that the most important thing at hand was to make the Mid-Autumn Festival a success.

Normally, we would just prepare more food for this day, nothing special, but this year we can make it a proper celebration.

In addition to the necessary meals, Wang Chengpeng also wanted to prepare some mooncakes.

Although the town's supply and marketing cooperative also sells some mooncakes, I've heard they taste pretty good.

But Wang Chengpeng thought that mooncakes made by his own hands would have a more festive feel and better express his feelings for his family.

This is my first Spring Festival since my rebirth, and it's incredibly meaningful!

Having made up his mind, Wang Chengpeng took action the next day.

Before dawn, Wang Chengpeng got up quietly, afraid of waking his family who were still fast asleep.

After thinking for a moment, he took another bamboo basket from behind the door, slung it over his arm, and then rode his bicycle out the door.

It was just before dawn, and the faint light shining on the dirt road was barely enough to make it visible.

Using this faint light, Wang Chengpeng hurried toward the town market a few miles away.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, the market is much busier than usual.

The sun had barely peeked out, but the market was already bustling with activity, people coming and going, and shouts filling the air.

An old farmer selling vegetables shouted that his vegetables were fresh, while an old lady selling needles and thread greeted passersby warmly.

Wang Chengpeng struggled to push his bicycle through the bustling crowd, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

Although white flour is precious, it was just an everyday thing that Wang Chengpeng could eat every day at this time.

After queuing for a while, Wang Chengpeng put a large bag of flour into the bicycle basket.

Considering the possibility that he might fail, he deliberately weighed out extra flour, since he could save any leftovers to make steamed buns or mantou later.

With that in mind, Wang Chengpeng went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought some white sugar, which is one of the main ingredients for making mooncakes.

Speaking of white sugar, there's an interesting story that happened when Wang Chengpeng was buying it.

Although the supply and marketing cooperatives did not have many varieties of goods at that time, they certainly did not have only one type.

Just as Wang Chengpeng was about to take the sugar, a friendly older woman next to him pointed to the sugar and began to explain it to him:
"Comrade, listen to the old lady, you can't go wrong with this kind of Dapeng white sugar."

Seemingly afraid that Wang Chengpeng wouldn't listen to her advice, the old woman patiently explained, saying:
"Comrade, don't be fooled by the fact that Dapeng white sugar is a few cents more expensive per pound. Once you buy it, you'll know that it's absolutely worth every penny."

"Regular white sugar always has a strange taste and isn't that sweet. It's nothing compared to Dapeng white sugar."

How could I not know the merits of something I researched myself?
Wang Chengpeng smiled shyly and said, "Thank you, Auntie. I'll listen to you and buy this Dapeng white sugar."

After saying that, Wang Chengpeng didn't stand on ceremony and directly took the Dapeng white sugar and put it into the bamboo basket.

Dapeng Sugar Factory is a newly established factory. Although it has officially started production and sales are very good, it is still somewhat immature, and the welfare and benefits of its employees have not yet caught up.

Otherwise, with two employees working at the sugar factory in Wang Chengpeng's family, why would he need to go out to buy white sugar?

Seeing that Wang Chengpeng had listened to her advice, the old lady nodded contentedly and said:
"Comrade, you'll know whether I'm lying to you or not once you use it at home."

Besides sugar, Wang Chengpeng also bought some meat and other ingredients.

He had to prepare a lot of dishes for the Mid-Autumn Festival, because although mooncakes were delicious, they shouldn't overshadow the main dish.

After buying some more vegetable oil, Wang Chengpeng rode his bicycle, fully loaded, home.

Although he planned to make five-nut mooncakes, it was difficult to gather all five nuts in this era, so he bought some peanuts, melon seeds and sesame seeds instead.

Although he reduced the amount of ingredients, Wang Chengpeng believes that he will be able to make delicious mooncakes with his skills.

Back home, before he could even rest for a moment, Wang Chengpeng plunged into the kitchen.

The fire in the earthen stove was blazing, and the water in the pot was bubbling and steaming, filling the entire kitchen.

He poured the weighed flour into an iron basin, slowly added warm water, and began kneading the dough.

Wang Chengpeng kneaded the dough vigorously, each kneading with great force. The dough rolled in his hands and soon became smooth and elastic.

Then, he picked up a large bowl and poured in white sugar, vegetable oil, and crushed peanuts, melon seeds, and sesame seeds. He stirred it with chopsticks, and the aroma of the filling gradually wafted out.

The dough and filling were ready, but it wasn't time to make the mooncakes yet, because Wang Chengpeng was missing one crucial thing: the mooncake mold.

It's time to put your true knife skills to the test!

After finding a piece of solid wood and chopping it into roughly equal pieces, Wang Chengpeng picked up a knife and began preparing the mold.

Wang Chengpeng's hands are very nimble; under his control, the knife seems to transform into a fluttering butterfly, constantly dancing in his hands.

With each swing, a small shaving of wood is shaved off.

After whittling for who knows how long, Wang Chengpeng finally produced a set of presentable molds.

Amidst the beautiful wheat ear pattern, two large, square characters stand out prominently—one side reads "Harvest" and the other "Reunion," embodying the Mid-Autumn Festival culture passed down through countless years.

After finalizing the molds, Wang Chengpeng began making the mooncakes.

He divided the kneaded dough into small portions, and then used the peeling rolling pin to roll each portion into a thin pancake.

Wang Chengpeng wrapped the filling in the center of the thin pancake, quickly rolled it into a ball, and then carefully placed it into the mooncake mold.

With both hands pressed against the mold, Wang Chengpeng used all his strength to press down hard, and soon he had pressed the dough into a beautiful mooncake.

With a gentle tap, and a "snap" sound, a mooncake dough with exquisite patterns is formed.

Following the same method, Wang Chengpeng quickly completed nine mooncake blanks.

After spreading some egg yolk on the mooncake dough, Wang Chengpeng neatly arranged them on an iron baking tray and then sent the whole tray directly into the heated earthen stove.

Baking mooncakes requires just the right amount of heat; the fire in the earthen stove cannot be too strong or too weak.

Wang Chengpeng squatted by the stove, his eyes fixed on the mooncakes inside, occasionally adding firewood to the stove.

The firelight illuminated his face, just like the fiery red days of the day.

As the mooncake dough heated up, a fragrant aroma gradually wafted through the kitchen, filling the air with its sweet scent.

In other words, Wang Meiyan wasn't home at the time, otherwise this little glutton would probably have run straight into the kitchen to ask her if the mooncakes were delicious.

Judging that the time was about right, Wang Chengpeng used an iron hook to pull the baking tray out of the stove.

As the baking tray was gradually pulled out, the mooncakes were gradually revealed. Each mooncake was baked to a golden and glossy color, with an enticing appearance and a thin layer of oil on the surface.

Upon closer inspection, the word "harvest" is engraved on one side of the mooncake, which expresses the hope that the family's crops will have a good harvest every year.

The other side is engraved with the words "reunion," which is Wang Chengpeng's beautiful wish for his family to always be harmonious and reunited.

After placing the baked mooncakes on pre-prepared parchment paper to allow the oil to seep back into the mooncakes, Wang Chengpeng continued making the remaining mooncakes.

Although his family consists of five people including Zhu Hongcai, it's always good to prepare more mooncakes, as they are also excellent gifts.

Wang Chengpeng was very efficient; in no time, nearly a hundred mooncakes were neatly arranged on the table.

It's only because Wang Chengpeng's table is big that it could fit so many mooncakes.

Looking at the golden mooncakes in front of him, Wang Chengpeng couldn't help but smile, thinking to himself that he should be able to have a good Mid-Autumn Festival this year.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Wang Chengpeng was about to rest when he heard a startled exclamation from the doorway:
"Brother, what are you doing at home? It smells so good!" Wang Meiyan asked, jumping up and down.

At this moment, she was wearing the overalls she had just bought, paired with a pink top, making her look pretty and cute, showing no trace of the short, stunted little boy she had been in her previous life.

Wang Chengpeng pointed to the mooncakes on the table and said, "We're making mooncakes, so don't you dare steal any."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Wang Meiyan pick up a mooncake and stuff it into her mouth.

While stuffing the mooncakes into her mouth, she grumbled, "Brother, you're so stingy. You won't even let me have one first out of so many mooncakes."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not greedy, I just want to help you taste the mooncake."

"Don't worry, after all you are my brother, I will eat even the worst mooncake."

Wang Chengpeng looked at Wang Meiyan with amusement, thinking to himself, "Thank you so much."

Under his gaze, the next moment, Wang Meiyan screamed:

"Brother, why are your mooncakes as hard as rocks?"

Even so, she still kept her promise and forced herself to stuff mooncakes into her mouth.

Even if the mooncakes made by my own brother are terrible, I have to force myself to finish them.

Her eyes lit up quickly; apart from being a bit hard, the mooncake was generally fine.

Especially the crispy three-nut filling, coated in white sugar, is fragrant, crispy, and sweet, making it irresistible to chew.

Judging from Wang Meiyan's bulging cheeks, she certainly couldn't bear to spit out such a delicious treat.

However, just as she was struggling to swallow the last bit of mooncake, she heard Wang Chengpeng's faint voice in her ear:

"Sis, do I look like the kind of bad older brother who won't let you eat mooncakes?"

"The reason I stopped you earlier was just to tell you that this mooncake needs to be left for a while, until the oil seeps back in before you eat it."

"The crust will not only not harden, but will also be soft and delicious, and when combined with the crispy filling, it will have a unique flavor."

Wang Meiyan: ...? ? ?
"You only told me after I finished eating?" Wang Meiyan pouted, expressing her dissatisfaction to her unscrupulous brother.
"Hmph, I'll eat them all after the mooncakes are placed here, I won't leave you a single one."

Seeing this scene, Wang Chengpeng couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself that his own sister was still the cutest, and it was even more fun to tease her.

However, Wang Chengpeng had no intention of letting her off the hook. He smiled and pulled her back, saying:
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Since you ate my mooncakes, you have to help me with the work too."

"See the oil paper over there? Help me wrap these mooncakes up."

"It will be convenient to keep it for myself or give it away later."

Looking at Wang Chengpeng with a resentful expression, Wang Meiyan ultimately couldn't muster the courage to resist his tyranny. She could only pout and reluctantly help wrap the mooncakes.

By this time, the mooncakes had completely cooled down, making them perfect for wrapping up.

Before long, a mountain of mooncakes appeared on the table.

After finding a suitable package, Wang Chengpeng filled it with a dozen or so mooncakes and carried it to Zhu Hong's room.

At this moment, Zhu Hong was still deep in thought about some century-old problems, and even the aroma of mooncakes could not distract him.

However, upon noticing Wang Chengpeng, he waved his hand in alarm and said:

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, I'll be able to solve this problem soon."

Instead of forcing him to do homework as usual, Wang Chengpeng handed him the mooncakes he had just brought:

“Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, so I’m preparing some mooncakes myself. You can take them back to give to your father.”

"However, these mooncakes haven't finished drying out yet, so we'll have to wait another three to five days. They'll be ready to eat on the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Zhu Hong didn't accept the mooncakes Wang Chengpeng offered; instead, he frowned but remained silent.

"You're planning to kick me out just because I can't learn it?"

Wang Chengpeng: ...? ? ?
He sometimes admired Zhu Hong's thought process, as he could always surprise him from an astonishing angle.

Shaking his head, Wang Chengpeng said, "I think your learning progress is quite good, you're a promising student, so how could I possibly kick you out because of something like this?"

"But the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, it wouldn't be right for you not to go back."

"If Uncle Zhu gets angry and comes knocking on my door, I'll really be embarrassed."

"Go back home for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and you're welcome to come back anytime afterward."

Nodding blankly, Zhu Hong finally relaxed and said:

"So you weren't trying to get rid of me, that's good."

“Don’t let my dad’s age fool you, he’s in great health. I don’t think it’s a problem if I don’t go back to see him.”

Wang Chengpeng: ...? ? ? This is truly a case of a loving father and a filial son.

The father sells his son, and the son sells his father; they deserve to be father and son.

Thinking this through, Wang Chengpeng continued to persuade him, "You have to go back."

"If you go to university or join the army later, you may not be able to come back for many years."

"If you don't take advantage of this time to see Uncle Zhu more often, you might not be able to see him much in the future."

After thinking about it, Zhu Hong realized that it made sense, and then he accepted the mooncake that Wang Chengpeng handed him.

But when he looked down, his face instantly fell, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"Isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)