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

Chapter 348 Favoring one over the other
Although it's said that scars are a man's achievement, being covered in scars is a bit too scary.

In addition, Wang Chengpeng also had some knowledge of medicine. After memorizing the barefoot doctor's instructions, the two rode their bicycles home.

It was already December, and the weather was freezing cold. Coupled with the cold wind blowing in their faces, it was not a very friendly time for the two of them.

Fortunately, both Wang Chengpeng and Zhu Hong are quite strong and healthy, so they are not frail or weak.

Considering that it's not easy to go out in the dead of winter, the two also stopped by a state-run store to buy some food and daily necessities, which would save them from having to make another trip later.

Compared to the bustling town, Wangjia Village was much quieter.

After all, whether it's a sugar factory or farm work, there's generally no time that's too busy in December.

It is precisely because of this that more and more villagers have gathered in the village to chat.

Jingle Bell……

Accompanied by the crisp sound of a bicycle bell, Zhu Hong carried Wang Chengpeng along the main road of the village.

Upon seeing Wang Chengpeng sitting behind Zhu Hong, Aunt He immediately exclaimed in surprise:
"Hey, isn't that Comrade Wang? What brings you back?"

"You're a hero in our village, you must take good care of yourself!"

Not to mention the harm caused by the wolf pack, which could very likely result in the loss of livestock raised in the village, the wolf meat alone would be enough to make the villagers greet Wang Chengpeng with smiles.

Wang Chengpeng waved his hand to indicate that he was fine, and explained with a smile:
"The doctor said I'm almost fully recovered, so here I am."

"As for being called a hero, I just did what I was supposed to do. People are really overpraising me."

Hearing Wang Chengpeng say that he was alright, Aunt He's smile widened even more, and she said:

"Comrade Wang, please don't be modest."

“Usually at this time, we would always hear those beasts howling and wailing, but ever since you took action, we haven’t heard their voices at all.”

"You are a great hero to our village!"

As they were talking, Aunt He realized it was inappropriate to keep Wang Chengpeng, a patient, from chatting outside, so she immediately stepped aside, her face full of apology, and said:

"Look at me, I've fallen into my old habit of rambling again. Now is not the time for me to chat with you."

"Go back and rest. Once you've recovered, tell everyone about your heroic deeds of fighting off the pack of wolves all by yourself."

Smiling and nodding, Wang Chengpeng said very modestly:

"Although there's not much to say about this, I certainly won't refuse if everyone wants to hear it."

"I'm going home for a bit, and I'll tell you all about it when I have the chance. It was truly a thrilling battle."

He patted Zhu Hong on the shoulder, and the next moment, he sped off on his bicycle, carrying Wang Chengpeng home in a hurry.

Although it was freezing cold outside, Wang Chengpeng felt an unusual warmth the moment he stepped into his home.

The moment Liu Chunhua saw Wang Chengpeng, the enamel plate in her hand clattered to the ground. She rushed out, shouting:

"Oh my, Xiaopeng, what brings you back?"

"What did the doctor say? He's so irresponsible. How could he let a patient like you run around outside in the dead of winter?"

Waving his hand, Wang Chengpeng said with a smile, "Mom, what are you talking about? The doctors in the hospital didn't take responsibility for me."

"The reason I came back is that the doctor felt that my injuries no longer affected my mobility and that I could go home to rest. There was no need for me to stay in the hospital and occupy a bed."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng's smile grew even sweeter, and he said:
"Mom, the food at the state-run restaurants isn't very good. I miss your pork and cabbage stew with glass noodles."

Seeing that Wang Chengpeng didn't seem to have any problems, Liu Chunhua took his hand with pity and pulled him inside to warm himself by the fire.
"Want some pork and cabbage stew with glass noodles?"

"I'll go stew a pot for you right now, and there'll be plenty!"

School usually lets out early at this time, so Wang Meiyan was at home.

The moment she saw Wang Chengpeng, she ran up to him, bumped into him, and said in a spoiled tone:
"Brother, you're finally back."

“They all say you were badly injured, but I don’t believe it. My brother is a very capable person.”

"You're back in just two or three days? They were lying to me all along."

Wang Chengpeng patted Wang Meiyan's head affectionately and said:

"Of course, your brother is a capable man, how could he possibly suffer any serious injuries?"

"I brought you your favorite little cake when I came back this time. It's in the kitchen, go get it yourself."

Upon hearing that there were small cakes, Wang Meiyan's eyes lit up, and she ran towards the kitchen.

As soon as he sat down, Wang Chengpeng heard his father's deep voice:
"My son, you're finally back safe and sound."

"Next time you encounter something like this, don't be reckless. Think of your family and run if you can."

Seemingly sensing that the topic was somewhat heavy, Wang Tieshan quickly changed the subject, saying:

"By the way, what should we do with the wolf king that the captain assigned to you?"

"Since you haven't come back, I haven't dared to touch the wolf king; I've only done some basic treatment."

Now that you're back, you can make your own decision.

Although wolf meat isn't very tasty, it's still meat, and can be considered a rare delicacy.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Chengpeng had an idea and said:
"First, peel off the skin and do some minor processing. Then we can make knee pads for both my parents."

"That beast has thick fur, so it can be of some use."

Perhaps due to the excessive hard work, Wang Tieshan and Liu Chunhua developed chronic illnesses at a young age, complaining of knee pain whenever the weather turned cold.

Even so, they still gritted their teeth and worked hard, all for the sake of giving their family a better life.

That's why Wang Chengpeng's first thought was to make a knee pad for each of his parents.

After a moment's thought, Wang Chengpeng continued making arrangements:

"That beast has a lot of fur; there's still plenty left over after making knee pads."

"I've got it! First, make a scarf for Wang Meiyan, then make a coat for each of my parents. We should be able to use up all the fur."

"As for the wolf head, we can just treat it with preservatives and hang it at home as a decoration. Our walls are empty anyway, so having a wolf head like this can deter some cowardly troublemakers."

"The remaining meat is much simpler. Although the taste is so-so, it's still food, so we shouldn't waste it. We can just cook it and eat it directly."

Listening carefully to Wang Chengpeng's arrangements, Wang Tieshan smiled and asked the most important question:
"Son, you've made things for your parents and sister, why don't you make something for yourself?"

Patting his muscular chest, Wang Chengpeng said:
"With my body, I don't need these things at all. Wearing them would just make me hot." "Besides, wasn't the wolf head left to me? And I'm eating the wolf meat too, aren't I?"

Although he felt that Wang Chengpeng's distribution plan was a bit too biased, Wang Tieshan nodded in approval when he saw the seriousness in his son's eyes, and said:

“This is the prey you hunted with great difficulty. You have the absolute right to distribute it, and I have no objection.”

"However, you are still injured, so I will find someone to help you treat it."

Processing prey is a skill that not everyone can do. Usually, you need to find some experienced old hunters to help you, which is why Wang Tieshan said that.

Before long, he went out carrying the wolf king's pelt and head, believing that the outcome would come soon.

When Wang Tieshan returned from his busy work, he found that his house was filled with the aroma of food. The smell was clearly the pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli that Wang Chengpeng had mentioned.

Out of love for her son, Liu Chunhua stewed a large pot of pork, cabbage, and glass noodles.

In the end, because they made so much food, the iron pot became too heavy, and the family had to eat around the pot in the kitchen.

However, judging from how happily everyone was eating, they clearly didn't care about such small details at all.

This pork and cabbage stew with glass noodles is truly Liu Chunhua's specialty; it's exceptional in every way.

The pork belly, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, was stewed until translucent and glistening with oil. The thick vermicelli noodles were soaked in the broth, and could be pulled out long with a single scoop of chopsticks.

The cabbage stalks were stewed until soft and tender, with a unique smoky aroma characteristic of a wood-fired pot.

The most amazing thing was the soup, with tiny specks of oil floating on top. One sip and you'd be smacking your lips with its delicious flavor—it's not easy to find such a hearty meat dish these days.

Despite this income, Liu Chunhua only had the opportunity to showcase it during the Chinese New Year in previous years.

Although the production team would distribute meat at the end of the year, none of that meat would end up in the stomachs of Wang Chengpeng's family.

As for the vermicelli? Liu Chunhua made it herself using sweet potato starch, and it's exceptionally chewy.

The aroma of meat wafted through the house, making even the dogs in the yard bark with envy.

They only dared to bark outside, since Zhu Hong had trained them very well and they would never steal food from their owner's house.

Taking a sip of soup, slurping up the glass noodles, and chewing on the pork belly and cabbage, Wang Chengpeng sighed contentedly:

"This tastes even better than the big pot dishes at the state-run restaurants in the county town. It's truly a testament to my mother's cooking skills!"

Hearing Wang Chengpeng's praise, Liu Chunhua suddenly felt that all the time she spent cooking this pot of food was worth it, and said with a smile:

"Eat more if you like it."

"Don't be too hasty, or you'll choke."

During the meal, Wang Tieshan also talked to Wang Chengpeng about the wolf skin and wolf head.
He said it would take some time to process these things and he would have to go back to get them in a few days.

Since he was helping Wang Chengpeng with his business, he should naturally let his son know the progress of the matter.

Wang Chengpeng had no objection to this, but curiously pointed to a large bag of white sugar in his kitchen and said:

"Father, Mother, where did this sugar come from?"

When the topic of sugar came up, Wang Tieshan and Liu Chunhua's smiles became even brighter.

Wang Tieshan explained with great delight:
"Where else could it come from? It was given to us by the factory, of course."

"You know what, the factory's benefits are really good. We made the right choice in going there."

"Not only can we buy cheap meals every day, but now even sugar that people usually can't afford is readily available."

"These complimentary white sugars are the ones that were left over after screening, so their quality is slightly lower."

"To say it's bad, it's only slightly inferior, and it's still better than Dapeng white sugar itself, and even better than other white sugars."

"Xiaopeng, if you like, I'll ask your mom to make you some sugar water later."

Wang Chengpeng wasn't a glutton like Wang Meiyan, so his first thought upon seeing the white sugar wasn't to eat it, but rather to find out where it came from.

Seeing that the origin of the sugar was similar to what he had imagined, Wang Chengpeng wasn't bothered by it, but said with some regret:

"It's a pity that the sugar was fermented a little late. If it had been fermented in September or October, it could have been used to make candied hawthorn skewers and snowball hawthorn."

Upon hearing the words "candied hawthorn" and "snowball hawthorn," Wang Meiyan's eyes lit up, and she obediently said:

"Brother, I want to eat candied hawthorn berries and snowball hawthorn berries."

Holding his forehead, Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that he had underestimated Wang Meiyan's love of food, and said somewhat helplessly:
"You can't buy suitable hawthorns now, at least we didn't see any when we went to the state-run store today. We can try to find some at the market when we have time."

"But now is the perfect time for strawberries to ripen. If you can go up the mountain and find some, I can try to make you some candied strawberry skewers."

Strawberry candied hawthorn?

Upon hearing the name, Wang Meiyan's mouth watered, and she immediately cheered:
"Strawberry candied hawthorn? I want some!"

At this point, Wang Meiyan directly grabbed Zhu Hong's hand and said in a coquettish tone:
"Brother Zhu Hong, will you come with me to the mountain to pick strawberries tomorrow?"

However, before Zhu Hong could respond, Wang Meiyan's voice was directly interrupted by Wang Tieshan's reprimand:
"Xiao Yan, you're just being ridiculous."

"The college entrance exam is just around the corner, your brother and Xiao Zhu don't have time to mess around with you."

Even if you want to eat strawberry candied hawthorn, you have to wait until they finish their exams.

"Studying is what they need to do most right now."

Instinctively covering her mouth, Wang Meiyan realized she had said the wrong thing and immediately apologized to Wang Chengpeng and Zhu Hong:

"Brother, Brother Zhu Hong, I'm sorry, I was naughty this time, please don't take it to heart."

Seeing Wang Meiyan's pitiful little eyes, Wang Chengpeng waved his hand to indicate that everything was alright.
"Little sister, don't be sad. I'll make you strawberry candied hawthorns after the college entrance exam."

"I'll also go to the market for you and see if I can buy hawthorns. If I can, I'll make some snowball hawthorns for you."

Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's promise, Wang Meiyan almost couldn't help but cheer, but ultimately restrained herself from doing so, realizing the inappropriateness of the occasion, and only whispered:

"Alright, we've made a date."

Looking helplessly at Wang Chengpeng, who had just made the promise, Liu Chunhua complained:

"Just spoil her. I don't know where she got her temperamental personality from."

“People outside won’t pamper her; she’ll suffer a great loss sooner or later.”

(End of this chapter)