Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

He didn't take it seriously at all, and was searching through various files on his Feiniu NAS in his little apartment, looking for a simple way to make butter.

This thing actually exists. I don't know when I downloaded it, but it's in a bunch of packaged recipes, cooking and baking ebooks.

In his situation, the following can be done:

Butter frosting, Italian meringue, bomb-shaped buttercream, and English butter sauce.

Because there was butter in the refrigerator—it was a free gift when I bought the steak, and there were also small individual pieces; although it wasn't much, it was enough.

There are two or three kinds of cheese, for making sandwiches. I bought them on a whim and they've basically just sat in the fridge ever since. They come in boxes and individually wrapped slices. Plus, you can even make this stuff yourself with milk using a homemade method!

There are cheese sticks—eaten as snacks;

Powdered sugar and granulated sugar—the small packets that come with your coffee;

Cheese—from Inner Mongolia, I just bought it on a whim, it's also a snack.

The only problem is the electric egg beater—we have one at home, but we can't take it out.

In other words, if you want to make butter manually outside...

Zhang Dabiao felt he would be exhausted to death.

Forget about it for now. Zhang Dabiao specially made a notebook and copied down the previous steamed cakes, as well as these kinds of "homemade" methods for making cream and cheese, so that he wouldn't have to write them down on separate sheets of paper every time he wanted to teach Qin Jingru, which would be too troublesome.

Why not use a printer?

We have a home printer, but the printouts are just blank sheets of paper. They're treated as markings and logos on supplies and are simply erased...

So I had to copy it by hand, what a tragedy.

------------

This time, no one reported him for speculation and profiteering, and the people in the compound basically understood that Zhang Dabiao had the ability to get good stuff, but he didn't sell it.

As long as he doesn't buy low and sell high, it doesn't constitute speculation.

Helping someone with purchasing things isn't a big deal; as long as both parties agree and have no objections, it's fine. It's a small matter between ordinary people. If someone helps you bring you something, you can't possibly buy it at the normal official "list price." Besides, you'll have to pay some extra for the trip, so the price will naturally be much higher than the official price.

These kinds of things are usually turned a blind eye to, as long as you're not constantly "helping others sell goods" to make huge profits—helping the entire hospital purchase food? Don't even think about it.

As for people going to the pigeon market to buy grain, that's officially permitted.

Almost everyone has someone who has gone to the black market to buy and sell goods. As long as they don't get caught, it's fine. Besides, it's buying, not selling. Even if they get caught, they just get fined and their employer has to come and pick them up.

Selling things on the black market is a completely different story.

To put it mildly, it's speculation and profiteering; to put it bluntly, it's maliciously disrupting the national commodity price system, undermining the planned economy and its policies, causing price instability and leading to bank runs and price gouging.

Just like that idiot who released 10,000 catties of flour and 5,000 catties of pork before, if he doesn't die, who will?

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In the afternoon, Zhang Dabiao set up a table in the Intermediate Courtyard to read. He had no choice but to come out because the lighting in the side room was too poor and the light bulbs were too dim.

Anyway, he has thermal underwear and sweaters, as well as a cotton-padded jacket lining, and with his constitution, he's not afraid of the cold at all.

He could light a cigarette while reading outside, and Qin Jingru would come over to refill his water and make tea. He could then move the table back when everyone came home from get off work.

But then, trouble came knocking again.

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were bragging in the morning, but when they got off work in the afternoon, Director Yang brought Sha Zhu, Li Huaide brought Xu Damao, and He Yushui brought Yu Haitang, and they all came to the yard to find Zhang Dabiao.

Meanwhile, Liu Haizhong, Jia Dongxu, and several other workers from the steel rolling mill waited on the side like quails.

Not only that, Director Wang also came, because he had received another report that Zhang Dabiao was indulging in lavish eating and drinking, leading an extravagant lifestyle, and had bourgeois tendencies. Moreover, the large wooden cabinet in his house was suspected to be a "treasure trove," containing an untold amount of supplies, as well as many rare ingredients that no one had ever seen before...

Anyway, the rumors are getting more and more outlandish.

Isn't this just feudal superstition? And it's an anonymous report, and not just by one person.

Director Wang couldn't ignore the report, so he brought several staff members from the subdistrict office to come and take a look, and that's how he stumbled upon the scene.

Then, Qin Jingru hid behind Zhang Dabiao, who was holding a third-grade elementary school Chinese textbook, a filter cigarette between his fingers, a large pot of strong Tieguanyin tea brewing on the table, and a small bowl of cakes (Qin Jingru's practice cakes). He just stared blankly at the group of people...

What's going on now?

What the hell did I break this time?

And why are the leaders of your steel rolling mill coming to see me?

I'm not from a steel mill.

Actually, he made a mistake: the subordinate comprehensive utilization plant and branch plants all fall under the management of the steel rolling mill. If Director Yang were to actually say something, the leadership teams of the subordinate plants and branch plants should really think twice.

"Director Wang, is there something you need?"

Director Wang was also at his wit's end, repeatedly reminding Zhang Dabiao to keep a low profile.

He's got the style of some retired senior officials now.

Why won't they listen?

If the steel mill leaders aren't around, it's just a minor matter in the community, and a simple verbal reprimand will suffice.

But now we can only handle it officially.

"Zhang Dabiao, the neighborhood committee received a report that you indulge in excessive eating and drinking and lead a luxurious lifestyle..."

Zhang Dabiao was tired of hearing these things and didn't take them seriously at all.

But Director Wang's next words startled him so much that he stumbled.

"You even said that the big wooden cabinet in your house is a treasure trove, filled with an inexhaustible amount of resources—"

"What the hell?!"

Everyone was stunned. A treasure bowl?

Is this something a subdistrict office director should say?

Director Wang was at a loss: "I didn't say that. I know Zhang Dabiao is a purchasing agent, but since others are spreading rumors like this, I have to come and check, right?"

Factory Director Yang and Li Huaide nodded. It was a routine matter, so they had to come and take a look. You may know that, but this procedure was necessary.

The neighbors in the courtyard and the newcomer Yu Haitang were also curious. He Yushui, Liu Guangqi, Xu Damao, and others who had just returned were a little anxious, but dared not say anything. Even Yi Zhonghai, leaning on his cane, ran over to watch, and Yan Bugui, Yan Jiecheng, and others all came over as well.

A huge wooden cabinet!

The news had already spread throughout the courtyard!

That's something to see!

Then, in front of everyone, Director Wang entered Zhang Dabiao's house and, with the steel mill leaders present, opened the large wooden cabinet in the kitchen—

Half a bag of high-gluten flour, a small packet of cornstarch, a large bag of rice, one and a half strips of cured pork, some walnuts, almonds, dried apricots, some raisins, two bundles of vermicelli, two and a half tubes of dried noodles, a few heads of Chinese cabbage and radish, two carrots, some dried shiitake mushrooms, dried green beans, dried chili peppers, a small bottle of honey, half a packet of hot pot base, some unidentified seasoning blocks, and some miscellaneous ingredients...

Compared to ordinary families, Zhang Dabiao's supplies were considerable, but—

It can't really be described as a huge amount of supplies.

The condiments on the table by the wall were quite varied, but still within an acceptable range.

However, Director Yang, with his sharp eyes, spotted a piece of paper wrapped around a piece of chocolate on the upper edge of the large wooden cabinet.

Does he actually have chocolate?

Where did you come from?