1994: Starting with unpaid leave

"Ah!" Xiuyun's expression changed, her face immediately darkening. "How could she do this!"

"Who says otherwise! I know I'm charming, but I'm not that kind of person!"

"Pah, you're not human when you're being casual!"

An angry Xiuyun turned her anger on her husband and pinched his waist.

Dong Jianguo didn't mind, and reached out to gently scratch his wife's pert nose:

"You should stay away from women who have designs on your man, understand? If you get too close, what if she insists on moving in?"

"The law doesn't allow three people to live together!"

Xiuyun clenched her little fist and waved it, extremely angry:

"Okay, I'll never talk to her again!"

Fortunately, she has a good temper; her anger comes and goes quickly.

Turning around, I saw the dozen or so boxes of eggs in the yard, and my attention was immediately diverted:

"Are these the eggs that were delivered? Are we going to sell them at the morning market tomorrow? I'll go help!"

"No need, I've hired Wu Qianzhu. He's enough for you. You just need to stay home and get some rest during your pregnancy! Go back inside and wait for dinner."

After Dong Jianguo finished speaking, he went back to the bedroom and set up the bed table on the kang (a heated brick bed). Then he turned around and went to the outer room to bring out the dishes.

The bedroom where the two lived was a suite, with an outer room (which can be understood as a small hall) in the middle of the courtyard. They could cook over a fire and keep warm in winter by heating a kang (a heated brick bed) with a stove.

Before he went to pick Xiuyun up, he had already cooked the dishes, so the two of them could have a ready-made meal when they got home.

Xiuyun smelled the fragrance as soon as she entered the room, but she was still wondering what it was.

It wasn't until Dong Jianguo brought the dishes to the table that I could see clearly:

A plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a plate of braised eggplant with pork slices.

The two dishes were cooked by Dong Jianguo to perfection, with excellent color, aroma, and taste, making Xiuyun blink in amazement.

Seeing his wife staring blankly, Dong Jianguo handed her chopsticks and urged, "What are you looking at me for? Eat!"

Xiuyun reached up and pinched her arm; the pain made her realize she wasn't dreaming.

"Wait, when did you learn to cook?!"

Dong Jianguo then realized that his public image had somewhat backfired.

At this time in his previous life, he always insisted on never lifting a finger and never touched pots or pans except for eating.

After arriving in Shenzhen, I found that I couldn't get used to the food from the South, so I slowly started trying to cook some of my hometown dishes myself.

Not only can it satisfy your northern palate, but it can also soothe your homesickness.

At first, I did a terrible job, but as I did it more, I gradually became more skilled.

Unexpectedly, in this lifetime, my wife has been able to enjoy the cooking skills I've honed over many years.

"These past few days I've been running around to restaurants discussing collaborations, and I've learned a couple of tricks from some of the best chefs to see how they taste."

As Dong Jianguo spoke, he picked up a piece of braised pork and held it to Xiuyun's mouth.

The meat pieces were fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, coated with a slightly sweet and salty sauce. As soon as you put them to your mouth, the aroma wafted out and went straight into your nose.

Xiuyun opened her small mouth slightly, took a bite, and couldn't help but let out a surprised "Mmm".

The meat slices were salted to the perfect level, yet still tender and juicy—so delicious they could make you cry!

"Mmm, how did you make this? It's delicious!"

"Hey, if you like it, I'll make it for you often!"

"Um!"

"But I didn't cook rice today, so let's have steamed rice cake as our staple food."

"Uh-huh!"

Xiuyun nodded excitedly, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.

Xiuyun is absolutely obedient to Dong Jianguo now.

"Brother Jianguo, shall we go?"

Erzhuzi's voice rang out in the courtyard, and Dong Jianguo put down his chopsticks before he could even finish eating.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going out for a bit, going with Erzhuzi to earn some money! You eat first, don't wait for me!"

Xiuyun frowned, somewhat worried that the man was going to run off to gamble again.

But when the words reached his lips, he couldn't say anything at all.

After all, everyone knows you can't completely trust a man's words. He promised not to play mahjong in front of the factory gate, and it's already a miracle he kept that promise for more than a few days...

Now that she's settled into running a business and is taking good care of herself, she's completely different from before. It's really hard to ask for anything more.

"Then come back soon..."

"good!"

……

Wu Qianzhu also rode his tricycle, delivering Dong Jianguo and the three boxes of newly laid eggs to the Xijuzhai residential area.

It was the first time for either of them to be here.

Several rows of pale yellow buildings stand neatly in the community, their newly painted walls seemingly reflecting light.

At 5:30 p.m., the midday heat had subsided, and the factory's residential area was at its most vibrant and lively.

In the open space downstairs, several little kids who had just come back from kindergarten were chasing each other carefree, their clothes covered with cartoon patterns that Wu Qianzhu didn't recognize.

Many of the aunties picking up the children had fashionable permed hair, and each of them stood up straight.

Although the clothes were not fancy, the fabric was crisp, the colors were bright, and they were ironed neatly, giving off a sense of efficiency.

They were chatting and laughing in small groups, discussing everyday matters, from whose child got into a top high school to the latest shirt styles at the department store.

There were also quite a few middle-aged people returning home from get off work. Some were carrying pig's head meat they had just bought from the grocery store, while others were carrying large carp that they had already cleaned and bought from the market.

You can also see women carrying chilled Mingyue Island beer bought from the neighborhood convenience store; it's obviously a reward for their men at dinner...

This quality of life makes Erzhuzi drool.

Although he was also from the city, he could clearly sense that the people here lived a different kind of life.

As a driver in the factory, his salary was not high.

Current wages and benefits are linked to factory performance, workers' seniority, and individual skill levels.

The factory doesn't have many orders, so its profitability is questionable.

As for seniority and technical skills... it's better to hope that the factory's sales will be better.

Even with a high income, he couldn't imagine how luxurious it would be to live in a house that costs 750 yuan per square meter.

"Brother, are you selling it here?"

"Yes, we'll sell it here."

Dong Jianguo jumped off the tricycle, and this is where he is.

People who can afford a house costing 750 yuan per square meter can definitely afford eggs costing 2.5 yuan per kilogram!

Clearing his throat, Dong Jianguo immediately began selling: "Eggs, fresh eggs~"

The hawking calls quickly attracted the attention of residents returning home from get off work.

Several residents, remembering that they were running out of eggs, stopped by to take a look.

A woman in a dress with curly hair asked:

"How much are the eggs?"

"Two yuan and fifty cents a pound."

"So expensive? Are you a golden egg?! Besides, this egg is way too small, half the size of a normal egg!"

The older woman was clearly price-sensitive; she was immediately turned away and tried to leave.

Dong Jianguo, however, called out to her with a smile:

"Big sister, haven't you heard that good things come in small packages?!"

"These are all first-laid eggs, the very first eggs laid by a newly hatched hen!"

"These eggs have a higher protein content and lower cholesterol content than regular eggs, so they're good for your health!"

Upon hearing words like "protein" and "cholesterol" from an egg seller, the woman couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

"You make it sound so convincing, but you've actually tested it yourself?!"

Dong Jianguo shrugged:

"Yes, I saw it in the newspaper."

"It says that American scientists, through human laboratory studies, have concluded that the first eggs laid by hens are rich in lecithin and vitamins! Not only do they nourish the body, but they can also improve students' memory, etc. Anyway, they're much better than regular eggs!"

Upon hearing that the conclusion was reached by American scientists, the group immediately became skeptical.

That's America!

How could a conclusion drawn from the world's most advanced and developed country be false?

Seeing that the group had become interested, Dong Jianguo added:

"Sister, I'm not trying to be mean, but people still believe in the auspiciousness of a first marriage and first child, let alone a hen!"

"Besides, a hen only lays one egg in its lifetime, so it's normal for that egg to be a bit precious, right?!"

His two sentences made the onlookers burst into laughter.

No one expected that a tiny egg could be related to a first pregnancy.

The woman who initially asked the price was both amused and exasperated. After thinking for a moment, she pulled out her wallet and said, "Young man, you're quite the talker. Give me two pounds... no, how about three pounds?"

"Okay!"

Dong Jianguo waved his hand, and Erzhuzi, who had been watching eagerly from the side, finally realized what was happening. He hurriedly found a scale and started weighing eggs for people in front of everyone.

Even after he received the seven yuan and fifty cents, he still couldn't understand how the eggs had been sold!