In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

Wang Xingguo respectfully offered cigarettes to Li Laishun and Li Wenbin and lit them before sitting down.

He cheerfully said to Li Wenlong and Li Chunmei, "Wenlong, Chunmei, I brought some apples. Go wash them and have a taste."

Li Chunmei cheered and thanked her second brother-in-law, but Li Laishun jokingly scolded her for being rude before she ran off to get the apples to wash.

Li Wenbin asked in a low voice, "Xingguo, how's that thing going?"

Wang Xingguo lowered his voice and replied, "It's going very smoothly. I'm delivering fish to Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army every day, and I can get cigarettes, alcohol, and all sorts of receipts and such in return. I've managed to get things going."

Li Wenbin nodded happily upon hearing this, while Li Laishun asked, "Xingguo, how's the house search going? I heard there are two private houses for sale, a main house plus a side room, for only four hundred yuan. So I called you over to discuss whether you want to buy them as your wedding house."

Wang Xingguo was quite pleased to learn that the Li family had sought him out for this matter, as it proved that they truly regarded him as their future son-in-law.

However, he had already found a better house, so he explained, "Uncle Li, I've already taken care of the house. I just need some time to raise enough money to buy it, and then I can move in."

Li Laishun quickly asked, "What kind of house is it? The two rooms I inquired about are quite nice, even more spacious than ours."

Wang Xingguo explained, "Uncle Li, what I bought isn't a house, but a detached house. It used to have seven rooms, but three of them collapsed and were disposed of, leaving four rooms. It has a kitchen and a toilet, and it's a pretty nice detached house over there in Taotiao Hutong."

After that, he explained the process of transferring the house ownership to the Li family.

Li Wenbin clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "Tsk tsk, you can transfer a house like this? The old man living alone doesn't have many years left to live, he doesn't care about hiding private property at all. He'd probably rather be arrested and put in charge of food and clothing for his old age."

Li Laishun said happily, "That's good. Now that the house is settled, I can rest assured. Xingguo, how much money do you still need? I'll help you raise the money so you can buy the house quickly. Then we can have a four or five-table banquet, and that will be considered your wedding."

Wang Xingguo quickly assured him, "Uncle Li, no, that won't do. Give me another half month, and I'll be able to raise enough money to buy a house. I'm already very grateful that you entrusted Xiuping to me; how could I trouble you to spend more money to buy me a house? That's not fair."

Li Laishun hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, since you're so determined, I won't say anything more. Anyway, if you don't have enough money, don't force yourself. After we're married, we'll all be family. How could I abandon my daughter?"

Wang Xingguo thanked him repeatedly, saying that his father-in-law was truly one of the rarest people in the world to go to such lengths.

Although he didn't need to contribute financially, Wang Xingguo kept this kindness in his heart. He could only repay his father-in-law's kindness by treating his wife even better in the future.

He briefly recounted what had happened in the past two days.

Upon hearing about the plan to sell eels, Li Laishun paused for a moment, then asked, "Xingguo, you mean eels can fetch a high price? And people actually pay high prices to eat snakes?"

It's no wonder that the Li family father and sons didn't believe it; it was simply too unbelievable for people in the capital.

Eels have always been classified as snakes, and eating them can cause poisoning and illness. This is the common understanding of eels among ordinary people in Beijing...

Wang Xingguo explained how to prepare the eel and how to cook it to make it taste better.

Unexpectedly, Li Wenbin smacked his lips and said, "Sounds pretty good. Is it really that delicious? Why don't you get some over next time, Xingguo? I'll try it and see if it's true. If it's really good, I'll tell the boss about it, and maybe I can get a good reward."

Li Wenbin's words made Wang Xingguo's eyes light up. He looked at Li Wenlong and said, "Wenlong, you're in the second year of junior high now, right?"

Li Wenlong quickly shook his head and said, "No, I've already graduated from junior high. I skipped a grade because I studied with my older brother and sister, so I started second grade at the age of seven."

Wang Xingguo quickly said, "But you don't have a job yet, right? Uncle Li, what do you think about us talking to the factory about how eels can be used in cooking, and then having them buy eels to supplement the workers' meals? Could that help Wenlong get a job quota?"

Li Wenbin nodded repeatedly and said, "The factory is short of meat right now. If this is really feasible, I think getting one job quota is no problem, and it's even possible to get two."

Li Laishun slammed his hand on the table and said, "Then let's give it a try. Xingguo, get some eels back. We'll learn how to process them and cook them. Then we'll go back to the factory and make some for the leaders to taste. If it's not bad and we're sure it's edible, Wenlong's job will be secure."

Li Wenlong also said with anticipation, "Second brother-in-law, you have to help me with this."

When the child gets anxious, he even changes how he addresses people, but Wang Xingguo likes calling him "Second Brother-in-law".

He nodded and said, "That's no problem. Here's what we'll do: I'll bring a few pounds of eels over tomorrow night, and I'll teach you how to prepare them. Cooking them isn't difficult, especially since the factory has a chef who's actually quite good at it. But we need to keep this a secret, otherwise, if too many people find out, the price of eels will go up."

The others nodded repeatedly. Li Wenlong said earnestly, "This concerns my future. Even if my second brother-in-law said that eels don't have worms, I still need to learn how to deal with them!"

The group burst into laughter. A job represents a person's future, and it is indeed so important that one is willing to risk everything for it.

Li Laishun also said with a smile, "Although at first no one was optimistic about you driving a tricycle, it seems that this job is really suitable for you. Without you doing this job, how could Wenlong have such an opportunity?"

Wang Xingguo said happily, "This is also a good thing for me. I will do my best to collect eels everywhere and try to get a good price for the factory."

Selling it to the factory wouldn't fetch a high price, but the advantage is that it helps my brother-in-law get a job and quickly raises some money, which will allow him to buy the yard.

To be honest, Wang Xingguo really wanted to marry Li Xiuping as soon as possible; the difference between having eaten meat and not having eaten meat was too great.

Wang Xingguo dreams of Li Xiuping every night when he goes to sleep, and it's incredibly torturous for him.

Li Wenbin nodded and said, "Is your tricycle convenient for going to the suburbs? If not, then take my bicycle. My dad and I will just take the bus for a few days."

Wang Xingguo shook his head and said, "No need. Although bicycles are faster, they can't carry much. My tricycle is a bit slow, but it has enough load-bearing capacity. It can carry several hundred kilograms without any problem. It's more convenient for me to use it to travel in the countryside."