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

After finishing dinner, Wang Xingguo hurriedly left again. He didn't have much money left, only thirty-one yuan. He needed to buy furniture and other things tomorrow, so he needed to sell some things to make some money.

One bucket contained one hundred eggs, another one hundred duck eggs, and the box under the chair contained twenty bottles of various kinds of liquor. There was also a bucket containing nearly twenty pounds of fish and another containing about thirty pounds of eels.

Few customers have ever sat on the seat of his tricycle, but water buckets have sat on it quite a few times...

I still went to Boss Niu's place to ship the goods. Although I knew he had tricked me, I was still a little annoyed.

But no matter what, this matter is in the past. Business still needs to be done, there's no need to hold a grudge. Making money is the important thing.

Moreover, since he couldn't get through to the factory, he had no choice but to try getting more grain from Master Niu.

They knocked on the door and brought the bucket inside. Everyone gathered around. The fish, eggs, and wine were all very popular, but the eels were something that they had arranged for someone to prepare themselves, and not many people wanted them.

Wang Xingguo said with a smile, "There's one thing everyone should know about eels: they must be alive. Dead eels are poisonous. People used to say that eels were poisonous, but that meant eating eels that were already dead, not killing them alive."

Liu Laosan nodded with a smile and said, "I already knew about this. I went to find a man from Zhejiang, and he told me all the things I needed to pay attention to. He also taught the cooks several ways to cook eel, and now customers really enjoy those eel dishes."

Grandpa Niu chuckled and said, "I consulted an old Chinese medicine doctor who said that eels are sweet and warm in nature, and can replenish qi and blood, and warm and nourish the body, making them suitable for those with a cold constitution. People with a hot constitution or those who are yin deficient and have excessive fire should not eat too much, as the internal heat will rise and they are prone to nosebleeds. Children and young adults are most susceptible because they have plenty of qi and blood. I'm sharing this information with everyone for free, so that these people don't eat too much, or nosebleeds will be a real problem."

"Brother Niu is so generous!"

"We need to be careful, otherwise it will be troublesome."

Wang Xingguo sold everything and had eighty-three yuan more in his pocket. He said to Uncle Niu, "Uncle Niu, they don't want these eels, why don't you take them?"

Old Niu, holding a folding fan, fanned himself twice, then nodded with a smile and said, "I can buy them, but my men only get 35 cents a pound these days. I don't know how you, Wang Er, managed to transport them back, but half of the 100 pounds my men brought back died. I can only offer you 60 cents a pound for your eels. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Er Gouzi immediately said, "Wang Er, I'll offer seven cents a pound! I thought you were going to rip us off at three dollars a pound again. If it's seven cents a pound, I'll buy all your eels."

Wang Xingguo didn't respond, but instead asked curiously, "By the way, do so many of your eels die when they're transported back?"

"I didn't have that many, but about a third of them died, and there were also cases of large eels eating small eels."

"Mine are alright. I had them brought back by oxcart, and only about one-fifth of them died."

"No, why would you buy small yellow eels? I only buy those weighing over two ounces each; there's no need to buy the smaller ones, is there?"

Everyone started talking about this topic, and Wang Xingguo finally understood. Many people probably thought that there was too much water in the tank, which was why so many eels died.

Some people bring them back by bicycle, so there's less water, and the eels are more likely to die from internal organ damage due to the bumpy ride.

With roads in such poor condition, wear and tear is unavoidable.

Wang Xingguo then asked if anyone had raised the price, and everyone shook their heads. After all, they could get it for a few cents a pound, and even with half the loss, seven cents a pound was still considered expensive.

So the eels were divided up by Uncle Niu and Er Gouzi at 70 cents per pound, and Wang Xingguo got 22.3 yuan.

After completing the transaction, Wang Xingguo breathed a sigh of relief. The money in his pocket was now 136.3 yuan, enough for him to buy furniture and other necessities for his new home tomorrow.

After leaving this place, Wang Xingguo rushed home.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, his neighbor, Grandpa Yang, pulled him aside and asked, "Xingguo, your older brother said you're moving? What's going on?"

Wang Xingguo explained with a smile, "Uncle Yang, we are indeed moving tomorrow. As you know, my older brother has found someone, and I'm also preparing to get married, so our two rooms aren't enough, so we have to move."

Grandpa Sun, who was sitting next to him, asked, "Xingguo, where are you moving to? Is it far from here?"

"It's not far, just in Taotiao Hutong, only a ten-minute walk. Once we're settled, everyone is welcome to come visit. We may have moved, but our hearts are with the Wang family. You will always be our good neighbors..."

After much persuasion, Wang Xingguo finally managed to send his neighbors away. One of them offered to help him move tomorrow and help him find his new address.

Wang Xingguo naturally wouldn't refuse, because he was moving because he really didn't have enough space and wanted a better life in the next few years, but he really didn't dislike his neighbors.

Minor bumps and bruises are inevitable in daily life, but when one's own parents pass away, no neighbor will refuse to help. One must remember this kindness and repay it.

Back inside, Wang Xingbang immediately asked, "Second brother, are we moving tomorrow?"

Wang Xingguo nodded: "Yes, we're moving tomorrow morning. Did you ask for leave, brother?"

"It's all settled. As soon as I got home, my third sister told me about the move, so I went to my boss's house to ask for leave."

"That's good. Big brother, you should pack your things first. We'll move to our new house tomorrow!"

After saying that, Wang Xingguo continued to tidy up his things. Although there was a lot of junk in the house, these days everything is in short supply, and you can't throw away even the smallest things.

It was almost 10 p.m. when they finished packing. In order not to disturb the neighbors' rest, Wang Xingguo asked his family to stop and that they could pack up while moving things tomorrow.

The next morning, Wang Xingguo got up and made a big bowl of noodles. After the four siblings finished eating, Wang Xingbang went to borrow a neighbor's cart, while Wang Xingguo removed the seat from the tricycle so that they could carry more things.

After loading two carts with their belongings, and with the help of several neighbors, Wang Xingguo set off on his tricycle.

On the way, they ran into Li Xiuping. Wang Xingguo stopped the car and introduced Li Xiuping to his neighbors and older brother as his girlfriend.

Although Li Xiuping's pretty face was flushed, she greeted her neighbors and older brother with grace and poise, showing no stage fright whatsoever, displaying the demeanor of a Beijing girl.

They arrived at their destination shortly afterward. Wang Xingguo took out his key and opened the gate. Only then did the neighbors realize that the Wang family's new home was actually a detached house with its own courtyard!