The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

Yang Dalin replied to Qi Yulan: "Auntie, I have to go on a business trip to Jinan this afternoon. My company told us to come back early to pack our luggage and then leave directly this afternoon."

I got back early this morning, and since I had some time, I thought I'd cook you a meal.

"Dinner will be ready soon, please wash your hands and eat."

Qi Yulan put down her handbag, and instead of washing her hands, she asked him, "You're going on a business trip this afternoon? Have you packed your things? Let me help you pack first. There's no rush to eat."

Yang Dalin put down his chopsticks and pulled Qi Yulan aside: "Auntie, I've tidied everything up, you don't need to worry about it."

Let's eat first.

Aunt Qi was still a little worried, just like a mother worried about her son. Ignoring Yang Dalin's objections, she went into Yang Dalin's bedroom.

Open Yang Dalin's backpack.

Take everything out of the backpack and check each item one by one.

Aunt Qi looked inside and saw that besides a set of clothes, there was only a kettle and an empty lunchbox.

There are none else.

Aunt Qi said, "This won't do, Dalin. You need to bring some food, like steamed buns or something."

"If something happens on the road and we're stranded in the middle of nowhere without food, we'll be in trouble."

Yang Dalin asked Sister Yan to serve the dishes and arrange them on a plate.

He walked into the bedroom, put his hand on Qi Yulan's shoulder, and said, "Auntie, I'm prepared. I'll just buy some steamed buns at the state-run restaurant near the train station later."

There's none left at home, so I don't have time to steam any more.

Don't worry, I'll get everything ready.

"I'm all grown up now, not a child anymore, don't worry."

As he spoke, Yang Dalin tried to push Qi Yulan out to eat first.

Qi Yulan grabbed his big backpack and said, "Okay, okay, don't push me. I'll help you pack it. You can pack two more cans of food later to eat as vegetables."

Bring along whatever you need, whether you use it or not.

Do you have any more money or tickets? Auntie will get you some more.

"Yes, yes, Auntie, when have you ever seen me lack money or tickets?"

Don't worry, come out to eat after you've finished packing.

I need to finish eating quickly and get back.

We need to leave promptly at 1:00 AM, but we also need to go back beforehand to check the vehicle.

"Okay, okay, you go get the bowls first, I'll clean up and leave right away."

Qi Yulan asked Yang Dalin to leave, then folded the clothes and put them into Yang Dalin's bag, and secretly slipped the money and tickets she had on her into Yang Dalin's schoolbag.

Yang Dalin ladled out a bowl of rabbit meat, asked Qi Xiaoning to cover it with another bowl, and then took it to Mi Ya and Mi Li.

Not to mention that Sha Zhu just cooked for me yesterday, so it's only right that I treat him to a meal in return. But then there's Mi Li, that little girl I really like. If there's something delicious, I have to let her try it.

If you cover a bowl, no one can see what's inside.

Qi Xiaoning will be back soon.

I haven't heard of anyone causing trouble at the Intermediate Court.

A little while later, Aunt Qi came out of Yang Dalin's house and insisted on making some pancakes for Yang Dalin to take with him.

She said this is faster, much faster than steaming buns.

A batter pancake is made by mixing flour with a little water in a bowl and stirring it into a batter.

Sprinkle some salt and Sichuan peppercorn powder inside.

Then heat some oil in a pan, pour in a spoonful of batter, spread it out with a spatula, and fry until cooked.

Simple, delicious, and quick.

If you have the means, you can crack an egg into it, but it requires some skill. People who don't cook often might not spread it evenly, resulting in some parts being cooked while others are not.

Yang Dalin finally managed to persuade Aunt Qi to stop.

He has plenty of things in his storage space, he's not short of food, he just hasn't taken them out and put them in his bag.

Remember next time, make sure to put some steamed buns or dumplings in the bag, otherwise your auntie is really worried he'll go hungry.

After finishing his meal, without even washing the dishes, Yang Dalin slung his large backpack over his shoulder and rode away on his bicycle amidst the Qi Yulan family's reluctant farewell.

Yang Dalin needed to hurry back, as it was already past midnight.

I need to check the vehicle when I get back. It's quite a distance to the freight station by bike, and even if I ride fast, it will take me more than ten minutes.

Aunt Qi, standing behind him, loudly reminded him to buy some food to take on the road, just in case.

Yang Dalin was very fast; he arrived at the station before 12:30.

The drivers at the station have all returned.

Everyone started by carefully inspecting the vehicles that had been driving perfectly fine that morning.

These days, there are hardly any car repair shops on the road. Whenever you're driving long distances, you have to check your car three times over, even if you just drove by a minute ago.

Generally, the co-driver checks twice first, and then the driver checks once more.

If something happens on the road, especially in the middle of nowhere, it can be very troublesome.

After inspecting the vehicle, Yang Dalin and his colleagues went to the security department and picked up their rifles.

Yang Dalin also tucked his pistol into his lower back.

Because she was wearing a coat, it wasn't very noticeable.

The goods were already loaded before Yang Dalin returned.

Then, at Qi Desheng's command, everyone set off.

Yang Dalin inquired about the route and found out that he would probably go directly from the braised chicken market to Quancheng before going there, without passing through his hometown. If he wanted to get the stamp, he would have to take a detour on the way back.

However, taking the detour back might burn a lot of oil.

So Yang Dalin planned to check the time after he arrived, and if necessary, find an opportunity to ask for leave and take a bus back.

Otherwise, you can't say you're taking the convoy with you on a detour.

That's not displayed, and it's hard to explain.

This could easily create leverage for future wrongdoing.

After all, it's government-owned oil; back home, the work unit doesn't have much oil left for them to squander these days.

Moreover, on the way to Quancheng, we can't even visit Xiaocui and Xiaoyuan.

We need to get there quickly so that the supplies on the truck can be delivered to Jinan by noon tomorrow.

So the convoy doesn't have much to do in the afternoon and won't stop; they'll only find a place to stay on the road at night.

Driving at night is not safe these days, mainly because the roads are difficult to navigate, and there are robbers and other criminals in some areas.

So we'll arrange accommodation for the night and won't keep driving around.

Unless the mission becomes more urgent.

Yang Dalin drove very steadily all the way. After leaving the city of Beijing and entering Hebei Province, he looked at the scenery in the distance.

It seems that the north is even more desolate in winter.

In many places, there was no snow, and the wheat seedlings in the fields were sparse.

It can't compare to the densely planted, dark green wheat seedlings of later generations.

The wheat seedlings in the field looked like they had been chewed by dogs, with patches missing here and there. In some places, the seedlings hadn't even sprouted. From a distance, they looked like the top of a bald giant's head.

Moreover, because the ground is so dry, a gust of wind blows up a lot of yellow sand, which also affects visibility.

When there is a strong wind, the convoy will slow down.

There are very few pedestrians on the road, unless you come across a town.

In the villages we passed through, there were even fewer pedestrians.

They were dressed in tattered clothes.

Some people were even carrying a manure basket on their backs; they were collecting manure.

They mainly collect the manure left by passing large animals.

The weather is cold, so the feces are frozen, preventing them from turning into a watery mess if put into a basket.

Yang Dalin had seen this kind of manure collector in his previous life.

Most of them are elderly people who can't stay idle at home.

They usually collect them in the morning, but in the afternoon they probably just come out to try their luck.