Siheyuan: I am the seventh uncle of Banggen

"Can we have a good meal at noon today?" Zhang Dabao asked Xiaodang.

"Eat well," Xiaodang answered happily and laughed even more happily.

"I'll listen to Xiaodang. Let's go." Zhang Dabao carried Xiaodang to his room in the backyard, and Qin Jingru followed behind.

"Xiaodang and Jingru, eat the peach cakes first. I'll go make you something delicious." Zhang Dabao put Xiaodang on a chair and gave each of them a peach cake. Xiaodang started to eat it directly. Qin Jingru was a little embarrassed to eat it.

"Eat, there's some more on the table. Take it yourself when you're done." Zhang Dabao smiled, turned around and went out to the kitchen.

Zhang Dabao is a fast cook. He steamed egg custard for Xiaodang. He and Qin Jingru ate meat buns taken out from the space and drank millet porridge.

Zhang Dabao fed Xiaodang first, one spoonful at a time. Xiaodang ate all the egg custard made from two eggs. After she finished eating, she still held the peach pastry in her hand and ate it. The peach pastry was very hard at that time, and she was small and her teeth had not grown fully yet, so it took her a long time to eat and she didn't finish even a corner of the peach pastry.

Before the three of them finished their meal, Banggeng came back.

"Is Banggeng leaving school so early today?" Zhang Dabao asked, and then gestured for him to wash his hands first. He then gave him a few meat buns and served him some porridge.

"Seventh uncle, today is Sunday, so there is no school. I was just playing games with Xiaozheng and the others. My grandma went out to propose marriage, so she's not at home. My dad and mom also went out, saying they were going to the department store, and they didn't take me with them. They asked me to stay at home and play with my sister. What's fun in playing with my sister? She's so young, she just needs my aunt to play with her. My dad is afraid of taking me out and spending money, so he doesn't want to take me with him," Banggeng explained, and then started eating the meat buns.

"It's meat buns again, they're so delicious. I love eating meat, so I must eat them all and not leave any for my dad. It's his fault for not taking any for me," Bang Geng said.

Qin Jingru finished her meal and went out with Xiaodang because Xiaodang started yawning and it was time for her nap.

"Banggeng, where did the old hens you sold last Sunday come from?" Zhang Dabao asked as he watched Banggeng wolfing down his food.

"Seventh Uncle, do you know?" Banggeng quickly swallowed the bun in his mouth.

"Is there anyone who still goes to the recycling station to sell old hens? The price there is more than half cheaper than the black market? If you go to Jiaodaokou to sell them, no one will notice?" Zhang Dabao said.

"I took it from Yan Laokou's family. He complained about me at school, saying that I ate shit and forced my classmates to eat shit. Yan Laokou and I are from the same courtyard. I even call him Third Grandpa every day. Look, is this something a human being would do? Of course I have to take revenge on him," said Banggeng.

"Teacher Yan said you eat shit?" Zhang Dabao was a little confused. What did this make sense?

"It's the fruit you just brought back from a business trip. It smells bad but tastes delicious. I asked you how you ate it in the evening. But my dad, my grandma, my mom, and my sister and aunt didn't want to eat it either. I had no choice but to bring it to school because it would smell bad if eaten in the classroom. We ate it in the toilet, and Yan Laokou happened to see it. He refused to listen to any explanation and insisted on telling the principal. Isn't this crazy?" Banggeng is still angry when he talks about it.

"You took his chicken, didn't he look for it? It's not like Yan Bugui to look for it two or three times. Did you hide it?" Zhang Dabao asked again.

"After I took it, I went to the backyard, put it in a bag, then climbed over the wall and put it in your yard in Chunfeng Hutong. I sold it the next day, and it was seen by Uncle Cao from the police station." Banggeng said it lightly, but his words contained a lot of information.

He is only a seven-year-old child, but he has such a thorough action plan and is so brave. He can go to Chunfeng Hutong from No. 95 Courtyard in the middle of the night. Is he a normal person? Even adults don't dare to do it. But Bang Geng not only dared to do it, but also succeeded. Is he born to do this? Did the thief gene in his bones appear?

"Banggeng, do you think it's okay to take other people's things?" Zhang Dabao asked again.

"It's not good, but what can we do? Yan Laokou is the one who values ​​money the most. He won't feel bad even if you beat him up. But he will feel very sad when he loses something," Banggeng explained.

"What if Liu Haizhong offended you?" Zhang Dabao asked again.

"If it was Liu Haizhong, we shouldn't have taken his chicken. He wouldn't feel bad if his chicken was taken, as he doesn't care much about material things. But he is obsessed with power, even more than my father. I will find his leader and ask someone to write a letter to the steel mill to report Liu Haizhong and make sure he can't get his job as an official," Bang Geng said again.

Zhang Dabiao was stunned. A seven-year-old child could analyze specific problems. He was much better than Jia Dongxu. Jia Youfu himself had seen him, but he didn't have this ability. Could it be that his talent was inherited from the previous generation? His great-grandfather Zhang Zhifeng was very smart, but his three sons were not as smart as Zhang Cuihua. It seemed that Jia Geng inherited his great-grandfather's wisdom.

"Bang Geng, you know it's not good to take other people's things. That's right. Don't take other people's things in the future. If you take it again and I find out, I will beat you. You also know that I really hit people. I kicked your father Jia Dongxu and he made him fall down. You are so young and if I really hit you, you may not be able to bear it. By the way, haven't you heard? After Old Yan lost his chickens, he was so angry that he fainted at the door. When he went to the black market to buy chickens again, he was caught." Zhang Dabao said to Bang Geng.

"It was me and Uncle Cao who talked about the black market. I knew that they would definitely arrest people once they found out about the scale of the black market. Yan Laokou wanted to buy a chicken as a gift, so he would definitely go buy another one after losing the chicken. He deserved to be arrested. Let's forget about his reporting this time. If he annoys me again, I will not let him off," Bang Geng said, looking out the window.

Zhang Dabiao thought of what Cao Lianbiao had said at the police station. Banggeng also said the black market thing. Now he understood that he did it on purpose to get Yan Bugui arrested. It was really scary that a child was smarter than Jia Dongxu.

Chapter 289: Cooperation Mission with Banggeng

Zhang Dabao thought for a while and then smiled.

"Old Yan lost more than 20 yuan and was almost killed by the pain. But he was at fault first, so we'll let it go and I won't tell your grandmother about it. But it's wrong for you to take other people's things, and it also caused great losses to Old Yan. Let me give you a task. You can earn money from this task. When you have the money, find a way to make up to the Yan family," said Zhang Dabao.

"What mission?" Banggeng was very interested.

"Xinsheng will be going on a business trip in a few days, and there will be no one to raise his geese. So I will buy a few more geese and you will be responsible for raising them. We will share the eggs they lay equally. For example, if they lay four eggs a day, you can take two, and Xinsheng and I can take two. We are not at home, so you can keep them for now. Your mother wants to eat the goose eggs now, and so does sister-in-law Xiao'e. In a few days, your great aunt might also want to eat them. I will charge you a fee, and you can keep the money. I heard that you like to ask adults for pocket money the most. Can the money you ask be the same as the money you earn yourself? It is so comfortable to spend the money you earn yourself," said Zhang Dabao.

"Damn it, this task is too good. An egg is five cents each now. A goose egg this big should be at least twenty cents each. Four eggs a day would be eighty cents..." Then Banggeng started to count the money. After counting for a while, he even took off his shoes and counted his toes, but he couldn't come to a conclusion no matter how much he counted.

"Banggeng, Yushui is a professional accountant. If you can't figure it out, you can ask her to do it for you, and then just treat her to a goose egg." Zhang Dabao looked at Banggeng who was caught up in the frenzy and reminded him quickly.

After talking with Banggeng and finishing his meal, he happily went to the yard to play some unknown game with Niu Xiaozheng and the others, just running back and forth in the yard, and every child was sweating. Zhang Dabiao saw Yan Jiedi there too, so he called her over.

"Jie Di, I plan to dig sweet potatoes next Sunday. I told you that you would come to help. I told you in advance so don't forget," said Zhang Dabao.

"Brother Dabiao, I've been waiting to help you. I'm very capable now," said Yan Jiedi.

"I'm more capable," said Guo Xiaobao.

The "I'm more capable than you" joke is here too.

"Okay, let's add Guangfu, Jie Kuang, and a few of you, and we'll dig together. I'll treat everyone to a good meal then." Zhang Dabao made an appointment with the children, and then left the yard. The children cheered because they had the opportunity to eat good food again by going to Zhang Dabao's house to help.

I promised to buy a few more geese, so I must do it. When Zhang Dabiao and Xu Damao went to Wangjiaqiao last time, they saw many families raising geese in that village. He is now the head of the Second Supply and Marketing Section of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill and has purchasing power. I will buy a few today. If I can't raise any, I can stew them in an iron pot and they will be delicious.

I looked at the time. It was a little past noon. If I went now, I would drive faster. When I reached the mountain road, I would put away the motorcycle and run faster than the motorcycle. Then I would be there around four or five o'clock. After putting away my things, I would come back early in the evening.

Zhang Dabao started his motorcycle tricycle and headed towards Wangjiaqiao as soon as he said he would.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, they arrived at Wangjiaqiao Village. Since he had been there twice before, Zhang Dabao went straight into the village office, found the village chief Wang, and presented him with two bottles of Erguotou that he had brought with him.

"Purchasing Zhang, you haven't been here for a long time. The villagers are all looking forward to your coming. What are you recycling?" Village Chief Wang said happily, feeling a little embarrassed with the wine in his hand.

"I won't accept anything. Doesn't your village raise geese? Can you give me a few geese? Our unit is going to entertain some guests from the Northeast, and they like to eat goose stewed in an iron pot," said Zhang Dabao.

"Big geese? No problem. I have two geese at home, and several of my nephews' families have some too. How many do you want?" asked Village Chief Wang.

"The more the better. I'm not afraid of too much, I'm just afraid of too little. I'll take as much as you can. I've brought enough money and tickets, don't worry. I'll take other things too. Since you're here, I'll take them." Zhang Dabao patted his pocket.

"I'll shout it through the loudspeaker." Village chief Wang was very enthusiastic about Zhang Dabao because the price he offered was fair and he didn't mind if he got a penny more. It was more cost-effective than selling it in the city by his fellow villagers.

After Village Chief Wang shouted through the loudspeaker for a few minutes, villagers came to the village office with all kinds of things, including dried rabbits, dried chickens, eggs, goose eggs, walnuts, chestnuts, Chinese medicinal materials, salvia miltiorrhiza, bupleurum... all kinds of supplies.

I was busy from five o'clock to seven in the evening and collected a full cart of things, with a dozen geese hanging on the back.

Village chief Wang was busy running around. Zhang Dabao gave him two more boxes of cigarettes, refused the villagers' offer of food, then started his motorcycle and left the village.

When they arrived outside the village, Zhang Dabao put all the supplies in the carriage into the space, including the motorcycle, and held the collected goose in his hand.

He started running. He ran much faster than riding a motorcycle. After a while of running, the speed of a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage was perfectly demonstrated in the mountainous area at night. It was not an exaggeration to describe it as lightning fast. Even the goose in his hand was so scared that it could not make a sound.

It felt like only a short while had passed and the capital city was right in front of him. Zhang Dabao stopped, took out his tricycle, put the frightened goose in the car, and rode back to Yard 95.

It was not yet nine o'clock when I returned to the courtyard, and the people who were enjoying the cool air had not yet left.

"Da Biao, are you going to the countryside?" Yan Bugui, who was at the gate of the courtyard, came over to greet them as the car just got off. He heard the cries of the geese on the car.

"Teacher Yan, go collect a few geese," said Zhang Dabao.

"Dabao, you have to keep this thing well. It's more expensive than a chicken. You can never find it back if you lose it. I lost two old hens a few days ago, the kind that lay two eggs a day." Seeing Zhang Dabao's geese, Yan Bugui thought of his own chickens.

"It's okay. I'm locked in the cross-yard and can't run away. This thing can't fly. Teacher Yan's big goose can guard the house. It will call when someone comes in and can also go up and pick up the person. Most people can't handle a dozen geese," said Zhang Dabia with a smile.

"Guangtian, go call Banggeng and Dongxu and tell them that Banggeng's big goose has arrived," Zhang Dabao said to Liu Guangdao who was sitting next to him.

After hearing this, Liu Guangtian agreed and went to the backyard.

"Da Biao, is this for Banggeng?" Yan Bugui didn't quite understand.

"Banggeng wanted to make money on his own, so he teamed up with me to feed the geese. I provided the geese and he was responsible for feeding them. When the eggs were laid, Xinsheng and I split half, and Banggeng kept the other half." Zhang Dabao explained.

"With so many geese, can we eat all the eggs they lay?" Yan Bugui asked enviously.

"It's not necessary to raise all of them. Just a few will be enough. Geese can eat a lot of things, and he can't raise too many by himself. There are also a few geese that don't lay eggs. They will be eaten when there is a reception at the factory." Zhang Dabao and Yan Bugui were talking to each other when Jia Dongxu, He Yuzhu, Huang Xinsheng and Jia Geng arrived.

.

Chapter 290: Stewed Goose in an Iron Pot

Several people put the geese in the cross-yard together. It felt like the whole yard was filled with the geese's cries. It was too noisy. Zhang Dabao took some corn stubble and cut some sweet potato vines to feed the geese. He also gave the geese water, and the noise became a little quieter.

"Seventh uncle, there are too many geese. Can I feed them all? My grandma said that big geese eat a lot." Banggeng was worried when he saw more than ten geese.

"Of course you can't do it by yourself. You have to find a way. Tomorrow I will pick out a few that don't lay eggs and give them away, and we will keep a few. How many do you think are suitable to feed? Six or eight?" Zhang Dabao asked Banggeng.

"Eight, maybe? I'll raise them together with Aunt Si Ni and Xiao Zheng. I'll divide the eggs given to me into two parts. I'll take one and divide the other equally between the two of them." Bang Geng is very smart and he thought of a solution in a short while.

"It is said that Banggeng is smart, much better than your father. This is a good idea. Let's go and discuss it with them," said Zhang Dabao, pinching Banggeng's fat face.

"Seventh Uncle, is the goose delicious?" Jia Dongxu saw Banggeng walking away and came over to ask.

"Of course it's delicious. Have you heard of stewed goose in an iron pot? It is a specialty dish in Northeast China. It uses goose as the raw material, supplemented with a variety of Chinese herbs and fine seasonings to form a unique recipe. It is cooked in a traditional cast iron pot. The skin is golden, the taste is pure, the meat is tender and boneless, the texture is tender, fragrant but not greasy, and it has an endless aftertaste. It is much more delicious than stewed chicken," Zhang Dabao said to Jia Dongxu.

"Really? You haven't eaten it before. Would you like to try it?" Jia Dongxu asked Zhang Dabao.

"You bastard, you only know how to eat. Didn't you hear Da Biao and Bang Geng say? You should save the goose for laying eggs. Can you lay eggs if you eat the goose? You are so greedy, greedier than a dog." Zhang Cuihua was sitting aside to enjoy the cool air. After hearing what Jia Dongxu said, she walked over and started to hit Jia Dongxu on the back.

"Mom, I'm just asking, I'm not really going to eat it," Jia Dongxu said while running and looking back.

"Okay, stop hitting Dongxu. Just try it. Let's stew one in the yard tomorrow. I'll do it and you, Dongxu, will be responsible for killing the goose," said Zhang Dabao. Killing a goose is troublesome because the goose's neck is too long and it takes a long time to pluck the feathers.

"Okay!" After hearing this, Jia Dongxu ran back.

Zhang Lianhua laughed out loud. She thought her eldest nephew was really interesting, a guy who only cared about eating and not about being beaten.

Under the locust tree in the middle courtyard, Banggeng, Yan Jiedi and Niu Xiaozheng reached an agreement on raising geese. They discussed and decided to feed them once in the morning and once in the evening. There was still grass, so after school the three of them would go cut grass together, and they would cut more because geese were particularly greedy. Yan Jiedi and Niu Xiaozheng would share the goose eggs from Banggeng once a week.

"What? Banggeng invites you to raise geese together? Is there such a good thing?" Yan Bugui was stunned when he heard his daughter say this when he came home.

"Of course, I am very capable and not lazy at all when doing work. Banggeng and I are good friends. Brother Dabia also asked me and my third brother to help him dig sweet potatoes next Sunday. Brother Dabia said he would treat us to a good meal," Yan Jiedi said proudly.

"Your mother is more capable than you. Do you have time to raise geese while you are in school? Otherwise, let your mother raise them for you," Yan Bugui asked his daughter.

"Is my mom Banggeng's friend? I'm free too. We've agreed that we only need to feed the geese once in the morning and once in the evening. During the day, Banggeng will ask Sister Jingru to give the geese some water. After school in the afternoon, the three of us will go cut grass together. I'll have money in the future. I heard from Banggeng that a goose egg is 20 cents. Now there are eight geese, and they lay four eggs a day. So I can get one every two days, which is equivalent to 10 cents a day. It's great," said Yan Jiedi.

"An egg is five cents now. Goose eggs are so big and good for pregnant women. Two cents is not expensive. Jie Di, let's discuss how to divide the money you earn, okay? Otherwise, let your mother keep it for you. It would be embarrassing if you keep it on yourself," said Yan Bugui.

"I don't feel good at all. I'm going to fall asleep." Yan Jiedi was very smart. Of course, she knew what her father was thinking. What did the money have to do with her after it was in his hands? So she quickly returned to her room.

"The child has grown up and is hard to coax," Yan Bugui said self-deprecatingly.

After his sister returned to his room, Yan Jiekuang also returned to his room. His eldest and second brothers were not at home, so Yan Jiekuang now had his own room, and it was a large room of more than ten square meters. He was very satisfied with it.

In the morning, Zhang Dabiao picked out the old geese and male geese from the flock, and picked out five, leaving seven geese. Together with the one that Huang Xinsheng had originally kept, there were exactly eight geese. In the morning, they were still feeding the geese with sweet potato vines. Zhang Dabiao told the three people who came to feed the geese that the sweet potato vines on the three acres of land were given to them. After harvesting the sweet potatoes, they could store them aside and save them for the geese to eat when it rains or there is no grass in winter.

Zhang Dabao built a frame with the remaining wood in the yard, and bought some wooden boards from the recycling station. He made a simple house for the geese and also built a small shed for Banggeng and the others to store grass.

After finishing all these, a whole morning had passed. He tied the selected goose to Jia Dongxu's door in the backyard, waiting for him to come back from get off work and then just kill it.

After lunch break, Zhang Dabao took a few geese out. He gave a live goose to his aunt Wang Xiuqin and took one from Chunfeng Hutong. He planned to treat everyone to a meal. Friends need to communicate frequently. The more you communicate, the deeper the feelings will be.