Chapter 352 - 290: Wang Meilan’s Aspirations
Zhang Yuanmin’s tears made Zhao Jun’s heart ache. The man was a devoted son—not only did he care for his own father, but he also covered his mother-in-law’s medical expenses. The clinic’s doctor had even been hounding him for money while he was laid up on the kang.
A lack of money can bring a hero to his knees, and most people weren’t heroes to begin with.
Just then, the sound of the door opening came from the outer room, immediately followed by Wang Meilan’s voice. "Son, you’re back?"
Zhang Yuanmin hurriedly wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, acting as if nothing was wrong.
"Oh, Yuanmin, you’re here?" Wang Meilan came in and saw that both Zhang Yuanmin and Li Baoyu were present, but since she considered Li Baoyu one of the family, she only greeted Zhang Yuanmin.
"Auntie."
"Perfect timing. I traded for some firm tofu and pressed tofu this morning. You and Baoyu should both stay for dinner."
The previous morning, as Zhao Jun was leaving home, Wang Meilan and Zhao Youcai had been sorting soybeans. After they finished, she took the beans to the tofu workshop today to trade for some pressed tofu and firm tofu.
It wasn’t like winter anymore, so tofu products wouldn’t keep. She hadn’t traded for too much. After coming back, she first gave some to Wang Qiang’s family and had just given some more to Jin Xiaomei.
"I really can’t, Auntie." Zhang Yuanmin climbed off the kang and said to Wang Meilan, "I should head back. I’ve still got work to do at home."
"What work could you have at this hour?" Wang Meilan thought he was just making an excuse.
But Zhang Yuanmin said, "My wife and I are at home weaving baskets. The season for gathering wild mountain vegetables is coming up. Oh, by the way, Auntie, I was just telling my brother here that you shouldn’t go foraging in the mountains this year. My wife and I will just bring you some of whatever we find."
"Alright, then." Wang Meilan was very happy to hear this and said at once, "Perfect. I have some things to take care of this year anyway, so I won’t go." As she spoke, she turned and walked toward the outer room, adding, "Since you’re leaving, your auntie will get you something to take!"
"Auntie, don’t trouble yourself..." Zhang Yuanmin knew Wang Meilan was going to give him the firm and pressed tofu, but just as he was about to refuse, Zhao Jun stopped him.
"Brother Zhang," Zhao Jun said with a smile, "If my mom wants to give it to you, just take it. It won’t keep long at this time of year anyway, so we might as well share it."
Hearing Zhao Jun say this, Zhang Yuanmin didn’t refuse again. The three of them came out of the room to see Wang Meilan had already deftly divided the firm and pressed tofu, each in its own basin. She said to Zhang Yuanmin, "You have to bring the basins back, you hear?"
Zhang Yuanmin laughed heartily and picked up a basin in each hand. He settled one against his hip for balance and said to Wang Meilan, "Alright, Auntie, I’m heading back then."
"Go on home," Wang Meilan replied, then pointed at Zhao Jun. "Hurry and get the door for your big brother."
Hearing this, Zhao Jun quickly pushed the door open.
Seeing Zhang Yuanmin out the door, Li Baoyu also took his leave.
After seeing the two of them off, Zhao Jun came back inside to find Wang Meilan at the stove, cutting the firm tofu.
"Mom, don’t worry about that for now." Zhao Jun took Wang Meilan’s arm and had her put down the kitchen knife.
Hearing her son call her, Wang Meilan quickly wiped her hands and followed Zhao Jun into the room.
Once in the inner room, Zhao Jun took out the nine hundred yuan and handed it to Wang Meilan.
When they had divided the money earlier, he had prioritized giving the ten-yuan bills to Zhang Yuanmin and Li Baoyu. Now, what he had left was mostly five-yuan bills, with some one- and two-yuan bills mixed in.
"From your Uncle Zhao?" Wang Meilan asked with a smile as she took the money.
"Yeah," Zhao Jun nodded. "This isn’t all of it. There’s more coming in a little while."
Zhao Jun didn’t tell Wang Meilan how much the sale was in total, nor did he say how much more Zhao Guofeng would be giving them later. Wang Meilan didn’t ask, either. She just clutched the money in her hand and was about to get up and leave.
"Mom, wait," Zhao Jun said, quickly stopping her.
"What is it, son?" Wang Meilan glanced at the money in her hand, then back at Zhao Jun. "Do you need money?" she asked, holding the cash out to him.
It was a good thing Zhao Youcai wasn’t home; if he had seen this, he would have burst into tears.
"No, Mom, I don’t need any money." Zhao Jun pushed her hand and the money back toward her, then pulled her down to sit on the edge of the kang. "You told Brother Zhang earlier that you had things to do this spring. What are you planning?"
Wang Meilan had been listening with her head tilted, and when he finished speaking, she broke into a smile.
Wang Meilan looked up, and just as she was about to speak, she blinked and asked quizzically, "I’ve been meaning to ask, where did you get these new clothes?"
"Ah, Mom, never mind the new cotton-padded jacket. First, tell me what you’re planning to do."
Wang Meilan sized up Zhao Jun and smiled. "My son looks so sharp."
A son could only take that kind of praise from his mother with a grain of salt.
But before Zhao Jun could ask again, Wang Meilan laughed and said, "Didn’t we talk about this the other day? Mom has to find you a wife."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, ’huh’?" Saying this seemed to energize Wang Meilan. She turned, pulled her legs up, and sat cross-legged right on the kang. Holding up the money, she told Zhao Jun, "After Mom arranges your engagement, I’ll get a house built for you. And once the house is finished, we’ll have you bring your bride home."
"But..."
"But what?" The mere mention of the topic made Wang Meilan happy, and once she started, she couldn’t stop.
He listened as she said, "You’re my only son. Just you watch how your mother will arrange everything for you."
At this, without waiting for Zhao Jun to ask, Wang Meilan answered her own question. "I’ll make sure it’s a grand affair! Now that you’ve got a proper way to make a living, Mom can finally relax. This money we have is part what you earned and part what I’ve saved up. I’ve already calculated it all. After building the house and handling the wedding, there will still be some left over. When that time comes, Mom will buy you a motorcycle."
"Oh my god!" Wang Meilan’s grand plans gave Zhao Jun a start. "Mom, a motorcycle too? Are we just going to spend everything?"
"Of course we’ll manage! Why wouldn’t we?" At that moment, Wang Meilan was full of excitement. Waving the money in her hand, she declared, "Our family is only going to live better and better from now on."
"But..." Seeing his mother like this, Zhao Jun knew that nothing he said would be of any use. He always handed over the money he earned not for any particular reason, but so Wang Meilan could save it. That way, if she ever fell ill, they would have enough money to send her for treatment in the provincial capital without worrying.
But this...
’If we do what she says and build a five-bay house with a tiled roof, that would cost nearly ten thousand yuan in this day and age.’
’A motorcycle would be another few thousand...’
’And that’s not even counting the wedding expenses. How much money would the family have left?’
’But then he thought about all the Bear Galls hanging in their storeroom, and he felt his anxiety ease. It just went to show,’ he mused, ’that you really did need money. With money, you wouldn’t panic, no matter what happened.’
Whether it was because Zhao Jun had earned more money or because she was filled with hope for a wonderful future, Wang Meilan was especially happy that day. That evening, she made the family a delicious meal.
There was a large basin filled to the brim with stir-fried wild boar and green onions.
After the Qingming Festival, their supply of pickled cabbage was gone, so now the only way to eat wild boar was to stir-fry it.
There was also "Stewed Three Slices," a "poor man’s delight" in the Northeast Mountain Area of that era. The "three slices" were sliced potatoes, sliced carrots, and sliced pressed tofu, all stewed together in a pot.
All three ingredients were soft. The stewed potatoes and carrots were tender and starchy, a texture loved by both children and the elderly.
And finally, there were stir-fried tofu puffs.
In other places, this dish was called homestyle tofu. It was made by cutting firm tofu into pieces the size of mahjong tiles, deep-frying them, and then finishing them in a stir-fry.
Deep-fried tofu was an incredible treat in those days, enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
Before the tofu was used in the stir-fry, Zhao Jun and his two younger sisters crowded around the stove, blowing on the freshly fried cubes to cool them down and popping them into their mouths.
As usual, Wang Meilan hadn’t planned on waiting for Zhao Youcai to start dinner. But just as she set the table and the dishes were served, Zhao Youcai returned!