Chapter 420 - 354: Are You Stupid?
Du Chunjiang had no idea that he and Zhao Jun were not only enemies in this life, but also held grudges from a past one.
But no matter what, he didn’t dare to offend Zhao Jun. In fact, he even needed something from him.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent a fortune on a gun to give to Zhao Jun.
But after Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu’s antics, the scene of him gifting the gun had turned into a bit of a joke.
Du Chunjiang was cursing his luck inwardly. He had spent sixteen hundred on this gun, and before that, nearly three hundred on the dog.
Between the dog and the gun, he had already spent close to two thousand yuan. If he still couldn’t get things done, it would be a huge loss.
"Technician Zhao, I was..."
"Hey!" Zhao Jun raised his right hand and waved it dismissively. With a smile on his face, he cut Du Chunjiang off before he could even finish his sentence.
Zhao Jun picked up the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle from the table and laid it across his lap. Then, he smiled at Du Chunjiang and said, "You just said it yourself, we should be friends. So, enough with the ’Technician Zhao.’ From now on, just call me by my name, call me Zhao Jun, or call me brother. And I’ll call you Brother Du."
"Oh my..." Upon hearing this, Du Chunjiang’s face bloomed into a wide smile. He quickly turned around and hollered, "How are those dishes we ordered coming along? And bring me another bottle of liquor! A good one, get the Xifengjiu!"
After speaking, Du Chunjiang turned back to Zhao Jun and said, "Oh, I remember now, my brother here doesn’t drink." Then he turned again and shouted, "And a bottle of soda!"
Back then, the service attitude at private restaurants was on par with state-run establishments. The proprietress, face set in a pout, came over clutching a green bottle of Xifengjiu in one hand and a soda in the other.
The way she held the bottles, it was as if she were carrying a pair of upside-down hand grenades.
CLANG! CLANG!
She slammed the liquor and soda bottles onto the table. Du Chunjiang shot the proprietress a look, then picked up the Xifengjiu and handed it to Li Baoyu. "Master Li, what do you think of this liquor?"
"Yeah, this is good stuff." Li Baoyu took it and examined the label, looking at the proof, production year, and other details.
In truth, it wasn’t his first time seeing Xifengjiu, but that’s how drinkers are. Even if you’ve had it eight hundred times, you still have to take a good look at the bottle when you get your hands on it.
Just then, Du Chunjiang picked up the glass bottle of Asia-brand soda and said to Zhao Jun with a smile, "The two of us will drink. You have this, little brother. Let your big brother open it for you." As he spoke, he brought the bottle cap toward his back molars to pry it open.
The soda had a crimped metal cap, which could be opened with a bottle opener or with your teeth.
But seeing this, Zhao Jun quickly stopped him. "Don’t, don’t. You don’t have to do that. I’ll get it."
Only then did Du Chunjiang realize his misstep. He chuckled sheepishly and handed the soda bottle to Zhao Jun.
Zhao Jun took it and opened it with his own teeth.
In order to get on Zhao Jun’s good side, Du Chunjiang had been willing to buy a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. Having already spent the big money, why would he skimp on the small stuff?
Earlier, when it was time to order, he had asked for Zhao Jun’s and Li Baoyu’s opinions. Both told him to decide, so Du Chunjiang picked out four of the best dishes.
Braised Beef Strips, Sautéed Three Treasures, Beef and Radish Soup, and Stir-fried Green Peppers with Dried Tofu.
Braised Beef Strips. This was the first time Zhao Jun had eaten this dish since his rebirth. On a blue and white porcelain plate, slices of beef were stacked, surrounded by a rich sauce. Chewing on a large piece was incredibly fragrant.
Sautéed Three Treasures consisted of sautéed beef heart, liver, and tripe. Normally, you could also substitute in aorta or other cuts, but restaurants at this time faced ingredient shortages and generally used whatever they had on hand.
The Beef and Radish Soup was a purely Northeastern preparation. In the Southern Region, they would typically stew it with tomatoes, which would result in a sweet and sour broth.
But in the Northeast, especially in winter, fresh vegetables were scarce, so they had to use radishes. This method produced a white broth that further enhanced the flavor of the beef.
As for the Stir-fried Green Peppers with Dried Tofu, it might not look like much, but strangely enough, the way to judge a Halal restaurant in the Northeast wasn’t by its beef or mutton, but by how well it made this very dish.
Three large plates and one basin, each about thirty centimeters in diameter, were laid out, along with meat pies and shumai.
The three of them dug in, eating and drinking with gusto. But just as Du Chunjiang and Li Baoyu finished the bottle of liquor and were about to order a second, Zhao Jun stopped them.
"Baoyu!" Zhao Jun said. "You and Brother Du should stop drinking. We still have business to take care of later."
"What business?" Du Chunjiang chimed in from across the table, boasting, "If something’s up, just tell your big brother. I know my way around here."
"Ah, just helping someone deliver something."
Zhao Jun’s vague reply told Du Chunjiang that he didn’t want to elaborate. He tactfully changed the subject, asking, "Before the winter transport season starts this year, will you still be the one scaling the timber at our Logging Camp, brother?"
"That’s right." Zhao Jun nodded. "Each of us inspectors is assigned to specific logging camps. It makes the work more convenient."
"Right, it’s always easier to work with people you know," Du Chunjiang replied with a smile. He then set his chopsticks down on the soy sauce dish for the pies and shumai, pushed the dish aside, and continued, "Brother, if someone tries to stop me from getting the Bao Leng Field this year, you have to help me."
"Don’t worry," Zhao Jun replied. He drained the last of his soda from the bottle and then refused Du Chunjiang’s offer of another, as drinking too much would make him feel bloated.
As for Du Chunjiang’s problem, he didn’t give it a second thought. In his past life, around this same time, someone in the inspection team had indeed tried to mess with Du Chunjiang. They had even declared that they would make sure he couldn’t get a timber contract that year.
Back then, Du Chunjiang had also asked Zhao Jun for help, but before Zhao Jun even had a chance to do anything, the person causing trouble was transferred away.
After the three had eaten and drunk their fill, Du Chunjiang went to the counter to pay. Zhao Jun shouldered the gun bag and waited for him at the entrance with Li Baoyu.
When Du Chunjiang came out of the restaurant and saw the two of them hadn’t gotten into the car, he immediately understood they were planning to part ways right there at the entrance. Otherwise, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu would have waited in the car and called him over to give him a ride.
Du Chunjiang exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu, and even invited them to his home for a meal, but Zhao Jun politely declined.
After saying their goodbyes, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu got in the car and headed straight for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
In the car, Li Baoyu praised Du Chunjiang to Zhao Jun, saying, "Brother, that Elder Du seems like a good guy."
"Are you stupid?" Zhao Jun laughed. "Did you forget how he treated me the first day I went to his place?"
"Ah!" Hearing this, Li Baoyu, with one hand on the steering wheel, made a fist with the other and tapped himself on the forehead. "I drank too much," he said.
When they reached the entrance of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Zhao Jun left both guns in the car. As he got out, he saw a pedicab parked to the left of the main entrance.
The staff member who had clashed with Zhao Jun earlier at the pharmacy was sitting on the pedicab’s seat, gnawing on a sesame seed bun.
The man was facing south, and Zhao Jun, approaching from the north, paid him no mind and went straight into the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
The Supply and Marketing Cooperative was a single story, bright and spacious inside. The salesclerks were all busy behind their counters. Zhao Jun wandered around for a bit and noticed one counter with no customers, so he went over to take a look.
Whoa!
Zhao Jun looked and was momentarily stunned.