Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Feng Yanwu treated it like a game, looking at his niece with a teasing smile. "Alright, then tell me your reasoning?"

This niece of his—he had raised her since she was little. Though she was sensible and well-behaved, she was still wet behind the ears. What kind of ideas could she possibly have?

But seeing her put on a serious, grown-up expression, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Xu Meng thought about how to convince her uncle. She couldn’t very well say she had lived an extra lifetime, so she measured her words: "I checked the weather forecast. It’s going to snow for a long time. I heard this year is going to be a harsh winter. In the past, when it got this cold, even root cellar vegetables would freeze. By the time the New Year comes around, vegetable prices will definitely rise. If you don’t believe me, just wait a few more days and see. If it keeps getting colder, don’t sell. Even though winter cabbage isn’t rare, by the holidays, fresh vegetables like these will definitely sell well."

Feng Yanwu chewed on that.

"This year’s weather really is unusual." In previous years, it had never been this cold. Snow would pile up and just sit there unmelted, leaving the roads wet and slippery. In the past, when he rented a tractor to go into the city, it had never been as bitterly cold as today. "Then what about the vegetables in our field? Could they freeze too?"

If the weather got any colder, even with the greenhouse, the crops might not survive.

Huang Lingling grew serious. "Then we should head back early. We need to cover the fields with straw. As for the chickens, we should sell as many as we can now and keep some breeding stock for spring."

Chicken farmers feared extreme cold and heat the most. A single outbreak of disease could clean out the whole coop, leaving them with nothing.

Hearing Xu Meng’s words and considering this year’s extreme weather, the couple grew restless and wanted to hurry back.

Feng Yanwen, upon learning they still had over twenty thousand catties of cabbage in the fields and more than a thousand chickens in the coop, grew anxious for them. She quickly cooked some dumplings to send them off, reminding them to be careful. Xu Meng fetched two hand warmers—one for Feng Yanwu to hold and another for Huang Lingling to warm herself with. Seeing the sky outside growing darker, she urged them to leave quickly.

Once night fell, the roads would become even harder to travel, and the cold would worsen.

After the meal, Smith also got ready to head out.

After seeing off Smith and his daughter, as well as Feng Yanwu and his wife, Xu Meng was antsy. "I’m going to Aunt Zhang’s shop."

If disaster really struck, not only would business be affected, but the cost of vegetables would shoot up. She had also heard from Zhang Mingqing that she had arranged for someone to transport lotus roots from nearby areas into the city. If they could be shipped earlier, it would be better. She remembered that lotus roots with mud still on them kept well. She also planned to stock up on dried goods at the shop—soon enough, their prices would rise too.

Feng Yanwen overheard and urged Xu Meng to hurry.

When she arrived at the shop, Zhang Mingqing was at the cash register running the numbers. Delighted to see Xu Meng, she pulled her aside to chat, pointing at the shop across the street. "Let me tell you something funny."

Xu Meng, never one to pass up gossip, was immediately distracted. "What happened?"

Zhang Mingqing gestured toward the opposite shop. "That fat guy is back, isn’t he?"

Xu Meng: "And then?"

That guy was quite a real piece of work—he had teamed up with Qin Yuan to cheat her.

In the end, he was locked up for half a month and fined. He had only been released recently.

The fat guy was actually quite good at business and had helped Qin Huan a lot. If Qin Huan had really handed things over to him, Zhang Mingqing’s shop would have faced plenty of trouble. But Qin Huan made a foolish move—as soon as the fat guy was locked up, she brought in her own brother.

Now that he was out, things had gotten lively. Originally, Xiangxiang only had him as the manager, and the boss left everything to him. The fat guy had the final say in the shop. But ever since Manager Qin arrived, he refused to budge. Now there were two managers in the shop.

And so, the saying proved true: too many cooks in the kitchen.

But even though their shop had no business, it kept the lights on somehow.

Zhang Mingqing didn’t pay them much attention. Her own business was going gangbusters—she was too busy to care.

After winter arrived, the shop started selling mutton, and sales had been excellent. The till was ringing up another ten percent, meaning Xu Meng’s share would be even larger. Calculating the numbers, it was nothing to sneeze at. As long as she focused on one thing, her monthly income was already substantial.

Zhang Mingqing perked up as she talked about these things. "That big pot you asked me to get last time—I tracked one down. But I’m thinking, should we set up a separate space for stir-frying spices? Our kitchen is already too small. If we add two more big pots, there’ll be not enough room to swing a cat."

Preparing the hot pot base isn't just about stir-frying; there are other steps involved.

For example, melting beef fat—every time Liu Jingyuan cuts the tallow, he makes a big production out of it. Or weighing the spices—they have to be measured precisely. Without digital scales at the time, Xu Meng always used a tiny scale used for herbs to weigh them.

All this takes up extra space. Additionally, there’s a fridge in the shop for storing the hot pot base.

Now, besides prepping ingredients and frying crispy pork, the kitchen also has to slice lamb, so space is even tighter now.

Moreover, Xu Meng isn’t fond of working here. She’s mentioned several times how cramped it is. When she stir-fries the spices, staff keep popping in to get stuff. While she doesn’t mind others seeing the process, she hates getting interrupted while she’s working, especially when she’s focused on learning.

But Xu Meng’s own kitchen is even smaller, so that’s not an option either.

While Zhang Mingqing was thinking about renting a place, Xu Meng started talking about stocking up.

"Today, my uncle came into the city and told me about prices for veggies going up. I’m worried that with this cold weather, prices will keep climbing. I wanted to remind you to stock up on dried vegetables and hardy stuff like potatoes."

"Really? What’d you hear?"

"My uncle came today and told me cabbage prices have doubled. Normally, cabbage gets more expensive this late in the season, but this year’s prices are crazy high. I suspect they’ll keep rising."

"You’re right. I’ll go to the market tomorrow morning and buy some. But there’s really no space left in the shop."

Zhang Mingqing had arranged to buy a ton of lotus roots, which were arriving today.

If the north weren’t so dry, she’d even consider growing mushrooms herself.

Zhang Mingqing got serious. "Since we’re renting a place anyway, I might as well get a bigger one—a kitchen for you and the rest as storage. We could even move the fridge there and clear up room in the shop."

Her eyes sparkled as she said it.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. She turned to Xu Meng and said, "Since your hot pot base can be stored, could we produce it for sale?"

Xu Meng blinked in surprise. "You want to sell hot pot base?"

Zhang Mingqing’s mind was still racing, but she had a general idea. Since the hot pot base could be stored and produced in larger quantities, whether selling it directly or opening another branch, she wanted to expand. The immediate issue was the lack of enough hot pot base, but what if they could make it in bulk in the future?

If one shop could bring in tens of thousands in profit, she could open eight or ten more.

"Do you want to open branches or sell hot pot base?" Xu Meng thought she was getting ahead of herself. "If you sell the base, what if someone uses it to open a shop right next to yours? Wouldn’t that be infuriating?"

Zhang Mingqing’s excitement fizzled out. Her shop was already successful, and many were envious.

Selling hot pot base could be profitable, but if competitors set up shop next door, she’d be crushed.

After a moment, she laughed at herself—why overthink it?

"Alright, I get it. Stay a bit longer." Zhang Mingqing placed a hand on Xu Meng’s shoulder and smiled. "A batch of lotus roots will arrive soon. Take some home with you later."

The rural areas near the capital produced lotus roots, but the yield was low, making them especially expensive in winter.

Without Zhang Mingqing’s connections, buying a ton of fresh lotus roots would’ve been nearly impossible.

When Xu Meng left, Zhang Mingqing insisted she take dozens of pounds of lotus roots, wouldn’t let her say no. Xu Meng could only laugh helplessly—at least she and Feng Yanwen wouldn’t have to worry about vegetables this winter. Her uncle had already given them potatoes, and yesterday, they’d gotten another hundred pounds of cabbage and radishes. Since she rarely ate at home, they had more greens than they could finish. The thought of Feng Yanwu saying he’d send more in ten days or so, telling them not to buy any, gave her a headache.

Deep in thought, she biked to Shijia Hutong.

The usually quiet alley was even quieter than before. Xu Meng stopped at the Han family’s gate, where the guard recognized her and greeted her warmly. "Here to see Han Lingling? She just went out."

"Oh?" Xu Meng mustered her courage and flashed a bright smile. "What about Han Jiming? Is he home?"

The guard's face immediately took on a strange smile. "Ji Ming hasn’t come home in ages."

So he’s not home. Xu Meng let out a sigh of relief.

He would occasionally go out before, sometimes for one or two months at a time. No wonder she hadn’t seen him lately. She felt relieved—"So he wasn’t ignoring me after all"—and her smile widened. "Did he say when he’s coming back?"

The guard chuckled. "Actually, he’s back right now."

He’s back… now?

Xu Meng’s heart pounded as she followed the direction the guard pointed. The moment she saw, she realized who the guard was referring to.

Han Lingling was pushing her bicycle, with Jiangnan by her side.

They looked like they were squabbling. Han Lingling turned her face away, acting as if she didn’t want to acknowledge Jiangnan.

Xu Meng felt a twinge of disappointment—the guard must’ve thought she was here for Han Lingling.

"Xu Meng, what brings you here?" Han Lingling quickly stepped forward to greet her.

Xu Meng forced a bright smile. "Haven’t seen you in forever! I came to visit you. My friend gave me some fresh lotus roots. I know your family’s got plenty, but I thought I’d bring some for you to try."

The lotus roots were still covered in mud, looking very fresh. Xu Meng handed over two sections, weighing a good seven or eight pounds.

These plump lotus roots were the crisp kind, delicious when stir-fried. Especially in the '90s, when logistics and transportation were underdeveloped, whether in the north or south, lotus roots and oyster mushrooms—vegetables ordinary households couldn’t grow—were rare delicacies in winter.

Han Lingling’s face lit up with delight. She broke the long lotus root into two pieces and placed them in the basket at the front of her bicycle.

Perfect.

"Come in for a while. It’s been so long since you visited. We’ve got your favorite tea inside." Han Lingling reached out to pull Xu Meng inside but suddenly withdrew her hand, remembering she had just handled the muddy lotus roots.

Xu Meng hadn’t come here to socialize anyway. She smiled and made her excuses, saying it was getting late and the journey back would be inconvenient. The roads no longer had snow, but Xu Meng’s bike was weighed down with dozens of pounds of lotus roots, making her seem a little pathetic.

Watching Xu Meng ride away, Han Lingling stuck out her lower lip. "I wonder how my uncle is doing now. If even you don’t know, how would we? Every time I see Xu Meng, I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying something."

Jiangnan gave her a sidelong glance. "Just keep quiet. Or just tell her Ji Ming went to the northwest. He’s always traveling there anyway—being gone for months isn’t unusual. Don’t throw her off her studies. Your friend isn’t like you."

Han Lingling huffed and stomped her foot and tried to grab Jiangnan with her lotus-root-stained hands, but he dodged. The two of them giggled and roughhoused by the door.

"What do you mean, ‘not like me’? As if I don’t have to study? Do you think I can get into college without taking the entrance exam? Did you approve that?"

"Come on, that’s not what I meant! Why do you always jump to conclusions?" Jiangnan looked down at the muddy mark on his wool coat and sighed. "Han Lingling, do you even listen to reason?"

Han Lingling shot back. "No, I don’t."

But Jiangnan had a point. Finals were coming up, and if she distracted Xu Meng from studying, her uncle would surely scold her when he returned. Maybe it was best to keep quiet for now. Who knew—maybe after the New Year, her uncle would come back. Her grandma wouldn’t keep her own son under lock and key forever. He’d find a way to contact home eventually.

But would Xu Meng forget about him?

She was such a bookworm—wouldn’t studying always be her top priority?

———

Since the family got a washing machine, they no longer had to wash clothes by hand.

Making the most of the sunny day, mother and daughter washed the bedsheets and quilt covers that hadn’t been changed since the snow.

Afterward, Feng Yanwen smoothed out the sheets. "They’re spotless—even cleaner than washing by hand!"

In the city, there's no access to clean running water like in the countryside, making it hard to wash bedsheets and quilt covers. Naturally, spinning out the water gets them cleaner. Although twin-tub washers are a little more hassle to use, their drum walls lack inner layers, and they clean better than those newfangled automatic washers. Xu Meng had never used one before and initially disliked that this washer wasn’t fully automatic, but after trying it, she was sold on it.

Xu Meng said tearfully, "I told you ages ago this washer was awesome."

After all, in her past life, she was used to washing machines and rice cookers.

Seeing the kids roughhousing outside, Feng Yanwen called Liu Jin over: "Big bro, take advantage of the sunny weather and bring your bedsheets, quilt covers, and bulky clothes over. I’ll wash them for you."

The eldest popped his head in: "Really?"

Xu Meng lightly flicked his forehead: "Hurry up, quit stalling."

By this time, plenty of city folks had home appliances. Washing machines weren’t particularly rare anymore. Folks might look over and say ‘Nice!’ if they didn’t have one, but no one considered buying a washer as extravagant.

Liu Jin whooped and quickly called the second brother to help strip the sheets. Their bedsheets hadn’t been washed in ages either.

Soon, Liu Jin and the second brother returned carrying armloads of dirty laundry.

Feng Yanwen was startled: "This much?"

She couldn’t remember the last time anyone from the neighborhood had come to help the three brothers clean. It seemed like it had been a long time. Thinking he’d brought too much and upset Feng Yanwen, Liu Jin hesitated: "Maybe just wash the bedsheets?"

The three brothers now shared one bed, and the second brother often rolled onto it without taking off his clothes, leaving the sheets sticky at night.

Xu Meng waved him over: "Bring them here, but you’ll have to supply the detergent."

It wasn’t that she was stingy, but they couldn’t be expected to wash the clothes and provide detergent too. A bag of detergent cost sixty cents.

Liu Jin turned and went back inside, returning with half a bag of detergent.

Xu Meng glanced at it: "That’s odd. I remember your family had plenty of detergent."

The neighborhood committee used to hand it out. She’d been jealous when she first got there.

Liu Jin opened his mouth but didn’t speak. Surprisingly, Xu Meng guessed what he was thinking.

After they moved in, the neighborhood had only sent people twice to help the kids clean up. Later, no one delivering welfare came by anymore. The most recent visit was from someone in Liu Jin’s father’s workplace delivering coal—but that was from his dad’s unit. What happened to the neighborhood committee?