PNB Chapter 173 A Man's Secret Stash
Chapter 173 A Man's Secret Stash
Zhang Cui went back to her room, and Er Niang also went back to her room in a huff.
Now only Li Ju'an, the eldest uncle, the second uncle, and the second uncle's eldest son, Li Weiguang, remain in the room.
Li Ju'an stood up and said, "What ideas could a junior like me have? I need guidance from Grandpa and Second Grandpa. I will learn from them."
Second Master was already annoyed by family matters, and his wife was the type to start a fight at the slightest provocation. But after being flattered like this, he began to feel more favorably toward Li Ju'an.
He laughed and said, "You're getting more and more cunning, kid. So, we'll build our houses first, and then share the leftover materials."
Li Ju'an also smiled and stuck close to Second Master, saying, "That's right. When it comes to ideas, when has Second Master ever been unreasonable? We should listen to your advice and hear what Second Master and First Master have to say."
Both the eldest and second eldest were pleased. The second eldest turned around and took out the newly bought face cream from the drawer, handing it to Li Ju'an and saying, "I originally bought this for your second aunt. But she started making a fuss before I even gave it to her. Ju'an, you take it. Whether you keep it for yourself or give it to the girl you've chosen for a blind date, it's fine."
Li Weiguang stared at the face cream and suddenly said, "Dad, where did you get your secret stash of money?"
Second Uncle suddenly shut his mouth, quickly changed the subject, and clutched his stomach, saying, "Ouch, why does my stomach hurt so much? What did I eat?" He quickly went to the toilet in the tenement building, thus escaping a disaster.
……
After discussing building a house with his uncles, Li Ju'an and Lu Zhiqiang had a meal at Song Desheng's house.
This was his first time visiting Song Desheng's home, and he met Song Desheng's parents and the good wife he often mentioned.
The Song family's house was located next to the railway station, with shops lining both sides of the street. The main street outside was undergoing a massive renovation project, filled with flying dust and the roar of machinery.
Despite the noisy environment, no one complained. The Song family watched the construction site with smiles and warmly invited Li Ju'an and Lu Zhiqiang to sit down and eat hot dumplings.
The sauerkraut dumplings made by Song's mother looked very nice, with plump little white dumplings sitting neatly on the lid.
The water in the big pot boils, the lid is lifted, and plump white dumplings are dropped into the boiling water one by one. After adding water three times, the big pot is filled with steaming hot dumplings.
Dumplings taste best when they're fresh. The wrappers should be chewy, and the tangy flavor of the pickled cabbage should complement the tender pork. They're a perfect combination of meat and vegetables, and the tangy flavor is very appetizing.
Li Ju'an and Lu Zhiqiang buried themselves in their food, picking up steaming dumplings and dipping them in the sauce.
"Well, it smells good."
“That’s the taste!”
The two of them ate heartily, taking a bite of dumpling followed by a sip of dumpling soup, the soup helping to digest the food. The satisfying taste made them let out a long, pleasant sigh, and a whole plateful was gone in no time, leaving them with round bellies.
Song's mother was a warm and welcoming woman. She smiled and invited the two of them to come and have dinner together again next time.
After the meal, the three of them took out the money from selling the tiger skin and began to divide it among themselves.
After Pang Duolai finished trading with them in the county town, he, a man of wide experience, saw five tiger pelts for the first time. The southern merchant was stunned and angrily asked the three men if they had bought the pelts from other hunters in the mountains, since they weren't fresh.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it wasn't stale at all; it was incredibly fresh, not even a specimen. It really was freshly made by Li Ju'an and his men.
He excitedly patted his head, then ran back into the Postal Savings Bank to withdraw money. Who carries that much cash? It's like getting robbed!
I bought two large tiger skins, priced at 1200 yuan and 1050 yuan respectively, based on their condition and completeness. I also bought three two-year-old tiger cub skins, which looked quite large, but were clearly different from adult tiger skins; I bought each one for 900 yuan.
This time, Li Ju'an divided the money he earned from selling tiger skins equally among the people, with each person receiving 1650 yuan.
Song Desheng was so excited that his hands were trembling as he counted the money, and he kept shouting, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my God!"
Li Ju'an laughed at him: "Look at you, you can't keep a secret. Don't let your sister-in-law see you when you go back to the room, or you won't have a single penny of your secret stash left."
Song Desheng slapped his forehead and said with a sudden realization, "It has to be you, Brother Li, you make a good point. I'll have to count out 1600 yuan for my wife, I guarantee she'll be all smiles and treat me like a king! I'll have to be careful to hide the remaining 50 yuan. That's my secret stash."
Lu Zhiqiang and Li Ju'an burst into laughter.
What man doesn't hide a little money? Song Desheng secretly opened the drawer, hid the money in the back corner, wrapped five ten-yuan notes in oil paper, then wrapped them in a cloth bag, and finally wrapped the entire cloth bag with tape, sticking it to the back of the drawer. Now it was foolproof.
Lu Zhiqiang scolded him for being spineless: "If you're going to hide something, hide something big. You risked your life to keep only 50 yuan. Is it worth it? If you ask me, you should just give your sister-in-law 50 yuan. Keep the 1600 yuan for yourself."
Song Desheng scolded him, "You don't know anything! Every household has expenses. Big and small items cost money. You'll understand when you get married. Money has many benefits. You can replace my old kitchen cabinets with a new one and buy those big items you've been wanting for so long."
Lu Zhiqiang was still not convinced.
Song Desheng added, “Go back to the village and take a look at the outhouse, or the house, or the chimney on the kang (heated brick bed). You’ll definitely find a lot of money there. You Lu family members are so stingy and cunning; you must have a lot of hidden money at home.”
Seeing Lu Zhiqiang's bewildered expression, Li Ju'an was amused and teased him, "Song Desheng is right. When you untie your pants to go to the outhouse, look up at the roof tiles above you and remember to share some of the good stuff with your brothers."
The two men exchanged witty remarks, leaving Lu Zhiqiang completely bewildered.
He scratched the back of his head and seriously thought about it. Could money really fall from the Lu family's outhouse?
If it's true, he'll have to go back and try it.
……
Song Desheng escorted the two to the forest farm train station.
His classic 28-inch bicycle is still parked in his yard, with his nephews and nieces sitting and playing around it. It was an indispensable "luxury ride" for children back then.
There were also stalls selling them on the street. Li Ju'an spent 3 cents to buy a sweet one, intending to bring it back to his younger sister Li Xiao to make her happy.
The handmade items from the 80s were different from those from vending machines in later generations; they exuded a unique caramel aroma, as tempting as a sesame fragrance. The little kids next to me begged their mothers to buy one too, loving to knead the soft, fluffy filling into a ball and then stuff it into their mouths, the overflowing fragrance and sweetness bringing the kids an overwhelming sense of happiness.
Watching the children eat and listening to the popping sounds of popcorn coming from not far away, Li Ju'an couldn't help but feel moved. The county town had changed so much in the past; this was truly the nostalgic 80s.