Volume 1, Chapter 15: Letter of Understanding

"Perhaps I can keep it near the courtyard; it might come in handy later."

As he spoke, he glanced at the supply and marketing cooperative by the roadside.

"Wait here, I’m going to buy you something to eat."

Upon hearing this, Wangcai immediately barked twice in delight and sat down primly. Being naturally intelligent, and enhanced by Su Jianshe’s talent, the dog understood his meaning perfectly.

Su Jianshe strode toward the cooperative.

The hour was still early, and the employees were busy organizing the counters, chatting as they worked.

"Xiujuan, are the goods ready?"

"Don't worry, they’re all set aside, just waiting for the family to come and buy them."

"Save some for me, will you? My dad loves this stuff."

"Sure, there’s plenty. It doesn't hurt to keep a little for ourselves."

Ignoring the chatting staff, Su Jianshe walked straight to the man organizing the counter.

"Give me some sponge cake."

The employee looked at him in surprise. Su Jianshe paid for two pieces of cake and left.

When he returned, Wangcai was still sitting quite properly. But upon seeing the meat in Su Jianshe’s hand, the dog became visibly excited.

The little stray wagged its tail incessantly at the sight of food, seemingly begging to share it.

"Little guy, you’re lucky you ran into me, Su Jianshe."

Su Jianshe smiled and handed over the sponge cake, watching it eat eagerly.

If this scene had been witnessed by the residents of the courtyard or the cooperative, they would surely have been shocked, accusing Su Jianshe of extravagance or perhaps even wanting to fight the stray for food.

"Eat up, grow up quickly so you can help me protect Little Yan," Su Jianshe murmured with a smile. He thought this talent was quite practical—perhaps he could train sparrows to be messengers, and dogs to be bodyguards?

To say nothing of anything else, just imagining Bang Geng encountering a ferocious dog while out and about would be a fine show. Perhaps the boy would be too scared to even leave the house, turning to causing trouble at home instead?

At the thought, Su Jianshe couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation!

However, it was still too early; Bang Geng was still detained at the police station.

Since the dog was still young, Su Jianshe decided to settle it near the courtyard so it could acclimate to the environment.

Having handled everything, he headed toward the Red Star Rolling Mill.

After a brief greeting with the gatekeeper, Su Jianshe walked into the factory grounds.

The moment he stepped inside, complaints from the workers reached his ears.

"Hey! The food is getting harder and harder to swallow. I have no appetite—how can I have the energy to work?"

"You're telling me! We finally had two days of decent meals, and now we're back to square one?"

"I heard the cook, Silly Zhu, got arrested. I wonder if the factory manager will keep him when he gets out."

"My appetite has plummeted lately. I can't even get a full meal, so who’s going to work hard?"

...

Su Jianshe ignored the grumbling of others and walked straight to his workstation.

"I need to find a way to stop that bunch in the courtyard from constantly picking fights with me!"

Su Jianshe pondered to himself.

The only way to keep those idiots in the courtyard from bothering me is to make them fear me!

Yet, making this group of brainless fools fear me is a real challenge. I can't come up with a solution on the spot.

I'll have to just focus on work for now, or I'll get scolded again...

Fortunately, there were no unexpected incidents to disrupt my work today.

At noon, I went to get my meal.

But after eating, I realized the food was simply absurd!

Some dishes were salty enough to kill, others were cloyingly sweet, and what was most unbearable was that some of the vegetables weren't even cooked through.

"Silly Zhu never taught his apprentice any real skills. The workers in this factory are lucky to even have this..."

After a few bites, Su Jianshe found it truly inedible.

"Can't these people taste their own cooking to see if it's done? It's half-raw—what if we get diarrhea from this?"

In the end, I found a secluded spot and fed the meal to the dog. At least it didn't go to waste.

However, the dog was clearly reluctant while eating, licking it a couple of times between bites; it seemed even the dog had a hard time accepting such food.

***

After feeding the dog, Su Jianshe thought for a moment and, instead of rushing back to the workshop, followed his memory to find a fellow worker named Old Liu.

At this moment, Old Liu’s face was filled with hesitation.

Su Jianshe understood that Old Liu was likely struggling with whether or not to dump his own meal.

"Old Liu, give me some grain coupons and meat coupons."

Hearing this, Old Liu narrowed his eyes.

He was one of the ticket scalpers in the rolling mill.

But upon seeing Su Jianshe, he relaxed his guard. After all, who would pay attention to someone without a background?

As for the news of the crackdown, it hadn't reached the rolling mill at all, so Old Liu had nothing to worry about.

In this era, workers were the most glorious. Anyone who dared to say otherwise would be met not just with criticism, but with the fists of the workers.

"Su Jianshe, you’ve struck it rich, haven't you? If you get the chance, you have to pull me up, brother. This scalper business is getting too hard to do these days."

"But, the price, hehe~"

...

"This is daylight robbery. Who said people in this era were easy to talk to?"

Back at his workstation, Su Jianshe had a few meat and seasoning coupons in his pocket.

The meat coupons weren't cheap, but for Su Jianshe, it wasn't a problem; after all, he believed money was like flowing water—better to improve his quality of life than to hoard it. Changing his fate, joining the tide of history, and building a career would take over a decade; the future was unpredictable. "Who can foresee what happens in a dozen years? Better to make life at home prosperous now and infuriate that crowd in the courtyard!"

After getting off work in the afternoon, Su Jianshe headed straight to the cooperative and bought five catties of pork belly and some seasonings. He had a particular appreciation for pork belly: "Natural, unpolluted—this is good meat. When I get back, I’ll make red-braised pork, and for the rest, I’ll see how Little Yan wants it."

The Third Master, Yan Bugui, was cycling home when he chatted with some people on the road. He happened to spot Su Jianshe carrying the pork belly, his eyes lighting up. He pedaled harder, immediately closing the distance.

"Jianshe, bought meat? Pork belly is delicious no matter how you cook it!"

"The pork belly your Third Aunt makes is incredible. Give the meat to me, I’ll take it back for her to cook, and you can come over to eat. You won't even need to bring your own chopsticks."

Yan Bugui stared at the meat, thinking to himself: "Su Jianshe is really wasteful, buying so much at once and not even keeping the bones. If it were at my house, the bones and offal would all be saved; it’s still meat, enough to last three or four days."

He calculated that if he took the meat home, he could save quite a bit. His children were clamoring for meat, and he could use this as an opportunity to ease his relationship with Su Jianshe—killing two birds with one stone.

How could Su Jianshe not see through the Third Master’s penchant for petty gains? He smiled inwardly but remained calm. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I can manage it myself. I won't trouble the Third Aunt."

Before the words had even faded, he had turned and stepped into the courtyard, carrying the meat straight toward his own home. Although Yan Bugui wasn't entirely shameless, he couldn't be bothered to entangle himself further with this calculating old man. Watching Su Jianshe’s receding figure, he felt frustrated but helpless, only able to mutter indignantly: "Hmph! Just you wait! In a few days, when I get my salary, I’ll buy meat too and let the whole family have a taste!"

Su Jianshe had just stepped into his house and hadn't yet started preparing the pork belly when a series of hurried knocks sounded at the door. "Who is it?" He opened the door to find Yi Zhonghai, Qin Huairu, and Xu Damao standing there, looking furious.

Yi Zhonghai had sharp eyes; he caught a glimpse of the meat on the table and his anger flared: "I’ve been running around for you, and Silly Zhu hasn't even shown his face, yet you, kid, are using my money to eat meat instead of showing respect to your elders!" Still, he suppressed his rage and gave Qin Huairu a subtle wink. Qin Huairu understood immediately.

"Jianshe, please, save Bang Geng! He’s still just a child. Now his finger is broken and he’s locked up in the police station—how is he supposed to live?" Qin Huairu said, tears streaming down her face, nearly sobbing, "As long as you’re willing to let Bang Geng go, I’ll do anything. I will never forget your great kindness!"

Yi Zhonghai also seized the chance to attack: "Su Jianshe, as the First Master, I have to say a word of fairness. Although Bang Geng was wrong, you didn't really lose anything. He’s so young, and his finger is broken. Just write a letter of reconciliation and pay some medical expenses to the Jia family; think of it as pitying them!"

Xu Damao added with a sarcastic tone:

"Some people don't know how to respect the elderly or cherish the young. Bang Geng is so small, and Granny Jia is so old—yet you still won't let it go. Where is your conscience?"

Su Jianshe looked at Xu Damao in surprise.

This lowlife was actually speaking up for Qin Huairu? How strange!

But he had no intention of indulging these people anymore.

So, he replied with a cold sneer:

"Yi Zhonghai, let me also say a word of fairness. Since you are so wealthy, why don't you support me a little more? After all, I’m still young and my future is full of possibilities, while you’re at your age—keeping money is useless anyway!"

As for Qin Huairu, Su Jianshe really didn't want to bother with her.

This woman was a cocktail of malice, pity, and greed.

Even if she was good to her children, that only applied to her own, and had nothing to do with anyone else.

If you dare to steal from my house, you have to be mentally prepared for the consequences!

"Qin Huairu, I’ll repeat it one more time: Bang Geng being in the police station has nothing to do with me. It was Granny Jia who taught him to steal."

"The responsibility lies with them, not me. If he really wants to come back, he should properly face the judgment of the law."

"As for the letter of reconciliation, that only happens if you pay compensation and I am willing to forgive. It is not for me to pay you, and then write a letter on top of that!"

"And stop crying and making a scene at my door every day. I’m not buying it. If you really push me, I’ll call the police and report you for disturbing the peace!"

As for Xu Damao, that lowlife,

Su Jianshe glanced at him coldly.

Back when he was reading the original story,

Su Jianshe had always felt that Xu Damao was rotten to the core.

Not only did he deceive young girls, but his daily behavior was also scandalous.

Most importantly, he beat his wife.

A man’s hands shouldn't be used to beat his wife; they should be used to build a career.

If that isn't the behavior of a beast, what is?

"Xu Damao, don't rush. We’ll settle our accounts another day!"

"You!" Xu Damao was furious, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut. He jumped with rage but didn't dare to move recklessly; after all, Su Jianshe’s physical prowess far exceeded that of Silly Zhu, the best fighter in the courtyard.

"Su Jianshe, if you’re a man, come out!" Xu Damao shouted, but Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu felt he was just posturing.

"Get lost!"

"A bunch of spineless wretches, trying to use morality to suppress me—how absurd!"

...

Smoke curled from the chimneys as the fragrance of Su Jianshe’s cooking began to permeate the air.

In the courtyard, every household began preparing dinner.

Aside from Su Jianshe, the Xu Damao household had the most elaborate meal.

Xu Damao was dripping oil into his pan, the droplets clinging to the sides. Once the oil was hot, he took out the eggs he had scavenged today.

*Bang! Sizzle...*

The scent of fried eggs wafted out, causing people to peek out, curious about whose house was having such a feast.

"Su Jianshe, you think having a little money makes you great? I’m eating no worse than you—this is fried eggs!" Xu Damao said triumphantly, sprinkling extra salt for good measure.

Little did he know, Su Jianshe was busy slicing the blanched pork.

Though his knife skills were ordinary, he cut with ease.

The large piece of pork belly was quickly reduced to chunks.

Next, Su Jianshe began to mix the seasonings.

There were no modern flavorings like chicken essence or MSG, and he hesitated about going to the herbal pharmacy to buy some black cardamom.

"Forget it, the taste won't be much worse without it. It's just my first attempt today; there will be plenty of days to eat meat in the future."

As Su Jianshe was busy mixing the spices, Chu Yan returned from work.

The moment she stepped over the threshold of the courtyard, she couldn't help but take a few deep breaths, a seductive aroma of meat instantly wrapping around her nose.

"So fragrant! It smells like meat—I wonder which house is cooking up such a delicacy!"

A look of craving flashed across Chu Yan’s pretty face.

Suddenly, she looked in the direction of the smell, a hint of expectation rising in her heart.

"Could it be the meat Brother Jianshe bought?"

Such a possibility wasn't out of the question.

Recently, the changes in Brother Jianshe had been truly surprising; whether it was the instant noodles before or this morning’s breakfast, they had all made Chu Yan look at him in a new light.

Without stopping her pace, Chu Yan could already clearly smell the increasingly rich fragrance of meat.

Then, the sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen.

"Little Yan, you're back. Go wash your hands first; the meat needs a little more time!"

Chu Yan, however, seemed pinned to the spot by the aroma, sniffing the fragrance from the pot, looking adorably dazed, which made her look all the more endearing.

"Brother Jianshe, this smell is too tempting!"

"How could red-braised pork not be fragrant?"

Su Jianshe turned to knead the dough, thinking that white noodles paired with the sauce of the red-braised pork would be absolutely delicious.

In the courtyard, the meals of each household were generally transparent.

When this unprecedented scent of meat spread, many residents were astonished.

Among them, the Third Master was particularly annoyed.

"Su Jianshe is really a wasteful brat. I told him to bring the meat to us to handle, but now he’s messing around like this—isn't he just ruining good meat?"