Chapter 471: Chapter 471: Bountiful New Year’s Goods, Sneaking a Drink

She wished the economy would grow faster, develop more rapidly, so that people’s lives could be a little more abundant.

Zhao Nuanyue felt a sense of exasperation whenever she thought about having to queue for ages at the store just to buy a few eggs, to say nothing of the tiny meat ration each month that was never enough.

If not for the fact that they could often get fish thanks to Little Red Carp, Zhao Nuanyue’s life wouldn’t be nearly so comfortable.

Now her life was stable, her marriage happy, and her family warm, so Zhao Nuanyue wanted to repay the people who had helped her in the past.

Little Red Carp quickly came back with the garlic shoots and cleaned them. Zhao Nuanyue then washed them thoroughly and cut them into pieces about an inch long.

Because the cured pork was quite salty, she first boiled it in water to remove some of the salt. After the water came to a boil, it only took two or three minutes for the whole piece of cured pork to become almost transparent.

Zhao Nuanyue took it out, rubbed it with her hands to remove any impurities or residual dust, then used a kitchen knife to slice it thinly.

Looking at the transparent slices of cured pork, Zhao Nuanyue was so tempted she wanted to pinch a piece and taste it right then and there.

Since Zhao Nuanyue was back, she took over as head chef. She got the fire blazing, then stir-fried the pork over high heat until the slices curled up. She tossed in the garlic shoots, stir-fried them a few times until their color changed slightly, added a pinch of five-spice powder and MSG, and it was ready to be served.

The rich aroma of the cured pork, paired with the sharp freshness of the garlic shoots—the two flavors collided to create an absolutely divine taste.

Zhao Nuanyue had just dished out the food when Hua Yusen returned. He hadn’t come home empty-handed today—he had brought dozens of pounds of pork.

She had just been worrying about what to give as holiday gifts, and here Hua Yusen was, bringing home a windfall. Forgetting all about dinner, Zhao Nuanyue went to carefully inspect the items Zhang Hong was unloading from the car.

Not only was there fresh pork, but there were also two large sacks. She had no idea what was inside them.

Curiosity gnawed at Zhao Nuanyue. ’If I don’t look now, I won’t even be able to enjoy dinner. I’ll just keep wondering what’s in there!’

Seeing Zhao Nuanyue’s eyes fixed on the sacks, her expression a conflicted mix of wanting to look but feeling too embarrassed, Hua Yusen shook his head and chuckled.

"Go on and look if you want. It’s nothing special!" Hua Yusen said with a smile. "But with the New Year coming up, I figured we’d have to buy these things anyway. They’re essential. So when they were offered to me, I took them."

"You took them just because someone offered? What if it’s against regulations?" Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue forgot about looking in the sacks and asked anxiously, "We may not be wealthy, but our material conditions are decent. We’re already very content. We don’t need you accepting bribes and breaking the rules."

Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s words, Hua Yusen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He reached out and patted her head. "What goes on in that little head of yours all day? Am I the kind of person who would accept a bribe? This is all stuff issued to us from above—our New Year benefits. It’s not just me; everyone else got them too. So you don’t have to worry!"

Only after hearing Hua Yusen’s explanation did Zhao Nuanyue finally relax a little.

’We’re not starving, so there’s absolutely no need to accept bribes and jeopardize his future career. Especially now, with the situation in Jincheng City so grim and volatile. A small, ordinary matter could easily become the spark that leads to complete ruin and disgrace.’

"That’s good. Elder Gu also said you have a bright future ahead. We can’t let a small thing like this ruin your prospects. But since everyone got them, there’s nothing to worry about." Zhao Nuanyue nodded, and now that she was relieved, she started to untie one of the sacks to see what was inside.

When she saw that it was full of plump sunflower seeds, Zhao Nuanyue was pleasantly surprised. "Oh! I was just wondering what snacks we’d have for the New Year! And you brought home sunflower seeds. This is such a big sack, we’ll never finish it all. It’s perfect for giving to our friends and family!"

Zhao Nuanyue took one out and cracked it open. Her face fell. "Oh my goodness, they’re raw!" she said.

"I didn’t know if they were raw or roasted," Hua Yusen shrugged, indicating he was too busy to pay attention to such things.

"Raw is fine. It’s better than nothing," Zhao Nuanyue consoled herself. "After I finish making the pastries tomorrow, I’ll roast these seeds." Hoping her roasting attempt would be successful, she reached over and opened the other sack. "Let me see what’s in this one... Oh! This sack is full of peanuts, and they’re raw too. Alright then, I’ll just roast them with the sunflower seeds tomorrow."

"Alright, if you don’t want to roast them, just give them away raw. After they’re shelled, they’re quite good in stir-fried dishes," Hua Yusen said, pulling Zhao Nuanyue along. "The food is ready. It’ll get cold if we don’t eat now. Come on, let’s eat!"

Little Red Carp stood to the side, silent, but her eyes were shining brightly. ’Tomorrow, I have to get Sister to roast the peanuts and sunflower seeds!’

Because Zhao Nuan Yang had returned safely, Hua Yusen specially took out a bottle of liquor and had a drink with him.

Little Red Carp stared covetously at the liquor glasses in front of Hua Yusen and her brother, but Zhao Nuanyue firmly refused to let her drink, saying it would stunt her growth.

"Just one taste, please! Just one little taste, Sister!" From seeing others drink before, the looks of enjoyment on their faces had convinced Little Red Carp that liquor was the most delicious thing in the world.

"No means no!" Zhao Nuanyue shook her head repeatedly. "Kids who drink won’t grow tall!"

"Uhh..." Little Red Carp looked at her sister as if she were an idiot. "Sister, when you’re trying to trick a kid into not eating or drinking something, you can’t always use the same excuse. You should try coming up with a different reason."

"Since you’ve seen through my excuse, I’ll be blunt with you: children are not allowed to drink alcohol. You can drink when you’re grown up," Zhao Nuanyue said sternly. "Besides, liquor doesn’t taste good at all. It’s so bitter and fiery. It’s not good stuff!"

"Alright, I’ll wait until I’m grown up to try it," Little Red Carp said. Seeing her sister’s firm attitude, she knew it was best not to press the issue.

’Little Red Carp had learned by now that knowing when to stop could actually get her more in the end.’

Seeing that Little Red Carp was no longer asking for a drink, Zhao Nuanyue put both chicken drumsticks in her bowl.

But just as Zhao Nuanyue turned to get some rice, Little Red Carp had already dipped her chopsticks into her brother’s glass and touched them to her lips.

"AH!" When the drop of liquor spread across her tongue, Little Red Carp cried out. Forgetting that her sister would catch her, she jumped up, stuck out her tongue, and frantically fanned it with both hands. "So spicy! So spicy! It’s disgusting!"

Seeing their little sister’s reaction, Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuan Yang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

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