Rebirth in 1958: Getting rich starts from Nanluoguxiang

"Dabao, I heard from Shazhu that you sold a few wild boars to the canteen. What's going on?"

Qin Qingyou held his daughter in his arms and looked at Qin Dabao.

Qin Dabao nodded.

"The day before yesterday I killed five big wild boars and a small yellow-haired boar. Except for the two I gave to the villagers, I hid the rest in the mountains. Today I asked Dapeng and his men to help me get them back. I kept the small yellow-haired boar and sold the rest to the factory."

"I was wondering, this idiot Zhu actually praised you when he got home, saying you were so amazing, so awesome, how much did you sell it for?"

"I sold it for 1,800 yuan. I gave my mother 1,500 yuan and asked someone to buy some rice and flour, and some other things."

"A lot? How much? Eighteen hundred? Is it that expensive?"

Qin Qing's mouth was so open that his stomach could be seen, and his voice sounded like a goose.

"Well, Director Pan from the cafeteria gave it to me at the black market price." Qin Dabao went to the cabinet and took out two bottles of Moutai from the rice bag. Lu Xiu'e didn't see it, otherwise she would have confiscated them.

"This is what Director Pan gave me. I saved it for you to drink." Qin Dabao had already told Sha Zhu not to tell his father in detail how much it was sold for, or about the wine.

Qin Qingyou hasn't become a heavy drinker yet, so he's not that fond of Moutai.

Qin Qingyou was happy: "Good smash!" He remembered something else.

"Why should I give your mother fifteen hundred? What about the rest of the money? Why would a little kid like you keep so much money in your pocket?"

This is the difference between Qin Qingyou and Lu Xiu'e. One is stingy, the other is generous. Qin Dabao knew his father's character too well, so he didn't respond.

Qin Qingyou stopped asking questions after his daughter stuffed a piece of candy into her mouth. Although Niu Niu was only two years old, she was very smart. She knew that her father was going to scold her brother, so she used the candy to block his mouth first.

"Oh my, is this milk candy? I am the better old girl. Dad doesn't eat it, so you eat it!" As he said this, he spit it out from his mouth and tried to stuff it into Niu Niu's little mouth.

This guy made Qin Dabao feel disgusted, and he hugged his sister in his arms.

Qin Qingyou knew that his son thought he was dirty, so he threw the candy back into his mouth while cursing.

Lu Xiu'e came in with two pieces of meat in her hands, each weighing more than one pound.

"Qingyou, take these two pieces of meat to Uncle Zhang and Brother Niu, and invite them to come home for dinner."

"Okay."

Qin Qingyou hurriedly hid the wine in the cabinet. He was reluctant to use Maotai liquor to entertain guests.

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Uncle Zhang's name is Zhang Shuyuan. He is 56 years old this year. He is a bachelor and works as a night watchman at a pawn shop on Ping'an Street. It is said that he used to have a wife and children, and he also ran a pawn shop at home. Later, because of an antique, he offended the Japanese and his family was destroyed. His wife and children died, the pawn shop was confiscated, and even he himself had a leg broken.

Old Zhang could only beg for food on the streets and had no place to live. It was not until liberation when the people became masters of their own country that he was given a job and a place to live. As an old man living alone in a slum, although he only had one room, he still had a home.

Old Zhang is cheerful all day long now, and seems to have no worries. However, Qin Dabao knows that the old man has let go of things after going through a great ordeal, and believes that he lives one day at a time.

However, Old Zhang is a very capable person. Three generations of his family have run pawnshops. Qin Dabao learned calligraphy and the skills of identifying antiques from him. After Old Zhang passed away in his previous life, Qin Dabao took charge of the business. The two of them are not master and apprentice in name, but in reality.

After a while, Qin Qingyou came in, supporting Old Zhang and Uncle Niu, talking and laughing. The three of them were close to each other and always had a drink together. As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. Living close to each other, it was common for them to help each other and eat and drink together.

As soon as Old Zhang came in, he laughed and said, "You little bastard, are you so capable now? Hunting wild boars, you're really amazing."

Qin Dabao rolled his eyes. This old man was just a naughty boy, just like a child, who loved to argue with others.

Uncle Niu was also happy. He worked as a laborer in the human resources company. He used to be a coolie, but now the human resources company has become a state-owned enterprise, and Uncle Niu has also become a worker. Since moving to the city, the two families have lived closest to each other. They have watched each other's children grow up and usually get along like a family.

"Not really. This kid changes every day as he grows up. He usually looks so gentle and polite, but now he dares to hunt wild boars. This kid is really brave."

Qin Dabao puffed out his chest and said, "That's right."

Everyone laughed: "This bastard."

Lu Xiu'e called out from the kitchen: "It's time for dinner. Set the table and eat."

A square table placed on the kang is a must-have item for families in the north, especially in winter. Sitting on the warm kang, drinking some wine and eating delicious food is a supreme enjoyment.

Qin Dabao helped his mother serve the dishes. Actually, there weren't many dishes. He just cut up some meat and fried the cabbage and tofu that Qin Qingyou brought back together. He then mixed some shredded cabbage and radish and served it.

Such a simple dish is rare nowadays. In the old city, most people’s dishes are pickled cabbage.

Qin Qingyou took out a bottle of Erguotou, which cost 27 cents. The gentlemen in Beijing all loved to drink it, as it was strong and enjoyable.

Three teacups, three taels of wine for each family, distributed evenly. No one is willing to drink too much wine, the key is that they can't afford it, so three taels of wine is just right, to get a little tipsy and satisfy your cravings.

Uncle Niu took the match, struck it, and ignited the 65-proof liquor. A blue flame floated on the surface of the liquor, which was very beautiful. In the winter in the north, drinking a sip of hot wine can warm your heart and lungs.

Little Niuniu loves watching this the most and she lies on the table and claps her hands.

A large plate of hot buns was brought up, and Qin Dabao finished crushing the garlic sauce and placed it on the table.

The buns are made of two-pronged flour, which is corn flour mixed with white flour. Few families can afford to eat pure white flour, so the two-pronged flour is mainly corn flour. The buns are stuffed with pork and radish. Lu Xiu'e said it was stuffed with meat dumplings, but after thinking about it, she couldn't bear to do it, so she made it with shredded radish and meat.

But even so, the people at the table were already very satisfied with the meal. They took bites of buns and sipped wine, and soon they were all sweating.

Qin Dabao ate slowly because he had to feed his sister.

The three men were eating so much that their mouths were drooling, and their drinking speed slowed down.

"Dabao, I heard from your aunt that the railway locomotive depot is recruiting train drivers. Is this a reliable thing?"

Qin Dabao swallowed a mouthful of bun. It tasted really good, as it was made by his mother.

"Reliable, my classmate has already signed up, and the exam will be after the New Year. It seems like he will first make a small fortune, and then learn to drive a train."

"Oh, that's great, Brother Niu, you should sign up for Dali right away."

Uncle Niu frowned and took a sip of wine: "I am a poor man in the old society. I was a hard worker with no one and no water. How could they recruit our children?"

"That's true. We don't know anyone on this railway."

"If Dabao and Dali go together, we can see if we can spend some money. That way, both children can find jobs, right?"

Old Zhang said slowly: "Don't worry about Dabao. I will retire in May and let Dabao take over."

"Oh, Uncle Zhang," Lu Xiu'e said as she walked into the house after finishing another steamed pot. "That's not right. You still have four years until retirement. How can you retire early? That's not right."

"Why not? I'm an old man living alone, with no home, no job, no children, and I've relied on you two to take care of me all these years. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have a hot meal. If I don't give my job to Dabao, who else will I give it to? Besides, with Dabao's filial piety, won't you provide for me in my old age?"

"Stop it, old man. Take care of your health and work for a few more years. You don't have to worry about my work."

"You are my grandson. If I don't worry about you, who will?"

"Come on, I don't like your job."

"What's wrong with my job, you bastard?"

Qin Qingyou and the others were already used to the verbal fights between the old man and the young boy. They knew that they had a good relationship and that verbal fights were also a way of expressing feelings.

Qin Dabao pouted, fed the bun filling to his sister, and ate the skin himself.

"Don't worry, I have a plan. You don't have to worry about the job. Uncle Niu, take your household registration booklet and the letter of introduction from the street office and register Dali. After that, I'll look for my classmates and see if they have any connections to get Dali a job."

Uncle Niu grinned and said, "That's good, that's good."

Qin Qingyou put down his chopsticks and said, "Son, do you have a rule? What is it?"

"You'll know when the time comes."