Zhang Liunian looked at his wife, who was pretending to be an ostrich in his arms, and suddenly chuckled. He then leaned into her ear, breathing softly, "It's not quite symmetrical. How about another one on the right side?"
Jiang Qingqing's face instantly flushed crimson. She buried her head in Zhang Liunian's armpit and mumbled, "You're so wicked."
Men are bad, women love them, Zhang Liunian wanted to say, but fearing his wife couldn't handle it, he swallowed the words and replaced them with, "I want good things to come in pairs."
Jiang Qingqing's body stiffened slightly. After a moment, she looked up and asked blankly, "Really?" Did he just want good things to come in pairs?
Zhang Liunian nodded seriously, then offered his right cheek.
Jiang Qingqing looked at his handsome face leaning closer, her small face flushing. She slowly raised her neck, intending to kiss him, but Zhang Liunian turned his head, and they ended up kissing mouth to mouth.
Jiang Qingqing's eyes widened instantly. She reached out to push him away, but Zhang Liunian grasped the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
"Whaah!" After a long while, the kiss ended. Jiang Qingqing gasped for air, her eyes teary as she glared at her husband, but her gaze was one of reluctant desire, making one even more eager.
Fortunately, Zhang Liunian suppressed his urges, pulled her closer, and they lay down.
The next day, before dawn, Zhang Liunian was again out exercising and buying meat. He put the meat into the braising pot and then went to the village secretary's house to get a tractor to go to Daming Lake to collect shrimp.
Seeing his third brother switch from a flat cart to a tractor, Zhang Liushui stepped forward to inquire and learned that the order had increased. He immediately took off his jacket and joined the shrimp-gathering team.
With three helpers, Zhang Liunian's tractor was soon loaded.
At 8:20 AM, Zhang Liunian delivered all the shrimp to the Datang State-run Restaurant and received 300 yuan.
Upon returning home, he immediately plunged into stir-frying crayfish. Along the way, he also prepared several lunchboxes, which he planned to take to the food factory. One portion was for Mu Mingliang, who had helped him a lot; a bowl of braised meat was a token of his gratitude.
"No time, I have to go."
At 10:30 AM, Zhang Liunian was still at home. This was the latest he had ever set off. After saying this, he gave Jiang Qingqing a light hug and got on the tractor, heading towards the county town.
"One thousand one hundred jin of crayfish, one hundred jin of braised meat, and fifty jin of braised dishes, that's 440 yuan plus 200 and then 10, totaling 650 yuan."
Zhao Zhijie sat in his office, calculating the accounts. Upon getting the total, he started to count out the money.
Hearing the total, Zhang Liunian's lips curved upwards slightly. Six hundred and fifty yuan plus the three hundred from the morning meant he earned 950 yuan today. Qingqing would definitely be happy if she knew.
"You count it." Zhao Zhijie counted out the money and handed it over.
Zhang Liunian took it and put it directly into his pocket, then invited, "Uncle, I'm treating Mingliang to dinner tonight. Will you join us?"
Zhao Zhijie smiled and waved his hand, "I'm too busy these two days. Let's do it some other time."
"Alright then! After you finish your work, I'll bring my wife and daughter to visit."
Since they were like family, Zhang Liunian naturally had to pay a formal visit.
Zhao Zhijie also had this intention, nodding and smiling, "I'll inform you of the specific time. Due to those people, I'm temporarily unable to get away."
"Okay, I'll wait for your notification." Zhang Liunian said and left.
After leaving the machinery factory, Zhang Liunian took Zhang Qian to the state-run restaurant and found Mu Mingliang to deliver the braised meat he had prepared.
"This is something I made myself. Try it." Zhang Liunian said, then ordered a few more dishes, planning to go to Nancheng after eating.
Mu Mingliang didn't stand on ceremony upon hearing that he made it himself. He took the braised meat and went to the kitchen to cook for him.
During this time, someone delivered free peanuts and free tea.
Zhang Qian was stunned. He thought that Zhang Liunian really knew how to get around; even people at the state-run restaurant recognized him and offered him things. No wonder his business was so successful.
However, he didn't seem to have done anything today. It felt wrong to just have a meal.
"Liunian, arrange something else for me tomorrow. Today I only helped lift a couple of buckets and didn't do anything else." Zhang Qian felt guilty taking Zhang Liunian's money.
Zhang Liunian, who was eating, smiled at his words, "Who says you're not useful? Aren't you going to help me drive the tractor back later?"
After eating, he was going to Nancheng Food Factory to discuss cooperation. He definitely needed Zhang Qian to help drive the tractor back.
But Zhang Qian felt that this was really not worth 1.5 yuan for half a morning and felt uneasy about it. "Just let me do something else."
Today he happened to meet Zhang Liunian's needs. If Zhang Liunian had nothing to do tomorrow and could drive the tractor back himself, then he would be completely useless.
Zhang Liunian smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "How about you learn to stir-fry crayfish with me? If I go to deliver crayfish, you can help me stir-fry, and then you can accompany me on a trip at noon?"
The stir-frying of crayfish was rushed today, and he urgently needed a second helper. Zhang Qian's character seemed decent, and he wanted to give him a try.
Zhang Qian immediately grinned broadly, "Great!"
This way, he could earn 1.5 yuan without feeling guilty.
After the meal, Zhang Liunian rode his bicycle to the Nancheng Food Factory.
Meanwhile, Mu Mingliang finally had time to eat. He opened the box of braised meat given by Zhang Liunian, and an unprecedented aroma immediately wafted out. The stir-fry chefs in the kitchen, smelling the fragrance, gathered around.
"Mingliang, is this the braised meat Liunian gave you? It's incredibly fragrant!"
"Yes, it's so damn fragrant. Let us have a taste too. It's making our mouths water."
"Right, right, old partners for many years, share it together!"
Mu Mingliang rolled his eyes and wanted to refuse, holding the braised meat, but seeing the covetous colleagues, he finally gave each of them two pieces.
Good heavens, after two pieces, it was so delicious they wanted to swallow their tongues.
"Oh my god, it's too delicious, I want to buy it."
"It's truly endlessly flavorful, how did he make it?"
"Who knows?"
"Mingliang, ask Liunian to sell some to us!"
"Exactly, why let good things go to outsiders? No matter how expensive, I'll buy a bowl."
"That's right."
"..."
Closing his eyes to savor the last bite of braised meat, Mu Mingliang swallowed and opened his eyes, asking confusedly, "Why don't we have him deliver the meat to us?"
"..."
Yes, their restaurant could also cooperate. Why didn't they think of cooperating with him and having him deliver braised meat?
"Good idea."
"Good idea, Mingliang, hurry and inform Liunian, tell him to deliver it tomorrow!"
"Yes, deliver it tomorrow."
"..."
Mu Mingliang was speechless. Holding the aluminum box, he said, "He's coming to treat me to dinner tonight. I'll mention it then."
Hearing this, everyone felt relieved.
Zhang Liunian was unaware of what was happening here. At this moment, he had arrived at the gate of the food factory. After reporting his name, someone came out.
It was the supervisor of the food factory's kitchen, a middle-aged woman. She first sized up Zhang Liunian. Seeing that he was handsome, she was somewhat surprised, but this did not change her disdain for people who got in through connections, "You are that Zhang Liunian?"