As someone who aspired to attend university, Zhang Liunian's willingness to set aside his pride and reconsider his beliefs to become a self-employed vendor was precisely why he was able to earn money.
“Forget it, forget it. What right do I, a mere lake keeper, have to speak to you? The lobsters in Daming Lake are all yours now. Do whatever you please!” The old man, Laoguotou, turned to go back inside.
Zhang Liunian reached out and stopped him, handing him a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes. “Laoguotou, you are an elder I respect. I haven’t forgotten the kindness you’ve shown me. If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, you can come to me. I won’t refuse as long as I’m able to help. Also, tomorrow I’ll have someone bring you some braised dishes and meat for you to try. Don’t be shy.”
Seeing Zhang Liunian’s sincere gratitude, Laoguotou finally felt a little better. He was a young man who valued gratitude and loyalty. Perhaps he hadn't mentioned the lobsters before because he was afraid Zhang Liunian wouldn't believe him.
“Young comrade, I truly don’t know what to say to you. Rest assured, I will help you keep a close watch on the lake and make sure no one touches the lobsters in here.” Laoguotou looked at the cigarette in his hand, a myriad of emotions swirling within him.
“I don’t want to trouble you too much, so I plan to have my elder brother come help me watch the lake. You two can look out for each other from now on.”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Just as Zhang Liunian mentioned his elder brother, Zhang Liushui, he appeared not far from them.
Laoguotou didn’t object to this arrangement. Daming Lake was vast, and he couldn’t possibly watch over it all by himself. Having a helper would be good; they could each be responsible for a section and save themselves the exhaustion of constantly running around.
“Having a companion would be good,” Laoguotou nodded in agreement, then turned and returned to his small, dilapidated hut.
After he left, Zhang Liunian and his crew began today’s haul. Because of the delay and the fact that today’s catch was the largest, by the time Zhang Liunian finished hauling fifteen hundred pounds, quite a few villagers had gathered by the lake to watch. These people had come specifically to witness how Zhang Liunian conducted his lobster business. When they saw that Zhang Liunian was hauling three cartloads of lobsters in a single day, they realized his lobster business was far bigger than they had imagined. It was absolutely impossible for them to achieve the same.
Regardless of their thoughts, Zhang Liunian paid them no mind. He delivered the last cartload of lobsters to the educated youth dormitory, settled the wages of the two haulers, and then returned home to change. Upon entering the house, he saw his wife and daughter sitting on the bed, preparing to get up.
“Why aren’t you sleeping in a bit longer?” Zhang Liunian found dry clothes and began to undress. His broad shoulders and narrow waist, his strong and sturdy body, were suddenly exposed to the air.
Jiang Qingqing averted her eyes uncomfortably. While helping Huabao dress, she secretly glanced at him, her heart beating faster. “I’m used to waking up at this time; I can’t sleep.” Just as she finished speaking, she caught sight of the scar on her husband’s shoulder, and a pang of discomfort shot through her. Those were from pulling the cart.
“Breakfast is warming in the pot. Remember to eat. I’m going to get busy,” Zhang Liunian said, changed into dry clothes, and left.
On the way, he encountered many villagers. Seeing him bustling about, they greeted him.
“Where are you going, Liunian?”
“Good morning, Liunian?”
“…”
Zhang Liunian responded to them all with a smile, which once again made it clear to these villagers that the laziest person in Zhang Village had truly changed. He had become diligent and enthusiastic. Zhang Liunian himself was unaware of this. At this moment, he had already arrived at the female educated youth dormitory. By the time he got there, the mute man was already stir-frying lobsters. Wang Cuihua and her five children were diligently peeling lobsters.
“Xiao Si, don’t touch these few baskets. I need to take them to the state-run restaurant,” Zhang Liunian instructed Xiao Si by the doorway, pointing to the four baskets of lobsters on the flatbed cart.
“Got it!” Xiao Si replied, looking up, but his hands continued their work.
By ten in the morning, Zhang Liunian was ready and about to single-handedly pull the brimming cart of lobsters to the county town. Seeing her husband was carrying such a heavy load today, Jiang Qingqing felt a pang of worry. She stepped forward, grasped Zhang Liunian’s arm, and said, “Liunian, I’ll go call someone to help you pull the cart. Wait a moment.”
Zhang Liunian paused and turned to see his wife actually going to call someone. He quickly took her small hand and held it firmly in his. “You don’t need to call anyone. Let the mute man accompany me today!” The quantity today was too much, and he did need someone to help push. It would be best if that person was strong. Thinking of strength, he couldn’t help but recall Zhang Qian, who was known throughout the village for his strength and his honest, simple nature. He was indeed a good choice. He would look for him tonight and see if he was willing.
“Alright, let him accompany you for now. Rest if you get tired. Please don’t overexert yourself. I only want you to be well, Liunian.” Jiang Qingqing took out a handkerchief and began to wipe the sweat from her husband’s face.
Zhang Liunian smiled, letting her wipe him from head to toe. “As long as you are by my side, I will always be well.” The implication was that if they weren’t around, he wouldn’t be well.
Jiang Qingqing understood his meaning. She gave him a shy glance with her large eyes and then, with joy, helped him straighten his clothes.
Wang Cuihua, watching this scene unfold from inside the house, could hardly believe her eyes. Was this really Zhang Liunian, the laziest man in the village, the one who didn’t dote on his wife? How had he become like this? Diligent, hardworking, and loving his wife. And Jiang Qingqing, usually so diligent and proper, had also become like a newly married young woman. Their lingering glances made her teeth ache. She recalled how her maternal cousin had once looked down on Zhang Liunian. What a blind fool she had been!
Sighing, she decided not to dwell on it. Their family was about to earn five yuan, and the thought made her excited.
At eleven forty in the morning, Zhang Liunian delivered a thousand jin of lobsters to the kitchen of the machinery factory. Zhao Zhijie personally received them, weighed them, and settled the accounts.
“One thousand jin is exactly four hundred yuan. Here you go, keep this safe.” Zhao Zhijie counted out the money and then asked, puzzled, “What about the braised dishes? Why weren’t they delivered?”
Zhang Liunian took the money, gave it a brief glance, and put it in his pocket. “I was a bit busy today and didn’t make them. I should be able to deliver them tomorrow.” To make braised meat, he would need to buy the meat early in the morning, and without a bicycle, it would take a lot of time. Therefore, he planned to buy a bicycle first and start braising tomorrow.
“That’s fine too. Come on, I’ll introduce you to some of my apprentices. They are all chefs working in restaurants,” Zhao Zhijie said as he tidied up the ledger and stood up, leading Zhang Liunian out of the office.
The two of them walked out of the machinery factory and headed directly to the Datang State-Run Restaurant. By the time they arrived, four men of various ages were already waiting outside. As soon as they saw Zhao Zhijie, they rushed forward and called him Master.
“This is my nephew, Zhang Liunian. He’s one of us. He’ll be teaching you a dish here later. Once you learn it, you’ll need to get your ingredients from him.” Zhao Zhijie had already given them a general idea of the situation yesterday, and now he was repeating it in front of Zhang Liunian. The four men nodded in unison and greeted Zhang Liunian. After they exchanged greetings, the chef who had called Zhao Zhijie Master last time, Mu Mingliang, came out. He hurried over and then enthusiastically welcomed everyone inside.