A glowing screen suddenly appeared, displaying a book titled "Gourmet Recipe."
Curious, Su Yun opened it. A line of bold text immediately appeared:
"Imperial Secret Braised Pork."
Below it was a long description explaining the origin story behind the dish.
Su Yun skimmed through it quickly. At once, she felt the urge to buy two jin of pork belly and try making it herself. Unfortunately, the description claimed the aroma could "waft for ten li." That made her hesitate—she really didn't dare try it casually.
After becoming a ten-thousand-yuan household, Su Yun had become completely smug. She even felt that the stool at the recycling station was no longer worthy of supporting the weight of a ten-thousand-yuan household.
She decided that tomorrow she would replace the stool with a chair—preferably a hand-woven rattan chair. Only that kind of chair matched the dignity of a wealthy household.
Yes, she would change it tomorrow!
While Su Yun was feeling bold and extravagant, on the other side, Gu Hai left the recycling station carrying the sack. He walked swiftly through several streets before returning to the small courtyard where he lived.
The courtyard belonged to the neighborhood committee. They had temporarily lent it to him to live in, but once his younger siblings became adults, he would have to move out.
After his father died, three apartment units that had been allocated by the Public Security Bureau were left behind. However, they had already been occupied by his grandparents and his uncle's family.
Still, Gu Hai hadn't suffered a loss. Since they took the houses, he had simply cut off relations with them. From then on, he would neither support them while they were alive nor mourn them after death.
As for his mother…
She shouldn't even think about getting a single benefit from him!
"Brother, you're back."
Under the eaves of the side room in the courtyard, eight-year-old Gu Jun was sorting the scrap he had collected that day. Seeing Gu Hai return, he greeted him happily.
Gu Hai nodded and habitually rubbed Gu Jun's little head. Then he took an apple from the sack and handed it to him.
"Junzi, look what good thing your brother brought back today."
Gu Jun's eyes widened at the sight of the apple. He swallowed instinctively and said in disbelief,
"Brother, it's not even a holiday. Where did you buy such a big apple? It smells so delicious!"
Gu Hai smiled. "Then take a bite first."
Gu Jun immediately raised it to his mouth, ready to take a bite.
But he stopped himself at the last moment and said eagerly,
"No, I'll wait until Sister and Second Brother come back. Then we'll eat it together!"
Gu Hai nodded in satisfaction. "Alright. We'll wait for them, then eat it together."
After that, Gu Hai placed the sack of rice in the kitchen. Then he went into his room, sat at his work desk, and immersed himself in a pile of discarded parts, continuing to assemble a radio.
---
At noon, in the cafeteria of the steel factory, workers stood in line with their lunchboxes.
When they saw that the meal was once again lightly seasoned stewed cabbage and stewed tofu, many of them began complaining that the factory meals had been getting worse lately.
Just as Xia Xingguo entered, a worker holding a lunchbox ran into him and immediately spoke up.
"Section Chief Xia, what's going on with the Procurement Department lately? The food is getting more and more perfunctory. These past few days we haven't even seen a trace of meat or oil. We do heavy labor in the steel factory—without some oily food, we really can't keep going!"
Another worker echoed him.
"That's right, Section Chief Xia. Your Procurement Department needs to pay more attention. After all, you eat here too. Cabbage and tofu every day—our mouths are so bland we can't even taste anything anymore."
Hearing the complaints, Xia Xingguo smiled and reassured them.
"Don't worry, everyone. I've already contacted a grain and oil supplier. Soon we'll be able to purchase a batch of supplies for the factory. When the time comes, you can eat as much as you like—there will be plenty!"
After hearing this, the workers' expressions improved.
Xia Xingguo got his lunch and headed toward his office. Halfway there, he ran into Su Wenshan, who had come looking for him.
The two stood under the shade of some trees and talked.
"Old Xia, I came to ask whether the matter of contacting that outside factory yesterday has been settled."
Xia Xingguo replied, "It's mostly settled. Yesterday I rushed over and talked with them for a long time. They do have a batch of grain and oil supplies, and the quantity isn't small. But they insisted that I must pay the full amount first before they'll deliver the goods. That makes me uneasy."
"Old Su, you know how our factory operates. We usually pay a deposit first, then pay the rest after the goods arrive. This time they want the full payment in advance. I really can't make up my mind."
Seeing Xia Xingguo's hesitation, Su Wenshan spoke seriously.
"Old Xia, there's something I need to tell you…"
He briefly repeated everything Su Yun had said the previous night.
After hearing it, Xia Xingguo felt as if he were dreaming. He couldn't help raising his voice.
"Receive the goods first and pay later? With such a good deal, what's there to hesitate about? Old Su, if this works out, you'll really be doing me a huge favor!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became.
"How about this—you go back today and tell Su Yun that I can inspect the goods anytime!"
---
When Su Wenshan returned home that evening, he told Su Yun about the conversation.
After thinking for a moment, Su Yun said,
"Dad, tomorrow I'll ask that person first. Once I get confirmation, I'll call and inform you."
---
Early the next morning, Widow He's scolding could be heard again. Aunt Gao from the Women's Federation in the front courtyard couldn't stand it anymore and came over to lecture Widow He before even eating breakfast.
Amid the argument between Aunt Gao and Widow He, Su Yun ignored He Hua's resentful glare. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she happily left the courtyard.
Yesterday afternoon, the scrap items in the recycling station had been hauled away by trucks sent by the neighborhood office. Now the courtyard looked unusually empty.
As soon as Su Yun arrived, the first thing she did was open the system shop.
She bought 100 jin of rice, 100 jin of flour, and twenty eggs, spending a total of 121 yuan.
Her balance dropped to 10,037.6 yuan.
Although the antiques Gu Hai brought yesterday had sold for more than two thousand yuan in total, Su Yun couldn't give him too much. Otherwise, he might become complacent and stop striving in the future.
After that, she remembered that Gu Hai would start "working" today. He couldn't possibly go out wearing those clothes of his that were patched everywhere—even on the seat of his pants.
So, with great generosity, Su Yun opened the clothing section and spent 30 yuan to buy a white shirt, black trousers, and a pair of white sneakers for Gu Hai.
Next, she bought ten jin of rice, ten jin of flour, ten jin of cornmeal, ten eggs, ten jin of rapeseed oil, five jin of fatty pork, several chickens and ducks, as well as some vegetables—string beans, cucumbers, loofah, and lettuce.
She placed everything in the corner of the courtyard and covered it with old newspapers.
After all these purchases, Su Yun had spent 80 yuan, instantly dropping from a ten-thousand-yuan household back to a thousand-yuan household again.
Looking at her remaining balance of 9,957.6 yuan, Su Yun sighed.
It seemed her dream of sitting in that rattan chair would have to wait a few more days.
After everything was prepared, Su Yun finally opened the door of the recycling station.
After sending away two people who came to sell old newspapers, she finally saw Gu Hai's tall figure appear at the entrance.
"Comrade Xiao Su!"
"Comrade Gu!"
This time, the two greeted each other like old friends. They skipped the usual polite small talk and were both unusually enthusiastic.
Su Yun led Gu Hai behind the counter and pointed at the two large sacks of rice and flour along with the eggs below.
"Comrade Gu Hai, these are the supplies exchanged for yesterday's items. Take a look—what do you think?"
Gu Hai was caught completely off guard.
He stared at the two sacks—each weighing a full hundred jin of rice and flour—and was utterly stunned.