Chapter 21: Truly Unable to Stay Any Longer

Fortunately, upon returning, he saw Erfeng had arrived!

It was early December, and though the winter solstice had not yet come, the mountain region was already biting cold.

This made Wei Dong seriously consider buying two silk quilts for his parents and a few pairs of thermal pants.

But making a trip to the provincial capital just for that wasn’t worth it; he’d need to bring some cured meat.

Now, he saw Erfeng and Dog Egg sitting across from the trade company, sealed with a notice, on the roadside, with three baskets packed full.

Indeed, this was the spot Dog Egg knew Wei Dong always used when he came to the city.

He didn’t know where Wei Dong had rented a place, just kept watch here regardless.

Had he not happened to pass by after returning from the park, he wouldn’t have spotted them.

Wei Dong saw the rebellious Dog Egg, who leaped up and wagged his tail, and just wanted to kick him flying.

Erfeng, however, with a woman’s intuition, looked directly at the urban girl behind him.

Wei Dong felt nothing from this gaze, and instead rummaged through the baskets, pinching and sniffing the cured meat. “Not bad, it’s not too dry, probably within a year. The aroma is good, city folk love this green oak scent.”

The old lady had already followed, smiling brightly. “You want to buy cured meat? My mom cooks it deliciously—let’s go extort her for a meal?”

Wei Dong didn’t even lift his head. “Buy my ass. These are my friends from back home. You go on ahead, we have things to discuss.”

Doing untaxed business in front of the family of a tax bureau official—what kind of trouble was that?

But the female university student suddenly grew excited. “Your friends? Then let’s go eat together! There’s a good place outside No. 1 High, my treat!”

Dog Egg immediately swallowed a huge gulp audibly.

Wei Dong finally stood up, bewildered to see Erfeng turn her back and wipe away tears.

He glanced back at the beautiful teacher, and realized he hadn’t noticed the immense visual impact she had on country girls.

Erfeng wore a brand-new floral cotton jacket, made from the same fabric that had wrapped pure titanium ingots earlier. It made her the prettiest girl in the surrounding villages.

But compared to the city high school teacher, she looked utterly rustic.

Mostly, it was the bulkiness.

The teacher, in her beige wool short coat with a wide matching belt cinching her waist, the collar revealing a white lapel and scarf, jeans and little leather shoes, topped off with a fashionable wavy hairstyle.

Though Wei Dong still thought it looked a bit tacky—maybe even less festive than the cotton jacket—he mused that all those internet celebrities wore cotton jackets, none with outdated coats like this.

Still, it was the height of style for the city.

And Shi Linyan, perhaps with her competitive spirit awakened, smiled radiantly and even struck a photo pose with one leg forward and hands in her pockets, looking stunning.

Unfortunately, Wei Dong, ever the straight man, frowned at her flared jeans exposing her ankles. “Be human, will you? It’s cold—wear thermal pants and stop pretending. Choosing style over warmth is a serious matter.”

Erfeng quickly stole a sidelong glance, her tone also poor.

The delicate girl’s logic was different, giggling as she covered her mouth. “You’re so funny! What does ‘be human’ mean, is it your way of caring for me?”

Wei Dong was speechless. “You don’t understand a word. I wonder how you teach students. Let me introduce: Erfeng and Dog Egg, my friends from the countryside. This is Shi Linyan, an English teacher at No. 1 High in the city.”

Erfeng persisted, strong: “I’m his wife!” Her voice trembled, but her words were clear.

Wei Dong couldn’t be bothered to explain, waving his hand in a pure Hong Kong movie style as if shooing flies. “Crazy.”

He hoisted the extra basket onto his back and scolded Dog Egg, “Look at you, always making trouble. I won’t take you out again!”

Dog Egg, thick-skinned, quickly shouldered his own basket and followed. “What’s for food? What’s for food later?”

Wei Dong was only concerned, “How did you suddenly get so much cured meat, and so heavy?”

Dog Egg beamed, eager to boast. “I went back and gave Erfeng the money, she bought two pigs, slaughtered them, and smoked the meat. We’ve been smoking every day this month. Look, I even smell like green oak myself!”

He even lifted his armpit toward Wei Dong’s face.

Damn, who wants to smell that?

Wei Dong laughed and cursed, fleeing as Dog Egg chased after him.

The short coat girl spoke kindly to Erfeng in her floral jacket, “I’ve never seen him so relaxed. He always seems deep in thought, always busy. You’re welcome to visit anytime.”

Erfeng ignored her outstretched hand, picked up her basket, and walked around her to catch up.

Shi Linyan pulled a silly face, finally slowing down, and seemed to start thinking about something herself.

Wei Dong, meanwhile, showed Erfeng a thumbs up as she caught up.

He’d been stuck in stereotypes, always thinking he should wait until the New Year to slaughter a pig, but Erfeng, hearing he needed cured pork, just got right to it.

Why wait for New Year? Now, the weather is cold, it’s the slack season, manpower and firewood are available.

It couldn’t be easier.

And she’d smartly done the math: “Right now, live pigs are forty-nine cents a pound, must be over a hundred pounds, starved for two days to empty their stomachs. I just paid sixty bucks per pig over a hundred pounds—everyone’s rushing to sell. My dad slaughtered them, we smoked them.”

It was forbidden to slaughter and sell privately, but under the pretense of preparing for New Year, slaughtering an extra pig or two without openly selling raised no eyebrows.

She grew confident, “Old cured meat yields six and a half pounds per ten pounds of fresh pork. This quick-smoked meat yields eight and two, much better value.”

Wei Dong was impressed. In his previous life, he’d occasionally heard about or bumped into Erfeng once or twice at New Year—she’d always seemed like a typical rural woman, nothing remarkable.

Now he couldn’t help but scold, “Look, you don’t have Erfeng’s initiative!”

Dog Egg just chuckled.

Erfeng spoke up, “I’m your wife, of course I’ll find ways to get your things done. He just plays all day, only jumps if he’s kicked, never thinks for himself.”

Wei Dong looked at Erfeng, now full of spirit, and felt she was more attractive than the English teacher.

But he wasn’t swayed, “Don’t talk nonsense. I can’t stay here long. We’ll see—if you have this drive, life will be very different.”

He knocked for his mother, “Erfeng and Dog Egg are here. After dinner, we’ll go to Jiangzhou.”

His mother, seeing his not-yet-married wife, grew uneasy—perhaps the couple staying in the city was to avoid facing the broken engagement issue.

In the previous life, Erfeng’s father had pulled his daughter from the fire. Though many criticized him, most families would grit their teeth and do the same.

It was a lifetime of hardship—anyone would weigh their options.

Now the Let family, seeing their prosperity, wanted to break the engagement, so the scolding would be much heavier and linger longer.

Especially since Erfeng was boldly seizing the high ground, “Mom, I’ve always been helping Wei Dong with the cured meat, and have wanted to visit Dad. How’s his health?”

Her would-be mother-in-law grew even more guilty, “No, no, he’s much better. He’s at work…”

Particularly seeing the urban girl come in with hands in her pockets, she finally wondered if her son was turning into Chen Shimei.

Nowadays, any man who abandoned his country wife for a city woman was labeled thus.

Wei Shimei was mainly back to test the quick-smoked meat.

Frankly, it was a shrewd trick.

By rapidly smoking fresh pork, they sped up the process. The flavor was close, but it wasn’t the same as old cured meat, naturally air-dried for two or three years.

Most of the cured meat sold in city markets was this type, not true old cured meat.

And skipping years of air-drying, the fat and moisture remained sealed within—the same pork yielded heavier meat.

More money to be made.

Thanks to their special green oak charcoal, a chunk sliced and fried tasted quite good.

It kept the fresh cured meat’s smoky aroma, and was softer than the drier texture of old cured meat.

Wei Dong commented, “For this type, you can use less salt, let the charcoal and pine flavors stand out. City folk don’t eat as salty.”

Heavy salting made fresh meat easier to cure and preserved it longer, and salty meat with rice made meals more satisfying.

Less meat could yield more rice eaten.

It was much like those TV dramas set in poorer places, where dishes were heavily flavored.

Getting enough to eat was a blessing.

Good eating was out of the question.

Erfeng agreed, focused on serving Wei Dong’s mother, always watching Wei Dong’s bowl—if he ran out of rice, she’d fetch more.

She was busy with every dish, her hands showing the marks of hard work.

Dog Egg only buried his head, exclaiming “delicious, delicious!” as he polished off several bowls of rice.

Erfeng, annoyed, refused to serve him, saving it for Wei Dong’s father.

His mother quickly explained, “He’s on day shift today, gets meals at work. You eat, eat your fill!”

She didn’t dare ask Shi Linyan.

Shi Linyan, usually dainty at meals, was cheerful today and kept picking up food, “Auntie, you should work in the canteen. This cold dish is delicious, better than our old university cafeteria.”

Wei Dong realized his mother would probably start working in the canteen tomorrow.

He already felt working here was pointless. “Don’t be silly. You really think it tastes good?”

The university girl had broader experience, “Our university has students and teachers from all over, but mostly from the three southwestern provinces. The best-selling cafeteria dishes are cold mixed vegetables, because most families aren’t well-off. With subsidies, everyone can afford them. Auntie’s garlic sauce is special, but you have to rinse your mouth after eating.”

His mother quickly demurred, “I just learned from cooking for the construction crew, nothing special. Glad you like it!”

Wei Dong had an idea, “Alright, let’s give Teacher Shi a piece of cured meat. This chunk is from my family, Erfeng, come with us to Jiangzhou—you might run this business yourself one day.”

Erfeng only focused, “This is family cured meat, how can we sell it? I’ll help Auntie wash the dishes!”

Wei Dong threatened her, “We’re leaving now. If you don’t come, you won’t find us.”

Only then did Erfeng hurry to bid farewell.

Shi Linyan, of course, was curious, “Why are you going to Jiangzhou? I know it well, let me come!”

Wei Dong laughed, “You’ve got classes tomorrow. We’ll be gone several days. We’re off!”

Inside, he muttered, “You forced me into this.”

He was going to send his parents to Jiangzhou for a new life.

Sooner or later, they’d have to leave here.