Chapter 493 - 407: Someone Is Dead

Today was Sunday. The winter logging season had yet to begin at the Yong’an Forest Farm, so everyone had the day off.

After all this time, Zhao Youcai’s labor reform was finally over. This morning, Wang Meilan was the one in charge of cooking.

And since Wang Meilan had been in high spirits lately, she prepared a truly lavish breakfast.

She set a large pot of water to boil for some sticky corn.

This was sticky corn they had planted early in their own garden, so it ripened sooner than the corn in the fields. Whole cobs were placed in the pot to boil. Once cooked, the kernels turned a brilliant golden yellow.

The corn, cooked until tender and bursting, was sticky, soft, chewy, and sweet to the taste.

While the corn was boiling, she placed a metal rack over it. In the center of the rack sat a large bowl containing a savory steamed egg dish.

This was another common homestyle dish from the Northeast. Unlike the more typical steamed egg custard, this version was made without water, resulting in a firm, solid texture once steamed.

Instead, farmhouse soybean paste and chopped chili peppers were added to the whisked eggs. After steaming, the dish would have distinct layers.

The top layer consisted of chili flakes suspended in egg, the middle layer was pure egg, and the bottom layer was a mixture of egg and soybean paste.

Picking up a piece with chopsticks revealed all three components: the egg, the chili, and the paste. The combination of salty, savory, and spicy flavors instantly awakened the palate.

Arranged around the large bowl of steamed egg were small eggplants, each about a handspan long. They were so young and tender that their flesh was green and seedless.

Once these eggplants were steamed, they would be torn into strips, tossed with chopped cilantro, soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced garlic. The resulting freshness and aroma would be simply divine.

Zhao Hong and Zhao Na had no interest in the eggplant salad, but they loved the sticky corn paired with the savory steamed egg.

The two little girls couldn’t handle spicy food, so Zhao Jun and Zhao Youcai ate the top, chili-laden layer of the steamed egg, giving the two non-spicy bottom layers to them.

Doted on by their father and older brother, Zhao Hong and Zhao Na held the sticky corn, each impaled on a chopstick, and ate with sweet delight.

The corn, fresh from the pot, was scalding hot.

It was too hot for a child to hold directly. So, Zhao Jun took the thin end of a chopstick and jabbed it into the thick end of a cob, letting his sisters hold the protruding end of the stick and gnaw on the corn horizontally.

It was the kind of simple, farmhouse meal that, despite having no meat, could truly whet one’s appetite.

And with the family enjoying themselves in perfect harmony, full of talk and laughter, the food tasted even better.

But in stark contrast to the Zhao family was Zhu Dashan. Even while eating chicken and mushroom stew, Zhu Dashan was unhappy—especially since the chicken in question was his pet, Gousheng’er.

Zhu Dashan forced down a few mouthfuls of rice before heading out to find an old friend. After lingering at the friend’s house for a while, he made his way to Zhao Jun’s family home.

The moment Zhu Dashan reached the entrance to Zhao Jun’s home, the dogs in both the Zhao and Li family yards began to bark. Not daring to enter, Zhu Dashan stood at the gate and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Anyone home?"

Hearing the shout, Zhao Youcai put down his chopsticks. Sitting on the kang, he craned his neck to look outside. Wang Meilan also turned to peek through the window.

’Why is that old man here again?’ Seeing it was Zhu Dashan, Zhao Youcai shot Zhao Jun a questioning look. Zhao Youcai hadn’t been home when Zhu Dashan came to borrow the dogs yesterday morning, but he had heard about it.

"Who knows," Zhao Jun said, putting down his chopsticks and shuffling toward the edge of the kang. "He probably wants to borrow the dogs again."

"Son, you stay put." Zhao Youcai grabbed Zhao Jun’s arm. "You finish eating. I’ll go."

Zhao Youcai hadn’t been home yesterday, but he was today. When a visitor arrived, it was up to him, the "man of the house," to greet them.

So why was Zhao Youcai’s attitude toward Zhao Jun so good today?

It was because the Forest Farm issued wages on the tenth of every month. And as soon as he was paid, Zhao Jun would offer up his tribute of five yuan.

That’s why at the beginning of every month, Zhao Youcai would show Zhao Jun his most kind and fatherly side.

Zhao Jun calmly accepted this display of fatherly affection. As Zhao Youcai was getting off the kang, he turned back and asked Zhao Jun, "If he wants to borrow the dogs, should I just bring them over to him?"

Hearing this, Zhao Jun turned to his father. "Dad, if he wants to borrow the dogs, don’t give them to him. Just tell him I’ll bring them over myself tonight and help him stand guard for one night."

Zhao Jun had thought it through. Rather than lending out the dogs and worrying about them, it was better to go himself. Helping Zhu Dashan for a night was the least he could do to show respect for a relative.

After this one night, he would wash his hands of the matter, regardless of whether they caught the Black Bear or what else might happen.

"Alright, I get it." Zhao Youcai grunted in acknowledgment and headed outside. After a moment’s thought, Wang Meilan also put down her chopsticks and followed him.

"Get! Get outta here!" Once outside, Zhao Youcai shooed the dogs away before walking toward the gate to greet Zhu Dashan. "Uncle Zhu! Have you eaten yet?"

"Ah, Youcai, you’re home." Seeing Zhao Youcai, Zhu Dashan offered a polite smile. "I’ve already eaten. Have you?"

"I’m in the middle of it right now," Zhao Youcai said. "Uncle Zhu, come on in, have a bite with us."

"No, no, I couldn’t," the old man said, quickly waving his hands in refusal.

"Uncle Zhu." Just then, Wang Meilan came out as well. She had been out helping Jin Xiaomei deliver food to the construction site when Zhu Dashan came by yesterday.

Zhao Jun’s family’s house was already finished, but Li Baoyu’s new home wouldn’t be complete for another couple of days.

Wang Meilan came and stood beside Zhao Youcai, calling out to Zhu Dashan, "Uncle Zhu, if you won’t eat, at least come in for a drink of water."

"No water for me," Zhu Dashan said with a wave of his hand. "I just came to ask about something. I’ll leave right after."

Before the words were even out of Zhu Dashan’s mouth, Zhao Youcai asked, "Uncle Zhu, are you here to borrow the dogs again?"