Chapter 600: Foot Trap from Cut Cans

Li Dayong, Zhao Jun, Li Baoyu, and Jie Chen ate in the east room, while Wang Meilan and Jin Xiaomei ate with the three little girls in the west room.

The women and children had smaller appetites than the men, so they finished quickly.

After dinner, Zhao Hong and Zhao Na started clamoring to go home. It was past nine, and with full bellies, the two little girls were getting sleepy.

Wang Meilan didn’t wait for Zhao Jun and Jie Chen. She let them continue eating at the Li family’s home while she got Zhao Hong and Zhao Na ready to leave.

Seeing that Wang Meilan was leaving, Jin Xiaomei hurried to see the mother and her two daughters out. Just as they reached the door, Wang Meilan suddenly stopped, pointed to a plate of steamed cakes on the stove, and asked Jin Xiaomei, “Sister-in-law, could I take this?”

When Jin Xiaomei heard this, she remembered that there was still one person at the Zhao family home who hadn’t eaten. Without a second thought, she picked up the plate with both hands and handed it to Wang Meilan.

The next morning, Zhao Jun and Jie Chen were up just after four. Shortly after they and Zhao Youcai came out of the house, Li Dayong and his two sons also emerged from their home.

Then, with Wang Meilan taking charge, all the things unloaded from the vehicle were divided into two shares: one for the Li family and one for Zhao Jun’s family.

As Wang Meilan divided the items, Zhao Jun realized just how much his mother had bought this time. There were cigarettes, liquor, candy, tea, soft drinks, sodas, quilts, and pillows… you name it, she’d bought it.

Once everything was divided, items meant for the house were taken inside, and those meant for the cellar were put away there.

After everything was put away, Zhao Youcai “volunteered” to make a delicious breakfast for the whole family. Wang Meilan immediately agreed, handing the kitchen over to him. She then went to the west room with Zhao Jun and Jie Chen to divide up the money.

The ginseng sold yesterday—the leafless ones, the Fifth-grade leaves, plus one Fourth-grade leaf ginseng and two Lantern Platform ginseng—had been carried by Zhao Jun, Jie Chen, and Zhang Yuanmin. The money from that was to be split three ways, with each person’s share coming to 795.66 yuan.

As for the remaining two Second-class ginseng, two Lantern Platform ginseng, and one Fourth-grade leaf ginseng, that money was to be split evenly among four people: Zhao Jun, Li Baoyu, Jie Chen, and Zhang Yuanmin. Each person’s share was 103.025 yuan.

Of the four, everyone except Li Baoyu was due a share of 898.9 yuan.

With Jie Chen right there, Zhao Jun counted out nine hundred yuan for him directly. Holding ninety ten-yuan banknotes, Jie Chen could hardly believe it.

‘This money came way too fast.’

Jie Chen didn’t keep the money on his person. Instead, he gave it to Wang Meilan and asked her to hold on to it for him.

Zhao Jun then counted out eighty ten-yuan banknotes and gave them to Wang Meilan. This was eight hundred yuan from his share; Zhao Jun planned to keep the remaining amount, nearly one hundred yuan, for his own use.

Next, Zhao Jun separated another eighty-six ten-yuan banknotes. This eight hundred and sixty yuan was to be delivered to Zhang Yuanmin later.

As for why Zhang Yuanmin was forty yuan short, the answer lay in the large set of picture-book versions of the Four Great Classical Novels sitting by the kang-side cabinet.

Zhang Yuanmin had asked Wang Meilan to buy them for him from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Each of the four sets cost ten yuan, totaling forty yuan for all of them.

After the money was divided, Wang Meilan returned to the east room. Zhao Jun told Jie Chen to rest for a bit, then pocketed the remaining cash and headed outside.

No sooner had Zhao Jun stepped out the front door than Zhao Youcai followed him out, calling, “Son! What do you want to eat? Dad will make it for you.”

“Huh?” Zhao Jun froze, then asked, “Aren’t we having stir-fried cabbage with wood ear mushrooms?”

“Ah, haha…” Zhao Youcai stood before Zhao Jun, laughing sheepishly.

Zhao Jun knew this routine all too well. He cut to the chase, “Dad, you need money?”

“Haha.” Zhao Youcai chuckled again before finally saying, “Give me fifteen yuan. I’m buying a dog.”

Zhao Jun frowned. ‘You’ve got some nerve,’ he thought. ‘After the huge screw-up yesterday, you’re still thinking about buying a dog?’

‘Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to *borrow* the money a couple of days ago? Now you want me to just *give* it to you?’

When Zhao Jun didn’t move, Zhao Youcai came up behind him, gave his back a gentle nudge with his elbow, and chuckled. “Come on, now. You’re earning so much money, shouldn’t you show some respect to your old man?”

At that, Zhao Jun took the money from his pocket, counted out fifteen yuan, and said quietly, “Dad, if you buy a dog, where are you going to keep it?”

Zhao Youcai snatched the money from his hand, glanced down to count it, and grinned. “I’ll have Hong the Second look after it for a few days, but I have to pay him first.”

Hearing this, Zhao Jun understood. His father must have given Hong Yuntao some cornmeal; otherwise, Hong Yuntao wouldn’t agree to look after the dog for him for free.

Watching Zhao Youcai go back inside to chop cabbage, Zhao Jun couldn’t help but shake his head. He walked over to the wall separating their yards and called out to the Li’s house next door, “Baoyu! Hey, Baoyu!”

“Yeah!” The word had barely left Zhao Jun’s mouth when Li Baoyu rushed out of his house, shouting, “I’m coming, Brother!”

Zhao Jun handed Li Baoyu one hundred and twenty yuan. Li Baoyu took it without asking any questions, and because he didn’t ask, Zhao Jun didn’t offer any explanation.

Li Baoyu’s share was supposed to be 103 yuan and some change. Zhao Jun gave him one hundred and twenty yuan, but it wasn’t because Li Baoyu’s cut was small while his own was large.

It was because on the day Li Baoyu helped carry the ginseng, he had been holding a Fourth-grade leaf ginseng. That particular plant should have sold for two hundred yuan, but Sun Haizhu had recorded it as one hundred and fifty.

Although Sun Haizhu had made up for much of the difference on two of the larger ginsengs, that compensation didn’t involve Li Baoyu.

That was why Zhao Jun had given Li Baoyu a little extra when dividing the money. The difference came out of Zhao Jun’s own pocket.