PDLP Chapter 21 Repayment
Chapter 21 Repayment
On the last day of the trade fair, Chen Zheng got up before dawn.
He took the grass carp, which weighed over eight pounds, out of the fish basket and examined it carefully by the light from the kitchen.
The grass carp has a round body, and its scales are bluish-yellow with a layer of oily sheen.
The fish's tail swung powerfully, splashing water droplets all over his face.
"Good fish." Chen Zheng wiped his face and nodded in satisfaction.
This grass carp was caught yesterday evening in the deep waters of Nanwan.
The largest hook on the hook set was used, and a whole small loach was caught on it.
When the grass carp took the bait, the rope suddenly sank, almost pulling Chen Zheng off the boat.
In the end, Zhang Jianguo jumped into the water to help pull it ashore, and the two of them had to pull and drag it to get the big guy out.
Chen Zheng put the grass carp into a wooden bucket lined with aquatic plants, and then went to check the other fish.
There were fifteen crucian carp, eight bream, three carp, two black carp, and one mandarin fish weighing over four pounds.
With the addition of this grass carp weighing over eight pounds, the two wooden buckets were completely full, weighing at least sixty pounds.
"Zhengwa, eat before you go."
Zhang Cuihua came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of sweet potato porridge with two poached eggs in it.
It was topped with a handful of chopped green onions, which looked golden and green, and it looked very appetizing.
"Mom, you've laid eggs again. Save them for Fengzi."
"Fengzi, you have some. You eat yours. Today is the last day, you need to eat well to have the energy."
Zhang Cuihua shoved the bowl of porridge into his hands, then brought out a stack of flatbreads from the kitchen, wrapped them in a cloth, and...
She tucked it into his arms, saying, "Take this and have it for lunch. There are a lot of people today, don't go hungry."
Chen Zheng finished the porridge in a few gulps, then swallowed the poached egg in a few bites, scalding it and making him wince.
Zhang Cuihua watched from the side, saying "Slow down, slow down" but her eyes were full of smiles.
Chen Rong came out of the house. He was wearing a blue cloth shirt with the cuffs rolled up twice, revealing a slender wrist.
The hair was wiped with a damp towel and lay flat against the forehead.
He didn't say anything, but squatted in the yard and checked the fish in the wooden bucket again.
They scooped out a crucian carp that had flipped belly up and replaced it with a lively one.
"Rongzi, you're coming with me today."
Chen Zheng said.
Chen Rong nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't speak, but his eyes shone with light.
Zhang Jianguo arrived pushing a cart.
He was wearing a brand-new white cloth shirt, which his mother, Li Guixiang, had bought yesterday at the town's supply and marketing cooperative.
The shirt was a bit too big, with the sleeves extending too far out. He rolled them up twice, revealing his two dark forearms.
Her hair was rinsed with water and combed until it was shiny and smooth.
I also applied some osmanthus oil, which smells wonderful; you can smell it from a long distance.
"Jianguo, are you going on a blind date or to sell fish?" Chen Zheng glanced at him.
"Hehe, it's the last day of selling fish in the county, I have to dress nicely, right?"
Zhang Jianguo grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and patted the handlebars of the cart.
"The car is on gas now, the wheels are spinning fast, it saves effort."
The three men carried the wooden bucket onto the cart, tied it with rope, and covered it with a wet burlap sack.
Chen Zheng pushed one cart, Zhang Jianguo pushed another, and Chen Rong followed behind, helping to hold the baskets. The three of them made their way out of the village in the dark.
It was still dark, and the village road was pitch black. Only a dog barked twice in the distance before being silenced by its owner.
The dew was heavy, and the grass blades were covered in water droplets. After walking for a while, my trouser legs were mostly wet.
Chen Rong wasn't as bouncing around as Chen Feng, nor did he stride forward like Zhang Jianguo.
It's about walking steadily and surely.
When we arrived in town, it was just getting light.
The shops on the street were not open yet, only the breakfast stalls were steaming.
The fried dough sticks sizzled in the pan, and the aroma of soy milk wafted over, making one's stomach rumble.
Chen Zheng took out three cents from his pocket and bought three fried dough sticks and three bowls of soy milk.
Three people squatted by the roadside, eating fried dough sticks with soy milk.
The fried dough sticks are crispy and fragrant with every bite. The soy milk is freshly ground, thick enough to coat the bowl, and sweet.
Chen Rong ate slowly, breaking the fried dough sticks into small pieces and soaking them in soy milk until they softened before eating them.
Unlike Chen Feng, who ate with his mouth all over his face, he finished eating with his mouth clean, wiping it lightly with his sleeve.
"Rongzi, eat more. We have to stay here all day." Chen Zheng handed him the remaining half of the fried dough stick.
Chen Rong took it, but didn't eat it. He wrapped it in straw paper and put it in his pocket.
"What are you going to do with it?" Chen Zheng asked.
"Eat at noon. In case you get hungry."
Chen Zheng glanced at him but didn't say anything more.
This kid is just like his father; he always thinks things through long-term and never wastes anything.
The three continued on their way.
By the time we arrived in the county town, the sun had already risen, shining brightly and making our foreheads feel hot.
The entrance to the farmers' market was even more bustling and noisy than the previous two days.
Carts, horse-drawn carriages, and tractors blocked the entrance completely.
There were significantly more fish sellers than the previous two days, some of whom had come from neighboring counties.
Some came from the countryside carrying loads on their shoulders.
There was also someone driving a tractor loaded with fish; just by looking at that, you could tell he was a large-scale fish farmer.
"So many people!" Zhang Jianguo gasped. "Will we even be able to find a stall?"
"Sure. We came early to reserve a spot."
Chen Zheng pushed his cart and squeezed into the crowd, finally managing to get to the third row on the left.
The spot from yesterday was still empty, so he quickly parked the cart, unloaded the wooden buckets, and arranged the fish one by one.
The stalls were more crowded than the previous two days; there were people on both sides.
On the left is a young man in his thirties, wearing a gray cloth jacket.
They sell carp and crucian carp, served in large wooden basins with clear water.
But the fish weren't very energetic; they looked listless, and a few were belly up.
It's obvious that it's been kept for several days without being sold.
On the right is a woman in her forties, dark-skinned and thin, wearing a patched blue cloth shirt.
They sell whitebait and mandarin fish, packaged in bamboo baskets lined with aquatic plants.
The fish were fresh, but they were too small; the largest weighed no more than half a pound.
The young man came over to look at Chen Zheng's fish and clicked his tongue twice:
"Brother, your fish looks pretty good. Where did you get it?"
"Baiyang Lake, I caught it myself."
"Baiyang Lake? That's a wonderful place! The water is excellent, and the fish are plentiful too."
The young man nodded, took a cigarette from his pocket, and offered it to Chen Zheng, "Want one?"
"Thank you, I won't smoke." Chen Zheng waved his hand and arranged the fish one by one.
The mandarin fish was placed in the most prominent position, and the grass carp was placed next to it.
The crucian carp, bream, and carp were arranged neatly according to their size.
He squatted down and examined the gills of each fish.
After confirming that the gills were still bright red, I checked the scales again and found that none had fallen off.
Chen Rong squatted down beside him, watching quietly without blinking.
He memorized Chen Zheng's method of inspecting fish.
Look at the gills, scales, and eyes; press the belly.
You can tell if a fish is fresh or not just by looking at these four places.
"Rongzi, come look at this one." Chen Zheng flipped a crucian carp over, pointing to its gills.
"Bright red gills mean it's fresh. If they're pale or dark, it's not fresh. Got it?"
Chen Rong leaned closer, looked at it carefully, and nodded.
"And the scales. If the scales are intact and of good quality, they can fetch a high price."
"If it's missing scales, it doesn't look good, so the price is lower."
Chen Zheng put the crucian carp back, then picked up a bream.
"Look at this one, not a single scale is missing. It shines brightly in the sun, and people will want to buy it at first glance."
Chen Rong nodded again, keeping those words in mind.
At this time, the market gradually became more crowded.
Today, being the last day, there were even more people than the previous two days.
The place was noisy with people, and the sounds of bargaining rose and fell.
Master Qian was the first to arrive.
He was still dressed the same way.
He walked up to the stall, squatted down, and immediately spotted the grass carp weighing over eight pounds. His eyes lit up.
"Young man, is this the grass carp you were talking about?"
"Yes. Eight pounds and four ounces. Please check its quality."
Chen Zheng scooped the grass carp out of the wooden bucket, held it in both hands, and flicked its tail, splashing water all over Master Qian's face.
Master Qian wasn't annoyed. He took the grass carp, turned it over to examine its scales, and pried open its gill covers to take a look.
He pressed the fish's belly again, then nodded in satisfaction: "Good fish. How much is this grass carp?"
"One dollar and two cents a pound. Eight pounds and four ounces, that's ten dollars and eight cents. Master Qian, you're a regular customer, so ten dollars will do."
"Okay. I'll take it."
Master Qian took out some money from his bag, counted out ten yuan, and handed it over. "Young man, are you coming again tomorrow?"
"The trade fair ends tomorrow, so I won't be coming. But next time I have good fish, I'll have it delivered directly to the restaurant."
"Okay. Remember this: Dongfeng Hotel, No. 28 Dongda Street. Just look for me."
My surname is Qian, you can call me Master Qian.
Master Qian carried the grass carp away, but after taking a couple of steps, he turned back.
"Oh, right, your name is Chen Zheng, right? I'll remember that. Next time you have good fish, save some for me first; we can discuss the price."
"Okay, Master Qian."
Zhang Jianguo, watching from the side, was completely dumbfounded.
"Ah Zheng, this Master Qian is really rich. He bought a fish that costs ten yuan without even blinking."
"They're a purchasing agent for the restaurant, spending public funds, so of course they don't care."
Chen Zheng put the money in his pocket and continued to serve the customers.
There are a lot of people today, and business is better than the previous two days.
The crucian carp sold out the fastest, in less than an hour.
Bream were also in high demand. Several elderly women came and bought one each, and soon only two were left.
Carp sells more slowly because city dwellers don't like to eat it, finding it too bony.
However, two purchasing agents from different restaurants each bought one, saying they would use it to make sweet and sour carp.
The most sought-after fish was the mandarin fish that weighed over four pounds.
Several buyers came, but they all thought it was too expensive and left.
Finally, a young man in a suit and glasses arrived; he was quite refined.
He squatted down, picked up the mandarin fish, examined it, and asked, "How much is this mandarin fish?"
"Two yuan and fifty cents a pound, four pounds and two ounces, that's ten yuan and five mao."
"It's too expensive. It only costs 2.2 yuan in the provincial capital."
"Comrade, look at this quality. Not a single scale is missing, and the gills are bright red. It was just caught this morning and is still very lively."
Two dollars and fifty cents, worth the price.
The young man hesitated for a moment, then took out a wallet from his pocket, rummaged through it, and found only ten yuan inside.
He frowned, closed his wallet, and stood up to leave.
Chen Zheng called out to him, "Comrade, if you really want it, it's two yuan and twenty cents a pound, here you go."
The young man stopped, looked back at the mandarin fish, then at his wallet, and gritted his teeth:
"Okay, I'll take it."
Chen Zheng weighed the mandarin fish: 4.2 jin, 2.2 yuan per jin, or 9.24 yuan.
The young man took out nine dollars and two cents from his wallet, counted it, handed it over, and left with the mandarin fish.
Zhang Jianguo whispered from the side, "Azheng, why did you give him a discount? He could have sold it for two yuan and fifty cents, right?"
"Yes, but we'll have to wait. There are a lot of people today, and the stalls are crowded. Let's sell out quickly so we can go home sooner."
Besides, that young man looked like a student; he didn't have much money in his pocket. A lower price is fine; it's not a bad deal.
Zhang Jianguo nodded and said nothing more.
Chen Rong squatted down beside him, watching Chen Zheng and Master Qian haggle with the young man from beginning to end.
He kept every word Chen Zheng said in mind.
Be polite to repeat customers; you can offer a slight discount.
Be honest with strangers; if the fish is good, it's good. No exaggeration or boasting.
If you're short on cash, give way if you can; it's not a big deal to lose a few cents.
By noon, most of the fish in the basket had been sold.
All the crucian carp, bream, carp, and snakehead fish are sold out.
There were only two bream and one carp left, but they were small and not very popular.
Chen Zheng wrapped the remaining fish in lotus leaves, stacked them in a basket, and covered them with burlap.
"Rongzi, calculate how much money we made today," Chen Zheng said.
Chen Rong squatted there, his lips moving as he counted on his fingers:
"Thirteen crucian carp, weighing nine and a half pounds, cost eight yuan and fifty-five cents."
Six bream, weighing eight catties and four ounces, costing eight yuan and forty cents.
Two carp, weighing four pounds and six ounces, costing five yuan and six cents.
One black carp, 3.2 jin, 3.84 yuan.
One mandarin fish, 4.2 jin, 9.24 yuan.
One grass carp, weighing eight pounds and four ounces, costs ten yuan.
Add it all up...
He calculated for a while, then looked up and said, "Forty-five yuan and nine cents."
Adding the few left over from yesterday, it's less than fifty.
Chen Zheng nodded.
This kid doesn't talk much, but he's shrewd and knows his stuff better than I do.
"Adding the few left over from yesterday, it's a total of forty-eight yuan and sixty cents. Okay, not bad."
Chen Zheng stuffed the money into his inner pocket, patted it, and said with a sense of relief, "Let's pack up and go. I have some errands to run."
"What do you need me to do?" Zhang Jianguo asked.
"Pay back the money."
Three people pushed a cart out of the market.
Chen Zheng first went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought two jin of brown sugar and one jin of white sugar, which he wrapped in straw paper.
I also bought two glass jars of canned fruit, one of oranges and one of apples.
The canned food was produced by the county cannery; the glass bottles had colorful labels on them, which looked very appealing.
"Ah Zheng, why did you buy all this?" Zhang Jianguo asked.
"Go see someone."
Who is it?
"Lin Xiaoyun. She's the girl from the hospital that day. Teacher Zhao's student."
She lent me fifty yuan to pay for my medical expenses, and I'm going to pay her back.
Zhang Jianguo said "oh" and didn't ask any more questions, but the corners of his mouth were turned up, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Chen Rong followed behind quietly, without asking any questions, just pushing the cart.
The three people walked towards East Street.
The county town is not big; it only takes 15 minutes to walk from the farmers' market to East Street.
East Street is the main street of the county town, lined with plane trees on both sides, their dense leaves providing shade.
The streets are lined with department stores, Xinhua bookstores, state-run restaurants, and cinemas.
There are also a few residential buildings, which are gray and dusty, but much more impressive than the houses in the village.
The county's No. 1 Middle School is located on the east side of the county seat, in a four-story teaching building.
The words "Qingshui County No. 1 Middle School" are displayed on the rooftop and can be seen from afar.
Next to the school is a residential compound for family members, consisting of several rows of red brick buildings with whitewashed walls.
In some places, the plaster has peeled off, revealing the red bricks underneath.
Chen Zheng parked the cart at the entrance of the family compound, told Zhang Jianguo and Chen Rong to wait outside, and went inside with his things.
The family compound is not large; several buildings surround a courtyard.
There are several old trees in the courtyard, and stone tables and benches are placed under the trees.
Several old men were playing chess under a tree, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
Chen Zheng walked to the first building, looked at the door number, and saw that the door of Lin Xiaoyun's house was on the left-hand side of the first floor.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
The door opened.
The person who opened the door was not Lin Xiaoyun, but a woman in her forties.
She had a round face, big eyes, curly hair, and wore a floral shirt and a blue apron.
She was holding a bunch of scallions and picking vegetables when she saw Chen Zheng and paused for a moment.
Who are you looking for?