Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Chapter 267 The Lou Family's New Year Greetings

When Jia Zhangshi saw that Bang Geng had White Rabbit milk candy, she asked, "Bang Geng, who gave you your White Rabbit milk candy?"

"My uncle gave them to me. He told me to go to Yi Juehu's house to summon his spirit, so he gave me four White Rabbit milk candies," Banggeng said.

"What?"

Qin Huairu stared wide-eyed at the stick for a long time before she finally reacted.

"Bang Geng, who told you to go to Grandpa Yi's house to summon a spirit? Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, how could you go to someone else's house to summon a spirit?" Qin Huairu scolded.

Madam Jia smiled indifferently: "My dear grandson, it's alright. It was a good choice. That dead Yi Zhonghai has no descendants and doesn't help our family at all now. It's okay to offend him."

"Mom, how can you teach your child like this? You'll corrupt him!" Qin Huairu said anxiously.

"Am I wrong? Yi Zhonghai, that good-for-nothing, used to help our family so well, but now he won't even talk to us. Tell me, what use is he?" Jia Zhangshi shouted.

Qin Huairu sighed inwardly. This time, Yi Zhonghai must hate her and Bang Geng to death. It's all Wang Feng's fault. Why did he have to send Bang Geng to summon some kind of spirit?

......

The Intermediate People's Court, the Wang family.

Wang Feng and Qin Jingru returned to the house, but didn't close the door. They sat inside and drank tea.

"Brother Wang Feng, what time are you going to Goose's parents' house? I... I still feel a little uncomfortable, can I not go?" Qin Jingru said cautiously.

"Okay, if you don't want to go, then you don't have to. I'll go over at ten o'clock, have lunch, and then come back."

When Wang Feng saw that Qin Jingru really didn't want to go, he could only nod and agree.

"Hehe, Brother Wang Feng, you're so nice," Qin Jingru said sweetly.

10:00 AM.

Wang Feng took a burlap sack from the room, which contained a pound of top-grade tea leaves and two bottles of Moutai, and then pushed his bicycle out the door.

As he passed by the front yard, many people smiled at him and said "Happy New Year".

Wang Feng also smiled and replied with a "Happy New Year".

After leaving courtyard number 95, Wang Feng arrived at a secluded alley. Seeing that no one was around, he took out a leg of lamb and a few pounds of pork from his spatial storage and headed towards the Lou family's villa.

Along the way, I saw many children playing with firecrackers, and the pedestrians were all carrying large and small bags, creating a joyful scene.

It took about fifteen minutes by bicycle to reach the Lou family's villa.

Lou Xiao'e stood at the second-floor window and saw Wang Feng from afar. She quickly ran out to greet him.

"Brother Feng, Happy New Year! Where's Sister Jingru? Why didn't she come?" Lou Xiao'e asked.

Wang Feng replied with a smile, "Son, Happy New Year. Jingru was too shy to come, so I didn't let her. Your parents are at home, right?"

Lou Xiao'e nodded: "Okay, my parents are home, let's go in quickly."

"Um."

As soon as we entered the Lou family home, Lou Bancheng and Tan Yali greeted us with smiles.

Happy New Year, Mom and Dad.

"Wang Feng, Happy New Year! Come and sit down for some tea."

Wang Feng handed the sack to Lou Xiao'e. Tan Yali opened the sack and saw mutton, pork, and wine. When she saw that there was also a box of tea, she couldn't stop smiling.

She and Lao Lou had been drinking this tea for a while now. It was absolutely the finest of the finest, something money couldn't buy. And after drinking it, she could clearly feel her health improving.

Lou Xiao'e poured Wang Feng a cup of tea, and Tan Yali asked in confusion:

"Wang Feng, where's Jingru? Why didn't she come?"

"Mom, Jingru is shy and doesn't dare to come," Wang Feng explained with a smile.

"Look at what you're saying. Your dad and I aren't man-eating tigers, what's there to be afraid of? Go and pick up Jingru, let's have lunch together." Tan Yali urged.

"Wang Feng, let me tell you, my daughter keeps telling us how amazing Jingru is. She came home the other day and cooked for us. Her dad and I were blown away. Her cooking skills are even better than the chef at Fengzeyuan Restaurant! It's unbelievable. She said Jingru taught her all of this. I've been wanting to meet Jingru for a long time."

Lou Xiao'e hugged Tan Yali's arm and said coquettishly, "Mom, Sister Jingru is shy, let's just forget about it. Next year, I will definitely persuade Sister Jingru to come and have dinner with you."

Tan Yali knew that a girl from the countryside was a little reserved at first, so she nodded:

"Alright then, son, come with me to the kitchen, let's cook."

"Um."

The mother and daughter went to cook, while Wang Feng and Lou Bancheng chatted over tea.

"Wang Feng, what's your take on this year's situation?"

Wang Feng took a sip of tea and said calmly, "The situation is not optimistic."

"How so?" Lou Bancheng asked.

"Dad, you should know that I am a purchasing agent. In the last two months, it has been very difficult for us to buy things in the countryside. Moreover, many families in the countryside have run out of food. I believe you have seen recently that many people from other places have come to the city to escape famine. Dad, I advise you not to take any chances."

Upon hearing this, Lou Bancheng's heart sank.

During this time, he also saw through many things. The higher-ups were not very friendly to capitalists like them. Even red capitalists could not be guaranteed safety.

Just as Wang Feng said before, if most people are starving, while these capitalists are enjoying delicacies every day, they could set the whole forest ablaze with just a little fire.

"Dad, I know you're already planning to leave Beijing. I think it's better to do it sooner rather than later. In the current situation, you won't be able to accomplish anything in Beijing anyway. Why not go to Hong Kong Island? That's where you'll have a better chance to show your skills," Wang Feng advised.

Lou Bancheng took a sip of tea and said in a deep voice, "Let me think about it."

The two chatted for a while until noon.

"Time to eat."

Lou Xiao'e and Tan Yali brought the dishes to the table: stir-fried mutton with scallions, braised pork, four-happiness meatballs, braised pork with preserved mustard greens, Kung Pao chicken, braised fish, Dongpo pork knuckle, and a hot and sour cabbage dish, plus a stewed old hen soup, making a total of eight dishes and one soup.

Wang Feng opened a bottle of Moutai, poured a glass for Lou Bancheng and Tan Yali, and even poured a glass for his son. He then filled his own glass. This was just ordinary Moutai, the kind without any additives.

"Dad, Mom, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. I'd like to raise a toast to you both, wishing you good health and happiness year after year, and may your home be filled with smiles and blessings."

"Haha, okay, Wang Feng, I also wish you and your son will give me a grandson soon."

Lou Bancheng laughed heartily and downed the wine in one gulp.

"Dad, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Lou Xiao'e blushed and glared at Lou Bancheng with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"Hahaha, you're shy, my son, you're shy. My son, what's there to be shy about? Let me tell you, back when your dad was only 16, your grandpa was already urging me to get married. There was no way around it; your grandpa was over forty when he finally had me, his only son. He had wanted a grandson his whole life. Your dad married four wives in his life, but unfortunately, only two of them had your two older brothers, and then it was you."

Tan Yali glared at Lou Bancheng: "Alright, stop talking, you old lecher, the children are all here."

"Uh, hehe, I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore."

"Come on, Wang Feng, let's have another drink."