Chapter 52: Astonishment from the Father-in-Law

Santang Sanliqu Channel.

Shen Yue walked around with a military-green crossbody cloth bag, while Wang Zhengang pushed a bicycle behind her, panting heavily. Several food items were hanging from the handlebars, and a bag of flour was tied to the rear seat.

"Master, is this the place?"

The butcher's apprentice, Xiao Meng, followed with a rifle on his back, feeling somewhat self-conscious as commune members pointed and whispered at them.

"This is the place."

Looking at the snow-covered Santang Sanliqu Channel, Wang Zhengang completely forgot which side his daughter lived on and had to let his wife lead the way.

Shen Yue was also in a dilemma; it was her first time visiting this place in the dead of winter.

"Comrade! Comrade!" Upon receiving the news, Women's Federation Director Chen Jinhua rushed over quickly, waving her hands as warmly as if she were meeting long-lost family.

"Oh, hello, comrade."

Seeing her attire resembling that of a village cadre, Shen Yue paused for a moment.

She did not recognize Chen Jinhua, but Chen Jinhua recognized Shen Yue and Wang Zhengang, and even knew the butcher's apprentice Xiao Meng, since anyone who went to the county seat to buy meat would inevitably see them.

Realizing that these were truly Wang Lin's butcher parents, Chen Jinhua's face broke into a broad smile.

"Oh my, hello, hello! You've come to see Wang Lin, haven't you? This road is hard to find; let me guide you there. I am Chen Jinhua, the director of the brigade's Women's Federation." Glancing at the items hanging from Wang Zhengang's bicycle handlebars—not to mention several catties of fatty pork, there were also canned goods and peach blossom pastries, while the back seat clearly held a bag of white flour—she felt a pang of envious jealousy.

It must be nice to have relatives in the city!

"Thank you so much, Director Chen. I completely lost my way."

Shen Yue quickly expressed her gratitude.

"Haha, once it snows, let alone you outsiders, even we get lost."

Chen Jinhua said with great enthusiasm.

"Then we must trouble Director Chen. If you ever go to the county seat to buy meat in the future, just look for us. I'll reserve some choice fatty pork for you in advance." Wang Zhengang could tell at a glance what Chen Jinhua was after. However, since she had taken the initiative to help and was the director of the Women's Federation in his daughter's brigade, he was willing to offer some favors.

Anyway, they had the final say on the pork at the food supply station; selling it to anyone was the same.

Hearing this, Chen Jinhua grinned from ear to ear, abandoning all pretense of modesty as she offered repeated thanks.

The news that Wang Lin's butcher parents had arrived spread through Santang Sanliqu Channel as swiftly as the wind. They had brought several catties of fatty pork, canned goods, pastries, and a bag of fine white flour weighing dozens of catties—anyone who heard about it was filled with envy.

"Look at that! Just look at that! Chen Youde was so adamant earlier that the meat at Xiaohuacheng's house had nothing to do with the butcher, claiming he just went poaching in the mountains. Do you call this 'having nothing to do'?"

Chen Ming堂 was the first to slam the table. He had previously asked his own daughter, who told him the meat was sent by the butcher parents. When he mentioned it earlier, Chen Youde was present and even claimed his daughter was lying, unfilial to her ancestors, and had forgotten her roots just because she married into the Old Zhang family, almost making him die of anger.

Chen Genglin stood up to comfort him, gesturing for him to stay calm.

"He's just like a barking dog, biting indiscriminately. He even claimed I told him to report it to the commune. Am I out of my mind to tell him to report it to the commune?" Chen Silver Mountain felt a secret delight in his heart.

When Chen Youde had been beaten up earlier, he kept shouting that it was Chen Silver Mountain who told him to report it to the commune, but fortunately, no one believed Chen Youde.

"It looks like we need to get on good terms with Xiaohuacheng. To say the least, getting some meat coupons and buying some fatty pork in the future will be quite simple." Wang Kui picked up his enamel tea mug and took a sip of water.

In this day and age, having connections with a butcher or someone working at the food supply station was truly a blessing.

"Even if you want to get on good terms with them, it's not your turn. With so many mouths in the Old Zhang family, would it ever reach you?"

Chen Silver Mountain sneered upon hearing this.

Wang Kui chuckled coldly, "And it's your turn? Chen Silver Mountain, the brigade is only distributing a limited amount of meat this year. I'm going to keep my eyes on you during the distribution; don't even think about hoarding the best cuts for your own family like you did in previous years."

Every year during the meat distribution, Chen Silver Mountain would reserve the best fatty meat for his own household, and other brigade cadres would also take the best cuts first. Wang Kui used to turn a blind eye to such behavior, but now that the two families had fallen out to this extent, and given that he was also the militia captain, he had the authority to supervise.

"Do I take all the perks for myself? Fine, fine! Then nobody gets to have an easy time this year!"

Chen Silver Mountain slammed the table in fury.

"What are you all arguing about!"

Chen Genglin had a headache; they quarreled eight hundred times a day!

As Wang Lin and Zhang Huacheng reached the main road, they saw Wang Zhengang and his party not far away.

"Mom!"

Wang Lin cried out emotionally, running forward.

"Linlin!"

Shen Yue greeted her joyfully, pulling her daughter into a tight embrace.

"Mom, why are you here? Dad..."

With tear-filled eyes, Wang Lin lowered her head, softly uttering the last word, as she hadn't expected her father to come as well.

"Hmph, can't we come? Do you even still have me as your father in your eyes?"

Wang Zhengang let out a cold snort.

"What are you doing?" Shen Yue glared at him, then pulled Wang Lin's hand, smiling as she said, "Your father is just like that—all bark and no bite, a trait he'll never change in this lifetime."

"Hmph!"

Wang Zhengang grunted, though he offered no rebuttal.

Chen Jinhua was an expert at reading people's expressions and knew that lingering any longer would be inappropriate. With a smile, she said, "Well, you all chat. I won't disturb you. Linlin, if you have any difficulties in the future, just come find your auntie."

"Thank you, Director Chen."

Shen Yue quickly expressed her gratitude.

"No need, no need at all. You go ahead and chat."

Chen Jinhua departed with a beaming smile.

"Dad, Mom, let's head home first. I just finished cooking, so we can eat together," Zhang Huacheng also stepped forward. Reborn into a new life, he was naturally no longer as naive and ignorant as in his past life, and took the initiative to speak.

Clearly not expecting Zhang Huacheng to greet him first, Wang Zhengang froze for a moment, then let out a cold snort and turned his head away to ignore him.

Shen Yue also looked at Zhang Huacheng with surprise, nodding without saying anything else.

"Dad, Mom, let's head home first. By the way, where is Doudou?"

Not seeing Doudou, Shen Yue asked curiously.

"Doudou is at home."

"Then let's hurry back. Leaving such a small child alone at home is so unsafe!"

Hearing this, Shen Yue hurriedly urged them on.

When the group arrived at the house, Doudou hid in Wang Lin's arms, looking around with curious eyes.

"Xiao Meng, just carry the flour into the room. I'll handle these."

Shen Yue set down the canned goods, pastries, and pork, motioning to Xiao Meng, who was offering to help.

Xiao Meng nodded and went to move the flour.

"Mom, we have plenty of flour at home, and lots of meat too. You should take these back to eat."

Seeing this, Wang Lin anxiously carried Doudou over.

"You child, your mother brought these all this way, and you're telling us to take them back? Besides, these are for Doudou to eat!" Shen Yue glared at Wang Lin.

Standing in the courtyard, Wang Zhengang looked at the meat hanging on the wall, which clearly consisted of a wolf leg and a large slab of pork ribs. It seemed his wife was telling the truth when she said Zhang Huacheng was the one selling wolf meat at the morning market.

This kid actually dared to go into the mountains to hunt wolves?

Xiao Meng carried the flour into the house and nearly jumped in fright upon running right into Tiezhu.

After all, Tiezhu's height of nearly two meters carried a strong sense of oppression.

"Oh, do we have guests?" Entering the room, Shen Yue also noticed Tiezhu and Ergou standing by the table, and greeted them with a friendly nod and smile.

Before Wang Lin could introduce them, she heard a startled exclamation coming from inside.

"Master!"

"Master, come look! It's grey wolf pelts! Master! Master!"

Xiao Meng ran out and pulled Wang Zhengang by the sleeve.

"What are you shouting for? Such a lack of composure." Dragged into the house, Wang Zhengang caught sight of the Shanghai desk clock, his eyelids twitching. He naturally knew the price of such an item, not to mention how difficult it was to obtain the ration coupons for it.

Even he couldn't afford one, yet his daughter's household actually owned one.

When Xiao Meng pulled him over to look at the wolf pelts, he was shocked as well. Both were alpha grey wolf pelts—huge and completely intact, a testament to Zhang Huacheng's top-tier skinning skills.

"Both of these were pack leaders, young alpha wolves, so the pelts are larger and smoother."

Zhang Huacheng followed them inside, explaining the two grey wolf pelts hanging on the wall.

Wang Zhengang opened his mouth to ask, but remembering how bitterly opposed they used to be, he kept his silence instead. Xiao Meng, however, exclaimed in shock, "How on earth did you hunt these? Alpha wolves aren't easy to take down!"

To hunt an alpha wolf meant facing the coordinated assault of an entire wolf pack.

And these were two alpha pelts?