Chapter 002: The Plan is Successful

Grandma Yu from next door, the elderly woman who scolded Ma Feng for wasting tap water while sitting in the courtyard during the day, is currently coaxing her grandson to eat dinner

Even in relatively wealthy households, it is common to leave six or eight pieces of salty meat, which are placed on top of stir-fried vegetables for show. Guests are generally quite perceptive and will not take any.

At the age of 14, Gu Chao stood at a height of 1.7 meters, with a robust physique that exuded a considerable presence

Due to distraction and nostalgia for meat, Gu Ao only ate one bowl and forgot to refill his rice

Vegan

Upon thinking of this, Gu Ao could not help but feel a sense of joy in his heart

Father has a Phoenix brand bicycle, purchased for 200 yuan, which is now considered a luxury item. In the entire courtyard, their family is the only one that owns a bicycle

Qin Hui spoke, and then, as if performing a magic trick, he took out a paper-wrapped roast chicken from his bicycle bag

Ma Feng stubbornly glanced at Gu Ao for a moment, questioning with suspicion and fear: "Why... why are you helping me like this? Aren't you a good student?"

The amusing old man, upon seeing Gu Ao in a daze, mistakenly thought that the intimidation had taken effect, and completely relaxed his guard

Ma Feng, with a sense of propriety, put the leftover food back into the cupboard, then turned on the faucet in the courtyard to rinse the bowl used for serving rice

Gu Chao felt an overwhelming surge of strength, and without a word, he swiftly moved the small table from the yard downstairs up to the floor, then locked the door and arranged the meal.

In fact, even if the Gu family locked the door, this "tail of capitalism" was still exposed

... ...

There is only one water meter, so the water bill can only be shared according to the number of people. If a child from any household is seen wasting water, they will be reprimanded

Hey, A'ao, I have something to discuss with your father. Here, take this candy to eat

At that moment, Weng Dechen's eyes darted around, and he resorted to his old tactics: "I advise you to stay out of this murky water. We are not afraid of warnings, as we won't be able to attend high school anyway. This little scoundrel beat up my brother so badly that he needed stitches; I have a personal grudge against him"

Gu Chao recalled carefully once again and finally remembered the reason for his miserable situation

Each household has only one room, a water tank in the courtyard, and a shared kitchen

Looking back now, Gu Ao reflects on the original self that he had possessed: under the circumstance of not having meat for a year and a half, he never expected to sneak a bite along the way

Teacher Yang was in a fit of anger and confronted Gu Ao, saying: "Gu Ao! Look at your recent state! You daydream in class, skip classes in the afternoon without reason. And what's even more outrageous at noon, you actually hit a classmate? Weng Dechen even lifted his shirt to show me, his stomach is all bruised!"

By the end of the day, he had thought through and become very resolute about the matter of going to the countryside

Then Gu Ao leaped forward, stepping one foot onto Weng Dechen's chest, while simultaneously swinging his fist down fiercely and coldly berating him

The house is empty.

"Grandma, what is that smell? It smells so good! Is it that Uncle Gu next door is having something delicious?" The child immediately started to make a fuss upon catching the scent.

I have tolerated you for a long time! Today, I will take charge of this trivial matter—after all, whether I kick you once or ten times, there is no guarantee of leniency. I will make sure to give you a taste of your own medicine.

He observed Gu Ao secretly several times, but Gu Ao remained silent. In the end, he could only tentatively ask, "Brother Gu? Are you done? Then shall I wash the dishes?"

This statement only served to add fuel to the fire, and Teacher Yang redirected his anger, scolding: "Ma Feng! Don't think I don't know about your past offenses! Weng Dechen has no grievances or enmity with you, would he come to attack you on the very first day?"

If you want to eat, just serve yourself, what nonsense is this

Then let Gu Ao ride a bicycle for dozens of kilometers to deliver this can of meat to Gu Min

Currently, there are neither the National College Entrance Examination nor the High School Entrance Examination, and the transition from junior high school to senior high school is also based on a recommendation system

Ma Feng was about to admit it, but Gu Ao stopped him

I don't believe it, I don't believe it... Ah, it seems to smell like roasted chicken, it is roasted chicken! The child, sniffing the air, threw a tantrum and cried so hard that they couldn't even eat their vegetables.

... ...

There is no meat at home, please do not mind. He placed the dishes on the wooden table in the yard, pulled over a stool, and invited the guests to sit down

His mother passed away a few years ago due to certain reasons. Before her death, his father was compelled to divorce her and establish clear boundaries.

He did not fight back; all the injuries on Weng Dechen and his group were inflicted by me. With Ma Feng being so thin and short, how could he possibly defeat them? Gu Ao said, taking all the credit.

Qin Hui was clearly quite familiar with the Gu family, and casually said: "Don't set it out in the courtyard, take it upstairs. I need to discuss something important with your father. This Wu Mountain roasted chicken has also been cut; it was leftover from the lunch reception for guests at the factory."

"It doesn't matter, I will go to the countryside to learn farming after I graduate," Gu Ao said nonchalantly

Thank you, uncle. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I will go serve the rice. Gu Ao took the two-inch long hard peanut candy and quickly expressed his gratitude

... ...

Due to the delay caused by a fight at noon, Gu Ao was late for the first class in the afternoon and was punished by the mathematics teacher to stand.

Weng Dechen and his group usually rely on the mindset that "Gu Ao is a good student and still hopes to advance to high school, so they are afraid of causing trouble" to annoy Gu Ao

He was already hungry, and after the fight, he had consumed more energy, so he began to eat quite heartily. As he ate, he felt less hungry and started to reminisce about the abundant fish and meat of the later generations

The Dazayuan is a type of house transformed from a traditional Siheyuan.

The female class leader glanced at his back and felt that Gu Ao seemed to have changed a lot.

This is the only shortcut to skipping grades and participating in the college entrance examination

Their family does not have any educated youth, so her grandson has meat to eat every month and has not forgotten the enticing aroma of meat to this day. However, it is precisely because of this "extravagant and indulgent" lifestyle that the child needs to be coaxed when faced with a purely vegetarian diet

Gu Ao! Teacher Yang is completely furious, "Have you learned to cover for problematic students? This is of no benefit to you! Your grades could have qualified you for direct admission to high school. But if this continues, I will not recommend you!"

Gu Ao was not at all surprised to be reported by Weng Dechen

At this moment, Ma Feng was no longer in doubt. His legs went weak, and he hung onto Gu Ao's thigh, saying, "Brother Gu, you are righteous! From now on, I will follow you!"

Old man Gu Yong is the deputy head of the technical department of this factory, thus establishing a direct superior-subordinate relationship between them

Every month, my father uses the family's meat coupons to buy six taels of meat, and then he takes two to three jin of the extremely salty Kuaiji preserved vegetables to stew a pot of braised pork with preserved vegetables

After all, who in the 21st century would be polite about eating?

The result, however, provoked the scorn of the elderly Mrs. Yu from next door, who was idly sitting in the courtyard enjoying the scenery: "You little rascal! Using so much water just to wash a bowl!"

Made so salty, the intention is to prevent spoilage, allowing it to be consumed for more than half a month—eating only a small handful of meat each day, primarily consuming the moldy preserved vegetables soaked in fatty oil

Ma Feng: "I ... ... "

He searched through his memories with reluctance, only to discover that his physical body had not consumed meat for nearly two years

The aroma of the roasted chicken cannot be concealed by merely locking the door

Gu Chao felt that his salivary glands were uncontrollably secreting like a Husky, and he could barely stand on his legs

A year and a half ago, according to policy, their family also had to send a child to the countryside to work as a sent-down youth

Teacher Yang was taken aback; she had originally intended to salvage the situation, and her harsh words were merely meant to admonish the past and prevent future mistakes, as well as to cure the ailment.

Perhaps due to his gloomy mood, he inadvertently turned the faucet up a bit too high and scrubbed with great force, as if he had a grudge against the bowl

This is abnormal; even according to the national minimum regulations, there should be a meat ration of two taels per person per month

Ma Feng retorted in response: "He is the cousin of the classmate I injured!"

However, what Gu Ao saw after going downstairs were two bicycles

A group of people scattered like birds and beasts. Wang Dechen, as if made of mud, was almost being dragged away by his underlings

Gu Chao pretended to be very upright and said: "I want to bring my sister, who grows tea in the countryside, back. When the country resumes the examination and enrollment, I want to take the exam properly and fairly. I want to rely on my own abilities and do not wish to be recommended!"

"Brother Ao, please spare me, I was wrong, from now on you are the boss." Weng Dechen was so frightened that tears streamed down his face; he could not care less about the intense pain throughout his body or being pinned down and unable to bow properly, so he simply knocked the back of his head against the ground to plead for mercy

Alright, let's go eat first

Having developed a bond through fighting side by side, Ma Feng held great trust in Gu Ao and shared all his previous background on the way home

The crisis of advancing to higher education has been resolved

His soul is not tempted by mere roast chicken, but his muscle memory recalls that he has not eaten meat for nearly two years

The person initiating the conversation is an elderly man nearing sixty, named Qin Hui. He is the deputy factory director of a state-owned enterprise called Qiantang Oxygen Machine Factory, where he is responsible for production and technology.

The several lackeys beside him were immediately frightened, and Gu Ao took the opportunity to knock each of them down with an elbow strike.

"Eat well! What are you daydreaming about? They haven't had meat in their home for two years!" the old woman admonished.

In the words of the people from Qiantang, this kind of dish is referred to as "the hammer that knocks on rice"

While working, he was also curious about what important guests the factory entertained at noon, as not only was there roast chicken to eat, but there was also an entire leftover one!

"Oh, thank you." Gu Ao did not catch the implied meaning of Ma Feng's words "not having eaten enough" at all

However, Father also provided compensation conditions for my sister: she can have six taels of meat each month, while Gu Ao, who remains in the city, must contribute his share of meat coupons.

After two classes had ended, as they were waiting for the school day to finish, the female class monitor came to inform him: "Gu Ao, why have you been causing trouble again recently? Teacher Yang is angry and is calling for you"

Ma Feng politely replied: "It's already very good; I only have pickled cucumbers in my lunch box"

Gu Chao boldly headed straight for the pantry, rummaging through half a pot of last night's leftover rice and a bowl of radish stewed with oil tofu

Jealousy causes a separation of the essence and the form

In this day and age, it is normal not to have meat when dining out

It was not until 7 PM that Gu Ao heard the sound of bicycle bells in the alley

Gu Chao: "Almost there"

Gu Chao has only one sister, Gu Min, so his father, adhering to the traditional preference for sons over daughters, decided to have his son stay in the city for education while sending his daughter to the countryside to farm

The next step is how to persuade my father when I get home, to agree to my decision not to attend high school, rather than beating me to death.

"Puh ah—" Weng Dechen let out a mournful howl, flying backward, with the acidic fluid from his stomach spewing out.

"Tsk tsk, so it's you, Ao Ge, trying to make a name for yourself?" Weng Dechen turned around and saw Gu Ao, a tall and imposing figure, coming at him with great momentum, which made him feel somewhat intimidated

Unfortunately, this kind of pressure not only proves ineffective for Gu Ao today, but it also serves as a reminder to him.

Teacher Yang: "Fine, then you can self-destruct; I will no longer concern myself with you"

Teacher Yang sternly questioned: "So did you fight back?"

Gu Chao and Ma Feng each filled a large bowl with rice and ate heartily with stewed radish

Oh? It seems that as long as I cause trouble and make a scene, and it reaches Teacher Yang, I won't be recommended for further studies? Tsk tsk, I was originally thinking about what excuse to come up with to convince my father to agree to my not attending high school and going directly to the countryside to become a sent-down youth, so that I could later deceive my way into qualifying for the college entrance examination registration in the second half of the year. Now, isn't the reason just handed to me...

Hmm? Where did the wealthy person come from? Gu Ao focused his gaze and discovered it was an acquaintance, quickly going over to greet them: "Dad, Uncle Qin, you are here too"

Because he got into trouble at school, Gu Ao took the initiative to do housework as soon as he got home

Get up, let's go, and have dinner at my house. Gu Ao helped Ma Feng up a bit

Such a refined manner of eating makes the horse, which is both eager to lick and yet hesitant, feel quite embarrassed

Alright, I will go right away. He boldly lifted his foot and walked away, showing none of the usual timidity.

Now, angered by Gu Ao's defiance, I directly said: "Alright, you have some nerve, huh? If you don't want to go to high school, what do you want to do?"

Thus, at that time, Gu Min, who was still in high school, dropped out and went to the neighboring city's Huiji Tea Plantation to cultivate tea

The two individuals were conversing when they finally arrived at the Gu family home, a dilapidated courtyard by the side of the Shihe River.

Gu Chao was unaware of the extent to which his roast chicken had caused "massive chemical casualties"

Gu Chao measured his strength precisely, delivering a full ten or more punches before finally stopping

"Teacher, it was Weng Dechen and the others who first slandered me for cutting in line and dragged me aside to beat me. Gu Ao stood up for me..." Ma Feng stepped forward

At that moment, when Weng Dechen was least prepared, Gu Ao unexpectedly launched a surprise attack, delivering a powerful kick to his opponent's lower back.

Is your family also of poor background?" Ma Feng asked in surprise

Gu Yao's father, Gu Yong, is a skilled craftsman, and naturally, he has his lunch at the factory

"My elders have also been slandered, so I understand you," Gu Ao said, expressing a modified truth.

However, Father returned later than usual, rendering the excuse that Gu Ao had been preparing unnecessary

Gu Chao took the opportunity to step out from behind the wall and shouted loudly: "Weng Dechen! What kind of skill is it to bully new students? I just saw it; he didn't cut in line, it was you who caused trouble first!"

Once the vegetables are finished, these few pieces of meat can be used for plating, at least to maintain appearances for a week before they are truly consumed