Chapter 006: Unexpectedly Popular

Wenxu was driving, while Zhao Defang tilted her head to look at the fish in the basin. In no time, they arrived next to Zhao's small house.

The fish is not small! Zhao Defang tilted her head and saw a basin behind the sheep, in which a large fish with a black back immediately emerged.

A few minutes later, the fish weighed twenty-seven pounds, while the ram, including skin and bones, weighed a little over one hundred pounds.

The old man in the Wēn xǔ conjecture is probably the Mr. Qian that Sun An'an mentioned last night

Wenxu said: "I will no longer work; I plan to start a business in the future"

Zhao Defang did not inform Wen Xu that he had actually made two preparations today. He still procured some lamb from the wholesale market, fearing that the lamb from Wen Xu's side might not meet the standards or that the live sheep delivered could be sick. However, upon seeing the sheep now, he feels relieved. Although he is unsure about the quality of the lamb, these lively sheep certainly do not appear to be sick.

This won't do! Zhao Defang immediately said: "It will be ready soon, just a moment." After saying this, Zhao Defang quickly darted into the small room, and in the blink of an eye, he pushed out a small scale from the room, an old-fashioned type of scale, equipped with four small wheels for easy movement.

Zhao Defang, having been butted by the sheep, sat in place and grunted for about ten seconds before finally standing up, reaching out to grab the rope tied around the sheep's neck.

"This meat is really good?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Defang immediately became spirited.

Having bad luck, I had not been out for long when I encountered a major traffic jam, and it took a whole hour and a half to finally arrive at the spot where Zhao Defang was setting up her stall

You arrived late, the last pot of boiled fish is already on that table, and De Fang's father just finished slicing the fish half an hour ago," said Sun An'an

What? It's only a little past 10 o'clock, and a sheep has already been sold out. I said you are stingy, but you can't deceive me like this," Wen Xu said, pausing with a peanut in hand, looking a bit incredulous as he asked.

The dormitory in the factory area has a distinctive feature: almost every household on the first floor of the residential building has built a small shed, which is either used as a kitchen or as a bicycle garage. To put it bluntly, all of these are illegal constructions. The veteran workers in the factory have demonstrated their ingenuity in making use of every available space. Zhao Defang's home is no exception; a small bungalow of about 20 square meters is located directly across from the house, currently serving as a kitchen where Zhao Defang prepares meat and other items for sale in the evening.

"You can't rely on brute force; this is a free-range mountain gray ram with a temper," Old Man Qian said with a smile

After the old man finished speaking, he let out a sound of surprise and took a couple of steps to stand beside the car, looking at the gray goat at the side of the vehicle. At that moment, Zhao Defang was trying to pull the goat down from the car.

"Both of you are unwell today," Wen Xu said, noticing that Sun An'an was rarely smiling so brightly at him today. He reached out to open a small box on the side dish table, pinched seven or eight fried peanuts, put them in his mouth, and spoke while chewing.

Wenxu instinctively thought about this matter, and his hand involuntarily reached for the jade pendant hanging around his neck, which caught the attention of Liu Fangke.

So sought after! Wen Xu thought about the delicious items in his space, but he did not expect them to be this in demand. A fish and a sheep could be sold out in just two hours at Zhao Defang's small stall with its seven or eight tables.

Why did you come so late

Oh! This person was taken aback, but they did not ask too many questions, after all, they were merely co-tenants and not even really friends.

After speaking, the old man carefully looked at the goat and then asked Wenxu, "Are there still people raising this kind of goat now?"

After tidying myself up a bit, I picked up the car keys and hurried downstairs, preparing to go to Zhao Defang's stall to find out how well my mutton and fish were selling, while also offering a tribute to my own stomach.

Upon arriving at the doorstep and opening the door, Wenxu was just about to return to his room to sleep. As he looked up, he noticed that the couple renting the master bedroom had already gotten up. The woman was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, while the man was brushing his teeth and watching television at the same time

Zhao Defang smiled and said, "I still want to eat, but it's all sold out!"

Oh! Wenxu, when did you also start wearing a jade pendant

Seeing Zhao Defang pull out a stack of bills from his pocket, Wen Xu immediately waved his hand and said, "Wait until tonight to give it to me; if I don't get the meat, I will have to return it to you"

"What is currently in use is no longer relevant; who still manually handles livestock? Now everything is done by machines. My hands are no longer valued," the old man said with a smile, waving his hand.

Wenxu smiled and said, "Uncle Zhao, am I still not at ease with him? Just let me know once you have made the arrangements."

Where is the fish

After chewing on a peanut, Wenqu thought of the matter at hand, and thus spoke again: "Bring me some lamb to try, as I have never tasted it before"

Strange! Zhao Defang said: "Qian Bo, I didn't see you do anything special, so why doesn't it use its horns to poke you"

This is ... ...

Upon seeing Wenxu's car approaching, he immediately walked over, opened the car door, and sat down in the passenger seat.

Now, Zhao Defang's father is standing at the entrance of a small illegal construction in front of his house, and the two elderly men are gazing at the slowly approaching small Wuling vehicle.

Hearing Zhao Defang's voice, soft yet warm, it sounded just like the tone used when speaking to Sun An'an, causing the fine hairs on the back to stand up in a sudden warmth.

"Wenxu, why aren't you at work today?" The person brushing their teeth asked curiously upon seeing Wenxu return

With a sudden exclamation of "Ouch!", Zhao Defang was knocked on the backside by a sheep

"You still need to weigh yourself," said Zhao Defang's father.

In late autumn, around six o'clock, the sky had just begun to brighten. Wenxu had hardly slept, still wearing the clothes from the previous day. Upon arriving downstairs, he started his own Wuling vehicle, noticing that there was no one around to help move the sheep and the fish in the basin into the car.

Thinking of this, Zhao Defang stretched his neck and carefully examined the fish droppings at the bottom of the fish basin. Only then did he nod affirmatively. The fish in the basin, even if it was farmed, was raised in an environment resembling the wild. If it weren't for the unusual color of the droppings, a fish raised on feed would be easily recognizable by someone who frequently buys fish.

Good fish! As a regular fish buyer, Zhao Defang could tell at a glance that this fish was quite good, not resembling the farmed ones, as farmed fish tend to be very fatty

"Oh, it really is alive" As Zhao Defang got into the car, his gaze was immediately drawn to the ram standing on the vehicle. Upon seeing that the sheep was indeed alive, he felt a significant sense of relief.

Wenxu was chatting with someone and was just about to return to his room when he was captivated by the news on television. He saw several police officers escorting two criminals, and the background noise was chattering about how the city's police had dismantled a robbery gang that used counterfeit cultural relics as bait.

I did not mention it, but if they are free-range, they produce good meat; if not, it is hard to say. However, even if they are fed with feed, the taste is still much better than that of Western sheep. The specifics can only be determined after slaughtering. But if you are concerned about whether the sheep has any diseases, you can almost rest assured. From what I can see, this sheep looks very lively," the old man said with a smile as he patted and gently checked the sheep once again.

The old man said: "It is not that this sheep is bad; this sheep is a breed from our country, a breed from China. The shortcomings are quite obvious: the size is not prominent, and an adult sheep weighs only about 130 to 140 jin, with a growth cycle of about a year and a half, which does not meet the economic feeding standards of modern animal husbandry. However, where there are shortcomings, there are also advantages. The advantage is that the meat of this sheep is very delicious, much better than that of meat sheep, provided that it is not fed with feed. The meat of this type of sheep is most suitable for stewing, as it tastes the best this way; roasting it is somewhat inferior... However, where there are shortcomings, there are also advantages. The advantage is that the meat of this sheep is very delicious, much better than that of meat sheep, provided that it is not fed with feed. The meat of this type of sheep is most suitable for stewing, as it tastes the best this way; roasting it is somewhat inferior..."

"Wenxu, good to see you," Zhao Defang's father smiled and nodded at Wenxu, and then introduced, "This is Old Qian from our community. He used to work at the city meat processing plant and is an expert at slaughtering pigs and sheep"

Zhao Defang was flipping the pan when he heard Wen Xu's shout, nearly tossing half of the food in the pan out. Upon looking up and seeing Wen Xu, his anger instantly turned to joy

These people are right in our vicinity, good heavens! They have become quite arrogant, going to the antique market to wholesale some inferior replicas and passing them off as newly unearthed antiques. It's either strong-arming or outright robbery; what is wrong with people nowadays! A robust man should be able to make a living doing something!" The tenant Liu, while scrubbing his mouth with a toothbrush, was mumbling to Wenxu, "The police are starting to look for victims here, asking those who have been deceived to go to the public security bureau to testify..." A robust man should be able to make a living doing something!" The tenant Liu, while scrubbing his mouth with a toothbrush, was mumbling to Wenxu, "The police are starting to look for victims here, asking those who have been deceived to go to the public security bureau to testify..."

After speaking, he turned around and walked to the door of his room, opened the door, and entered. He closed the door behind him and lay down on the bed. Soon, the warmth that had not slept all night began to emit soft snores.

Where are the fish? Wenqu asked again, "Surely the fish haven't sold out as well"

"It's nothing, just keeping up with the trend!" Wenxu said after putting the jade pendant back into his clothing. "Alright, you all carry on, I will head back to my room."

Zhao Defang nodded and said: "I was just looking for you. The lamb, after removing the internal organs and such, yields about thirty jin of meat. With the bones included, it comes to a little over fifty jin. When my father was cooking, a small portion was already bought by the neighbors. By the time it got to me, there was hardly anything left, both meat and bones combined. I displayed it, and within half an hour, it was all sold out"

Generally speaking, after eating, everyone adds a portion of lamb, and there are several tables that directly added two or three portions of meat. To be precise, dozens of pounds of meat were sold to nine tables of guests said Sun An'an as he looked up

While speaking warmly, he opened the car door, climbed inside, and after starting the vehicle, waved goodbye to Zhao Defang and the others before turning to look behind the car and began to reverse towards the exit of the small network.

As soon as Wenqu heard that there were no issues, he immediately said: "Alright then, Xian Wang, you take the fish down for me. I cannot give you the basin; it is for communal use in my residence, and I still need to return it. Hurry up, I want to go back to sleep. I haven't slept all night because of this matter with you"

Wenxu smiled at the doorman who opened the door for him, while driving the car into the community, and said: "What kind of eyesight is that? Didn't you see such a big basin behind?"

Now Zhao Defang is at ease, because this type of fish, when placed on the market, cannot be obtained for the price that Wenxu would offer, even if it weighs only one or two jin. At least an additional three yuan per jin would be required to afford it, not to mention the size of the fish being displayed here.

At this time, Zhao Defang's stall appeared to have few customers, certainly not as many as when Wen Xu came last night. Out of the seven or eight tables, only two were occupied by guests. Fortunately, the other tables were in disarray, suggesting that the patrons had just finished their meals and left.

How is the lamb selling? Please set up a stove for me so I can also try this lamb. Wenqu stopped the car, walked over to Zhao Defang's stall, and asked Zhao Defang, who was busy stir-frying dishes.

"I can't believe it, can you not speak to me in that tone? If Sun An'an hears this, she might think we have something to hide," Wen Xu instinctively took a step back, looking at Zhao Defang with a face full of disdain.

Good morning, Brother Liu

The old man here stopped Zhao Defang, reached out to grasp the rope, and then slowly extended his hand. Strangely enough, as soon as the old man reached out, the sheep became much calmer. After soothing it a couple of times, the goat obediently jumped down from the vehicle.

At this hour in the morning, there aren't many people around, and the car is driving exceptionally fast. After more than half an hour, the warm little Wuling appeared at the entrance of the old neighborhood where Mr. Zhao Defang lives. Even before arriving, I could see Zhao Defang huddled with his head down, wearing a thick down jacket and a Lei Feng hat perched on his head, anxiously glancing around while stamping his feet at the entrance of the neighborhood.

The fish that are raised not only consume feed but also, due to the abundance of food, engage in very little exercise, resulting in a body full of fat, with even the belly predominantly composed of fat. In contrast, the fish in the basin is different; it has a lean physique, a dark and rich back, and does not resemble some fish that are first domesticated and then released into the wild, acquiring a dark back to masquerade as wild fish.

The young man woke up suddenly after sleeping for about ten hours. When he opened his eyes again, Wenxu realized that it was already dusk outside the window.

Zhao Defang held a simple rope made from a strip of cloth tied around the goat's neck, pulling the goat back with force, intending to get it off the vehicle. Unexpectedly, the goat on the vehicle suddenly lunged forward, using its two horns to fiercely ram into Zhao Defang's chest.

Currently, Wenqu is most concerned about the taste of his products. Although he understands in his heart that the quality will not be poor, he has never sold them before, which leaves him feeling uncertain.

This sheep has a wild temperament! It looks spirited, and just by its appearance, one can tell it is a good sheep!" The old man stopped and praised the goat standing by the side door of the vehicle, gazing out.

Upon hearing this, Wen Xu understood that it was highly likely that these two individuals had forcibly sold the jade pendant to him. As for the matter of testifying at the police station, if he were unaware of the pendant's significance, he would certainly consider going to see if he could recover some of the 3,000 yuan he spent. However, Wen Xu had no intention of doing so now. Even if the police came knocking, he would not admit to anything. The jade pendant around his neck, worth not just 3,000 yuan but even 300 million yuan, could not be purchased anywhere! If he went to the police station, wouldn't he have to hand over the pendant as evidence? That would be foolish!

At that moment, Sun An'an finished clearing the table, holding seven or eight plates in her hands and placing them into the basket. Upon hearing Wen Xu's remark, she immediately smiled and joked, saying: "Then I can only wish you both happiness"

Looking at the two individuals being detained, Wenwu felt they looked very familiar, resembling the person who had robbed him of his military coat that night along with his accomplice. However, the darkness of that night had made it difficult to see their features clearly.

As long as it is delicious! Wenqu does not care about the meat yield or the growth period; what he values most is taste. Economic benefits are not something he wishes to consider. Moreover, what era are we in now? In the past, everyone scrambled to eat foreign chickens, but now the ones that are truly esteemed are the locally raised native chickens. The standard of living has long surpassed mere subsistence; what is now emphasized is deliciousness and being purely natural.

Hearing the old man ask this, Wenxu inquired with a hint of concern, "Is this sheep not good?"

Zhao Defang's father lives in an old residential area, which was originally a factory dormitory. Zhao Defang's parents are both from the north and were transferred as technical personnel from a northern factory to work at Mingzhu Factory in the 1970s. The entire community consists of colleagues from the same factory.

Hello, Uncle Zhao