I can travel back and forth in 1986

Chapter 12 Backing You Up

Grandma Lan Xiuying was originally a girl from the county town. She married into Shihe Village in 77 because her father felt that at least there was food to eat in the countryside, so she wouldn't starve in the city without a job.

Grandma's family consisted of four siblings: the eldest, Lan Baoguo; the second, Lan Xiuying; the third, Lan Xiuqun; and the youngest, Lan Baojun.

The eldest brother, Lan Baoguo, was a worker in a vinegar factory. He died young in an accident in 82. The third sister, Lan Xiuqun, married far away in northern Anhui. The youngest brother, Lan Baojun, was a soldier who had just retired and was temporarily unemployed.

Zhang Beichuan's target was his maternal uncle, Lan Baojun. As far as he knew, his uncle's job would be secured by the end of the year; he would be a minor official at a quarry.

He valued Lan Baojun, partly because his maternal uncle had treated him very well when he was a child, and partly because his maternal uncle was a retired soldier.

Most importantly, the Lan family had many sons. In the 1980s, many of them didn't have jobs and spent their days idly wandering around. Coupled with their fighting spirit, they gradually made a name for themselves in the county.

During the crackdown, several people were arrested and imprisoned, and they were still not released by 86.

These people are all street thugs now. If Lan Baojun gets involved in the lighter business, he can eventually gather all the Lan family members together.

Then why does he need to worry about being watched all the time?

"Sister-in-law, what kind of requirements can I have for my small business?" Zhang Beichuan looked at her with a smile. "As long as you are quick-witted, trustworthy, and can adapt to changing circumstances, that's fine."

Lan Xiuying gave her husband a look, cleared her throat, and sat down next to Zhang Dequan.

"Um... my younger brother Baojun just got back from military service and he's been idle at home lately. How about we let him try working with you and Dequan?"

When Zhang Beichuan heard his grandmother bring up Lan Baojun, he was delighted, but his face only showed a perfectly measured surprise and joy.

"Baojun?"

"Yes, he's the youngest in our Lan family," Lan Xiuying quickly explained, her tone filled with hope. "Baojun is honest and hardworking. He's been trained in the army, so he can endure hardship and knows the rules. He just got back and hasn't found a job yet. He's worried about not having anything proper to do. If you could mentor him, that would be perfect."

Zhang Dequan chimed in, "Youngest brother, I've met Baojun a few times; he's reliable. Soldiers are bold and meticulous."

Zhang Beichuan pondered for a moment, then made a gesture of serious consideration.

"Sister-in-law, Third Brother, although I've never met Baojun, since he's family and a former soldier, he's definitely better than outsiders. My lighter business isn't small, but it's not huge either. It's always good to have a few family members helping out."

When Lan Xiuying saw that he had agreed, her smile widened.

"Yes, yes, that makes sense."

Zhang Beichuan looked at his excited grandparents, then turned to Lan Xiuying, "Sister-in-law, if it's convenient, shall we go see Brother Baojun tomorrow? There are some things I need to discuss with him in person and see what he thinks."

"Convenient! Convenient! That brat just stays home all day doing nothing. Tomorrow morning, your brother and I will take you to the county town to find him!"

Zhang Beichuan nodded. "Then it's settled. Let's discuss it properly tomorrow. If this business goes well, Third Brother and Sister-in-law, you'll have the money to repair your house!"

His words, spoken so casually, warmed the hearts of Zhang Dequan and Lan Xiuying.

What they long for is for family members to help each other and make a good living, isn't it?

Once the matter was settled, the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Lan Xiuying got up and went to the stove to get busy, preparing a sumptuous dinner with the meat and ribs that Zhang Beichuan had bought.

Fresh meat can't compare to cured meat; it won't keep long in this hot weather.

She looked at the white-skinned pork, then at the thin layer of fat and mostly lean meat, and remembered the livestock station people from the town who had come to promote raising white-skinned pigs a while ago. She shook her head.

The three sisters surrounded Zhang Beichuan, chattering about the latest happenings in the provincial capital. Zhang Beichuan was happy to tell them some interesting stories, which made the three girls giggle.

The long-lost aroma of meat filled the thatched shed, its fragrance carrying for miles.

As Chen Lirong led Shi Lei menacingly toward Zhang Dequan's family, the aroma of meat wafting through the air instantly whetted her appetite.

Shi Lei, who had just been crying, stopped crying when he smelled the aroma of meat.

"Mom, I want to eat meat."

"Eat, eat, eat! All you ever do is eat!" Chen Lirong was furious. "You can't even beat a little girl! You've wasted your time eating!"

As she smelled the aroma of meat coming from, she thought to herself, "Who is so extravagant to eat meat at this time of year, when it's neither a festival nor a holiday?"

Anyway, she didn't think about Zhang Dequan's family at all, and she grabbed her son and left quickly.

"Zhang Dequan! Lan Xiuying! Come out here!"

A sharp voice shattered the evening's tranquility. Zhang Beichuan, who was playing with three little girls, stood up and looked over, his heart skipping a beat.

Well, what I just told the little girl has already come true!

On the dirt road, Chen Lirong stood with her hands on her hips, smelling the aroma of meat and wondering when Zhang Dequan's family would be able to afford meat.

"Oh? You've finally decided to come out?" Chen Lirong's voice rose even higher when she saw Lan Xiuying emerge. "Look what your girl has done! What has she done to my Leizi?"

Shi Lei did indeed have several scratches on his face, and he stood pitifully next to Chen Lirong.

Lan Xiuying glanced at it and knew what was going on—she knew her eldest daughter's temperament well; it must have been Shi Lei who started the trouble.

No matter what, since her own child hit someone, she has to show some attitude.

"Sister Lirong, it's normal for kids to fight. Don't worry. Let me ask Lili first. If she really caused the trouble, I'll teach her a lesson and make her apologize to Leizi," Lan Xiuying said patiently.

"Waaaaah... She said she was going to beat me to death." Shi Lei cried so miserably, clearly traumatized by the little girl.

Seeing her son start crying again, Chen Lirong became even angrier, but since there were outsiders present, she couldn't say anything and could only vent her anger on Lan Xiuying.

"Is apologizing enough? Look at my Lei's face! What if he gets disfigured? Can your family afford to pay for it?"

Zhang Dequan couldn't help but speak up, "Sister Chen, you can't say that. When kids fight, it takes two to tango; there must be a reason."

Zhang Beichuan glanced at his "mother," who was hiding behind him and glaring fiercely at Shi Lei, and his cheeks puffed out in anger.

Lan Xiuying and Zhang Dequan had concerns, after all, they were from the same village, and Chen Lirong's husband, Shi Qiang, was the team leader, but Zhang Beichuan did not.

He walked directly to the middle of the three and looked at the little boy.

"Shi Lei, right? Tell your mom, and tell everyone else, what did you say before you two got into a fight?"

Shi Lei felt uneasy under his gaze and instinctively shrank behind his mother.

Chen Lirong's expression changed, and she said sternly, "Why are you scaring the child?"

"I'm not threatening you, I'm being reasonable." Zhang Beichuan's face was grim. "Sister-in-law, we are all elders, we have to teach the child to be reasonable. How can we casually say things like 'good-for-nothing'? If word gets out, people won't just say the child is ignorant, they'll just say the parents didn't raise the child well!"

"I simply don't believe that a seven or eight-year-old child could say such things without being taught. If he really came up with it himself, then he's just a born bad seed. When he grows up, he won't just get a beating; he'll only be fit for target practice!"

He glanced at the villagers who had come to watch the commotion, and raised his voice a few decibels.

"Besides, this is a new society, men and women are equal. What's wrong with daughters? Daughters are also the apple of their parents' eyes, and women hold up half the sky! Are you some kind of money-losing burden?"

Chen Lirong's face turned pale and then red, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

The villagers, having understood the whole story, nodded in agreement.

"The youngest son of the Zhang family makes a good point..."

"It's no big deal for kids to fight... The younger one couldn't win, so he brought the older one to the door demanding an explanation, especially since he was in the wrong. Isn't that ridiculous!"

Chen Lirong was embarrassed, but she knew that if she continued to make a scene, she would lose even more face, and her hands kept trembling.

"You...you...you just wait!"

Zhang Xiaoli, who was originally worried about apologizing to that bastard Shi Lei, saw Chen Lirong slap Shi Lei on the butt, and the boy burst into tears.

Looking at her uncle's back again, the little girl's eyes lit up with a brighter light; she really had someone to support her.