158, Spring of the Second-Rate

"Did you steal that friend of yours' money?"

The old man looked impatient: "No, no, if it was stolen from your friend, he should have guessed that it was you who stole the money by now. He should have called the police and asked the police to arrest you."

"Is it the money you stole together? You said that your friend made a lot of money because he set up a money-stealing gang in the city?"

Old Yan was so excited that he almost shed tears. If he knew that his son was so successful that he could steal money, he should not have let him leave the village before. Even if he broke his legs, he would have kept him. .

I don’t blame the family for thinking wrongly, it’s just that the original person’s character is too poor and cannot be trusted.

Now Yan Chu took out a thick wad of money and put it on the table. It looked like it was at least three or four hundred. The Yan family had saved for many years to rebuild Yan Chu's house, and the money for a wife was only that much.

He only went to the city for twenty days. Excluding the time spent traveling back and forth, it was probably only sixteen or seventeen days. Apart from stealing and robbing, the Yan family could not imagine how Yan Chu could make money so quickly.

No one thought that he might have won this money from gambling. In places like casinos, people had only heard of people losing so much money that they lost everything, but they had never heard of someone winning so much money. If Yan Chu had that ability, he would have gone bankrupt before. You won't be chased by the casino for debts.

"Hurry up and surrender. Didn't the policemen come to promote it before? Didn't they say that surrendering can reduce your sentence? Dad will go with you. Dad didn't teach you well. If you go to jail, dad will sit with you. When you come out, we will repent of our past mistakes. Become a new person.”

The old man wanted to take the money back with trembling hands. These were stolen money and they would be returned to the owner when the time came.

After listening to the old man's analysis, the old lady burst into tears. Her youngest son was going to jail, and the sky was about to collapse.

What does it mean to change one's past, and what does it mean to be a new person?

Yan Chu felt that his brain supplement skills were still a little behind, that is, the times had not caught up. His parents in this world should be screenwriters. This brain circuit is so strange.

Seeing that he would be taken to the public security bureau if he didn't explain, Yan Chu had no choice but to tell in detail how he made money, and found a reasonable excuse for the money to be released.

He didn't explain in detail how much money he earned. The part he showed now was the amount that the original person had lost when he lost his family. This money should be returned to the old man and his eldest brother and sister-in-law's family on his behalf.

He had no share in the money earned by the family before, and the old couple were old. It can be said that most of the three hundred yuan was earned by the eldest brother Yan Aiguo and his sister-in-law Jiang Dani.

Although the customs here are like this, the money earned by the parents is used to support the marriage of the eldest son. After the eldest son gets married, he helps his parents earn money to support his younger siblings to get married. However, after all, Yan Chu is not the original person, so he is embarrassed to accept his brother with peace of mind. Sister-in-law’s money.

Especially the sister-in-law, she should still be worried about this matter. If the original person really used the more than three hundred yuan to marry a wife, she would not necessarily care about it, but the money she had earned so hard was easily used by her brother-in-law. It's a bit frustrating to lose everything at the gambling table.

I always feel that I have been working as a cow for several years, working for the landlord for nothing, and making nothing.

Yan Chu thought, he paid back the money, no matter whether the money went to the old lady or the sister-in-law, it would have settled the previous knot. In this way, no one could say that they owed anything to the elder brother and his family. .

"You think you can make so much money selling meat buns?"

The old man's eyes were full of suspicion and he remained distrustful of his son's words.

Every household can make steamed buns, but not every household can make meat buns.

The white noodles are so fragrant. People in the village are reluctant to part with fine grains, especially the meat fillings in the meat buns. Usually, only during the Chinese New Year, when the team shares pork, everyone is willing to steam one or two cages of meat buns to satisfy their craving. Even if a lot of cabbage is added to the filling, pure meat filling is very rare, and I don’t want to make it on weekdays.

I can't bear to spend food on making this stuff, so how can anyone else be willing to spend money on it?

Are you afraid that you are not being taken advantage of?

The old man has also seen the world, and he knows that it is definitely more cost-effective to make the things sold outside, just like the restaurants in the town also sell steamed buns, but the villagers will not buy them when they go to the market in the town.

If anyone eats in the restaurant, other people in the village will say that he does not care about his family and cannot keep his money, and he will be looked down upon.

So in Old Man Yan's opinion, the business of those restaurants is probably not good, because no fool would go there and spend a lot of money to buy food. But now his son said that he earned more than 300 yuan from selling steamed buns. , the old man’s first reaction was not to believe it.

"Dad, this is really what I earned from selling steamed buns. Do you know about the No. 1 state-owned factory in the city? The apprentice workers there also have a salary of more than thirty yuan a month, and the salary of senior workers is hundreds. They are rich. It’s nothing to eat meat buns. Every meal at home has meat and fish, so life is nourishing.”

Yan Chu knew that the original image made it difficult for everyone to trust his words, so he could only explain it again patiently.

"Besides, how powerful the police are. If I really steal money, can I still return home safely and no one will come to arrest me now?"

As soon as Yan Chu finished speaking, the villagers' calls came from outside the house.

"Yan Laoer, the police are looking for you."

With a plop, the old man rolled his eyes and fell to the ground, stunned to the core.

******

"How could my son steal money? You old man don't think about my son's good every day, and you only know how to wrongly accuse my son."

Yan loves the country. Old Lady Yan helped the old man to calm down, and then complained.

After waking up and knowing the whole story, Old Man Yan felt a little guilty, but as a father, he couldn't apologize to his son. He could only keep his mouth shut, but he held the money tightly in his hands, and the smile in his eyes was about to overflow.

All this has to be thanked to the police who suddenly came late at night.

The police came to give Yan Chu a bonus. Before, they just came to issue a banner. Now that the human traffickers have been wiped out, the bonus should naturally be sent.

Fifty yuan is not much for Yan Chu now, but for the villagers, it is equivalent to a year's income for a strong laborer when he was earning work points. Everyone was amazed and thought that this second Yan was lucky.

Old Man Yan just fainted in a hurry, and soon woke up. When everyone was in high spirits, he secretly pulled a policeman who looked quite majestic and asked.

Yan Chu helped the police to catch a member of a human trafficking gang. If he committed a crime one day, would he have a chance to have his sentence reduced?

With the old man's level, how could he possibly fight with the police who were doing criminal investigation? He was easily tricked.

Coincidentally, this policeman happened to be the one who had eaten the meat buns Pan An buns sent by his daughter who worked in the city. Hearing the familiar name of the State-owned Factory No. 1 and Yan Chu's overly outstanding appearance, he guessed that Yan Chu was the one selling buns outside the State-owned Factory No. 1.

His daughter said that the bun seller was a little willful. He patted his butt and went home to rest after making enough money. He said that he would come back to sell buns when the money was spent. This time just happened to coincide with Yan Chu's return to the village.

It was a pity that those who had tasted the taste of the meat buns and were greedy were already looking forward to it in just two or three days, but they could not find the bun seller. They hoped that he would spend more money and spend the money earlier, and then come to the factory to sell buns.

The police helped explain, so Old Man Yan naturally felt relieved. Although he still felt that the city people were stupid, his son had never worked since he was a child, and he only learned to cook after the family split up. What kind of buns could he make with such skills?

Anyway, no matter what, Yan Chu's money came from a clean source, and the whole family could put their minds at ease.

"Brother, is it really that easy for city people to make money?"

Jiang Dani was a little jealous of the money earned by her brother-in-law. Of course, she was not so shallow as to take the money for herself. After all, the family had already split up, and the finances should also be separated.

"It's hard to say. There are quite a lot of small food stalls outside the state-owned factory, but many of them are not doing well. Only a few can continue to operate."

Yan Chu did not recommend his sister-in-law to set up a small food stall because of her skills. Nowadays, people's consumption awareness is still relatively frugal. If it is not delicious or novel enough, they will not be willing to spend money on it. Even if the family is very rich, the consumption concept is the same.

The cooking skills of the elder sister-in-law are fine for the family to eat, but it would be a bit difficult to sell them.

However, in another ten years, if the elder sister-in-law goes to places with more labor-intensive places to set up stalls to sell things, he will still agree. As long as the price is affordable enough, even if the taste is just ordinary, the business can be very prosperous.

Different times have different considerations, so now Jiang Dani asked Yan Chu this question, he didn't hesitate and poured cold water on the elder sister-in-law.

Jiang Dani was a little suspicious, thinking that maybe the younger brother-in-law was afraid that she would steal his business?

"Uncle, you have never made buns before, how come you suddenly thought of this and made so much money?"

Jiang Dani asked tentatively. That was a thick stack of ten-yuan bills, and the chickens, ducks, candies and cakes that the other party brought home this time, all of which made Jiang Dani's heart a little restless.

This question was also curious to the old couple of the Yan family. Just now, the police said that his son's bun shop had a good business. Now that his son has returned to the village and doesn't sell buns, many people complain.

They couldn't figure out why the buns made by their son, who had only been in the kitchen a few times, were enough to make people miss them for so long?

Being stared at by several pairs of eyes, Yan Chu remained calm.

He spoke calmly and uttered a sentence.

"Maybe because I have a good face, people in that area call me meat bun Pan An."

Once this was said, there was nothing wrong with it.

Jiang Dani couldn't help but look at her brother-in-law. She always felt that her brother-in-law seemed to have grown better after not seeing him for a while.

Before, his original body was full of leprosy, and no matter how good his appearance was, it would be reduced by a few points.

Now it's different. There is a Yan Chu in his body, and his appearance and temperament complement each other, which makes this face more handsome and attractive.

Jiang Dani glanced at her brother-in-law, and then at her man. It seems that her wish to get rich will not come true.

******

"Have you heard? The second son of the Yan family, that second-rate guy, has made a lot of money in the city?"

"I heard that he made dozens of dollars."

"More than that, at least a hundred dollars. Haven't you seen the old couple of the Yan family walking with the wind? They are so proud all of a sudden."

There are no secrets in the small village, especially for old man Yan and old lady Yan. Because of this unpromising son, they have been complained by the villagers for many years. Now that the other party has made progress, they have to help their son show off.

The most important thing is that the son is already 23 years old this year. Young men of this age in the village already have wives, but because of Yan Chu's reputation, no girl is willing to marry him.

The old couple of the Yan family also wanted to take this opportunity to make their son have a change in the hearts of the villagers, so that it would be easier to get married.

"How can anyone buy the buns made by Yan Laoer?"

They couldn't imagine that those old women who had been around the stove for decades didn't dare to say that their craftsmanship could be sold, and that the second-rate guy who didn't know the difference between grains actually made a lot of money by making buns. This was really unpleasant.

"Don't you know?"

An old man who was more informed looked at the villagers who couldn't figure it out and smiled as if he saw through everything.

"Do you still remember the tofu beauty who used to run a tofu stall in the town? There were several tofu stalls in the town, but men loved to buy tofu from her, and many stingy women loved to go there to catch their men."

The speaker was an old man. The tofu beauty he mentioned is now an old lady. Only the elderly of the same age can remember who he is talking about.

"Although Yan Laoer is a scoundrel, he has a good appearance. People buy his buns. Is it because of the buns? No! It's because of his face. You don't know how much those young girls and wives in the city like him. They go to him to buy buns every day just to see him a few more times."

The old man's tone was very confident, as if he was there when Yan Chu was selling buns.

"Yan Laoer looks good, but is there really anyone who buys buns for his face?" A villager retorted.

"Haha, then every time you went to buy tofu from Tofu Xishi, do you dare to say that you went for tofu?"

The old man who was speaking said to the old man opposite who had wrinkles and age spots all over his face. The villagers who were listening to the gossip nearby laughed, which made the old man embarrassed.

"Old Yan said that his son was called Meat Bun Pan An in the city. He was called Pan An. Do you think those young girls and wives would like him so much?"

A group of old people sitting under the old elm tree and basking in the sun were amazed. They didn't expect that Yan Laoer was spoiled because of his face, and now he makes a lot of money with this face.

It's really a handsome face that makes you successful and a handsome face that makes you fail.

"Since buns are so easy to sell, why did Yan Laoer come back?"

Some people wondered, if you can earn a hundred dollars in half a month in the city, why would you come back? Making more money is the serious thing.

"Don't you think about what kind of character this Yan Laoer has? He can patiently sell buns for more than half a month, and the sun is already rising from the west. Now, he is lazy again after making some money. I heard that he will wait until all the money he has now is spent before going to the city to sell buns."

"Hehe, it's true that he is Yan Laoer. Even if he is ambitious, he is still lazy."

The villagers laughed and felt that this is Yan Laoer, who is very kind.

The sense of distance when I heard that Yan Chu could also make a lot of money at the beginning is gone. The second-rate guy is still the second-rate guy, but the second-rate guy now makes people feel more reliable. At least he squanders his own money and will never squander other people's money again.

******

"Xiao Chu, do you want to eat chicken today? Auntie's old hens are so fat, and stewing them in soup is the best way to nourish you."

"Xiao Chu, do you want to eat goose today? Auntie's geese are so well raised, and when they are cooked and sliced, they will be delicious even with soy sauce."

Yan Chu walked from the old house to his eldest brother's house, and many people greeted him along the way.

Now everyone in the village knows that he is rich and likes to enjoy life. Those who raise chickens and ducks in the village but are reluctant to eat them all sell them to Yan Chu.

The price of chicken at the purchasing station is one yuan and one catty, and it can be sold at one yuan and two to one yuan and three in the free market. Yan Chu buys chickens and ducks according to the free market price. Selling to him also saves the time of going back and forth to the town, so the villagers are very happy to do business with him.

Those who once sympathized with Yan Aiguo's family now envy them. Who made Yan Laoer lazy? After he got rich, he didn't cook at home. He bought chickens and ducks and asked his sister-in-law Jiang Dani to help clean them up. As a result, his family also benefited from it. They were fed fat recently and were more energetic than others when working in the fields.

"No, I haven't finished the chicken I bought yesterday."

Yan Chu smiled and waved to the old ladies, promising that if he wanted to buy chickens, ducks and geese in the future, he would give priority to their family.

"No wonder people can buy buns for that face."

After Yan Chu left, the old ladies gathered together and murmured that Yan Laoer used to be good-looking, but not as good-looking as he is now. When he smiled, people felt that their hearts were bright. It was just that they were old and could not have any improper thoughts about Yan Chu.

"Chu'er, you are finally here."

When Old Lady Yan saw her youngest son coming, her face was as bright as a chrysanthemum, and she pulled him to introduce him to the strange old lady next to her.

"This is my youngest son, the one that everyone in the city praises as a meat bun Pan An."

Old Lady Yan pulled her son to brag, and feeling the strange old lady's eyes on her, Yan Chu probably knew where this old lady came from.

The three of them sat in the main room and chatted for a while, mainly Old Man Yan and the strange old lady, and then the strange old lady asked to leave. From beginning to end, Old Lady Yan had a smile on her face.

"Chu'er, you are not young anymore. Now that the family has money, Mom wants to settle your marriage. A man will become more stable when he has a wife. If you have children in the future, you can't be as childish as you are now."

The family was really poor before, but now the son has earned money back by selling his face, so the matter of marrying a wife should naturally be put on the agenda.

She held all the more than 300 yuan that Yan Chu brought back this time in her own hands. When the time comes, it will cost a lot of money to buy gifts and hold banquets. She knows that her son must have money in his hands, otherwise he would not have taken chickens and fish to the old house these days.

But she can't care so much. Anyway, she has almost enough money to marry a wife. It's not easy to ask for money from her son. Just the fact that he can give her more than 300 yuan this time makes her feel like she is dreaming.

"Mom, I'm still young."

Yan Chu doesn't plan to get married. He plans to live a carefree life in this world.

"You are not young anymore. Your brother was already born at your age to carry on the family line." Old Lady Yan glared at her son. He should have more children while he is still young.

He sells buns by his looks now. When he gets older and his face becomes wrinkled, will those young girls and wives still be willing to buy his buns?

Of course, he should have a few children who look as good as him as soon as possible. When he can't sell anymore, he can let the children take over and pass on the name of Meat Bun Pan An. He won't have to worry about not being able to find a job and starving to death.

The old lady has thought about it for her son. She has a plan in mind.