Chapter 20: A Huge Sum of Money!

After the flurry of passion, Tang Jiancheng felt refreshed and clear-headed.

Liu Fangfang cast a resentful glance at him, secretly wondering how he had learned such strange and exotic methods. His rough, impatient demeanor made it seem as though he hadn't touched a woman in decades. Exhausted and feeling weak in her limbs, she didn't bother to scold him further. She simply tucked the blanket around little Xiao Jiu and fell into a deep sleep. Even the midnight feedings and diaper changes were handled entirely by Tang Jiancheng.

As the sky began to gray with the first light of dawn, Tang Jiancheng woke up. In this era, without smartphones, internet, or television, nightly entertainment was scarce; aside from marital intimacy, there was little to do but sleep. As an older man, Tang Jiancheng didn't require much rest, so he rose early. Since he couldn't stay in bed scrolling through a phone, he had no choice but to get up.

What was there to do so early? Outside, snow was swirling and the wind was biting. Farm work was impossible, so he decided to go out and gather firewood. To keep his children clean and comfortable, he needed to boil water for their baths daily, which consumed a significant amount of fuel. He had to be diligent and bring back plenty of dry wood.

After hauling back several bundles, the day had fully broken. The children were awake. Tang Jiancheng began preparing breakfast, simmering a rich meat broth. The savory aroma drifted out, once again inciting a wave of envy and resentment among the neighbors.

"Eating meat every single day—they'll be broke soon enough!"
"That damn Tang Jiancheng, he’s shameless! Raising a bunch of money-wasters and still acting so arrogant!"
"All he knows is how to hoard food for himself; he’ll choke on it sooner or later!"

The neighbors grumbled from the safety of their homes, their noses held high as they inhaled the scent of meat wafting through the air.

"Da Mei, Er Mei, eat quickly. We need to head to the township today." Tang Jiancheng didn't care what others thought; he only wanted his daughters to be well-fed and warmly clothed to make up for the regrets of his past life.

"Yes, Papa."

Da Mei and Er Mei finished their meal quickly, then instructed their younger sisters, San Mei and Si Mei, to handle the household chores. Wu Mei stayed behind to watch over Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, and Xiao Ba, while also helping Liu Fangfang tend to little Xiao Jiu. The younger ones, Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, and Xiao Ba, were still at an age where they only cared about play.

Leaving three hog badgers behind, Tang Jiancheng packed the rest into sacks and placed them into a basket. He added eighty jin of wild boar meat, making for a total load of about one hundred and sixty jin—the perfect weight for a shoulder pole.

Tang Jiancheng shouldered the load and set off for the township with Da Mei and Er Mei. He didn't bring them along for their help, but rather to broaden their horizons and help them develop more outgoing personalities.

Bravely facing the wind and snow, they arrived at the township and went straight to the state-run restaurant. When the manager, Huang Tianyue, saw the seven hog badgers, his eyes widened in shock.

"A while ago, my family called to ask if I could find any hog badger oil. A relative of mine suffered a rather severe burn, and I’ve been worrying about where to find or buy some. I never expected you to bring seven of them!" Huang Tianyue said with delight. "With these, I’ll have enough oil to treat my relative, and plenty left over! Brother Jiancheng, what price are you looking for?"

This question stumped Tang Jiancheng. He had never sold a hog badger before and truly didn't know what a fair price would be. "I’m not sure. You name the price," he replied.

Huang Tianyue laughed. "Brother Jiancheng, you’re too honest. If I offered you one yuan each, would you really sell them to me?"

Tang Jiancheng smiled. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't say that, but you’re different."

"How am I different?" Huang Tianyue asked curiously.

Tang Jiancheng replied, "I may not know how to read fortunes or faces, but I feel that you are destined for great things. I want to build a connection with you while you are still ordinary; that way, when you eventually succeed, you won't forget me."

Huang Tianyue was stunned. He had anticipated many responses—perhaps a compliment on his looks, his wealth, or his position as a manager—but he never expected Tang Jiancheng to predict he would become a man of distinction. Did he know his background? That seemed impossible. In the entire Sanchong Township, only the township head knew who he was, and the head would never disclose such information to a commoner.

"Brother Jiancheng, you’re quite direct, I like that!" Huang Tianyue truly appreciated his straightforwardness; there were no hidden agendas or empty flattery. "Alright, I’ll take them at the supply and marketing cooperative’s standard rate, plus a bit more. Three yuan per jin for the meat, twenty yuan per pelt, and thirty yuan per jin for the oil. How does that sound?"

"No problem." Tang Jiancheng didn't know if the price was high or low, but it exceeded his expectations, so he readily agreed.

Huang Tianyue immediately had his chefs process the seven hog badgers and render the oil. The seven pelts brought in one hundred and forty yuan. The meat, weighing fifty-six jin and eight taels, came to one hundred and seventy yuan and forty cents. The oil, totaling twelve jin and three taels, amounted to three hundred and sixty-nine yuan. The total came to six hundred and seventy-nine yuan and forty cents, which Huang Tianyue rounded up to six hundred and eighty yuan. At the time, the largest denomination of currency was the ten-yuan note. Adding the twenty-four yuan for the wild boar meat, Tang Jiancheng received a thick stack of bills.

Even though he had seen his fair share of money in his previous life, his hands trembled slightly. This was a massive sum! Over seven hundred yuan—in a poor, backward village, this was truly a fortune.

"Brother Tianyue, I must treat you to a drink sometime! If it weren't for you, I never could have sold these for so much!"

Tang Jiancheng quickly regained his composure, tucked the money away, and took his two daughters to the supply cooperative and the market. He went on a shopping spree that left the shop clerks and vegetable sellers stunned. By the time they returned home, the entire household was in an uproar.

"Wow! So many things!"
"Candies again!"
"And hair ribbons? I love these!"
"Oh, is this a shuttlecock? I’ve seen Taohua and the others play with these; they look so fun!"
"So many vegetables; we’ll never have to worry about going hungry again!"

The children gathered around, chattering endlessly, their faces glowing with excitement. Yuan Yuezhu, Tang Genshui, and Tang Jianbing arrived as well, looking on in sheer astonishment. The neighbors were also stirred, crowding around the doorway to watch the spectacle. As they saw one wonderful item after another being pulled out, they were filled with a mixture of envy and jealousy.

"Jiancheng, did you strike gold, or did you empty out the supply cooperative? You bought way too much!"

"Jiancheng, you’ve really hit it big! You found a wild boar a few days ago, and yesterday you dug up all those badgers. With such good luck, shouldn't you treat the rest of us to a drink?" someone chimed in, hoping to take advantage of his success.

Tang Jiancheng simply chuckled and ignored them.