The news that Zahuoqiang had adopted a son quickly spread among the neighbors, becoming a small but lively piece of gossip in the area.
"That handsome boy, don’t be fooled by his sixteen years; he’s really a good person. Now he’s the one managing the shop, so Zahuoqiang has it much easier."
"Oh, that old Deng, he’s really relaxed now. Whatever needs doing, it’s all Ah Cheng taking care of it. Ah Cheng is truly a good person; last time my kid went to buy soy sauce, he even gave him candy. If it were Zahuoqiang, he’d probably shortchange him."
"Yeah, he’s much better than Zahuoqiang. But when I went yesterday, I happened to hear Zahuoqiang scolding Ah Cheng, saying he was wasteful."
"That old Deng is stingy himself and makes his own kid stingy too."
"Ah Cheng treats Zahuoqiang really well; he handles everything in the store. Now Zahuoqiang can just sit in his lounge chair, listen to the radio, and fan himself—life is good."
"Ah Cheng also cooks well. A-Sao, your daughter Ah Hua isn’t married yet; why not consider Ah Cheng? His cooking is, wow… so delicious."
"Pfft, my daughter would rather be a concubine or a mistress to a rich man than marry into a poor family."
The neighbors nearby were chattering away; it was the only thing they could do. There were so many people in Xiangjiang now, and their families were busy from dawn till dusk, with some working night shifts, returning from the factory around six or seven the next morning.
The housing here was small, so naturally, everyone came out to chat. Besides here, there were many people gathered outside Chen Ji's convenience store, listening to the radio.
The radio that Zahuoqiang used to listen to alone was now brought out by Zheng Baicheng, who turned up the volume, attracting quite a crowd to listen, including many children outside.
In the summer of June 1966, the weather was hot, but it was even hotter here. Still, many children and adults gathered to listen; radios were quite expensive, and at that time, the only television station was Li's TV station, which was a cable channel requiring a hefty fee. Moreover, it only broadcast black-and-white shows, mostly outdated programs from London, and most were in English.
The Xiangjiang Commercial Radio Station, founded by He Zuozhi, had become an important source of entertainment for everyone.
"Ah Cheng, get me a bottle of soda, make it cold."
"Sure, Sheng Ge."
"Ah Cheng, give me one too."
"Cheng Ge, I want one as well."
"One sugarcane."
"Sugarcane doesn’t quench thirst, you silly boy. Soda is refreshing and cool."
"I want sugarcane and soda, can I have both?"
……
Zahuoqiang had moved a bit further away from them, lying on a nearby lounge chair, feeling that his adopted son was indeed capable; he was now earning twice as much as before.
And he was happy to let him hustle while he closed his eyes and listened to the broadcast.
Zheng Baicheng had been in Xiangjiang for half a month now. Half a month ago, Zahuoqiang had hired a lawyer to handle the paperwork and held a modest ceremony according to local customs.
Zheng Baicheng didn’t think of changing his surname; he kept his own. Zahuoqiang didn’t insist on this either; his full name was Chen Ziqiang. During the Japanese occupation, he had been injured and had planned to live alone for the rest of his life. It was only half a month ago that he met Zheng Baicheng, which sparked his desire to find someone to care for him in his old age.
Seeing his adopted son working so hard, he felt he could finally enjoy some peace.
As for why so many people came to listen to the radio, another reason was that there was a big fan here, making it cooler than other places.
"Zahuoqiang, I heard you adopted a son; congratulations! You need to pay this month’s fees."
As soon as Zahuoqiang heard that voice while lying on the lounge chair, he knew who it was. Those scoundrels came every month like clockwork, thankfully not every week; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to keep the convenience store open.
Zahuoqiang immediately got up and said, "It’s Brother Changmao. My income isn’t high; can you reduce the fees a bit? It was just me before, now it’s two of us. Please help me out."
The listeners who had originally been in front of Chen Ji's convenience store fell silent, not daring to speak. They were also afraid of attracting trouble. This was a characteristic of the times, learned through blood and tears.
"Hmph, Zahuoqiang, don’t play poor. You’ve got a son now, and you’re still acting coy. Hurry up and hand it over, or next time, the people who come won’t be as easy to deal with as I am."
Brother Changmao had long hair, and others called him Changmao, which he liked. He even referred to himself as Changmao, but he wasn’t a good person; he was involved in gangs. Which of them was a good person? Moreover, those who could rise to the level of a small leader were all shrewd individuals.
"Brother Changmao, here’s your money. This is the fee for this month; please take it." Zheng Baicheng took out a lot of change and handed it over, along with a pack of cigarettes.
Only then did Changmao smile and say, "Zahuoqiang, you’re always so slow with your payments. Look at your son; he’s quite sharp." After saying that, he laughed heartily and swaggered away, looking quite pleased with himself as he headed off to avoid the family.
"Silly boy, money is so hard to earn, and you’re giving it away so easily." Zahuoqiang complained a bit to Zheng Baicheng, muttering under his breath.
At this point, the others also dispersed. They had initially thought there would be a good show to watch, but now it seemed there was none, and it felt dull. The commercial radio broadcast had also finished.
Zheng Baicheng said, "Old man, let’s not stoop to their level. If they get serious, we’ll be the ones to suffer. What if you get hurt? I can work a bit harder and still earn it back."
"Good boy, from now on, all of this is yours. You can do whatever you want with it."
Zheng Baicheng had already thought it through; he would extend the evening business hours a bit and start earlier in the morning to sell some breakfast, which would be a good way to increase income and save costs, right?
He had prepared for this a week ago, planning to use the existing tools to make some late-night snacks and breakfast for those factory workers on rotating shifts.
In Chen Ji's convenience store, there was no place to cook, so they set up a stove outside the front door to prepare meals. Otherwise, how would the neighbors know that Zheng Baicheng was so good at cooking?
Today was his first time preparing to stay open until midnight to see if anyone would come at night, and he had even hung a sign that said "Late-night snacks and breakfast available."
He started cooking, preparing the marinated dishes, and getting ready to make bento boxes.
Once everything was ready, he sat in Zahuoqiang's original spot, reading the newspaper and learning traditional Chinese characters. He was indeed a time traveler, but this was the real world, without any cheats. He felt as if he had merely awakened memories from his past life; in Buddhist terms, this was called awakening innate wisdom.
"Handsome boy, give me a late-night snack."
"Sure, boss, the bento is two dollars, and here’s a bottle of soda. Please take it."