Chapter 70: Can I Count It as a Loan?

Around noon, Uncle Zhang and Zhang Yan came back.

Zhang Yan had two braids, and when she smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons—she was stunning.

“Yimin, why’d you bring so much stuff?” Zhang Jianshe scolded him verbally, but deep down, he was genuinely pleased. He had taken a look at the water pump that Zhou Yimin had made. While it didn’t have much technical complexity, it was clever and very practical.

“Couldn’t finish it all, you know?”

Zhang Jianshe was speechless.

How could that not be infuriating? Other people didn’t even have enough to eat, and here he was, bringing leftovers.

“Ever thought about going to university? I could help—”

Zhou Yimin shook his head and cut him off. “Uncle Zhang, I’m contributing to the country’s development too. Going to university wouldn’t necessarily make me more capable. Besides, my grandparents are getting old. I want to be able to visit them often.”

Zhang Jianshe had been about to say more, but after hearing that last part, he swallowed his words.

Zhou Yimin chuckled to himself. As long as he mentioned his grandparents, he could avoid a lot of unnecessary explanation and trouble.

“You’re right.”

What could he say? The boy was showing filial piety, something that deserved praise and encouragement.

Besides, Zhou Yimin’s recent actions were more impressive than just attending college.

“Our classmates keep talking about Yimin!” Zhang Yan chimed in, a little proud. If her classmates knew Zhou Yimin was her fiancé, wouldn’t they be jealous and amazed?

Zhang Jianshe quickly changed the topic. “Yimin, is the procurement job busy?”

“Not really. I don’t need to report to the factory every day. The work hours are flexible. As long as I meet the procurement quotas, it’s fine. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have time to visit Zhoujiazhuang or mess with water pumps and solar stoves.”

Zhang Jianshe immediately caught the key point.

“Solar stove? What solar stove?”

They knew about the water pump, but solar stoves were new to them.

Zhou Yimin didn’t hide anything. Sooner or later, they would find out anyway. He explained the solar stove’s design, purpose, and so on, and even asked Uncle Zhang for his thoughts.

“The solar stove came to mind the day before yesterday, when I saw Grandma having a hard time boiling water. I’ve already asked the factory to help make one. I’m not sure how well it works yet.”

Zhang Jianshe knew his stuff. Just one look at the design and, though a bit rough, he saw no major issues.

This kind of product—how much firewood and coal could it save?

Like the water pump, it was practical and had a huge impact on people’s daily lives.

He couldn’t help but marvel. Were the genes in the old Zhou family all geared toward design and invention?

It even made him look forward to his daughter and Zhou Yimin getting married and having kids.

“Excellent,” Zhang Jianshe immediately gave a high evaluation.

Zhang Yan and her two sisters admired him even more.

“We should get one of those solar stoves too, so we don’t have to boil water anymore,” Zhang Yu suggested.

“Yeah!” Zhang Lu nodded, though her eyes were still fixed on the canned yellow peaches.

Zhou Yimin opened a can for her. “Go ahead. A friend of mine works at a canning factory.”

If he hadn’t opened it himself, the girl might not have had the chance to eat any. Aunt Zhang was too frugal to open it, probably saving it as a gift. And Zhang Lu and her sisters, though craving it, wouldn’t dare open it on their own—they’d get scolded.

But if Zhou Yimin did it, then it was fine.

“Thank you, Brother Yimin.”

When he reached for another can, Zhang Jianshe quickly stopped him. “That’s enough, Yimin, just open one for a taste.”

This stuff was too rare and precious—who opened two cans at once?

He told his youngest daughter to share it evenly.

“You guys eat—I don’t want any. I’ve got more at home,” Zhou Yimin said, not particularly fond of canned peaches.

Even if he did eat them, he only ate the fruit. He never touched the syrup inside. In his previous life, he’d heard people say the liquid was drinkable and had been shocked.

In the South, most people tossed the syrup after eating the peaches. Who knew that in the North, the proper way to eat it was to drink it too—as a sweet beverage.

Zhang Lu wasn’t done after eating the peaches. She poured in some hot water, gave it a shake, and drank it.

“Delicious!”

Aunt Zhang made a pot of braised pork with vermicelli. The noodles were from before, and she’d been reluctant to use them. But with Zhou Yimin visiting, she finally decided to use them all.

Zhang Lu was now really hoping Brother Yimin would visit often.

Whenever he came, the meals at home would improve. No more eating coarse cornmeal.

After they ate, Zhang Jianshe snuck into the kitchen and cut two pounds of meat, only to be caught red-handed by his wife.

He gave her a sheepish smile. “A few of my colleagues at the institute are malnourished—they can’t even function properly. I just thought…”

“Don’t even think about it. If it was our own food, fine, but this is what Yimin brought. Aren’t you ashamed? Put it back!” Aunt Zhang glared at him.

Zhang Jianshe gave a bitter smile. “Can I count it as a loan?”

“No!”

The last time it was eggs, and he also said it was a loan. Did he ever pay it back?

Zhang Jianshe left feeling frustrated.

Not far outside, Zhou Yimin caught up to him. “Uncle Zhang, I can get more meat and eggs, but they cost money. Do you want some?”

Zhang Jianshe was overjoyed. “Yes! How much?”

It wasn’t that they didn’t have money. It was that they had no way of buying extra food!

“One yuan per jin for pork, five cents per egg. You know how it is—buying anything at market price is nearly impossible without ration tickets.”

Zhang Jianshe nodded quickly. “I understand. One yuan is fine. How much can you get? When?”

“If you need it urgently, come to the courtyard where I live after sunset. I’m not sure how much I’ll have, but I’ll ask around and do my best.”

Zhou Yimin had a lot of respect for researchers.

It was thanks to the sacrifices of that generation of scientists that later generations could live in peace and stability.

He’d overheard the conversation in the kitchen earlier.

“Great! I’ll come before dark.”

He needed to rush back to the research institute and let his colleagues know. Whoever needed food should get their money ready.

Zhang Jianshe hurried back and found Sun Guowei. “Old Sun, do you want any meat?”

Sun Guowei gave him a look. “Is that even a question?”

Who wouldn’t want meat? Everyone was starving. In their lab of twelve people, nearly all of them were malnourished. One had even fainted twice.

“Old Zhang, don’t bring meat from your house again.”

“It’s not from my house,” Zhang Jianshe shook his head. “Costs money. One yuan per jin. Eggs are five cents each. If you want some, give me the money quickly. I’m going to pick it up later.”

Sun Guowei realized he wasn’t joking and immediately pulled out all his cash. “Here’s mine. Hold on, I’ll go ask the others.”

No one in the lab hesitated once they heard. Everyone emptied their wallets.

Nobody wanted to miss this opportunity.

It wasn’t just them who were undernourished—their families were too.

The research institute had other departments as well, but since it was unclear how much meat and eggs Zhou Yimin could get, Zhang Jianshe didn’t spread the word. For now, he only told people in his own lab.

When Zhou Yimin returned to the courtyard, the eldest aunt told him that someone from the factory had come looking for him two or three times and told him to go back quickly.

(End of Chapter)