Chapter 31

"Green Bean, come and walk in the shape of a 'jia' character for me."

Li Dong teased Green Bean, thinking of the saying 'a turtle looking at Green Bean,' so he named it Green Bean. This thing completely forgot who was teasing it now.

Green Bean really followed Li Dong's finger and crawled around, but the 'jia' character was too hard to write, so it ended up drawing a 'tian' character.

"Interesting."

Li Dong thought, maybe he could give Green Bean to his daughter as a birthday gift, but no, no, Green Bean was too ugly. "How about buying a few colorful little turtles, picking some pretty ones to take back through time, and they might become smart turtles after two trips."

Thinking about it, it really could result in a smart turtle. He had a gift for his daughter, and this was a big deal, so he couldn't delay.

With nothing to do, he teased Green Bean while planning what to bring. Watches were a good idea; a vintage Shanghai watch from Taobao for over a hundred yuan was actually more valuable in 1978 than on Taobao.

That was a good deal. If he bought a few dozen watches, he could get rich, but thinking about it, not many people could afford watches back then, and without connections, it would be hard to sell. He decided to buy four watches, two for men and two for women, to test the waters. "Clothes can't just be shirts; it's almost autumn, so I need to buy some autumn clothes."

Li Dong checked the temperature in Chicheng forty years ago, which was six to ten degrees lower than now. In 2017, the lowest winter temperature in Chicheng was only minus two or three degrees for a few days, but forty years ago, it was almost always below zero, with the lowest being minus ten degrees.

"I guess autumn will be colder too."

Li Dong planned to buy twenty sets of autumn outfits, following the style of the time, and fifty shirts. "Right, I almost forgot to buy two sets of clothes and shoes for Xiaojuan." It took some effort to find clothes and shoes that matched the era.

"What size shoes? I didn't pay much attention. I'll buy a few pairs."

Li Jingyi, Li Dong knew, had her own views on clothes, so he could only pay for them. "Xiaojuan is more obedient. I'll buy one pair of Huili shoes in size 30, 31, and 32."

Money wasn't an issue, so he also bought stationery and toys. His daughter didn't like toys, which deprived Li Dong of a lot of fun, but it was good to see Xiaojuan enjoy them. "Stationery and toys, the vintage ones are actually quite nice."

He added everything to his shopping cart. When he checked out, he saw more recommendations because he bought 1970s vintage items. Taobao recommended many things from that era. "Food coupons, that's a good idea."

But after checking, he found that while food was abundant in other years, 1978 food coupons were scarce and expensive. He decided not to buy them.

Just as he was about to close Taobao, he saw a recommendation for the third set of Renminbi. He clicked and found it was a good deal.

But the price was a bit high, with a large denomination costing several hundred yuan each, and that was for a single note. He decided not to buy them.

It wasn't worth it, and it was too much trouble to spend tens of thousands of yuan on a few hundred yuan worth of items. Plus, he didn't know if they were genuine. He also didn't have the money now, as the lease fee was due, and he couldn't come up with tens of thousands of yuan.

"I'll see if I can get a few bottles of Maotai to solve the lease fee problem."

Li Dong was determined, but it was hard to get Maotai back then without connections or a liquor ticket.

After buying the items, Li Dong also bought a few books: a biography of Deng Xiaoping, a history of the People's Republic of China, and a local history of Chicheng. "Finally, everything is bought."

He calculated his weight, which was 165 pounds. With 250 pounds minus 165, he had 85 pounds left. Of course, 250 pounds was in kilograms, so he had to be careful. If he exceeded the limit, he might lose the items or even himself.

It was best to carry 60 to 70 kilograms. A set of autumn clothes weighed about one kilogram, so twenty sets would be 20 kilograms. Each shirt weighed about 300 grams, so fifty shirts would be 15 kilograms. Xiaojuan's clothes and shoes would be about 4 to 5 kilograms, and four watches, stationery, and toys would be about 3 kilograms.

In total, it was about 43 kilograms. Adding five little turtles, which would be about 1 kilogram, it would be around 45 kilograms.

"Five pounds of braised beef, five pounds of braised pork, five pounds of braised mutton, and ten pounds of flour."

That was about right. After thinking, he decided not to bring flour. He needed other things, and seasonings were essential, as they were hard to find back then. He also decided to bring a few more electronic watches.

He added lighters and other small items, more fish feed, and some medicine. He also brought two boxes of mosquito coils, as there were many mosquitoes in 1978.

He slapped his forehead, realizing he forgot a mosquito net. After calculating, he found he had quite a lot of items. He thought about reducing the meat, but beef was illegal to sell back then, so he removed the mutton and pork, freeing up about 10 kilograms.

He recalculated and decided to wait a few days before finalizing everything.

"Hey?"

Gao Lan sent him a message. Li Dong rolled his eyes, thinking he wasn't under her jurisdiction anymore, but he still reported his recent situation.

Gao Lan asked a few more questions, and Li Dong answered them. He wondered why he was being treated like he was under her jurisdiction again.

"Comrade Gao Lan, didn't we 'end' our superior-subordinate relationship?"

"Oh, I just don't want the child to have a father who goes astray."

Gao Lan replied casually. "Alright, that's it for today."

"Not..."

Li Dong felt a stomachache, vowing to resist this 'paternal' attitude next time. He put away his phone.

Gao Lan in the high-tech zone frowned, thinking Li Dong's temper had indeed changed, as her child had said. She wondered what had happened recently. Could it be a new romance? Impossible, who would like him at his age?

Li Dong didn't know Gao Lan was nagging about him. He put away his phone and took Green Bean back to the old house. He couldn't leave it in the farm, where it might be stewed. "Even though it's a bit ugly, it's a smart turtle, a king of turtles."

He thought if it weren't so ugly, he might adopt it as a son.

"Dad, you have a call."

Li Dong's phone rang. It was a debt collector. "Mr. Tian, the soft-shelled turtles are ready. Come tomorrow, okay, I'll arrange it."

"Call Uncle Weiguo first."

After dealing with Tian Liang, Li Dong called Han Weiguo, but Han Xiaohai answered.

"Xiaohai, it's me, Li Dong. Is Uncle Weiguo around? He's in the fields. I have something to tell him. Mr. Tian and his group are coming tomorrow for lunch. Tell him."

Han Xiaohai hung up, muttering that Li Dong treated his father like an employee, and a meal was only fifty yuan.

Just then, Han Weiguo came back with corn and vegetables. "What were you saying?"

"Dad, Li Dong said there are guests tomorrow, some Mr. Tian."

Han Xiaohai muttered, "These days, everyone calls themselves 'Mr.'"

"Xiaohai, this Mr. Tian is not ordinary, worth millions."

"Really?"

Han Xiaohai was surprised. "Dad, are you kidding? A millionaire coming to our mountain village?"

Han Weiguo shook his head. "Millions, so what? He still needs to eat."

"Are you going back tomorrow?"

Han Xiaohai was curious. What did Li Dong's farm have that could attract a millionaire? "I'll help you."

"Alright."

Tian Liang was a bit troubled lately. The project payment of several million yuan was delayed due to a minor issue with the client.

"Tomorrow, I'll ask Director Liu for help."

Tian Liang's wife saw him frowning and suggested, "I'll go with you. The scenery there is nice."

"Go fishing, enjoy the view."

"I'll pass. It's too hot, and I have to pick up the kids from school."

"Want some sunscreen? I can get it for you."

"I don't use that stuff. I'll try to bring back a couple of wild soft-shelled turtles."

"Where are there still wild soft-shelled turtles? Don't let someone trick you."

"Don't worry, Director Liu is an expert."

Tian Liang smiled. "I guess I'm lucky. There are still wild ones in this mountain village."

It would be even better if there were some wild game, he thought.

The next morning, Li Dong picked some vegetables from the garden and checked the fishing nets in the reservoir. His luck wasn't great, only a few carp and some small fish.

"I'll make a small fish pot. Oh, I have two eels at home. Good thing I didn't take them to the city, or there would be no main dish."

He thought the eels would satisfy Tian Liang. He also bought a rooster, some cured meat, and local black pork. After buying the ingredients, he returned to the farm, where Han Weiguo had already arrived, and Han Xiaohai was there too, which was a surprise.

"Xiaohai is here too."

"Helping my dad."

"That's great. We'll have a drink at lunch, Uncle Weiguo."

Li Dong handed the chicken and meat to Han Weiguo. "Uncle Weiguo, these are two wild eels. We'll keep one for ourselves. Eel stewed with meat, the meat is good today."

"Wow, so big."

Han Weiguo looked at them and confirmed they were indeed wild. He had been a chef for years and knew the difference.

"Got lucky and found two."

Li Dong smiled. "I'll go prepare the fishing gear. Mr. Tian will be here soon."

Li Dong walked away, and Han Xiaohai couldn't help but ask, "Dad, are these really wild, not fake?"

"You don't know anything. Look at the color and pattern. They're definitely wild." Han Weiguo shook his head, thinking his son was too suspicious.

"Aren't they expensive?"

"A couple of hundred yuan each, at least."

Han Weiguo said casually, and Han Xiaohai thought Li Dong was quite generous.

Tian Liang arrived soon, and Li Dong welcomed him to the farm. "Director Liu, Mr. Tian, you're in for a treat today."

"What do you have?"

Liu Mingdong accepted Tian Liang's invitation mainly because of the wild bighead carp and soft-shelled turtles last time.

"Mr. Li, don't keep us in suspense. Show us what you have."

"Sure."

The wild eels, nearly a pound each, were rare. Liu Mingdong gave a thumbs up. "Mr. Li, impressive. I haven't seen such big wild eels in years. Great stuff."

"Great stuff, how will you cook it?"

"Eel stewed with meat, using local black pork, freshly slaughtered. The meat is still warm." Li Dong pointed to the black pork, with thick layers of fat. Liu Mingdong nodded. "Good meat."

"Soft-shelled turtles?"

Liu Mingdong noticed the turtles in the pond. "Wild ones, Mr. Li. Can you sell me a few?"

Tian Liang nodded, thinking it was best to sell them to Liu Mingdong, who would pay. Li Dong understood the hint. "That's a bit difficult. Mr. Tian has been asking for these turtles for a while, and I finally managed to get a few. Mr. Tian, what do you think?"

"Others can't have them, but Director Liu is different." Tian Liang waved his hand, making Liu Mingdong feel appreciated.

"Thanks, Mr. Tian."

"Don't be so formal, Mr. Li. Let's have a drink at lunch, and stew a turtle for us." Tian Liang smiled. "What good wine do you have?"

"Good wine?" Li Dong was surprised. His farm only had ordinary wine, and he didn't have the kind Tian Liang considered good.