Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 593 592 Aftereffects of Quitting Smoking

The couple left before getting off work. Xiao Wang was worried that it would be a bad idea to leave so early, but when he arrived at the carport, he was surprised to see that there were only a few bicycles left.

The young couple smiled at each other and felt relieved, as the law does not hold everyone responsible.

The two of them went to Chunshu Hutong first. They had to take away the pressure cooker they had brought back in the morning as they might need it during the New Year.

"Thank you, brother-in-law! Brother-in-law is the best to me!" Wang Jingmin immediately became interested when he saw the small whip that Tang Zhitong bought for him, and cheered. After he finished speaking, he did not forget to give his elder sister a provocative look.

It is not customary to beat children during the New Year. Xiao Wang snorted coldly and just waved his fist at his naughty brother.

"This is a double-shot firecracker. Be sure to stick it on the ground and don't throw it after it's lit. Be careful not to get your hands blown up." Tang Zhitong rubbed his brother-in-law's head and took out some fireworks from his bag.

Last year during the Spring Festival, I bought small firecrackers for my brother-in-law. At that time, I hadn't seen any fireworks. This year, I saw them and bought a few. I gave half to Jingying: "It's the New Year, it's festive, let's celebrate, let's take them to the yard to set them off at night."

The rich entertainment life is not just about dancing. This year, in addition to firecrackers, there are also fireworks.

The store is filled with all kinds of fireworks and firecrackers. According to the salesperson, firecrackers come in large and small sizes, single and double shots, and there are many more types of fireworks, including spray flowers, flying flowers, bead-spitting flowers, combination flowers, and so on.

The salesperson proudly said that there are more than 400 varieties of fireworks and firecrackers in the city this year.

Although he was proud, Tang Zhitong did not see any fire prevention measures in the store and left immediately after making the purchase. What if... it was no joke.

"Thank you, brother-in-law." Jingying was a little surprised. These things have always been the favorite gifts of little boys. This is the first time she has received such a Spring Festival gift since she was a child.

"Sister, do you dare to set off the fireworks? If you don't dare, leave it to me!" Jingmin looked at the fireworks with envy, patted his chest, and wanted to trick one from his second sister.

"You're looking at me through the crack in the door, right? I even dare to beat you, so how can I not dare to set off fireworks? Get out of the way." Jingying looked at the fireworks in her hand, thinking that she should find a higher place to set them off, so as to avoid being disturbed by her brother.

"Tsk! My kindness was taken for granted." Jingmin refused to admit that he wanted to set off fireworks. Since his second sister wouldn't let him, he started to take apart small firecrackers on the sofa. The snow outside was already a finger thick, and he planned to take apart some of them and go downstairs to play with the snow.

"Sister, brother-in-law, our mother came back at noon and brought back some canned food. She asked you to take it back and add it to your dishes." Jingying put the fireworks on the table first, and remembered her mother's instructions.

"We don't want it. We have canned food at home." Tang Zhitong refused. Ma Wei gave him two boxes and Aunt Li gave him two boxes, but they were still unopened.

"Why don't you tell our mom? She'll be back soon." Jingying was at a loss as to what to do. She glanced at the wall clock and said.

"Well, let's go later. Brother-in-law, accompany me downstairs to set off firecrackers!" Jingmin was very quick and had taken out more than twenty firecrackers in a short while.

"Okay, then wait a moment. Pour out the pork head and we'll take the pot back later." Tang Zhitong was pulled by Jingmin and turned around to explain to classmate Xiao Wang.

"Come back, what do you use to light the firecrackers?" Classmate Xiao Wang nodded, pointed to the place where the incense was placed, and reminded his naughty brother.

"Hehe, I was thinking of asking my brother-in-law to light a cigarette." Jingmin refused to admit his negligence and said stubbornly.

"Why light a cigarette? Your brother-in-law has quit smoking." After saying this, Xiao Wang ignored his brother and turned to go to the kitchen to prepare the pork head.

Wang Jingmin took the incense, Tang Zhitong pushed open the door, and the two walked out.

Because it was cloudy and snowing outside, the corridor got dark earlier than usual. There was no light in the corridor, and Tang Zhitong subconsciously stomped his feet.

"What's wrong, brother-in-law?" Wang Jingmin was holding the railing, leaning his head out, and was about to walk down when he was startled by the sound of Tang Zhitong stomping his feet.

"Oh, it's okay, my feet are a little numb." Tang Zhitong lied.

I'm used to having voice-controlled switches in the corridor, so when I first enter a dark corridor I feel like stomping my feet or coughing as if by reflex.

When going downstairs, Wang Jingmin secretly asked Tang Zhitong: "Brother-in-law, does my sister really not allow you to smoke?"

"Yes, your sister is powerful, right? She said not to smoke, so I didn't dare to smoke." Tang Zhitong grabbed his brother-in-law's collar with one hand, held the railing with the other, and went downstairs carefully.

"It's so powerful, just like a tiger in the zoo." Wang Jingmin complained, then reacted and added: "Brother-in-law, you won't tell my sister, right?"

"Are you scared now? Be careful with your words next time." Tang Zhitong smiled. When he reached the entrance of the corridor, he took out a match, lit the incense, handed it to his brother-in-law, and asked him to set off firecrackers.

Tang Zhitong was thinking about the voice-controlled switch. He had the impression that this thing appeared relatively late, and the technology of today seemed not yet advanced enough.

However, a two-way switch does not require much technical skills, and it is also possible to turn on the light manually. Has no one invented this thing?

Tang Zhitong scratched his head and planned to turn around and ask.

Snowflakes were falling everywhere, and Wang Jingmin was having a great time. He first made a small snowball, put firecrackers in it, and then lit it.

Due to the silencing effect of the snowball, the double-bang firecracker did not make any sound the first time, just like a fart. The second sound was a little louder, probably because the snowball exploded during the first sound.

Afterwards, Wang Jingmin was dissatisfied with the quiet noise, so he stuck the firecrackers directly into the falling snow and then lit them. This time the noise was much louder.

After a while, several children ran out of the corridor and joined the ranks of setting off firecrackers.

Tang Zhitong stood aside and told them not to put the balls down with their hands and not to throw them at people, and then he just let it go.

Just when Wang Jingmin had finished putting away the things and was about to go upstairs to dismantle some more, Ye Zhijuan came back carrying some things.

"Mom, let me take it." Tang Zhitong stepped forward and took the thing from Ye Zhijuan's hand. It was hard to see clearly in the dark, but by smelling it, he could tell it was seafood.

This reminded Tang Zhitong that Sijiu City had started to supply Spanish mackerel and hairtail, so he could use the seafood he had previously stockpiled to make some extra subsidies!

"Let's go upstairs and don't let it go." Ye Zhijuan nodded, handed the things to her son-in-law, and started walking upstairs in the dark with her son.

After entering the house, Tang Zhitong glanced at the basket in his hand and found that it was full of seafood, including several large-sized hairtails.

According to past experience, there are three types of hairtail supplied in Sijiu City. One is the one you see in front of you, which is more than four fingers wide and has particularly thick meat; the second best is called "banerdai", which is about three and a half fingers wide; and the worst is only as wide as a waist belt.

The prices are also different. The best quality is 38 cents per pound; the flat rice is 25 cents per pound; and the worst quality is only 15 cents per pound.

This is the benefit of planned supply. Although the quantity is not much, it can ensure that every household can eat it, and it is not expensive. If it is not planned, the price of hairtail fish will increase several times, and by then, I am afraid that only families like Tong Wang can afford it.

"The unit has coordinated to supply more hairtail. You two can take two with you when you leave." Since it was only a few steps away from the unit, Ye Zhijuan did not wear gloves, but just wrapped a scarf around her.

"Mom, no need. The day before yesterday, my friend called me and said he had a batch of seafood and asked me to go buy some tomorrow. I was so busy that I forgot about it." Tang Zhitong declined quickly. He was still thinking about subsidizing the family. How could he accept Ye Zhijuan's things?

"How could you forget such an important thing? Is that okay?" Classmate Xiao Wang was sitting on the sofa chatting with Jingying. At this time, he came over and helped Ye Zhijuan hang up the scarf.

"I guess so. I'll buy more when the time comes." Tang Zhitong agreed happily.

"You're buying firecrackers and fireworks today. You must be out of money. I'll give it to you when we get back." Student Wang glanced at the vegetable basket. There was hairtail and Spanish mackerel, but no shrimp.

"I'm just quitting smoking. I've been secretly saving some money to buy cigarettes, but now I don't have the money to use it, so I might as well listen to the noise and see the light." Tang Zhitong made up for it.

"You want to quit smoking?" Ye Zhijuan was a little surprised when she heard this.

"Well, cough, my throat has been uncomfortable lately." Tang Zhitong couldn't tell his mother-in-law the specific reason directly, nor could he make up nonsense to fool Jingmin. He could only scratch his head and tell a lie.

Seeing her son-in-law like this, and then looking at her somewhat shy eldest daughter, Ye Zhijuan immediately understood why her son-in-law quit smoking, and said happily: "Now we have food stored at home... Well, smoking is indeed bad for the body, it's better to quit, it's better to quit."

The son-in-law got some food a while ago, so the two families will have no problem eating it until the middle of the year. As for what will happen in the future, Ye Zhijuan believes that her son-in-law has a way. After getting along with her for a year, she believes that her son-in-law will not let her daughter down.

"Mom, you should go to bed early. We are going back." Even though they were mother and daughter, Xiao Wang felt embarrassed by her smile. She picked up her warm clothes, put them on, and was about to leave.

"Sister, canned food! And a pressure cooker." Jingying did not forget her mission and reminded from the side.

"For your brother-in-law." Student Wang dressed quickly and ran away without even bothering to take his things.

"Mom, what's wrong with my sister?" Jingmin asked, not understanding.

"Little kid, don't ask questions." Ye Zhijuan touched Jingmin's head but didn't tell him the reason. Is this something that can be told to a child?

Jingmin started to have crooked thoughts. Was it because his elder sister was embarrassed that she didn't allow her brother-in-law to smoke? Then if his elder sister hit him in the future, could he use this to hit back? Maybe if his elder sister was embarrassed, she would not be embarrassed to hit him?

"Mom, let's go." Tang Zhitong followed Xiao Wang's steps, dressed quickly, took the things from Jingying, and did not bother to be polite, for fear that Xiao Wang would sprain his ankle in a hurry going downstairs.

After leaving the Women's Federation dormitory, Xiao Wang started to complain, "It's all your fault. Why did you talk about quitting smoking?"

"Yes, yes, blame me, blame me." Tang Zhitong was happy. Could he blame his mother-in-law for guessing this? He could only blame himself.

"What are you laughing at? You're so annoying!" said Xiao Wang angrily. It's not right for him to be so naughty with his own mother, so can't he take it out on you?

"I think you look pretty like this. You used to be dignified and elegant, but now you look like a little woman. Well, I like you no matter what you look like." Tang Zhitong laughed.

"Hate it, don't laugh." Hearing her husband say this, Xiao Wang felt sweet in her heart, but she still didn't want to see him laugh.

"Okay, stop laughing. The roads are slippery due to the snow, so just concentrate on riding your bike." Tang Zhitong adjusted his mood, fearing that Xiao Wang would speed up out of embarrassment. A fall would be no joke.

Fortunately, there are street lights along the way, and the reflection of the snow makes it much brighter than the corridor, so at least I can see the road clearly.

When the couple slowly walked home, Zhang Guifang had already prepared the meal, still with tofu.

Tang Zhitong took out the small whip and fireworks and handed them to his two sisters, and asked, "Mom, is the tofu gone after this meal?"

"No more. I know you don't like it, so I made some steamed bread for you." Zhang Guifang replied while setting the table.

"Hey, that's good." Tang Zhitong put down his hat and scarf and gently grabbed Fengzhi's little hair. Who said that only boys like to set off firecrackers? This child was so bold that he wanted to take apart the small firecracker and listen to the sound: "Eat first, then play after dinner."

Fengzhi pouted, glanced at her mother who was staring at her eagerly, and became scared.

"Mom, have we bought everything?" Tang Zhitong asked while eating.

"It's almost done. There are a lot of people queuing up these two days." Zhang Guifang ate the tofu with relish, as if it was a rare delicacy.

"Don't go to queue up tomorrow, buy it after the New Year. I will get some fish and shrimp tomorrow, enough for us to celebrate the New Year." Tang Zhitong repeated the matter about seafood.

"That's fine." Zhang Guifang didn't ask any more questions. It's only 400 yuan...

After dinner, they turned on the lights in the yard and Fengzhi played happily in the yard. Tang Zhitong and Xiao Wang stood in front of the door, watching the snow and the people.

Beibei rubbed against Tang Zhitong's trouser leg, but was startled by the sound of firecrackers.

At this moment, Tang Zhitong didn't want to compose a poem, he just wanted to light a cigarette and feel as happy as a god.

But with classmate Xiao Wang beside him, Tang Zhitong reminded himself to keep his word. Even though he felt like he was being scratched by a cat, he had to endure it.

"Want to smoke?" When Wang saw Tang Zhitong scratching his head, he understood.

"It's okay, I can hold it in." Tang Zhitong smiled with his teeth bared.

"How about...you smoke two less cigarettes every day, and you will quit slowly." Student Wang couldn't bear it, so he thought of a compromise.

"Forget it. If you want to quit smoking, you have to not smoke a single cigarette. After seven days, you'll be basically fine. You may be able to quit by smoking less every day, but you'll feel uncomfortable for a while." Tang Zhitong shook his head and rejected Xiao Wang's kindness.

"Is smoking so addictive?" Xiao Wang doesn't smoke, so he can't deeply understand the pain of quitting smoking.

"How should I put it? The pleasure that smoking brings is second only to that thing done by a couple." Tang Zhitong couldn't use digital words to describe the pleasure, so he could only find a reference. However, this reference was not accurate either. When he was young, he would rather quit smoking and do that. When he reached middle age, he would rather smoke than do that.

"Bah! If you want to do something bad, just say it~" Student Xiao Wang spat at Tang Zhitong and threw her a wink.

Tang Zhitong chuckled. Xiao Wang had misunderstood him, but he didn't explain. He had nowhere to vent his energy from the addiction to cigarettes, so it would be nice to have an extra meal tonight...

(End of this chapter)