Chapter 192: Chapter 190: Braised Rabbit and Warmed Wine (Part 2)

Sure, here’s the translation:

The old man Lian had a warm smile on his face as he looked towards the crowd. The city had changed quite a bit, vastly different from his memories, but the countryside hadn’t changed much, especially the people. Many still wore black coarse cloth clothes, with old-fashioned pegged trousers, making him feel a sense of kinship.

He remembered, when he was a child, the villagers dressed like this. In winter, they wore wide cotton pants and small black felt hats…

Ahead, there was a stall set up with a pot selling braised rabbit meat. The old man Lian’s smile deepened as he said, “There is still braised rabbit meat nowadays, huh? I remember when I went to the market as a child, adults would buy it for us at home, three copper coins a piece, it was very fragrant and tasted better than homemade.”

Wang Liansheng, who was accompanying him, said, “Now it’s sold for twenty cents a piece, and thirty cents for a rabbit leg.”

Saying this, Wang Liansheng walked over, bought two rabbit legs and four or five pieces of waist meat, wrapped them in several sheets of yellow coarse paper, and returned holding them up. “Old Master, smell it, isn’t this the scent?”

The old man Lian leaned down to smell it, nodding repeatedly. “Yes, yes, this is the scent. My grandfather loved this taste the most, a piece of waist meat and then heating up a pot of wine, it would make a sizzling sound when drinking.”

As he spoke, the old man Lian started to laugh, evidently recalling his young days of a carefree time.

Wang Liansheng also laughed. In his childhood, the market hadn’t been abolished, his uncle also loved eating braised rabbit meat. He would follow his two cousins to play wildly and come back. His uncle would tear the rabbit meat and feed it to several little mouths, leaving a skeleton, savoring the taste while drinking two drinks slowly. Just like the old man Lian said, it made a sizzling sound.

“Let’s take it back and heat a pot of wine.” Wang Liansheng laughed and said.

The old man Lian gave him a glance and nodded in agreement. “Good! This must be paired with old white liquor to have enough taste.”

Wang Liansheng also laughed and nodded in agreement.

The two were talking and laughing in the front, while Jenny and a group of cadres walked together behind, but she had nothing in common with them.

This crowded, chaotic market, which seemed dirty in Jenny’s eyes, with country folks dressed in patched clothes, looking disheveled, and livestock tied casually by the roadside, made her quite uncomfortable because the environment was too backward and dirty.

Lian was in such good spirits that she couldn’t oppose him but quietly took out a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose, allowing the elegant fragrance of the perfume to overshadow the stench of mule, cow, and donkey dung and urine, carefully avoiding potholes and even livestock excrement on the ground with each step, driving her nearly mad.

Next, the old man Lian bought red candied fruits, handmade malt candy, sesame crisps, and they even came across a craftsman selling clay whistles. The old man Lian personally picked out a few clay whistles and clay revolving toys before handing them to Wang Liansheng. “You treated me to the braised meat, so I’ll buy you some little toys. I heard your kids are young, take them back to the kids to play.”

Wang Liansheng accepted them heartily, “Thank you, old man.”

“Oh, no need, no need, I’m not being polite with you.”

The market wasn’t big, it didn’t even take half an hour to walk from one end to the other, and the car had already driven around, waiting at the market exit.

The area was adjacent to a large drying field, which after the autumn harvest and planting had become idle, with only some straw stacks piled up and used temporarily as a cattle and horse market, with some locals bringing cattle and horses here to sell.

Jenny caught up a few steps, reminding in a low voice, “Old man, I fear the livestock haven’t been quarantined…”

The old man Lian did not respond but didn’t head towards the cattle and horse market, only stood by the roadside for a while before getting into the car.

As the three cars started and drove away, the people at the market seemed to escape from oppressive air, becoming lively again and starting to discuss. This demeanor, is he a high-ranking cadre? The sedan they sat in was really classy, better than even the county-level cadres…

As expected, Wang Liansheng didn’t make it home for dinner, accompanying the old man Lian to ’heat a pot of wine.’

The next day, the old man Lian didn’t go out again, saying that he was tired from the day before and needed two days of rest.

Wang Liansheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, returning to his regular schedule of going to work punctually.

Unexpectedly, just one day later, the leadership approached Wang Liansheng and quietly inquired, “Do you know where the old man Lian went?”

Wang Liansheng felt a bit bewildered, “Each time I interacted with him, it was with everyone together, not privately, so I have no idea where he went.”

The leadership noticed his unpleasant expression, quickly reaching out to reassure him, “Don’t misunderstand, not saying you have any private dealings, just that hosting him well is our duty here, we can’t let him roam freely, can we… After all, he returned from overseas, and we should not loosen that vigilant thread…”

The latter statement was said in a lowered voice, close to the ear.

Wang Liansheng was not surprised to hear this, gently acknowledging by nodding that he understood.

But it was only knowing to be cautious. He truly was not familiar enough with old man Lian to know where he went.

Having had the experience at the farm, Wang Liansheng cautiously mused before adding, “In the car, the old man hardly spoke, occasionally mentioning that he had not been home for so long, truly missing the people and things of his hometown. You could see that from the way he specifically got out of the car to explore the market yesterday.”

The leadership recognized this by nodding thoughtfully and, seeing his solemn expression, smilingly patted his shoulder, saying, “No need to be overly tense. I was just unable to find him, asking you thus, thinking maybe the old man had mentioned a word or two. Since there wasn’t, then there’s nothing more, I will have others look around for him.”

As the leadership turned away to leave, Wang Liansheng gave a thought and reminded, “Why not call the booth on the road and ask? They’re on duty there and might have seen him.”

The leadership’s eyes lit up, clapping his hands, “Hey, that’s a good idea, I’ll make that call right away.”

Finishing his words, he further praised, “Your young minds are indeed sharp.”

Saying this, he hurried off.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep