Tomorrow, Grandpa Tang needs ten bottles, Mu Mingliang needs thirty bottles, Liu Xiaoxiao needs fifty bottles, and two more supply and marketing cooperatives need fifty bottles each, plus thirty bottles for the South City Restaurant. Two hundred and fifty bottles should be enough.
With the day's shipment volume determined, he went to find one of his eighteen uncles to inquire about the progress of the new house and the matter of delivering bricks and cement.
After leaving, he groped his way in the dark to a carpenter uncle in the village to help him make a wooden sign for the shop before returning home.
When he arrived home, his wife was holding her waist, teaching their youngest sister how to use the sewing machine hand-in-hand.
Zhang Liunian fetched water, washed up, changed, and sat on the bed for a short rest, only to be greeted by his daughter's affectionate demands.
"Dad, Da Mao's dad tells him stories, I want one too." Hua Bao had heard Da Mao boasting about this today and had kept it in her heart, thinking if Da Mao's dad could tell stories, her dad certainly could too.
Zhang Liunian hugged his daughter, smiling at her cute little face, "Then what story do you want to hear?"
"I want to hear about a great hero. Da Mao listened to that, and I want it too." Hua Bao didn't know what a "great hero" meant, but that didn't stop her from wanting to know.
Zhang Liunian scooped up his daughter with one arm, teasing Hua Bao's little belly with his stubble, making her giggle uncontrollably.
"Dad, I want to hear the story of a great hero." Hua Bao reached out with her small hands to cup her father's face, not wanting him to tease her belly anymore.
Because it was really ticklish!
Zhang Liunian didn't tease her any further. Holding his daughter with one arm, he began, "Once upon a time..."
Zhang Liunian told the story of Yue Fei's loyalty and patriotism. Hua Bao didn't understand it at all and eventually dozed off to sleep.
Seeing that she had fallen asleep after listening for less than two minutes, Zhang Liunian smiled, put her on the bed, covered her with the quilt, and gazed at her sleeping face.
"Hua Bao's asleep?" Jiang Qingqing, having finished teaching their youngest sister, closed the door and entered the room.
Zhang Liunian heard the sound, turned, and looked at her, "The little one said she can only sleep after listening to Liu Tian tell stories. I told her one, and she fell asleep in two minutes."
"Pfft!" Jiang Qingqing had never heard Zhang Liunian tell a story before and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Then what story did you tell?"
"Yue Fei," Zhang Liunian watched his wife take off her outer coat, making space for her to sleep.
"You too. Such a difficult story, no wonder she didn't want to stay awake." Jiang Qingqing climbed onto the bed and lay down.
Zhang Liunian saw her settled, turned off the light, and pulled her into his embrace, "But I haven't read any children's stories, I only know a few."
"You've really gone through a lot," Jiang Qingqing turned, holding Zhang Liunian's handsome face and smiling.
Zhang Liunian's large hand clasped her small one, "It's not difficult if Hua Bao doesn't understand. It seems I need to buy her some picture books."
Picture books would soon become popular. He should buy some back another day, and then he could tell stories based on them.
"Hua Bao can't read yet."
"I can read, and I can tell her," Zhang Liunian took her small hand and kissed it.
Jiang Qingqing's heart raced from his kiss, and she pulled her hand back, not daring to look at him, "Hua Bao will be very happy."
"I'll give you a gift tomorrow to make you happy too." Zhang Liunian looked at his wife's retracted hand, his voice deep.
"A gift?" It wasn't a festival or holiday, so why would her husband think of giving a gift? Jiang Qingqing was puzzled.
"You'll know tomorrow."
Zhang Liunian held her small hand and then began to discuss other matters, "The shop in the county town can start its simple renovation tomorrow and open in a couple of days. I've invited my third cousin to help us guard the shop, what do you think?"
"Your arrangements are the best, I won't comment." Jiang Qingqing thought about her aunt's family. They weren't problematic and didn't have any particularly memorable traits.
The only thing she remembered was that her aunt had five daughters and one son, and life wasn't easy for them.
Her own husband was so good, thinking of family for any good fortune.
Jiang Qingqing gently nuzzled Zhang Liunian's chest, looking completely dependent on him.
Zhang Liunian’s large hand gripped her waist, stroking it slowly to relieve her soreness.
The baby was over seven months old, making her heavy, and Jiang Qingqing’s back must have been aching.
Jiang Qingqing felt her husband’s thoughtfulness and care, and the corners of her mouth couldn't stop turning upwards.
"Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable? I'll help you massage it." After massaging for a while, Zhang Liunian asked.
Jiang Qingqing shook her head. Just as she was about to speak, she leaned too close and accidentally bit Zhang Liunian's chest.
"Hiss!" Caught off guard by Jiang Qingqing's bite, Zhang Liunian felt his desire ignited.
His large hands immediately became restless, moving from back to front, from bottom to top.
"Time to sleep." Jiang Qingqing felt her husband's passion and involuntarily recalled last night's cultivation. Although they hadn't taken that fatal step, it was as if they had, especially...
"Are you sure you can sleep?" Zhang Liunian pulled her close, their noses touching, eyes meeting, their breaths intertwining, becoming one.
"I’ll sleep... mmph!" Jiang Qingqing couldn't stand his gaze and was about to shrink away like an ostrich, but before she could finish speaking, Zhang Liunian swallowed her words.
Jiang Qingqing slowly closed her eyes, feeling the "great snake" invade and conquer her territory, and her moving hands, her body involuntarily swaying and trembling with his movements.
"Mmm, gasp!" After a long kiss, Jiang Qingqing gasped for air.
Zhang Liunian, equally breathless, still stared wolfishly at her cherry lips, a beast lurking in his eyes, ready to pounce.
Jiang Qingqing trembled under her husband's gaze and softly called out, "Liunian."
Zhang Liunian narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, "What did you call me?"
"Liu... Husband?"
"Good girl," Zhang Liunian smiled broadly, then his army advanced, and another long battle commenced.
After a long while, they both fell asleep, satisfied.
The next day, Zhang Liunian looked at his wife in his arms. Seeing her rosy cheeks and alluring lips, blood rushed to his lower abdomen. He suppressed his thoughts and leaned in to gently kiss her before getting up.
Since his hand was injured, he had stopped practicing boxing.
Now, he just waited for breakfast before taking the tractor to make deliveries.
While waiting, he went to Daming Lake.
"Third brother, you're here."
Zhang Liushui, who was helping to scoop shrimp, saw his third brother and stopped his work, calling out loudly.
Zhang Liunian looked at his busy elder brother and the others, "Brother, do you have enough hands? If not, I'll call a few more people."
"Yes, yes, yes," Zhang Liushui waved his hand, indicating they had enough help.
"If you need more, just tell me."
"We definitely will, don't worry!"
"Brother Liunian," after only a couple of sentences, Zhang Qian arrived in a tractor, sputtering along.
"Little Qian is here." Zhang Liunian turned and greeted him, then watched them load and deliver live shrimp.
When he returned home, breakfast was ready. After eating, Zhang Liunian helped Zhang Xiaomei process the braised meat and then watched the production of lobster sauce.
Time flew by, and it was time for deliveries. In the morning, he delivered the goods to the county town. Grandpa Tang's demand had increased from ten bottles to twenty bottles.