Chapter 990: Chapter 863: "Dad, What Do You Think?

Two oil lamps were lit, illuminating the entire basement in an instant. The front half of the space had four shelves standing against the wall, reaching the ceiling, with enough room for one person to walk through. If something needed to air dry, a bamboo pole could be placed across the middle.

The remaining space on the left had two large vats filled with grain and three large wooden boxes; on the right, there were two rectangular large water tanks against the wall.

Zhou Jiao originally planned to place ice blocks to lower the indoor temperature, but thinking that nearly half the year is winter, it’s unnecessary. So she left it for her mother-in-law to play around with.

Mr. Zhang looked at it with admiration, touched the shelves and walls, discovering that they were mixed with cement, and his mouth twitched. These spendthrifts spared no expense!

"Dad, how is it?"

"All that’s missing are gold bricks; how could it be bad?"

Zhang Guoqing chuckled, "As long as you like it. The cement didn’t go through my godfather; I traded it from the provincial city, didn’t spend much."

Mr. Zhang shook his head with a smile. Having hunting skills, this brat indeed got the upper hand. But he was mistaken; what kind of commodity was cement nowadays?

In the wild, who dared to take the risk! These were sneaked back by this young couple from the neighboring province. It’s a barter, no money involved.

"Dad, these large vats and things were moved here beforehand; now it’s impossible. Do you want me to prepare some burlap bags for you?"

Mr. Zhang shook his head, "There’s enough space on the shelves. How much do your mother and I need? Don’t shop on the Black Market; it’s expensive and unsafe. The stuff you prepared before is still good; we can’t use too much. Some things should be moved here while you’re home."

"Alright, I’ll listen to you."

Mr. Zhang knew his eldest son couldn’t grasp the meaning behind his words; he didn’t say more, thinking to have his wife pack some things up later for the children.

"At night, go back to the village with Dad and move everything here, then we can really sleep peacefully."

Zhang Guoqing nodded, "Okay. There’s a car, and it’s not too late anyway."

"Let’s go up and eat; your mother will be anxious."

Mr. Zhang waved his hand five times with interest, saw the hole above open, and silently pondered bringing his wife to take a look when there’s no one around; it sure is interesting!

Zhang Guoqing reminded, "Dad, in case this mechanism fails and you get stuck inside. See here, this is the main switch; just keep pulling the chain until the end, then step on the big stone plate three times above. It will recover. Jiao Jiao and I tested it several times."

This needed mentioning; otherwise, parents getting trapped inside would be a big trouble.

"No problem, as long as I don’t touch this handle inside when coming in."

This is also a solution. Zhang Guoqing nodded as he watched him head up the stairs, extinguishing the two oil lamps.

After Zhang Guoqing ate noodles and locked the courtyard door, Mr. Zhang immediately had his wife unlock it.

The family of three stood in the basement kitchen; Zhang Guoqing was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He looked around and found his parents hadn’t used much for over half a year.

"Mom, eat more often; keeping these things long will spoil them. Especially the meat, don’t think of sending them to me; I plan to get up early tomorrow to hunt more to ensure you and Dad get enough nutrition."

"What nonsense. There’s so little meat in the city; it can’t even fill the gap between teeth. Hunt and bring it back; if it weren’t for bothering Xiao Mi, your mom would’ve sent stuff ages ago."

Zhang Guoqing deeply understands this. Especially now they’ve moved, further from the station, such a big young lady carrying big bags on the bus; he feels guilty.

Oh, sending a package? Unless absolutely necessary, it’s doubtful his mom would spend money on that!

"Mom, there’re mountains in Beijing too; I can hunt there. Plus, Aunt Qian sells eggs cheaply. It’s not lacking at all."

With no one around, Zhang Guoqing dragged a trolley to the kitchen door, moving things from the cellar onto the trolley, covering them with burlap sacks and firewood.

Not long after, only a few reserve supplies were left in the kitchen cellar, while Zhang Guoqing started arranging the new basement.

Like Mr. Zhang, Mother Zhang never imagined such a large cellar under the vegetable plot. No more worries about lacking storage space.

"Mom, I’ll buy some ice later. You see these two big water tanks? We can store three to five hundred pounds of meat without issue. We’ll eat fresh meat rather than preserved meat. You seem strained doing that work, preserving and drying, guarded against outsiders visiting and seeing."

"Now I’ll get more good ingredients for winter stews. When winter’s here, don’t go outside much. Make more dumplings and noodles for evening snacks; if lazy, cook vermicelli for a hot pot. Drink ginseng wine for a cozy life."

Mother Zhang laughed heartily at his words.

"Dad, many things are stored in the backyard at our old home. Initially worried we couldn’t return this year; I planned to tell you and Mom later, but we’ll bring them tonight."

"Bring them back. You see, so much stuff; can your mother and I use it all?"

Zhang Guoqing chuckled, looking at the basement. Here’s where he needn’t worry about outsiders hearing, allowing free conversation. After hesitating, he continued, "Dad, the situation isn’t optimistic. If I’m right, soon major unrest might happen."

From the joy of his eldest son returning, Mr. Zhang listened and immediately sobered up. For the child to say this, it’s only more serious; he instinctively felt for his pipe, noticing he hadn’t brought it.

"Tell Dad properly."

Zhang Guoqing comfortingly patted the anxious Mother Zhang, smiling, "Don’t worry, Mom, I’m here."

"Mm."

"Dad, don’t panic yet. Now, all schools in Beijing paused classes, even Ping’an’s school isn’t spared. What are they causing? The old black element issues."

"And this wave will be more severe."

"It’s hard for families connected to authorities to escape, maybe even later... I think families like ours, from such backgrounds, can’t speak carelessly anymore. Otherwise, unexpected incidents may occur at any time."

Mr. Zhang frowned, "Once schools resume, those kids won’t have time to cause trouble."

Zhang Guoqing helplessly smiled bitterly, "Dad, what do those youngsters know? They are patriotic, but didn’t you forget, when things expand, some people will seize opportunities. That’s the real fear."

After those words, Zhang Guoqing left space for his father to ponder. Other things would slowly unfold as situations progressed; no one’s blind, seeing things as they develop.

"You keep these supplies for gradual use. I worry sending things later will only be bit by bit. They’re all wine and dry goods, plus some fabric and cotton, all long-lasting."

Mother Zhang slyly glanced at her pondering husband. What’s there to think about; if unsure, ask the eldest son. Check out, just fretting over storage space, her Xiao Wu has it sorted out long ago.