The classes at Qinghe Middle School weren't divided by the students' ages, as it was impossible to have a complete registry management and compulsory education system during those times.
A third of the students in Class 2-1, where Wang Yunxiao was, were transfer students taken in by the school.
The school initially had good intentions, hoping that the original students could help the new kids learn and progress together.
But the actual feedback was not good.
With both my parents gone, you still expect me to take the initiative to study hard? What do you think I am made of?
The class monitor was Chen Yan, whose parents owned a small shop on the next street selling fried nuts, including peanuts, sunflower seeds, chestnuts, and hazelnuts, with a storefront, two large iron pots, and a small frying stove, and it was said that they actually made quite a bit of money over a year.
According to Youtiao, last year the class monitor snitched, leading to their gang being punished to stand, and Wang Yunxiao took his brothers to steal chestnuts from the monitor's house; unexpectedly, they were caught red-handed by Old Man Chen.
When he found out they were classmates, Old Man Chen didn't make it tough for them but instead gave them several pounds of fish skin and peanuts.
Wang Yunxiao was a man of integrity and responsibility—since then, he had stopped throwing live toads into the monitor's desk.
This old couple was indeed good-tempered. When they heard someone needed to borrow their stove to cook, they agreed without hesitation and even helped to scrub the pot and stoke the fire. It was obvious from their eyes that they didn't see themselves as outsiders.
Rendering lard is a craft.
Back then, pork wasn't fatty, and the fatty parts were even more expensive than the lean ones.
You had to peel the skin off first, cut it into cube-shaped pieces mixed with fat and lean, and then boil it with water in a pot.
Once the water in the pot dried up, the fat would come out.
But the meat shouldn't be fried for too long.
Southerners call the fried residue 'Squeaky bits'; northerners call them 'oil dregs' or 'greasy bits'.
Fancier households would add scallions, ginger, and Sichuan peppers toward the end of frying to remove the gamey taste.
But some folks liked it just that way, not only not removing the gamey taste but also adding a couple of kidneys to enhance the flavor.
The fried out pork scraps, sprinkled with a bit of salt, were an unmatched delicacy. Don't just talk about now; even if placed in the 21st century, it would still be considered a fine dish.
The rendered lard couldn't be eaten directly; it had to cool down, solidify into a white fat paste, to dissipate the smoky smell. Once the rice was cooked, you'd scoop a bowl full to the brim with rice, slap a spoonful of meat fat on top, and drizzle a little soy sauce over it—unbeatable taste.
Old Man Chen, with a dry tobacco pipe in his mouth, leaning nearby, watched the bubbling diced meat in the pot together with Wang Yunxiao and asked with a chuckle, "Yuanxiao, making big money, eh?"
Wang Yunxiao shrugged, "Earned it with my life."
"I thought so... tsk tsk, spending money lavishly like this; you're not young anymore, shouldn't you save something for a dowry?"
"Look what you're saying, who would take a liking to me? I'm broke and have nothing to offer."
Wang Yunxiao wasn't actually worried about this issue, since Laozi had traveled back in time; there was hardly a shortage of wives.
How many wives he could have wasn't up to him to say; it depended on the cosmos' drive against decadence and immorality.
Besides, money wasn't something you saved up for.
He was young and strong, not exactly an upstanding man; there would be many opportunities to make money in the future.
Just as he had finished a pot of rice, Youtiao arrived at the door with a mighty crowd.
Including himself, there were twelve people in the dorm, all close brothers, followed by two younger girls.
"The tall one is our class monitor, Chen Yan with twin braids, and the other is our kid sister, Little Gourd."
Youtiao, knowing Wang Yunxiao couldn't remember past events, leaned in to introduce them.
One and a half beauties.
The class monitor, needless to say, grew up not lacking nutrition since her family sold fried nuts; she stood out among the other girls in the school, noticeably fairer during physical exercises.
Little Gourd was a child who had crawled out of Muddy Ground with them, only her face had been smashed by a brick. At that time, they had no money for her treatment, and a quite frightening scar remained on her right face.
Of course, at school, nobody dared to laugh at her—those with no insight had been sorted out by Wang Yunxiao.
"Wang Yunxiao! Did you steal someone's meat again?"
Youtiao was right; the class monitor was only good-looking, her personality was indeed not that great, coming up with a statement that could nearly puncture someone's lungs.
Anyone smaller-minded could have been angered to death by her.
As a mentally mature adult, Wang Yunxiao, naturally, wouldn't lose his temper with a stern-faced underage girl, he pushed the bowl and chopsticks toward her and smiled, "Are you going to eat?"
The class monitor glanced at the smiling Old Man Chen, then came over hesitantly and took the bowl and chopsticks.
After all, in an era where the school canteen served potato shreds and stewed radishes three meals a day, what child could resist the temptation of lard mixed rice?
The class monitor ate quite elegantly, but the eating manners of his brothers were unbearable to watch.
As the pigs were, so were they—each one burying his head and scarfing down like there was no tomorrow, almost wanting to stuff their heads into the bowls.
Little Gourd cuddled up to Wang Yunxiao with her bowl, asking softly, "Brother, did you get into another fight? Did you get hurt?"
See, this is a real sister, a little cotton-padded jacket, sensible, and caring. It's all about comparisons, so it's no wonder that despite the class monitor being so pretty, the brothers still found her hard to stomach.
Wang Yunxiao patted Little Gourd's head and smiled, "Don't worry, brother didn't fight; the school gave this. Did you know about the incident at school the night before last?"
Little Gourd shook her head blankly.
Just as expected, it seemed the school had managed to keep the news under wraps.
With more than six hundred students across over twenty classes, teachers had their hands full; how could anyone notice if a class was missing someone?
"Someone went missing from the school, and I just happened to come across it that night. This is the hush money they gave me."
This was also the explanation Wang Yunxiao gave to his brothers. He didn't mention Huo Qingyang, as he didn't want to foster any unnecessary hope in them.
Human nature is such; some might not dare to act on their own, but as soon as others instigate or support them, their courage tends to swell.
If they were to foolishly think that the "Governmental Office had their backs" and blindly rush in, it would be troublesome.
"Ow…"
Upon hearing this, Little Gourd immediately shrank his neck but then curiously asked, "So, brother… what did you come across?"
"I saw a dead body in the back kitchen of the cafeteria, but the school never found the body later on; they just treated it as a missing person case."
Wang Yunxiao noticed that the brothers around him were all looking over and he seriously said, "I still don't know which class the missing student was from. But the murderer is definitely within the school and might come after me."
Guozi slammed down his bowl and chopsticks, and coldly said, "Big brother, let's get him!"
"Go lay down over there!" Youtiao said irritably, "Isn't it odd, big brother? Later, when we went to find the security guards, didn't we catch that old lady?"
"It wasn't her. She has accomplices who hid the body."
Wang Yunxiao shook his head, "I'm not clear on the specifics, but logically, you usually don't kill people for no reason, right?"
"I heard a freshman went missing."
The class president had been eavesdropping on the side and couldn't hold back. "But it could also be that they transferred schools suddenly. I can help you ask around."
"Alright, that would be great, class president. While you're at it, see if you can find out if the kid had any enemies or grudges or anything."
Wang Yunxiao smirked, "Don't be polite with me. Have another bowl, why don't you?"
he class president hadn't been giving him any airs—it was her family pot, after all.
Unlike these disliked loiterers, the class president was actually the most informed person in the school. Class leaders also help teachers manage the classes, and often know more about the school's ongoings than the teachers.
Regular students... if they can concentrate in class and manage themselves, that would be good enough.
With two large bowls of lard rice as a bribe for the class president, the other brothers also ate to their fill, each rubbing their bellies and burping contentedly.
They say a teenager could eat their parent out of house and home, and this greasy meat was no exception, devouring all ten pounds of white rice without leaving a single grain. If it weren't for being stopped, Gangtou could have licked the pot clean.
There were still a full tub of lard left, which was the real beauty of lard rice—the meat might vanish after one bite, but the tub of lard could season many more servings of rice.
It was temporarily stored at the class president's house.
The leftover pig skin was considered a fee for borrowing the pot.
"I'll go inquire for you, but you have to come to class tomorrow. No fighting and no stealing! Don't climb the wall into my house and steal my walnuts again, or else I'll tell the teacher!"
"Ah, alright, alright!"
Wang Yunxiao nodded in agreement.
Class presidents, like this study-conscious girl who listened well to teachers, feared even the thought of stepping out of school, even if it was to return to their own home. After eating, she quickly dragged Little Gourd away, worried he might corrupt her with his rogue friends.
Old Man Chen knocked the ash out of his smoking pipe pot, leaned close to Wang Yunxiao, and said quietly, "How could such a thing happen at the school? Yuanxiao, you have to keep an eye on Yan'er for me, don't let her get into trouble. She's got a fiery temper, but don't take it to heart."
Youtiao snorted coldly from the side, "That'd still require your daughter being willing, you know. She's only got eyes for Qu Wenming now!"
Upon hearing this, Old Man Chen immediately grew anxious, "Who is Qu Wenming? Is he from your class?"
"The guy from the next class who's on the literature committee, that pretty boy whose family is filthy rich. He's handsome and can write poems and sing. Lots of girls have written him love letters..."
Youtiao took the opportunity to embellish the story, leaving Old Man Chen completely befuddled.
"Shut up!"
Wang Yunxiao quickly interrupted Youtiao's bluff.
If he continued, Old Man Chen might actually grab a knife and lash out.
What do fathers fear the most? It's their daughters getting mixed up with dodgy guys.
Like someone like me…
Wang Yunxiao was well aware of his own reputation.
"No, I have to call her back and get this straight!"
Old Man Chen almost couldn't sit still and was about to rush out, but Wang Yunxiao pulled him back.
"Uncle, don't listen to Youtiao's nonsense. We've all been watching; no one's going to let anyone take advantage of your girl."
Without guessing, Wang Yunxiao knew that not a word from Youtiao's mouth was true.
His family is filthy rich... with that kind of money, why would you attend such a school? Got rocks in your head?
And he's handsome... which guy would admit another man is handsome? That couldn't be anything good.
There was definitely some personal emotion in it.