PCJ – Chapter 157 The Name Needs to Be Changed

Zhang Youping had originally planned to sell the wine at the price of rice wine, but he didn’t expect his son to sell it for a high price of one yuan per jin. The red paper with the big characters “40 cents per jin” was no longer needed, so Zhang Youping quietly folded it up.

“You, as a father, are quite something. Leaving your kid here, don’t you know there are ruffians in town looking for opportunities to make money? It’s one thing if the goods get stolen, but what if someone kidnaps your capable child? Would you cry or not?” The old man scolded Zhang Youping harshly.

The crowd agreed with the old man, saying Zhang Youping was indeed too careless.

Zhang Youping felt a bit scared after hearing this and quickly nodded, “I didn’t know the town was so chaotic now.”

“Sigh. People nowadays are all about money,” the old man shook his head and then returned to the main topic, “These two barrels of wine, my old bones can’t carry them. If I were your age, it would be no problem. So, I’ll need your help to deliver them. I’ll pay you now.”

The old man took out a wallet from his pocket and counted out fourteen crisp bills, “Here, count them.”

“No need to count,” Zhang Youping took the money, folded it a few times, and put it in his inner pocket.

“Be careful during the New Year. There are pickpockets in town targeting rural folks like you,” the old man kindly reminded him.

“Thank you, thank you,” Zhang Youping expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

The crowd dispersed once the wine was sold.

“Your kid is smart. You should nurture him well, don’t let his talent go to waste. He knew to pour out the wine to attract people with its aroma. The saying ‘good wine fears no dark alley’ is true. Without this method, who would know how good your wine smells? What’s your name, kid?” The old man patted Zhang Jiaohua’s head.

“Zhang Jiaohua,” Zhang Jiaohua answered clearly.

“Hehe, I meant your full name,” the old man thought Zhang Jiaohua had given his nickname.

“My full name is also Zhang Jiaohua. Zhang Dechun, that fool, registered my nickname as my official name. So now my full name is Zhang Jiaohua,” Zhang Jiaohua explained. Since starting school, he had come to realize that a name with “hua” (flower) might not be so good, especially his.

“Don’t curse,” Zhang Youping, a bit embarrassed, patted his son’s head. He could tell the old man was someone of status, and it was inappropriate for his son to curse in front of him.

The old man wasn’t offended, he laughed, “You can go to the police station and change the name on the household register. Then it won’t be Jiaohua anymore.”

“Really, I can change it?” Zhang Jiaohua was surprised.

Zhang Youping smiled awkwardly, “I asked in the village before, they said to change the name you have to go to the police station, and it seemed troublesome so we didn’t do it. We’ve gotten used to calling him that. Changing it now would feel strange. It’s just a name after all.”

“This isn’t something to find troublesome. It affects the child’s whole life. At home, calling him Jiaohua is fine. But when he grows up and ventures out into the world, calling him Jiaohua doesn’t seem appropriate, does it? How about you change the characters, not the sound? Change ‘叫’ to ‘教’ (educate) and ‘花’ to ‘化’ (transform). Then it becomes Zhang Jiaohua (Zhang Educate Transform). It’s completely different,” the old man suggested after thinking for a bit.

“That’s a good name, thank you, sir,” Zhang Youping quickly thanked him.

Zhang Jiaohua repeated the new name to himself, liking it much more than “Jiaohua.”

The old man continued, “Come, this way. If you want to change your name, take the household register to the town’s police station and find Director Luo. Tell him Luo Yongming sent you. He will handle it for you.”

“Sure, sure,” Zhang Youping nodded repeatedly.

The old man’s house was in the old street, an ancient wooden house with classical decorations, exuding a traditional charm.

The house was very clean. Zhang Youping carried the two barrels of wine from the bicycle to the doorstep but didn’t dare to step inside, fearing his rubber boots would dirty the house. Although the ground was covered with snow, his boots were clean.

“Come in, have a cup of hot water to warm up before you go. Your wine is really good. Is there something different about how you make it?” the old man asked.

“Not much different. Maybe it’s just brewed for a longer time and has some mixed grains,” Zhang Youping couldn’t reveal the real secret of the brewing process.

“No wonder, maybe it’s the mixed grains that made the difference. It doesn’t taste like the usual rice wine, more like aged wine from a big distillery,” the old man casually commented, not really prying.

Zhang Youping wanted to sell all the wine before New Year’s Eve, so after sitting for a while, he took his leave.

Outside, Zhang Jiaohua took out the kraft paper-wrapped buns from his pocket, “Dad, have a bun.”

“Where did these buns come from?” Zhang Youping didn’t take the bun, he lifted Zhang Jiaohua onto the rear rack of the bicycle and started pedaling.

“I bought them while you were getting things,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“Then you hold onto them. We’ll give them to mom when we get home,” Zhang Youping had just started pedaling when the bicycle suddenly sped up. Startled, Zhang Youping wobbled but quickly regained balance.

Returning home so early surprised Liu Qiaoye, “You’re back so soon?”

“Yes, we sold all three barrels of wine along with the containers for over two hundred yuan!” Zhang Jiaohua said excitedly.

“Over two hundred? That much?” Liu Qiaoye was expecting around sixty yuan for the wine at forty cents per jin, plus another thirty or forty for the barrels. She didn’t expect over two hundred.

Zhang Youping was also excited, “Our wine is good, it sold for one yuan per jin, and people bought it by the barrel.”

“City folks really have money,” Liu Qiaoye marveled.

City people received regular salaries from the government, while farmers had few ways to make money, making it very hard to earn a living. The difference between the two was stark.

The father and son made several trips, selling all the wine for over five hundred yuan in one day, equivalent to two years of income. On their way back, Zhang Youping decided to buy a firework and some toys and small fireworks for Zhang Jiaohua. They also bought red couplets to paste on the door, filling the yard with a festive New Year atmosphere.