Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 402 Preparing for the Third Brother’s Marriage
The day was chosen, and Xu Fengming, who was wearing a solid white shirt, looked happy and overjoyed. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and said patriotically to his eldest brother Xu Qing and his second brother:

"Eldest brother, second brother, then I will ride to my partner's house now and tell them the date."

Xu Fengming stood up and excitedly pushed the bicycle outside the door towards the courtyard.

Xu Damao, who lived in the same courtyard, had nothing to do. He was standing at the door of his house with a cigarette in his mouth. When he saw Xu Fengming pushing a cart and rushing to the courtyard, he seemed to be going out. He was a little puzzled. Today is not a holiday. Why is this kid so happy?
Xu Damao was smoking a cigarette, shaking his head that was still a little dazed from being drunk last night. He scratched his lower back with his right hand and walked into Xu Qing's house. When he saw Xu Qing and Aiguo were there, he sat down on a stool and said:

"Qingzi, what did your third brother Feng Ming do so foolishly?"

"Looking for his partner, it doesn't mean that they will get married soon, and the date has just been chosen."

"When?" Xu Damao suddenly became interested when he heard that Feng Ming was about to get married, and his dizzy head suddenly woke up, "Qingzi, Feng Ming is getting married, do you want me to help with tobacco and alcohol?"

Seeing Xu Damao say this, Xu Qing couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, "Brother Damao, you even smoke and drink now?"

Xu Damao raised his hand and said with a proud look on his face: "Hey, brother, I'm just practicing my skills recently. Now the country is not vigorously pursuing economic development. I made a few new buddies in the cigarette factory this year. They have goods there, and I have the skills. got it."

After Xu Damao finished speaking, he winked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was speechless. Although it has been almost a year since the change of weather, the overall situation is indeed towards the economy. All walks of life have shown a trend of vigorous development and prosperity. However, this has just begun, and the shackles of the planned economy have not yet been shaken off. , various material shortages still exist.

In addition, although the state no longer strictly investigates the behavior of "speculative speculation", it can fully liberalize it. For now, it has not yet.

As for the cigarette factory, it is a state-owned unit just like the steel rolling mill. Even if Xu Damao has an acquaintance, he may not dare to give him the goods from the factory in private.

Xu Qing looked at Xu Damao with a smile and said: "Brother Damao, forget it, you are not afraid of getting into trouble. I am afraid, don't worry about the cigarettes. As for the wine, you have a way, so you can make some second songs."

Xu Damao smiled instantly, "Qingzi, it's not like you don't know my brother, Lu Ziguang. I will be responsible for the wedding banquet for Fengming's wedding."

Xu Qing hummed and sat in the room chatting with Xu Damao and his second brother Aiguo about other things.

After all, getting married is a big event, and besides smoking and drinking, there are other things to do.

Regarding the wedding room, Xu Aiguo said: "Brother, you didn't ask me to move in with my wife and I in the house that our factory allocated to you last month. I think it will be used as a wedding room for Feng Ming. It's a new house anyway." The house happened to be occupied by the newlyweds, so my wife and I continued to deal with it in the small courtyard. If grandpa and grandma insist on returning to the countryside after a while, we will move back to our courtyard. Our house is in the courtyard. Two houses are also built together, and I think it’s quite spacious.”

Hearing what Aiguo said, Xu Qing nodded thoughtfully.

Xu Damao interjected: "Patriot, the factory hasn't allocated a house to you yet? You're not working as a secretary to the boss at the factory, why don't you find an opportunity to mention it."

Xu Aiguo smiled bitterly and said: "Brother Damao, I mentioned that there are more and more people in the factory now. Not only the branch factory recruits people every year, but the main factory also recruits a lot of people every year. I have only been in the factory for four years. Housing It’s not like you don’t know how nervous you are, there are too many people in the front row, all of them are veteran employees who have been working for more than ten years, so it’s not easy to deal with.”

Xu Damao was stunned, holding a cigarette in his mouth and saying nothing for a while.

At this moment, Ma Jinghong, with her belly bulging, and with the support of her sister-in-law Xiaoya, twisted her son's ears and slipped into the house.

Xu Hongzhi stood on tiptoes, bared his teeth and shouted: "Mom, my ears hurt, please be gentle."

"You still know it hurts?!" Ma Jinghong scolded with a straight face: "You broke your second uncle's TV, tell your father about it yourself!"

When Xu Qing heard his wife Jinghong's words, his face suddenly darkened and he said to his son:

"Hongzhi, what did you do?"

Seeing his father's expression change, Xu Hongzhi knew something was wrong and hurriedly hid behind his aunt who came to love him. He lowered his head and said timidly:

"Dad, I didn't do it on purpose. Grandpa wanted to watch TV. I tuned the channel. Who knew it wasn't strong enough. I twisted it a few times and it fell off."

Xu Qing looked at his naughty son with a majestic look and said sternly: "Do you know what to do?"

Xu Hongzhi lowered his head, nodded his head, grabbed the feather duster on the kang, handed it to his aunt, then left the house, stood outside, and raised his buttocks.

Within 30 seconds, the sound of Xu Xiaoya being slapped hard and the cry of the little guy being beaten were heard outside the house.

And the second aunt and Qin Jingru in the backyard were standing at the door of their respective houses, leaning against the door, watching the excitement with a smile on their lips.

Xu Xiaoya didn't really spank her, she just kept spanking the old linoleum next to the little guy's butt.

But the little guy was very cooperative, seeing his aunt hit him, he immediately yelled.

But I was afraid that my father would come out and take a look, so I had to keep leaning on the door with my butt sticking out.

In fact, Xu Qing knew that his son and his younger sister had been colluding for a long time, so after a while, he asked him to stop.

However, a lesson must be taught, so after the little guy entered the house, Xu Qing punished him to wash his own clothes, handkerchief, and red scarf.

In the afternoon, Xu Qing took his second brother to the street and found someone to repair the TV. Then he and his third brother Feng Ming from the Patriot Gang looked at the furniture they should buy for the wedding.

As for the things they like, Jinghong and Aiqian are both pregnant and can't do it, and Xu Xiaoya alone is too busy.

Grandma was old, and it was difficult for her to do needlework for a long time even if she wore reading glasses. Xu Qing asked his sister to find Qin Huairu of the Intermediate Court, and asked Qin Huairu to do it with Jia Zhang, and then paid her.

When Jia Zhang heard that she could make money, she was very enthusiastic about Xu Xiaoya. While pouring tea, she kept praising Xu Xiaoya as she grew older and more beautiful. He said nice words one after another, and for 10 minutes he didn't repeat a single word.

Qin Huairu knew that Xu Qing was helping her family, and she felt very grateful. She took Xu Xiaoya's hand and said:

"Xiaoya, when you go back later, tell your eldest brother and your sister-in-law that my mother and I will definitely do it before Fengming's wedding day."

In the evening, it was clearly July and the heat was unbearable. Almost everyone in the compound was enjoying the cool air in the courtyard. At Jia's house in the middle courtyard, Mrs. Jia Zhang was sitting in the room, sewing in her hands without stopping. She asked the aunt to go out. Enjoying the cool air, there wasn’t even a sound.

Jia Zhang was the most concerned about good things like making money. She kept busy and did not let Qin Huairu rest. She even called her two granddaughters, Xiaodang and Huaihua, to help with the quilt.

In the middle courtyard, Si Zhu was lying on the mat, shaking his cattail leaf fan, holding a cigarette in his mouth, and said to Yi Zhonghai:

"Master, take a look, I, Aunt Zhang, will give up her life for money! In this hot day, in previous years, she would complain so much that she couldn't stay in the house because of the stuffiness. But tonight is better. She can just sit in the house and give Feng Feng a rest." Minna was overjoyed and kept silent."

Yi Zhonghai sat on the mat and rubbed his knees and said, "She is just one person. Zhuzi, please stop saying a few words, so as not to be overheard. I will come out and talk to you all the time."

Silly Zhu didn't respond. He threw the cigarette butt outside the mat, grabbed his shoes and wiped them out with the soles of his shoes. He lay on the mat with his hands folded behind his head. He looked at the starry night sky, crossed his legs and sighed. road:

"Master, why do you think I have such a bad fate? I have been a cadre for almost a year, but no girl has fallen in love with me. I got married patriotic last year, and Fengming will get married soon this year. This is so unlucky. When will it happen?" It’s my turn.”

Before Yi Zhonghai could speak, the first mother said first:
"Zhuzi, I'm not talking about you, aunt, but your fate is too tough. Most women don't have that kind of blessing. Otherwise, aunt, I'll go to the front door tomorrow to find the fortune teller to help you tell your fortune?"

Silly Zhu hurriedly raised his hand to stop and said: "Auntie, don't work blindly. It's useless to talk to those gods. Aren't they all caught and detained in the past few years? If they are really powerful, why don't they count themselves? A life."

Auntie was speechless by Silly Zhu's words, so she had no choice but to say no more.

At around ten o'clock in the evening, Xu Qing's family returned to their compound, and in the Jia's house in the middle courtyard, besides going to the toilet, Jia Zhang and the whole family were busy getting Xu Fengming's quilt.

Early the next morning, when Xu Qing was riding to work, he heard Silly Zhu say in the alley that the lights in Jia's house had been on all night, and Jia Zhang seemed to have not closed her eyes all night and had been putting away the quilt.

Xu Qing smiled and said nothing. He was sure that Jia Zhang would do this, so he asked his sister to leave the wedding ceremony to the Jia family.

Jia Zhang couldn't say that he was the same person who fell in the eyes of money like the third master, but in fact he was similar.

Her family's life was the worst in the compound.

The Jia Zhang family is mean and mean, but they are still quick at work. Although they are relatively lazy, their needlework skills are no worse than those of the aunts in the courtyard.

After all, the most basic things for women before liberation were needlework and cooking. They had to be able to do both. Otherwise, how would they live their lives after marriage?
Xu Qing gave the money, and the effect was immediate. Within three to five days, Jia Zhang took her two granddaughters, Xiaodang and Huaihua, to deliver the two wedding quilts, new mattresses and pillowcases. In Xu Qing's house.

It's just that Xu Qing went to work during the day and was busy with factory matters in the fifth factory. He was not at home, and there were only Jinghong and her son Hongzhi who had just sent their second father Xu Guangjin away from the countryside.Ma Jinghong couldn't get off the kang, so she asked her son to pour water for Jia Zhang, Xiaodang and Sophora japonica.

Xiao Hongzhi was punished a few days ago. Today he stayed in the house obediently and didn't go anywhere. Hearing his mother's words, he put the can and bottle in his hand on the bed and stopped teasing the dying child who had been tortured. Cricket, turned around and ran to fill the thermos bottle with water.

Ma Jinghong sat on the kang and touched the quilt and mattress that Jia Zhang gave to her brother-in-law Feng Mingna. She saw that the stitching was very dense, all the threads that needed to be cut were taken care of, and the pillowcases were made as well as those bought from department stores. He raised his head and said with a smile:
"Aunt Zhang, your skills are really good!"

Jia Zhang was praised, but she looked embarrassed on her face, and said hurriedly: "It's nothing. People of my age have done this kind of thing too much. Jinghong, if you feel that something is inappropriate, just tell Auntie, I Take it back and change it."

Ma Jinghong didn't expect that a shameless person like Aunt Zhang would actually know how to blush. She smiled in her heart, took out ten dollars from her body and said:
"Aunt Zhang, this is what my brother Qing gave to your family. Please keep it."

Seeing the money, Mrs. Jia Zhang's eyes shone, she took it, thanked Ma Jinghong repeatedly, as if she had honey on her mouth, and kept talking:
"Jinghong, aunt, I have liked you and Qingzi over the years that I have been in the hospital. You two are so friendly and friendly. I always tell my two granddaughters that when looking for a partner in the future, just follow your example, Aunt Jinghong, and look for you Xu Qing." Like my uncle, he is good-looking, and he is a high official, so he will have no worries about food and drink for the rest of his life."

Ma Jinghong saw that Mr. Jia and Zhang finally looked like a human being. She was aware of her shyness and no longer spoke harshly, so she chatted with her for a while.

After Xu Qing came home in the evening, he saw that the wedding ceremony for his third brother Feng Ming was being prepared. Thinking that it was July [-]th today and the day after tomorrow would be Feng Ming's wedding day, he walked out of the house to ask Xu Damao if the wedding banquet was ready. No.

Xu Qing originally didn't want to let Xu Damao drink, but Xu Damao took the initiative to take over the matter.Seeing that they were both residents of the same compound and lived in the same backyard, so they got along well with each other, so I didn't refuse.

Xu Damao stood in the courtyard and said: "Qingzi, brother, don't worry about me doing things. I have already prepared them. I pulled them directly from the winery and kept them in the warehouse I rented outside. You don't know that the winery When the people over there saw it was me, they gave me a [-]% discount. Brother, I don’t earn a penny, so don’t give me any money. This wine is my wedding gift to Feng Ming.”

Xu Qing saw that Xu Damao was so cheerful today and didn't even need any money. He suddenly felt that Xu Damao must be looking for help from him for something.

Otherwise, given his character, he would not be able to do such a loss-making business.

Xu Qing took out a cigarette, handed one to Xu Damao and said, "Brother Damao, tell me if you have anything to do. I have to give you the money to buy the wine. How can I let you spend money?"

Xu Damao immediately raised his arm to block it, "Hey! Qingzi, do you look down on me, brother? It's just a few boxes of wine, and it's not worth much. As brothers, it's not vulgar to ask for money."

Seeing that Xu Damao kept refusing, Xu Qing put the money he took out back into his trouser pocket.

Now the third brother in the family, Feng Ming, is getting married, and his wife is going to give birth not long after that, which is also the time to spend money.

Xu Qing then said to Xu Damao: "That's it, brother Damao, I will thank you on behalf of my third brother Feng Ming, and don't say anything if anything happens in the future."

Xu Damao held his cigarette in his mouth and hummed.

Xu Qing stood at the door of Xu Damao's house and said something else before turning and leaving.

But as soon as he left, Qin Jingru immediately came out of the room and whispered to Xu Damao:

"Da Mao, our family is not rich now, why don't you want the money to buy wine?"

Xu Damao turned around and glared at Qin Jingru, "You stinky bitch, what do you know?!"

Xu Damao pushed Qin Jingru into the house and yelled in a low voice:

"Qin Jingru, let me tell you, you should stop interfering in what I do from now on. Why do you still need to teach me how to do things for the big men?"

Qin Jingru was silent and suffered Xu Damao's scolding. Although she still felt uncomfortable, she did not dare to talk back.

Xu Damao sat on the edge of the kang, smoking a cigarette with a cold face and ignoring Qin Jingru.

How can Qin Jingru, who has short hair and short knowledge, understand his plan.

Nowadays, the situation of Xu Qing's family in the compound is getting better year by year, especially since Xu Qing has become the director of the fifth factory. After almost a year, he has established a firm foothold.

The fifth branch factory, which had no improvement and was even at the bottom of several branch factories, was revitalized in a year, and it became prosperous, and became the most economically beneficial among several branch factories. one.

At the beginning of spring, the main factory specially approved several trucks of equipment and gave them to the fifth factory in view of the obvious increase in production efficiency and outstanding performance of the fifth factory last year. The rectification of the atmosphere was also the fastest and most effective.

Although Xu Damao heard from the gossip that it was Sun Deyou and Wang Minsheng, the two deputy directors of the fifth factory, who asked for supplies at the end of last year when they followed Xu Qing to the year-end general factory meeting.

But no matter what, the main factory approved it as soon as the New Year was over.

What does this mean?
It shows that the main factory attaches great importance to the fifth factory.

Furthermore, it was because the main factory recognized Xu Qing’s ability and valued Xu Qing as the factory director.

Otherwise, for the mess that no one wanted to take over before the Fifth Factory, someone else could bring it back to life so quickly and be praised by the main factory?

The main factory all valued Xu Qing. Xu Damao, as a neighbor who had lived in the same compound as Xu Qing for decades, how could he not notice something about him.

What's more, Xu Damao is a shrewd man and not stupid.

Let’s not talk about Xu Qing for the moment, Aiguo and Feng Ming are not bad either.

Xu Aiguo was the secretary to the big boss in the main factory. Who knew that one day he would change his identity and become a senior official in the main factory.

As for Feng Ming, although he was not in the main factory of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill or the fifth factory, he climbed to the position of section chief of his own factory in a few years.

What is your ability?It is obvious.

None of the three Xu Qing brothers was worthless. Xu Damao didn't even mention sending several boxes of wine. In ancient times, he would have wished to give Xu Fengming a concubine so that he could get closer to the Xu Qing family.

However, when Qin Jingru, a village girl, was put on the stand, her eyesight was so shallow that she could only see what was happening in front of her. Xu Damao felt helpless in his heart. He rolled his eyes at Qin Jingru and said coldly:
"Qin Jingru, remember what I told you a few years ago. Don't mess with Qingzi's family. If you dare to cause trouble for me, see how I deal with you!"

Qin Jingru remained silent, raised her eyelids and glanced at Xu Damao, then turned and went to the kitchen to make dinner.

At this time, Yan Bugui, the third uncle in the front yard, walked into the backyard with his eldest son Yan Jiecheng's daughter, and went straight into Xu Qing's house.

Xu Damao is shrewd. Yan Bugui, who is the third uncle in the compound and has a belly full of ink, has eaten salt for several more years than Xu Damao. He is even more refined and can see things more clearly.

As soon as he entered the room, Yan Bugui said with a smile: "Xiao Qing, I heard from your Aunt Zhang this afternoon that Feng Ming's wedding was accepted by her. Your third brother will get married the day after tomorrow. Is there anything you need help with in your family?" , Just tell me, the third uncle, school is on summer vacation, I have nothing to do, so don’t see anyone outside."

Xu Qing smiled and handed the cigarette to Yan Bugui and said: "Third uncle, Feng Ming's wedding has almost been prepared for this period, and there is nothing to be busy with. The wedding room is a new house assigned to me by the main factory. The furniture and other things are in front of me." I bought them in a few days and sent them over. Feng Ming asked his high school and college classmates to write the wedding invitations and send them out early. There is really nothing to do tomorrow.

Besides, my second father and my two aunts from the countryside have some relatives. They also went to the city last night. If anything happens tomorrow, they can handle it. "

A trace of disappointment flashed in Yan Bugui's eyes. He wanted to do something to get closer to Xu Qing's family.

It's just that a few days ago, he was embarrassed to open his mouth. As the third uncle of the compound, he has a high seniority, so he can't let down his posture easily.

After hesitating for a few days, he finally let go of his airs today, only to hear Xu Qing say that there was nothing he needed to help with the preparations for Feng Ming's wedding.

Yan Bugui felt a little regretful, secretly feeling that he had missed a good opportunity.

However, Yan Bugui is a decent person and will not make himself embarrassed or ugly. He immediately smiled and said:
"That's it. Then I'll wait for Fengming to get married the day after tomorrow and help write the gift list."

Hearing this, Xu Qing hurriedly thanked you and said: "Third uncle, I'm sorry to trouble you. I think there will be a lot of people coming the day after tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work."

Yan Bugui waved his hands and said cheerfully: "Hey, Feng Ming is getting married. This is a happy event for our compound. No need to worry about it. We are all neighbors in the same compound. There is no need to see anyone outside."

Xu Qing smiled and nodded, and couldn't help but secretly feel that the people in the courtyard had an attitude towards his family in the past. Seeing that his family was poor, they wanted to bully him to death.

Now, the attitude of everyone in the courtyard is completely different.

This man became hardened, and the scenery he saw was indeed different!
(End of this chapter)