Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 408 Renting a House and Collecting Money
The night was soft, the wind was light and the clouds were thin, and there was no sound in the backyard.

Xu Damao hasn't come home yet, Qin Jingru is eating alone in the house, while the second uncle Liu Haizhong's house, the steward, is soaking his feet while whispering to the second aunt about Banggeng's return.

As for Liu Guangfu and his wife, they were just two idlers. They still thought about their parents helping to hold them up even if the sky fell. They closed the door and ate watermelon, indifferent to Banggeng's return.

After all, whether Banggeng has returned to the compound or not has nothing to do with them, so how could he possibly care.

It was just that when Qin Huairu came from the central courtyard to the backyard, Liu Guangfu was nibbling on a watermelon. He accidentally glanced out the window and saw it, but he continued to eat the watermelon as if he hadn't seen it.

Qin Huairu didn't come to see Liu Guangfu. After passing by Liu Guangfu's house, she walked directly to Xu Qing's house.

Ma Jinghong sat on the kang and watched her son Hongzhi playing with the abacus with her sister-in-law. When she saw Qin Huairu coming, she reached out and poked Xu Qing who was reading the newspaper.

Xu Qing sat up, closed the newspaper and said, "Sister Huairu, are you okay tonight?"

Qin Huairu hummed, sat next to Ma Jinghong, and said with an embarrassed look on her face:

"My son is back today. I want to ask you for help with something?"

Xu Qing smiled in his heart. He knew that Qin Huairu came here to ask for his help, so he said directly:

"Sister Huairu, tell me what's going on."

"I want my son to live over there at the old lady's cabin."

Qin Huairu said straight to the point, looking at Xu Qing, Ma Jinghong and Xu Xiaoya, and added, "Banggen has grown up now. It's not convenient for me and my mother to live together at night."

Seeing that this was what happened, Xu Qing didn't rush to speak, but thought about it first.

Thinking that Qin Huairu could come to see him, he must have come here because he felt that the old lady's main house was not good at the moment.

Otherwise, the main house is so spacious and spacious that no one would choose the cottage.

After Xu Qing thought to himself, he slowly said:

"Sister Huairu, Banggeng can live in the hut, but the rent is enough."

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment, then asked with a confused look on her face: "How much will it cost?"

Xu Qing took out his cigarette, lit it and took a puff, "Sister Qin, two yuan a month."

The reason why Xu Qing did this was mainly due to two aspects.

Once you come to the old lady's house, you will have to spend money to repair it in the future, and collect some rent. If something goes wrong, you can just use it to supplement it.

Secondly, we cannot live in vain.

Logically speaking, a neighbor in a compound who looks down but does not look up when meeting him should not ask for money.

But the problem is, who knows how long it will take after the stick is settled.

If it's just a few days or half a month, Xu Qing doesn't charge a cent.

But if you live there for a year and a half, it will be different.

As the old saying goes, a bowl of rice feeds a benefactor, and a bucket of rice feeds an enemy.

Xu Qing didn't want to make it look bad later.

Qin Huairu lowered her head and thought about it secretly. Her current salary was not even half of Xu Qing's salary in a month.

Not even Jinghong and Xiaoya Gao.

Although she has been working for many years, her educational level is low. Even though she went to night school to obtain a junior high school diploma, she is still an ordinary worker, and her level has only been promoted over the years.

Compared to Xiaoya who started working right after graduating from college, the gap is still huge.

Qin Huairu knew that Xu Qing didn't need much for the two yuan room fee. If it were left outside and unknown to people, it would be the same size as the old lady's cabin. The minimum cost would be three yuan a month.

But the current situation of her family is much better than in previous years, but it is not easy to spend two yuan readily.

But then I thought about it, my son Banggeng is back now. He also made money when he went to the countryside to join the team, although he may not be able to find a job for a while when he comes back.

But he still had to go to work. Qin Huairu thought about it, gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, Jinghong, I'll give you two yuan this month first."

Qin Huairu reached into her pocket and groped for a long time, took out a handful of dimes, counted two pieces and handed them to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing did not refuse. He took it to his body and asked his sister Xiaoya to fetch the key from the old lady's cabin and give it to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu didn't sit down anymore, took the key, thanked her and turned around to leave.

Qin Jingru, who lived in the backyard, was standing at the door waiting for Xu Damao to come back. When she saw her cousin walking out of Xu Qing's house, she asked curiously:

"Sister, Banggeng is back today, why are you still going to Xu Qing's house at night?"

Qin Huairu shook the key in her hand and said, "When Banggeng comes back, I can't find a house for him to live in."

Qin Jingru curled her lips and whispered:
"Sister, you are so stupid. The stupid pillar in your middle courtyard is not the main room with the old lady. You are looking for her."

Qin Huairu rolled her eyes at Qin Jingru, "You're so smart. Do you think I didn't expect that the old lady's main house can be occupied now?"

Qin Jingru was asked a question in return, she stretched out her hand to tuck her hair in front of her eyes and said with a slight embarrassment:
"Sister, doesn't Shazhu's family also have a small house? Why don't you let the stick stick over there?"

Qin Huairu rolled her eyes at her cousin again and sighed:

"You, I really don't know what you are thinking about all day long. If Sister Yuzhu comes back to stay for a few days, where will you let her live?"

After Qin Huairu finished speaking, she was too lazy to chat with Qin Jingru. She turned to look at the old lady's hut. As soon as she had a change of thought, she took her cousin over and opened the lock with the key, then went into the house to clean up.

Xu Qing and Xiaoya had just cleaned the hut not long ago. Apart from a little dust, it was actually habitable with just a simple cleaning.

Ten minutes later, Qin Huairu returned to the central courtyard and took the bedroll into the backyard with Banggan.

Xu Damao pushed his bicycle back to the compound at this time.

I saw BangGeng coming back from the queue and staying in the old lady's hut at night.

Xu Damao put his bicycle down casually at the door of his house, walked up to Banggeng and said:
"Boy, are you back?"

Banggeng held the feather duster and looked up at Xu Damao, then nodded without saying a word.

Seeing this, Xu Damao was not in the mood to pay attention. He turned around and asked Qin Jingru to go back to his house and get him food quickly.

Half an hour later, Xu Damao sat in his room and started eating. Qin Jingru put an enamel teapot with hot water aside and said:

"Da Mao, Qingzi rented the old lady's hut to my sister today and charged two yuan for the room fee."

Xu Damao chewed the steamed bun in his mouth, glanced at his wife and said:
"What's wrong? When have you ever heard of renting a house without paying rent?"

Qin Jingru complained with a look on her face: "My sister is from our hospital, and she is not from outside. Why do Qingzi and Jinghong have the nerve to ask for money!"

Xu Damao swallowed the bun in his mouth and looked at Qin Jingru with contempt.

"Have you been kicked in the head by a donkey? Your sister asked a stick to come to our backyard. If she doesn't pay, what will the other people in our yard think?"

Xu Damao cursed, put down the chopsticks in his hand, grabbed the enamel teapot and took a few sips. He reached for the Peony cigarette in his trouser pocket, lit it and smoked:

"Qin Jingru, I'm warning you, don't let me think twice about what you say next. Do you really think Qingzi is just coveting the two yuan for the room fee?!"

Qin Jingru sat aside and curled her lips and said:
"Isn't it true? Who doesn't want money?"

Xu Damao was speechless in anger, took a puff of cigarette, stood up and walked to the edge of the kang to sit down.

"Qin Jingru, you are so fucking stupid. Qingzi is now the factory director, and the two yuan a month rent your sister gives you is not as much as other people's daily wages. Do you think everyone is the same as you? See Money-minded?"

Qin Jingru was scolded and did not dare to say anything. Xu Damao held a cigarette in his mouth, took off the smelly socks on his feet, and said sternly:

"You should stay out of your sister's family affairs from now on. When Bangge comes back, don't give me any advice."

Qin Jingru turned her head to the side, unwilling to listen to Xu Damao's scolding.

But dare not talk back.

After all, she pointed at Xu Damao to make a comeback so that she could continue to enjoy the blessings.

In the middle of the night, it started to rain.

The raindrops were pattering in the courtyard, making a really loud noise.

But within more than an hour, the troops retreated. Only the rainwater falling on the roof was dripping along the eaves under the dark night.
At this time, the courtyard was shrouded in darkness, and the only sound of silence was the sound of raindrops falling.

September 27, Mid-Autumn Festival.

Although it is Tuesday, all units and factories in Forty-Nine City are on holiday.

Jinghong was pregnant and was about to give birth soon. Xu Qing didn't let her make mooncakes.

However, Aiguo and Fengming returned to the compound with their wives, and Aiqian and Tang Xiujuan helped Xiaoya. This year's mooncakes were not only made in many varieties, but also made quickly.

In addition to the most traditional red, white and five-nut mooncakes, there are also bean paste-filled and fluffy mooncakes.Xu Qing and his third brother took action, while Aiguo squatted in the kitchen to light the fire.

Ma Jinghong became the most leisurely one, sitting in the front room, watching her son Hongzhi do his homework, helping Aiguo and Aiqian, and taking care of their infant nephew.

At about four o'clock in the afternoon, more than 30 mooncakes were made in the house. Xu Qing asked his son to send six to each of the three stewards of the courtyard. The remaining ones were wrapped in paper, put into a net bag, and left the courtyard. Use your ability to divide the courtyard into two parts and send them to your father-in-law, Ma Guohua, and your master, Lao Zhang.

Not long after Xu Qing left, the three uncles in the courtyard each brought their own mooncakes for Xu Qing's family to try.

During the festival, we just want to have fun.

Nowadays, Xu Qing's family has the highest prestige in the courtyard, and they have become the "backbone" of the courtyard.

Whether it's Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong or the shrewd Yan Bugui.

They all want to get closer to Xu Qing's family.

Especially during the festival today, even if Xu Qing doesn't send them mooncakes, they will take the initiative to bring home-made mooncakes and send them to Xu Qing's house in the backyard.

In the Jia family's house, although Xu Qing did not ask his son to give them to him, Qin Huairu and Jia Zhang baked some mooncakes and asked Banggeng to bring eight to Xu Qing's family and prepare to deliver them.

Of course, Mrs. Jia and Zhang were reluctant, but it was Xu Qing who helped their family get Bangge back.

Mrs. Jia Zhang was unhappy, but surprisingly she didn't complain.

He took out two months of cakes from the bowl that Bangge was going to bring to Xu Qing's family, and said, "Huairu, Xu Qing's family will give you six in the backyard. Six or six will go well, and it will be auspicious."

Qin Huairu didn't care about this with her mother-in-law, and waved to Banggeng to quickly take the mooncakes to the backyard.

As for Xu Damao's family, Qin Huairu planned to make some mooncakes later and asked Banggeng to deliver them to them.

In any case, Qin Jingru is the aunt of Banggeng, Xiaodang and Huaihua.

But Jia Zhang stopped her with a dark face:

"Huairu, our family is not rich. Xu Damao and your sister Qin Jingru, what do you think they did to help our family?

We haven't had any luck in these years. When Banggen went to the countryside to join the queue, Xu Damao didn't help. He asked Banggen to come back, but he was still useless. What kind of mooncakes should we send to his family? Even if you are a sister, you have to give it to him. Qin Jingru, she and Xu Damao gave it to our family. "

As luck would have it, Xu Damao was carrying the mooncakes made by Qin Jingru from the backyard to the middle courtyard, and had just walked outside the door of Jia's house.

Suddenly hearing Jia Zhang's words, his face instantly sank, and he thought to himself:

"Well, Jia Zhang, that's how much you miss me, we'll see!"

Xu Damao had the intention not to give the mooncakes to the Jia family, but he brought them all over and took them back. It was a big holiday, so he couldn't take back the things he had given away, so he left the bowl at the door of the Jia family's house, holding a cigarette in his mouth. Turned around and left.

However, when Xu Damao passed through the crescent gate of the middle courtyard and the backyard, he ran into Banggan coming out of Xu Qing's house.

Xu Damao stopped and said solemnly:

"Banggeng, when you come back, you should learn more and watch more in the courtyard. Everyone else will follow suit, especially your grandma. She is illiterate. When the street office opened literacy classes a few years ago, she was the only one in our courtyard. If you pretend to be ill, you have studied for a few years, so I won't say anything more and think about it more by myself."

After Xu Damao finished speaking, he thought of the mooncakes and added: "Go back and tell your mother that I, Xu Damao, am incapable of eating mooncakes or not."

Xu Damao stepped into the backyard and continued back to his home.

Banggeng turned his head and glanced, snorted, and returned to the middle courtyard.

Two minutes ago, Jia Zhang and Qin Huairu, who were in the house, heard the noise outside the house and hurriedly came out to check.

As a result, they were stunned when they saw the moon cakes in the bowl at the door of the house.

I didn't see who sent it, so I was confused.

Bangge came back from the backyard, glanced at the mooncakes at the door of the house and said:
"Mom, I met Xu Damao when I came back just now. He said that the mooncakes in front of our house were made by my aunt. Do you like to eat them?"

When Jia Zhang heard this, she immediately screamed secretly. What she said to Qin Huairu in the room before was definitely heard by Xu Damao.

But thinking about it again, Xu Damao just heard it. Her family just didn't take advantage of him and didn't care what he did.

When Mrs. Jia Zhang saw her eldest grandson returning to the house, she followed him back.

Qin Huairu suddenly felt tired. She had originally thought about letting Xu Damao look after her to find a job for Banggeng in a few days.

As for asking Xu Qing for help, she knew that there would be no problem. Xu Qing was the factory director. This kind of thing was very simple.

That is, she didn't want to trouble Xu Qing in the backyard anymore.

You can't always ask others for help whenever something happens to you.

She was willing to show shame for her son, but it was not worth the gain to offend Xu Qing.

It's better now, Xu Qing can't find it, so he asks Xu Damao for help. It seems that he can only let it go later.

Qin Huairu stood outside the house quietly for a while, then raised her hand to hold the mooncakes sent by Xu Damao.

But just as Qin Huairu was about to return to the house, Feng Wenjun from the fifth factory walked into the middle courtyard from the front yard with two boxes of mooncakes in both hands.

Qin Huairu stopped and looked at Feng Wenjun, and some impressions emerged in his mind.

Last August Festival, Feng Wenjun came to the compound and she saw him.

In addition, Aiguo and Fengming were also seen in the courtyard when they got married.

Just as Qin Huairu watched Feng Wenjun walk to the backyard, Shazhu, who lived in the middle courtyard, came out of Yi Zhonghai's house, stood at the door of the house with his aunt, and started talking.

"Auntie, Qingzi can do it. He is the director of the factory. Someone comes to our hospital every year to deliver moon cakes."

Silly Zhu put the crumbs of the mooncake in his hand, raised his head and swallowed it into his mouth. Just after he finished speaking, Er Mazi pushed the bicycle with a pack of mooncakes hanging on the handlebar, and walked into the middle courtyard talking and laughing with Zhou Pingtai and Wang Dequan. .

Er Mazi and Sha Zhu were old acquaintances. He raised his hand and said hello:
"Hey, Brother Silly Zhu, aren't you busy today?"

"What are you busy with during the holidays? I'm not busy."

Silly Zhu walked up to Er Mazi, glanced at the bicycles of Er Mazi and the others, and saw that they all had taken moon cakes, grinning and saying:
"Are you here to deliver mooncakes to Qingzi?"

Er Mazi raised his hand and took out a cigarette, handed it to Sha Zhu and said:
"Isn't this the August Festival? Qingzi works in the fifth factory now, not in our third factory. Our brothers haven't seen him for a long time. We take advantage of today's holiday to catch up with him."

Er Mazi finished speaking while leaning on the bicycle and asked Shazhu:
"Brother Silly Zhu, is Qingzi at home today?"

Silly Zhu took the cigarette, shook his head and said, "You guys came at the wrong time. Qingzi went to deliver mooncakes to his master and father-in-law on his bicycle."

Silly Zhu smoked the cigarette Er Mazi handed him, looked up at the sky, and said:

"You guys go to the backyard first. I have to go deliver mooncakes to my master. We'll see you tomorrow."

Er Mazi responded: "That's it, Brother Shazhu, see you in the factory tomorrow."

Silly Zhu went back to the first man's house, while Er Mazi and the other two pushed the cart to the backyard.

Xu Qing was not at home, so Er Mazi had to hand over the mooncakes to Ma Jinghong and Aiguo with Zhou Pingtai and Wang Dequan.

When it got dark, Xu Qing came back, but Er Mazi, the three of them, Feng Wenjun, and the rest of the people who came to the compound one after another had already left.

Only packages of mooncakes were left and placed in the house.

After the family reunion dinner, Xu Qing, his brothers, sisters, daughter-in-law, son, and two younger sisters-in-law sat in the courtyard of their home, enjoying the cool air and admiring the moon with everyone in the compound.

The autumnal equinox had just passed a few days ago, and the evening breeze in the courtyard was gentle and cool. The bright moon hung high, round and bright, and the moonlight was charming.

There are more people in the courtyard this year than last year, which makes it more lively.

Moon cakes, fruits, and peanuts were placed on the table where everyone was sitting.

Xu Damao also took two bottles of liquor from the house and ate mooncakes and drank wine with the three Xu Qing brothers, the three stewards, Sha Zhu, Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiecheng and Bang Gen.

Ma Jinghong and Ai Qian, Tang Xiujuan and Yu Li, and Qin Huairu accompanied Aunt Ma and the others, talking about the affairs between their women.

Xu Hongzhi took Yu Li's daughter and two little guys, each holding a moon cake, around the backyard, chasing each other.

Laughing and laughing, very happy.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, within three days, it was early October and it was National Day.

It’s another National Day holiday, and it’s still a long holiday.

At noon on October [-]st, Ma Jinghong suddenly felt severe pain in her stomach. She grabbed Xu Qing's arm tightly and shouted:
"Brother Qing, take me to the hospital quickly."

As soon as Ma Jinghong finished speaking, her amniotic fluid broke.

Xu Qingzheng told his sister Xiaoya and his mother-in-law that they would find a car in the afternoon to take Jinghong to the hospital to wait for delivery. When he saw this, he knew that his daughter-in-law was about to give birth.

Regardless of looking for a car, they hurriedly helped Jinghong onto the kang with her sister Xiaoya and asked her mother-in-law to help deliver the baby.

(End of this chapter)