Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 413 Brother Silly Zhu, who did you listen to?
As soon as the Little New Year is over, New Year's Eve will be next week.

However, this winter will not be cold for long.

Because as soon as the New Year is over, spring begins immediately.

By then the weather will gradually warm up and become warmer day by day.

Xu Qing had just finished lunch and looked at the new wall calendar he had just bought before New Year's Day, secretly counting the days in his heart.

The beginning of spring is the eighth day of the first lunar month.

On the first and second days of the lunar month, I stayed at home for two days. On the third day of the lunar month, I visited my father-in-law and called "Li Fenghong" from the Workers' Newspaper to wish me a happy new year.

After knowing each other for many years, they are already old acquaintances.

On the fourth and fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Xu Qing turned around and asked his daughter-in-law Jing Hong whether he should go to Hui Lihua and Luo Hongjuan, Zhao Ailing and the others first, or Li Guohua and Er Niu.

Ma Jinghong held the little cotton-padded jacket she had just made for her daughter with both hands, turned to Xu Qing and said:

"Brother Qing, it's not the New Year yet. Let's talk about it then. Maybe, before we go to their house, they come to our house first."

Xu Qing smiled and felt that his wife was right. He turned around and walked to the edge of the kang. He gently tucked the quilt on his sleeping daughter, then walked outside the house and went to the middle courtyard to find Silly Zhu. went.

Now, on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, everyone in the compound has already been on holiday.

Logically speaking, today can be regarded as the Little New Year, because the Little New Year in the south is one day later than in the north.

But the North does not live according to the customs of the South.

Therefore, today's courtyard is not as lively as yesterday. Around noon, everyone cleaned their houses with feather dusters, brooms, and brooms, and then they all slept in their own warm rooms.

In winter, except for buying new year's goods or having to go out for something, who wants to go out and hang out in the cold weather.

Only Aiguo's family of three were not there. Yesterday, Aiguo took Aiqian and Hongfu to his father-in-law's house.

He said he would stay there for a few days and come back on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month.

In the morning, Xu Qing took his wife, son, and sister to clean the main house and the small house. He also cleaned up the house where his second brother lived and the house where Aunt Feng lived alone.

I had nothing to do at the moment, so I went to the middle courtyard to chat with Shazhu.

Silly Zhu had been busy all morning. He had to tidy up the two rooms in his courtyard and also clean the house left by the old lady. After finally finishing his work, he fell asleep for a short while and was lying alone in his courtyard. On the hot Kang, he crossed his legs and ate melon seeds.

Now that he couldn't find his wife, he simply wasn't in a hurry.

Anyway, that's it, someone will help him introduce him, give him instructions, and go on a blind date.

If we can fall in love with each other and see each other, then we can get married directly.

In the past, Silly Zhu had very high requirements. At first, he didn't want any girls who were not yellow flowers.

Later, as long as it was from the city.

Later, those in rural areas also became popular.

But as he gets older year by year, his requirements are lowered again and again, but he still hasn't found a suitable one.

Silly Zhu doesn't ask for anything now, as long as she is a woman and there is nothing wrong with her.

Seeing Xu Qing coming over, Si Zhu turned over and sat up, threw a handful of melon seeds to Xu Qing and said:

"Qingzi, do you have anything to do with me, brother?"

Xu Qing took the melon seeds and knocked them: "I haven't been idle for almost a month. I can't stay in the house anymore, so I came to sit here with you."

Hearing this, Shazhu grinned and said, "How about we brothers have some drinks?"

Xu Qing responded: "Okay, I'll go back to the house to get some wine now."

Silly Zhu slipped off the kang, put on his shoes and said, "Okay, then I'll go to the kitchen and prepare some dishes for us two to go with wine."

When Xu Qing returned to the backyard and carried a bottle of white wine into Silly Zhu's room in the middle courtyard again, Silly Zhu had already come out of the kitchen with a plate of pickled vegetables and a plate of fried peanuts.

Silly Zhu put the plate on the hot kang and said:
"Qingzi, wait a minute, brother, let me scramble some more eggs. My aunt gave me five eggs the day before yesterday. I will fry one now and add another dish for us to go with the wine."

Xu Qing waved his hand and said: "Brother Silly Zhu, don't bother, get some sesame sauce. If you have green onions in the house, why not eat them with green onions?"

When Silly Zhu heard this, he thought so, so he turned around and went into the kitchen, took four green onions, two wine cups, two pairs of chopsticks, and sat on the kang with Xu Qing to drink wine.

He worked for a year, working as a cook in the factory cafeteria, cooking every day, and he got tired of it. If he could stop cooking, he would never touch the stove.

Silly Zhu first raised his wine cup with Xu Qing and walked away, then started talking while holding pickles with chopsticks.

"Qingzi, brother, I really want to ask you something. Last time I was here, I didn't mean to say it. Now it's just us two brothers. You tell me the truth, did you cause trouble in the fifth factory? Already?"

"Brother Silly Zhu, who did you listen to?"

Xu Qing didn't know why Silly Zhu asked this, and was very curious.

Silly Zhu picked up a peanut with chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, chewed and said:
"I didn't hear anyone say that you suddenly stopped going to work. You have been idle in the yard for more than half a month. The position of director of the fifth factory has been taken by Aiguo. If you didn't cause any trouble, why are you doing a good job as the director? Dry."

Hearing what Silly Zhu said, Xu Qing suddenly realized that everyone in the courtyard was still wondering why he left the fifth factory, so he couldn't help but smile bitterly:
"Brother Silly Zhu, I really didn't cause any trouble. You're overthinking it."

Silly Zhu put down his chopsticks, grinned and asked again: "Qingzi, are you really not causing any trouble?"

"You don't know me yet. If I really caused something in the Fifth Factory, I would definitely handle it myself. There would be no need to leave."

Silly Zhu grabbed the scallions, dipped them in sesame sauce, and took a bite. "Qingzi, tell me, brother, why don't you become the director of the factory?"

Xu Qing glanced at the newspaper in front of the kangtou, stretched out his hand to grab it, put it in front of Sha Zhu, and pointed to the news that the country had reopened.
"For this."

"That's it?"

Silly Zhu looked puzzled. He put the green onion aside, picked up the newspaper, looked down at it, put it down beside him, took out a cigarette and handed it to Xu Qing:

"Qingzi, the national policy is good. It's a good thing to change it, but what does this have to do with you not being the director of the factory?
You manage thousands of people in the Fifth Factory, how awesome you are, when you go out to run an errand, and you have a driver to help you drive, that’s great, why not..."

Xu Qing didn't let Sha Zhu finish speaking. He raised his hand and interrupted: "Brother Sha Zhu, this is a great opportunity. Just look at it. In less than half a year, I will be doing it by myself. The money I earn every month will be more than that of working in a factory." It’s much longer!”

Silly Zhu looked unbelieving.

In these days, everyone wants to join a factory, work in an agency, eat public food, and follow the country.

No one thinks that they can earn more outside than working in a factory.

Because in the past many years, there has never been any small business or hawker who made a lot of money.

Although the wages in the factory are not high, they are not low either.

At the very least, I can have a fixed income every month, which is better than those small traders who are hungry and full.

Silly Zhu poured the wine and said: "Qingzi, there is no turning back when you shoot. If the money you make in the future cannot even support your family, then you will be in trouble."

Xu Qing smiled and said: "Brother Silly Zhu, I understand."

There is a hot kang in the room and strong liquor.

There is a cold wind outside and the weather is freezing.

Xu Qing drank up the bottle of Erqu, and he and Silly Zhu stopped drinking.

……

On the afternoon of the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, Xu Aiguo returned with his wife Ai Qian and his son in his arms.

The small house where Xu Aiguo lived had no stove for several days and was as cold as an ice cellar.

As for the nanny Aunt Feng, she took leave on the [-]th of the twelfth lunar month and went back to the countryside to celebrate the New Year. Xu Aiguo asked his wife and children to stay in the eldest brother Xu Qing's house first.

He lit the stove in the house where he lived alone and warmed the house before he took his wife and son back.

Early in the morning, after breakfast, Xu Aiguo took the initiative to find his elder brother and sister-in-law and said:

"Brother, sister-in-law, if there is anything our family needs for the New Year, I will go shopping today to buy it."

Xu Qing smiled and said: "There is nothing missing. During the days when you were away, Feng Ming, Xiaoya, Xiujuan, and your sister-in-law Jinghong and I have all purchased together."

Xu Aiguo scratched his head in embarrassment and said:
"Brother, Ai Qian and I didn't buy anything for our family."

Xu Xiaoya said with a smile: "Second brother, our family hasn't made tofu yet. When you are 29, you can make tofu."

How can we miss making tofu during the Chinese New Year?

This kind of cheap and high-quality food is indispensable for every household in the compound and is made every year.

In the blink of an eye, everyone in the compound was lining up to the backyard carrying their own soaked soybeans, preparing to borrow Xu Qing's 'iron grinder' to grind the beans.

Speaking of which, the first iron roller was made by Xu Qing many years ago when he was working in Factory No. [-].

I heard from Shazhu that after using it for so many years, it still keeps spinning when the power is turned on.

He still sticks to his post in the kitchen of the canteen of the No. [-] Factory.

Today's courtyard was just created by Xu Qing some time ago.

It's not as big as the original one, and smaller than the one Xu Qing ordered people to make at the Fifth Factory.

The appearance has also become much better.

After improvement again and again, it is naturally getting better and better.

Although Xu Qing is not a designer, everyone has a love for beauty.

It must be how good it looks.

Mrs. Jia Zhang took the stick stem and held the soaked soybeans in a large enamel basin. The first one used an iron roller. After using it, she did not forget to rinse the remaining beans with clean water.

To put it nicely, Xu Qing would clean the iron roller after use.

But no one in the courtyard knew clearly. Jia Zhang was afraid that there would be some leftovers in the iron roller.

Everyone in the courtyard was already used to this, so they didn't say anything and just followed suit in silence.

Rinse with clean water after use.

Although it is Xu Qing's iron grinder, it is often Xu Qing's turn to grind soybeans and make tofu in the end.Xu Qing never cares about such small things, there is no need.

Anyway, as long as the tofu is ready.

The order before and after, doesn’t matter!
There is no need to make things unpleasant when Nian Gen is here.

What's more, everyone in the courtyard is not completely inhumane.

It was almost one o'clock, and Xu Qing's tofu was not ready yet.

Silly Zhu came from Auntie's house and, together with Yi Zhonghai, who was carrying a bowl of tofu, helped Xu Qing scoop out the soy milk boiled in the pot and make it into tofu.

It's not that the three Xu Qing brothers don't know how to do it, but the number of people in the family is getting larger and larger.

Last year and this year, I bought twice as much soybeans as in previous years.

Yi Zhonghai helped make the tofu and returned to the courtyard with the empty bowl.

Silly Zhu, on the other hand, stayed in the kitchen of Xu Qing's house and started doing a unique skill that he only showed off once a year - mixing tofu with spring onions.

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month last year, Tang Xiujuan, who had just married Feng Ming, ate it for the first time and found it very delicious.

Of course, Silly Zhu took advantage of the freshly made tofu to show off his skills.

Once a year, one bowl per person, no more.

Very appetizing.

It was the year Xu Fengming came back from going to the countryside to jump in the queue that Shazhu did more.

After that, no matter who asks, no more exceptions will be made.

Xu Hongzhi was eating tofu mixed with spring onions from his own bowl. From time to time he would run up to Xu Qing and Jing Hong, pick some from his parents' bowl with chopsticks, and stuff it into his own little mouth.

On New Year's Eve, the courtyard was busier than yesterday, with more people.

During the New Year, Yan Jiecheng's two younger brothers, Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang, took their wife and son back to the compound to celebrate the New Year with their parents.

As usual, it rained on the [-]th day. I went back to the compound to visit my elder brother and left in the afternoon.

As for the eldest and second eldest brother Liu Haizhong, neither of them came back.

It was still just Liu Guangfu and his wife, who accompanied the old couple to celebrate the New Year.
And today is considered to be the busiest day of the year in the compound, apart from people getting married or getting married.

When it got dark in the evening, everyone sat around in their houses and had a reunion dinner.

However, the black and white TV set in Xu Aiguo's house was borrowed by Sha Zhu in the middle courtyard before the three uncles in the front yard.

This made Yan Bugui feel very unhappy.

Since it's Chinese New Year and it's hard to get angry, I can only give myself some peace of mind and bite the bullet next year and buy one for my family.

Although there is no Spring Festival Gala on New Year's Eve this year, some programs will still be broadcast on TV so that people with TVs can watch it on New Year's Eve.

The big color TV in Xu Qing's house was playing the New Year's greetings from this national figure to the people of the country.

Xu Qing took his younger brother, sister, daughter-in-law, son, and two younger sisters-in-law, and the whole family sat around the warm Kang, eating the New Year's Eve dinner that was filled with a Kang, and while eating, they watched the TV content inside.

As for the two little guys who were just over one year old, they were both nestling next to their parents, staring at their dark little eyes, each holding a bottle in his hand and drinking milk.

This year’s New Year’s Eve dinner is quite sumptuous, including chicken, duck and fish, and dumplings stuffed with pork are naturally impossible to miss.

Stir-fried pork, scrambled eggs with pepper, braised fish, braised pork, stewed chicken, stewed duck, hot and sour shredded potatoes,

Pork stewed with vermicelli, potatoes, white radish, tofu, and cabbage.

Assorted vegetables, fried bean sprouts, cold sausages, fried peanuts...

There are many people in the family, so the New Year’s Eve dinner has many dishes and large portions.

Xu Qing, his wife, second brother, third brother, three families, and his sister all make money.

The monthly food stamps and meat stamps, plus one yuan, are quite considerable.

It's more than enough to make a table of food.

This is not to mention that after Xu Qing divided the various tickets given to him by his brothers and sisters, none of them were used.

Now, after more than six years of hard times, the lives of everyone in the compound have improved year by year.

On the one hand, the country vigorously develops economy and agriculture.

The supply of food in the city is evenly distributed so that no one will go hungry.

People living in the city don’t have to worry about not having enough to eat.

On the other hand, everyone in the compound has been gradually promoted in rank as their working years have increased year by year.

Earning more and more money.

At the end of the year, after working hard all year long, who doesn't want to have a good meal?

The Jia family bought three kilograms of pork and one chicken this year, not to mention the other families.

At midnight, Xu Qing and his son set off firecrackers to welcome the New Year in the courtyard.

The other families in the compound were also released at this time.

The crackling sound of firecrackers kept ringing in the cold night.

The entire Forty-Nine Cities are also absorbed in the moment of welcoming the New Year.

As soon as the sound of firecrackers stopped, Xu Qing turned back to the house, took out the New Year's money prepared for his second brother's son Hongfu, and stuffed it into the little boy's pink hands.

Xu Fengming glanced at his daughter-in-law Tang Xiujuan and gave the lucky money to his nephew Hongfu.

In addition, there are the eldest brother's son Hongzhi and his daughter Qiaoxin.

Xu Xiaoya was not in a hurry. After her nephew Hongzhi, who was already sensible, kowtowed to his third brother and third sister-in-law to express his thanks, he took out the New Year's money from his body and gave it to his eldest brother and second brother's children respectively.

Xu Aiguo waited for a while, and after seeing his nephew Hongzhi thanking his sister, he reached out and took out the lucky money.

Throughout the year, Xu Hongzhi has been looking forward to collecting the new year's money tonight, and he keeps spouting auspicious words one after another.

"Thank you, second uncle, thank you, second aunt."

Xu Hongzhi paid the money and hurriedly put it on his body, waiting to go to his grandparents' place two days after tomorrow to pay New Year's greetings and earn some lucky money. He saved up a dollar so that he could buy delicious food for himself and his sister when visiting the temple fair.

On the first and second day of the first lunar month, Xu Qing, his younger brothers and sisters, his wife Jinghong, his sister-in-law Aiqian and Xiujuan, and a large family were sitting in the courtyard with everyone in the compound, having fun together.

On the third day of the first lunar month, Xu Qing took his wife, son, and daughter in his arms to visit his father-in-law, Ma Guohua, at his home to pay New Year greetings.

Aiguo and Fengming and their respective wives went shopping for a day with their sister Xiaoya.

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Feng Ming and Tang Xiujuan went to their father-in-law's place.

The eldest brother, sister-in-law, second brother and second sister-in-law were left to accompany the younger sister.

For patriotism, Liu Aiqian and I left the compound on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year to pay New Year greetings to his father-in-law.

They are all married people, so it was natural for them to go and walk around during the Spring Festival.

The reason for this arrangement is that the three Xu Qing brothers did not want their sister Xiaoya to stay at home alone.

The relationship between the four brothers and sister has been good since childhood. How could they let the younger sister stay at home alone during the Chinese New Year?

But Xu Qing originally planned to go to Jinghong's daughter's place and his high school classmates Li Guohua and Erniu's place on the fourth and fifth day of the lunar month, but they didn't make it.

But it didn't bother them, because Li Guohua and Er Niu came to the compound early on the fifth day of the lunar month.

Hui Lihua and the others only came here on the seventh day of the lunar month.

The introspective Xu Qing and Jing Hong went to their side.

As for other homes in the compound, people are also coming to visit relatives and friends these days.

The courtyard was bustling with activity.

It's the beginning of spring on the eighth day of the lunar month, and the weather has become a little warmer early in the morning.

Xu Qing, his younger brother and sister, his two sisters-in-law, and a large family, together with Shazhu and Xu Damao from Zhongyuan, went to the temple fair together. While walking along the street, they looked to see if there were any good shops.

After all, Xu Qing has left the Fifth Factory and will start to make a living on his own in the future.

On the street, during this period of time, there were countless people and it was noisy.

The shouts of the small merchants and hawkers came and went one after another, not talking to each other.

Stewed, stir-fried liver, roasted, bean juice, water chestnut pancakes, fried tripe, candied haws and other snacks can be found everywhere.

You can also see a lot of cannabis flowers and clay figurines in Tianjin.

But more people still gather at the temple fair.

Xu Qing was not with his wife, Qin Jingru and other women. Instead, he walked in front with Xu Damao, Sha Zhu, second brother, and third brother, looking for a suitable shop.

Xu Damao saw Xu Qing stopping to look at the shops that were not open for business from time to time, and asked curiously:

"Qingzi, what's wrong? You resigned from the Fifth Factory just to find a shop and do business?"

Xu Qing nodded and did not deny it.

Xu Damao smoked a cigarette, his thoughts whirling in his mind as he looked at Xu Qing and then at the shop.

After thinking about it secretly for a moment, he finally came to his senses and realized that Xu Qing was ready to start his own business after seeing the country open up.

After Xu Damao figured it out, he couldn't help but thought to himself: "Qingzi can abandon the inappropriateness of the factory director and choose to do business. It seems that business can make money in the future!"

I felt secretly happy and suddenly realized that I couldn't fall behind and had to follow Qingzi.

Qingzi has a high level of education and has ink in his belly. If he can do this, he must be right.

(End of this chapter)