Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 7
5 minute later.

The second pot of dumplings was cooked, and the steam in the kitchen filled the room. The whiteness mixed with the smell of meat, rushed towards Xu Qing's face, and rushed out along the window.

Xu Qing used a slotted spoon to take out all the dumplings, put them into a large enamel basin, then scooped out four bowls of hot soup and brought them to the front room.

Then he returned to the kitchen, steamed the steamed buns into the pot, took a look at the fire on the stove, and ignored it.

Then he turned back to the front room and ate dumplings around the table with the three little ones.

Xu Fengming was the most unappetizing, and he took one bite at a time, literally throwing it into his mouth.

The little girl's eyes widened when she saw it, and she said angrily:

"Third brother, you are a shameless person. You eat so fast. What will I eat later?"

Xu Fengming hadn't eaten meat for a long time. While chewing the dumplings in his mouth, he made a face and said:
"Who told you to be petty? I am Brother You, so I should eat more."

"Hmph, Kong Rong let pear, didn't your teacher teach you?" The little girl wanted to convince others with reason.

Unexpectedly, the example given is not appropriate at all.

Xu Fengming grabbed the braid and muttered:

"Kong Rong is the youngest in their family, so he eats pears. You are the youngest in our family and your belly is small, so eat less dumplings and let me eat them."

The little girl was furious, puffed up her cheeks, tossed her braids, and asked Xu Qing for help.

"Big brother, third brother bullied me"

Just as Xu Qing was about to speak, he saw his second younger brother Xu Aiguo tap Xu Fengming's finger with the tip of a chopstick.

Xu Aiguo is already in the second year of junior high school, so he is naturally more sensible than Xu Fengming.

Xu Fengming was beaten by the second brother, and saw the little girl complaining to the eldest brother Xu Qing, so he quickly put down his chopsticks and coaxed him.

"Okay, third brother, I don't want to eat anymore, why don't I leave it all to you?"

Only then did the little girl turn from anger to joy, her little face showed joy, she raised her chopsticks, and continued to eat dumplings happily.

Seeing his younger brothers and sisters playing around, Xu Qing smiled but said nothing.

This is not the case if you have brothers and sisters at home.

The four of them were eating noisily in the room.

And everyone in the courtyard smelled the aroma of meat wafting from Xu Qing's house.

In an instant, all poked their heads out of their respective rooms and looked towards the backyard.

Usually everyone in the compound eats meat, usually at the end of the month or the beginning of the month, the few days when wages are just paid.

When you have money, you naturally want to have a good meal.

In addition, each family occasionally eats secretly, closing the door and hiding in the house for fear of being known.

Especially since the Jia family eats meat, the sarcastic Jia Zhang family even closes the curtains, leaving no gaps and not even a trace of the smell of meat escaping.

However, Xu Qing didn't like to hide it.

Because I couldn't hide it, when I came back from buying meat, the third master in the front yard saw it and passed through the middle yard. How could everyone in the yard not know.

At this moment, the courtyard was filled with the aroma of meat, wafting from the backyard and enveloped in the northwest wind.

In the front yard, Yan Bugui stood on tiptoes, stretched his neck and looked far into the backyard, holding a cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

He knew that Xu Qingwu was eating meat, but when he smelled it, he couldn't help but feel greedy. He reached out to help his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and wanted to go to the backyard to have a look, but after thinking about it, he felt embarrassed go.

And in Jia's house in the middle courtyard.

Banggeng broke his leg because he went skating in the river. It has been more than a month and he can only lie on the kang.

Smelling the fragrance, Banggeng shouted towards Mr. Jia Zhang:

"Grandma, I want to eat dumplings too."

Jia Zhang's man died a few years ago, and her son became paralyzed last year. She pinned all her hopes on her grandson Bangge.

I heard that BangJiao wants to eat dumplings.

He immediately slipped off the kang, put on his shoes, and walked towards the kitchen while saying to Banggeng:
"Grandson, just wait, grandma will make pickled cabbage dumplings now."

"I don't want to eat sauerkraut dumplings, I want to eat pork stuffed ones."

Mrs. Jia Zhang frowned.

"Good grandson, be obedient. Our family doesn't eat meat today. Didn't we just eat it the day before yesterday? Why are you hungry again?"

"I want to eat, I want to eat."

As soon as Banggan cried for food, Xiaodang and Xiaohuaihua also started making noises around Jia and Zhang.

Qin Huairu was steaming steamed buns at the moment, when she heard that the three children in the front room wanted to eat meat, she sighed inwardly.

She doesn't want to eat meat herself. She wants to eat it every time, even in her dreams. But Jia Dongxu is paralyzed. How can she afford it with her small salary?

Nowadays, life at home can't be said to be poor, but it's almost too late.

The meal of meat the day before yesterday was something she secretly found from Sha Zhu. As for the money she returned to Xu Qing today, she also borrowed it for Sha Zhu.

Her meager salary has long been spent.

A family of six all rely on her to support them all. Although Jia Zhang occasionally helps people shake briquettes in the courtyard to earn a little money, after all, it is still difficult to support the family's expenses.

Besides, ever since Bangjong broke her leg, she had to carry it to the hospital every once in a while to change her dressing.

The salary of 27 yuan is almost a drop in the bucket.

Fortunately, there is a fool in the courtyard. He is not married and is still alone. He earns 37 yuan a month and cannot spend it. He can lend himself some.

But despite this, Qin Huairu also knew that she had borrowed 30 yuan from Shazhu, which was more than her monthly salary.

Fortunately, the foolish person is careless and has a good temper. She doesn't care too much, and she is not in a hurry to spend money, and she has money on hand, otherwise, her life would be impossible.

At this time, Qin Huairu did not dare to say anything, and quietly kneaded the dough on the chopping board.

Letting his three children pester Jia Zhang, he felt that at least it was better than pestering himself.

But at this time, Jia Zhang's Ao was no more than Banggen, Xiaodang and Xiaohuaihua.

Pushing open the door, he walked towards the backyard, wanting to see who was eating pork dumplings.

I am going to rely on my thick skin to ask for a bowl for my grandson.

Just when she passed through the crescent door between the middle courtyard and the backyard, and walked into the backyard.

I saw Xu Qing eating dumplings with his three younger brothers and sisters in the house.

He was taken aback for a moment.

She thought it was Liu Haizhong's family, but she never thought it was not the case.

If pork dumplings were eaten in Liu Haizhong's room, Mrs. Jia Zhang could really get them by relying on her coercion.

But Xu Qing's parents are gone.

As a grandmother, even if she looks like that, she will probably be scolded by the people in the courtyard.

However, Mrs. Jia Zhang rolled her eyes and felt that it was not convenient for her to go, so she should let her daughter-in-law Qin Huairu go.

With that in mind, he turned around and ran back to the courtyard.

In Jia's house, Qin Huairu heard Jia Zhang's words and said with a stern face:

"Mom, I still want shame!"

Jia Zhang's face suddenly turned cold, but there was nothing he could do.

Qin Huairu didn't want to go, and she couldn't go by herself.

I suddenly felt uncomfortable.

I saw Banggen, Xiaodang, and Xiaohuaihua still yelling that they want to eat pork dumplings.

He secretly hated Xu Qing in his heart.

Backyard at this time.

After Xu Qing and San Xiaozhi finished their meal, they packed up the dishes and went into the kitchen. While cleaning, they randomly checked the little girl for reciting ancient poems.

In the morning, Xu Xiaoya was still stumbling, but now she is very smooth.

In less than 1 minute, it was over.

With a look of air on his little face, he said:

"Hee hee, big brother, I'm good, I don't need you and third brother to remind me, I can recite it by myself."

"Fantastic, Xiaoya is the best."

Xu Qing wiped his hands dry, pinched her delicate little nose, and then let her go out to play.

I stayed in the kitchen, squatting in front of the stove, adding two briquettes to it, staring at the steamed meat buns in the pot, thinking about what will happen next month.

It’s the Chinese New Year next month.

He didn't need to worry about this before.

But now, he has to think about it.

Right now, they are still apprentices, and they can only participate in the regular assessment in the factory after the Chinese New Year, and their wages can only be raised after the Chinese New Year.

But right now, this year, how can I live on a salary of 27 yuan?
Xu Qing was worried for a while.

Although I can use the ability to split into two, I want the three little ones to have a good year.

But it is not easy to do.

Xu Qing's handsome face flushed red from the flames in the stove.

The cold wind in the courtyard outside the house is howling again.

Xu Qing was completely unaware.

After all, he took over the burden before he was ready, caught off guard, and had no choice but to take it.

I am the biggest in the family, and I have to carry it with my teeth gritted.

It's just that the buns in the pot were not cooked yet, when Xu Qing heard the little girl running in from the front room bouncing around.

"Brother, Sister Yuyu is here to find you."

Xu Qing stood up and opened the blue curtain hanging at the kitchen door.

I saw He Yushui sitting on the edge of the Kang in the front room.

"Rain, why are you here?"

Xu Qing was in the same high school as He Yushui when he was studying, but Xu Qing was in the same high school as He Yushui.

He Yuyu was a sophomore in high school and he was a senior in high school.

"My brother is not at home, so I had to go inside and sit for a while."

"Is your brother not here?"

After Xu Qing returned from buying meat from the supply and marketing cooperative, he never left the house.

I didn’t know that Silly Zhu was not in the middle courtyard.

Seeing what He Yuyu said, he picked up the thermos bottle and poured a teacup of hot water into it.

"Drink something first to keep yourself warm. I guess your brother is out for something and will be back soon."

He Yushui nodded, covered the tea mug with both hands, and grinned at the little girl.

Xu Xiaoya didn't care about He Yushui either.

The people in the same compound have known each other since childhood, and He Yushui has always come, and they have already become little sisters.

The little girl looked at He Yushui's black and slender braids, blinked her small eyes, and her aura-filled eyes were full of envy.

Standing in front of the edge of the Kang, he reached out and grabbed his own to compare.

The two little guys, Xu Aiguo and Xu Fengming, couldn't bear it. After eating, they started playing in the yard with diabolo regardless of the cold weather outside.

Xu Qing took a look at the window.

At some point, snow began to fall outside the house again.

He hadn't noticed He Yuyu's clothes just now, but now he saw that the courtyard had been covered with a thin layer of snowflakes.

I wanted to call the two little guys into the house, but they caught a cold.

But after thinking about it, I gave up.Don't children just like to play, and it may not be a good thing to keep them in the house.

He Yushui drank hot water for a while, then sat in the burning hot room.

The frozen red hands and face also returned to their previous pinkness.

At this time, Sha Zhu walked into the backyard with a net bag in his hand.

He shouted towards Xu Qing's room.

"Xu Qing, my sister, is the rainwater in your house?"

"Brother Silly Zhu, sister He Yuyu is here."

As soon as the little girl finished speaking, Sha Zhu pushed the door open and walked in.

Shivering, while patting the snowflakes on her hair, she grinned and said with a grin:

"I guess she must be here with you."

Silly Zhu said this to Xu Qing, reached into the net pocket, took out three fruit candies, and stuffed them to the little girl.

"Don't tell your second brother and your third brother, I'm buying candy for your sister He Yuyu, not much."

Xu Qing sat aside and spread an economic cigarette to Sha Zhu.

Silly Zhu reached out and took it, put it behind his ears, took out a pack of peonies from his arms, shook out two peonies, handed one to Xu Qing and said:

"I just bought it, take a mouthful and try it."

After saying that, Shazhu started to smoke without thinking about himself, sat at the table in Xu Qing's room, turned to He Yuyue and said:
"How's it going? The final exam is coming soon. How are your results?"

He Yuyu lowered his head and said nothing.

Silly Zhu took a drag on his cigarette, patted his legs and said:

"It's okay. I didn't do well in the exam. It's nothing. I'm only a sophomore in high school. There's still a year left. I'll wait until you have winter vacation in a few days and ask your brother Xu Qing to help you with tutoring."

Silly Zhu knew that he was uneducated, had no ink in his stomach, and did not know some words.

Not as good as Xu Qing, so he said this.

After speaking, he looked at Xu Qing.

"When the time comes, you bring Xiaoya, Aiguo, Fengming, and the four of you to my house to hang out. Anyway, there are only two of us in my house, my brother and my sister. We are together, so there will be a lot of people and it will be lively."

(End of this chapter)