The Prosperous Years of Siheyuan

Chapter 5

After sending Sha Zhu away, he opened the wallet that his second sister had thrown to him and counted the money stamps inside. Only 230 yuan and 43 kilograms of local food stamps were left.

"Chen Baohong, you spent 500 yuan for a month and this is all you have left. It's a bit too much for the three of you. What did you buy?"

Throwing the empty wallet on the round table, Chen Jisheng decided to educate the three sisters. They dared to spend so much money without any income. Those in the big courtyard would not do this, nor did they have such conditions, and no one was used to it.

If you can carry 20 yuan of your own money in your pocket, you will be considered a rich man among the big boys. Of course, if you have a job, that will be another factor.

"You spend more, a meal is only eighteen, five hundred a month is not enough!"

Leading her younger sister Chen Xue to cheer herself up, Chen Baohong did not dare to go out of the south room. She stared at the third brother sitting at the round table at the door of the south room. She really didn't dare to go out. Chen Jisheng had really beaten women when they were in the courtyard. .

"Brother, the second sister really didn't spend much money.

The second sister bought a bicycle in order to come back to cook for us at noon. We didn't have a ticket at home. I helped buy Japanese goods at the trust store for [-] yuan. That bicycle was really good.

In order to prevent her from being late in the afternoon, I also bought a women's watch, [-] years old, also a foreign product. We unanimously agreed at the meeting, and the second sister also liked it.

The rest is spent on meals. "

Chen Xiaobao didn't know whether it was to repay the debt or take revenge. Tu Luulu made it clear where the money was going and didn't care about the second sister's big balls.

"Chen Xiaobao, you..."

Staring angrily at the little brother who betrayed her comrades, Chen Baohong felt somewhat guilty. She had asked for watches and bicycles many times at home, but her parents refused in the name of taking care of her comrades with money. She didn't know where they got so many comrades.

She finally got it this time, and she didn't want to give up these two things, but the attitude of her third brother when he asked her to change clothes just now made her feel very uneasy, and she was very afraid of losing it again.

"Oh, it's a big purchase, so it's not a waste. The three of you pack your things. Don't worry about what Yuzhu wants when he comes later. I'll look around first."

Relieved, Chen Baohong took her younger siblings out of the house, and Chen Jisheng also stood up and entered the south room.

The most eye-catching thing is a large double bed, then there are four large glass photo frames on the desk, and the rest is a complete set of L-shaped cabinets throughout the room. This should be a very good home decoration.

I walked to the desk and looked carefully at the photos in the frame. There were photos of my eldest brother and myself in military uniforms, as well as photos of Chen Xiaobao in the park. The most common photos were of the two sisters, but there were no photos related to my parents.

There should have been some originally, but the white tissue paper on the corners of some photos was old or new. These parents were really cautious. Now I am afraid that their photos will not be found in the whole house.

There is nothing to see in the wardrobe. The floor is the same as when I first came in. It is paved with [-]-centimeter blue square tiles, which are flat and have consistent gaps. The workmanship is good.

After leaving the main room and walking to the corridor, the corridor that was supposed to be shared by the whole hospital and the doorway left in the north gable wall had long been blocked. Judging from the color of the lime in the gaps between the blue bricks, it seemed that it was old.

There is a small back room hanging under the south gable of my house, which should be the kitchen. The three sisters are busy in it.

A coal shed was built between the small penthouse and the outer courtyard wall. There were not many briquettes and firewood squeezed in the corner, and most of the space was occupied by the second sister's bicycle.

Including three and a half rooms for his family of four, it is a bit higher than the average, but it is only in the middle of the whole courtyard. After looking at the outer courtyard wall and the inverted room, Chen Jisheng has some ideas about what is there.

Without going to the kitchen, he said hello to the third uncle and walked to the outer courtyard. The entire courtyard has a southeast gate with half a side room, and the remaining three south side rooms are west of the gate.

The first inverted room had wooden doors that opened side by side. The two doors were tightly closed and not locked. The north window was vertical and long. The wooden lattice window was covered with scraps of paper, and it was vaguely visible that it was full of debris.

To the west of the outer courtyard is a screen door. The black wooden double doors are also mottled. A pair of iron door knockers are covered with rusty iron chains and a small lock. The ground of the outer courtyard is better than the front yard, and the whole is paved with blue strips of stone.

Walking out of the courtyard, the small street is about three and a half meters wide. There is an alley to the east, and to the south is the tall Nanluo Supply and Marketing Cooperative. The reverse house behind it has three small windows, just like my own home, two fingers thick. Iron bars crisscrossed the area.

Two or three o'clock in the afternoon in July is the hottest time. There is no one in the side streets or alleys on both sides. There are also few people coming in and out of the supply and marketing cooperative in the south.

Chen Jisheng was thinking about going to the supply and marketing cooperative, when Sha Zhu appeared at the south corner.

"Brother, where are you waiting for me?" Shazhu also saw Chen Jisheng, and he quickly reached him with a few quick kicks. "You are really good at defense, you are so powerful!"

"I just wanted to go to the supply and marketing cooperative. Brother Zhu, don't be in a hurry. Just take your time. What time is it?"

As he spoke, Chen Jisheng was about to go around Shazhu, who was leaning on one leg, but he stopped him.

"Are you still going to the supply and marketing cooperative? I didn't buy less. I only have one yuan and eighty cents left. It's not easy to run a household. Take it easy. Go to the pigeon market to buy food. You have to double it at least. If you buy it with money alone, white flour and rice are more than one yuan. !”

Silly Zhu himself was said to be a lavish spender in the courtyard. Compared with the third eldest son of the Chen family in front of him, he directly became the third uncle.

"It's okay. One of my comrades is going to send me some fine grain in the past two days. I can get through it this month. If I have my ration next month, I'll be fine.

Brother Zhu, do you need my help? "

Relying on the reserves in hand, not to mention eating fine food every day, I would eat meat every day, and I would eat until I died. But there is no suitable reason, and it is not easy to take it out. If I am hated by others, I will be reported easily. It is troublesome to explain clearly. "No! These are just a few dishes. I'm not used to cooking and I'm not used to helping the kitchen. The dinner will start at six o'clock in the evening."

Seeing that Chen Jisheng didn't listen to the advice, Shazhu didn't bother him, got off the bicycle, said a few words and entered the yard.

Chen Jisheng walked slowly to the door of the supply and marketing cooperative. There were not many people on the street. The steaming air waves were vaguely visible, blurring the distant street scene.

Pushing open the free door of the supply and marketing cooperative, a cool breeze blew my mind clearer. The space inside is not small.

"Hey! What's going on? The coolness in such a hot day makes your grandson run away. Are you looking for some relief?"

The cool breeze when the door opened made Chen Jisheng stunned for a moment, and he thought he was back in a supermarket with central air conditioning. He was scolded for his stupidity.

In addition to the previous Chen Jisheng, he had not been scolded like this for at least three and a half years. Today, this eighty-pound mouth finally has a place to go.

The vision is a bit blurred just after entering the house from a sunny day, but it does not hinder the hearing and identification of the location. Walk in the direction of the scolding, you can't go wrong!As long as those who beat him are not beaten to death or disabled, there is not much trouble.

"Xiao Sun, go to the warehouse!

Comrade, this is a supply and marketing cooperative. Are you going to commit murder here? "

A fat aunt blocked the mouth of the rabbit that was about to be sent out, and watched the rabbit run away in a flash. It was a bit outrageous to chase the rabbit and beat it. Not to mention, she still couldn’t pick it out afterwards, so she could only record the account for Ya first, and give it to her next time. What a 160-pound mouth.

Looking at the wary-looking fat aunt in front of him, Chen Jisheng glanced at the business space of the supply and marketing cooperative, which was more than 20 meters long and five to six meters high. Chen Jisheng was a little uninterested, so he turned around and came out.

It was still hot outside the door. I followed the path back to the front yard. The car was parked outside the coal shed. Silly Zhu was cooking alone in the small kitchen. The three of them were probably in the cat house again.

Chen Jisheng, who had a somewhat unclear idea, did not go back to the house. He sat on the edge of the flower bed under the tree, leaning against the third tree scholar and squinting to cool off the heat.

When I opened my eyes again, the sky was much darker, and it was still the same front yard, except that the surroundings were filled with smoke and a lot of wind.

"Chen Xue, do you want to smoke me to death?"

The wind is caused by human fans. If there were not the "dong dong dong" white smoke in the pottery pot, it would be a picture of a little beauty waving a fan under the shade of a tree in summer.

"Brother, the mosquitoes are about to rise. There are the most mosquitoes on this tree. If you don't fumigate it here, why would you fumigate it? I even fanned you, and you want to reward me! The dishes will be ready soon, Brother He told you to get up."

Without looking at the sly little girl Chen Xue, Chen Jisheng stretched himself. The courtyard was no longer like before, with various sounds coming from children, adults, pots and pans, and the sound of rushing water. Coupled with the fragrance of ai that spreads everywhere, it suddenly adds a breath of life.

Chen Jisheng got up and walked to the small kitchen. Silly Zhu was still busy, "Brother Zhu, let's eat together later and let's have some drinks."

"I'll go back when I'm done. The mosquito coils haven't been lit yet. It's a family banquet and the cook won't be at the party. That's the rule." Silly Zhu didn't look back and refused directly.

"Then bring more back."

"You don't need to tell me, this is my rule. The food will be here soon. You wash your face quickly and I will order the food for you."

There was running water in the small kitchen, a cement dish basin, and the sewer was unknown. When Chen Jisheng was washing his face, Shazhu also reported the names of the dishes.

Smooth fish fillet, smooth tenderloin, double-flavored chicken, stir-fried chicken with soy sauce, braised fish belly, jade vegetables and a fish egg soup, a total of six dishes and one soup, the staple food is mung bean soup noodles, the old wine is not Ner Hong, just ordinary Lao Huangjiu, Shazhu is making the last soup dish.

After sending Sha Zhu away, the four children of the family also sat down around the round table. Chen Jisheng sat on the main seat, the second sister and the younger sister sat on both sides, and Chen Xiaobao sat at the bottom.

Looking at the old man and the young man, each with more urgent eyes than the other, and looking at the four porcelain cups placed on the table, Chen Jisheng picked up the round-mouth wine flask that matched the cups, filled the four cups with wine, and stood up to give them one by one. them.

It was not easy to hold the one-tael wine cup without spilling it. The second sister and the younger sister casually took it with one hand and put it in front of them. Only Chen Xiaobao stood up and took it with both hands. After taking it, he waited for his second brother Chen Jisheng to sit down. , he slowly sat down.

"Eating is the most important thing among all things. If you have any questions, let's talk about it after eating. The wine is old yellow rice wine, which is good and strong in the mouth. Don't be greedy. I have something to say after the meal."

Shazhu's craftsmanship looks and smells absolutely top-notch, and the color and aroma are perfect. Although it is hot in July, this table of dishes still arouses people's appetite.

At this time, whether it is a sincere conversation between comrades, friends, or an exchange of family affection, it is not a good toast. The best thing is to start it immediately.

Chen Jisheng picked up a pair of chopsticks to start the meal. They were all familiar with each other and there was nothing to be polite about. The dishes cooked by Silly Zhu were reduced visibly to the naked eye.

The two sisters were pretty good. They ate almost silently and very quickly. Chen Jisheng and Chen Xiaobao were almost bored. Although they didn't chirp, they made snoring sounds from time to time.

Chen Jisheng stopped chopsticks first, followed by the two sisters. Seeing that the three of them hadn't eaten, Chen Xiaobao brought a big dumpling, poured the leftover vegetable soup into the noodle soup, and finally covered it with a cup of old wine.

After the food was all eaten and not much wine drunk, Chen Jisheng refilled the half-pound jug of wine. Each of the sisters had two cups, and the brothers had three cups each. There was still half of the two-pound wine jug.

"Clean up the battlefield and have a meeting later." Adding another bottle of wine, Chen Jisheng picked up the wine cup and wine pot and gave the order to end the family banquet.

(End of this chapter)