Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 155 Occasional Surprises
Yan Jiekuang and Ji Lian returned to Yuer Hutong. Ji Lian laughed uncontrollably as soon as she got home. Yan Jiekuang was also happy. They ran really fast. After a rest, Ji Lian went to the kitchen to cook. Now she was the one preparing food for the big cats. The big cats and the five little ones surrounded Ji Lian as soon as they saw her.

Yan Jiekuang clearly felt that these little ones were closer to Ji Lian than to him.

Yan Jiekuang was fiddling with a large vat in the front yard. Cai Quanwu had brought it for him. It was said to be from an old landlord in the countryside. The large blue-and-white vat was placed in the middle of the yard. Ji Lian came out with food and asked, "Third brother, are you going to raise fish?"

Yan Jiekuang smiled mysteriously and said, "This is a surprise prepared for you. You will know when I am done."

Although Ji Lian was curious, she didn't ask too many questions and just focused on preparing the meal.

The next day, Yan Jiekuang went to Dazhalan to look for Wang Xuan. Wang Xuan often went out to work, so he knew many people.

Wang Xuan was also very happy to see Yan Jiekuang, and said that he had forgotten all his old friends in Dazhalan since he got married. Yan Jiekuang was a little embarrassed. Since his marriage, Yan Jiekuang and Ji Lian would spend time together at home when they had nothing to do, instead of wandering around when they had nothing to do before.

Yan Jiekuang came to Wang Xuan and explained his purpose. Wang Xuan said, "You really know how to find time. What a coincidence. We just received a job to clean up the river. It's in Jingshan. You can find what you want there."

Yan Jiekuang was very happy. He made an appointment with Wang Xuan and rushed to Jingshan the next day. When Yan Jiekuang returned to Yuer Hutong, Ji Lian had gone to the courtyard. Yan Jiekuang hurriedly fiddled with the big vat in the front yard, preparing to give Ji Lian a surprise.

In the afternoon, Ji Lian and Yan Jiedi returned to Yuer Hutong. As soon as they entered the door, they saw a piece of cloth covering the large vat at the door. Yan Jiekuang was sitting in the front yard drinking tea, looking at Lianer with a smile on his face.

Yan Jiedi was also very curious. She also heard her third sister-in-law say that her brother wanted to give her sister-in-law a surprise, so she quickly asked Ji Lian to uncover the cloth.

Ji Lian walked forward and uncovered the cloth covering the pot. There was a water lily in the pot. The pink flowers were blooming, looking very elegant.

Ji Lian liked it very much. She knew that this was a surprise given to her by her husband and it symbolized her name. She was very happy. If Yan Jie Di had not been there, Ji Lian would have thrown herself into Yan Jie Kuang's arms at this time.

Yan Jiekuang said, "How is it? I did a good job, but I didn't see anyone selling goldfish today. It would be even better if there were two more goldfish."

Yan Jiedi said sourly: "Third brother, you didn't even put so much effort into preparing a gift for me."

Yan Jiekuang said awkwardly: "When you go to college, I will prepare a big gift for you."

Yan Jie Di said a little disappointedly: "Third brother, is the news you said true? Why don't I have any news at all?"

Yan Jiekuang said, "Believe your third brother, but keep your mouth shut and don't tell anyone about this."

Yan Jie Di nodded and said, "You have to compensate me. I want to eat the noodles with soybean paste you made."

"Okay, I'll go to the kitchen right now. You and Lian'er just wait." Yan Jiekuang stood up and said.

Ji Lian looked at Yan Jie Di and said, "Sister, it's only you. If it were anyone else, your third brother wouldn't be so happy to go into the kitchen."

Yan Jie Di stepped forward and took Ji Lian's arm, saying, "That's right. My brother has spoiled me since I was a child. My brother treats you the same way, and he also spoils you, my sister-in-law." Ji Lian laughed and pulled Yan Jie Di into the house to talk in private. Yan Jie Di now had nothing to do and told her third sister-in-law about her brother's childhood.

The neighbors in the courtyard are very busy now. They have heavy tasks at work and overtime is common. Even the canteen director like He Yuzhu has to work overtime. For He Yuzhu, who just had a baby, he is tired but happy.

When she was free, Li Cuilan helped He Yumei take care of the children. He Yumei's parents also came often. If it was too late, they would stay with the deaf old lady in the backyard.

Yi Zhonghai only visited the old deaf lady once on the day the child came back and never came again. In Yi Zhonghai's heart, the only candidate for taking care of the old lady in her old age could only be Jia Dongxu. However, since Li Cuilan's illness got better, she prefers He Yuzhu. She saw everything He Yuzhu did for the deaf old lady and she felt that He Yuzhu was a reliable person. As for the existence of Jia Zhang in the Jia family, it was impossible for Jia Dongxu to spend too much energy on herself.

The couple once discussed this issue, but in the end neither could convince the other, and Li Cuilan never mentioned the matter again.

Yi Zhonghai was very persistent. He felt that he had already given a lot to Jia Dongxu, and Jia Dongxu was also a person who valued the relationship between master and apprentice and father and son.

Now Yi Zhonghai is waiting for news from the steel rolling mill. He is a little bored and can't stay at home anymore, so he goes to hang out in the backyard with Zheng Weiguo when he has nothing to do.

Finally, in July, the factory officially decided to implement a re-employment system for senior technical workers. Yi Zhonghai was also on the list, and was very high on the list. The steel rolling mill still paid an additional part of his salary. Although it was not as high as when he was a formal worker, if the pension was added, then he would get more than when he was working.

Jia Dongxu looked at Yi Zhonghai with a strange look in his eyes. This master had retired, and when he was rehired, he earned more than their entire family.

Yi Zhonghai is now in high spirits and smiling wherever he goes. Jia Dongxu has become even more respectful to Yi Zhonghai and follows his master to and from get off work whenever he has nothing to do.

The old neighbors in the courtyard all realized that Jia Dongxu had ulterior motives other than drinking. He was after his master's pension.

Only Jia Zhang knew, because she had talked to her son about it, that Jia Dongxu really wanted to take over his master's retirement care, because his master's house and considerable savings were a big temptation to him, and after all, he was his master, and if he still had a conscience, he would not ignore him.

Although Jia Zhang was not happy in her heart, she was also very interested in Yi Zhonghai's savings and house, so after talking once, Jia Zhang no longer stopped Jia Dongxu.

He Yuzhu also noticed it, but he didn't have any thoughts. All he cared about now was his wife and children, and he didn't care about anything else. If he really wanted to pick out one person who could make He Yuzhu pay attention, there were only two people in the entire courtyard. One was Yan Jiekuang. He Yuzhu had always been thinking about Yan Jiekuang's cooking skills, and the other was Li Cuilan. Li Cuilan took care of He Yuzhu a lot when he was a child. In He Yuzhu's mind, Li Cuilan was like a half mother.

He Yumei also knew about this matter. When the deaf old lady was still alive, she told He Yuzhu and his wife about it in front of Li Cuilan. He Yuzhu and his wife also promised to take good care of Li Cuilan.

Yi Zhonghai's re-employment also affected another person, that is Liu Haizhong. Liu Haizhong will retire at the end of this year, but the foundry does not have a re-employment system. Liu Haizhong is a bit troubled. He went to the foundry halfway, and although there was no problem with the procedures, his technical level was indeed downgraded. If he retires this year, his pension will be only half of that of the original steel rolling mill. The money is not much, but it will be enough for his life. However, he is unwilling in his heart.

Zhao Yue'e tried to persuade Liu Haizhong to let nature take its course and go to Tianjin with her after retirement. Liu Haizhong shook his head and said he would never leave this city. He thought he had finally settled down here and there was no reason for him to live with his son. Wherever he was, that was the Liu family. He told Zhao Yue'e not to stay there for a long time in the next life and not come back, because the Liu family was in this courtyard, not in Tianjin.

Zhao Yue'e couldn't persuade Liu Haizhong. She thought it was impossible for her to live with her son for a long time. But she was very unhappy because she missed her grandchildren.

(End of this chapter)