Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 61 Quantitative Controversy
August 1958

Yang Ruiping came back from the grain station in a hurry. She bought all the grain. Ever since she mentioned storing grain last time, Yang Ruiping paid special attention to it.

As soon as Widow Wang came out, Yang Ruiping said, "Hurry up and buy some grain. There's a long queue at the grain station."

Widow Wang said calmly, "Then let's go tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"What do you know? I heard that the food ration will be reduced next month. Hurry up, or there will be no food left." Yang Ruiping said anxiously.

Soon, everyone in the courtyard started to move, holding their grain books and running out.

When Yan Jiekuang returned home from school, he was shocked to see the endless queue at the grain station. After returning home with his schoolbag, Yang Ruiping said, "Thanks to my third brother's advice, I go to the grain station every day to take a look."

Yan Bugui was also nervous for a while and asked, "With so many people buying, is there so much food?"

“I don’t know whether there is any, but nowadays everything is a combination of whole grains, and you won’t see white flour anymore.” Yang Ruiping replied.

People from the compound came back one after another. Some bought things and some went back empty-handed. Those who went back empty-handed had to queue up before dawn the next day.

There is still food, but towards the end there is less and less choice, so just buy whatever is available.

In the past few months, there has been no smell of meat in the compound. No one in the family has it. Even though there are meat coupons, you can’t buy them because there is no meat.

The current meat supply is notified in advance by the street office, who will tell you what type of meat will be delivered from what location and how many pounds.

Anyway, I haven’t heard that anyone in the compound has bought it. Yan Bugui now goes fishing in his spare time.

They are all small fish, and the number of big fish in Shichahai has also decreased.

The school cafeteria was closed, and fewer students brought their own lunch. Even Zhang Wenchang, a student from a large school, had only one steamed bun for lunch. Yan Jiekuang didn't want to be different, and he didn't dare to. He also brought a steamed bun, but the pickled vegetables he brought were really delicious, and he and his friends had a great time eating them.

But we are all people who have lived through difficult times, and everyone has his or her own path and way.

Yi Zhonghai was very suspicious of Jia Dongxu. Logically speaking, the ration for one person in a family of five had been reduced, so it should not be enough to eat. However, he had never seen Jia Dongxu complain.

Yi Zhonghai didn't know that Jia Dongxu had become a different person since he started selling river snails and knew how to prepare for a rainy day.

Yi Zhonghai has no way to deal with Jia Dongxu now, but another person gives him hope.

It was this month that He Daqing ran away.

He Yushui lived in the school dormitory when he was in junior high school. He Daqing gave him a separate household, which was the small ear room. He had a separate grain book, and he prepared the deposit and gave it to Yushui, and also left his address for Yushui.

Then I came clean with Sha Zhu, saying that I needed a companion when I got old, and it happened that the White Widow had been waiting for me for so many years, and I couldn't let her down.

Sha Zhu got angry and said, "Just marry her if you want to, why marry a woman with a child? Where would you live with her?"

He Daqing was delighted when he heard this and said, "This house is yours. I have also arranged for your younger sister. I will go to Baoding with your aunt Bai. If you want to visit me, I welcome you."

When Sha Zhu heard this, he realized that his father had planned this all along, so he had a big quarrel with He Daqing.

The next day, He Daqing disappeared. When Sha Zhu returned home, he found that the money was divided very clearly. None of his money was touched, and all of He Daqing's money was gone.

When Yi Zhonghai heard the news, he went to Sha Zhu's room without even going to class, and kept comforting Sha Zhu. In the evening, he went to Sha Zhu's house to drink, and Yi Zhonghai cursed He Daqing at the table.

Sha Zhu finally burst into tears and howled, "I don't have a father anymore."

The deaf old lady came and started crying while hugging Shazhu.

After that day, Sha Zhu either ate at Yi Zhonghai's house or took his lunch box to the deaf old lady's house.

At the end of 1958, Jia Dongxu was beginning to feel the strain. He had grain, but no meat.

He went to both the ghost market and the black market, but he could only buy eggs occasionally, and he never saw any meat.

Jia Dongxu, who was frowning in the compound, suddenly smelled the aroma of braised pork. Following the smell, he saw Sha Zhu's lunch box.

This old man went to ask another person for meat. That’s not right. Shazhu has it, but what about Zhang Erzhu? Why have I never smelled meat in his house?

When Jia Dongxu knocked on Zhang Erzhu's door, Zhang Erzhu said directly, "I am in charge of the small kitchen and have the task of entertaining guests. If I, who am in charge of the big kitchen, had the smell of meat, you would have eaten it at noon."

Jia Dongxu heard that it was true, so he gave up and planned to go back to Qinjia Village. Jia Dongxu gave up, but he was the only one at home who was still thinking about Shazhu's lunch box. Jia Zhang had been eyeing him for more than a day or two.

When Jia Dongxu returned to Qinjia Village, Jia's mother asked Qin Huairu tentatively, "Huairu, go to Shazhu and ask for a lunch box. They are both here, so they can help Banggeng eat some meat."

Qin Huairu said, "Oh my god, do you know how many people are staring at his lunch box? Some people have been dissatisfied for a long time. If I go and spread some gossip, what will happen to Dongxu? How can he live in the compound?"

When Lady Jia thought of Jia Dongxu, she shut up.

Qin Huairu comforted Jia's mother and said, "Mom, if you want to eat meat, I will cook it for you tonight. We have bacon in stock at home. It can only satisfy your craving, but it's not very delicious. I don't like bacon. Dongxu went to Qinjia Village to get some chickens back."

Now Grandmother Jia remained silent, but she still felt sorry for the lunch boxes.

The small courtyard in front of the quadrangle courtyard showed Yan Jiekuang's vision at that time. The small courtyard was located in the southwest corner and no one could notice it.

Xiaomei and Jiefang had meat today, and Yan Jiekuang prepared a roast chicken for them. The condition was to keep their mouths shut, not to tell anyone, and not to ask questions, because once the news got out, everything would be gone. The two of them nodded their heads like chickens eating rice.

It also happened to his parents. It was impossible for Yan Jiekuang to forget anyone in his family about this kind of thing, except his eldest brother.

The next day, Jia Dongxu really brought the chicken back. He sat there worried and didn't dare to do it.

Grandmother Jia was anxious, so she got a sack, put two chickens in it, took some seasonings, and left with the sticks on her back.

In the evening, Jia Dongxu and his wife and Xiaodang ate beggar's chicken, which was cooked by Grandmother Jia and was really delicious.

February 1959

The Xu family came back today, and Xu Damao also came back.

Because Xu Damao was transferred, he joined the publicity department of the local machinery factory after graduation.

This time the steel mill was expanding again, and Xu Damao followed his old leader in his transfer.

The old leader was Li Huaide, who took office as director of the logistics department of the steel rolling mill, and Xu Damao as deputy chief of the propaganda department.

After completing the formalities, the family quietly moved back to the courtyard.

Xu Damao immediately asked He Yuzhu to have a drink, but He Yuzhu directly refused, saying that they were not the same kind of people, meaning that he was the factory director's man.

Xu Damao didn't care. After moving into the backyard, Xu's father was transferred to Jiaodaokou Cinema, and Xu's father and mother moved out again with their little daughter.

Only then did Liu Haizhong realize that they were officials. Xu Damao was one, and so was He Yuzhu. They were just divided into different factions.

He could do that too. After that, Liu Haizhong deliberately made friends with Xu Damao. After a few visits, the two families became closer.

West Wing of the Front Courtyard of Siheyuan
In March, Yan Jiecheng returned.

Yan Bugui directly said to Yan Jiecheng: "One is the steel mill, and the other option is the textile factory. Director Wang has been very helpful."

"The textile factory." Yan Jiekuang expressed his opinion first, "We will get married soon, there are many female comrades there."

Yan Jiecheng was stunned. What kind of brother is this? He immediately said, "I have a partner."

"That's a textile factory. Stay away from the master chefs in the compound, or you'll be in trouble." Yan Jiekuang continued.

Yan Bugui and Yan Jiechengdu both fell into deep thought, but Yan Jiekuang didn't care and said everything he needed to say.

In April, Yan Jiecheng started working in the textile factory. Yan Jiecheng did not ask for a single dormitory, and Yan Bugui told Yan Jiecheng that the Yan family had no shortage of houses.

One day after get off work, Yi Zhonghai came to visit, and all he wanted to know was about Yan Jiecheng.

Yan Bugui did not indulge him and told Yi Zhonghai directly that it had been done and they were going to the textile factory, but he still thanked Uncle Yi for his concern for Yan Jiecheng.

Yi Zhonghai left, leaving with an expressionless face.

Yan Bugui looked at Yi Zhonghai's disappearing figure and said, "You want to control our family. We are not something you can easily control."

"The deaf old lady holds a grudge!" Yan Jiekuang muttered.

(End of this chapter)