Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 66: Getting Through Difficulties
In September of 1960, the autumn harvest still did not meet people's expectations.

Several women and children at home in the compound had already rushed straight to the wilderness, including Yang Ruiping and Yan Jiedi.

Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiefang went to Shichahai to try their luck and see if they could catch some fish.

Yan Bugui went to the countryside to see the situation there, and he knew that his grandmother's family had food.

The current situation of the Yan family is that there is food in the cellar, but they dare not eat it. Yan Bugui wants to move to the countryside. If he can't eat it, what's the point of staying at home?

The pickles made by Yan Jiekuang have become the main dish in the family. No matter how unpalatable the staple food is, it can be eaten with the addition of pickles.

Yan Jiekuang made three things at that time: pickled radish, sweet and spicy cucumbers, and pickled eight-treasure vegetable, using an ancient recipe.

Most of the families in the front yard have eaten it. Yan Jiekuang pickled a lot of it, about twenty jars, and kept them in Yan Bugui's cellar.

These pickles also solved many people's problems. Jia Dongxu asked for them more than once, and his mother would stroll to the west wing whenever she had nothing to do.

Yan Jiekuang really had no good solution now, and he had no food left.

Yan Jiekuang slapped his head and thought, sweet potatoes, how could he forget about them? There is a large sweet potato field in the west wing of the courtyard. They should be ripe. That’s where the children in the courtyard would get together after dinner and do some labor together. Yan Jiekuang took them to farm those sweet potatoes whenever they had nothing to do.

Yan Jiefang was still struggling with the fishing rod. Yan Jiekuang couldn't bear to see it anymore, so he mixed the bait with some spring water and handed it to his second brother.

In the end, alas, there were really no big fish in Shichahai, and we only caught a bunch of small fish.

After returning home, Yan Jiekuang secretly went to the west wing. It seemed that the sweet potato field should be alive. He was just planting it for fun at that time and didn't take care of it afterwards. Then he told his father.

At midnight, the Yan family called Du Pingyi and Grandpa Sun, as well as Old Zhao and Widow Wang. Yan Bugui said straight to the point: "After the spring of this year, the children of the courtyard opened a sweet potato field in the west wing. Now that it is ripe, it should be enough for the whole courtyard to eat. But we have to find someone to harvest it, and we can't let anyone find out."

Several people were excited, as this was a matter of life and death. After discussing it, they decided that they had to consult Director Wang about this matter.

When Du Pingyi pulled Director Wang to the west wing, Director Wang was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. This was truly a life-saving move. She was under a lot of pressure right now, and there was a group of people fleeing behind her.

The three old men and Director Wang discussed it and decided that the people from the compound and the street office would collect the money together and then distribute it based on how much they collected.

Everyone in the courtyard was mobilized, and everyone who could move came. They managed to harvest 6,000 kilograms of sweet potatoes from just two and a half acres of land.

Finally, Director Wang made up his mind and took away half of it. The rest was distributed according to the number of people, and the rest was distributed according to the number of households.

The three uncles also said that if there is any need, they can come to the courtyard to discuss it.

Every household received sweet potatoes, and the people in the courtyard were no longer worried.

Yan Bugui smiled from the bottom of his heart and looked at Yan Jiekuang with great satisfaction. Yan Jiekuang whispered, "We still have three acres of land in our yard."

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up and he pulled Yang Ruiping towards the courtyard.

Nowadays, apart from going to work and school, the people living in the courtyards are all busy thinking about how and what to eat. Before this, the locust tree in front of Jia Dongxu's house was completely dry.

Winter is coming soon. It was a difficult season, but now it is no longer a problem. But it does not mean that you can only eat sweet potatoes. You can use the sweet potatoes to exchange for something at the ghost market.

The people in Siheyuan are all smart. They all know what to do and each one is better at making arrangements than the other.

Although life outside was not easy, the courtyard house still spent this winter peacefully.

February 14, 1961
Yan Jiekuang got up early, washed up, had a simple meal, borrowed a tricycle from next door, and loaded his things.

I went straight to the front door early in the morning, came to the back door of the tavern, and knocked.

After a while, the door opened. Cai Quanwu saw that it was the mistress and quickly let her in.

"There aren't many things this year. I knew you were pregnant again, so I replaced two cans of milk powder for you, put in an old hen, and five pounds of eggs. Be careful." Yan Jiekuang put the things on the ground.

"Your sister is criticizing me again." Cai Quanwu said.

"What's there to be afraid of when you say a few words? People are the most important. I won't go in. I'm a little busy." Yan Jiekuang turned and left.

Cai Quanwu saw Yan Jiekuang riding a tricycle. It seemed that he would visit many houses. He closed the door after Yan Jiekuang left.

As soon as she entered the room, Xu Huizhen, who was pregnant, asked, "Who is it?"

"Your brother, Xiaosan, look, the gifts for the New Year just left." Cai Quanwu said.

Xu Huizhen was looking through the things, "This mistress didn't even bother to come in and see her sister." Cai Quanwu curled his lips, "This is your generational fate, it can't be changed."

Xu Huizhen rolled her eyes at him and said, "My brother is a very capable man, why does he need a seniority?" Cai Quanwu was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth.

Yan Jiekuang went to Zhang Wenchang first. He had already made an appointment. He didn't enter the compound. He found the agreed place and threw the sack in. He imitated the cat's meow twice, and saw that the other party also imitated the cat's meow. Yan Jiekuang turned around and left.

The gifts given to all the classmates were the same, a chicken and a pound of bacon, and then we went to Li Chenggang's house and Liu Xiangyang's house.

Finally, I rode a tricycle to Lou's house.

When they arrived outside the Lou family's yard, they found it was even more desolate, with weeds growing everywhere. Yan Jiekuang walked over and knocked on the door.

It was Lao Pu who opened the door and called out, "Master Pu, I wish you a happy new year."

When Lao Pu saw that it was Yan Jiekuang, he was happy and quickly let him in. Lou's mother also came out and took the bag from Yan Jiekuang.

"What year is it that you are still sending it to me?"

Yan Jiekuang didn't care at all and said, "I just happened to find some interesting things. I can't make them over there, so I sent them to you. Please make them for Uncle Lou."

Mother Lou opened it and said in surprise, "This is true. This child really can't do it."

Father Lou came over to take a look. Wow, there were two bear paws, two snow goose nests, and a piece of meat, which looked like venison.

Father Lou said, "It's expensive. Where did you get it?"

Yan Jiekuang said, "In Sanyuan Village, there is a cold storage in a Japanese warehouse. It's all empty now. I still have some stock. If you need it, just tell Aunt Lou."

Father Lou was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I know you are close to your Aunt Lou."

At this time, Lou Xiao'e ran down and was very happy to see Yan Jiekuang. She wanted to pull him upstairs.

Yan Jiekuang quickly waved his hands and said, "Sister, I'm very busy. Today is New Year's Eve, and I have to go back for dinner." Only then did Lou Xiao'e let him go, and then Yan Jiekuang said goodbye.

After returning to the courtyard, he took out a sack from the tricycle, put a chicken and a pound of bacon in it, and rushed to Carpenter Zhang's house. Without even entering the house, he put the bacon down, said hello to Carpenter Zhang, and left.

Yan Jiekuang returned the tricycle to Yuer Hutong and returned it to his neighbor, then went home with his schoolbag on his back.

As soon as he arrived at the gate of the compound, a few children were playing at the gate, loudly calling "Third Brother". Yan Jiekuang took out sorghum candy from his schoolbag and shared it with the little ones.

When I entered the yard, I saw Wen Jun standing at the door smoking, "Hello, Brother Wen!"

"Isn't this the mistress? She hasn't been back for a while." Wen Jun said.

"Who said that? Someone peed on me in Wenling the day before yesterday." Yan Jiekuang replied.

Wen Jun laughed and said, "That's because Wenling is close to you."

"I'll go home first." After saying this, Yan Jiekuang ran to the west wing.

Yan Jiecheng came back quite early today. Ever since they confirmed their relationship, the two of them have been busy with their own little room, spending the whole day in love. The four old people had to take turns watching them every day, fearing that they would do something out of line.

"Brother, aren't you going out today?" Yan Jiekuang asked.

Yan Jiecheng replied: "I have to go and put up Spring Festival couplets later."

Yan Bugui said to Yan Jiecheng in dissatisfaction: "Can't you finish the work in one go? You have to do it in batches."

"Lily said she would post Geely in the afternoon," Yan Jiecheng explained.

Yan Jiekuang thought to himself, "Well, a henpecked husband."

"Where's my sister?" Yan Jiekuang asked his father. Yan Bugui said, "She's in the middle courtyard. She should be at Jia's house. Go call her."

Yan Jiekuang went to the central courtyard. As soon as he entered, he saw Sha Zhu and Zhang Erzhu chatting excitedly.

Yan Jiekuang didn't go over, but shouted, "Jie Di, go home for dinner!"

Yan Jiedi ran out and jumped onto Yan Jiekuang's back. Yan Jiekuang carried her on his back and walked to the front yard.

(End of this chapter)