Life in siheyuan era

Silly Zhu's room was a spacious twenty square meters. Living alone, there was no need for a heated kang bed. The wooden bed could easily sleep two people.

Beside the bed, a wooden frame took up most of the wall. Two large wooden chests sat side-by-side on the frame, presumably for storing clothes. A cloth curtain concealed the space beneath the frame, where rice, flour, cooking oil, and other provisions were stored.

Outside the wooden frame was a table, its surface completely bare. Further out was a honeycomb briquette stove, its chimney extending out through a small windowpane near the door.

Zhou Zhiyuan stood by the dining table, facing directly opposite the door. On the other side of the room were a cabinet and a water tank. Next to the water tank was a cutting board, and beside it stood a washbasin stand.

This was the typical layout of Silly Zhu's home, and indeed, most homes in the capital. The arrangements were generally similar, with the bedroom and kitchen sharing the same space. The main difference lay in whether one slept on a heated kang or a wooden bed. Houses with larger families or elderly residents usually had a heated kang.

Zhou Zhiyuan glanced around the room, then turned to look at Silly Zhu. He took a small blanket-wrapped object from his mesh bag, revealing four lunch boxes and a small cloth bag.

Silly Zhu had prepared four dishes in the factory cafeteria: peanuts with black vinegar, cold pig ear salad, deep-fried small river fish, and stir-fried dried cowpeas with shredded pork.

He arranged the four dishes on plates and then took out six steamed buns from the cloth bag, placing them on two more plates. Noticing Zhou Zhiyuan pulling out two bottles of white liquor from his satchel, he chuckled, "You didn't come empty-handed, I see. You even have loose liquor at home."

Zhou Zhiyuan replied, "How could I arrive empty-handed for my first visit?"

Silly Zhu laughed, "Your family certainly believes in proper etiquette. Unlike the Third Master, who throws etiquette out the window when money is involved."

The Third Master was synonymous with stinginess, something Silly Zhu looked down upon, often using him as an example.

But then again, he didn't think much of many people in this courtyard. This was the first time he'd ever hosted a welcome dinner for someone.

While Silly Zhu disliked the Third Master, Zhou Zhiyuan gently defended him, "The Third Master has a large family to support. He has to be careful with his money."

Silly Zhu retorted, "That may be so, but he's still too stingy. Is he really worse off than Qin Huairu?"

Silly Zhu's words sounded a bit biased, and Zhou Zhiyuan asked curiously, "Is Sister Qin very generous?"

"Well... she's a woman. How generous can you expect her to be?" Silly Zhu was a man's man, only judging men, not women.

Zhou Zhiyuan didn't argue with him, simply smiling and turning his attention to the four dishes.

Silly Zhu didn't dwell on the matter either. He asked Zhou Zhiyuan to sit down and then said, "I made these dishes at the cafeteria. I don't feel like cooking when I get home."

He spoke frankly. A chef not wanting to cook at home was understandable.

Zhou Zhiyuan nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the six white steamed buns.

Silly Zhu then said, "A chef doesn't steal grains or accept bribes. But don't worry, I bought these six buns at the cafeteria."

Hearing his explanation, Zhou Zhiyuan replied earnestly, "A chef doesn't steal, he 'borrows.' But with a director above you and colleagues watching, you probably don't have much opportunity to 'borrow' at the Rolling Steel Plant cafeteria, do you?"

Seeing his attitude, Silly Zhu happily replied, "You really understand me."

He valued this welcome dinner and didn't want Zhou Zhiyuan to misunderstand.

Zhou Zhiyuan said, "Looking at these six buns, I remember that you have a younger sister, Zhu. Should we wait for her to come back before we start eating?"

His consideration earned Silly Zhu's praise: "You really are a soldier, always thinking of your comrades."

Then he said, "Yushui is an intern technician at the power plant. They have dormitories and a cafeteria. She often works overtime and can't come home. It's hard to say if she'll be back tonight, so we don't need to wait for her."

Hearing Silly Zhu's words, Zhou Zhiyuan finally learned He Yushui's profession. He casually offered a suggestion: "When your sister comes back, she shouldn't have to eat our leftovers. We should save some for her."

This suggestion once again earned Silly Zhu's praise, "You really are a soldier." He got up, took a lunch box, and portioned out some of the cold pig ear salad, deep-fried small river fish, and stir-fried dried cowpeas with shredded pork into it, looking hesitantly at the steamed buns.

Zhou Zhiyuan said, "One bun is enough for me."

"You eat so little?"

"I'm not just being polite. I've never had a big appetite."

Silly Zhu was a straightforward man. Hearing Zhou Zhiyuan say that, he didn't stand on ceremony. He took a plate from the cupboard and put three steamed buns on it.

But given the opportunity to make a toast, he didn't know what to say. He raised his cup and said, "Let's have a drink, you and I."

Zhou Zhiyuan raised his cup. Judging by the small, two-qian cup, Silly Zhu's alcohol tolerance wasn't very high.

They both finished their cup of liquor, and Silly Zhu put down his cup and said, "Zhiyuan, quickly eat some food. It's gotten a little cold on the way here."

Silly Zhu was thoughtful, wrapping the lunch boxes and steamed buns in a small piece of cut-off wool blanket. Of the four dishes, only the stir-fried dried cowpeas with shredded pork was meant to be served hot, but it was still fine to eat cold.

Hearing him urging him to eat, Zhou Zhiyuan reached out with his left hand, picked up chopsticks, and put a peanut into his mouth.

Silly Zhu looked at his right hand and asked in a low voice, "Was your right hand injured on the battlefield?"

When he walked into the courtyard, he had received a message from Jia Zhangshi: "Did you know that Zhou Zhiyuan's right hand is crippled? He's a ruthless character..."

Jia Zhangshi wanted Silly Zhu to give up on hosting a welcome dinner for Zhou Zhiyuan. The wool blanket-wrapped package in the mesh bag made her envious.

But Silly Zhu wasn't a timid person. He had fought Zhou Zhiyuan before and knew he couldn't beat him. Hearing that Zhou Zhiyuan was a ruthless character actually made him feel better. Now, he was asking out of concern.

Zhou Zhiyuan replied calmly, "I was injured on the battlefield and was assessed by the military doctor as a fourth-degree disabled veteran."

He didn't make a big deal about his right hand's disability. He switched the chopsticks to his right hand, gripping them with his thumb and forefinger, and put another peanut into his mouth, tasting it and saying in a low voice, "These fried peanuts weren't made by you, Brother Zhu. They're a little overcooked."

Hearing him critique the dish, Silly Zhu laughed, "That was made by my apprentice, Ma Hua. Try the other dishes."

Silly Zhu shifted his attention, focusing on tasting the food.

Zhou Zhiyuan picked up a chopstickful of dried cowpeas and put them into his mouth to taste them. This dish was still warm. After swallowing, he said slowly, "This dish was made by you, Brother Zhu."

Then he picked up a piece of cold pig ear salad and put it into his mouth, commenting, "This was personally braised by you, Brother Zhu, not store-bought."

Hearing him evaluate the dishes, Silly Zhu laughed loudly, raised his cup, and said, "Based on your ability to taste food, I'll toast you a cup."

Silly Zhu was happy to meet a food connoisseur. He raised his cup to toast Zhou Zhiyuan, no longer asking about his right hand injury.

At that moment, Qin Huairu heard Jia Zhangshi tell her about Zhou Zhiyuan in detail.

Qin Huairu had some work to finish tonight, so she came home from work a little late. As soon as she walked in the door, she heard Jia Zhangshi ask mysteriously, "Did you know that Zhou Zhiyuan's right hand is crippled?"

Hearing this news, Qin Huairu was stunned. She didn't know.

Seeing her reaction, Jia Zhangshi smiled smugly, then put away her smile, looked outside, turned her face, and said softly, "This was asked by First Auntie herself. Zhou Zhiyuan admitted that he used his right hand to grab the enemy's bayonet while fighting on the battlefield, and his left hand pulled out a dagger and slit the enemy's throat..."

Jia Zhangshi recounted the story truthfully and then commented, "You can't judge a book by its cover. Zhou Zhiyuan is actually a ruthless character. He must have killed a lot of people."

She didn't avoid mentioning this to Bang Geng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua, and she had her own plans.

Qin Huairu and Zhou Zhining were close, and Bang Geng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua were also close to Zhou Zhining. Jia Zhangshi had to take precautions. Zhou Zhining's younger brother was a ruthless character, which certainly had a deterrent effect.

But Qin Huairu remained calm as she listened to her. She glanced at the three children. Huaihua was ignorant, while Bang Geng and Xiaodang looked quite pale.

Withdrawing her gaze, Qin Huairu said faintly, "Zhiyuan is a soldier. When faced with enemy invasion, he bravely fought back and killed the enemy. Killing the enemy is different from murder..."

Saying this, Qin Huairu paused for a moment and suddenly changed her tune, "He is a filial son. No matter how ruthless he is, he will listen to his parents. The Zhou family follows the rules. Zhining is the eldest brother and acts as the father, so Zhiyuan will also listen to Zhining. We just need to get along well with Zhiyuan."

The purpose of her words was the opposite of Jia Zhangshi's. If Bang Geng and Xiaodang were afraid of Zhou Zhiyuan, then they should be close to Zhou Zhining, who could protect them.

Qin Huairu hinted to the three children and then said to Bang Geng, "Your Silly Uncle is hosting a welcome dinner for your Second Uncle Zhou tonight. Don't go to Silly Uncle's room to freeload, so as not to cause dissatisfaction with your Second Uncle Zhou, or he won't be nice to you in the future."

Bang Geng nodded obediently. He was afraid of this Second Uncle Zhou.

After instructing Bang Geng, Qin Huairu sat at the table and pondered. Zhou Zhiyuan's right hand was crippled. Zhou Zhining wouldn't be unaware of this, but he knew and didn't tell her. From this, she could see Zhou Zhining's mindset.

In Zhou Zhining's heart, Zhou Zhiyuan was more important than her.