Siheyuan: Bringing Warehouses to 1959

Lin Huyang's mother was just like Fan Jin who had passed the imperial examination, shouting the good news all the way back to their yard. Her tone made it hard for the neighbors along the way to not know that Lin Huyang had been admitted to Peking University.

This kind of emotion is actually easy to understand. In the eyes of ordinary people, being a purchasing agent is more glorious than being a purchasing agent at Peking University.

"With my mom like this, people would think I went to study at Peking University..." Lin Huyang wanted to cover his face.

"Yangzi, think about it this way. Your job is much more important than studying at Peking University." Zeng Wangcai said with a smile, "Think about it. Whether Peking University teachers and students can eat better in the future has a lot to do with you. From another perspective, you are training talents for the country."

Lin Huyang thought about it and it seemed to be a bit like that.

He was cheerful by nature and soon stopped worrying about whether to go to Peking University to study or to go shopping. He put his arm around Zeng Wangcai's shoulder and walked while introducing the alley to Zhang Xiuzhi and others who were relatively unfamiliar with the place. Occasionally, a neighbor who was startled by his mother talked to him on the way, and he just laughed it off.

When we arrived at the yard, the door of Lin Huyang's house was crowded with people, most of them were young girls, young wives and middle-aged women.

"Yoko's mom, your Yoko has made great progress."

"Who said it wasn't? From now on, your Yangzi will be a student of Peking University."

"When Yoko graduated and came back, I said that Yoko's future was bright and I wondered which girl would be lucky enough to marry Yoko."

"Yoko's mom, Yoko is already grown up, how about I find a marriage for her?"

The last woman who spoke was a matchmaker who was well-known in Lin Huyang's courtyard and had arranged many couples.

Lin Haitao and his wife were laughing so hard that they didn't know who to respond to.

"These old sisters-in-law change their attitudes so quickly!" Lin Huyang curled his lips and said, "Before, when I came back home and had nothing to do, they said something about me. In short, they said that I was a high school student and didn't even have a job. Now it seems that those words were not said by them."

"Why are you arguing with them?" Zeng Wangcai counselled his brother, "When you're chatting, you just listen to what they say. You have to say something that they like to hear. If you don't want to say anything, that's fine. Just ignore it."

Use reason with reasonable people, and use force with unreasonable people.

Zeng Wangcai didn’t remember who said this, it seemed like he saw it on a video. He thought it made sense, and if you argue with these old ladies, you lose.

But Lin Huyang thought differently. He pouted at the matchmaker who spoke last and said, "See? She's Aunt Hong. Her proudest achievement is bringing two disabled people together."

"Isn't this great? It can be considered a great merit." Zeng Wangcai was puzzled.

"What's good about that? You should first understand what kind of disability it is." Lin Huyang suddenly looked up at the sky. "One is deaf-mute, and the other is blind. How can you let them communicate?"

"Ah this..." Zeng Wangcai was speechless. He realized that he was too reckless.

"so?"

"So, I can't let my mother agree to her matchmaking. Who knows what kind of daughter-in-law she will find for me. The key is that Aunt Hong has a sharp tongue. It's child's play to make a dead person alive."

Lin Huyang patted Zeng Wangcai on the shoulder and told them to watch the fun here and keep quiet while he squeezed in.

"Oh, Yangzi is back. We were just talking about you. Tell Aunt Hong what kind of girl you like." Aunt Hong smiled charmingly and twisted her not-so-thick waist. If it weren't for the restrictions of the times and clothing, her body language would have been even richer.

Lin Huyang's way of rejecting the marriage was simple and crude. He said directly: "Mom, you don't explain clearly. I am going to work as a buyer in the logistics department of Peking University, not to study."

???

Not a college student?

The expressions of the old sisters-in-law changed instantly. In their minds, there is a huge difference between college students and buyers.

The awkward atmosphere lasted for a while. The old sisters-in-law had just congratulated Lin Huyang on going to college, and now it was difficult for them to change their minds.

"It's all the same, it's all the same." Lin Huyang's mother was still happy, "Purchasers also have good food and drink. If you don't have the ability, who would let you be a purchaser..."

"Mom, you forgot about Wangcai..." Lin Huyang couldn't bear it anymore. He found that Aunt Hong's enthusiasm was not diminished. "Without Wangcai, would I have a job? Don't you know where my supplies come from?"

"Yes, yes, yes, we should thank Wangcai. I won't say anything more. Mom will go to cook something delicious and you entertain your friends!" Lin Huyang's mother took off her apron, muttered that there were not enough dishes at home, and pulled her husband out.

Poor Lin Haitao, with his big body, he staggered when being pulled by his wife and could only wave to Zeng Wangcai from a distance.

Aunt Hong's eyes lit up when she saw Zeng Wangcai, and she walked over quickly: "Young man, do you have a partner?"

Zeng Wangcai was startled and quickly pushed Zhang Xiuzhi forward: "Auntie, this is my girlfriend. No, no, no, that's not right. She's not my girlfriend, but my daughter-in-law. Please don't worry about her..."

Escape!

In the evening, Lin Huyang's family held a banquet with drums and gongs, and they really spent a lot of money.

Because there were so many people, the Lin family's banquet was held on the bamboo bed outside. Among the dishes, in addition to the braised dishes brought by Zeng Wangcai and others, there was a braised pork, a braised fish, a chicken... The staple food was white flour steamed buns.

The wine was two bottles of Gongjiu, and the cigarettes were Red Peony. Lin Haitao bought one pack directly, and Zeng Wangcai, Xiaohu, Xiaobao, and Lin Huyang each bought two packs.

The standard of this meal is top-notch no matter where it is served nowadays.

"Come on, don't be polite, we are all family!" Lin Huyang's mother stood up and started to pick up the dishes. She gave the chicken leg to Zeng Wangcai and Zhang Xiuzhi. Now the Lin couple knew about the relationship between the two. Xiaohu and Xiaobao's bowls were filled with braised pork.

Lin Haitao raised his glass happily and did not urge anyone to drink because he knew Zeng Wangcai could not drink much.

"Yangzi, work hard. Now it seems that you are right not to come to the food station!" Lin Haitao drank and brought up the topic of studying. "Although you didn't get into Peking University, it's also good to be a buyer there. You're different from your father, who spends all day with pigs. When you have a son in the future, try to get him into Peking University."

Parents who are able to focus on their children's education are good parents no matter what era they are in.

Seeing that the topic was about to turn to marriage again, Lin Huyang quickly changed the topic and started talking about future work.

The meal lasted from around six to around eight. Lin Haitao went into the house drunk and lay down. Zeng Wangcai and others wanted to help clean up, but Lin Huyang's mother refused to let them.

After the party, Zeng Wangcai and his three friends went home. The wind on the road was getting cooler and cooler, and summer was about to end.

It was obvious that Zhang Xiuzhi and the others couldn't leave at this point. Zeng Wangcai touched his bulging schoolbag and said, "Xiuzhi, let's go back and do some accounting to see how much money we have. You might as well not go back tomorrow and go to Wangfujing and look at some bicycles."

They made a lot of money during this period, but Zeng Wangcai never calculated how much exactly. Zhang Xiuzhi was the one who kept the accounts, but there was still a part of Zeng Wangcai's income that was not included in the calculation.

When it comes to buying a car, Xiaohu and Xiaobao got excited and said yes directly.

After agreeing on this, the four of them went home. In the front yard, Yan Bugui's family was enjoying the cool air and discussing something. Their eldest son, Yan Jiefang, was also there.

Seeing Zeng Wangcai coming back, Yan Bugui wanted to answer him, but Zeng Wangcai went to the main house for a while and led his people back to his own room in a flash, leaving him no chance.

"Dad, is he reliable? I told Yu Li that there would be candies when she came to visit..."