Siheyuan: Bringing Warehouses to 1959

Yi Zhonghai's family had just finished their meal, and the aunt was cleaning the table. When she saw Jia Dongxu come in, she didn't give him a good look at all.

Jia Dongxu knew why. Ever since his mother, Jia Zhang, was caught, she has been like this.

"Dongxu, have you eaten?" Yi Zhonghai asked habitually.

"I've eaten it, Master. I just ate it!" Jia Dongxu sat down in front of Yi Zhonghai and took out a small bag from his back. "These are wild vegetables that Huairu dug. People are digging wild vegetables everywhere in the city now. It's just the beginning of spring and they are almost gone. In a few days, we may have to go out of the city to dig them."

"Life is hard, and we have to rely on wild vegetables to get by. If this year is the same as last year, some people in the countryside will even eat tree bark." Yi Zhonghai took the bag, went into it, poured out the wild vegetables, and then filled it with five pounds and two tablespoons of flour while watching an old lady with a murderous look in her eyes.

After coming out, Yi Zhonghai handed the bag to Jia Dongxu: "Dongxu, now that the ration has been reduced, how are you going to live?"

Jia Dongxu weighed the weight of his pocket and his face couldn't help but darken.

With so little, what can you eat?

Old man, no matter how much the ration is reduced, there are only two people in your family. You only give me this little. Do you want to starve me to death?

Jia Dongxu didn't dare to get angry, and said with a fake smile: "Let Huairu dig wild vegetables, what else can we do? At most, the adults can eat less and let the children eat more."

"That's true." Yi Zhonghai glanced at Sha Zhu's house and asked, "How is Jingru now? No subsidy at all?"

"Don't mention her, it makes me angry!" Jia Dongxu said angrily, "That girl is impossible to tame. She is now in the same boat with Sha Zhu. What she said before that she would never forget us is all bullshit."

Qin Jingru was originally a trick that Yi Zhonghai came up with to win over Sha Zhu. It worked at first, but as time went on and Qin Jingru got to know the Siheyuan better, the situation slowly changed.

She lived in Jia Dongxu's house, and asked Sha Zhu for some money and food every month as living expenses for the Jia family. The amount was not large, as if it had been calculated, and it was at most enough for her alone.

After Sha Zhu became a uncle, Qin Jingru began to ask Sha Zhu to help her get a household registration, a job, and prepare for marriage.

"Marriage? Haha!" Yi Zhonghai sneered, "Don't worry, Dongxu, Shazhu can't escape our Five Fingers Mountain. I'll find a time in a few days. When Shazhu is not around, you can invite Jingru to have a meal and I'll talk to her.

"Silly Zhu really thinks he is an uncle..."

Yi Zhonghai never thought of letting Sha Zhu go. He believed that without Zeng Wangcai, he could regain control of the Siheyuan by winning over Sha Zhu.

"You should have done this a long time ago. If you let him continue in office, you will have no place to work in the future." Jia Dongxu agreed happily.

Because no one was obstructing him, Sha Zhu had been doing a good job during this period and gradually gained some reputation in the hospital, so Yi Zhonghai didn't dare to wait any longer.

"Dongxu, I have something else to tell you." After talking about this topic, Yi Zhonghai said with a serious expression, "Something is wrong in the factory recently. There are too many people stealing things. I heard at work that there are people outside who specialize in buying the parts in the factory. As long as someone dares to steal, they will spend a lot of money and even buy them with food and drinks. Don't be stupid. Don't agree if you encounter this.

"Ever since Zhang Xiuzhi joined the security department, she has been acting like a fool, arresting people without thinking, not giving anyone face. We don't get along with her in the first place, and if we fall into her hands, it's no joke. We are different from others, we don't have a backer, and if we are arrested, we will go to jail directly."

What Yi Zhonghai meant by going to work was actually sweeping the toilet.

In school, the toilet is a good place for the top students to work, and the same is true in steel mills.

Yi Zhonghai had heard people say this more than once during this period, and he immediately realized that there was a big problem here, so he warned Jia Dongxu to prevent him from falling into the trap because of greed.

"No, no one came to see me!" Jia Dongxu said calmly, "I only know that Zhang Xiuzhi is very popular in the factory now. She arrests people almost every day and doesn't give face to anyone. There was no such thing in the security department before."

"That's good. You don't need to worry about others, just take care of yourself." Yi Zhonghai nodded. "Zhang Xiuzhi won't be able to stay alive for long. She has offended too many people. Someone is already plotting to get rid of her."

"She's not easy to deal with, is she? She's such a good fighter. We used to think Sha Zhu could beat her, but now it seems that even Sha Zhu may not be her match. I heard that those who did bad things in the factory would tremble when they saw her..."

This is Zhang Xiuzhi's deterrent power. Since she started working, she has created deterrent power with her tough work style.

It can be said that now in the steel rolling mill, the title of Zhao Hongqing, the head of the Security Department, is not as important as Zhang Xiuzhi.

Moreover, Zhang Xiuzhi was also under the spotlight of the Chaoyang Branch, and Zhao Hongqing was asked about Zhang Xiuzhi's situation by the branch leaders several times during meetings.

Jia Dongxu repeatedly assured Yi Zhonghai that he had done nothing wrong, and asked who wanted to deal with Zhang Xiuzhi and who was so bold.

"Don't worry about who it is." Yi Zhonghai did not reveal the name of the person, but directly explained the method, "No matter how good she is at fighting, people will not fight with her, just make her dereliction of duty, the security department will protect her once or twice, but if it happens too many times, who will dare to protect her? You just need to know about this, don't tell anyone, anyway, she won't have a good life for many days."

"Okay, got it. Master, you take a rest. I'm going back now!" Jia Dongxu said goodbye and went home with his bag.

Qin Huairu was extremely disappointed when she saw that there were only about five kilograms of food.

"Even if we add in what Jingru brought back, our family will still have to go hungry for more than ten days this month. Why is the uncle... like this now?"

"The old man expects me to find Sha Zhu, bah!" After coming back, Jia Dongxu tore off his disguise, "We won't ask him for help, just wait."

He decided that since Zhang Xiuzhi was going to be in trouble, then that thing could be done.

The next day was Sunday, and most people at the steel mill were resting, including Zhang Xiuzhi.

Zhang Xiuzhi did not bring any gifts and went to Beiluoguxiang empty-handed. If there is south, there must be north.

Director Zhang of the Street Office also lives in a courtyard house, but it is not in Nanluoguxiang. Instead, it is located in Lingguang Hutong, Beiluoguxiang, close to Ding'anmen, which is also a prime location.

When Director Zhang is not at work, she is no different from a housewife at home, wearing an apron and working. She is cleaning a big fish, but because she is worried about others' jealousy, she dare not do it outside and hides at home to clean it.

Seeing Zhang Xiuzhi coming, Director Zhang quickly washed his hands and asked his eldest daughter-in-law to pour tea.

After we sat down, Director Zhang went into the inner room and took out some money and tickets. "Xiuzhi, don't complain that it's too little. I used all the tickets from my aunt's house during the Chinese New Year."

She knew that Zhang Xiuzhi came for something, but after taking in such a big fish like Zeng Wangcai, Director Zhang would feel uncomfortable if she didn't pay him as before.

"Aunt Zhang, don't worry about the money. I need your help with something." Zhang Xiuzhi naturally wouldn't ask for money. "I'll write to Wangcai later. I'll only accept it if he says he will. If he says he won't accept it but you insist, he'll scold me."

"He dared to say that to you?" Director Zhang wanted to tease the couple about Zhang Xiuzhi's recent performance in the factory, but he thought that Zhang Xiuzhi had something else to do, so he kept it to himself. "What's the matter? Tell me. Help is help, money is money. Buying fish at the normal price is already a bargain."

Now, Director Zhang no longer calls small-scale transactions between acquaintances speculation and profiteering, as he simply does not have the nerve to do so.

It's only the beginning of spring, and it's already more difficult to buy food at the grain management office than last year, not to mention meat. Everyone knows that this year will probably be even more difficult than last year.

Therefore, just turn a blind eye if you can; staying alive is what matters.

"Wangcai said he wants to renovate his house and wants you to help him find some reliable builders. He also wants to ask you if it's possible to apply for the small empty house next door to where we live to let us live..."