Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

Five days after the small courtyard in front of the kitchen was cleaned up, the bamboo cut in Fudi Dongtian was almost dry, and He Yuzhu planned to make the ladder for the cellar today. He Yuzhu first sawed off 5 meters between two bamboos, then marked the bamboos, dug holes for fixing the crossbars on one side of the bamboos according to the marked positions, and then installed the crossbars. After the crossbars were installed, a hole was drilled at the corresponding position of the handrails, and a bamboo nail was nailed in to fix it. In a short while, the bamboo ladder was made. He Yuzhu put the bamboo ladder on his shoulders, carried it with one hand and rode his bike with the ladder back to his home in Nanluoguxiang.

The cellar dug by the three managers of the Siheyuan and the residents of the Siheyuan was finally completed after a week. He Yuzhu took a look at it. It was just a simple pit dug to the north of the Jia family's house, a roof was built on it with wood, and the roof was covered with tarpaulin, and then the tarpaulin was buried with soil. A hole more than one meter wide was left next to it for entry and exit, and a wooden board was put on the hole to cover it.

Looking at this simple cellar, He Yuzhu couldn't help but think of the novels he had read before. Some authors described that after Jia Xudong died, Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai had an affair in the cellar late at night, and were accidentally discovered by the protagonist. The protagonist secretly locked the cellar door, and then deliberately made a noise to wake up the courtyard so that the affair between the two was exposed to everyone in the courtyard. Only when He Yuzhu personally traveled through it did he realize how ridiculous the author's writing was. Let's not talk about whether Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai had an affair. The cellar in the north is just a pit dug underground. Where can you install a door? If there is no door, you still lock it. What the hell is the use of locking it?

Unconsciously, the winter of 1951 came, which also meant that 51 was about to end. He Yuzhu took the opportunity to buy a lot of cabbage, radish, and potatoes and put them in the cellar like other residents of the city. In order to achieve the diversity of dishes, He Yuzhu also specially pickled two jars of Northeast sauerkraut and one jar of spicy cabbage. The sauerkraut will be used to make dumplings. After all, he is a big-bellied man, and the vegetables in the blessed land and cave cannot be taken out. After all, there are no off-season vegetables on the market now. If he takes them out and is reported by someone, he may be shot dead.

There are five large jars of fermented bean curd in the room next to the kitchen. This was made by He Yuzhu in the summer with the help of his cousin Cai Quanwu's wife Su Xiulian. He Yuzhu also pickled several jars of pickled cucumbers and kimchi, which allowed He Yuzhu to easily get through the long winter.

After entering the winter month, more people held weddings, and more people asked He Yuzhu to help prepare banquets. Because most wedding banquets were held at night, He Yuzhu was unable to pick up He Yushui from school in time, so He Yuzhu could only ask his cousin Cai Quanwu to help pick up He Yushui from school, and then go to the tavern to pick up his sister He Yushui home after he finished the wedding banquet.

Because of the Korean War, the steel mill had a heavy production task this year, which resulted in a very late holiday, which did not start until the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month. However, it did not affect He Yuzhu at all, as he worked in the canteen, which only provided lunch once a day. Even if Director Lou invited guests to dinner, it was usually at noon, so He Yuzhu used the time after get off work every day at noon to prepare the New Year's goods early.

On the morning of the 5th, the first day of He Yuzhu's holiday, He Yuzhu thought about preparing some New Year's goods for his cousin Cai Quanwu and Zhang Hu. After weighing the pros and cons, He Yuzhu decided to give each person a chicken, a fish and 8 kilograms of pork. Anyway, these things are ready in Fudi Dongtian, so they can be caught directly, except that the pigs need to be killed by themselves. After He Yuzhu killed and divided the pigs, He Yuzhu moved the 8 fish, 8 chickens and pieces of pork out of Fudi Dongtian and put them in the house in Qudeng Hutong.

Then He Yuzhu went out of the gate of Qudeng Hutong and rode his bicycle to the house rented to Zhang Hu and others in Chunshu Hutong. Zhang Hu and his friends had a holiday earlier than He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu pushed his bicycle into the yard and saw Zhang Hu sitting in the yard basking in the sun. When Zhang Hu saw He Yuzhu coming in, he immediately stood up and greeted He Yuzhu warmly: "Brother He, why are you here today? Is there anything?"

"It's nothing serious. Why are you alone at home? Where are they?" He Yuzhu asked curiously as he saw Zhang Hu alone in the yard.

"A few of them went out to play, and I didn't go because I didn't want to go." Zhang Hu said embarrassedly.

"It's almost Chinese New Year, I prepared some New Year's goods for each of you, and I wanted to come and tell you to pick them up, but it turns out that no one except you is home." He Yuzhu pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, you come with me, and you can find a rickshaw on the street and ask it to help you bring the things back. I have to deliver them to my master later."

"Okay, Brother He, you go out first, I'll lock the door and go with you."

He Yuzhu waited for Zhang Hu to lock the gate of the courtyard, motioned Zhang Hu to sit on the back seat of the bicycle, and took Zhang Hu to the house in Qudeng Hutong. He Yuzhu pointed at the pork on the table in the house and said, "There's not much. Each of you can get a fish, a chicken, and 5 jin of pork. Go to the street and call a rickshaw now."

"Okay, Brother He." After saying that, Zhang Hu went out to call a rickshaw.

He Yuzhu put six hens into a basket, then put the fish into another basket, and then spread some newspapers on top, and put the pork on top. He Yuzhu had just carried the things from the house to the yard when Zhang Hu Ke came back with the rickshaw driver.

He Yuzhu said to the rickshaw driver enthusiastically, "Hello, sir. How much does it cost to take this thing on the ground to Chunshu Hutong?"

Zhang Hu immediately said, "Brother He, I've asked and it only costs 1500 yuan to get to Chunshu Hutong from here."

He Yuzhu saw the rickshaw driver nodded, then took out money from his pocket, counted out 1500 yuan and handed it to the rickshaw driver: "Thank you for your help, Master."

When Zhang Hu saw He Yuzhu was about to pay, he immediately stepped forward to stop He Yuzhu and said anxiously: "Brother He, I have money, you can't pay this money."

He Yuzhu pushed Zhang Hu away and stuffed the money directly into the rickshaw driver's hand. Then he said to Zhang Hu, "This is what I prepared for the six of you. I asked you to pay for it by yourself. You will be embarrassed to ask other people for it when you go back. I can't ask you to contribute both labor and money, so I will pay for it. It's not much. Okay, hurry up and take the things and go. I have to deliver them to my master's house."

Zhang Hu could only blush and pick up the basket in the yard and walk out. The rickshaw driver quickly put the money into his pocket and then picked up another basket on the ground and followed Zhang Hu out. After He Yuzhu and the other two people left the yard, he went back to the house, took out the two hens and hung them upside down on the handlebars of the bicycle, then put the fish and pork into the basket, fixed the basket to the back seat of the bicycle, pushed the bicycle out of the yard, turned around and locked the door, and He Yuzhu rode the bicycle towards the direction of his master Wu Baotian's house.

When He Yuzhu arrived at his master Wu Baotian's house, he happened to see Wu Youli and his sister Wu Xiangyun playing at the door. When the brother and sister saw He Yuzhu, they ran to him. Wu Youli greeted He Yuzhu: "Brother He, did you bring anything delicious this time?" Wu Xiangyun asked: "Brother He, why didn't sister Yushui come with you?"

He Yuzhu touched the two people's heads, took out a handful of candy from his pocket and gave it to the two people, then said to Wu Xiangyun gently: "Yushui, she is running around at home. I will bring her to play with you in two days. You are polite. Who is at home?"

"My mother went to the street to buy things, my sister-in-law is in the yard with Goudan, my father and brother went to work, and my second brother also went to work." Wu Youli took the candy handed over by He Yuzhu, and while He Yuzhu and Wu Xiangyun were talking, he had already peeled one and put it in his mouth. When He Yuzhu asked him, he spoke incoherently with the candy in his mouth.

"Why don't you bring Goudan to play with you?" He Yuzhu asked with a smile.

"My mother doesn't let my brother play with Goudan, saying that Goudan is too young and always cries for no reason," said Wu Xiangyun, standing aside.

"Then you and your sister can play here. I'll go in and talk to my sister-in-law. Don't eat all the candies at once. Eating too much candies will damage your teeth. You guys can help me watch the bicycle at the door. I won't take the things off the bicycle." He Yuzhu reminded Wu Youli and Wu Xiangyun.

"Okay, Brother He, you can go in without worry. Leave the bicycle to me." Wu Youli said loudly, patting his chest.

He Yuzhu smiled and said to Wu Youli, "Then I'll leave it to you." After that, He Yuzhu untied a hen from the handlebars, took out a fish and a piece of pork from the basket, and carried the things into the yard.

As soon as he entered the gate, He Yuzhu saw Zhang Xiaoqiao and Wu Jiarui playing in the yard. Zhang Xiaoqiao looked at He Yuzhu carrying things in his hands and asked curiously, "Zhuzi, you are here, what are you carrying?"

He Yuzhu smiled and replied, "Sister-in-law, this is what I prepared for my master and his wife. According to the rules, it should be delivered on the second day of the Chinese New Year. I thought everything at home would be ready by then, so I delivered it in advance. Sister-in-law, you don't have to get involved. I'll put it in the kitchen for me. I've already killed the fish. Look at Jiarui."

"Zhu Zi..." Before Zhang Xiaoqiao could finish her words, He Yuzhu entered the kitchen.

After He Yuzhu put the things in the kitchen, he walked to the yard and said to Zhang Xiaoqiao: "Sister-in-law, I still have to deliver something to my cousin's house, so I won't stay to accompany you to finish."

"Okay then, I'll talk to my mother when she comes back." Zhang Xiaoqiao picked up Wu Jiarui from the ground and prepared to send He Yuzhu out.

He Yuzhu hurriedly stopped Zhang Xiaoqiao and said, "Sister-in-law, please don't see me off. I'm leaving." He Yuzhu ran out of the courtyard and came to the gate, looking at Wu Youli standing next to his bicycle like a soldier. He Yuzhu smiled and said to Wu Youli, "Youli, you have worked hard. This is your hard work fee." He Yuzhu took out a handful of candy from his pocket and handed it to Wu Youli.

Seeing this, Wu Xiangyun quickly said, "Brother He, I helped you check it too. What about mine?"

He Yuzhu smiled and took out another handful from his pocket and put it in Wu Xiangyun's hand, "Xiangyun also has a share, this is for Xiangyun. But you have to promise me that you can't eat it all in one go. If I come to pay New Year's greetings to Master on the second day of the New Year and you two have eaten all the candies, I won't give you any more then. If you two haven't finished them, I'll give you another handful, and whoever has more left will get an extra string of candied haws as a reward."

"We definitely won't finish it." Wu Youli and Wu Xiangyun quickly assured He Yuzhu.

"Then we have a deal. I'm leaving. Youli, take your sister out to play. Be careful. Goodbye, Youli and Xiangyun." He Yuzhu turned around while pushing the bicycle, then straddled the bicycle and pedaled hard. The bicycle shot out in an instant.