Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

Ordinary days always pass by inadvertently, and summer came in the blink of an eye. During this period, He Yuzhu's Northeast soybean paste was also successful. In summer, the persimmon vinegar brewed by He Yuzhu last year was also ready for secondary fermentation.

He Yuzhu first cleaned the bamboo basket and cotton cloth used for filtering, and then disinfected them with alcohol. Then he scooped out the persimmon vinegar liquid in the wine jar with a ladle and poured it into the bamboo basket. The persimmon vinegar liquid mixed with persimmons was left in the bamboo basket for one night, and all the persimmon vinegar in it had been filtered out. He Yuzhu poured the filtered persimmon vinegar into the wine jar again, sealed it and fermented it again.

Not long after the persimmon vinegar was processed, my cousin Cai Quanwu's wife Zhang Xiaoqiao successfully gave birth to a baby boy. Cai Quanwu named the child Cai Jianguo. When He Yuzhu heard the name, he couldn't help but feel funny. Fortunately, the child was not born near the National Day, otherwise the child would probably be named Cai Guoqing. After Cai Quanwu had a son, he became more energetic, as if he had endless energy.

In the autumn of 1952, Zhang Dashan and his son Zhang Daniu came to deliver the millstone persimmons to He Yuzhu as agreed. Before coming, Zhang Dashan and his son were unsure. After all, a year had passed. If He Yuzhu changed his mind and didn't want them anymore, they would have to find a way to get rid of the persimmons. After meeting He Yuzhu, the worries of Zhang Dashan and his son disappeared completely, and they were relieved. He Yuzhu accepted the millstone persimmons sent by them as agreed. He Yuzhu also specially invited Zhang Dashan and his son to taste the persimmon vinegar he brewed. Adding honey to the persimmon vinegar made it sweet and sour.

After tasting the persimmon vinegar, Zhang Dashan and his son praised He Yuzhu's persimmon vinegar for being very delicious. He Yuzhu looked at Zhang Daniu who was hesitant to speak, and asked curiously: "Brother Daniu, I see that you seem to have something on your mind. Is there something wrong with my persimmon vinegar?"

Zhang Daniu quickly shook his head and said, "No, the persimmon vinegar you brew is very delicious, but..."

Seeing Zhang Daniu hesitant and not daring to speak, He Yuzhu was very curious, so he patiently asked again: "Brother Daniu, if you have anything to say, just say it directly, don't be embarrassed."

With He Yuzhu's encouragement, Zhang Daniu finally plucked up the courage and said with a red face: "Yuzhu, can you teach me how to make persimmon vinegar?" After saying this, Zhang Daniu seemed to have used up all his strength.

Zhang Dashan shouted sternly: "Daniu, this is someone's secret recipe, how can you ask for someone's secret recipe. I'm sorry, Xiao He, I apologize to you on behalf of Daniu. He doesn't know the rules, so why don't you give it to Xiao He and say sorry."

He Yuzhu laughed and stopped Zhang Daniu who was about to apologize, and said with a smile: "Uncle Zhang, it's just a small matter. If Daniu wants to learn, I can teach him. The method of making persimmon vinegar is not a secret recipe. It's actually very simple." After that, He Yuzhu explained the method of making persimmon vinegar to Zhang Daniu in full, and finally reminded Zhang Daniu again.

"Brother Daniu, the process of making persimmon vinegar is very simple, but remember to clean the container and the tools used for secondary fermentation. If you can disinfect it with high-proof liquor, you must use it. If you don't have it, just put the container in a pot and steam it for more than ten minutes."

Zhang Daniu carefully wrote down every word He Yuzhu said, and finally expressed his gratitude to He Yuzhu sincerely. "Thank you, Yuzhu."

"Don't be so polite. Many people know this method. When you go back, you can try making some persimmons to make wine. If it succeeds next year, it won't be too late to make more." He Yuzhu suggested to Zhang Daniu with a smile.

"Okay, I'll remember it." Zhang Daniu said seriously.

To express his gratitude, Zhang Dashan said seriously, "Xiao He, since you are so generous in teaching Daniu how to make persimmon vinegar, you can just give me half of the persimmon money this year."

"Uncle Zhang, if you say that, I don't dare to take these persimmons. You picked the persimmons from the trees with great effort and sent them all the way from Mentougou to me. If I really give you half the price, wouldn't that be taking advantage of you? I also learned the method of making persimmon vinegar from a book, not invented by me. Uncle Zhang, if you think highly of me, you can accept them as you please. Remember to send me persimmons next year."

Zhang Dashan saw He Yuzhu's determined look, and until he could no longer force him, he said helplessly: "Then thank you, Xiao He. Don't worry, as long as I can still walk, I will send you persimmons every year."

He Yuzhu then saw Zhang Dashan and his son off and watched them drive the ox cart away into the distance.

What He Yuzhu didn't expect was that Zhang Daniu was very talented in brewing persimmon vinegar. After bidding farewell to He Yuzhu and returning home, Zhang Daniu brewed two large jars of persimmon vinegar according to the method taught by He Yuzhu. Although it was his first time brewing vinegar, Zhang Daniu was a great success. The persimmon vinegar brewed by Zhang Daniu tasted very mellow. With his own persimmon vinegar brewing skills, Zhang Daniu participated in the vinegar factory planned to be built in the township in 1954 and became a glorious worker. In addition, Mentougou persimmon vinegar has become a very famous local specialty.

In the following days, He Yuzhu traveled back and forth between the steel mill, his home in Nanluoguxiang, the Daqianmen tavern, and Guan Xuezong's home. Before he knew it, the year had come to 1953. 1953 was a very important year. Many policies that would affect the next few decades were promulgated in this year. The three-year war on the peninsula was about to end, and the first five-year plan officially began.

In July 1953, when the news of the signing of the armistice agreement of the Korean Peninsula War came from Sijiu City, the whole city became a sea of ​​joy, and everyone was immersed in the joyful atmosphere. He Yuzhu came to the Nanluoguxiang Street Office as usual to ask about someone inviting him to hold a wedding banquet. As soon as He Yuzhu entered the door of the street office, Xiao Zhang, a staff member of the street office, said, "Xiao He, you are here. Director Wang is waiting for you in the office. She wants to talk to you. Go and find her."

"Okay, then I'll go find Director Wang first, Brother Zhang." He Yuzhu greeted Xiao Zhang with a smile.

He Yuzhu came to Director Wang's office and found Director Wang lying on the desk writing something. So He Yuzhu knocked on the door gently and then went into the office. "Director Wang, I'm here."

"Xiao He, you are here. Please sit down and wait for me for a while. I will finish writing the material on hand first." Director Wang smiled and invited He Yuzhu to sit down.

"Okay, Director Wang, you go ahead and do your work. I'm not in a hurry." He Yuzhu sat on the stool and said with a smile.

After a while, Director Wang put down his pen, picked up the document and looked at it. After confirming that there was no problem, he opened the drawer and put the document in. Then Director Wang turned to look at He Yuzhu and said with a smile: "Xiao He, I believe you have also heard about the signing of the armistice agreement on the peninsula. What I asked you to talk about today is related to this matter. First of all, on behalf of the Street Office, I would like to express my gratitude and praise for your persistence in donating to the most lovely people in the past two years."

Director Wang paused for a moment and said with emotion, "Who would have thought that this burly young man in front of him has been donating to the cutest people every month for more than two years. He not only donated his salary, but also donated the money he earned from hosting banquets for others. In more than two years, the money donated by this young man has exceeded 2 million yuan."

"Since the Korean Peninsula War has signed an armistice agreement, you don't have to donate to the cutest people on the Peninsula anymore. You can keep the money you earn from wedding banquets yourself. Of course, if someone still wants to invite you to host a wedding banquet at the Street Office, the Street Office can still help collect the money. Of course, this requires your consent."

He Yuzhu thought for a while and said seriously: "Director Wang, I used to hold wedding banquets mainly to donate money to the cutest people on the peninsula. Now that the armistice agreement has been signed on the front line of the peninsula, I don't need to donate money anymore, so I won't hold wedding banquets in the future. If someone comes to the street office to ask me to hold a wedding banquet in the future, please ask the staff of the street office to help explain that I have already received the money, and I will complete it according to the agreement. As for the money received, I will donate it to the welfare home."

"Although I will no longer prepare wedding banquets for others, if it is the cutest person from our city who has retired and needs someone to prepare a wedding banquet, I can prepare it for them for free. If it is the family of a revolutionary predecessor or a veteran Red Army soldier, that is also fine."

After listening to what He Yuzhu said, Director Wang looked at He Yuzhu with a face full of satisfaction, and then said: "Okay, when I go to the district meeting later, I will help promote it for you. Xiao He, your ideological awareness is really admirable. Regarding your donations to the most lovely people in recent years, I have already reported to the district. This is the certificate awarded to you by your superiors. Please keep it." Then Director Wang took out a certificate from the drawer and handed it to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu took the certificate with both hands. It said: Comrade He Yuzhu: He has actively participated in the donation activity for the most lovely people and is awarded the honorary title of "Advanced Donation Individual". This certificate is issued to encourage him. Longguo People's Anti-Ugliness and Support Association July 30, 1953.

After reading the certificate, He Yuzhu looked at Director Wang excitedly and asked, "Director Wang, is this really for me?"

Director Wang looked at He Yuzhu's excited expression and said seriously, "Well, it's for you. Didn't you see your name written on it?"

After listening to Director Wang's words, He Yuzhu took another look at the content on the certificate to confirm that it was true. Director Wang saw that He Yuzhu's emotions had calmed down, so he said with a serious face: "Comrade He Yuzhu, I am now informing you in my capacity as the secretary of the Nanluoguxiang Sub-district Office Workers and Peasants Party Branch that after a meeting of the Nanluoguxiang Sub-district Office Workers and Peasants Party Branch, it was decided that your application to join the Longguo Workers and Peasants Party was approved. In view of your past performance, you are now recommended as an active member of the Nanluoguxiang Sub-district Office Workers and Peasants Party Branch, and I am your contact person for cultivation in the Nanluoguxiang Sub-district Office Workers and Peasants Party Branch. If the steel rolling mill where you work becomes a party branch in the future, your party membership will be transferred to the steel rolling mill."

He Yuzhu immediately stood up straight, looked at Director Wang solemnly and said, "Thank you for the organization's recognition of me. I will actively participate in the organization's learning and strive to meet the requirements for formally joining the Workers and Peasants' Party as soon as possible."

"Okay, Xiao He, I also look forward to you becoming an official member of the Workers and Peasants Party as soon as possible." Director Wang said with a smile.