Siheyuan, my new life

As the bell for the end of get off work rang in the afternoon, Yi Zhonghai packed up the tools at his workstation, washed his hands, and walked out of the benchwork workshop carrying his lunch box.

With Yi Zhonghai's guidance and help today, although Jia Dongxu went to the warehouse for Yi Zhonghai to pull workpieces twice extra, he still completed today's work ahead of schedule.

Jia Dongxu still maintained a respectful attitude and followed Yi Zhonghai, but in his heart he had already cursed this hypocrite. Yi Zhonghai had only taught him for less than half an hour today, but Jia Dongxu clearly felt that his locksmith skills had improved significantly. This alone was enough to prove that Yi Zhonghai, the hypocrite, had definitely been keeping his skills to himself. If he had really taught him, he would have been at least at level four, if not level five. You know, even a level four locksmith would earn 52.8 yuan a month.

If I earn more than 50 yuan now, how can my family live so hard? Why should I be so humble for 10 or 8 kilograms of corn flour? You should know that a kilogram of corn flour is only 1.2 yuan in the pigeon market, and even white flour is less than 40 yuan.

If he really had a salary of more than 50 yuan, it would be enough for his family to eat white flour all day long. The more Jia Dongxu thought about it, the angrier he became. He secretly swore in his heart that when Yi Zhonghai got old, he would throw him into the moat and let him fend for himself.

The master and his apprentice parted ways at the street corner, and Yi Zhonghai walked directly towards the street office. According to Director Wang's order last night, starting today, Yi Zhonghai needs to go directly to the street office every afternoon after get off work to receive half an hour of ideological education. Although Yi Zhonghai was unwilling, he still went to receive education honestly, because he also knew that if he did not obey the order of the street office, he would be paraded in the streets and possibly directly reformed through labor.

At 6:30 in the evening, Yi Zhonghai walked out of the gate of Jiaodaokou Street Office with a look of despair on his face. The half hour or so he had just spent almost became an indelible nightmare in his mind. Two staff members of the street office took turns lecturing him. Their disdainful expressions and dry words made Yi Zhonghai, who was standing in front of the desk, at a loss and distracted.

After finally hearing the staff say that they would stop here for today, Yi Zhonghai breathed a sigh of relief. After all, he had finally managed to get through the day. He staggered out of the gate of the street office and headed towards the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

At this time, in a small restaurant not far from Yanzhi Hutong, Bai Guadu's cousin Liu Dali was sitting around an octagonal table with four men and feasting on their meal.

Liu Dali spent a lot of money today. There were four meat dishes and four vegetarian dishes on the eight-immortals table. Since there was an important operation tonight, there was only a bottle of Erguotou liquor on the table.

In order to avoid being overheard by others, no one mentioned anything related to tonight's action during the meal.

In less than half an hour, everyone finished their meal and walked out of the restaurant together. Since it was still early, everyone walked slowly towards No. 72 Yanzhi Hutong.

A sturdy man in his thirties with a fierce look on his face gently bumped Liu Dali, who was walking beside him, with his shoulder and asked in a low voice: "Da Li, does our sister really want to go back to Baoding to live? How can that poor and remote place compare to the old city? Just persuade our sister to stay."

Liu Dali rolled his eyes at him and said, "Why do you, Jiao Erhu, like my sister? But I have to say this, my sister has three children to support in Baoding. Although you, Jiao Erhu, earn a lot of money in the black market, but apart from drinking, smoking, eating out, and staying at half-closed doors, how much money can you save after a month? Listen to my advice, you should save some money to start a family and live a good life in the future. After all, how many people in the black market can have a good ending? Just in the Dongzhimen black market, how many bosses have been replaced like a revolving lantern in these years?"

Jiao Erhu sighed: "You know that we are doing a dangerous business. We are all alone and we can only drink and enjoy life today. Who can guarantee that we will see the sun tomorrow? Among our group of old brothers, only you, Liu Dali, are lucky. You were soft-hearted and saved an old man who was browsing the black market. Who knew that he turned out to be a senior fitter at Lou's Steel Rolling Mill? Not only did he introduce you to work at Lou's Steel Rolling Mill, he also accepted you as his apprentice and married his daughter to you."

Liu Dali laughed proudly and said, "We are brothers who have known each other for a lifetime, so I advise you to quit as soon as possible, find a job and start a family."

Jiao Erhu took a deep puff of his cigarette and said, "Forget it. I know what's going on. By the way, didn't our sister say she followed a famous chef? Could it be that with that guy's income, he can't afford to support our sister and three children?"

Liu Dali smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "That guy's income is definitely enough to support my sister's family, but my sister wants to let the cook go back to Baoding to live with her. Well, put yourself in his shoes. If it were you, I wouldn't be able to leave my family and career to start over in Baoding."

Jiao Erhu snorted and said, "If it doesn't work, we brothers will step in. I don't believe that a cook would dare not follow our sister obediently. If he dares to say no, we will break his hands and make him unable to make a living as a cook anymore."

Liu Dali quickly spoke out to stop him: "Brother, don't be impulsive. To be honest, my sister and I originally planned to set up a trap for the cook and force him to return to Baoding with my sister. But now the cook has hooked up with a big boss. With his cooking skills, he has won the favor of the big boss. Not only has he arranged a formal job for his son, but he is also said to be promoting him to be the canteen director. If we touch the cook, the big boss will most likely hold a grudge against us, and then we will be really desperate."

Jiao Erhu asked in surprise: "How powerful a leader can that cook be? There aren't many other things in our city, but there are many officials. It can't be that he is more powerful than the one behind our Dongzhimen black market, right?"

Liu Dali snorted disdainfully: "This guy is at the same level as the guy behind your black market. He is the deputy secretary and deputy director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau and the director of the Security Department of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. His administrative level is at the bureau level. If we provoke such a guy, do you think we can escape his Five Fingers Mountain?"

Jiao Erhu couldn't help but take a breath: "Fuck, who would have thought that a stinky cook could actually hook up with such a big leader, and a big leader of the Municipal Bureau, to be honest, we really don't need to ask for trouble. By the way, since the cook is now hooking up with a big leader, why does our sister have to go back to Baoding? As long as we coax the cook well, it won't be difficult to arrange a formal job for our sister. It would be great to bring the three children to Beijing at that time."

Liu Dali sighed and said helplessly: "It was because of Yi Zhonghai, the person we are dealing with today, that our sister had to resort to this desperate measure."

Jiao Erhu widened his eyes and asked anxiously: "Tell me what's going on?"