Siheyuan: Happy Life of Jia Zhang Family

At the Jia family's house in the central courtyard, Jia Dongxu went out to buy things, while Zhang Cuihua, Qin Huairu, Banggeng and Xiaodang were at home.

"Grandma, look, look." Banggeng held Zhang Cuihua's hand, and they both came to the window.

"What are you looking at?" Zhang Cuihua asked.

"Grandma, the family in the backyard bought a lot of things. I saw they bought some meat. You can go and ask for some," Banggeng said to grandma.

"That won't do. Do you know who that person in the backyard is?" Zhang Cuihua rejected her grandson's request.

"Who is it?" Banggeng turned around and asked Zhang Cuihua.

"That's your seventh uncle. He is your father's uncle and my younger brother, not an outsider," said Zhang Cuihua.

Qin Huairu on the side also heard the conversation between Zhang Cuihua and Banggeng. Her mother-in-law's younger brother came to the compound, and it seemed that what that man said was true. Thinking of this, Qin Huairu's face turned red and her legs tightened.

"Grandma, since he is not a stranger, you can go to his house and get the meat." Banggeng was very happy when he heard what Zhang Cuihua said.

"That won't do. Your seventh uncle is a good beater. Your father was beaten by him at noon today, and he beat him twice. It was because your father was impolite. Is it polite to go to his house to get something? He is really a good beater, and the younger the child, the harder he beats." Zhang Cuihua hurriedly educated her grandson and explained the interests involved to him.

"He dared to hit my father. I will go find Sha Zhu and let Sha Zhu beat him." When Bang Geng heard that his father was beaten, he couldn't stand it and wanted to find someone to take revenge.

"Even Shazhu can't beat him. He was a soldier. You must be polite when you see him in the future. Do you hear me?" Zhang Cuihua said to her grandson seriously.

"I know." Jia Geng knew that grandma would not go to the backyard. When he heard that his seventh uncle would beat people, he did not dare to go there either, and he became a little unhappy.

The deaf old lady's door was closed. She was sitting on the kang and saw Zhang Dabao moving things back and forth outside. She didn't know what she was thinking.

There was another family in the east wing where Zhang Dabao lived. The old couple looked to be in their fifties. When they saw Zhang Dabao moving things, they came over to help. After they finished moving the things and Zhang Lianhua was tidying them up, Zhang Dabao invited his neighbors to his room for tea.

"Master, what's your name?" Zhang Dabao asked the old couple to sit down and made a cup of jasmine tea for them.

"My surname is Xing, Huo Yusen, and I'm a mechanic at the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. Master Zhang, have you also been assigned to the factory?" Huo Yusen asked Zhang Dabao.

"You can just call me Dabiao. I've been assigned to the supply and marketing department and will report on the sixth day of the New Year," said Zhang Dabiao.

"The Supply and Marketing Department is a good unit, much better than the hard laborers like us these days. Are you related to the Dongxu family?" Huo Yusen said.

"Yes, Dongxu's mother is my cousin. She is my uncle's daughter and we have the same grandfather," Zhang Dabao explained.

"You two don't look alike," said Aunt Huo on the side.

"My eldest sister looks exactly like my aunt, and I look like my mother, so we don't look alike. How many children do you have?" Zhang Dabia asked.

"I have two daughters and one son. My son was given something after graduating from technical secondary school..."

The three of them chatted casually about family matters, drank a cup of tea, and then the old couple of the Huo family left.

On the first night living in Courtyard 95, Zhang Dabao discovered a problem, that is, it was too inconvenient to go to the toilet, so the newly bought spittoon came in handy. After dawn, Zhang Dabao wanted to go to the street office after work to see if he could build a toilet in his own courtyard. Otherwise, it would be troublesome to go to the toilet, take a shower, and use water.

After getting up, Zhang Dabao thought about two things. First, he didn't know whether Huang Xinsheng could come back today. He had to go to work on the sixth day of the New Year. He could probably come back today. His home was indeed a bit far from here. Second, there was not enough wood at home. He had to go to the scrap yard to buy some. If there was none there, he would have to go to the mountains to cut some. Now he had not gone to the street office to handle the supply procedures. He did not have a coal book. It would be better to buy some coal. I heard there was a black market. If not, he could go to the black market to see if there was anyone selling coal.

Zhang Dabao did what he said. He went out after breakfast, asked a few people on the street and came to the Red Star Scrap Collection Station. He bought a large cart of wood at the price of one cent per pound.

The truck carrying wood stopped at the gate of No. 95 Yard and couldn't go in directly, so Zhang Dabao gave the driver two cents and asked him to help. After the two of them had just moved a load of wood, Yan Bugui in the front yard saw it and asked his four children to come and help. In this way, after a few loads of wood, the wood was moved to the alley in the backyard, and Yan Bugui even stacked it neatly.

Zhang Dabao gave the cart driver two cents, and the four children of Yan Bugui's family also gave two cents each. Yan Bugui directly refused, "Dabao, right? We are all neighbors. I am here to help you. How could I ask for your money? You are too polite. I am Yan Bugui from the front yard, a teacher at Hongxing Primary School, and the third uncle in the yard. You are the younger brother of Jia's sister-in-law, so you are not an outsider."

"Teacher Yan, if you say that, I won't give you money. I will treat you to a meal in two days," said Zhang Dabao.

"You're welcome." Yan Bugui's face was full of smiles.

"I'm not being polite. I just want to get to know my neighbors. I'll call you before the tenth day," Zhang Dabao said with a smile.

"Was there any meat left? I saw you buy meat yesterday." Yan Bugui's little daughter walked two meters away and turned back to ask Zhang Dabao. Seeing this, Yan Bugui pulled his daughter's clothes, saying that she was impolite.

"Teacher Yan, it's okay; there is definitely meat, don't worry, I'll go buy another big piece." Zhang Dabao stopped Yan Bugui and said to Yan Jiedi with a smile.

"That's great! I love eating meat the most. Our family didn't buy meat for the New Year this year." After hearing what Zhang Dabao said, Yan Jiedi jumped away happily.

At this time, Jia Dongxu from the Intermediate Court, at the urging of his mother, took Qin Huairu, Banggeng and Xiaodang out.

"Dongxu, you have to kowtow to your uncle during the New Year. Don't forget, you and Banggeng only need to kowtow. Huairu doesn't have to kowtow." After her son came out, Zhang Cuihua was worried, so she went out of the house and gave him another instruction.

"I know." Jia Dongxu went to the backyard reluctantly.

"Brother Dongxu, what are you doing?" Xu Damao happened to meet Jia Dongxu's family when he went out. He was not at home yesterday afternoon and didn't know the situation, so he didn't quite understand Jia Dongxu's family's actions.

"Da Mao, my seventh uncle and my aunt have moved here. Let's go over and pay New Year's greetings," Jia Dongxu replied and continued walking forward.

"Your seventh uncle and aunt?" Xu Damao was a little confused.

"Seventh uncle, aunt, are you home?" When they arrived at the door of the north room, Jia Dongxu shouted from outside the door.

"Dongxu, you are here. Your seventh uncle is sorting wood in the aisle. He has gifts in his hands. Come in quickly." When Zhang Lianhua saw the Jia family, she led them to Zhang Dabao's living room.

"Jingshu, this is my brother, this is my sister-in-law." Zhang Lianhua asked her daughter to call them.

"Brother, sister-in-law." Although Jia Jingshu looked a little unfamiliar, she still greeted Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu.

"Jingshu is so well behaved," Qin Huairu praised her sister.

"Jingshu, go to the sidewalk and call your seventh uncle over." Seeing that the four people from the Jia family were still a little restrained, Zhang Lianhua asked her daughter to call Zhang Dabao into the house.

Two minutes later, Zhang Dabao came in. The three people from the Jia family quickly stood up. Qin Huairu also saw Zhang Dabao, her face turned red and she quickly lowered her head.

"Dongxu is here? He brought a gift. It seems that your mother taught you a lesson yesterday and you have made some progress. Sit down and have lunch here today. I cut some meat yesterday afternoon and we can stew some cabbage with it," Zhang Dabao said to Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu didn't want to eat here at first. Zhang Dabao hit him in the crotch yesterday and it still hurt a little. He wanted to take a walk and then go home to rest; but when he heard that there would be meat dishes, he couldn't lift his legs.

He thought of what his mother had told him before she left, so he pulled the stick and came to Zhang Dabao and knelt down, "Seventh Uncle and Auntie wish you a happy New Year."