Siheyuan: Happy Life of Jia Zhang Family

When Zhang Dabao returned to Yard 95, he found that He Yuzhu and Jia Dongxu had already returned and were squatting and chatting at the door of his house. When they saw Zhang Dabao, they immediately stood up.

"Seventh Uncle, have you changed your bicycle again?" Jia Dongxu had sharp eyes and saw it immediately.

"Dongxu, if you had used this ability in your work, you wouldn't have been unable to get promoted for almost seven years. You have already occupied the first place in the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill for a long time. It seems that you will maintain this record for a long time. Isn't this glorious?" Seeing him like this, Zhang Dabao was speechless about his nephew. Except for his work, he was good in everything else, so he couldn't help but say a few words to him.

Jia Dongxu was in a good mood. He was not angry and was laughing.

"This is a new bicycle, second-hand, with a certificate. Tell your master to stop looking for trouble and be idle all day. Go call your mother and your wife over, I have something to say to them." Zhang Dabao took out the bicycle's small booklet and let Jia Dongxu have a look.

"Do you have something to ask them? I'll go call them." Jia Dongxu went to the upper courtyard and called Zhang Cuihua and Qin Huairu. Qin Huairu carried Xiaodang and came to the backyard.

"Let's talk inside, second sister, come too," Zhang Dabao called towards Zhang Lianhua's room.

"What's the matter, Dabiao? I just fell asleep," Zhang Cuihua asked her brother when she saw Zhang Lianhua also came into the room.

"You said you don't want to gain weight, is it okay for you to sleep like this every day? How fat have you become? Is there anyone fatter than you in the entire Hongxing Street? Now is still a difficult period. Who would believe you if you said your family is in financial difficulty? You have become as fat as a ball. I went to the street office to find a job for you. Your family is also in financial difficulty. Having one more person earning money can also relieve Dongxu's pressure. If you expect him to get promoted to a higher level, I don't think it will be possible," Zhang Dabao said to Zhang Cuihua.

"I go to work? How old am I? My health is not good either." Without asking what kind of job it was, Zhang Cuihua started saying that she was not good at this and that and just didn't want to go.

"Do you want your family to be so poor? You can't even buy a set of clothes all year round? You have to calculate every time you eat? What kind of life is this? If my uncle were still alive, he would have beaten you to death long ago. Do you believe it?" Zhang Dabao asked Zhang Cuihua several questions in a row, but she didn't answer and didn't know how to answer.

"Da Biao, let Huairu go to work. She is young and literate, so she is better than me." After saying this, Zhang Cuihua was not only proud of her own wit, but also felt that her daughter-in-law going to work could also reduce the burden on the family, and she would not have to work.

"It's okay for Huairu to go to work, but who will take care of the children at home? Banggeng is old enough to go to nursery now and will enter first grade in the fall. What about Xiaodang? If Huairu goes to work, what about the laundry and cooking at home?" Zhang Dabao asked Zhang Cuihua a few more questions.

"I'll take care of the children and do the housework," Zhang Cuihua agreed immediately.

"I believe you now. If you don't keep your word, I will beat you regardless of your age," Zhang Dabao said harshly to Zhang Cuihua.

"Huairu, tomorrow I will take you to the street office to find my aunt and make arrangements for you. No matter how much salary you get, you can't give a penny to Jia Dongxu. Give your mother five yuan from your earnings as living expenses, and save the rest for use when something happens," Zhang Dabao turned to Qin Huairu and said.

"Okay, Seventh Uncle," Qin Huairu nodded and agreed.

"It's not Uncle Seventh. They are in charge of the money. It's inconvenient for me to use the money. I'm a grown man and I can't speak with confidence if I don't have money in my hands," Jia Dongxu said in a low voice.

"Okay, sister, give Dongxu two dollars pocket money every month," Zhang Dabao said to Zhang Cuihua.

"Is this okay? You're still tough? Fuck you. You're an eighth-level worker, so naturally you speak toughly. How can a first-level worker who broke the record of a steel rolling mill be tough?" Zhang Dabao became more and more angry as he spoke, and slapped Jia Dongxu twice.

"This bastard is so mad at me. Second sister, you should go to work at the steel rolling mill the day after tomorrow. You have been to a junior high school, and your cousin has arranged a job for you. I will send you there the day after tomorrow, and take Jingshu with you. There is a nursery in the factory," Zhang Dabao said to Zhang Lianhua.

"Will it not cause trouble for your cousin?" Zhang Lianhua asked.

"Of course not, just go. Do you want Banggeng to stay at home or go to a nursery?" Zhang Dabao asked everyone in the Jia family.

"Go to the nursery, you can learn some knowledge there. It's no good just wandering around at home every day," Zhang Cuihua said in a sensible way.

"Isn't it you who taught him to be a bad student? You have to take care of the child. Look at what you have taught Jia Dongxu to be? He is incompetent at nothing and he eats nothing. Huairu, come to see me at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Jia Dongxu, after going to the factory tomorrow, go to the nursery to enroll your son. Let's go. Shazhu is still waiting for us outside." Zhang Dabao pushed Jia Dongxu.

"Second sister, we won't be back for dinner, and we may not be back early, so you just go to bed early." Zhang Dabao turned around and instructed Zhang Lianhua, then went out to meet He Yuzhu and headed straight for Chunfeng Hutong.

Jia Dongxu felt more and more familiar with this road until he entered the No. 10 courtyard. "Seventh uncle, isn't this Brother Zhi's home?"

"After losing money, a gambler always wants to make it back, but he doesn't expect that he will lose more and more, and in the end he will lose everything. Ding Youzhi is such a person. He gave me all his things and still owed me 5,000 yuan. He wrote me a note saying that he would hide in the countryside for a while and would pay me back when he came back. I think he will not come back. It seems that my 5,000 yuan is gone," said Zhang Dabao with a sigh.

"Five thousand, how much is that? I earn twenty-seven dollars a month. When can I earn five thousand dollars? Ding Youzhi, this bastard, actually dared to refuse to pay." Jia Dongxu felt sorry for the five thousand dollars that Zhang Dabao did not get back.

"Da Biao, it's not easy for you to win money. Nine out of ten people lose in gambling. I have never heard of anyone getting rich from gambling. You are the first." He Yuzhu was also a little envious.

"Don't be envious. I won't play anymore in the future. It's not good to win often in the casino. If you often win people's money, they will not be able to live. Will they hate you? Will they retaliate against you? Besides, you are not completely sure of winning. It's better to avoid gambling. Especially for you, Jia Dongxu, who doesn't have much ability but has a lot of ideas. If they don't win, who will you win? You didn't lose ten or eight dollars when you came here that time." Zhang Dabao mocked Jia Dongxu again.

"Come in and boil some water. You two can do it. Shazhu, make something to eat first, otherwise you'll be too hungry to have any strength." Zhang Dabao led the two into the yard.

"Damn, they are two wild boars. We have to hurry, otherwise we will be back very late." When He Yuzhu saw the two wild boars, he was surprised at first, and then he talked to Jia Dongxu.

"It's too heavy. The two of us can't flip it over." Jia Dongxu used all his strength, but the wild boar just shook.

"Let's bleed the pig from here. Da Biao will boil some water and come over. Brother Dongxu, bring the basin. Pig blood is a delicious dish," said He Yuzhu.

"Okay." Jia Dongxu ran to the kitchen and took a large basin, placed it under the wild boar's neck, and He Yuzhu began to bleed it.

It has to be said that He Yuzhu was very professional in dealing with wild boars. It took him about two hours to finish dealing with one. During the break, He Yuzhu stewed a pot of pig-killing dishes because Jia Dongxu found sauerkraut from the courtyard.

Before the meal was cooked, the three of them took a break and started to process the second head. At around seven o'clock, they finally finished it.

"Da Biao, what are you planning to do with the offal?" He Yuzhu asked when he saw two piglet heads and two large basins full of pig offal.

“Just cook it after dinner. I’ll watch here and you can invite Teacher Yan and his family to use it tomorrow night,” said Zhang Dabao.

"Let's eat first." The three of them were also tired, especially Jia Dongxu, who was originally in poor health. The high-intensity labor made him feel uncomfortable all over.

"Are you coming?" Zhang Dabao shook the Xifeng wine in his hand and asked Jia Dongxu.

"I must have a glass, Uncle Seventh, this is Xifeng, it's a good wine. Usually when I'm craving for it I go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy wine at 0.1 cent per pound, the taste is very strong. They said Xifeng wine is delicious and not intoxicating, I have to try it." Jia Dongxu picked up the wine glass, looking intoxicated.