Siheyuan: Happy Life of Jia Zhang Family

Originally, we were supposed to have a meeting five minutes before get off work ended to discuss today's work, but I was scolded for more than half an hour, and it was late to get off work. When everyone heard the news of the meeting, they left in twos and threes. There was no one within five meters of Liu Haizhong, and everyone was afraid of being misunderstood as Liu Haizhong's accomplice.

He goes to work alone, goes home alone, eats alone, and doesn't like to talk when he gets home. He has gotten used to being alone. Liu Haizhong, who used to walk with his chest held high, now doesn't even raise his head. He walks with his head down, leaning against the wall, and no longer walks like a cadre.

Life goes on. Liu Haizhong washed his face in the toilet and walked out of the Red Star Steel Mill. In Xizhi Hutong, Liu Haizhong heard someone calling him "Master Liu, Master Liu Haizhong". Calling him Master Liu? Now if someone calls him Lao Liu, it's already a sign of respect, not to mention Master Liu.

"You called me?" Liu Haizhong looked at the middle-aged man in front of him. He was in his forties and was wearing a well-fitting Zhongshan suit with four pockets. There was a pen in the upper right pocket on the left. He looked like a cadre. He had no memory of this person.

"Yes, Master Liu, there are only two of us now. I have visited and studied at the steel rolling mill before and met you there. You are this..." The middle-aged man raised his thumb.

"It's all in the past. It's okay. I'll go back first," Liu Haizhong said with a forced smile.

"Master Liu, are you busy now? I would like to invite you to dinner, have a drink together, and ask you something," said the middle-aged man.

"I don't work in the workshop anymore. I've been transferred to the cleaning team," Liu Haizhong said a little embarrassedly.

"So what? You've been transferred to the cleaning team, how could you have forgotten the skills you learned? It's the small state-owned restaurant in front. There aren't any good dishes, just two fried eggs and some salted fish. Today they have vegetable and meat dumplings. The chef of this restaurant is also surnamed Liu, and his skills are very good." The man was very enthusiastic.

"Then, I'll go over and try it." Liu Haizhong was persuaded. He used to eat eggs and drink wine every day, but since he went to the medical team, he no longer had his beloved eggs. When he heard that the middle-aged man had fried eggs, Liu Haizhong was tempted.

There were not many people in the restaurant. The two of them sat down by the window. Soon scrambled eggs, steamed salted fish, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables were served. The man opened a bottle of wine and filled it up for Liu Haizhong, and also poured himself a glass.

Liu Haizhong hadn't drunk for a while. The man raised his glass and invited him to drink. Liu Haizhong picked it up and drank half a glass at once. The spicy feeling entered his throat and then his stomach, and his whole spirit was lifted. The man said nothing and asked nothing. He just kept motioning Liu Haizhong to eat and drink. Until Liu Haizhong drank three glasses, he began to lose his composure and started to talk about his inner distress, family troubles, and work troubles. The man acted as a good listener. When Liu Haizhong talked over and over again, the man sent Liu Haizhong to the gate of No. 95 Courtyard.

"Old Liu, have you been drinking?" Yan Bugui, who was standing at the door, asked when he saw Liu Haizhong looking drunk.

"I met a friend and had a drink," said Liu Haizhong.

"It seems you've drunk a lot. Is there anything happy? I heard that the steel rolling mill has a new director. How is your relationship with Director Li?" Yan Bugui asked.

"Old Yan, who becomes the factory director has nothing to do with me. I won't say any more. I'm a little tired." Liu Haizhong almost pissed Yan Bugui off to death. Who the hell doesn't know that Li Huaide and I are sworn enemies? Without this villain, would I have ended up like this today?

"Uncle is back?" When He Yuzhu came out to pour the foot washing water, he saw Liu Haizhong swaying and greeted him.

"Silly Zhu, even though you seem to be having fun today, be careful that you will be put on the list later." Liu Haizhong said this without knowing why.

"Liu Haizhong, don't you understand what people say? Have you eaten too much shit? Your head is full of shit, and you can't tell good from bad words?" He Yuzhu didn't tolerate him and scolded him several times in a row.

"Pillar" Zhang Lianhua is called He Yuzhu inside.

"Here it comes." He Yuzhu poured the foot washing water in front of his bangs and then went back to the house.

"Who are you talking to?" Zhang Lianhua asked.

"I greeted him at Liu Haizhong in the backyard, but he came up and started scolding me. What a shame," said He Yuzhu.

"Don't be like him. He gets scolded every day for cleaning the toilet. I don't know what has irritated him. Do you want to treat my brother tomorrow?" Zhang Lianhua asked.

"Let's do it tomorrow night. Tomorrow is Saturday. In the afternoon, let Dongxu go there and call the other brothers and nephews to come and have dinner together. My eldest brother is leading a team to the steel rolling mill this time. He has to lead the team during the day and has no time. We can only have dinner together in the evening," said He Yuzhu.

"There are quite a lot of people here. There are more than a dozen adults and children over there, plus my eldest sister's family of five, and my eldest brother and our family, a total of twenty people. Will there be enough food?" Zhang Lianhua asked.

"It's enough. When Da Biao was at home, we ate at his place every day, so we saved a lot of rice and flour from our own home. It's enough to invite people for dinner. We also have bacon and salted fish. I'll buy another chicken tomorrow, and add more potatoes, and some peppers, radishes, cabbage, etc., and that will be enough," said He Yuzhu.

"Let's go find Banggeng and buy some goose eggs. I heard Shoucheng's wife is pregnant, so they should give some to her when they go back," said Zhang Lianhua.

"Really? Shoucheng's wife is also pregnant. We have to speed up." He Yuzhu turned off the lights.

Since he gained so much from this trip to the Japanese, Zhang Dabao spent money like water. When he was traveling in Hong Kong, he saw Victoria Peak and followed the trend to buy two villas. He planned to live there in a few years. Thinking that more comrades might come, he directly bought a property and lived in it himself. He did not sell it. He let his comrades live there when they worked, and rented it out when they returned. This property, with about 200 houses, was enough for him to live on even if he had ten sons. In fact, children did not need to have great prospects. What's wrong with being a landlord?

After the crazy shopping, Zhang Dabiao felt that it was time to go back. Due to the lack of manpower, Zhang Dabiao asked the eight comrades who had come to write letters to their favorite comrades. Anyway, he had a lot of property, so he was not afraid of how many people came, but as a company commander, how many comrades could he have? So Zhang Dabiao wanted to visit the regiment commander after he went back. Since he was injured and unconscious in the hospital, he had not seen him even after he was demobilized. When he came with Wen Li this time, when he went to find Li Huaide, he seemed to remember that Li Huaide said that the regiment headquarters where he was was in Yangcheng.

After saying goodbye to everyone in Hong Kong and taking everyone's letters with him, Zhang Dabao passed through customs and left the port, first arriving in Bao'an and then in Guangzhou.

After staying at the guesthouse in Yangcheng, he began to look for his regiment headquarters. Yangcheng is very big and the unit number sometimes changes, so it takes time and effort to find it directly. So after Zhang Dabiao settled down, he went to the military district, showed his ID, and explained to the person who came to receive him that he was from that unit, what unit he was working in now, and that he was here on a business trip. He also heard that the unit he had served in was here, so he wanted to see his comrades.