Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

"Mom, I'm exhausted after working all day. I'm tired and hungry. Why haven't you cooked yet? Do you want to starve me and Banggeng to death?"

"Dongxu, you know that mom often has headaches and can't do any work. You should quickly take a letter to Qinjia Village and ask your wife to come back. That damn girl went back in the third grade of junior high school, why hasn't she come back yet?"

"Mom, if Huairu doesn't come back, you won't cook. Do you want me to cook for you?"

Jia Dongxu was really tired, hungry, and angry, day after day. Ever since Qin Huairu went back to her parents' home on the third day of the Chinese New Year, Jia Zhang would make a big pot of porridge every morning, steam a steamed bun, and cut some pickled vegetables, and eat it like that, at most, stew a potato, without peeling it. It was as simple as possible. Jia Dongxu almost vomited. My goodness, today he didn't even have porridge when he went home.

"Mom, you're only in your forties. It's not like you can't cook. Can you please stir-fry some vegetables, even cabbage? I don't have the energy to work with all these pickled cabbage shreds every day. You don't know, I'm doing manual labor in the workshop now. Can you be considerate of me?"

"Dongxu, I'll make it now. If you can't hold back, go to your master's house and see if there's anything to eat. If there's too much, I don't have to cook. You can go to your master's house to eat. They're still taking care of that old man in the backyard. Why can't we go to his house to eat? You're still his apprentice."

"Mom, go and do it. The old lady gave the grain book, okay? Don't think about taking advantage of the old man. It's not that easy to take advantage of him. What's the use of a person who can't even handle his apprentice."

Jia Dongxu ignored Jia Zhangshi and fell headfirst onto the kang. After a while, he actually fell asleep.

At this moment, Uncle Yi Zhonghai and his wife were having dinner.

"Guifang, you're right. Let's try to adopt one. When can you go to the street office and ask Director Wang if there is a suitable girl, four or five years old, preferably an orphan?"

"Old Yi, what's the matter? Have you figured it out?"

"Ah... Dongxu is useless. He has now become a porter in the workshop. I can't count on him anymore. You know him, he is stupid and lazy, and he wants to live a good life. This time, because the factory built a new workshop, Dongxu affected the progress of the workshop director and completely offended the director. As a result, I was looked down upon by the workshop director."

"What's going on? Lao Yi, will this affect your future in the factory?"

"That's not the case. After all, I am a senior technician. There are only a few level 7 workers in the factory, and there are only two level 7 fitters. The factory can't do without me. But our workshop director can't be promoted, so the possibility of me becoming a workshop director is small."

"Dongxu seemed like a good kid before, but what happened last year really makes me worried. Old Yi, do you think a person who gets involved in gambling can be good?"

"Yes, that's right. Because of this, Tian Dayou stopped Dongxu from working on the machine tools and made him work as a porter instead, and he still gets paid for half a year as a temporary worker. You know that benchwork requires a skilled worker. If Dongxu doesn't practice on the machine tools for half a year, he probably won't be able to reach the intermediate level in his lifetime. Moreover, Dongxu has a bad reputation in the workshop. No one helps him. How can he be good? Zhang Xiaohua from the Jia family is lazy and loves to make trouble. His life will only get worse and worse. I think I'd better not provoke them."

"Lao Yi, since you have thought it through, I will go to the street office tomorrow to ask Director Wang to see if there is anything suitable. You can make a decision then."

"okay."

He Yuzhu was very happy today as he was promoted to canteen team leader. He was an official no matter how small. Although he was not a real cadre, he was in charge of more than a dozen people.

"Wife, Yushui, my brother got a promotion today and became the canteen team leader."

"Really? Salary increase?" Yu Li was still more concerned about salary, after all, she didn't have a job now.

"Your salary hasn't been raised, but you've got an extra two yuan per month as a position allowance, and now I'm in charge of the canteen kitchen. At least I'll have more contact with factory leaders in the future. Who knows, maybe one day Leader He will talk to you and help you get a temporary job. But, wife, there's no rush. Give me a son first, and take Yu Shui through junior high school, and then we'll find a way to get you a job."

Although Yu Li wanted to earn her own money, He Yuzhu was right. She couldn't get pregnant right after getting a temporary job, or she would lose the temporary job. Yu Shui was still young. Besides, it wasn't easy to find a temporary job now, especially for women.

"Yuzhu, you're right. I'm not in a hurry either. It's not easy to find a job nowadays. When I have time, I can go to the street office to get some temporary work, and I can earn some money."

"Wife, forget it. The temporary workers in the street office are mainly for the needy, and they won't make much money. You should stay at home. I feel relieved when you stay at home. If I have the chance, I might as well go out and cook for people on my days off. Now the market price is 1.5 yuan per table, 3 yuan for two tables, and two dishes can be packed for takeout. I am a skilled cook."

"Really? It's not that easy to accept a banquet now, right?"

"I don't have a name now, but my master does. Sometimes he also brings a pile of dough and gives each table one. It's better than pasting matchboxes. Don't worry, my monthly salary is close to 40 yuan, and I can definitely support you."

Yu Li was also satisfied. The most important thing was that her husband was a good cook, so she would never be hungry.

The front yard was actually quite lively today. While finishing his meal, the third uncle casually asked about his eldest son's salary.

"Xie Cheng, it's time to start working again in the new year. It's the eighth day of the second lunar month, and you're supposed to get married. What are your plans?"

"Dad, I've discussed with my wife that we won't have a banquet, but we'll just share some candy. We plan to save more money for the future."

"Well, good, good, Xie Cheng is getting married soon, he has matured and his thoughts are mature, which is worthy of praise. Jiefang, Xie Kuang, learn from your brother in the future. But Xie Cheng, after all, your father is the third uncle of the compound, and the banquet should be held, otherwise it will be laughed at and it is not worth it. Besides, you can collect money from the banquet, and maybe you can make a profit. So, Xie Cheng, your father will take charge of your wedding banquet. Three tables will be set up in the compound, half of which will be reserved for the relatives who come to send the bride, and the other two tables will be for the relatives in the compound. There are more than 8 families, and each family will have one person coming to the banquet, which is almost two tables. So, Xie Cheng, you are a salaried person now, you should understand your parents' hard work, so you have to pay half of the money for the banquet. Each table is 12 yuan, and you pay yuan. Your father will host a grand banquet for you."

"Dad, I only make 18 yuan a month, and I have to pay for your meals and accommodation every month, and I have to go out to the movies with my wife. How can I save money? Let alone yuan, I can hardly afford yuan. Let's just not do it, right?"

"Jie Cheng, a wedding is only held once in a lifetime, so you have to hold it. You get your salary at the end of the month, so give the 18.5 yuan to your family and they will hold it for you. If it's not enough, they will deduct it in the next month. Look, your mother is so old and she's pregnant. You have to be considerate of your parents and don't always think about enjoying yourself. You have to endure hardships first and enjoy later. Slowly, when you have more money, you can enjoy better things."

Looking at his sincere and warm-hearted father, Yan Jiecheng had no choice but to agree to hand over all his salary at the end of the month.