Siheyuan: All the incense in the family is counting on you

When I got home, my aunt and eldest sister were making quilts on the bed in the room.

"Why are you making a quilt again?"

"Well, your eldest sister's quilt is too thin. It won't be suitable for winter. Make it now while you have time!"

"Brother, look at how thick my quilt is! Not only the quilt, but also the mattress!" Li Mei's face was full of joy.

Li Bowen reached out and touched it: "Well, it's quite thick. Be careful not to get prickly heat under the quilt!"

"How is that possible! I won't open it a little when it's hot!"

"Auntie, you are too partial. Look at this of my elder sister, and then look at that of mine!" Li Bowen pouted.

Looking at the funny Li Bowen, the old lady glared at him and said, "You are still jealous of your elder sister! This time I bought 20 kilograms of cotton to make a set of bedding for you and your elder sister!"

"Hehehe, I knew Auntie was the best!"

"Alright, alright, I have the needle in my hand. Oh, by the way, why are you back at this time? I just heard a lot of noise outside. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I was transferred to the logistics department to do purchasing. The factory gave me a tricycle, so I came here to watch the fun!"

"Really? It's good to have a tricycle. It's convenient to transport things around the house!" The old lady nodded. Life back then was not as convenient as it is in later generations. Many people carried things in their hands or on their shoulders. No matter how many things they had, they would use a cart to pull them. Now that they have a tricycle, it is definitely useful for transporting coal in winter, storing cabbages for the winter, or loading furniture.

"That's right. When I was asked to choose between a bicycle or a tricycle, I decisively chose the tricycle."

"You're right to choose this. You have to go to the countryside for the purchasing. How much stuff can a bicycle carry? Okay, sister, let's stop working for now. It's almost time. Let's go make some food first!" After sewing a few stitches at hand, the old lady put the needle and thread on the quilt.

"Auntie, I'm going to the countryside this afternoon after dinner. You don't have to wait for me these two days. I'm going to live with my grandparents!"

"Okay, that's perfect. Take the medicine I bought for grandpa and grandma today. I told you to wait for your uncle to bring it to you next time he comes!"

After lunch in the afternoon, Li Bowen got on his tricycle and set off.

I hummed a little tune all the way and was not in a hurry.

At that time, the old city was not as prosperous as it is in later generations. Outside the city were large tracts of farmland, and the roads were not so smooth. This is when the difference between tricycles and bicycles became apparent.

On a road with some small potholes, you can still ride a bicycle very fast, but if you dare to pedal a tricycle faster, it will lift the bed up in the air for you to see.

By the time we arrived at my grandparents' house, it was already dark.

"I'm so tired!" Li Bowen wiped the sweat from his forehead. After riding this thing for a long time, not only are his legs tired, but the key is that the seat is hard and uncomfortable. He even feels blocked.

After getting off the tricycle, I jumped a few times before I felt better.

"Grandson! What are you doing?" Grandma asked as she looked at his actions.

"It's okay. I've been riding the bike for too long and my butt is numb!"

Grandma came over and touched the seat: "Yes, it's hard. I'll make you a cushion with cotton later!"

"Okay, where's my grandfather?"

"I've gone to the fields. Don't worry about him. Come into the house quickly. Grandma will make you some fish stew and pancakes tonight!"

Thinking of stewed fish with pancakes, Li Bowen couldn't help drooling. The crispy hard-cooked buns dipped in fish soup were absolutely delicious.

"Are there any fish at home?"

"Yes, they are all kept in that big vat. Your uncle has done nothing but lead the villagers to fish in the reservoir these days!"

Li Bowen walked over to take a look, and there were indeed quite a lot of fish. There were two large water tanks in the yard, with at least fifty or sixty fish in them.

"Grandma, my third uncle did this, the village and the production team won't say anything, right?"

"What can they say? What can they say? They are so poor that they have to pawn their pants. They finally have a way to earn food. How dare the village chief say anything?"

"That's true. You said we were guarding the reservoir, so why didn't we fish it out when we were hungry?"

Grandma looked at Li Bowen as if he was a fool: "You are stupid, who said we don't fish anymore? It's just that we have no place to exchange for food. If we fish it out, we will eat it ourselves. How much can we eat? Besides, this thing can't be used as food! People can't stand eating a little bit!"

It seems to be true. Li Bowen doesn't know what the consequences of eating only fish and nothing else will be, but he knows that if he only eats rabbits every day and nothing else, he will starve to death in no time.

"Have you distributed all the food that Uncle San brought back before?"

"It was divided. Those who worked harder got more, and the rest was handed over to the village! Bowen, don't blame your uncle. Although you were the one who found the way, it was in exchange for the food. It was not easy for each family. We can't just eat our own food and ignore others!" Grandma was still afraid that he had some thoughts in his mind.

Li Bowen smiled.

"Grandma, look at what you said, am I that kind of person?"

"Grandma knows that my eldest grandson is the kindest person! Reach out and grab one, we'll get ready to cook!"

"Okay!" Li Bowen stretched out his hand and fished out a big fish weighing two or three pounds from the big tank. He pounded it hard on the ground, then removed the scales, cleaned it up and rinsed it.

He took it into the house and asked his grandmother to deal with it, then ran out and fetched a bundle of firewood and came in to light the fire.

Lighting a fire is actually the job that Li Bowen likes to do the most. Boys love to play with fire when they are young, although the elderly always say that playing with fire will make you wet the kang. What is more important is that in his memory, whenever the family made vermicelli, the adults would give a portion of dough.

Put the sweet potato dough on a stick and roast it on the fire. The dough will expand quickly and burst with a bang. It tastes very delicious. The boys gave it a very loud name - roasted toad!

The meal was almost ready and Grandpa came back from the fields.

"Whose tricycle is this? Who came to the house?" Grandpa's voice sounded outside.

"Your eldest grandson's!"

"Grandson, did you really ride this bike back here?"

"Yes, grandpa, I'm transferred to the purchasing department of the factory now. This is distributed by the factory! How about it, isn't it?" Li Bowen showed off.

"Not bad, not bad. This tricycle must be worth a lot of money. You have to take good care of it and don't damage it or lose it!"

"Don't worry, I bought a big lock for you!"

The old couple were very happy about Li Bowen's transfer to the purchasing department. As for the levels of workers and cadres, they didn't know, but they knew that those who work in purchasing and cooking would never go hungry.

As the saying goes, no matter how severe the famine is, the cook will never starve to death. The same is true for purchasing, which is a lucrative job.

When it was night, the three of them sat on the kang: "Grandson, tomorrow ask your grandmother to call Chen Qiao over so that you two can meet and finalize the marriage, shall we?"

"So hasty? Have you already talked to the Chen family about it?"

"Well, I've said that. Old man Chen agreed to give me fifty kilograms of food. But Chen Qiao said she would only agree if she met you in person!"