I became a poor little sophora japonica in the courtyard

By 1960, the drought had lasted for more than a year and still had not improved. Not only was there an extreme shortage of supplies on the market, but urban residents also began to cut back on food rations.

The ration for an adult male was reduced from 30 jin to 27 jin, and that for an adult female from 28 jin to 25 jin. Wheat bran, rice bran, and corn cobs became substitute foods, and pumpkin, sweet potato, and cornmeal were staple foods on the table.

Now when Jingyi rides on the street, she no longer sees the energetic crowd. Everyone has sunken eyes and pale faces, or is swollen all over and staggering when walking.

The Red Star Steel Mill leaders' small kitchens could no longer sustain themselves, and even scrambled eggs became a luxury on the leaders' tables. The steel mill set up an unplanned material procurement department, with more than a dozen buyers going deep into the mountains and fields to purchase agricultural and sideline products from farmers in the countryside.

Now the factory leaders stopped eating and drinking, which cut off the source of lunch boxes for Sha Zhu. In addition, there was no grain to sell in the pigeon market, and the Jia family fell into famine.

The two children at home cried all day because of hunger. Qin Huairu wiped her tears and went to ask Yi Zhonghai for help. The three managers discussed it and held a meeting of the whole courtyard to collect food for the Jia family.

But at this critical moment, every household is worried about food. Who can have extra food? More than 20 households in the courtyard only collected five kilograms of wheat bran food substitutes.

Jingyi had just returned home from school when three stewards came to her house to collect food. With her current status, she had to collect donations! But her family didn't have any substitute food, and she couldn't just grab a handful of white flour and give it to the Jia family. She could only touch her pocket and collect half a pound of food coupons.

In this year's college entrance examination, Jingyi, at the age of fifteen, was admitted to the Political Management Department of Yuanmingyuan Vocational and Technical College with excellent results.

In the past, college admission letters were sent by the school to the neighborhood office where the admitted students lived. When the Jiaodaokou neighborhood office beat gongs and drums to announce the good news, it caused a sensation in Nanluoguxiang. Jingyi immediately became a celebrity and was talked about by the neighbors.

Her status in the courtyard has also improved, and those who gossip about her behind her back have basically stopped. After all, college graduates are state cadres, and their ranks are much higher than those of college and technical secondary school students.

In such a difficult time, she dared not to be separated from the masses. She cooked and ate in the space. Even when she was given rainwater, she only ate steamed buns made of pure cornmeal. But her cornmeal was processed by modern technology, and it didn't feel rough at all when she ate it.

While attending university, she could receive a monthly subsidy of 18 yuan and seven kilograms of food coupons. But these were dispensable to her, as even money and coupons could not necessarily buy things, except for antiques!

That day, she rode her bicycle back to the courtyard and saw Jia Zhang sneaking towards the alley entrance holding a large porcelain jar at the gate.

Jingyi took a closer look. Wasn't it the blue-and-white general jar from the early Ming Dynasty? It didn't look like it belonged to the Jia family either, and no one knew where Jia Zhang had stolen it from.

"Can you sell this jar to me for two dollars? Is that okay?" Jingyi asked when Jia Zhang arrived at the gate of the courtyard.

"No! Not unless you give me five dollars and five catties of food coupons."

Seeing that the little girl in the backyard actually asked to buy the big jar in her hand, Jia Zhang quickly asked for a big price!

This big jar belongs to a resident of Maoer Hutong in front. They washed it and put it outside the door to dry in preparation for pickling pickles at the beginning of autumn. The Jia family also wanted to pickle pickles but didn't have a jar. After seeing this big jar, Jia Zhang stole it and took it back.

When Jingyi heard her asking for a high price, she turned around and pushed her bicycle into the courtyard. When Jia Zhang saw this, she hurriedly shouted behind her: "The price is negotiable! Two yuan is two yuan, but it's useless to just ask for money, I also want two kilograms of food coupons."

Jingyi locked her bicycle outside the courtyard, took out two yuan and two kilograms of food coupons from her pocket, and handed over the money and the goods! She entered the courtyard holding the blue and white general jar.

Jia Zhang was smiling happily behind her! It was as if she had gotten a great bargain. She was just a silly girl. Two dollars could buy several jars of pickles.

Although she could use the acquisition function to do a business without any capital, she disdained to do so. Jingyi now had her own principles and would not take things that already belonged to someone else. Unlike her previous life, she treated broken bricks and tiles as treasures.

Jingyi didn't plan to trade the jar to the shopping platform this time. Wouldn't it be better to exchange it for her retirement money later?

Jingyi has no regrets about the real owner of the blue and white jar. The fact that he left such a precious blue and white general jar outside for Jia Zhang to take away shows that he is not a person who knows the value of things.

Only half a month after collecting donations for the Jia family, the Jia family ran out of food again. Jia Dongxu gritted his teeth and went to his master for help again!

"Master, you can't just stand by and watch me die! We adults can endure it, but there are two hungry children at home. And my wife is pregnant again!" Jia Dongxu pleaded bitterly in front of his master.

"Dongxu, why are you so ignorant? What kind of year is it now? How dare you let your wife get pregnant?"

When Yi Zhonghai heard this, he was shocked! In such a year, adults and children can't even get enough to eat, so who would dare to import more children? This Jia family is simply unreasonable!

"This is an accident! But my mother said that it must be a boy this time, and she is determined to give birth to this child no matter what. Master, please help me again!" Jia Dongxu almost knelt down to beg Yi Zhonghai.

"How can I help you? I have only been collecting food for your family for half a month. Go and see who has surplus food at home? If I ask for it again, people will point fingers at my nose and scold me."

Yi Zhonghai also knew when to stop! Otherwise, he would lose all prestige in the entire courtyard. If he pushed these residents to the limit, someone would really criticize his behavior to his face.

"But you can't just watch my whole family starve to death, right?" Seeing that his master was not willing to give in, Jia Dongxu became anxious!

"You can't always keep an eye on the neighbors in the compound, right? You can write a report to the factory union, or go to the Jiaodaokou Street Office to apply for relief food. The government will not ignore it!" Yi Zhonghai pushed this troublesome matter to the factory union and government departments.

Jia Dongxu wanted to say something when someone in the courtyard called out, "Yi Zhonghai, East Wing, No. 95 Central Courtyard, there's your remittance slip. Come and sign and stamp it!"

"Please wait a moment, I'll go into the house to get the seal." Yi Zhonghai agreed and went into the inner room to get his private seal.

Over the years, Yi Zhonghai had a postman deliver remittance slips on time every month. When neighbors asked about it, the couple would just say that it was their nephew who lived in another city who sent them money to honor their parents.

Jia Dongxu walked out of the east wing and saw a postman in a dark green uniform standing in the yard. He walked over and asked softly, "Who sent the remittance by mail?"

When the postman saw Jia Dongxu coming out of the east wing, he thought he was a resident there. He looked at the remittance slip in his hand and replied without any doubt: "It was sent by a man named He Daqing from Baoding."

Jia Dongxu's mind was stimulated! Hearing footsteps coming from the east wing, he hurried back to the west wing opposite.

He doesn't have enough brains now! He will think about it carefully when he calms down. Jia Dongxu looked at Yi Zhonghai in the yard through the window and greeted the postman with a smile. After signing and stamping, he took the remittance slip and went into the east wing.

"Dongxu, what did your master say? When will he collect grain for our family?" Seeing him standing in front of the window without saying a word, Jia Zhang asked impatiently.

"My master didn't agree! Mom! I seem to have discovered my master's secret, but I can't figure it out. Please help me figure it out!" Jia Dongxu suddenly came over and whispered into Jia Zhang's ear.

"Yi Zhonghai's secret? Tell me quickly."

Jia Zhang was also a person who loved to pry into private matters. She knew very little about Yi Zhonghai's secrets.

"I just came out of his house, and a postman came to deliver a remittance slip. I casually asked, 'Do you know who sends these remittances every year and every month?'" Jia Dongxu kept his mother in suspense.

"Who sent the money? Didn't your master's wife always say that it was her nephew who sent it from another place?" Jia Zhang answered in confusion.

"What a nephew! Have you ever seen any relatives come to his house? It was Sha Zhu's father He Daqing who sent money from Baoding. I don't understand this! Why does He Daqing send money to my master every month? He has too much money and nowhere to spend it? Why doesn't he send money to Sha Zhu?"

The more Jia Dongxu talked, the more confused he became! Could it be that there was a secret between the two of them? Or maybe his master Yi Zhonghai had something on He Daqing and forced him to remit money to him every month. Otherwise, it didn't make sense!