Siheyuan: Cooking journey

After thinking for a while,

I still can't think of a way to prove that it is an old hen.

Liu Haizhong felt a little depressed and glanced at the third uncle, feeling even more unhappy.

They all said they would help me speak.

In the end, he didn't say a word. How could he expect to take advantage of her for nothing?

Thinking about the flour that we promised to share equally, I was so poor.

Liu Haizhong decided not to give it and said loudly:

"Even so, even if it wasn't an old hen, considering the size of my chicken, you should still compensate me three dollars and forty cents."

Qin Huairu lowered her head and said bitterly, "Second Uncle, we don't know how heavy the chicken is. You say how heavy it is. We are an orphan and a widow, what can we say?"

"Qin Huairu, what do you mean by that? How can I lie like that?"

Liu Haizhong said angrily: "I'm telling you, it's not an old hen, I admit it, but this is three yuan and forty cents, not a cent less."

Qin Huairu looked even more miserable and buried her head even lower.

Granny Zhang opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but her eyes drifted away and in the end she didn't speak.

"Second uncle."

The old man frowned and said seriously: "Qin Huairu is right. The weight of this chicken cannot be proved.

“I think this way, both sides should make concessions;

“First, Qin Huairu will go to the market and buy you a chicken;

"Or I'll compensate you at the price of two dollars. Chicken is 40 cents a pound, and four pounds of chicken is only one dollar and sixty cents. Just give me two dollars.

"The prices on the black market are illegal and cannot be counted."

"How can this be possible..."

Liu Haizhong disagreed.

Everyone in the hospital joined in the discussion and finally decided on a price of two dollars and fifty cents.

Liu Haizhong reluctantly accepted the price and said with an unpleasant expression:

"Two dollars and a half is two dollars and a half, Qin Huairu, give me the money."

"Second uncle, my family has no money at the moment."

Where did the tickets come from?

How to go to the market to buy chicken.

Qin Huairu had no choice but to admit defeat. This was the result of discussion among the entire hospital. If she didn't do as she was told, don't expect anyone in the hospital to help her or seek justice in the future.

"You are a worker, you get paid every month, who would believe you if you said you have no money?"

Liu Haizhong snorted coldly.

“I really don’t have money now.”

Qin Huairu lowered her head, her waist seemed limp:

“I support my whole family with my salary alone. Next month’s salary hasn’t arrived yet, but this month’s salary has already been spent, leaving me with nothing left.

"Every time I got paid, I used it to buy cornmeal, but it was still not enough to eat. If it weren't for the uncle who helped us from time to time, we would have gone hungry for the rest of the month.

"This is not enough to make a living. If you were to give me $2.50 as soon as I got my salary, my family would starve. You are forcing us, an orphan and a widow, into a dead end."

"Qin Huairu, don't talk nonsense."

Liu Haizhong panicked and said quickly: "Who dares to bully the poor now? This is a big accusation. I didn't force you, but it is a fact that your family ate the chicken and owed money. This is recognized by the whole hospital. Do you want to default on your debt?"

The old man frowned and said nothing.

The third uncle looked as if it had nothing to do with him and didn't say anything.

He Yuzhu couldn't help but look at He Yushui.

Seeing that she had a stern face and a serious expression, and did not impulsively stand up and say "My brother gave it to me", I was completely relieved.

It looks like this silly little sister has really grown up.

"I didn't say I wouldn't pay it back. I just said my family couldn't come up with that much money all at once."

Qin Huairu looked so miserable that she aroused sympathy.

But I was a little anxious.

Under normal circumstances, after what was said just now, the old man should help to take over the debt.

But now there is no response at all.

"Second uncle, if you don't mind, my family can only save 50 cents a month at most. Can I pay you back in five months?"

Qin Huairu's pretty face was full of sadness, weakness and pity, and the words she spoke were also weak, making people feel both sympathetic and distressed.

He Yuzhu was very impressed. If he didn't understand her character and her thoughts, and knew that such a small scene would not be difficult for her, he would have been fooled.

If she were born in modern times, she would definitely be a movie queen.

Subconsciously, He Yuzhu glanced at He Yushui. She had a stern face and did not react.

The strange thing is that the old man should have come out at this time, but there was no movement.

He Yuzhu couldn't help but glance at him and found that the old man had a serious face and didn't seem to plan to say anything.

The first uncle didn't say anything, but the second uncle Liu Haizhong was so angry that his face turned blue and he said:

"Qin Huairu, what do you mean? Two dollars and fifty cents, and you plan to pay it back in five months?"

“My family really can’t help it.”

Qin Huairu looked even more miserable, but she was really panicking.

She knew very well who in the yard could help her family, including the old uncle, the deaf old lady, He Yushui, and in the past there was also He Yuzhu, but she mainly relied on He Yuzhu.

Before, she estimated that even if He Yuzhu was gone, someone among these three would definitely not be able to bear it and would lend a hand.

But now, there is no movement.

"Second uncle, how about this?"

Qin Huairu's mind raced, and she said with grievance and sadness:

"I worked in the canteen and was provided with two meals a day, four white flour steamed buns or six multi-grain steamed buns, which I saved and took home;

"How about I give half of these to your family every day? If converted into money, it would be ten cents a day, which would be enough for twenty-five days.

"If this doesn't work, our family is really desperate. You are going to force us, an orphan and a widow, to death."

Talking

Qin Huairu secretly glanced at the old man.

She knew that the old man's monthly salary was 99 yuan, and these two yuan and fifty cents were nothing to him.

The uncle was an upright man who often helped their family. Without He Yuzhu's financial support, he would be the one most likely to lend a helping hand.

But at this time, the old man looked serious and indifferent.

She was disappointed and then looked at the deaf old lady.

The deaf old lady was leaning on a cane, her eyes slightly closed, as if she was asleep, and her head slightly nodded.

It seems there is no hope.

He turned to He Yushui again, only to find that she was looking down at He Yuzhu and groping for something, while He Yuzhu was trying to stop her. The two of them didn't care about the situation here at all.

Qin Huairu's mood dropped to freezing point.

For some reason, everyone became so indifferent one after another, like emotionless stones.

Before, she might have been pretending a little, but at this moment, she felt truly miserable and wanted to cry but couldn't.

"Oh, forget it, forget it, I admit defeat and will do as you say."

Seeing her like this, and bringing up the banner of orphans and widows,

Liu Haizhong also felt tired and didn't want to suffer any more humiliation for the two dollars and fifty cents.

"In this case, Qin Huairu's matter is decided. Qin Huairu needs to deliver food worth ten cents to the second uncle's family every day. This will be completed after 25 days..."

The dust has settled.

An old man stood up and made a summary.

In fact, several times before, he had been itching to ask for the two dollars and fifty cents from Qin Huairu. After all, it was not a lot of money, and there was no need to make things difficult for the orphan and his widow.

But on second thought, the chicken that He Yuzhu asked He Yushui to bring for dinner was said to be for the deaf old lady.

This thought faded away at that moment.

It’s the same chicken, but He Yuzhu can make the three families taste it.

On the other hand, at Qin Huairu's house, a chicken was stewed so that the whole yard was filled with fragrance, but not a single sound was made, and not a single bit was given to anyone else.

In the past, I helped her family a lot, but I didn't mention it because family was in financial difficulty at that time. But now, after stewing a chicken, I don't even want to share it with others. This is a bit hard to understand.

It’s not that I’m greedy for the chicken. My monthly salary is more than enough to buy chicken. This is the atmosphere in the factory.

It is said that when receiving a favor from someone, one should know how to repay it, as this is the greatest good deed. But now it seems that this cannot be expected, and it makes people feel cold.

Putting aside other things, if Huairu's family could serve a small portion of the stewed chicken to me, even if it was just as a courtesy, I would naturally not really accept it.

But as long as you have this intention and the attitude of gratitude and return.

I have to help them pay the two dollars and fifty cents today no matter what.

This is the principle of being a human being and the truth of doing things.

So,

The old man became even more convinced that the only person he could rely on in this yard was He Yuzhu, and when he got old, he could only rely on He Yuzhu.

My determination becomes stronger.

The old man's eyes were slightly cold, and he glanced at Liu Haizhong inadvertently.

The excitement at the beginning has dissipated, but the real show has just begun.