Siheyuan: Cao Liang's rise

In a shabby little house in the south corner of the city, Meng Xiaoxing brought a bowl to the table. There was only half a bowl of very thin corn cob paste in the bowl.

But this was already lunch for the three of them.

The window covered with newspapers was crackling in the cold wind, as if it might be blown apart at any time.

"Xiao Tao, you must be hungry! Eat!"

Meng Xiaoxing said to Xiaotao who was sitting obediently at the table.

"Sister Xingzi, what about you!"

Xiaotao was very sensible. She didn't eat first, but looked up at Meng Xiaoxing.

Meng Xiaoxing forced a smile and said, "There's more in the pot. I'll eat it later."

There was indeed half a bowl left in the pot, but that was left for the monkey.

She is an adult, it’s okay for her to endure it, but she can’t let the child starve.

"Uh-huh."

Xiaotao was very obedient, because her sister Xingzi had never lied to her, so she started eating obediently.

Ugh!

Looking at Xiaotao eating the cornmeal porridge in small bites, Meng Xiaoxing sighed in her heart.

There is no food left at home, not even a bit.

I have no money and can't find a job.

If this continues...

Meng Xiaoxing's face showed even more distress.

"Sister Xingzi, Xiaotao, I'm back."

The monkey's cheerful voice came from outside the door.

Meng Xiaoxing hurried to open the door, and then saw the monkey whose little face was red from the cold, but with a smile on his face.

"You must be freezing! Come in quickly. I told you not to go out in this weather, but you didn't listen."

Meng Xiaoxing pulled the monkey into the house and started chattering.

Monkey happily raised the bag in his hand, "Sister Xingzi, look what this is?"

Meng Xiaoxing took the bag, opened it, and her face changed immediately. She scolded, "Where did you get this from? How many times have I told you that although we are poor, we cannot do those shameful things. Do you want to piss me off to death?"

"I do not have."

Monkey Lian explained: "This was given to me by the boss."

Boss?

Meng Xiaoxing was startled at first, then she said with a sullen face: "Didn't I tell you not to associate with questionable people? Although we are poor..."

"The boss is Brother Liangzi."

"......" After hearing Monkey's explanation, Meng Xiaoxing's tone paused, and Cao Liang's clean and handsome face appeared in her mind.

As if she remembered something, her pretty face turned red.

I thought to myself, that guy shouldn’t be a bad person, right?

But she still insisted: "If he gave it to me, I can't accept it. Although we are poor, we are not beggars..."

"You have to have backbone. I know. I know everything."

Monkey took over Meng Xiaoxing's words. He was tired of hearing these words.

"But the boss told me to work with Brother Dongzi, and this is what I earned through my hard work."

The monkey said this very seriously.

"You are just a little boy, what can you do?"

Meng Xiaoxing was a little skeptical.

What kind of work can earn you a bag of food in one go?

There are probably about 20 kilograms of food in this bag.

"I do not know either."

The monkey shook his head, "But the boss said that it was definitely not me who set the fire."

Meng Xiaoxing sneered: "With your small body, even if you were asked to go, could you do it?"

The monkey said depressedly: "The boss said so too, but he also said that I can't tell anyone what I see or do when the time comes."

"Including me?"

The monkey nodded.

Ugh!

Meng Xiaoxing sighed and said, "Monkey, you are still young. I am an adult at home. Why do you need to go out to work?"

"I'm not young anymore."

Monkey said seriously: "Besides, Sister Xingzi, you are only a few years older than me. Besides, I've checked the house. There's no food left, right?"

"you......"

Meng Xiaoxing was a little angry, but didn't know what to say.

"Forget it. I'm too lazy to tell you. I'll ask him in person some other day what he wants you, a kid, to do."

As for that "he", it naturally refers to Cao Liang.

She always felt that Cao Liang gave the monkey food probably for her sake.

As for doing things, it was just Cao Liang's excuse.

What else can a young boy do?

Putting aside her thoughts, Meng Xiaoxing said to the monkey, "There is still half a bowl of cornmeal porridge in the pot, you can eat it!"

"You eat it! I've already eaten."

The monkey said, "The臊子面 I ate was delicious. I wanted to bring some back for you and Xiaotao to try, but the boss wouldn't let me."

He didn't say he was drunk, otherwise he would have been lectured again.

Xiao Tao asked: "Brother, what does sauerkraut noodles taste like?"

"It smells so good. Anyway, it tastes so good."

The monkey said happily: "Now I am working with the boss. When I have money, I will take you to eat."

"Yeah, brother is the best."

Xiao Tao nodded her head, not thinking that the monkey was bragging at all.

Seeing the interaction between the two siblings, Meng Xiaoxing shook her head slightly.

Although she was not sure about Cao Liang's purpose, at least she had food for the New Year.

At worst, I can return it to him when I have money in the future.

But she still hasn't paid off Xiaotao's medical bills.

Thinking of this, Meng Xiaoxing felt even more bitter.

This time, I really owe more and more.

...

the other side.

Cao Liang also returned to the courtyard.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw Xiao Ming practicing driving. There was a lot of snow on his body, and it seemed that he had fallen many times.

Yaya and a few other children were watching with interest, as were some adults and Chen Huilan.

Cao Liang walked up to Chen Huilan and asked with a smile: "Mom, I bought it for you to ride, why is it that it has become a monkey practicing on you now?"

"Liangzi is back!"

Chen Huilan laughed and said, "This kid refused to let go of his bicycle as soon as he came back. He even cleared the snow in the yard for practice."

“Very positive.”

Cao Liang reminded her, "Mom, you have to practice hard. Xiao Ming and his friends are on vacation now. In a few years, the factory will cut their salaries. Don't let them fail to learn by then, or they won't be able to ride back to the countryside."

"Right."

After hearing this, Chen Huilan walked straight towards Xiao Ming, took the bicycle away under Xiao Ming's aggrieved gaze, and started practicing.

Cao Liang drank some wine at noon and felt a little sleepy, so he went back to his room to rest.

Yan Bugui and his wife were watching Chen Huilan practice driving.

The third aunt said enviously: "The Cao family's life is getting better and better. Now they even have a bicycle."

Yan Bugui nodded and said, "Ever since I was little, I could tell that Liangzi would be a great man in the future, but I didn't expect him to become so successful so quickly. I heard that he is now a favorite of Deputy Director Li of the steel mill. This bicycle ticket! Maybe it was given by Deputy Director Li."

"Old Yan, you have good taste."

"That is."

The third aunt sighed: "If my husband Jie Cheng could buy me a bicycle, I would be willing to die immediately."

Yan Bugui said: "Then you have to wait till tomorrow morning to find out."

The third aunt was bewildered and asked, "What do you mean? Will you buy it for me tomorrow when the solution is revealed?"

"What good things are you thinking about?"

Yan Bugui said unhappily: "I want you to see if the sun will rise from the west tomorrow."

After saying that, he went back to the house, otherwise he would catch a cold and have to spend money.

The third aunt curled her lips and said, "Is it not possible for me to even fantasize about this?"