Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

The third uncle Yan Fugui felt like he had heard a huge joke, frowning and asking back: "Wang Dong..."

"Didn't you just say that you paid more for food and vegetables than I did?"

"Everyone in my Yan family contributes one dollar a month, but you don't contribute a penny for food. Where does the extra money go..."

"Aren't you treating us like fools?"

Wang Dong shook his head and explained: "Uncle San, why are you in such a hurry?"

"Can't you wait until I finish speaking?"

"Why did I say that I paid more for the food than you did?"

Yan Fugui opened his eyes wide and replied: "Okay..."

"Today I'm also opening my eyes to see how you can spend more on food than my Yan family without spending a penny."

Seeing that everyone in the yard was focusing their attention on him, Wang Dong continued, "The first uncle just said that to the third uncle."

"After we have the big pot meals for the four courtyards, Tang Dashan and I will use the leftovers we brought back from the small kitchen at the steel mill to make stews for everyone to eat together."

"Everyone who has eaten the leftovers I brought back knows that even though there is no meat in them, they are very oily and watery."

This full box of leftovers would be worth at least 25 cents if placed in the steel mill canteen, which would definitely add up to seven dollars a month.

"There are five people in my family, and each person pays 1.4 yuan on average. How come it's not more than you, uncle..."

The third uncle became anxious when he heard this.

His purpose with Yi Zhonghai was to get the leftovers that Wang Dong brought back from the steel mill for free. If it came down to money, he might as well buy the vegetables himself.

He immediately stood up to refute: "Wang Dong..."

"That's your fault..."

"You brought those leftovers back from the steel mill kitchen, and they didn't cost you anything. But now you're charging us 25 cents per box. Aren't you cheating us all?"

"I disagree……"

"The leftovers you bring home from the steel mill cannot be counted as money. Instead, they must be given to our four courtyards for free to make stews."

Wang Dong shook his head and asked, "Third Uncle..."

"Who told you that the leftovers that Tang Dashan and I brought back from the cafeteria kitchen are free?"

"Since it's free, why don't other people in the cafeteria take leftovers, and only Tang Dashan and I have leftovers to take away..."

Yan Fugui seemed to know the ins and outs of this, and answered directly: "You and Tang Dashan are in charge of the steel mill's small kitchen, so you can take the leftovers."

"If other people don't cook in the cafeteria, there won't be any leftovers..."

"Where is the money?"

"Wang Dong, although the Third Uncle doesn't work in the steel mill, he has known the situation there very well. Don't fool the Third Uncle..."

Wang Dong did not respond, but frowned and asked back: "Third Uncle..."

"Then do you know why the leaders of the steel mill agreed to let us take the leftovers home?

"Why don't you let the kitchen staff take the leftovers home?"

Yan Fugui frowned, not knowing what Wang Dong was thinking, but he answered readily: "Cooking for the steel mill at night is considered overtime. The factory leaders are afraid that you will go hungry, so they compensate you with the leftovers?"

After hearing the answer he wanted, Wang Dong smiled: "Uncle..." "You just said..."

"These leftovers are what we earn from working overtime at the steel mill."

"Workshop workers get overtime pay for working overtime at night... For us in the kitchen, these leftovers are our overtime pay..."

“We earned it through our hard work.”

“Do you still think these leftovers are free now?”

Yan Fugui was confused by Wang Dong's series of questions. He wanted to refute but couldn't find any reasons to do so.

Just as his expression became more and more solemn, Wang Dong spoke again: "Third Uncle..."

"Although my family paid more for the food than yours, I believe that the money is already the maximum that the Yan family can afford."

"Relatively speaking, I am not as conscious as you."

"In my opinion, the money that the eldest uncle paid for food and vegetables is less than half of what the Yan family paid."

After hearing what Wang Dong said, not only the first and third uncles didn't understand, but all the residents in the yard showed a puzzled expression, and they couldn't figure out what the basis of Wang Dong's words was.

They all looked at Wang Dong with shining eyes, waiting for his next words.

Yan Fugui's reaction was even more exaggerated, and he asked directly: "How is this possible?"

"Old Yi paid double the money for food and vegetables, an average of ten yuan per person."

"My family pays less than four yuan for food and vegetables, how can it be more than Lao Yi's?"

Wang Dong smiled and replied: "Then I will give you a good account."

"The food and grain expenses per person in the third uncle's family are less than four yuan per month, the food and grain expenses per person in my family are a little more than four yuan, and the food and grain expenses per person in the first uncle's family are ten yuan per month."

"The salary of the third uncle is less than 30 yuan, which is less than 5 yuan per person on average. This means that the third uncle has to take out 80% of everyone's food expenses to support our courtyard office canteen and organize the residents in the courtyard to tide over the difficulties together."

"My salary has now increased to more than 40 yuan, which is about 8 yuan per person on average. Everyone contributes more than 4 yuan per month to support the big pot meals in the hospital, which accounts for 50% of everyone's food expenses."

"Look at the old man again..."

"The monthly salary is more than 100 yuan, and there are only two people in the family. Each person can get more than 50 yuan, but they are only willing to take out 10 yuan to support the public canteen in the hospital, which only accounts for 20% of the food expenses of each person in the family..."

"Everyone, do you think the first uncle paid less than the third uncle?"

"The third uncle spent almost all of his family's savings to organize the residents in the courtyard to tide over the difficulties together."

"And the first uncle who proposed to set up a public canteen in the courtyard was only willing to pay 20% of his monthly income. Everyone, do you think we should applaud the third uncle..."

After saying that, he clapped his hands.

Xu Damao, who was standing by, was hoping that Yi Zhonghai would suffer a loss at the general meeting, so he clapped his hands.

Soon, warm applause broke out in the middle courtyard.
The third uncle Yan Fugui's face quickly turned red due to excitement, while the first uncle Yi Zhonghai's face turned ashen.

Xu Damao took the opportunity to speak up: "Uncle No. 1, Uncle No. 3...Originally I didn't support setting up a public canteen in the hospital."

"Seeing that the third uncle had spent all his family's savings, I was very moved and decided to donate 60% of my monthly income to support the establishment of a public canteen in the hospital."

"My monthly salary is 35 yuan, 60% is 21 yuan, Xiao'e and I each get an average of 10 yuan and 50 cents."

Wang Dong immediately responded: "Da Mao is indeed a promising young man in our hospital. He is generous in his words and deeds. If the public canteen in our hospital is really established, everyone must thank him." (End of this chapter)