Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Seeing He Yuzhu nod, Wang Dong continued to ask: "I promised you before that the deaf old lady would allow you to live in the main house in the middle courtyard for free a hundred years ago."

"I'm a man of my words. I won't charge you a penny more."

"But now you want to wait for the deaf old lady to live in the main house in the middle courtyard for a hundred years, then you can't let her live there for free, otherwise I will lose a lot."

He Yuzhu did not deny Wang Dong's analysis.

The monthly rent for the main house in the middle courtyard is at least four dollars, which adds up to almost fifty dollars a year.

Wang Dong allowed himself to live there for free until the deaf old lady passed away, which was equivalent to giving himself several hundred dollars for free.

If the deaf old lady could live another seven or eight years, plus the two or three years she had lived there for free, that would be a profit of more than five hundred yuan.

Although He Yuzhu doesn't get along with Wang Dong, he has to accept this favor in his heart.

As for the future, even if Wang Dong agreed to let him live there for free, He Yuzhu would still feel embarrassed.

After thinking for a while, he answered: "Wang Dong..."

"I think we should do this."

"I will give you fifty dollars in rent every year starting from the death of the deaf old lady until my godfather dies a hundred years later."

"During this process, if the rent is not paid in a certain year, it will be accumulated."

"If it's over 150 yuan, I'll give you the bicycle my family is going to buy in exchange for it. If it's over 100 yuan again, I'll give you the radio in exchange for it."

“But I believe this is absolutely impossible.”

"After I pass the eighth-level chef exam this year, not only will my salary at the steel mill increase, but my reputation on the street will also improve, and more and more neighbors will invite me to prepare banquets."

"Even if I don't use my salary, the money I make from catering outside is enough to cover the rent."

"If you don't believe us, we can sign an agreement and guarantee that you won't suffer any loss."

Wang Dong did not take He Yuzhu's promise seriously.

As for the salary increase after he passed the eighth-level chef exam, it is probably just a thought and it is almost impossible to achieve it in this lifetime.

If I remember correctly, there will be no more chef assessment starting this year, which means that He Yuzhu will have to work in the steel mill as a level nine chef for the next ten years.

As for receiving guests outside, that is even more difficult.

Under his leadership, Fatty and Huang Longfei both became level nine chefs at the steel rolling mill, and it was no problem for them to handle ordinary banquets.

Tang Dashan has become an eighth-level chef in the steel rolling mill and can handle any banquet that is slightly more important.

As for those particularly important banquets, I basically have to do it myself.

With so many chefs competing with He Yuzhu, and He Yuzhu's reputation on the street not being very good, it is obviously a very difficult thing for him to increase his income by taking on banquets.

Since he couldn't increase his salary at the steel mill by upgrading his work level, nor could he increase his income by taking jobs outside the steel mill, it was almost impossible for He Yuzhu to pay back the 600 yuan he had borrowed from himself and the rent for the house in a few years.

But Wang Dong did not refuse He Yuzhu's request to borrow money.

He Yuzhu had no shortage of houses in the courtyard. Even if he didn't have the house of the deaf old lady in the backyard, he still had the west wing in the middle courtyard where Yi Zhonghai lived, so he had no shortage of places to live.

Instead of selling all these houses to those ungrateful people from the Jia family, it would be better to sell them to myself.

Wang Dong hoped that He Yuzhu would not pay back the money he lent him, so that the house in the backyard of the deaf old lady would belong to him.

That night, He Yuzhu received the 400 yuan promised by Wang Dong, and then went out to the pigeon market every night to exchange bicycle tickets and radio tickets in preparation for the upcoming marriage. …………

He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu's wedding was much more lively than expected.

On the one hand, He Yuzhu wanted to hold a grand ceremony to weaken the negative impact of marrying a widow.

On the one hand, Yi Zhonghai also wanted to hold a grand ceremony.

As the second uncle in the yard, his prestige and influence in the yard have been greatly reduced since Chen Dehui became the eldest uncle.

This was absolutely unacceptable to Yi Zhonghai, who was used to having the final say in the courtyard.

He wanted to take this opportunity to re-demonstrate his strength to the residents in the courtyard, let the neighbors in the courtyard see how strong he is, and believe in himself again. Maybe he could be re-elected as the new uncle in the next courtyard uncle election.

A normal banquet was held in the yard. In order to save food, only one person from each household went to eat.

Yi Zhonghai went against his usual practice and set up more than a dozen banquet tables in the yard.

As long as one is from the courtyard, regardless of gender, age or status, one can come and have a feast.

When the news came out, everyone was shocked by Yi Zhonghai's generosity. When they met him, they would subconsciously give Yi Zhonghai a thumbs up and say that he was very generous.

Seeing that all the residents in the courtyard were very respectful to him, Yi Zhonghai suddenly felt like he was back to the time a few years ago when he was the boss of the courtyard. He was very happy and felt that today's banquet was worth it.

As long as the residents in the courtyard stand on his side again and support him, his votes will definitely exceed Chen Dehui's when the courtyard elects a leader again next time.

"Make way, make way..." A cry suddenly sounded at the gate of the courtyard, immediately attracting the attention of all the neighbors.

He Yuzhu was seen wearing a brand new Zhongshan suit, pushing a bicycle with a big red flower tied on the handlebars. He slowly walked into the central courtyard under the envious gazes of dozens of people around him.

His apprentice Ma Hua followed behind him, holding a radio that also had a big red flower tied to it, his face full of smiles.

In the past two years, in order to bring Ma Hua, who was becoming increasingly disappointed in him, back to his side, He Yuzhu had to give up his previous idea of ​​"teaching the apprentice and starving himself" and began to teach Ma Hua wholeheartedly.

Today, Ma Hua is just like He Yuzhu, a level nine chef in a steel rolling mill.

However, He Yuzhu does not intend to teach all his cooking skills. If nothing unexpected happens, it would be the best that Ma Hua can do to pass the ninth-level chef exam.

But no matter what, the higher the job level and the more wages are, these are good things that MCA never dared to imagine before.

All of this was brought to him by his master He Yuzhu. Although the process was full of twists and turns, the result was good.

My master is getting married today, and it’s hard not to be happy.

Seeing He Yuzhu pushing a brand new bicycle into the courtyard, Yan Fugui was the first to step forward and ask, "Zhuzi..."

“You bought this bicycle yourself…”

He Yuzhu patted his chest and answered confidently: "Of course..."

"You bought a bicycle for Yan Jiefang's wedding."

"I, He Yuzhu, am a ninth-level chef at the steel mill. I definitely cannot be outdone by Jiefang."

"So today I not only bought a bicycle, but also a radio. In our courtyard, apart from the old man in the front yard, I, He Yuzhu, am the only one who has both a radio and a bicycle..."

"Look at the quality. It's not worse than your bicycle..." (End of this chapter)