Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Seeing the two people bargaining and arguing in front of him, Yi Zhonghai, who wanted to end the matter quickly, interrupted without hesitation.

"Don't argue, just listen to me on this matter."

"Jia Zhang, you and Huairu should each take a step back."

"Jia Zhang will pay 200 yuan, Qin Huairu will pay 400 yuan, and 600 yuan will be sent to me in a while."

Jia Zhang thought about it and didn't respond, which meant she agreed with Yi Zhonghai's decision.

Although Qin Huairu was very reluctant, after all, four hundred yuan was the pocket money she had saved for four years, and it was gone in an instant. It would be a lie to say that she didn't feel sad.

But in the end he nodded and agreed to Yi Zhonghai's distribution plan.

He stared at Yi Zhonghai and asked directly: "What about the third condition?"

Yi Zhonghai answered without thinking, "After I handed over the job that Director Yang promised to Banggeng, I will never receive a penny of salary from now on."

"I am not only Bang Geng's stepfather, but also his master... It is reasonable for him to take care of me in my old age."

"But words are not enough."

"Bang Geng also has to sign a letter of commitment that when he is hired as a regular employee of the steel mill in the future, he will give me five yuan a month as my pension."

"Okay..." Qin Huairu agreed to this condition without thinking.

At that time, the work station promised by Director Yang already belonged to Banggeng. Even if Banggeng did not give Yi Zhonghai five dollars, Yi Zhonghai could not do anything to him.

No matter what, I have to agree to Yi Zhonghai and get the work position first.

…………

A workshop in a steel rolling mill.

Both Yi Zhonghai and Banggeng were unemployed, and the workshop director also knew that one of them was going to be fired by the steel mill.

Although it is unclear what means Yi Zhonghai used to keep a work position from the factory leaders, for the workshop director, as long as one of the two left, the remaining one would be easy to deal with.

“Notify…notify…”

At ten o'clock in the morning, the broadcast sounded in the workshop on time.

As the content of the broadcast spread, all the workers in the workshop looked at Yi Zhonghai and Bang Geng in unison, as if they had discussed it beforehand.

After learning that Yi Zhonghai was fired and Banggeng had to start his two-year apprenticeship all over again, everyone had a mocking expression on their faces, and their eyes towards Banggeng became intriguing.

When Banggeng was still an apprentice, because Yi Zhonghai, the old fitter, was his master, he always tried to protect him. Even though Banggeng often cheated in the workshop, no one could do anything about it.

It's different now.

Yi Zhonghai was dismissed from the steel rolling mill, and from now on no one in the workshop would support Bang Geng.

If he continued to cheat in the days to come, given his status as an apprentice, there would be plenty of people in the workshop to deal with him.

…………

In the kitchen of the steel rolling mill, Wang Dong also heard the broadcast announcing the dismissal of Yi Zhonghai.

He couldn't help but frown.

He remembered that Director Yang had promised him that both Yi Zhonghai and Banggeng would be fired from the steel mill. He didn't expect that only one person was fired in the end. He didn't know what means Yi Zhonghai used to keep the other person's job.

But Wang Dong didn't care.

When Yi Zhonghai was an eighth-level fitter in the steel rolling mill, Wang Dong was able to defeat all his plans one by one.

Now that Yi Zhonghai is gone, only Banggeng, the brainless apprentice, is left. To be honest, Wang Dong doesn't take him seriously at all, because the two of them are not opponents of the same level at all.

If Banggeng still wants to continue to deal with me and plot against me, it would be like an egg hitting a stone and he would be courting death.

…………The central courtyard of the quadrangle.

Qin Huairu is particularly happy today because her two daughters who have been living in the countryside for several years are finally coming back today.

I ran to the vegetable market early in the morning and queued up to buy meat.

Although she felt bad about using all her own pocket money, Qin Huairu gritted her teeth and bought two kilograms of pork to take home when she thought about how she hadn't seen her two daughters in several years.

"Mom...Grandma..." We are back.

Seeing Kuihua and Xiaodang with bags at the door, Qin Huairu hurried over to them and said excitedly, "Taller... but thinner..."

"It's a lot darker than when we left the Forbidden City..."

"Xiaodang, Kuihua...you two are suffering in the countryside. It's all because of your mother's uselessness. If I could find a job for you two, you wouldn't have to suffer in the countryside."

Xiaodang is the older sister, and she is much more mature than before. Seeing Qin Huairu's regretful expression, she quickly comforted him: "Mom...it's all over."

"Besides, our family only has that condition. It's not your fault if you can't find a job."

"Besides, haven't Kuihua and I both returned safely?"

"I have to thank you guys for that."

"Life in the countryside is really hard. There is not enough food. Plus, we are girls and earn less, so we get even less food in the end."

"If my mother and grandmother hadn't let us drop out of school early and earn more than 100 yuan by making matchboxes at home, and if my mother hadn't given us several dozen yuan each before we left, my sister and I would have starved to death in the countryside."

Hearing this, Qin Huairu's face looked much better, and he quickly replied: "Now that we are back in Sijiu City, our future life will definitely be much better."

"The house has been cleaned up for you. It's still the same place as before."

"I bought two pounds of pork today and stewed it all. I'm going to have a good dinner tonight to welcome you all."

…………

Aunt Zhang’s house in the backyard.

Her son Zhang Linbao, whom she adopted from an orphanage, went to the countryside two years ago, and today is the day he returns home to the old city.

For this reason, Aunt Zhang took a day off and ran to the vegetable market early in the morning to queue up to buy meat, chicken, and fish...

I plan to make a delicious meal to welcome my son.

The two of them exchanged greetings at the gate of the courtyard for a long time before Aunt Zhang brought Zhang Linbao and the bags he had brought back into the courtyard and headed towards their home in the backyard.

Although Yan Fugui is no longer the boss of the courtyard house, his character of taking advantage of others has not changed at all.

As usual, I stood at the gate of the courtyard, tending to a few pots of flowers and plants, and taking advantage of my neighbors.

Seeing Aunt Zhang and Zhang Linbao carrying back large and small bags, Yan Fugui knew at a glance that there were a lot of good things hidden in the packages, and immediately went over with a smile.

"Lin Bao... you are finally back... You don't know how much your mother missed you during the two years you were away..."

"Come to my house from time to time to see if there is any letter from you in the courtyard."

Zhang Linbao had lived in the courtyard for several years and knew Yan Fugui's personality very well.

He decisively took out a dried fish weighing almost one pound from the package he brought back and said, "Teacher Yan."

"I heard from my mother that you were the one who wrote all the new articles for me. I don't have anything good to thank you for."

"I made this cured fish myself in the countryside. You can take it back and try it."

(End of this chapter)