Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

6:10 PM.

Qin Jingru drove Aunt Wu and Ya Ya back to the courtyard. Aunt Wu was holding a lunchbox.

Today was Aunt Wu's first day at work, and she was given a lunchbox full of meat and vegetables, including braised pork, stir-fried rabbit, and braised fish.

This time, it was the kitchen staff who asked Aunt Wu to bring back meat and vegetables. Everyone knows that Aunt Wu and Qin Jingru have a good relationship, and Aunt Wu is a very hardworking person who doesn't shirk her duties. The older women in the kitchen also like Aunt Wu, which is why she was able to enjoy this benefit on her first day of work.

Even Qin Jingru couldn't be too biased in this matter, but fortunately the aunties and grandmas in the kitchen were quite sensible.

Qin Jingru pushed her bicycle into the front yard. Aunt Wu, wearing the steel mill's work clothes, held Yaya's hand with her left hand and carried a lunchbox, some work tools, and work clothes in her right hand.

As soon as the three women stepped into the front yard, the three older women saw Aunt Wu, who was wearing a steel mill uniform, next to Qin Jingru, and exclaimed in surprise, "He... Aunt Wu, you went into the steel mill?"

Aunt Wu smiled and nodded: "Yes, now that the rations have been reduced, we can't make ends meet. So we spent all our savings to buy a job as a kitchen helper."

Qin Jingru specifically taught her to say it this way. Qin Jingru didn't want the people in the courtyard to know that Aunt Wu was able to get into the factory entirely thanks to Wang Feng's help. If this became common knowledge, her family would be bothered to death by those people in the courtyard from then on.

Upon hearing this, the third aunt looked completely incredulous. Aunt Wu was the poorest family in the No. 95 compound, supporting Ya Ya by pasting matchboxes every day. Everyone in the compound knew that. Could she possibly afford a job at the steel mill? She simply couldn't believe it.

The minimum job opening at the steel rolling mill is 800 yuan, but their family spent 850 yuan to get a job. Even for a kitchen helper, you can't buy a job without 650 yuan.

She glanced at Qin Jingru next to Aunt Wu and said with certainty, "Jingru, didn't you help Aunt Wu get into the steel rolling mill?"

Qin Jingru smiled and waved her hand: "Third Aunt, you think too highly of me. I'm just a cook. How can I help with something as big as getting into the factory? Aunt Wu, you two chat first. I have to go back and cook for Brother Wang Feng."

As she spoke, Qin Jingru pushed her bicycle toward the Central Courtyard.

Goodbye, Sister Jingru.

Ya Ya's childish voice came from behind. Qin Jingru turned around, smiled slightly, and waved to Ya Ya: "Goodbye, Ya Ya."

After Qin Jingru left, the three aunts insisted on chatting with Aunt Wu for a while, trying to find out how Aunt Wu got into the steel rolling mill.

Aunt Wu insisted that she had bought the workstation with all her savings, but the third aunt refused to believe her.

Aunt Wu was too lazy to explain to the three older women, so she pulled Ya Ya back into the house. They hadn't had dinner yet.

That's what she said anyway, whether others believe it or not is their business.

Soon, thanks to the gossip of the three aunties, the news that Aunt Wu had entered the steel rolling mill's kitchen spread throughout the entire compound, causing a great uproar. A group of aunties and older women rushed to Aunt Wu's house to inquire about the news.

Aunt Wu's family was poor and couldn't afford to buy a work station. Everyone in the courtyard knew that if Aunt Wu had some connections and could get a job at the steel mill for free or on credit, then probably everyone in the courtyard who was old enough to work there would be willing to go.

There are many unemployed people in courtyard number 95. Now the quota has been reduced by another 10%, and many families are having a hard time. Although other people in the courtyard are having a hard time, they are not as bad off as Aunt Wu's family.

In many families, only one person works to support the whole family. If another person in the family works and earns money, the family will be much better off.

In the entire No. 95 compound, there were only a few dual-income families: Wang Feng's family, Yan's family, and Lao Hu's family. Their son and daughter-in-law both worked at the steel rolling mill, so they were also dual-income families. And that was it. The other families were all single-income families. However, since everyone had urban household registration, they didn't need to buy expensive grains, and their wages were basically enough.

Things are different now. With the ration reduced by 10%, almost every household has to buy more expensive grain, and with grain prices so high now, people's wages are becoming a bit tight.

Soon, a crowd gathered in front of Aunt Wu's house, forcing her to come out and greet them, leaving her no time to cook.

"Aunt Wu, we've been neighbors for a long time. Just tell us, how did you get into the steel rolling mill? If the work is cheap, I'll let my son Erdan get a job there too, so he won't be wasting his time hanging around outside all day."

"Yes, Aunt Wu, the rations are being reduced now. With my son Xiaosheng's meager salary, how can we afford the high-priced grain? Just tell us, and once Xiaosheng gets a job at the factory, I'll definitely have him buy you two pounds of meat as a token of my respect."

"Aunt Wu, don't tell me you spent all your savings to buy this workstation. We've been neighbors for over ten years, we all know each other, right? You only earn a few dollars a month pasting matchboxes, and you have to support yourself and Yaya. How could you possibly have money to buy a workstation? Do you have some connections? Tell us, and we promise we won't tell anyone else."

"Yes, yes, Aunt Wu, we promise we won't tell anyone."

Hearing the group of middle-aged women chatting away, Aunt Wu sighed and said:

"Dear neighbors, I really spent all my savings to buy this kitchen helper job, it cost a full 650 yuan. Think about it, how expensive are job positions these days? This is a lifelong commitment, how could there be any free way? Even your own brother wouldn't give you his job for free, right?"

"That's true. Two years ago, my nephew was going to work in another city, and he sold his job to our Dasheng family for 800 yuan. They wouldn't sell it for a penny less."

"Aunt Wu, this doesn't make sense. Where did your family get the money to buy a workstation? I heard from Auntie San that Jingru must have helped you get the job at the steel rolling mill."

Aunt Wu rolled her eyes and said speechlessly, "Neighbors, don't listen to that old lady's nonsense. Jingru and I are just ordinary neighbors. It's just that our family is slightly closer to theirs. Jingru is usually busy and doesn't have time to kill chickens or anything, so she asks me to help her. Tell me, we're just neighbors, why would she help me get a job at the factory? Besides, Jingru only cooks some dishes in the cafeteria, how could she possibly have that kind of ability?"

"Besides, how do you know my family is poor? Do you expect me to tell you whether my family is rich or poor, and how much money we have? Have you told me how much money you have?"

As she spoke, Aunt Wu waved her hand at everyone, "Alright, alright, everyone go back and eat. I haven't cooked yet."