Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Lu Banxia was very happy to hear that Wang Feng would help her grandfather's three sons find jobs.

Although Grandpa Lu only gave her a few kilograms of cornmeal at the time, without those few kilograms of cornmeal, she might not have survived until her Uncle Li came to find her. This can be considered a real life-saving grace for her.

"Brother Feng, I'm going to the kitchen to learn how to cook."

"Okay, go ahead."

Lu Banxia is now very keen on learning to cook, after all, Sister Jingru is pregnant, and she can't keep having a pregnant woman cook for her.

She learns everything quickly now, and cooking doesn't seem so difficult anymore.

With Lu Banxia's help, Qin Jingru cooked even faster. Soon, the aroma of meat and vegetables wafted out of the kitchen, followed by a strong smell of Chinese medicine that completely masked the meat and vegetable aroma.

......

The Intermediate People's Court, the Jia family.

Madam Jia was sleeping soundly when she smelled the unpleasant odor of Chinese medicine again, and she burst into a tirade:

"Damn you little brats, always brewing Chinese medicine while you're eating, why don't you all die from it?"

Qin Huairu placed the large bowl she was holding on the table, sighed, and said:

"Mom, please say less. If Wang Feng and Jingru hear this, they might beat you up again."

Madam Jia glared with her triangular eyes, her gaze filled with resentment: "What are you afraid of? That little beast Wang Feng is brewing Chinese medicine all day long, making my appetite so bad, and he won't even let me say anything to him? I'd give him three times the courage, and see if he dares to lay a finger on a hair on my head!"

Qin Huairu rolled her eyes: "Yes, yes, Mom, you're the best."

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia smiled smugly, then sighed and said:

"Qin Huairu, let's not even talk about that little brat Wang Feng. Our food has been getting worse and worse lately. We can't even get enough cornbread. You need to think of something! We're adults, we just need to keep ourselves from starving, but Banggeng and Xiaodang are growing. What will we do if they starve?"

Hearing this, Qin Huairu also sighed: "Mom, you eat the most in the whole family, and you don't even have a ration. Now cornmeal in Pigeon Market is selling for 27 yuan a pound. Tell me, with my salary of 5 yuan, it would be good enough if our family didn't starve to death."

"Fine, Qin Huairu, now you're complaining that I eat too much? That's outrageous! Outrageous! The daughter-in-law is complaining about her mother-in-law!"

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi was again making a gesture of summoning the spirit, Qin Huairu said pitifully:

"Mom, it's not that I think you eat too much, but you have to think about me too. Am I not feeding you? My monthly salary is only 27 yuan. That's not even enough to buy 5 jin of cornmeal in the pigeon market. What can I do?"

"What should we do? If this continues, our family will starve to death!" Jia Zhangshi cried out.

"Qin Huairu, how can you be so useless? I made you get an IUD and find a manager at the factory to help our family out, but it's been so long and you still can't find one. You're really useless."

"Mom, do you really think that all the people who become cadres are fools? When they heard that I have a mother-in-law and two children to support, they ran away faster than rabbits. Besides, ordinary cadres also have families to support. Even if they were willing, they couldn't help our family much."

Qin Huairu had tears welling up in her eyes. She had been so tired lately. Now that Banggeng was back, she wanted to make sure he ate well, but what could she do?

Previously, in order to support her family, she had taken out all her savings and Jia Zhangshi's retirement money. Now she was penniless, and her whole family was relying on that little bit of salary to survive.

If it weren't for Wang Mazi and Tieguai Li helping out from time to time, plus Guo Da Piezi giving her ten yuan a month, her family wouldn't even have cornbread to eat.

Upon hearing Qin Huairu's words, Madam Jia frowned deeply and sighed:

"Huai Ru, Mom knows it's not easy for you, but this really can't go on. Bang Geng and Xiao Dang are growing up, and we can't let them go hungry."

After a pause, Madam Jia continued, "Huai Ru, why don't you just suffer a little and let those stinky men take advantage of you? You don't want them to starve, do you?"

"Mom! What did you say? Are you still my mom?"

Qin Huairu looked at Jia Zhangshi in disbelief, tears streaming down her face as if they were free. She grabbed a large bowl and headed for the kitchen, not wanting to say another word to Jia Zhangshi.

Yes, she can let others take advantage of her, but that person must be a cadre, very rich, and willing to support her entire family for the rest of their lives.

She knew men's nature all too well. Once they got what they wanted, they wouldn't cherish it. What if they took advantage of her and then denied everything? What could she do?

There's only one fool in this world, and now even fool ignores her. There's not a single reliable man.

Qin Huairu was making steamed buns in the kitchen, her mind constantly racing with thoughts of what to do.

......

The Intermediate People's Court, the Wang family.

Qin Jingru and Lu Banxia served the dishes. Tonight they made braised pork and hot and sour shredded potatoes.

"Brother Wang Feng, dinner's ready."

Qin Jingru served Wang Feng a large bowl of rice and a piece of braised pork, and the three of them began to eat.

Wang Feng ate several steamed buns on the way to lunch, so he wasn't very hungry.

Wang Feng picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth. He frowned, looked at Lu Banxia, ​​and asked:

"Banxia, ​​did you make this braised pork today?"

Lu Banxia looked at Wang Feng expectantly: "Brother Feng, how is it? Is it delicious? This braised pork is something Sister Jingru taught me to make step by step."

Wang Feng didn't want to discourage Lu Banxia, ​​so he gave her a thumbs up: "Not bad, you've improved a lot since last time."

"Hehe, that's good."

Lu Banxia smiled sweetly, then changed the subject:

"Brother Feng, please don't complain about how bad my cooking is. Now that Sister Jingru is pregnant, I need to learn how to cook as soon as possible. We can't expect her to cook for us when her belly is all big, can we?"

Wang Feng nodded in agreement: "Yes, Banxia, ​​you're right. From now on, when you're home, you'll be in charge of cooking. Jingru will teach you step by step so you can learn faster."

"OK."