Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Zhang Dabiao then made arrangements for the cream cakes, sour cream, and rye bread at the food processing plant before heading to Qinjiatun to collect goods to complete the monthly procurement quota for the comprehensive utilization plant. He had to go there at least twice a month.

Zhang Dabiao originally wanted to go by himself, because that way he could put the goods he wanted to exchange in his "little nest," and even put his tricycle in there. It would be so much better to travel light and take the bus.

But the risk of going out these days is still very high, and I had made an appointment with Xu Damao, and Qin Jingru was also going home to visit.

So he could only ride a tricycle, carrying some rice, flour, cornmeal that Yan Jiecheng and the others had traded for, as well as some biscuits and candies, and take Qin Jingru and Xu Damao to the countryside.

It was a bit tiring, but I figured it was good exercise. Zhang Dabiao's physique is pretty amazing now.

You can't say that someone like Xu Damao, who's good-looking, can ride a bicycle that far, while I, Zhang Dabiao, can't. That's impossible!

As for salted fish and cured meat, the countryside doesn't actually lack them. There are hunters in their villages, but what they lack most is grain.

In particular, the old hunter traded with Zhang Dabiao for only fine rice and flour, which his son needed to nourish his body.

So the truck was loaded with 200 jin of rice and noodles, as well as some white sugar and milk candy, which are valuable commodities in the countryside.

With Qin Jingru and the grain she brought back, the total load was about 350 jin (125 catties). Zhang Dabiao had no problem carrying this much cargo on his bicycle.

The three parted ways upon arriving in Changping. Xu Damao had his own tasks, while Zhang Dabiao drove Qin Jingru to Qinjiatun in Xingshou Commune, arriving around 1 p.m.

The two greeted the brigade leader and clan chief Qin Dingsong at the brigade headquarters, stored the vehicle and supplies there, and then went to Qin Dahe's house, letting Qin Jingru go home first.

Zhang Dabiao didn't stand on ceremony. As soon as he arrived, Qin's mother started cooking for him, first making some cornbread, then cooking a large pot of noodles, and adding vermicelli if needed. This was the routine every time Zhang Dabiao came.

As usual, she took out a small piece of hot pot base, cut some of the cured meat she brought with her, and Qin Jingru also brought over some pickled radish from home and borrowed two eggs. The pot of noodles was quite a feast!

Zhang Dabiao devoured a pound of noodles and six steamed buns all by himself!

Although the amount of food was terrifying, Qin Dahe's family was used to it.

After Zhang Dabiao finished eating, they added some vegetables and vermicelli to the remaining soup base, and everyone enjoyed another delicious meal. It was August, and it was too hot to stay until evening.

They were enjoying their meal, much to the envy of the Qin family next door.

But as Qin Huairu's parents and Jia Zhangshi's in-laws, they had no face to establish any relationship with Zhang Dabiao. They could only wait until Zhang Dabiao had eaten and drunk his fill before going over to discuss with his brother Qin Dahe about getting a bowl of noodles with hot pot broth.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone sat around in Qin Dahe's courtyard, smoking and chatting about the situation in the city and the countryside.

A reduced harvest this year is inevitable; it hasn't rained for a long time, and the ground is cracked from the sun. Qin Dahe and Qin Dashan were both worried; their families were large and needed a lot of food, and now the grain harvest was going to be reduced again…

How am I supposed to go on living like this?

Zhang Dabiao didn't reply. What the hell does it have to do with me whether you guys can make a living or not?

I'm not a savior.

As she spoke, Qin's mother burst into tears. Qin Jingru had two older brothers and a younger brother. Right now, the family could barely afford to eat half full, but what would they do after the autumn harvest?

Qin Dashan's family also has two sons, who are Qin Huairu's two younger brothers. In rural areas, it's important to have sons, and the more children one has, the better.

Having a son ensures the family has labor and prevents them from being bullied or looked down upon.

But in years of famine, having many sons in the family meant more work points for labor, but also more food.

Especially the boys, they eat like starving ghosts.

Furthermore, the marriage of Qin Dahe's eldest son had been delayed for a long time. It wasn't a matter of the bride price; people in the countryside don't ask for much. The problem was that once the bride was married, there wasn't enough food. In those days, getting married would only make things more difficult for the family.

The other party has stated their terms: a dowry of 10 yuan, 50 jin of cornmeal, and you can take your daughter away.

but……

Seeing her mother crying uncontrollably, Qin Jingru quickly went over to wipe her tears and took out 50 yuan from her small cloth pocket.

"Mom, here's some money for you. This is what I've earned over the past few months."

"Let's use it for my eldest brother's wedding first. If we delay any longer, Sister Yan'er will run away, and my eldest brother will have nowhere to cry."

"Also, I brought back a lot of food, enough to last the family for a while."

Qin Jingru pointed to the large, unopened bag of grain in the corner.

Qin Dahe and his mother's eyes widened in disbelief: "Isn't that the grain that Da Biao brought to exchange for supplies?"

Qin Jingru shook her head: "These are what I got back. Brother Da Biao's things are in the car, in the old house at the brigade headquarters, and the brigade leader is watching over them."

"You switched them back?"

Seeing that Zhang Dabiao also nodded, Qin's mother hurriedly went over and tore open the bag to take a look!

Qin Jingru brought quite a lot of things this time: 50 jin of cornmeal, 5 jin of wild vegetable biscuits, 1 jin of white sugar, half a jin of milk candy, and 5 jin of dried noodles.

This gave Qin's mother a huge shock—so many?!

"Da Biao, this won't do! Jingru is living off you in the city, and you're giving her so much stuff?"

"No, no, you have to take it back right now."

As she spoke, Qin's mother tied up the bag, preparing to hand it to Zhang Dabiao.

Zhang Dabiao waved his hand helplessly: "This really belongs to Jingru, not mine."

"She doesn't paste matchboxes anymore; she helps out at the neighborhood food processing plant, the youth mutual aid association in our compound, and the steel mill's logistics processing point, baking cookies and cakes and such."

"You can earn over ten yuan a month!"

"I still had some surplus supplies, so I let her exchange some. Don't worry, my little yard is full of vegetables now, we don't have to worry about food."

"You can accept it without worry."

Qin Jingru nodded repeatedly. Zhang Dabiao still gave her 5 yuan of pocket money every month, but she was paid for whatever work she did for the mutual aid society, the food processing plant, the steel rolling mill making cookies and cakes, and fermenting yogurt.

Qin Jingru saved half, and the other half had to be handed over, which Zhang Dabiao naturally refused to accept. If he did, it wouldn't be employing child laborers, but rather sending child laborers out to make money for him, which was even more immoral.

So Qin Jingru prepared a box specifically for this purpose. She saved half of what she earned—it belonged to Zhang Dabiao. Even if Zhang Dabiao didn't want it, she would still save it, so that he could use it when he needed money in the future.

As for the other half, she can use it however she wants.

"Jingru, you can also make cookies and cakes?"

"Yes, it's a recipe from Brother Da Biao. And those wild vegetable biscuits in the bag are homemade. Everyone, have a taste." With that, Qin Jingru opened the bag and handed out biscuits to everyone.

"This one is scallion oil flavored, this one is salt and pepper flavored, and this one is sweet and salty. This is my favorite."

"Brother, take some to Sister Yan'er too."

Qin Jingru, acting like a little adult, stuffed food into the hands of her parents, older brother, and younger brother, saying as she ate, "Does Sister Yan'er's family want 10 yuan and 50 jin of cornmeal?"

"Then what I brought back is enough. Mom and Dad, you should hurry up and finalize my eldest brother's marriage. Take the gifts over, and have Grandpa Brigade Leader be a witness, so that they won't have to worry about giving Sister Yan'er up to someone else."