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

Yi Zhonghai walked up to him and looked at the injury on Bang Geng's head.

He had a very clear plan in mind.

Sha Zhu doesn't bring his lunchbox anymore, and the Jia family is having a hard time.

He was thinking about how to help the Jia family and win over Qin Huairu, since Sha Zhu, that sycophant, had his eye on Qin Huairu, what could he do?

We can only try to bring them together.

So this ungrateful brat really needs to be protected, so that I can still gain some favor from Qin Huairu.

"Da Mao, this is where you're in the wrong," Yi Zhonghai said slowly and deliberately.

Xu Damao's eyes widened in surprise.

"Sir, are you getting senile?"

"He stole something, so how is it my fault?"

Yi Zhonghai frowned and looked sternly at Xu Damao.

"Da Mao, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

"You keep saying Banggeng stole fish, but did you see him take the fish? Let's catch the thief red-handed!"

"No, right?"

"Since there isn't one, we can't just pin the blame on someone."

"Banggeng is still a child. He was playing in the yard late at night. It's common for children to play with the fish in the basin or tank. And then you, an adult, suddenly jump out and yell at him."

"You scared the child so much that he bumped his head."

"You have to pay for the medical expenses."

Xu Damao was so angry that he trembled all over.

"Yi Zhonghai, you're taking sides!"

"So he thinks he's right to sneak into someone's house in the middle of the night?"

"I won't pay! I have no money, but you can take my life!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi immediately sat down on the ground and began the process of summoning the soul.

"Old Jia, Dongxu, open your eyes and take a look."

"The people in the compound are bullying us, a widow and her orphan."

"Xu Damao beat the stick like this and still won't pay compensation. He's trying to drive our whole family to their deaths."

Qin Huairu also ran over at this moment, wiping away her tears without saying a word. Her aggrieved appearance made several male neighbors around sigh.

Sha Zhu was taken to work overtime by Li Huai today, so he wasn't there. Otherwise, he might have really gone up and beaten Xu Damao up.

No matter how bad the stick is, it's still Sister Qin's child!

Zhang Dabiao didn't come out at all; he was still at the teahouse in Lishuiqiao Village, huffing and puffing as he transported grain.

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened, and his tone became more forceful.

"Da Mao, your wife is about to give birth."

"You don't want to escalate things at this critical juncture, do you?"

"If the police are called and they arrive, and they see an adult bullying a child, whose side do you think the police will take?"

"Just pay two yuan for medical expenses, and that'll be the end of it."

"Consider it as accumulating good karma for your unborn child."

"Old Liu, your fish didn't go missing, so don't get involved."

Yi Zhonghai summed up the matter in just a few words. Liu Haizhong wanted to say something, but he held back in the end.

Yes, the fish wasn't lost, and the thief even got a big bump on his head. The Liu family didn't lose anything and were even happy to watch the show, so they might as well give Old Yi some face.

Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat when he heard the last sentence.

What he cares about most right now is the baby in Lou Xiao'e's belly.

If things really escalate to the police station and they make a ruckus in the middle of the night, and it happens to disturb Lou Xiao'e and cause her to have a miscarriage, then it would be a huge loss.

Yi Zhonghai wasn't threatening him, but rather reminding him.

Xu Damao gritted his teeth, took out two yuan from his pocket, and slammed it to the ground.

"I guess I'm just unlucky!"

"Mrs. Jia, take this and buy medicine for your eldest grandson!"

After saying that, Xu Damao turned around and went back into the house in a huff.

Jia Zhangshi quickly got up from the ground, put the two yuan in her pocket, and pulled the stick back home.

The farce ended just like that.

Xu Damao returned to his room, feeling increasingly frustrated.

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the sleeping Lou Xiao'e, and secretly hardened his heart.

This ungrateful brat dared to steal from Uncle Er's house; who knows, he might dare to sneak into my house one day.

We've stocked up on a lot of good things at home to nourish E'zi's body.

We absolutely cannot let this thief succeed.

Meanwhile, in one of the rooms inside the main hall of the front yard, was the room of Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng from the Jia family.

The stick had some red medicine applied to its head, and it was in so much pain that it was grimacing.

He sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding his breath and muttering to himself.

"Xu Damao, you just wait."

"You dared to scare me, and now you've made me fall and break my head."

"I'm going to steal everything from your house someday!"

The idea of ​​taking revenge on Xu Damao had already taken root in his heart.

The everyday life and warmth of a courtyard house continue to unfold amidst this calculation and vigilance.

------------

The next morning, Xu Damao didn't even have breakfast and rode his bicycle directly to the supply and marketing cooperative.

He bought five large mousetraps.

This thing has an extremely strong spring. It should be said that things made in this era are very sturdy. It is said that it can even break bones if it clamps them.

Xu Damao took the mousetrap home and carefully hid it under the bed and next to the kitchen dresser.

He repeatedly emphasized to Lou Xiao'e not to touch these things, and to call him if anything happened.

Why buy these?

The rats in Beijing are starving, so it's reasonable for me to buy some mousetraps to keep them from stealing food, right?

Around noon, the sun was scorching.

Xu Damao, carrying two bottles of Xifeng liquor and two packs of Daqianmen cigarettes tucked under his arm, knocked on the door of the east courtyard.

Zhang Dabiao has returned. He was exhausted from carrying grain yesterday and is now resting with his eyes closed on a deck chair under the shade of a tree.

Qin Jingru stood to the side, fanning him with a palm-leaf fan. On the table was a plate of freshly washed tomatoes from Jingshui Town.

This kind of life is no different from that of the landlords of the old days.

"Brother Da Biao, are you taking a break?" Xu Damao approached with a big smile.

Zhang Dabiao opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of what Xu Damao was holding.

"Da Mao, what are you up to?"

Xu Damao placed the cigarettes and alcohol on the stone table, pulled up a small stool, sat down, and rubbed his hands together.

"Da Biao, I don't come here unless I need something."

"E'zi is due to give birth in the next few days, but these days, you can't even buy a crucian carp that helps with lactation in the market."

"I've been wandering around Pigeon City for several days, but I haven't seen a single chicken feather."

"I know you're resourceful and capable."

"Could you get some high-quality nutritional supplements for my brother?"

"Milk powder, old hen, malted milk powder, anything that's good for your health, name your price."

Zhang Dabiao sat up straight, picked up a tomato, and took a bite.

The summer of 1962 was indeed a time when food shortages reached their limit.

The whole country is tightening its belts in anticipation of the summer grain and autumn harvest.

Forget about old hens, even cornmeal is in limited supply.

The price... well, let's just say it's... wow...

就这幺说吧，供销社官方定价棒子麵0.1-0.12一斤、猪肉0.7-0.96一斤，黑市里棒子麵4毛猪肉两块！

An average worker's monthly salary can only buy about 15-20 jin (7.5-10 catties) of pork on the black market.

The price has been relatively good recently. Normally, the black market price is 4-5 yuan per jin (500g) of meat, and the highest price has reached 11 or 12 yuan!

而且61年10月9日,四九城工商、公安部门全面出击,仅一天之内就取缔、查获私下交换物品案件13977起（罪名黑市交易），抓获近7万人。

Just tell me how severe the food shortage was.

Even Zhang Dabiao wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

But... about helping Xu Damao get some supplies...