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

Sha Zhu, wearing an apron, stood in front of the stove, his face ashen, the spatula in his hand rattling loudly as if he were about to smash the bottom of the pot through.

He felt incredibly frustrated.

Yesterday, Xu Damao found him and got straight to the point, saying he wanted to invite him to cook.

Sha Zhu wanted to spit in his face right then and there. "I'll cook a feast for you, Xu Damao, and you think you're worthy?"

But Xu Damao's next words made him swallow his anger.

"I hired He Yuzhu, an eighth-level chef, not Jia's sycophantic fool Zhu. Eight dishes per table, I'll give you three yuan, two tables six yuan. Take it or leave it."

Six yuan!

This money is nothing short of a lifeline for Sha Zhu right now.

Sha Zhu is an 8th-level cook. His master set a rule for him that he gets two yuan per table. If he passes the grading exam, he can get a higher grade.

But unfortunately for Nima, the grading exam was discontinued in 62!

Last year, in April of 1961, Jia Dongxu failed the grading exam. In 1962, due to three years of economic hardship, the grading exam was greatly affected.

In terms of macro-level adjustments, enterprises were undergoing large-scale downsizing. At that time, the country was implementing the eight-character policy of "adjustment, consolidation, enrichment, and improvement," and many enterprises were massively reducing their workforce. The urgent task was to resettle and stabilize existing employees, rather than to assess performance and promote them.

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Most importantly, in the 60s, after workers were graded and assigned positions, they typically faced difficulties in getting promoted or receiving a raise for 5 to 10 years. At that time, workers' wages remained stagnant for a long period, and promotions were mainly based on seniority, which fostered egalitarianism. Promotion stagnated, and "it was difficult to get a raise for 5 to 10 years."

The specific content of the 62 grading examination was the apprenticeship completion and formal employment process. In an environment of stagnant promotion, the 62 "grading examination" was more focused on the "apprenticeship to formal employment" stage.

The examination consists of two parts: "Knowledge and Skills" and "Practice" upon completion of the apprenticeship. "Knowledge" assesses theoretical knowledge related to the job. "Practice" assesses practical operational skills.

After passing the assessment, new workers are usually directly designated as Level 1 workers, and only become Level 2 workers in their second year. Some sources indicate that this single exam is the deciding factor.

Therefore, Sha Zhu will not be able to get promoted or receive a raise for several years.

Who the hell can I complain to?

孽 孽!

Bang Geng's medication couldn't be stopped, and with Jia Zhangshi's repatriation, household expenses had increased even more, and Qin Huairu's meager salary was simply insufficient. His own salary had been deducted, leaving him strapped for cash.

He endured it for the sake of those six yuan, and to give Qin Huairu a break.

Not to mention the cook's old habit of taking a dish home, which Xu Damao knew and wouldn't stop him.

So Sha Zhu did it.

"Alright, that's enough." Lou Xiao'e, carrying Xu Xiaojun who was just a month old, came out of the house and gently pushed Xu Damao, thus getting Shazhu out of the predicament.

Sha Zhu gritted his teeth, remained silent, and went into the kitchen, turning all his humiliation and resentment into the heat of the pot.

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

The banquet was a lively and joyous affair.

Xu Damao was in high spirits today, holding his son Xu Xiaojun, his face glowing, as he went from table to table toasting, his mouth never closing in a wide grin.

"Come on, Da Biao, my son is one month old. As his godfather, you have to drink three cups!" Xu Damao, holding a wine glass, went straight to Zhang Da Biao.

"Godfather?" Zhang Dabiao, who was gnawing on a chicken wing, almost choked when he heard this. "Xu Damao, don't try to claim any connection. When did I become your son's godfather?"

"Hey, my wife made the decision!" Xu Damao pulled Lou Xiao'e in front of him. "Xiao'e, you talk to Da Biao."

Lou Xiao'e, holding her child with a gentle smile on her face, said to Zhang Dabiao, "Dabiao, if it weren't for you that day, my child and I... So, we've discussed it and decided that Xiaojun should recognize you as his godfather, so that he can learn from you and be capable and responsible."

Having said all that, what else could Zhang Dabiao say?

He looked at the exquisitely beautiful little one in the swaddling clothes and was speechless.

He wasn't even married yet, and suddenly he had a son and a daughter. First he had his god-sister Qin Jingru, then his goddaughter Liu Xiaoqing, and now he has a godson Xu Xiaojun.

"Alright, alright, I'll take it." Zhang Dabiao waved his hand helplessly, took out a red envelope he had prepared beforehand from his pocket, and stuffed it into Xu Xiaojun's swaddling clothes. "Your godfather doesn't have anything good, this little bit of money is a small gift for you."

Xu Damao beamed with joy, thanked him repeatedly, and insisted on having a few more drinks with Zhang Dabiao.

Then Yan Jiecheng also came over: "Da Biao—"

Zhang Dabiao's eyebrows immediately shot up: "Stop! Don't get involved! I know what you're thinking, it's not that you can't—"

"But you have to put on a decent full moon celebration, otherwise it won't be right to leave things unclear!"

Yan Jiecheng's face immediately darkened. He also wanted to put on a decent feast, but he had no money.

Yu Li, being quite perceptive, immediately pulled him back: "Since Da Biao didn't refuse, you shouldn't say anything more. This is Da Mao's child's full moon celebration."

"We'll talk about our business later."

Zhang Dabiao didn't object to being a godfather; he also liked children.

But you, Yan Jiecheng, can't do this "on the side," that would be insincere, like you're just here to ask for a red envelope for your child, that won't do—one thing at a time.

The laughter and chatter from the backyard were like sharp knives, piercing through the walls and into Qin Huairu's heart in the middle courtyard.

She stood by her window, listening to Xu Damao's smug voice from the backyard, and everyone praising Xu Xiaojun. Then she looked into her own house and saw Banggeng doing his homework with a gloomy face, glancing outside every now and then and swallowing hard...

A profound sense of sorrow welled up inside me, and tears finally streamed down my face silently.

Why is there such a big difference in childbirth when we're both having children?

If Jia Dongxu hadn't had that accident, if...

Unfortunately, no if.

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

Xu Damao's full moon celebration finally came to an end amidst the commotion and Sha Zhu's silence.

The next morning, the neighborhood office posted a new notice saying that the policy had been relaxed. In order to support the supply of non-staple foods in the city, urban residents were allowed to raise no more than three poultry per household in their own courtyards.

In 61, the policy of "simultaneous public and private pig farming with private farming as the main focus" was implemented. For public pig farming, the focus was clearly on reproduction, with an emphasis on raising boars and sows well. For private pig farming, a policy of rewarding feed grains was formulated.

In 62, it was further proposed that, on the premise of consolidating and improving collective breeding, members should be encouraged to cultivate their private plots, manage their private hills, and develop family sideline production such as pig and chicken farming within the scope of the "Sixty Articles on Agriculture".

Anyway, things have been loosened up a bit.

This news is undoubtedly a great thing for ordinary families.

This means that we can eat fresh eggs laid by our own family from time to time.

Upon hearing the news, Aunt Mu and Mu Wanqing immediately took action.

Their house now has a yard!