Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 102 Mother-in-law's Advice

In September 1960, Beijing's grain rations were reduced again. This was the second round of cuts since the famine began, and this time it was announced personally by Director Zhang of the neighborhood committee, who knew the residents would object.

Jia Zhangshi was the first to jump out and cry out to heaven and earth. Director Zhang waved his hand, and two strong women behind him grabbed Jia Zhangshi and were about to take her back to the countryside.

Qin Huairu stepped forward and pleaded with Jia Dongxu, who repeatedly assured her that his mother would behave herself. Only then did Director Zhang let Jia Zhangshi go, immediately calming the residents of the courtyard.

Jia Zhangshi has become more obedient. The money she made from reselling grain back then has long been used up, but there's still some pension money left from Old Jia, so they haven't reached the point of being completely destitute yet.

He Yuzhu found the farce amusing. He knew that Jia Zhangshi just wanted to make a scene and see who would sympathize with the Jia family. She didn't even consider her own popularity; without Yi Zhonghai, she was nothing in the courtyard.

The beasts just endured it obediently; life had to go on.

Banggeng is eight years old and in the second grade of elementary school. Due to the famine, the school only held classes for half a day, and the sheep were herded in the afternoon. He started to learn to steal from a few other teenagers in the alley. At first, he would just take a couple of small radishes while queuing at the vegetable market, but later he became bolder and started stealing food from the yard.

The first time was when Banggeng stole sweet potato chips that Liu Haizhong's family was drying in the backyard. He took advantage of the fact that no one was in the yard, and stuffed them into his pocket as he ran home.

Jia Zhangshi picked up the dried sweet potato that had fallen out of the bag.

"Where did it come from?"

Banggeng shrank back, waiting to be beaten, stammering that it was dried in the backyard. Jia Zhangshi searched out all the dried sweet potatoes, gave a handful to her grandson, and stuffed a few pieces into her own mouth. "Eat quickly, Grandma will save some for your father."

Banggeng paused for a moment, then looked up at his grandmother happily chewing.

Madam Jia patted his head and forced him to swallow the dried sweet potato. "Don't let anyone see that their things belong to the Jia family."

Banggeng nodded vigorously, and from then on, he became bolder and bolder.

When Wang Caifeng returned, she found that the dried sweet potatoes were missing. She grumbled a few words, assuming that the children in the yard had stolen them, and didn't do anything about it.

Banggeng heard this and set his sights on the Liu family's eggs again. Liu Haizhong was a blacksmith, and heavy physical labor required sustenance, so Wang Caifeng saved her own food rations for him, letting the man go to the black market to exchange them for eggs to nourish his body.

An egg sat in a rough porcelain bowl beside the stove, covered with a piece of gauze. Banggeng squatted by the door, pretending to tease ants, his eyes constantly fixed on Wang Caifeng. After she took the basin out to wash clothes, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu ran out to play. He crouched down and slipped into the backyard, took an egg from the bowl, and ran home.

Jia Zhangshi cracked the eggs into a bowl and stirred them, then spread out a thin omelet. She gave half to Banggeng and put the other half into her own mouth.

Looking at her grandson, she thought the boy was capable, and said that these days it's a skill to be able to smuggle things into the house, as long as you don't get caught.

In the evening, Wang Caifeng discovered that one of the eggs was missing. She interrogated her two sons, asking if they had stolen it, which resulted in Guangfu being beaten by Lao Liu.

The women in the courtyard all came out to watch the commotion, including Ma Hua. Jia Zhangshi sat at the door of the west wing, sewing shoe soles, her hands moving swiftly with the cotton rope. Bang Geng huddled inside, secretly laughing.

Ma Hua went back to report to his master. He Yuzhu, upon hearing the story, knew without a doubt that Bang Geng was responsible; the Liu brothers wouldn't have the guts. This was good; now that ingrate Bang Geng had started stealing early, and had also gotten Guang Tian Guangfu beaten up—killing two birds with one stone.

Five elderly women and Gou Dan lived in the south room of the courtyard, having worked as temporary workers in the steel mill's canteen for almost a month. Every morning they went out through the main gate of the courtyard and returned through the same gate in the evening. Tian Xinghua sometimes went over to visit them, getting along with the women like old sisters. But as time went on, everyone in the courtyard gradually found out.

Yan Bugui was the first to hear the conversation between the villagers from outside the courtyard. He went to the main gate that morning to keep watch and saw several women coming out of the main gate of the courtyard, each carrying a cloth bag on their arm, and one of them was carrying a still-wet white apron. When he got home that evening, he whispered about it with Yang Ruihua.

"Several people from out of town lived in the south wing of the He family. They came and went through the main gate every day, as if they had been assigned work to do."

"Really? Is He Yuzhu really that kind?" Yang Ruihua, with a matchbox still in his hand, didn't look up.

Yan Bugui chuckled: "Judging from their accents, they all sound like Shandong bumpkins. He Yuzhu knows a lot of people; arranging a few jobs for them shouldn't be difficult. Just mention it to them in the courtyard; there are a few people from out of town living in the He family."

Yang Ruihua was silent for a moment, then said, "Old Yan, didn't you tell me not to mess with the He family?"

"That doesn't count. When old women chat, they can mention it a few times, but don't embellish it."

Jia Zhangshi heard about this from Yang Ruihua and waited at the door for Xiao Wang to return so she could ask him about it.

Her mind immediately started working. If He Yuzhu could arrange temporary work for people from out of town, why couldn't he arrange a job for his old neighbor as well? These past two evenings, she had been sitting by the doorway sewing shoe soles. When she saw He Yuzhu come out, she quickly greeted him with a smile.

"Zhu Zi, are there quite a few Shandong people living in your courtyard?"

He Yuzhu glanced at her. "What's it to you?"

Jia Zhangshi's smile froze for a moment, then she took another half step forward. "Zhuzi, could you arrange a temporary job for Dongxu's wife? We're really struggling to make ends meet. Huairu can do anything—washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, anything."

"Qin Huairu has a rural household registration, so the factory won't hire her. My relative is doing this temporary work, with no salary or quota, just to make a living. He'll work for a year and then go back to his hometown."

"Well... that's fine too, my Huairu will do it too. Zhuzi, please help your aunt, we really can't make ends meet."

"What's it to me!" He Yuzhu ignored her and pushed open the moon gate to go back inside. Madam Jia stood at the door, her face turning pale and then flushed, before finally turning back to the west wing after a long while.

People started spreading rumors in the courtyard that the He family had refused to help those in need and had no compassion. Many people in the courtyard also talked about the He family behind their backs, and as a result, many people woke up the next day with headaches, foot pains, or even trembling hands.

Jia Zhangshi slept all day and even wet the bed. Qin Huairu called for a long time but couldn't wake her up. Fortunately, she heard her mother-in-law snoring softly, as if she were asleep, so she took the opportunity to slap her a few more times.

When Jia Dongxu returned from get off work, he was about to carry his elderly mother to the hospital when Jia Zhangshi woke up.

For a whole month, He Yuzhu experimented with numerous acupuncture techniques. Everyone in the ward was so exhausted they wanted to move away; seeing doctors, taking medicine, and even secretly burning incense and praying to Buddha were all to no avail.

Finally, He Yuzhu stopped because he couldn't think of any new ideas to experiment with and didn't want such a good test subject to die.

Shen Zhixia, who lived in the courtyard, was already in good health. After nearly two months of recuperation, her face had become fuller, and her large eyes on her oval face were becoming more and more bright.

She was the first one up every morning, sweeping the yard clean before helping Ma Hua prepare and wash the vegetables. When He Yuzhu taught Ma Hua how to cut vegetables, she stood by and watched, silently noting down each step.

When Yushui came home from school, she took her schoolbag from her and told her to focus on her homework. When He Xiao cried, she hummed a Shandong folk tune and gently patted the child's back, showing more patience than anyone else.

He Xiao quieted down as soon as she was in her arms, her eyes fixed on her face, and she reached out to grab her drooping hair. She lowered her head, letting the chubby little hand tug at her hair, a slight smile curving her lips.

That afternoon, Lou Xiao'e returned to the Lou mansion. Tan Yali pulled her daughter into the bedroom and closed the door, asking her how Zhuzi was treating that girl. Lou Xiao'e sat down on the edge of the bed and told her mother about He Yuzhu's words, "Having you is enough." Tan Yali sat down at the dressing table and remained silent for a while.

"Zhu Zi is a good boy, devoted to you. But you know your own body; it would be difficult to have another child. Zhu Zi is young and strong, and you said you couldn't handle his demands, right?"

Tanya paused, her voice softening, "If a man treats you well, you can't just think about yourself. You have to think about Zhuzi, and you have to think about this family."

She opened the drawer, took out a small porcelain bottle, placed it on the dressing table, and softly told her daughter about the medicine's effects. Lou Xiao'e looked at the porcelain bottle, her face flushed instantly, and she lowered her head without saying a word. Tan Yali patted her hand and placed the porcelain bottle in her palm.

As night deepened, Shen Zhixia coaxed He Xiao to sleep and handed her over to Sister Xiao'e. She then returned to the west wing and, under the lamp, opened a home-style cookbook that Brother He had given her.

She read the recipe aloud softly, her fingers tapping on the paper, her lips moving slightly. After looking at the recipe for a while, Brother He's image appeared in her mind, and she remembered what Sister Xiao'e had said, her face turning completely red.