The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

Yang Dalin returned to the hotel, but it was already closed. He woke up the sleeping staff member on duty and asked them to open the door.

After offering half a pack of cigarettes, the other person's expression returned to normal.

The other party also gave them a pot of hot water.

Yang Dalin washed his feet before going to sleep.

Yang Dalin woke up at dawn the next day.

After washing up, I found a place to have some breakfast.

This breakfast restaurant is located opposite the commune compound.

I never expected to eat fried pork purses.

Although the price is a bit high.

Fried pork fritters are a local specialty breakfast in my hometown.

In some places it's called "fried Homer".

A layer of dough with an egg inside, usually fried together with fried dough sticks.

You can bring your own eggs and have them fried for you, or you can buy ready-made ones.

These days, this thing is a bit expensive.

I also had a bowl of tofu pudding, made with old soybeans, it was so delicious.

It's savory; the broth is made with chicken stock, not sweet.

After Yang Dalin had eaten and drunk his fill, he rode his bicycle to Zhujiazhuang to pick up Zhu Yuxiang.

I was afraid of arriving too early and not being able to wake up before the other person.

Fortunately, he was already there when I arrived at the village entrance.

Yang Dalin did not go into the village again, but took Zhu Yuxiang directly and headed to the commune.

Upon arriving at the commune's location, Yang Dalin treated him to a lavish breakfast.

Yang Dalin also bought out the remaining six fried homer's and two jin of fried dough sticks from the breakfast shop.

I originally planned to buy it when I left.

However, Yang Dalin was afraid that his pocket and fried dough sticks would be gone in a while.

The commune's breakfast shop only had a limited amount of refined grains available each day.

Eggs are even more limited now.

If you come any later, they might only have cornbread left to sell.

Yang Dalin was able to buy so much because he paid with national grain coupons; otherwise, no one would have been willing to sell him so much.

Yang Dalin planned to have Zhu Yuxiang bring back some fried dough sticks and purses for his second grandmother's family later.

This is my way of showing filial piety.

After Zhu Yuxiang finished eating, Yang Dalin gave her two packets of Daqianmen cigarettes.

Zhu Yuxiang asked, "What does this mean?"

Yang Dalin said, "Uncle Yuxiang, this isn't for you. It's for when we need to get things done."

After I finish stamping the document and seeing you off, I have to rush back. My colleague is waiting for me at the guesthouse in the county.

"I'm in a rush, so taking two packs of cigarettes will at least prevent them from delaying my business, don't you think?"

Zhu Yuxiang then understood and nodded with satisfaction: "Dalinzi, you've changed a lot in the past few months. You've become more sensible."

One pack of cigarettes is enough; there's no need for two.

We can't spoil these people too much, otherwise they'll become picky eaters, and it'll be troublesome for me to get things done later.

Since Yang Dalin had given him the cigarettes, he wouldn't take them back. He said, "I've given you the cigarettes, sir. You can decide how much and how to use them."

Zhu Yuxiang had a high opinion of Yang Dalin, who was good at handling things.

His own eldest son is even older than Yang Dalin.

Aside from eating and working, he knows absolutely nothing.

Why is there such a huge difference in how people behave?

It was almost eight o'clock, time was about right, so Zhu Yuxiang led Yang Dalin into the commune courtyard opposite the breakfast shop.

Sure enough, he didn't use a whole pack of cigarettes; he just gave a few away to others.

The matter is now settled.

After leaving the commune compound, Zhu Yuxiang wanted to return the remaining cigarettes to Yang Dalin.

Yang Dalin said, "Grandpa, you keep packing, let's hurry up and go, I'm in a rush."

"After I drop you off outside the village, I need to hurry to the county town to meet up with my colleagues."

Zhu Yuxiang said, "That won't do. You can just leave. I'll just stroll back by myself. It's not that far. This area is all flat land, there are no mountain roads or anything. And it's not the busy farming season in winter."

Yang Dalin felt that he was wasting other people's time, and since he had picked them up, why didn't he return them?

As a result, Zhu Yuxiang insisted that he go first and not worry about him. He could just find a livestock cart going the same way and get on it.

If you don't meet them, it's only seven or eight miles; you can walk back yourself.

Seeing that he was adamant, Yang Dalin decided not to see him off, otherwise it would have delayed him for another half hour.

Yang Dalin politely asked him to help deliver the fried buns and fried dough sticks to his second grandmother's family, and then rode away on his bicycle.

Zhu Yuxiang touched the one and a half packs of cigarettes in his pocket and couldn't stop smiling.

This way, we won't have to refuse the cigarettes when we get to the village entrance.

I also glanced at the fried buns and fried dough sticks wrapped in oil paper.

I really want to eat another fried dough stick, but then I think, if Dalinzi asks his second grandma next time he comes over, it'll make him seem like he's such a glutton. Stealing a fried dough stick is so tasteless, so I'll pass.

Since I've already tasted it, I shouldn't sneak any more now.

Getting a pack and a half of cigarettes wouldn't be bad.

Zhu Yuxiang then strolled towards Zhu Family Village.

Yang Dalin rode directly west from the commune. There was a north-south road to the west, and there should be buses on that road heading north to the braised chicken market.

If you can meet them, that would be great. Otherwise, it's almost 300 kilometers by bike, and if the bike gets damaged on the way, it'll be a real hassle.

Therefore, Yang Dalin planned to intercept a vehicle along the way, and if he couldn't get a passenger bus, he would at least intercept a truck.

Otherwise, it would be too tiring to ride such a long distance by myself.

Even if you're incredibly strong, if you can save your energy and get something done by spending money, who would want to exert themselves?

On the main road to the west, Yang Dalin rode north. Every time he looked back and saw a car coming from behind, he would keep an eye out.

Some trucks were fully loaded, so Yang Dalin didn't stop them.

One bus had just passed by, but it only went to a commune not far to the north, so Yang Dalin didn't get on.

Since I was only a few miles away from that commune, it wasn't worth wasting time.

However, Yang Dalin was lucky. Although he missed the bus that went directly to the braised chicken market, he flagged down a truck that was heading to another county to the north.

The truck was empty, with no cargo, only a few people in the cargo bed.

Yang Dalin didn't stand on ceremony. He gave the driver some money and then lifted the bicycle into the back of the truck.

With someone already in the passenger seat, Yang Dalin had no choice but to squat in the back of the bicycle, holding onto it, facing south to avoid the biting north wind.

It was windy and cold. The people in the back of the truck looked at Yang Dalin's bicycle with envy. One of the young men even tried to get close to Yang Dalin.

The young man shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother, your car is really nice, how much is it?"

Can I touch it?

Go ahead and touch it, it won't break.

Yang Dalin nodded, letting him touch it as he pleased.

The wind was strong, and the car was noisy, so Yang Dalin didn't want to say too much.

It's exhausting.

It took more than an hour by car to reach the neighboring county, which is more than 90 miles away. This place will become a county-level city in the future.

It was once an important checkpoint on the Grand Canal, but unfortunately the Grand Canal is no longer in use. If he weren't in a hurry, Yang Dalin would have liked to try taking a boat to see if he could reach the capital city directly.

Upon arriving in the neighboring Lincheng County, Yang Dalin inquired at the station again and found that there were indeed buses departing from the station to the Braised Chicken Market.

It's just one trip in the morning and one trip in the afternoon.

The car that was there this morning has already left.

Alright, Yang Dalin still asked for directions and prepared to hitch a ride on a truck on the road.

Waiting for another bus wouldn't be enough, because once Yang Dalin arrived at Bajishi, he still had to go to Jin County, east of Bajishi, to meet up with the convoy.

This time he was lucky. Perhaps it was because he had just left Lincheng County, but Yang Dalin soon encountered a truck.

The truck was also empty, with no one in the passenger seat.