Siheyuan: I am the seventh uncle of Banggen

"Dongxu, if you had used this ability in your work, you wouldn't have been unable to get promoted for almost seven years. You have already occupied the first place in the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill for a long time. It seems that you will maintain this record for a long time. Isn't this glorious?" Seeing him like this, Zhang Dabao was speechless about his nephew. Except for his work, he was good in everything else, so he couldn't help but say a few words to him.

Jia Dongxu was in a good mood. He was not angry and was laughing.

"This is a new bicycle, second-hand, with a certificate. Tell your master to stop looking for trouble and be idle all day. Go call your mother and your wife over, I have something to say to them." Zhang Dabao took out the bicycle's small booklet and let Jia Dongxu have a look.

"Do you have something to ask them? I'll go call them." Jia Dongxu went to the upper courtyard and called Zhang Cuihua and Qin Huairu. Qin Huairu carried Xiaodang and came to the backyard.

"Let's talk inside, second sister, come too," Zhang Dabao called towards Zhang Lianhua's room.

"What's the matter, Dabiao? I just fell asleep," Zhang Cuihua asked her brother when she saw Zhang Lianhua also came into the room.

"You said you don't want to gain weight, is it okay for you to sleep like this every day? How fat have you become? Is there anyone fatter than you in the entire Hongxing Street? Now is still a difficult period. Who would believe you if you said your family is in financial difficulty? You have become as fat as a ball. I went to the street office to find a job for you. Your family is also in financial difficulty. Having one more person earning money can also relieve Dongxu's pressure. If you expect him to get promoted to a higher level, I don't think it will be possible," Zhang Dabao said to Zhang Cuihua.

"I go to work? How old am I? My health is not good either." Without asking what kind of job it was, Zhang Cuihua started saying that she was not good at this and that and just didn't want to go.

"Do you want your family to be so poor? You can't even buy a set of clothes all year round? You have to calculate every time you eat? What kind of life is this? If my uncle were still alive, he would have beaten you to death long ago. Do you believe it?" Zhang Dabao asked Zhang Cuihua several questions in a row, but she didn't answer and didn't know how to answer.

"Da Biao, let Huairu go to work. She is young and literate, so she is better than me." After saying this, Zhang Cuihua was not only proud of her own wit, but also felt that her daughter-in-law going to work could also reduce the burden on the family, and she would not have to work.

"It's okay for Huairu to go to work, but who will take care of the children at home? Banggeng is old enough to go to nursery now and will enter first grade in the fall. What about Xiaodang? If Huairu goes to work, what about the laundry and cooking at home?" Zhang Dabao asked Zhang Cuihua a few more questions.

"I'll take care of the children and do the housework," Zhang Cuihua agreed immediately.

"I believe you now. If you don't keep your word, I will beat you regardless of your age," Zhang Dabao said harshly to Zhang Cuihua.

"Huairu, tomorrow I will take you to the street office to find my aunt and make arrangements for you. No matter how much salary you get, you can't give a penny to Jia Dongxu. Give your mother five yuan from your earnings as living expenses, and save the rest for use when something happens," Zhang Dabao turned to Qin Huairu and said.

"Okay, Seventh Uncle," Qin Huairu nodded and agreed.

"It's not Uncle Seventh. They are in charge of the money. It's inconvenient for me to use the money. I'm a grown man and I can't speak with confidence if I don't have money in my hands," Jia Dongxu said in a low voice.

"Okay, sister, give Dongxu two dollars pocket money every month," Zhang Dabao said to Zhang Cuihua.

"Is this okay? You're still tough? You *** are tough. Now that you're an eighth-level worker, you naturally speak toughly. How can a first-level worker who broke the record of a steel rolling mill be tough?" Zhang Dabao became more and more angry as he spoke, and slapped Jia Dongxu twice.

"This bastard is so mad at me. Second sister, you should go to work at the steel rolling mill the day after tomorrow. You have been to a junior high school, and your cousin has arranged a job for you. I will send you there the day after tomorrow, and take Jingshu with you. There is a nursery in the factory," Zhang Dabao said to Zhang Lianhua.

"Will it not cause trouble for your cousin?" Zhang Lianhua asked.

"Of course not, just go. Do you want Banggeng to stay at home or go to a nursery?" Zhang Dabao asked everyone in the Jia family.

"Go to the nursery, you can learn some knowledge there. It's no good just wandering around at home every day," Zhang Cuihua said in a sensible way.

"Isn't it you who taught him to be a bad student? You have to take care of the child. Look at what you have taught Jia Dongxu to be? He is incompetent at nothing and he eats nothing. Huairu, come to see me at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Jia Dongxu, after going to the factory tomorrow, go to the nursery to enroll your son. Let's go. Shazhu is still waiting for us outside." Zhang Dabao pushed Jia Dongxu.

"Second sister, we won't be back for dinner, and we may not be back early, so you just go to bed early." Zhang Dabao turned around and instructed Zhang Lianhua, then went out to meet He Yuzhu and headed straight for Chunfeng Hutong.

Jia Dongxu felt more and more familiar with this road until he entered the No. 10 courtyard. "Seventh uncle, isn't this Brother Zhi's home?"

"After losing money, a gambler always wants to make it back, but he doesn't expect that he will lose more and more, and in the end he will lose everything. Ding Youzhi is such a person. He gave me all his things and still owed me 5,000 yuan. He wrote me a note saying that he would hide in the countryside for a while and would pay me back when he came back. I think he will not come back. It seems that my 5,000 yuan is gone," said Zhang Dabao with a sigh.

"Five thousand, how much is that? I earn twenty-seven dollars a month. When can I earn five thousand dollars? Ding Youzhi, this bastard, actually dared to refuse to pay." Jia Dongxu felt sorry for the five thousand dollars that Zhang Dabao did not get back.

"Da Biao, it's not easy for you to win money. Nine out of ten people lose in gambling. I have never heard of anyone getting rich from gambling. You are the first." He Yuzhu was also a little envious.

"Don't be envious. I won't play anymore in the future. It's not good to win often in the casino. If you often win people's money, they will not be able to live. Will they hate you? Will they retaliate against you? Besides, you are not completely sure of winning the money. It's better to avoid gambling. Especially for you, Jia Dongxu, who doesn't have much ability but has a lot of ideas. If they don't win, who will you win? You didn't lose ten or eight dollars when you came here that time." Zhang Dabao mocked Jia Dongxu again.

"Come in and boil some water. You two can do it. Shazhu, make something to eat first, otherwise you will be too hungry to have any strength." Zhang Dabao led the two into the courtyard.

"Damn, they are two wild boars. We have to hurry, otherwise we will be back very late." When He Yuzhu saw the two wild boars, he was surprised at first, and then he talked to Jia Dongxu.

"It's too heavy. The two of us can't flip it over." Jia Dongxu used all his strength, but the wild boar just shook.

"Let's bleed the pig from here. Da Biao will boil some water and come over. Brother Dongxu, bring the basin. Pig blood is a delicious dish," said He Yuzhu.

"Okay." Jia Dongxu ran to the kitchen and took a large basin, placed it under the wild boar's neck, and He Yuzhu began to bleed it.

It has to be said that He Yuzhu was very professional in dealing with wild boars. It took him about two hours to finish dealing with one. During the break, He Yuzhu stewed a pot of pig-killing dishes because Jia Dongxu found sauerkraut from the courtyard.

Before the meal was cooked, the three of them took a break and started to process the second head. At around seven o'clock, they finally finished it.

"Da Biao, what are you planning to do with the offal?" He Yuzhu asked when he saw two piglet heads and two large basins full of pig offal.

“Just cook it after dinner. I’ll watch here and you can invite Teacher Yan and his family to use it tomorrow night,” said Zhang Dabao.

"Let's eat first." The three of them were also tired, especially Jia Dongxu, who was originally in poor health. The high-intensity labor made him feel uncomfortable all over.

"Are you coming?" Zhang Dabao shook the Xifeng wine in his hand and asked Jia Dongxu.

"I must have a glass, Uncle Seventh, this is Xifeng, it's a good wine. Usually when I'm craving for it I go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy wine at 0.1 cent per pound, the taste is very strong. They said Xifeng wine is delicious and not intoxicating, I have to try it." Jia Dongxu picked up the wine glass, looking intoxicated.

Chapter 31 Qin Huairu goes to work

Shazhu put the pig's head and offal into a big pot to cook. Zhang Dabao looked at the watch and it was almost nine o'clock, so he cut two pieces of meat, each weighing about seven or eight pounds. He handed them to the two men and said, "Shazhu and Dongxu go back. Dongxu, ask your wife to wait for me at the gate of the yard at 7:30 tomorrow. I need to deliver some meat to the street office. There is something on my bicycle and it is difficult to get through the gate."

"Okay, Uncle Qi, don't worry," Jia Dongxu said with a thick tongue, as he was a little drunk.

"Be careful, it's delicious if the quantity is not large. This is a problem. Shazhu, watch him order. Come back early tomorrow afternoon and cook a meal in the backyard. Don't forget." Zhang Dabao instructed He Yuzhu again.

"I'm fine, don't worry, Brother Dongxu, let's go." He Yuzhu pulled Jia Dongxu and the two of them carried the meat and walked out of the yard.

"Brother Dongxu, Dabiao is really particular. This piece of meat must weigh about 7 or 8 kilograms, and it's all good meat," He Yuzhu said to Jia Dongxu.

"Don't you see whose uncle he is? My seventh uncle has been open-minded since he was young, but he has a bad temper and likes to beat people," said Jia Dongxu.

The two of them walked and talked, and arrived at Courtyard 95 around :.

"Brother, you went to help someone, and the gift you gave is so heavy?" He Yushui had not rested yet, she was waiting for her brother to come back.

"I helped Da Biao in the backyard. He gave this to me. This is seven or eight kilograms of meat. He gave the fattest meat to me and Brother Dongxu. He is such a good person," He Yuzhu said to his sister.

"Didn't he beat you? You can consider him a good person? Why did he give you meat?" He Yushui didn't quite understand.

"What's wrong with beating me? We are reconciled now, isn't that okay? If you can give me two kilograms of meat a day, you can beat me every day. Your brother has cooking skills, and he will treat us to dinner tomorrow night. It will be all meat dishes, and he has two big pig heads, they are so fat." He Yuzhu said proudly, with drool flowing from the corners of his mouth.

"That's right. Will you share the meat with others?" He Yushui asked his brother.

"Let's cut more than a pound of fish for the old lady and the uncle's family in the backyard. They often take care of us. We can pickle the rest," He Yuzhu said after thinking for a while.

"Okay, let's send it to them tomorrow. It's getting late, so take a rest." He Yushui was very happy to see so much meat at home, and she skipped out of her brother's room.

"Dongxu, how much have you drunk? Look at you." Zhang Cuihua was a little angry when she saw Jia Dongxu staggering.

"Mom, we're drinking Xifeng, which is a good wine. Look at the meat, it was given to me by my seventh uncle. It weighs seven or eight kilograms and is all fat." Jia Dongxu held the meat and asked Zhang Cuihua to have a look.

"It's too much. Look, my little brother found us jobs, bought clothes for the children, and gave us so much. Dongxu has done us such a favor, how can we repay him?" Zhang Cuihua said proudly.

"They are all real relatives. If we don't live well, it will bring shame to them. They don't need to pay us back," Jia Dongxu said.

"You bastard, you didn't learn any skills from Lao Yi, but you have a lot of crooked logic. Do they owe you something?" Zhang Cuihua was angry about what her son said and slapped him twice.

"Mom, I was wrong. I'm tired and need to rest. By the way, Huairu, you should wait for my seventh uncle at the gate of the yard at 7:30 tomorrow. He has something to deliver to the street office." Jia Dongxu was used to being beaten by his mother, and even when she did, she didn't beat him too hard. He immediately admitted his mistake and finally remembered the important matter.

It was late at night and the whole Chunfeng Hutong was filled with the aroma of meat. Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, otherwise the neighbors might have come knocking on the door.

The offal was cooked, and Zhang Dabao put it directly into the space, then went to bed quickly and set the alarm clock to 6:30.

After getting up in the morning, Zhang Dabao put two whole boxes of pork on the back seat of his bicycle, covered them with an oilcloth, and then set off for Yard No. 95.

Qin Huairu was waiting at the gate early. Third Aunt Yang Ruihua was very puzzled, so she walked over and asked, "Huairu, are there any relatives coming?"

"Third aunt, wait for my seventh uncle to come back. He sent me to work at the street office today," Qin Huairu said lightly, but the amount of information contained was a bit too much.

"Are you going to work at the Street Office? Did Da Biao find it for you?" Yang Ruihua asked.

"Yes, my seventh uncle is here. I'll leave first." Qin Huairu saw Zhang Dabao coming towards her on his wobbly bicycle.

"Huai Ru, I can't carry you anymore. There are more than 200 pounds of meat on the bike. You walk down the steps and I'll ride slower," said Zhang Dabao.

Qin Huairu agreed without hesitation and followed Zhang Dabao's bicycle towards the street office.

"Seventh uncle, it's not worth giving so much meat to others just for a job." Qin Huairu was a little touched. He knew that when Zhang Dabao said he would find a job for his mother-in-law, he was actually looking for one for himself. His mother-in-law was lazy and ate more. She slept more than she was awake. As her younger brother, Zhang Dabao couldn't possibly not know that his mother-in-law would never go out to work. She was unwilling to do the manual work assigned to her by the street office before.

"It's worth it. I have no shortage of meat. This time I went up the mountain and caught 19 wild boars and handed them over to the steel mill. Huairu, if you get a job and become a regular employee, you can transfer your household registration and eat commercial grain. You can also transfer your household registration with your two children. This is the fundamental way to solve your difficulties," said Zhang Dabia.

"Seventh Uncle, I really don't know how to thank you." Qin Huairu's eyes were red.

"Do we need to say thank you given our relationship?" Zhang Dabao said, turning his head, bringing back the sweet memories of the two of them in the cottage in Zhangjia Village.

"I'll come to see you when I have time." Qin Huairu's face turned even redder and she said in a low voice.

Zhang Dabao smiled and didn't answer.

When they arrived at the street office, Zhang Dabao and Qin Huaiqiao were waiting at the door for Wang Xiuqin to come to work.

At 7:50, Wang Xiuqin arrived. She saw the flesh on Zhang Dabiao's bicycle and asked, "Dabiao, so much?"

"Aunt, there are about 200 kilograms of meat. If there is less, I'm afraid you won't have enough to share," Zhang Dabao said with a smile.

"That's enough now. I'll call your cousin and ask him to take some of the meat back and leave it at the street office. They'll come over to eat it soon. No amount of meat will be enough," Wang Xiuqin said with a smile as she led the two of them to his office.

"Huai Ru, right? Have you been to school?" Wang Xiuqin asked.

"Aunt, I went to primary school," Qin Huairu said in a low voice.

"It's okay as long as you can read. Go to the Nanluoguxiang Residents' Committee. Aunt Liu is a little old, so I'll write a note to her and ask Dabiao to take you there later. The salary is 18 yuan a month when you first start working, and you can be promoted to a regular employee in three months, which is 22.5 yuan a month. It's up to you to move up from there. I've heard about Dongxu's situation. He has never been able to get promoted. Don't learn from him," Wang Xiuqin gave a few instructions.

"Mom, where is my cousin?" A young man in his twenties came in from outside the door.

"Da Biao, this is your older cousin, Qiao Yongqian. You also have a younger cousin, but he's still in the army. His name is Qiao Yongyuan," Wang Xiuqin introduced.

"Cousin" Zhang Dabao went up and shook hands with his cousin. The cousin increased the strength in his hand. Zhang Dabao smiled. His cousin was really interesting and wanted to evaluate him.

"Good boy, you are stronger than me. You must have a couple of drinks at my house on Zhou Tian." Qiao Yongqian is a generous person.

"No problem, cousin, the meat is on the bicycle." Zhang Dabao untied the rope and moved the two pieces of meat onto the bike.

"Dabao, leave one fan behind. Someone will come to ask for money soon. Leaving the meat behind will be beneficial to Huairu's future work and will make it easier to carry out the work." Wang Xiuqin stopped Zhang Dabao when she saw this.

The meat was placed in the canteen of the street office, and Zhang Dabao took Qin Huairu directly to the Nanluogu Lane Residents Committee.

Chapter 32: The Proud Jia Zhang

Nanluoguxiang Residential Committee is just across the street from No. 95 Compound. It is a branch of the Subdistrict Office, mainly responsible for promoting national policies, investigating migrant population, mediating disputes, organizing education, organizing various activities, etc. There are currently five staff members, two aunts in their fifties, three women in their thirties, and now Qin Huairu.

Aunt Liu, the neighborhood committee director, asked the two to sit down first, and then read the note written by Wang Xiuqin.

"Huairu, I know you, Zhang Cuihua's daughter-in-law, right?" Aunt Liu was very enthusiastic about Qin Huairu's arrival.

"Yes, Aunt Liu, this is my seventh uncle. He is my mother-in-law's younger brother and my aunt Wang Xiuqin's nephew," Qin Huairu said, pointing at Zhang Dabao outside the door.