Chapter 167

Siheyuan, middle courtyard.

When it was almost noon, Jia Dongxu came back with his wife and shouted as soon as he entered the door: "Mom, is the meal ready?"

"It's not done yet. Mom thought you were eating out."

Jia Zhang wiped her mouth subconsciously. She had already eaten, and the piece of bacon on the wall was gone.

"Oh, Mom, you are so lazy."

Jia Dongxu shook his head and said, "Bihua, you cook. I'll go out and look for work before coming back."

"okay!"

When Chen Bihua saw Dongxu lift the door curtain and go out, she knew that he had secretly gone to a restaurant, but there was nothing she could do to tell him, so she had to go and cook.

Suddenly she found something wrong. The piece of bacon on the wall was missing, but it was still intact when she left in the morning.

"Mom, have you eaten?"

"No, I didn't eat!"

Jia Zhang's eyes were a little evasive, and she said hurriedly, "Bihua, hurry up and cook. Mom is going out for a walk."

As she said this, Jia Zhang also lifted the door curtain and left. She went outside to digest her food and could have another meal when she came back.

"Hey!"

Chen Bihua sighed, opened the lid of the pot and saw that all the dumplings left over from the morning were gone. It must have been eaten by her mother-in-law.

She quickly found two eggs and put them in the pot to cook, and then she could slowly knead the dough to make lunch.

The three adults in the Jia family were busy with their own things and didn't notice that Banggeng went back to the house and played by himself without barking or making any noise.

At this time, Li Zhiguo brought Xiao Jingru to the third courtyard, only to see his brother-in-law waiting at the door.

"Brother-in-law, you must be tired. Take a rest. I will push the cart."

Qin Guangming ran up and took the bicycle with a flattering look on his face.

"Hmm! Guangming, who are here today?"

He really didn't know. It was the Spring Festival, a rare long holiday, so he had to make arrangements.

"Uncle San and his family have gone back to the countryside and will not be back until the third day of the Lunar New Year. Jianwa has also gone back, so only our family is left in the city."

Qin Guangming has been converted to a regular employee and has settled down in the city.

"It's also very good."

Li Zhiguo led Xiao Jingru into the yard. When his father-in-law heard the noise, he hurried over with Xiaobao in his arms.

"Zhiguo, tea is ready for you."

Qin Huairu came out of the kitchen, followed by her mother-in-law and brother-in-law.

"Well, there's no rush."

Li Zhiguo went to the north room, and Xiao Guanxiang also ran over. He had just been playing in the room.

This New Year, apart from Xiao Jingru, I spent it with my father-in-law's family, so it was quite lively.

It didn't take long before the meal started. Dishes were served one after another, including some homely dishes and some fancy ones.

"Guangyou, it seems that your studies were not in vain."

"Brother-in-law, I'm a very good cook, please try it."

Qin Guangyou learned cooking from He Daqing in the Qianmen canteen and was also considered an employee of the silk shop.

"You have to taste it."

Li Zhiguo picked up his chopsticks and everyone started eating.

"Mom, your household registration will remain in the countryside, so you don't have to worry about the food ration.

If your household registration is not in the village, you will have no land at all.”

He suddenly mentioned an important thing. Next year would be the period of people's communes. In fact, the establishment of people's communes had done a lot for the rural areas.

Reservoirs, canals, grain drying grounds, farms, supply and marketing cooperatives, people's commune building complexes, hospitals, kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, etc. were built.

It has also trained many technical personnel, such as veterinarians, doctors, teachers, etc.

We have indeed achieved the goal of concentrating efforts to accomplish major tasks. Otherwise, it would be impossible to build large hospitals, kindergartens, etc. in remote rural areas.

"Hey! Listen to your son-in-law. Mom's household registration can't be transferred to the city."

Qin's mother didn't think much about it and just did whatever her son-in-law said.

"Well! When the weather gets warmer, we'll go back to the village and have some time."

Li Zhiguo just mentioned it casually and will see how the situation develops when the time comes.

After dinner, I am free to do whatever I want. It’s also nice to stay at home.

"Huai Ru, I'm going out for a walk to digest my food."

He wanted to take his son with him, but the younger one was too young and hadn't been weaned yet. It would be easy for people to misunderstand if he took the older one with him, so he just went alone and walked instead of going by car.

"Okay, let's eat early tonight and then go out for a walk."

Qin Huairu still has work to do and wants to clean up the house.

"gone."

As soon as Li Zhiguo arrived at the front yard, he heard footsteps chasing him.

"Brother-in-law, wait for me."

Xiao Jingru ran out and said, "Brother-in-law, I have finished my homework."

"Okay, let's have one."

He was just strolling around, Dashilan is nearby.

I walked around for a while but didn't buy anything and was too lazy to talk. I walked around for a while and suddenly I heard an opera in the alley ahead.

The show began with the sound of gongs and drums.

"Look further inside, and you will hear the origin of it. It is said that Liu Bowen rebuilt our capital..."

When Li Zhiguo heard this, he guessed who it was. He walked into the alley and saw that it was Pian Ye. He looked very similar to Yan Bugui, except that Pian Ye was not wearing glasses.

"Hey, Mr. Pian, you haven't rested on the first day of the new year yet."

"Who are you? Oh, Manager Li, you are taking a walk."

Pian Ye came forward quickly. There was a shelf covered with a cloth next to it, and a group of children were lying there watching.

This is a shadow puppet show, which is very common on every overpass in Beijing. Looking at the pictures and listening to the lyrics, it feels like watching a movie or cartoon.

"Mr. Pian, is business good today?"

Li Zhiguo suddenly remembered something. His ancestors in this area had some capable people, and they left behind an ancestral house with three courtyards. The key point was that someone else would sell it sooner or later.

In the original drama, Xu Huizhen bought it first. Otherwise, he would have snatched it away and bought it in advance.

Otherwise, he has so many sons and there won’t be enough real estate to divide up in the future!
Especially for the three-courtyard house, you can’t buy it just because you want to. What’s more, buying and selling are prohibited now. If you don’t know the person, you dare not buy it at all. Once the truth is revealed, it is illegal.

"Thanks to you, it's OK."

Pian Ye hurriedly bowed. Although the man in front of him looked young, he was still a master. In a few years, when he got older, he would probably have to call him Master Li.

"Then you are busy. When you have time, come to the tavern for a drink. You can buy on credit. Tell me your name then."

Li Zhiguo also bowed and was about to leave with Xiao Jingru, so as not to delay the foreign film performance, but they couldn't continue for long.

"That's a great feeling, Manager Li, take care."

Pian Ye stood on the street, watching people go away, then he continued to beat the gongs and drums and sing.

……

"Old Cai, what are you doing? You look distracted."

Li Zhiguo was just thinking about going to the front to buy some snacks and send Xiao Jingru back when he met an acquaintance.

"Brother Li, I..." Cai Quanwu suddenly choked up.

"What's wrong, Lao Cai? Were you bullied by Xu Huizhen?"

Li Zhiguo thought about it and decided to take out a few cents to let Xiao Jingru go to Pian Ye's place to watch a foreign movie.

Who knew that he not only had no money in his pocket, but also no ticket in his space, so he simply took out two cents and handed it to Xiao Jingru.

"Go to Gang's place and watch a foreign movie. Your brother-in-law will come to see you later."

"Okay brother-in-law!"

Xiao Jingru ran back happily with the money.

Cai Quanwu said hurriedly: "Brother Li, just give me two cents for pocket money."

"What's wrong? Wait, tell me about your business."

Li Zhiguo took out a cigarette but didn't give anyone one. Old Cai didn't dare to have this hobby.

Who knew Cai Quanwu would say, "Brother Li, give me one too."

Li Zhiguo was stunned for a moment, "Okay!"

He watched as Lao Cai took a puff of his cigarette and choked, but he continued smoking. This must be a problem.

"Brother Li, I, I just found out that Huizhen's husband is still alive and was not killed by the car."

Cai Quanwu couldn't hold back his tears for a moment. After all the fuss, he actually got cheated.

"No, her husband is still alive. This can't be possible. Isn't Xu Huizhen a widow?"

Li Zhiguo pretended to be very surprised. His acting was so natural and he showed great talent.

"She's not a widow. Her husband eloped with her cousin and went back to the countryside. His name is He Yongqiang. He's not dead. He's farming in the countryside. I just found out about this."

Cai Quanwu couldn't figure it out. Isn't this a marriage fraud? It's cheating on his feelings.

"This isn't a big deal, can you tell me more about it?"

Li Zhiguo could understand. Since she was from the He family, she wouldn’t be attractive if she wasn’t a widow!
"That's what happened..."

Cai Quanwu told He Yongqiang that Xu Huizhen was ill when she was going on a blind date, so he asked her cousin Xu Huizhi to go on a blind date instead. As a result, He Yongqiang fell in love with Xu Huizhi, but old man He refused.

In the end, He Yongqiang and Xu Huizhi ran away, leaving behind Xu Huizhen who had just given birth to a child.

He Yongqiang is the son of He Old Man's younger brother, so he was adopted. He Yongqiang still has his biological father in the countryside and has land to farm. "Old Cai, you just can't figure it out. Just treat He Yongqiang as dead and that's it."

Li Zhiguo felt that this was reliable and that they had to live their lives.

“Hey, Brother Li, you’re right, I just assumed he was dead, Huizhen is still a widow.

Brother Li, I'll go back first. Huizhen is pregnant and needs someone to take care of her."

Cai Quanwu suddenly understood and stopped choking.

"Old Cai, wait a minute." Li Zhiguo quickly stopped him.

"What's wrong, Brother Li?"

Cai Quanwu was puzzled, but when he really figured it out, he turned around and secretly burned some paper money for He Yongqiang, wishing his predecessor a good journey.

"Go and help me look after Xiao Jingru. I'll go to your house and talk to your wife. I'll test the waters. Don't let He Yongqiang come back one day, or you'll be finished."

Li Zhiguo made up an excuse because he suddenly thought of something interesting.

"Brother Li, you must help me find out."

Cai Quanwu was shocked. Yes, this is a big deal.

"Got it!"

The two men acted separately, and Li Zhiguo went to the backyard of the tavern first.

"Brother Li, why are you here? Come in quickly, it's cold outside."

Although Xu Huizhen was confused, she quickly invited the person in.

"Huizhen, I just ran into Lao Cai outside, and he said you are not a widow?"

Li Zhiguo did not beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"I'm definitely not a widow. My ex-husband, He Yongqiang..."

Xu Huizhen explained the matter and said, "I just think that He Yongqiang is dead and there is no such person."

"Huizhen, you are right to think so. Live a good life with Lao Cai in the future.

However, I think that He Yongqiang can't afford it so cheaply."

Li Zhiguo didn't think he was a good husband, but he would never abandon his wife and children.

"Brother Li, everyone has run away, what else can I do?"

Xu Huizhen is still not satisfied and will hate He Yongqiang for the rest of her life.

"It's simple! Just let He Yongqiang experience the feeling of being abandoned just like he abandoned you."

Li Zhiguo leaned back in his chair and came up with a dirty trick, which was a good idea.

"Ah! But he was married to my cousin, how could he be abandoned?"

Xu Hui was really confused. This couldn't be done.

"It's so simple! Just let your cousin remarry, okay? I'll just say it in passing.

Sister-in-law, you go ahead and do your work. I came out for a walk and now I have to go back. Old Cai will also be back soon."

Li Zhiguo just came up with a blind idea and withdrew.

Xu Huizhen sent the person to the door and recalled what Li Ge'er had just said, and was stunned for a long time.

"Huizhen, it's so cold, why are you standing at the door?"

Cai Quanwu came back with a happy face.

"Old Cai, do you think He Yongqiang feels very sorry for me?"

Xu Huizhen was still hesitating about what Li Ge'er said.

"Hui Zhen, why are you still mentioning him? Just treat him as if he were dead. You are still the little widow I knew."

Old Cai's face turned green. Please stop mentioning your ex all the time. His mentality, which had just been adjusted, almost collapsed again.

"Yes, I'll just assume he's dead."

Xu Huizhen figured it out at once, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she said, "Old Cai, what do you think about introducing my cousin to Sha Zhu?"

"What, introduce me to my eldest nephew, no, where did you get your cousin?"

Cai Quan was confused. Didn’t Brother Li come here to test him? What did he say to his wife?

"Xu Huizhi, my cousin, the one who eloped with He Yongqiang."

The more Xu Huizhen thought about it, the more she felt it was feasible. She would let her cousin remarry and become her niece's wife, who would be a generation younger than her. Most importantly, she would let He Yongqiang taste the feeling of being abandoned.

"Ah! Huizhen, are you going to do such a wicked thing?"

Why does Cai Quanwu feel that this matter has something to do with Brother Li? When it comes to being immoral, no one can compare to him!
"Can this be considered immoral? He Yongqiang is farming in the countryside, and my cousin lives a hard life with him.

Just wait and see. With He Yongqiang's stubborn temper, he won't be able to make ends meet sooner or later, and he might even have to look for his fortune back.

My cousin is with him, and this cannot be broken off. Let my cousin remarry as soon as possible. I don’t care whether He Yongqiang lives or dies. It’s better for him to die early.”

Xu Huizhen just said that. It was impossible for her to be so eager to find her cousin and not want to see this family.

"Huizhen, you are right, this is not immoral."

Cai Quanwu took it to heart and decided to make Huizhen break up with He Yongqiang, but he couldn't go find Xu Huizhi either.

After coming to his senses, he hurriedly said, "Huizhen, don't stand at the door. It's cold. Go back to the house. You are pregnant."

"It's good that you know. Old Cai, you can't run away, or I'll find Brother Li and have him break your legs."

Xu Huizhen used Li Zhiguo's banner, knowing that Lao Cai was afraid of this.

"If I don't run, why should I run?"

Cai Quanwu really didn't dare. As soon as he ran away, not to mention He Yongqiang, maybe his eldest nephew Sha Zhu would come to the door and take advantage of the ready-made things. By then, they would have two children and would make more money than him.

No, I have to let my eldest nephew get married earlier and stop thinking about Huizhen.

……

Time flies, and spring is here in the blink of an eye.

Li Zhiguo went to the steel mill that day to wait for the chicks to hatch. Can you believe it?

Learn how to operate an excavator, hatch chicks, be a chef, or do welding at the Kyoto Red Star Steel Mill?

I always feel that this big company has been led astray by him.

"Li Zhiguo, do you hear any sound?"

Bi Jianhua came, counting the days. Today is the day when the chicks hatch. Not only him, but also his team came.

Director Fang from the Ministry of Agriculture was also here, as were reporters from the Beijing Daily and radio station, all waiting for the chicks to hatch.

At this moment, Director Fang put his ear to the hatch box and stretched out his finger, "Shh, I really heard a sound."

Suddenly, dozens of people in the workshop fell silent.

Well, only large collectives dare to do this. Isn't this just a way to get paid?

Li Zhiguo was yawning. He was called out of bed and into the factory early in the morning. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. It was really a deception.

"Well, you can open the box now."

"It's really fine. Didn't you say ten o'clock before? It's only nine o'clock now. There won't be any problems, right?"

Director Bi asked seriously, this job requires rigorous work.

Li Zhiguo was speechless. Didn’t he say ten o’clock in order to get up late? Who knew that he would be called so early in the morning?

“Nine o’clock will be fine. We have a lot of people here and we have warm air, so we don’t have to worry about the chicks getting cold.

Director Bi, you and Director Fang should unpack the boxes together. Reporters, please come quickly and get ready to take pictures."

He urged them to finish their work early so that they could maybe go back and catch up on some sleep.

"That's great!"

Bi Jianhua and Director Fang from the Ministry of Agriculture held the door handle on each side, took pictures, and then carefully opened the hatching box.

What immediately caught my eye were layers of chicks breaking out of their shells, and the incessant chirping of their chirping voices was heard. I took two more pictures.

"Oh, it worked. It hatched."

"Look, there are so many chicks. This is too easy. When so many chicks grow up, they will lay so many eggs that we will have no shortage of eggs to eat."

Three doors of the box were opened one after another, and there were more than 8,000 eggs inside. Except for a very small number of failed eggs, there were still more than 8,000 eggs left after removing them.

Everyone helped to take out baskets of chicks and put them in baskets that had been prepared in advance, which were covered with straw or something to keep them warm.

Li Zhiguo said at this time: "Newly hatched chicks can survive for about 60 hours as long as they are kept warm, and can be transported without feeding.

But if there is no time to transport them, we have to teach the chicks how to eat.”

"Li Zhiguo, what do you mean? A little chicken needs to be taught? It can't understand human language."

Director Yang was puzzled. You are a fitter, how do you know so much?

"We are artificially hatching chicks, so we have to simulate the pecking of a hen, like this."

Li Zhiguo said this as he grabbed a chick and put it on the ground, then took out half a bowl of cornmeal that he had prepared, but the chick refused to eat it.

But when he tapped the bowl rhythmically with his fingers, as if he was peckin' at food, the chicks soon followed suit and pecked at the cornmeal in the bowl.

"Oh, Master Li, your idea is absolutely amazing. It turns out that this is possible."

"I didn't expect that chicks could learn how to imitate right after they hatched. This is great."

Not to mention the science and engineering experts present, even the experts from the Ministry of Agriculture were confused. Who is the expert?

Li Zhiguo added: "You can't be too casual when feeding chicks. Generally, it is easiest to keep them alive if they are fed between 12 and 24 hours old. It is best to feed them some water before they are fed. This is something you can research and summarize on your own. I don't really understand it."

Everyone thought, you understand so well!
Before long, all the baskets of chicks were packed and counted.

"Report, a total of 8640 eggs were loaded into the box, and a total of 8388 chicks were hatched. One hundred eggs can hatch ninety-seven chicks. The success rate is too high."

The person in charge of statistics reported the data, which immediately caused an uproar. This was more reliable than a hen hatching chicks herself.

"Okay, okay, report the good news immediately."

Director Fang was extremely excited. He had already reached a cooperation with Bi Jianhua, and the Metallurgical Department would produce incubators and hatching boxes.

However, the hatchery is established by the Ministry of Agriculture and will be promoted to various counties and farms so that cheap chicks can be used throughout the country.

(End of this chapter)