Chapter 184

Li Zhiguo shook his head and ate the white flour in his hand. He had a bad stomach and could only taste coarse grains occasionally. He had to mainly eat fine grains.

After the meal, there was only one steamed bun left in the winnowing basket.

Only then did she open the door, and Qin Huairu packed up the dishes and went to the yard to wash them. The division of labor was clear and had not changed for many years.

"Qin Huairu is busy."

Jia Dongxu suddenly came to the backyard, said hello, and couldn't help but take a few more glances. It has been almost seven years. Every time he saw Qin Huairu, he could recall the scene of the blind date and felt heartbroken.

If life could always be like our first meeting, why would the autumn wind paint the fan with sorrow?
This poem is so good, it can be compared with the ones he wrote.

"Jia Dongxu, you're looking for your brother, right? He just had dinner and is resting in the house."

Qin Huairu suddenly remembered that she had never liked Jia Dongxu at the beginning, and she didn't know what sentimentality meant.

"Hey!"

Jia Dongxu responded and hurried to the front room.

I saw Li Zhiguo changing the radio channel. The sound quality has been not good recently, and it is time to change it. He needs to use industrial coupons, which are issued for every twenty yuan of salary.

But not all units issue it, it depends on the situation of the enterprise.

It takes twelve sheets to buy a bicycle, six sheets for a sewing machine, five sheets for a watch, and half a sheet for an enamel basin, which means you tear off half of it and the remaining half can be used next time.

"Brother, can you help me get some food? There's really not enough to eat."

Jia Dongxu saw that there was a steamed bun left on the table, and he felt hungry just by looking at it.

"Dongxu, your situation is indeed a bit difficult."

Li Zhiguo held a cigarette in his mouth and waited for the Dongxu brothers to help him light it.

"That's right. I don't have a job, and my monthly ration is only 19.5 kilograms, which means 2 taels per meal. I get hungry before I even leave the house, so how can I have the energy to pedal a tricycle..."

Jia Dongxu shook the matchstick and complained bitterly that he had not made much money recently and could not make any money.

But in reality, as long as you work hard enough, the tricycle business is very good. In years of disaster, there is only a shortage of food and supplies, but wages are paid as usual. If people are too tired to walk, they have to call a tricycle.

The business of silk shops is very good. Even if you are not well fed, can't you buy some nice clothes? It's just right that you have lost weight so you can wear them effectively.

"Dongxu, didn't your mother tell you to save some food?"

Li Zhiguo twisted his neck and said this, it was not comfortable to lie down for a long time.

"Brother, let me help you pinch it."

Jia Dongxu hurriedly ran behind the chair to help his brother massage his shoulders. He happened to see Qin Huairu passing by the door with dishes and chopsticks. Seeing this scene, he was not embarrassed because it was not the first time.

As a younger brother, you should respect your older brother. This is a traditional virtue in the courtyard.

"What does my mother save? She occupies the job, eats steamed bread in the morning, eats white flour at noon, and has to eat at home when she comes home at night. She eats at least eight taels a day. On the 31st, she even grabs the ration at home."

Jia Dongxu felt sad when mentioning his mother. He paid ten yuan for food every month, but basically spent it all on food.

Moreover, he has to pay four dollars for pension every month, which is a loss. It would be better to let his mother pass away early. It is useless to keep her at home.

"Dongxu, there is really nothing we can do about the food rations. The control is too strict. Every month, the food coupons expire and are cleared. No one can save up enough food, and we cannot buy food across regions.

When sweet potatoes are on the market in October, it won’t be a problem to get you a hundred kilograms of sweet potatoes, but I really can’t afford the staple food.”

Even if Li Zhiguo could get it, he didn't dare to do it. Once he was found out, it would be considered as disrupting the unified sales and purchase, which is illegal.

"What should I do? The weather is so hot and I'm hungry. I haven't been out for two days.

Every month I have to pay Bihua 21 yuan for living expenses and my mother 4 yuan for retirement. I feel like I owe money every time I open my eyes."

The most important thing is that Jia Dongxu hasn’t eaten out for a long time and he’s not feeling well.

Li Zhiguo thought for a while and said, "How about this, you sell the tricycle and take a good rest for a few months."

"sold?"

Jia Dongxu was stunned. He had bought this car with great difficulty to support his family.

"Yes, take advantage of the current good market conditions and sell it early, and you can get a good price.

With this money, you can live a good life for a while without having to work.

After this year is over, I will ask your mother to pay for the tricycle owned by Sha Zhu. This way, you will be using up all your mother's savings.

You should also take care of your health and don’t get sick from working yourself to death at such a young age. You have children and you have to bear it. Otherwise, if you die, maybe Shazhu will be beautiful.”

Li Zhiguo felt that this was not a bad idea, but a way to help his brothers.

"What does this have to do with Shazhu?"

Jia Dongxu was stunned for a moment, then said: "Then I will buy the car? I can go fishing or play chess when I have nothing to do, and lie at home like the third uncle when I am hungry?"

“That’s the reason.

There is a steamed bread on the table, you can eat it, and only when you are full can you have the energy to go out and sell tricycles, and maybe you can get another order. "

Li Zhiguo put out his cigarette and prepared to see the guest off.

"Thank you, brother. I'll go sell the car then."

Jia Dongxu happily took the steamed bread on the table and left. He ate it before he got home. This was made by Qin Huairu herself, and the taste was different.

He simply didn't go home. He went to the front yard, pushed the tricycle out of the gate, and ran away to find a colleague to sell the tricycle.

The price is really good. I used it for several years and sold it for 120 yuan, with a loss of only 10 yuan. This is because industrial products are very expensive to buy now, and second-hand ones are more valuable.

The black market price of an industrial roll is two yuan. Just for a bicycle, the cost increases by an additional twenty-four yuan, and a tricycle requires even more rolls.

Jia Dongxu was so happy after getting the money. Now it is July, so he will lie down until the Chinese New Year, hoping that things will get better next year.

……

"Zhiguo, what did Jia Dongxu come to you for before?"

Qin Huairu was wiping her body at the moment. The weather was too hot and she really couldn't sleep without a shower. But water was in short supply now and she couldn't waste it. She just wiped herself.

"He asked me to find some food for him because he didn't have enough food to eat and didn't have the energy to pedal the tricycle, so I asked him to sell the tricycle and stay at home.

Jia Zhang has a salary and can support the four people in the old Jia family, which is no big deal. "

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Zhiguo simply went to bed early.

Day after day, lying down!

However, Qin Huairu was not sleepy yet, and suddenly asked, "Zhiguo, Liang Ladi is not young anymore, why hasn't she found a partner yet?"

"Ahem...why do you suddenly care about her?"

Li Zhiguo was startled and turned around, no longer feeling sleepy.

"I didn't pay attention to her, but I thought it was strange. It seemed like she had no intention of finding a partner at all."

Qin Huairu always felt that something was going on here, but it seemed like nothing. Liang Ladi worked in the factory and her husband was recuperating at home, so their working hours were staggered.

"Whether they find it or not is their business. It has nothing to do with us. Go to sleep. You have to go to work tomorrow."

Li Zhiguo yawned, turned over and fell asleep.

"Yeah! I'll fan you."

Qin Huairu fanned herself with a fan in her hand and waited for a long time before she took a rest.

……

Intermediate Courtyard, Jia Family!
Jia Zhang had already lain down on the cot when she suddenly heard something. She quickly opened the curtain and shouted, "Dongxu, did you just say you sold the tricycle?"

"What's wrong? It's sold!"

Jia Dongxu had also laid down. The original bed was changed into a large bunk bed that could accommodate the two children.

"What's wrong with you? How can you make money if you sell the car?"

Jia Zhang couldn't lie still any longer, so she quickly got up and came over wearing her shoes.

"Grandma, my dad made a lot of money from selling it."

Bang Geng was yelling, he hadn't fallen asleep yet.

Jia Zhang was anxious, "Is this about money? Without the car, our family will have to live a hard life. Dongxu, you must explain clearly."

"Mom, don't worry."

Jia Dongxu sat up and said, "I sold my tricycle because I couldn't eat enough and couldn't pedal. After the Chinese New Year, I'll buy Shazhu's tricycle. His tricycle is much better because it's not used much. I'll earn money by pedaling the tricycle then. It won't be a waste of time."

"How much did you sell it for?"

After Jia Zhang thought about it, it made sense.

"One hundred and twenty. I kept twenty for myself and gave one hundred to Bihua to save. It's enough for half a year."

Jia Dongxu thought that twenty was enough, as he had saved some private money before.

"Then save the money." Jia Zhangshi had nothing to say. She was not full every day. No one had extra food. Even Li Zhiguo seemed to have lost weight.

……

The next morning, after Li Zhiguo woke up and was washing up in the yard, he saw the second aunt walking towards him quickly.

"Li Zhiguo, I want to tell you something."

"What's wrong?"

Li Zhiguo asked incoherently. He planned to go to the water pump factory today, but he hadn't collected his salary for this month yet.

"As for Guangqi's matter, the matchmaker I contacted earlier came back this morning and said she will bring the girl over at noon. I have to tell you that there is a small red envelope here, and you must accept it."

As the second aunt said this, she put the prepared red envelope into Li Zhiguo's shirt pocket.

"Bah! No, why are you giving me a red envelope?"

Li Zhiguo was a little confused. This process didn't seem reasonable.

"You should give it to him. It was your help that Guang Qi was able to get a job at the steel mill. Otherwise, he would have run away. How could you pay two years' salary to your family?"

Second Aunt was also very smart in her calculations. As long as the eldest son didn’t run away, the family could still live.

The reason why she became thin due to hunger was because Guangtian and Guangfu were two big eaters, and they ate their father into poverty.

"That's right. Let Guangqi go on the blind date. I have something to go out for today, so I won't be the one to check on him."

After hearing this, the second aunt thought to herself, it’s good that you left. I feel relieved knowing you left. It’s better than staying in the yard and risk causing trouble.

After Li Zhiguo rinsed his mouth and washed his face with the help of Second Aunt, he returned to the house and opened the red envelope. Wow, there was eight yuan.

Times have changed, and people are more generous with money now. When he married Qin Huairu, he only asked for a five-yuan dowry. Now, when his brother is going on a blind date, he charges eight yuan for a trip fee?
Without thinking too much, I followed him to the kitchen and saw that the breakfast was still warm in the pot. I had no appetite, so I took the food out and put it in the cupboard, otherwise it would go bad if it sat there for a day.

Lock the door, push the bike, and go.

"Brother, get out."

Next to the water tank in the middle courtyard, Jia Dongxu was washing clothes. Although he did not ride the tricycle this year, he continued to do the housework. This is called loving his wife.

"Well, I have something to do outside. Let's make an appointment with Uncle San some other day and go fishing. Hey, the water in the moat is dry and there are no fish. Let's play chess."

Li Zhiguo shook his head. Not to mention fish, all the wild vegetables in the suburbs had been dug up. However, there were still many wild animals in the mountains and forests in the countryside.

But it’s hard to catch them. We are so hungry that we have no strength left. Even walking is a problem. It would be good if we can dig wild vegetables. Hunting is just something we can only think about.

"Got it!"

Jia Dongxu was completely relaxed. When he woke up this morning, he didn't have to think about making money. This was how Li Zhiguo usually lived. It was great.

Li Zhiguo thought for a moment and said, "By the way, Dongxu, Guangqi is going on a blind date at noon today. Please help me pick him out and tell me how he looks later."

"Guang Qi blind date? Then I have to take a closer look."

Jia Dongxu became interested. It was also a new thing in the courtyard. Old Cai ran away with the widow, and no one in the courtyard had a blind date for many years.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Li Zhiguo arrived at the front yard and was about to leave when he vaguely heard someone shouting. He turned his head and saw a staggering sound.

"Brother, I'm Brother Zhiguo, wait... wait."

Yan Jiecheng came out of the house panting heavily, his steps were weak, his face was pale, and he looked pale too, not manly enough.

"Jie Cheng, what's wrong with you?"

Li Zhiguo was stunned for a moment. He hadn't seen the real person for more than half a year. He had changed so much that he couldn't recognize him.

"Nothing, I just lay down for too long. Brother, I want to ask you for a favor. You have a lot of face, can you help me talk to the street office and arrange a job for me as soon as possible? I really can't stay at home any longer."

Yan Jiecheng regretted it. If he had known that life would be so difficult, he should have worked harder when he was studying and been admitted to high school, so that he would not have ended up so miserably.

The street gives priority to people with high education and those from poor families. People like him have to wait in line, and it may take more than a year at the fastest, or two or three years at the shortest, to get a job.

"Okay, it's just a side job!"

Li Zhiguo then said, "Xie Cheng, Guang Qi is on a blind date today, and you still don't have a job. That's a bit tragic."

"What, Guang Qi went on a blind date?"

Yan Jiecheng was confused. He was not much younger than Guang Qi, the gap was too big.

"This afternoon, you have to wait in the front yard, and you can see the young lady coming. Now, I will go to the street to ask for you."

Li Zhiguo left after he finished speaking. Yan Jiecheng, this kid, may be more calculating than Yan Bugui when he grows up, but now he still has to accept the criticism from society.

Yan Jiecheng was stunned on the spot and even forgot to say hello. After he finally came to his senses, he hurried to his father's room.

As soon as she opened the door, she shouted, "Dad, Guangqi is going on a blind date today, and I want to find a partner too."

"Liu Guangqi is going on a blind date? He's not afraid of wasting food in this disaster year.

But Guangqi is already 19 years old, and he will be 20 at the beginning of the new year. It is normal for him to go on a blind date now. Your uncle is still waiting to have a grandson.

Xie Cheng, you are only seventeen years old and you don’t even have a job, why are you in such a hurry?

Yan Bugui has raised his son to this age, and he will not let him go out to live alone easily. He will let his son pay a few years' salary first.

"Hey!"

Yan Jiecheng sighed and went back to the room. He said, "Just lie down." Now he hoped that Brother Zhiguo could help him.

Li Zhiguo really went to Luoguxiang Street since it was on the way there. After asking around, he found out that there was a shortage of jobs there.

Because as long as workers are recruited, there will be additional food subsidies.

For example, the current food ration for Beijing residents is less than 20 kilograms, but that for workers is generally 25 kilograms, and some even have more than 30 kilograms for special posts.

The impact of the disaster is still very large. Many workers in the food factory have no work, the winery has also reduced production, and the same is true for the fabric factory, the production of raw materials has been reduced, and so on.

"Big sister, how long do you think my brother will have to wait in line?"

The auntie replied, "It's hard to say. There are fewer businesses on our side of the street. If it's Daqianmen or the northern or western suburbs, it will be faster."

"Okay, I get it!"

Li Zhiguo walked out of the street office, shaking his head. Yan Jiecheng would probably have to lie down for a long time.

This is also normal. In the original drama of Siheyuan, during the Chinese New Year of 1965, Liu Guangqi's daughter was already several years old, and Yan Jiecheng had just gotten married. It is estimated that the gap between the two was widened by the disaster year.

But doesn’t there still have Shazhu to back him up? So, whether it’s Guangqi or Jiecheng, these two brothers shouldn’t panic.

When Li Zhiguo came out of the street, he was unable to eat the soy milk and fried dough sticks he had been craving for, because frying dough sticks requires white flour and cooking oil, both of which are in short supply.

The beans used to make soy milk were only available to cadres through special supply tickets, and ordinary people could not buy them.

Because the bean production was originally low, not to mention in years of disaster, in later generations it mainly relied on imports.

At this moment, he bought a sorghum cake on the road to fill his stomach, but he still needed coarse grain coupons to help him get by.

With a bag of corn cobs still tied to the back seat of the bicycle as a prop, I rode all the way to the northern suburbs. When passing the Bianjiang Bridge, I couldn't help but look around for a moment on the bridge, but I didn't see anyone.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Ding Qiunan for several months. Time really has passed like water under a bridge.

The bicycle continued to move forward. The former Tongyi Pump Factory has been transformed into a machine repair branch, mainly repairing water pumps and equipment, and serving as a research and development site. The number of employees has also grown to more than 300 people.

The new Beijing Water Pump Factory is being built not far away and now has more than 3,000 workers.

At the beginning of last year, the top leader had a talk with Li Zhiguo. After careful consideration, Li Zhiguo finally gave up the full-time shift at the factory and chose to continue to serve as deputy director of the water pump machine repair branch.

This position can be used for both offense and defense. You can first accumulate experience and length of service. If necessary, you can always find a big company to parachute in, just like Li Xinmin did back then.

For this reason, he originally wanted to quit his position as a fitter at the steel rolling mill, but Director Bi did not agree, so his human resources and social security relationship remained at the steel rolling mill and he was not let go.

"Hello, Deputy Director Li, you are here."

There were two young men standing at the door, holding real weapons in their hands. Although the machine repair factory was only a small factory with a few hundred people, it was very important. With this level of security, outsiders could not enter at all.

"Yeah! Thank you for your hard work."

Li Zhiguo nodded, rode his bicycle into the factory, and when he turned a corner he saw a long queue in front of him.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Deputy Director Li, you are here."

"The deputy director is here."

The workers who were queuing started to yell and suddenly broke up into small groups and ran away.

Li Zhiguo looked at the sign in front of him and saw that it said Infirmary. Oh my god, is this a patient in the morning?
"Leader, you are here. They saw your sister and wanted to see the fun."

Chen Bing appeared out of nowhere. As a secretary, he had basically nothing to do so he just wandered around the factory collecting various information.

"Ding Qiunan is here? I'll go take a look."

Li Zhiguo parked the car and went to the infirmary. Unexpectedly, he saw a familiar face first.

(End of this chapter)