Chapter 31 Showing off
Xu Damao thought he was quite eloquent, but when he saw Li Zhiguo greeting guests, he felt that he was still far behind.

"Da Mao, what are you doing hiding here? Go and bring the steamer over here."

Old Xu invited his son to such a big banquet, and used his door panel to cut the vegetables. Doesn't this indicate that the next time good things happen in this courtyard, his family will have a chance to enjoy them?

It's just that my son is so silly and has no vision.

"Got it, Dad!"

Xu Damao didn't dare to refute and had to go back to doing hard labor.

"Da Mao, you've worked hard today. Come with me to toast at noon and experience the feeling of hosting a wedding banquet in advance."

Li Zhiguo stopped Xu Damao who was carrying a steamer and told him to help him block the wine during the lunch break.

"I……"

Xu Damao wanted to curse, you got married without spending any money and married a beautiful wife, and you still want me to stop the drinking? Bah, no way.

Li Zhiguo knew Xu Damao's character very well, so he would never submit to him obediently.

But he had a solution, so he whispered, "Da Mao, you don't want anyone to mess with your blind date or wedding, do you?"

"Li Zhiguo, you..."

Xu Damao surrendered with tears in his eyes. Thinking about how miserable Jia Dongxu had been, he absolutely could not become the next Jia Dongxu.

"It's settled, I'll call you when the dinner starts.

Well, wait until the flour is steamed, you can eat some to fill your stomach. The wine for lunch is a Sanlou wine that your mother personally selected. It is strong, and I am afraid that you can’t handle it.”

Li Zhiguo patted Xu Damao on the shoulder.

"Mom, you've screwed me."

Xu Damao felt like crying but had no tears. When he passed by his mother's table carrying the steamer, he heard her bragging about how affordable the wine she chose was.

The masters will fall down after drinking just a little, so we can save the money on wine and order more dishes.

"Da Mao, go to the side and help Sha Zhu. Don't disturb us sisters from talking."

Xu's mother felt that the light was getting worse. When she looked up and saw her unlucky son, she didn't say anything nice to him.

At this time, Li Zhiguo looked around and found that an important person was missing, which made his banquet seem incomplete.

"Uncle, why don't you see the old lady?"

He asked about the deaf old lady. He never dealt with her on weekdays, but she couldn't be absent today.

"Oh, I've invited you. The old lady said she wants to go to Jia's house with Lao Yi."

Yan Bugui had no choice as he didn't have that much face.

"Small thing!"

Li Zhiguo smiled and immediately went to the cooking area to find help.

"Silly Zhu, how could you forget about the old lady? Everyone is here. Go and carry the old lady out to liven things up. I won't accept her gift."

Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Yes, how could I forget my wife? Wait, I'll go get someone."

Sha Zhu ran away in a flash. The backyard was not very big, and the deaf old lady's house was right next to Li Zhi's house. It only took a few steps for Sha Zhu to enter the house over there.

"Madam, why are you still resting? It's so lively outside, why don't you go out and take a look?"

"Silly Zhu, are you here to invite your wife?"

The deaf old lady's eyes lit up; she just loved this silly grandson.

"That's right. Li Zhiguo asked me to carry you out and not to accept your gift. He is a bad guy, but he is quite decent in hosting this banquet today."

Sha Zhu subconsciously touched his pocket and found the candy given by Sister Qin. He had to keep it for later.

"Oh, Madam can't go. You have to go to Jia's house with your uncle. It's already been agreed."

Although the deaf old lady is a low-income household and receives five yuan from the street every month, she is usually taken care of by Yi Zhonghai and his wife.

"Hey, you still want to go to Jia's house? There are no guests there, and it will be deserted if you go there.

Come on, I'll carry you out. It's very lively outside. There are more than a dozen tables set up and everyone in the courtyard is here."

As Sha Zhu said this, he walked over and squatted, with his back facing the old lady.

"Madam, please hurry up. I still have to cook. If I'm late, my dad will scold me again."

"Oh, go, go, my eldest grandson will carry me on his back, so I have to go."

The deaf old lady had no choice but to let Sha Zhu carry her out the door.

"The old lady is coming, please make room for her."

Sha Zhu carried the man out of the door and started shouting.

"Ma'am, come here quickly."

The second aunt stood up and greeted them, and Xu's mother and others nearby also quickly made way for them.

"I'm coming!"

Sha Zhu carried the old lady on his back and placed her in the middle of the aunties. There were children making noises nearby, which made the old lady, who was originally a little resistant, suddenly happy because she just liked the hustle and bustle.

At this time, Yan Bugui gave Li Zhiguo a thumbs up.

Li Zhiguo smiled, walked over immediately and said, "Madam, Qin Huairu and I are getting married today, you have to eat more and stay for dinner.

I asked Sha Zhu to stew the chicken until it is a bit mushy so that you can eat it even if you have bad teeth."

"well!"

The deaf old lady was also happy to hear this and insisted on giving a gift, and no one could persuade her to stop.

Everyone had no choice but to call Yan Bugui to register.

"Give me two dollars, grandson of the Li family. From now on, you have to be nicer to your wife."

The old lady had heard a lot of rumors in the courtyard and she was not blind, so she knew what kind of person Li Zhiguo was.

"Ma'am, this is a big deal."

Li Zhiguo actually gave her two dollars when he met her. You know, the old lady only made five dollars a month.

"It's what you deserve. Today is a happy day."

The old lady was grinning from ear to ear. There were people all around her and she was watching the excitement.

Yan Bugui took the money and registered it.

When he turned around, Li Zhiguo said, "Uncle, please exchange these two dollars for flour and send it to the old lady's room later. Even if I, Li Zhiguo, am a jerk, I will not take advantage of an elderly widow."

"That's good! If you want to cheat someone, find a young person... No, you should stop cheating people."

Yan Bugui almost let the cat out of the bag.

"understand!"

Li Zhiguo smiled and suddenly went to find Mrs. Chen who was helping in the kitchen.

"Li Zhiguo, do you have something to talk to me about?"

Mrs. Chen is just an ordinary resident and is afraid of being targeted.

"It's just a small matter, please go and invite Auntie over. All my aunts are here, and Auntie can't be left out.

Besides, the Jia family invited an old man to a banquet, but this old lady didn’t have a seat. Could it be that only one person was left out from the banquet for the whole courtyard?

Go tell Auntie that the old lady misses her and ask her to come and wait for her."

Li Zhiguo suddenly found that even without the system, he seemed to be able to survive.

"That's good. Your aunt is a good person."

Mrs. Chen is Yi Zhonghai’s next-door neighbor and is also quite familiar with Auntie.

He immediately wiped his hands and went to the central courtyard.

"Tuk-tuk!"

"Auntie, are you home?"

"I'm at home, the door is open."

An aunt's voice came from inside the room, and Mrs. Chen pushed the door open and went in, only to find an uncle was also in the room, sitting there in a daze.

"Mrs. Chen, do you have something to ask me?"

The first lady was a little confused, and Yi Zhonghai also looked over. Chen Dasao made up her mind and said simply: "It's like this, Li Zhiguo asked me to invite you to have a drink, and the old lady has given gifts, except you."

"All the old ladies are gone?"

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat. This Li Zhiguo was so shameless. He must have thought of some tricks, otherwise the old lady would have agreed to go to the Jia family.

"That's right. Madam is just talking about you two and wants you to go over and wait for her."

Mrs. Chen thought that since she was from the Intermediate Court, she could trick the old man away, so it wouldn't be so awkward when they met in the future.

"Then I have to go. My wife must be missing me."

An old lady couldn't sit still any longer. Everyone in the hospital was in the backyard, and she felt uncomfortable just sitting there.

Mrs. Chen asked quickly, "Master, what about you? Apart from the Jia family, you are the only one missing from the whole courtyard.

There is a seat at the main table for you, the second and third uncles are here, and you are the first uncle, so you can’t be left out.”

Yi Zhonghai was in a dilemma and asked, "Did Li Zhiguo make money from this banquet?"

"No, he didn't make a penny. The money was all collected by the Third Master, and he didn't touch it. Besides, the money had already been spent in advance, all used to buy things for the wedding banquet.

At noon, the standard price is ten yuan per table, not including peanuts, melon seeds, etc., and even children have reserved seats.

"Master No. 1, you have to go. Master No. 2 has been talking bad about the people in the middle courtyard in the backyard."

Mrs. Chen was also an expert at passing messages, and she immediately put Yi Zhonghai in a difficult position again.

"I know Lao Liu. He just wants to be a small leader. He has no bad intentions.

But I have to keep an eye on them. There are quite a few workers in the factory today, and we can’t let them mess around. This has something to do with the selection of advanced factories at the end of the year.”

Yi Zhonghai found a reason and stood up. As a rich man, he could not stand against the masses.

"That's good, that's good!"

The aunt was happy and quickly pulled the man and followed Mrs. Chen to the backyard.

It happened that Jia Zhang was not at home at that time, so she ran to the next yard to get someone.

"Hey, Lao Yi, you are here at last."

Yan Bugui was sharp-eyed and recognized this old brother at once. No matter how he came, it was good that he came. He could also receive a gift. He would have to add more dishes to the dinner that night.

"Old Yi, why are you here too?"

Liu Haizhong's face didn't look very good, but it didn't affect his status in the workers' hearts.

"Of course I can come. Li Zhiguo asked Aunt Chen to invite me, so how can I not come?

Madam, you are taking a rest. I have asked Cuiyun to accompany you."

Yi Zhonghai was also an expert. He evaded the question with just two sentences and asked the aunt to go to the old lady first while he went to Yan Bugui to give the gift.

"Huai Ru, the master is here."

Li Zhiguo was shocked and looked at Mrs. Chen, who gave him an affirmative look.

Oh my god, I never thought that there was such a capable person among the ordinary residents in the courtyard, who could actually invite Yi Zhonghai.

"Hello, uncle!"

Qin Huairu hurried over to greet people. She was very happy that the old man could come.

"Okay, okay, I wish you and Li Zhiguo a happy wedding."

Yi Zhonghai looked down on Li Zhiguo, but Qin Huairu's moral character was impeccable and she was hardworking and honest.

When working in the workshop, although the work does not require any technical skills, I never slack off.

He just felt very sorry that he couldn't marry Jia Dongxu.

"Thank you, uncle!"

Qin Huairu is also good at talking, making the originally awkward situation festive.

There are many people in this courtyard who are resentful of Li Zhiguo, but there are really few who hate Qin Huairu.

Yi Zhonghai immediately took out five dollars and handed it to Yan Bugui, which was originally intended for Jia Dongxu.

"Oh, Lao Yi, this is a big deal. You took the lead."

Yan Bugui happily took the money and registered.

"Uncle, smoking!"

Li Zhiguo also handed over a pack of cigarettes at the right time. The process was as follows.

"well."

Yi Zhonghai also had a smile on his face, but he turned around and gave the cigarette to Sha Zhu.

"Master, you are here too. It's good that you are here. With you here to keep the other master in check, the second master won't be able to act so arrogant anymore."

Sha Zhu is also a funny guy who dares to say anything.

"That's why I came here. Your uncle is too aggressive. I have to keep an eye on him."

Yi Zhonghai made this excuse again, and then went to the gentlemen's table to chat and brag. It would not be awkward if he was there.

As for the Jia family, they can only wish them good luck.

"Sister Hua, where did you go shopping?"

When Li Zhiguo saw several female workers coming to the backyard, he hurried over to greet them. He was the protagonist today and could not rest.

"I went to see Jia Dongxu's wife, but I didn't know that there was no one in the middle courtyard. The Jia family won't hold a banquet!"

Sister Hua, keep your eyes on Li Zhiguo, you have really caused so much harm to others.

“Ahem… The Jia family must be hosting a banquet. They’ve already been notified, so they’ve probably gone out to welcome the guests.

Sister Hua, you guys go rest inside, I'll ask Qin Huairu to accompany you, there are too many guests, I'm sorry I can't handle them all."

Li Zhiguo was very polite. He was afraid that one day Sister Hua would bring people to watch the melons.

"You are just good at talking, kid. In the future, stop lying to our Qin Huairu."

Sister Hua gave a light warning, but they couldn't get angry with Li Zhiguo's attitude.

"I never lie."

Li Zhiguo muttered to himself, because he even deceived himself.

The backyard was bustling with activity, and suddenly a group of children ran over to ask Li Zhiguo for candy.

Xu Fengling called He Yushui and started searching the bag.

"Don't rush, everyone has candy."

Li Zhiguo had no choice but to take out some candies and give each of them a few.

"What the hell."

Xu Damao watched his sister and Li Zhiguo fighting from afar, and his eyes turned red. That was his own sister.

"Xu Damao, don't be lazy. The flour has risen. Go and knead it. We'll have to steam it soon."

Sha Zhu started to order the helper beside him, this was the helper sent to him by Lao Xu.

"Silly Zhu, you are so proud. I will get married tomorrow and you will still be single."

Xu Damao ran away after saying this. This idiot Zhu would hit people when he got angry.

Sha Zhu almost threw the spatula away, but thinking that today was Sister Qin's wedding, he couldn't cause trouble, so he endured it.
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"Bihua, let me tell you, no one in our courtyard has ever bought a sewing machine when getting married. This is the first one in the courtyard."

Jia Dongxu was in high spirits, wearing the Zhongshan suit left by his old Jia, a piece of clothing that belonged to two generations.

"Got it, Dongxu!"

Chen Bihua was of course happy to see the sewing machine, but she was not good at needlework and was worried that she would not be able to learn it.

By now the two men had arrived in the alley, followed by a cart. The department store did not provide delivery services.

For this reason, I had to find a cart driver. The price for the three-kilometer journey was 70 cents, but after much persuasion, I finally managed to negotiate it down to 50 cents.

"Master, can you please hurry up? I'm getting married today. If you delay me, I won't be able to give you fifty cents."

Jia Dongxu still felt sorry for the money as he only earned a few cents a day.

(End of this chapter)