Chapter 43 He Daqing's Thoughts
Li Zhiguo patted the man on the shoulder and said, "Old He, even at the age of eighty, still wants to find a wife. He is still obsessed with it."

"Well, Li Zhiguo, what you said makes sense. There's nothing wrong with it. Then I'll lend you fifty. You have to pay me back as soon as possible. Who knows, I might get married someday."

He Daqing was hurt by the White Widow once, so this time he decided to follow his father's example and find one nearby, no farther than the suburbs. Maybe he could even create a big fat boy to keep Sha Zhu and Yu Shui company.

"Let's split up. I'll go to the department store to pick out a sewing machine, and you come back with the money."

Li Zhiguo got on his bicycle and prepared to set off.

"Okay, when we get to the department store, maybe I can still get some work."

He Daqing thought it was not a wasted trip, and besides, the banquet had already been planned, and all he had to do was wait for him to find a wife.

In less than half an hour, the two met at the department store. After paying the money, Li Zhiguo found a cart maker and asked He Daqing to help lift the sewing machine onto the cart.

We've just bought a new big item for the house, so if we make a few more pairs of pants, we can change them more frequently.

"Hey, Lao He, your family bought a sewing machine. You don't even have a woman. Why waste this money?"

The third aunt immediately felt something was wrong. Old He had been coming in and out of the yard before, and now he had taken Old Cai out with him.

She followed him to the door and looked out. There was a cart with sewing machines on it. The He brothers and Li Zhiguo were busy unloading the goods.

"It was bought by Li Zhiguo. He has a woman at home."

He Daqing thought of Bai Hehua. He was just one step away from following her to Baoding so that he could have a woman to make clothes for him.

"Ah! Li Zhiguo, where did you get the money?"

The third aunt couldn't believe it. This was a sewing machine, not a cabbage.

"I borrowed it. I'll tell you when I get back for a walk."

Li Zhiguo will ask the He brothers to help lift the sewing machine down, and the money for the cart master has already been paid.

"Someone come quickly, our hospital has bought another sewing machine."

The three aunts hugged their children and shouted, this was a big deal.

After a while, all the aunties in the yard came and the sewing machine was carried to the middle yard.

"Lao He, your family is struggling, why don't you buy a sewing machine?"

Jia Zhang's face looked grim. Was the last bit of glory of the old Jia family going to be taken away by half?

"This was bought by Li Zhiguo and has nothing to do with my He family."

He Daqing's face was not good either. It turned out that he had borrowed money twice, and both times Li Zhiguo got the upper hand.

"Oh my god, Li Zhiguo, how can you afford this? It costs one hundred and seventy-five dollars and forty cents."

Jia Zhang was almost crying. How come this bad boy is everywhere? Aren’t you poor?

"It's none of your business. It's the money borrowed from my uncle He."

Li Zhiguo kept the secret and let He Daqing take the blame first, saying that buying a sewing machine was not just to spend money.

What is important is its practical value. It can be used for sewing, making quilt covers, and making clothes at home.

Otherwise, he could just buy an all-steel watch, which would only cost 120 yuan, without having to borrow money. This also counts as three turns and one ring.

"He Daqing, you are too nice to him, why don't you be nicer to my Dongxu?"

Jia Zhang felt like she couldn't breathe. If she had known this would happen, she should have agreed to go watch a movie with Lao He.

He Daqing was so angry, "I have Shazhu, what does that have to do with your Dongxu. As for Li Zhiguo, I am happy to lend him money."

"Uncle He, don't say any more to her. Bringing the sewing machine to my house won't hinder your earning money."

Li Zhiguo knew that Chen Bihua had received Jia Dongxu's salary today, and now she was not seen in the yard. There must be internal strife in the Jia family, and there would be more trouble.

"Got it!"

The He brothers carried the sewing machine to the backyard and quickly placed it in the main room of the Li family.

"Lao He, Lao Cai, we are brothers from now on..."

Li Zhiguo spoke in a roundabout way to show his closeness.

Who knew He Daqing wouldn't give face? "Well, you should just call me Lao He. I don't dare to call you brother."

"Brother Li, you are my brother."

Tsai Quanwu is more realistic and has not changed his original intention.

The two brothers left quickly, one went home to eat, and the other went out to ride a tricycle.

But the Li family was not quiet yet. The aunt in the yard did not go to the Jia family to drink, so she could not go to see the sewing machine and was very curious about it.

"Look, this sewing machine is so nice. It even has a flip cover, so it can be used as a table when not in use."

"Wow, it's so heavy, no wonder it's so expensive."

"Li Zhiguo, if we put some cloth on it, will it turn into clothes?"

Although the aunties often worried about being cheated by Li Zhiguo, they were willing to get close to him because he spoke nicely and never got angry with others.

That is to say, his character is a bit corrupt, but it is mainly Qin Huairu who bears the brunt of it. It's a matter of two people willing to fight and be beaten. At most, he has screwed over the Jia family, and it has nothing to do with them.

Li Zhiguo smiled and said, "I don't know how to use it either! Wait until Qin Huairu learns it, then you can ask her.

But it certainly can’t just turn into clothes. The fabrics have to be cut and sewn together before they can become clothes.”

Sewing machines are indeed convenient, especially for altering clothes. It’s very quick to sew a trouser leg.

In the hands of someone who knows how to use it, it is very efficient. Besides, if you put it in the house, it will be a high-end piece of furniture and will give you a good impression.

"Then you have to let Qin Huairu learn it as soon as possible. I heard that the daughter-in-law of the Jia family is clumsy and can't use it even after so many days."

"That's so much money, is He Daqing willing to lend it to you?"

Li Zhiguo still smiled and said: "That's my uncle, he was happy to lend it to me."

After hearing this, the aunties sighed and said, "Be careful." He Daqing was immediately tricked.

……

"Old Yan, something big happened in our hospital."

Not long after the third aunt came back from watching the excitement in the backyard, she saw the man coming into the yard.

"What's the matter? Today is a good day to shut down the bell."

Yan Bugui touched his wallet. Although his salary was not high, it was still money, and the family depended on him for expenses.

"Li Zhiguo bought a sewing machine."

"What? That's impossible."

After confirming, Yan Bugui hurried to the backyard and said that Li Zhiguo must have had some plan when he instructed the He brothers to ride tricycles, but he did not expect that it was to borrow a large sum of money.

In the evening, people who normally work in the hospital come back one after another, unlike the primary school teachers who get off work in the afternoon.

"Qin Huairu, your husband bought a sewing machine, you should go home and take a look."

Qin Huairu was stunned when she heard this, "Oh, how much will this cost!"

She hurried home, feeling both distressed and happy.

In the front yard, Sha Zhu and others stood there in a daze, wondering why Li Zhiguo was in the spot again.

"No, Li Zhiguo doesn't have enough money! He's several dozen dollars short of buying a sewing machine."

Sha Zhu has only primary school education and can do simple arithmetic without any problem.

Xu Damao also said, "It's indeed a difference of several dozen yuan. He also gave Sister Qin five yuan for food today."

Yan Bugui pushed the frame of his glasses. He had been back from watching the sewing machine in the backyard for a while.

"Shazhu, Damao, do you know how to do the math? How much are Li Zhiguo and Qin Huairu's wages? They both work on the same shift, so it's only a little over thirty, and the sewing machine is over one hundred and seventy."

"Uncle, you don't know this!"

When Sha Zhu saw the old man and Jia Dongxu entering the yard, he didn't have time to say hello, and then said, "Li Zhiguo was very popular in the factory today. He made a pencil sharpener, and the leaders above studied it and decided to set up a pencil sharpener factory.

We gave him a 100-yuan reward and kept his job. When he recovers from his illness, he can return to the workshop at any time. Even now, his seniority is still being counted. "

"What, there's this thing!"

Yan Bugui was confused. Could it be that Li Zhiguo had even taken the steel mill into account?

"Old Yi, is what Sha Zhu said true?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded: "It's true. I have studied the pencil sharpener. It is indeed well made and very creative. Li Zhiguo has a quick mind. If it were an ordinary person, he would not be able to come up with this idea."

Jia Dongxu was unhappy, "Uncle, that pencil sharpener is just a small thing, I can make it, it's nothing big."

"Ugh!"

Yi Zhonghai shook his head. It was not easy to expose his apprentice in person. You have been learning for an entire afternoon and you can’t even make the parts, let alone come up with a pencil sharpener out of thin air.

Through this incident, Yi Zhonghai also deeply understood Jia Dongxu's talent as a fitter, and his upper limit was only a second-level worker.

Yan Bugui didn't care about the little things, and shouted: "It's a hundred yuan reward, plus his salary, and he made ten yuan from the last banquet, so he shouldn't have spent it all.

I'm borrowing a few dozen from He Daqing. This is just enough. There won't be any pressure to pay it back later. Qin Huairu still earns a salary every month."

Sha Zhu was anxious, "No, how come my dad has something to do with this sewing machine?"

"Shazhu, it was your dad who went to the department store and helped Li Zhiguo buy the sewing machine, and he even helped carry it into the house." The third aunt saw it with her own eyes and thought that Li Zhiguo had a way.

"Oh, I can't do that. Why are you borrowing money from my family again? My dad hasn't been so nice to me."

Sha Zhu hurried home to find out what happened.

"dad……"

"Shazhu, you are asking about Li Zhiguo's sewing machine, right? I lent him fifty yuan. We are all from the same courtyard, so we should learn to help each other.

Okay, go heat up the food, your uncle will be back for dinner soon."

He Daqing looked at his son with his legs crossed and a wine glass on the table. He sent his stupid son away with just a few words, telling him not to let it affect his future banquets.

"Dad, you have to take it easy. We still have to save money to get married!"

Sha Zhu went to heat up the food with a miserable look on his face. Li Zhiguo was a liar and he always succeeded in his lies. Sister Qin was deceived, and even his father was fooled.

Qin Huairu was already at home at this time. When she saw the sewing machine placed in the house with her own eyes, her eyebrows were curved with joy.

"Brother, why don't you put it in the inner room? It's so valuable."

"Move in after everyone in the courtyard has come to see it, otherwise it will be inconvenient to go to the inner room.

Huairu, when you have time, I will ask Chen Xueru to find a master for you. The aunt who made clothes for you last time is very good. Let her teach you how to make clothes."

Seeing that no one came to his door, Li Zhiguo immediately took out another twenty-five yuan and handed it over.

"This is to supplement your household expenses. We agreed to give you thirty dollars a month. Don't be stingy. We have plenty of money."

"Hey!"

Qin Huairu got the money, but she thought about saving it. She had everything she needed and didn't spend it recklessly.

"Da Mao, what are you looking at at the door? If you want to see something, come in."

Li Zhiguo suddenly waved to the door, and Qin Huairu quickly put the money in her pocket.

"I didn't see anything. I just have a blind date tomorrow and wanted to let you know."

Xu Damao walked in despite saying this, saw the sewing machine, and then looked around the room and saw a brand new bicycle. He felt numb again.

Why is it that with both of his parents working and the support of his family, his life is worse than that of Li Zhiguo?

"Da Mao, which girl are you dating?"

Li Zhiguo asked his wife to cook while he chatted with the Damao brothers.

Among the four most progressive young people in the hospital, he is the oldest, a few months older than Jia Dongxu, four years older than Xu Damao, and five years older than Sha Zhu.

"Li Zhiguo, we agreed not to cause trouble."

Xu Damao panicked and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

"Don't worry, I've accepted the gifts and I won't make any trouble. As your brother, I just want to help you check things out.

Regardless of anything else, I think there is nothing wrong with my vision.

I chose your sister Qin at first sight among so many people. Isn't this a good life for me?"

Li Zhiguo was talking nonsense. He guessed that Xu Damao's blind date was not Lou Xiao'e, because the Lou family was now a wealthy family and also received dividends from the steel mill.

How could he possibly look down on Xu Damao? Just like his grandfather looked down on his father, capitalists still pay attention to the matching of family backgrounds.

Xu Damao thought for a moment and said, "She is the niece of Deputy Director Tang of the Friendship Food Factory of the Second Commercial Bureau. Her name is Tang Chunyan. Her parents also work at the food factory. They are both working, and she is the only daughter."

"Da Mao, that's fine, your family will never lack food in the future.

We have two business bureaus in Beijing, one in charge of clothing and the other in charge of food processing. This is a good marriage for you, so you must seize it."

Li Zhiguo thought, as expected, it’s not Lou Xiaoe.

According to normal circumstances, it would be impossible for Xu Damao to get married so early.

"I think it's pretty good too!"

Xu Damao grinned, it was finally his turn to shine.

"Okay, I'll send you my blessing in advance and look forward to drinking your wedding wine."

Li Zhiguo really had no intention of making trouble in this matter, since Xu Damao was a child with no descendants anyway.

After hearing this, Xu Damao felt uncomfortable again. You have money to buy a sewing machine, so can't you give a gift?
Xu Damao left with mixed feelings. He went home and took out his father's leather shoes to take care of them. He found an old sock and started wiping the shoes.

The Li family's purchase of a sewing machine caused a stir not only in the yard, but also in the nearby yards.

He was clearly just a small worker without any support from his elders, but in a short period of time, he married a beautiful wife, bought big items, and even won an award in the factory.

It is no exaggeration to say that I have reached the pinnacle of my life.

In the middle courtyard, inside the Jia family’s house!
When the food was served, Jia Zhang learned her lesson this time. There were four steamed buns in the winnowing basket, and she took two of them and held them in her hands.

Jia Dongxu and his wife looked at each other, and silently took a steamed bun and started eating.

"I almost forgot, there's food in the pot."

Chen Bihua finished the steamed bread in her hand and went to the small kitchen. She quickly brought out a bowl with two servings of white flour in it.

"Wife, give me one. I'm not full yet."

"Dongxu, you are the one who earns money for our family, so you have to eat well."

Chen Bihua divided the two pieces of flour into two pieces, picked up one and took a quick bite.

"No, Bihua, why didn't you mention that there was white flour."

Jia Zhang held the steamed bread in her hand and suddenly felt that it didn't smell good anymore.

"Mom, you didn't ask. White flour rises later, so you need to steam it for a little longer."

Chen Bihua received the salary today. She will not wait until she becomes a mother-in-law from a young daughter-in-law. She will start to fight back against this evil mother-in-law today.

"Oh, next time, wait until it's done before calling for dinner."

Jia Zhang didn't know what to say, so she picked up the chopsticks and quickly picked up a few pieces of cabbage and stuffed them into her mouth.

Jia Dongxu frowned. He didn't think much of it before, but after listening to his wife talk a lot about it these past two days, he now really felt that his mother ate too much.

I'm not working, but luckily I won't have to hand in my salary starting this month.

Soon, Jia Zhang finished the steamed bread in her hand and smacked her lips, feeling unhappy because she didn't get to eat the white flour.

"Dongxu, the clock is ringing today, and it's time to hand in your salary. It's almost the New Year, so you should save some money too.

You took half a day off last month, which means you lost more than 40 cents. This month, I will leave you 3.5 yuan for food expenses, which is enough for you to spend.

Qin Huairu only earns three yuan a month, but she eats well, doesn't she? "

Jia Zhang was only thinking about money. Raising a son to provide for one's old age, isn't that the only benefit of this?

"Mom, Qin Huairu got five yuan this month, and she can eat white flour in the factory, so why am I still eating steamed bread?"

Jia Dongxu increasingly felt that it was right to let his wife manage the money.

"Oh my, she had a sweet life first and a bitter life later. Sooner or later, she will have to live a hard life. You have to suffer first and then have a sweet life. When your salary increases, your life will be better."

Jia Zhang stretched out her hand to take the money.

Who knew that Jia Dongxu shook his head and said, "Mom, I'm married now. From now on, Bihua will manage the money at home. She will give me five dollars a month."

"What? Why should we let her manage the money?"

Jia Zhang was stunned, then she started cursing, "Okay, Chen Bihua, you are trying to trick Dongxu into going against me, right? I have always been in charge of the money in this family.

When Lao Jia was around, the money was handed over to me. This is the rule of the Jia family."

Chen Bihua was no pushover either, "Mom, Dongxu and I are married now, so there's no point in letting my mother-in-law manage our finances.

From now on, you don't have to worry about anything at home. I will buy everything for you to eat and drink. Just wait and enjoy your life!"

"Oh, you can't do that. You just got married. Do you know how to buy cheap vegetables? You can't manage this money well."

Jia Zhang was panicked. She was only in her forties. How could she be suppressed by her daughter-in-law?

"Mom, don't worry, I've learned all your tricks. I go to the morning market to buy cheap fresh vegetables, and go to the market to buy cheap meat in the late afternoon. I don't go to the grocery store to buy vegetables.

Every time I go to buy food, I learn not to buy too much, I keep an eye on the scale, and I don’t let anyone give me too little. ”

Chen Bihua refused to give in as this was a matter of great importance to her future life.

"This won't do! Dongxu, you can't be fooled by her!"

Jia Zhang was really panicked, as all her special skills had been learned.

Jia Dongxu shook his head, "Mom, Bihua is my wife, what can she do to me? I have already announced it publicly in the factory. From now on, my salary will be collected by Bihua."

"No, wuwu... I'll let the people in the hospital judge for themselves."

Jia Zhang ran to the door crying, opened the door curtain and rushed out. She ran too fast and fell down.

"Someone come, someone come quickly, the new daughter-in-law is bullying me."

Jia Zhang had a loud voice, and her crying attracted everyone in the middle courtyard. Some people who were out for a walk in the backyard heard what was happening and quickly turned back to call people to watch the fun.

(End of this chapter)