Chapter 49 There's something interesting to watch

Li Zhiguo was no exception. Jia Zhang took the initiative to pull out a stool for him and let him sit in the main seat.

Chen Bihua quickly took out the things one after another, starting with a large bag of mountain products, including dried mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, and wild Codonopsis pilosula.

The Codonopsis pilosula that Chen Bihua took out was a large bunch of dried ones. They were of good age and quite expensive, selling for four yuan per pound.

Then he took out some dried herbs, such as Centella asiatica, Dwarf Tea Tree, and Panax notoginseng, but he didn't recognize the rest.

There are also wild yams, and he took out a large bag of sweet potatoes.

Finally, I took a string of smoked sparrow meat, a few smoked bamboo chickens and a pressed duck.

Chen Bihua followed up by saying, “My parents also gave me ten yuan, but this year I forgot to inform my family in advance, so all the fresh chickens and ducks were taken by my sister-in-law.”

She had almost collected all the food in the house, except for the cornmeal and wheat.

Li Zhiguo nodded and commented: "It's already very good. My brother Dongxu is lucky. I envy him for being able to marry such a good wife."

"Hey!"

Chen Bihua felt that Li Zhiguo was very good to her and had even given her advice last time.

"It's pretty good!"

Jia Dongxu was proud of himself. Although he was not satisfied with not getting more meat, he still had ten dollars.

"Okay, Bihua, my Jia family did not marry the wrong daughter-in-law."

Jia Zhang was also happy, because now the family had New Year's goods.

But Li Zhiguo suddenly reached out and took a handful of Codonopsis pilosula, about three taels. It was a good stuff, and whoever saw it could have a share.

"Dongxu, you know I have a bad stomach. Take some of this root back to stew meat. You can teach your wife carefully in the future. I can also repair sewing machines. You have made a profit."

"No, why did you take it?"

Jia Dongxu didn't recognize what this whisker was, but it was brought by his own wife, so how could he let Li Zhiguo take advantage of it?

Who knew that Jia Zhang said, "Dongxu, look at you, we have so many things at home, and he only took a few, it's not a problem."

Chen Bihua moved her lips. Among the herbs she brought home, the most expensive one was the Codonopsis pilosula, which was hidden by her parents. She could get three dollars and eighty cents per pound at the purchasing station, and if sold to private individuals, people would rush to buy it for four dollars and fifty cents.

But when she thought about how good Li Zhiguo was to her, she kept silent.

Seeing that everyone was watching, Jia Dongxu had no choice but to say, "Okay, I'll give you a bargain."

“Dongxu, it’s not cheap!”

Li Zhiguo smiled, picked up the Codonopsis pilosula and wanted to run away. Before leaving, he found two wild yams.

"No, why are you still taking it?"

Jia Dongxu almost chased out, if he had known he would not have kept this villain.

"Dongxu, he is just like that, shameless, don't bother with him."

Jia Zhang pretended to be generous. The aunts were all watching and knew that her Jia family was not short of money.

"Bihua, tell me what good things these are. Why don't I recognize many of them?"

Jia Zhang also married into the city from the countryside, but her village was poor.

"Well, this is the dwarf tea wind, which is very good for treating coughs. This is the plantain seed and Panax notoginseng..."

At the end, Chen Bihua paused and said, "This is Codonopsis root. With such good quality, the dried product can be sold for 4.5 yuan per pound."

"How many?"

Jia Zhang was stunned. This pound of meat would have to be exchanged for six pounds of fat meat.

"Wife, you just said 4.5 yuan per pound?"

Jia Dongxu was so confused that he wanted to run out of the house as soon as he came to his senses. "Oh, Li Zhiguo must have known the value of the goods. He took away three taels of silver."

"Oh my god, this is immoral. This is the codonopsis pilosula my wife brought back."

Jia Zhang had never tasted such delicious food in her life. While her son and daughter-in-law were not paying attention, she secretly took one and hid it in her pocket.

"Mom, Dongxu, forget it! We still have a pound of it left at home, which is enough for you to replenish your body. Yams are also very nutritious."

Chen Bihua also felt distressed, because what Li Zhiguo took was worth only a little more than one dollar.

Jia Zhang was very upset. She still owed the bad boy eight pairs of shoes. Not only did he rob Qin Huairu, but he also robbed her new bride's family.

"Bihua, I'll listen to you this time. Only Li Zhiguo is not here, otherwise I would have to hit him twice."

Jia Dongxu was stubborn for a while, then quickly packed up his things.

But he had no idea that the aunties in this courtyard were not easy to deal with. They didn't care whether the things were good or not and had already taken some secretly.

After the aunts left the Jia family, they looked at each other and smiled.

"Li Zhiguo is really amazing. He even took advantage of the Jia family."

"That's right. We followed and searched a little. I took a yam."

"I lost money, so I just took a sweet potato."

"I'm fine. I grabbed a handful of dried mushrooms."

"Wait, I just came to my senses. Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi don't know Codonopsis, but my young wife Chen Bihua knows it."

"Now that you mention it, it's true. Why didn't Chen Bihua expose Li Zhiguo? She just called him Brother Li. I think there's something wrong."

"Stop talking, Chen Bihua is pregnant, there's no chance for her to do anything."

At this point the aunties suddenly looked at each other and said, "Go away. Don't be lenient with others and stop spreading gossip."

"Brother, where did you get the yam, and what is this?"

Qin Huairu just came out of the main room and was about to go to the kitchen next door to cook.

"This is Codonopsis pilosula. The daughter-in-law of the Jia family brought some from her mother. She gave me some. It's only about three taels. One tael can be used to stew a chicken. It's very nutritious."

Li Zhiguo divided the Codonopsis pilosula in his hand into three portions. He had to nourish himself well. After the Codonopsis pilosula was stewed until soft, it tasted good.

"Ah! Codonopsis sounds valuable. Did she bring back a lot of things?"

Qin Huairu was a little nervous. Even though it seemed like he often took things from her, most of them were fake because her family was not well off.

"They are all mountain products. Even if Codonopsis is expensive, it's only a few yuan per pound. I guess it's empty-handed. Besides, my parents can feed chickens, and I love to eat this."

Li Zhiguo really wasn't envious, because he came from a wealthy family and wouldn't take advantage of his father-in-law's family.

"Hey! Then I'll ask my parents to feed more chickens."

Qin Huairu took the Codonopsis pilosula and went to stew the chicken.

“Raise more hens so they can lay eggs!”

Li Zhiguo shouted, and when he turned around he saw Xu Damao walking in.

"Li Zhiguo, you're back now."

Xu Damao looked very happy. From now on, this house belonged to him.

"Da Mao, when are you going to get married? I have to have a drink with you."

He can't miss this dinner, otherwise other families won't invite him.

"Next weekend, on the ninth day of the first lunar month, I'll marry her early and make Sha Zhu envious."

Xu Damao grinned, he was also a married man.

"The ninth day of the lunar year is a good day. My sister Xu has to come back to help you with the banquet. How many tables do you plan to invite? Do you want to buy any big items?"

Mr. Xu is rich and has saved a lot, but he is also quite stingy.

"Just like you did last time, I'll also set up fifteen tables. My family will buy a sewing machine, and the girl will give me a watch as a gift."

Xu Damao thought of the watch right away, which could make him look inferior to others, but it was not as practical as a bicycle.

“Then you’ve earned it.”

Li Zhiguo did not mention teaching sewing machines at this time, but Damao will figure it out later.

"Da Mao, I won't keep you late. Go back and cook." "Uh, okay!"

Xu Damao's good mood suddenly faded a lot. Yes, his mother moved away, and he had to start his own business.

In just a short while, the second aunt came over to talk about Xu Damao and mentioned the watch. The news spread quickly.

Qin Huairu was cooking in silence, thinking about the people in the courtyard getting married. Not to mention that Chen Bihua brought back good things, but Xu Damao's wife was a city girl, so she even gave him a watch.

When she got married, she didn't bring anything into the house, and she had to serve the man well.

In the evening, Li Zhiguo drank chicken soup stewed with Codonopsis pilosula. It had a slight medicinal flavor, but it was very light and delicious.

"Brother, why do you like me? My family is not well off."

Qin Huairu is a hard-working person and cannot sit idle.

"I like your diligence and ability! You will be a member of the Li family in this life and the next."

Li Zhiguo stroked Qin Huairu's hair and told her to stop covering her face.

The most touching thing is the gentleness of lowering the head, just like a white lotus being shy in the cool breeze.

……

The happy Spring Festival ended on the third day. We went back to work as usual on the fourth day. At least we got through Monday, so it was equivalent to one day less this week.

After Qin Huairu arrived at the factory, she went to the infirmary to pretend to be sick. She also learned how to slack off at work in a reasonable way.

"Master Qin, there is a high probability that you are pregnant. You can go to a big hospital to confirm it this weekend.

If you are pregnant, you have to be careful and not have sex in the first three months or the last three months."

The infirmary is staffed by a female doctor in her forties who is proficient in both Chinese and Western medicine.

"Yeah! No roommate."

Qin Huairu's cheeks felt a little hot. She didn't leave in a hurry and stayed in the infirmary for a while.

"Qin Huairu, why did you come so late today?"

Aunt Chen asked, and worried that people would be late, so she helped to call out.

"I went to the infirmary. Doctor Zhu said there's a high chance I'm pregnant. I'll go for another checkup on Sunday."

Qin Huairu knew what her husband was thinking and that he wanted her to have a third child.

"Oh, you have to be careful not to carry heavy things. But your position is good, you can sit and work, it's not tiring."

Aunt Chen, as the master, will take care of it. If she says something, not only the team leader but even the workshop director will give her some face.

"Qin Huairu is pregnant now. It seems that Li Zhiguo is quite capable."

"What kind of skill is this? With such a beautiful wife, you have to do it every day."

"Stop talking, Jia Dongxu is right next to us, he will be sad if he hears it."

Jia Dongxu couldn't help it and shouted, "My wife is pregnant too, I'm not envious."

"Jia Dongxu, are you really not sad? Qin Huairu had a blind date with you... Forget it."

Tang Rude stopped and decided not to add to the hatred.

"Why should I be sad? Don't talk nonsense."

Jia Dongxu didn't notice that his voice was somewhat choked.

However, thinking about Qin Huairu being pregnant and unable to go to work for several months, Li Zhiguo's life became difficult.

He is different. He will earn 27.5 yuan after working for a while, and then ask his wife to increase his food allowance by 50 cents every month.

Suddenly, the dark-faced director walked into the workshop with an excited look on his face. "Comrades, great news! Today, the pencil sharpener invented by Li Zhiguo in our workshop has been launched on the market. It is sold in major department stores, agency stores, and state-owned stores.

The selling price is 60 cents. The higher-ups have decided to affiliate the pencil sharpener factory to our Red Star Steel Rolling Mill as a branch. Twenty percent of the profits will be handed over to our factory. In the future, we can pay more for labor insurance.

If the performance is good, everyone in the factory will be given an enamel cup this month. We have to thank Li Zhiguo for his efforts. "

The dark-faced director is over 50 years old. Even if he can't get a promotion, at least he can retire with honor. When the time comes, he can let his youngest son take over the job and be taken care of by the factory.

"Oh, this is such a happy event."

"Qin Huairu, your man has made great progress."

"Qin Huairu, say hello to Li Zhiguo for me."

Qin Huairu's face was filled with joy. It was such an honor. But when she thought about her husband who was still a street official, she became confused about how to choose a job in the future.

Jia Dongxu felt very unhappy. Although he had gained an advantage in some way, he did not get any glory.

"Uncle, can you teach me how to make a pencil sharpener?"

"Dongxu, don't aim too high. First, tap the holes and lay a solid foundation."

After Yi Zhonghai measured Jia Dongxu's talent ceiling last time, he decided not to teach him any more skills, which in turn slowed down Jia Dongxu's upgrade.

The Jia family has always had a hard time, so Jia Dongxu could provide for him in his old age.

Yi Zhonghai was originally optimistic about Sha Zhu, but who knew that He Daqing didn't make it that time...

"Uncle, I have a good foundation, I just want to learn something else. After three years, I can pass the assessment and become a first-class worker. After five years, I will be promoted to a second-class worker, and I will have 38.60 yuan a month."

Jia Dongxu was thinking, how can he spend all that money?

"It's too early to take the test. If you want to learn how to make a pencil sharpener, then use your lunch break. A master can only teach you how to make a pencil sharpener, but it's up to you to practice."

After giving some encouragement, Yi Zhonghai went back to his own work. He wanted to be promoted to level eight worker as soon as possible and save enough money for his retirement.

"Then I'll think about it at noon."

Jia Dongxu continued drilling screw holes with a smile. He had been drilling for more than three months and could do it with his eyes closed.

……

But Li Zhiguo left the yard this morning. Chen Xueru had received a batch of goods before the New Year, and he wanted to help with the accounting.

On the first of this month, he worked a part-time job for one day and earned fifty yuan.

"Hey, here you come!"

After Chen Xueru opened the door in the morning, she looked at the door many times and finally saw the person coming.

"Where's the purchase order?"

Li Zhiguo went straight to the point and settled the bill early so as not to delay lunch.

"Why are you in such a hurry? It's the Spring Festival. Aren't you going to give me something?"

Chen Xueru stretched out her hand. She had given a lot of gifts, so she wanted a return gift today.

"No, I don't give gifts to others easily. In my courtyard, it's always others who give me things."

Li Zhiguo said this, but he still reached into his pocket and took out a small gadget.
Others can't hold this thing, but it's a piece of cake for Chen Xueru.

"Ah! The gold ring."

Chen Xueru was surprised. This was no small gift.

"Hey, there's actually a character 'Ru' on it. I like it very much."

After Chen Xueru got the ring, she found it was very exquisite. The key point was that the word "Ru" was so beautiful.

"The gift is small but the sentiment is great! I made it myself and was planning to give it to my wife, but I happened to give it to you."

Li Zhiguo is not being modest. Nowadays, the price of gold is less than eight yuan per gram. His ring weighs only a little over seven grams, which is worth only about fifty yuan. For a wealthy woman, it is just a drop in the bucket.

"By the way, your wife's name is Qin Huairu, which has the character 'Ru' in it, just like mine."

As Chen Xueru spoke, she put the ring on her ring finger. The size was just right.

"Ahem... No, just wear it on your index finger."

Li Zhiguo then realized that Chen Xueru was different from others. She understood Western culture and was a trendsetter.

(End of this chapter)