Chapter 75 Qin Jingru

"Go slowly on the road, don't buy anything else, there are vegetables in the courtyard."

Qin Huairu was sent to the door. She said this man was good in every way except that he was good at spending money.

"Go back!"

Li Zhiguo waved his hand and rode away on his bike.

Qin Huairu then returned and looked the courtyard over again, deciding that she could still accommodate three children.

"Jingru, is my brother-in-law's house nice?"

"Yeah, brother-in-law is the best."

Little Qin Jingru, holding a candied fruit in her mouth and a broom, also wanted to help with the cleaning.
But Li Zhiguo came out of the compound and arrived at the silk shop soon after. The signboard had been changed and the shop had been renovated, and business was good.

He mainly does the accounting and occasionally gives advice, and doesn't care about anything else.

"Brother Li, you've come at the right time. Officer Gang Fan is here again."

Chuntao came up and explained the situation.

"What is he doing here? I'm going to go inside and listen. You cover me."

Li Zhiguo waved his hand and asked Chuntao to walk in front while he followed behind.

When they reached the inner hall, Chuntao leaned against the wall to indicate that they could not go any further or they would be discovered.

Li Zhiguo suddenly felt that he had to be more careful when talking in the inner hall in the future, as Chuntao might overhear him.

There were not only Fan Jinyou and Chen Xueru in the inner hall, but also the store's accountant, Lao Zhang, a man in his fifties.

"Boss Chen, Hou Cheng is simply not a human being. How could he go abroad right after getting married to you? I don't think he cares about you at all."

Fan Jinyou had just found out that Chen Xueru and Hou Cheng had obtained a marriage certificate, and Hou Cheng had run away. This was the perfect opportunity.

"Commissioner Fan, my man has gone to the Ugly Country, but he will come back in the future, so you don't have to worry about him."

Chen Xueru held the teacup and had hinted several times, but this man didn't understand.

"Boss Chen, you are an active merchant in our street, and your business is also the street's business."

Fan Jinyou has now moved into a rented courtyard, and the original slum is also being sold. He doesn't have to worry about money in the short term, so he has the courage.

"I'm sorry, Officer Fan, I have something else to do, so I won't see you off."

Chen Xueru stood up to see the guests off, unable to continue the conversation. Suddenly, she saw Chuntao and called out, "Chuntao, I'm going to the backyard. Please take care of things in the front."

"Okay Sister Xueru!"

Chun Tao quickly waved her hands back and turned around and said, "Cadre Fan is about to come out."

"Well, I'll go in through the back door."

Li Zhiguo doesn't want to meet Fan Jinyou for the time being. He should be careful about his relationship with Chen Xueru, all for the sake of the child.

Then he went to the alley next to it, which was quite hidden and not easy to be found.

Li Zhiguo saw Fan Jin walking down the street with a gloomy face. This kid is comparable to the people from the old He family.

He shook his head, turned around and went into the alley, then arrived at the back door of the courtyard.

"Tuk-tuk!"

As soon as I knocked on the door, it opened.

"I knew it was you."

Chen Xueru smiled and opened the door. "Come in quickly. Why are you hiding? We are open and aboveboard. We are not afraid of what others may say."

"Still be careful, there are people inside, don't talk nonsense."

Li Zhiguo walked in while talking, knowing that she was joking with him, the rich young woman kept her mouth shut.

"Ok!"

Chen Xueru nodded and said, "Come and visit the tailor shop. By the way, the things of the painter have been cleared into the utility room. They are useless and the street doesn't want them anymore."

"Leave it there, I'll deal with it later when I have time."

Li Zhiguo didn't take it seriously. He thought that catching a spy was just luck and it couldn't be repeated.

"Auntie Fang is busy."

When he reached the room, he greeted everyone.

"Yes, the work is piling up."

Aunt Fang's face was full of smiles. After cooperating with the silk shop, life became better for her group of tailors. Not only did they have more work, but they also had lunch provided.

"That's good!"

After taking a look at the situation inside, Li Zhiguo and Chen Xueru returned to the front hall and chatted about family matters in the small office.

"Xue Ru, I'll send you the summer clothing designs in a while. You can sell the summer clothing after you clear out the spring clothing..."

"Well, let's not talk about that for now. Have you thought of a name for our child? I think I have one."

Chen Xueru touched her belly. It was still a few days before her period, but she already felt pregnant.

"Well, the child will take your last name. As for the name, don't worry about it yet. We don't know whether it's a boy or a girl yet."

Li Zhiguo was not sure about this as he had no experience.

"It must be a boy!"

Well, Chen Xueru also has the idea of ​​favoring boys over girls.

After staying for a while, he helped to calculate the bill in the store and wanted to leave.

"Wait, Fan Jinyou keeps coming to me to show his affection, I'm getting fed up. He's a neighborhood cadre, I can't just hide from him every time, I have to meet him at least once."

Chen Xueru mentioned this matter. Although it would not take much time, she did not want to cause any misunderstanding.

"Okay, I'll take care of it on Monday. I think he's just too idle. I'll ask the director to find him something to do."

Li Zhiguo thought about it and felt that it would be difficult to drive Fan Jinyou off the street, after all, it was a stable job.

But this position is flexible, all you have to do is keep yourself busy.

"That's about it. I'm leaving now."

He looked at his watch and realized it was time to go to the compound first.

"Well, come back on Monday then."

Chen Xueru helped to straighten the collar.

"Yes, I have to go to the street too."

Li Zhiguo then went out through the back door and rode his bicycle outside the next store.

When they arrived at the big courtyard, before finishing work, he took his wife and little Qin Jingru and left first, and then his father-in-law and his third uncle would go back to the small courtyard.

"Brother-in-law, you smell so good."

Little Qin Jingru sat on the front bumper, sniffing her little nose. Her sense of smell was quite sharp.

“This is sandalwood.”

Li Zhiguo responded casually without any explanation.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Qin Huairu started to cook.

"Huai Ru, you go ahead and do your work. I suddenly remembered something and have to go out for a while. I'll be back for dinner later."

"Okay, brother."

Qin Huairu asked Jingru to help her, and wait, her brother would be back from get off work and could also help.

Li Zhiguo followed him and left. It was not because he was looking for an excuse to be lazy, but because he suddenly remembered that he had not paid the bill for the flour he had bought on credit last month.

We had agreed to go on the 3rd, but I forgot about it yesterday because of He Daqing's incident.

It wasn't long before we arrived at Zengji Grain Store, luckily it was still open.

"Boss Zeng, I'm here."

"Comrade, you came just in time. I've left 50 kilograms of flour for you. You don't have to rush to pay."

Boss Zeng was threatened last time, but this time he took the initiative because the news was not right.

People from the street came more and more frequently, and they even talked to him once to calculate the cost of the grain station.

"I left another fifty kilograms. I haven't finished eating the ones from last month."

Li Zhiguo didn't buy any food yesterday. His excuse was that he still had some at home, but he was too lazy to queue up and didn't want to trouble the aunties.

"Comrade, save it for later."

Seeing that there were not many people around at the moment, Boss Zeng sent the clerk away while he went to talk to someone.

"Okay! Still the original price?"

Li Zhiguo was not short of this little bit of food, but he also needed traces of having purchased the food.

"Yes, the original price is 1.7 cents, the same as in the state-owned stores."

As Boss Zeng spoke, he personally took out fifty kilograms of flour from the cabinet.

"The bell rang yesterday, so I'm not short of money."

"Hey, there's no rush."

Boss Zeng wanted to refuse, but when he saw that the person was about to give it to him, he accepted it.

"Comrade, you are from the street, can you tell me about public-private partnership?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhiguo guessed what was going on.

"Boss Zeng, I know what you're worried about. Just let it go. The trend is irreversible. My suggestion is that you should compete for the first place on this street. You'll always be better than others."

"Oh! Is there really nothing you can do?"

Boss Zeng sighed and looked worried.

"Leave me 50 kilograms of flour every month, and I will notify you if there is any situation."

Li Zhiguo can't help much. The wheel of history keeps rolling and no one can stop it.

He walked out of the store carrying the flour and met an acquaintance.

"Da Mao, why are you here?"

What a surprise! People shouldn't come here.

"Li Zhiguo, have you bought the grain?"

Xu Damao's eyes lit up, "Don't mention it, Chunyan didn't get up in the morning yesterday and forgot to buy food.

I went to my mom's place after get off work today, but I didn't buy much. I'm going back to the hospital, so I came to see if I can still buy some."

"I say, Damao, you are so lazy that you even forgot to buy food. I asked Boss Zeng to reserve some for you. There is no share for you."

Li Zhiguo would not transfer grain because it would become more valuable as time went on.

"Alas, my family is short of food this month."

It’s not that Xu Damao really has no other solution, he just thinks it’s troublesome.

"Okay, you think of a solution. I'm leaving now. I'll go see your mom someday when I'm free. I haven't seen her for a while and I miss her so much."

Li Zhiguo placed the flour on the back seat, tied it up, got on the car, and drove away.

"Bah, virtue."

Xu Damao was upset and hurried to ask the grain store owner, but he paid a high price but still couldn't buy any grain.

"No, Boss Zeng, you are being unfair. Li Zhiguo is from the same courtyard as me. Why did you give him food?"

Boss Zeng wanted to say that the other person was from the street, but he changed his words and said, "The other person made a reservation last month and will get 50 kilograms of flour from me every month. You should leave now. I have to close the shop because I have no more food."

"I bother!"

Xu Damao left cursing. Why did this happen? Li Zhiguo didn't go to work, but still bought so much flour every month. How could he not be stuffed to death?

After Li Zhiguo came out of the grain station, he felt it was not appropriate to bring the flour to the courtyard because if Xu Damao saw it, he would have to take it back, otherwise it would not match.

I thought it wouldn't waste any time, so I might as well go there. It's on my way.

"Oh, you bought so much flour again!"

Yan Bugui found a few more pots and came back, wanting to plant some flowers and plants in the spring, otherwise he would have nothing to do when he came back every day.

"Don't mention it. I bought on credit at the grain station last month. When I went to settle the bill today, I found out that they had reserved another 50 kilograms of flour for me. I had no choice but to continue buying on credit.

By the way, I just ran into Xu Damao buying food, he will probably be back soon."

He also indirectly confirmed that the family had enough food, but it was bought on credit.

"You bought it at the original price? Then you won't lose money. It's good to save some food. It's getting harder and harder to buy food now."

Yan Bugui could only sigh that others were calculating and he could not envy them.

"Hey, where's your wife Qin Huairu? She didn't come back with you."

"It's like this, my father-in-law has been in the city for a while, and he has found a job, but the salary is not high, only a dozen yuan a month.

He lives with my brother-in-law Qin Guangming, and Huairu cooks in the rented house over there, so I have to go over there for a meal after I come back and put away the food."

There is no control over food stamps yet, and many farmers go to the city to work. Some drive tricycles, some work as porters, etc. It is not difficult to find a temporary job.

"Oh, so there are three of you doing the work, but you're the only one getting paid?"

Yan Bugui was stunned. Although Li Zhiguo had mentioned this matter before, he didn't expect it to happen so soon.

No wonder he just bought a radio and dared to buy 50 kilograms of flour today.

"Not that much. I have to leave ten dollars for my father-in-law, who also has to pay the rent.

I won’t talk any more. I’ll stay over there after drinking tonight and will be back tomorrow.”

Li Zhiguo said this as he carried the flour and walked towards the central courtyard, without even pushing his bicycle in, as it would be troublesome.

"Hey, this kid is just lucky."

Yan Bugui muttered something and continued to fiddle with the flowers and plants.

"Li Zhiguo, you bought food."

As soon as I reached the backyard, I was stopped by Damao's wife.

"It's Chunyan. Well, I just went to the grain station to buy on credit. I met Damao outside. He was also buying grain."

Li Zhiguo was not worried about the Xu family's food. They were better off and could eat out if they couldn't buy food.

Moreover, Damao and his wife both have parents to rely on, so their life is really extraordinary.

"Oh, no wonder Damao didn't come back to cook."

Tang Chunyan also slowly learned to do housework. She had already lit the stove in advance, and would wait for Damao to come back and knead the dough so she could start steaming.

"Well, I have something else to do. I'll chat with you tomorrow."

Li Zhiguo put the flour in the kitchen, locked the door and left.

Before Banggeng appeared, the yard was very safe and nothing had been lost for many years.

It’s not uncommon for there to be so many aunties who don’t work in the yard. There are also spies from the Yan family in the front yard.

When he rode his bicycle out of the yard, he actually ran into acquaintances in the alley. He really couldn't avoid these brothers today.

"Silly, busy."

"Hi!"

Sha Zhu responded and fell silent. He was sweeping the alley with a big broom in his hand, looking embarrassed. It was clearly his father's fault, but he was being punished for it.

"Silly Zhu, don't blame your father. It wasn't easy for him to raise you. You should also pursue your own happiness, right?"

Li Zhiguo stopped the car and tried to persuade people.

"Hey, don't blame my dad. He also needs to recover from his injuries. I'll take his place and sweep the alley for a few days. It'll only take a while. It won't interfere with his work. But..."

Sha Zhu suddenly stopped, not knowing whether he should say it or not.

"But what?"

Li Zhiguo handed over a cigarette.

Seeing that there was no one around, Sha Zhu whispered, "Li Zhiguo, where did my father hide the jade? I have never seen it since I was a child, and my mother didn't mention it when she was around."

"I go……"

Li Zhiguo was stunned. This person with a discerning eye knew it was a lie as soon as he heard it, but he actually fooled Sha Zhu?

"Shazhu, you have to study Dream of the Red Chamber, or The Story of the Stone. I think the secret is in that book, so figure it out yourself!"

He ran away after he said that. Don't get fooled by anyone.

"Hey, this guy has a point. Let's go to the bookstore on our tricycle tomorrow."

Shazhu was happy, but when he came to his senses he hurried to clean the alley, and then he had to go back to cook!

When Li Zhiguo arrived at the courtyard and opened the door, he already had a bag of flour in his hand. He also needed food and drink.

He provides the flour and the Qin family provides the chickens. Today, Uncle San also brought some meat and vegetables.

"Brother-in-law!"

"Brother-in-law is back."

Qin Guangming had already arrived and was helping with the work, and little Qin Jingru was not left behind either.

"Well! Guangming, carry the flour in and put it there. Don't save it. We have to eat our fill."

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Qin Guangming quickly ran over to take the bag, and was overjoyed.

Li Zhiguo rested for a while, and his father-in-law came back with his third uncle. There was a dish and peanuts on the table, so they started drinking.

"Uncle San, take your time making the furniture. When the farming season comes, you can go back to the village and work for a few days before coming back."

Li Zhiguo thought that if the furniture he made was really good, he could keep his uncle in the city and continue to expand his team.

"Your uncle can help with the farm work at home, so it won't be a problem."

Qin Changchun finally came to the city and can live in such a nice courtyard. He doesn't want to go back to the countryside in the short term.

"Okay, Jingru, come stay with me for a while. If I need anything, I'll send her to the compound."

Through observation, Li Zhiguo found that little Qin Jingru was easy to take care of, could work, and did housework well, but she just couldn't cook.

"That's good. Uncle is worried about Jingru running around every day."

Qin Changchun was also happy for his younger daughter to be close to her brother-in-law, as that would ensure they would have a good life in the future.

As they were talking, little Qin Jingru arrived, and Qin Guangming and Qin Huairu came with dishes, and they started eating together.

After dinner and washing up, little Qin Jingru got into bed again.

"Hey, Jingru, you have to sleep on the side tonight. Your sister is pregnant, don't kick her belly."

Li Zhiguo hugged the man and leaned against him.

"Hehe, my brother-in-law and I share a bed, it's warm."

Little Qin Jingru is not shy, especially since he is her brother-in-law.

Qin Huairu closed the door and came in, muttering, "You keep clinging to your brother-in-law day after day. Let's see how long you can cling to him. You will grow up in a few years and it will be time for you to get married."

"Huai Ru, don't say these things. Jing Ru is still young and can't understand."

Li Zhiguo shook his head.

"Sister, I don't understand."

Little Qin Jingru got into bed, trying to play hide-and-seek, but fell asleep soon after.

Qin Huairu also turned off the lights and reached out to pull the quilt for the man. It was a bit chilly at night in April.

"Huai Ru, please give me a daughter in the future!"

Li Zhiguo thinks his daughter is a nice guy and is clingy.

"Brother, if you like daughters, you have to wait until you give birth to a boy."

Qin Huairu smiled, touched her belly, lay down against the man, and soon fell asleep.

Now it was Li Zhiguo who was in the middle. He stared at the beams for a moment, then reached out and pulled the light cord, turned off the lights and took a rest.

Qin Guangming also fell asleep in another room in the yard. After a day's work, he had to get up early the next morning to cook breakfast.

The eldest and second sons of the Qin family were chatting in the house. It was rare for the two brothers to be in the same room.

"Brother, your son-in-law is really great. He has two yards, a shop, and can even arrange a job for you.

He is kind, and he is also very nice to my daughter Jingru, and he is also very polite to me."

Qin Changqing muttered to himself that if he could have a son-in-law who was half as good as him in the future, he would be very lucky.

"It's my Huairu who is lucky. Third brother, if you make furniture for her, maybe she can stay in the city in the future."

The two brothers chatted for a long time before falling asleep.

(End of this chapter)