Chapter 83 Feeling at Home
Yan Bugui is very good at entertaining people and makes people feel at home.

As soon as we entered the courtyard, some middle-aged ladies came up to watch. Li Zhiguo introduced them to the others. When we arrived at the middle courtyard, we saw that the tables were already set up.

He Daqing was preparing the banquet with a few middle-aged ladies. Sha Zhu was also there wearing an apron. Only Cai Quanwu had gone out to ride a tricycle to earn money.

"The people in the Qin family aren't that great."

Jia Zhang muttered something in a low voice so that she was the only one who could hear it. Today was Li Zhiguo's day and she dared not bring bad luck upon herself.

"Ms. Jia Zhang, make some tea. I'll bring someone out later."

Li Zhiguo shouted from afar that today's tea reception in the courtyard was contracted by the Jia family for free, and it would be a waste if you don't drink it.

"Okay, Chi!"

Jia Zhang responded with a happy face. Li Zhiguo was hosting a banquet and she came to pour tea and entertain the guests.

The table was placed in front of her Jia family's door. This was not much different from the Jia family's wedding banquet, and it was festive.

Here, Li Zhiguo led the Qin family to the backyard. When they got into the house, they saw a radio and a sewing machine, which were all big items!

"Dad, I only have two rooms in this courtyard, with a small kitchen. It's unfair for Huairu to live a hard life with me."

Li Zhiguo was talking nonsense, trying to find joy in misery.

"You still feel wronged. We are living a life of luxury. This house is really nice."

This is what Qin Changchun thought, it is even more advanced than acting out his true self.

Yan Bugui and several middle-aged women were stunned after hearing this. How did this kid Li Zhiguo tell his father-in-law that he was a wealthy family with two rooms?

Qin Huairu also said: "I have not felt wronged, nor have I had a hard time. I have had a good life."

"It's a good day!"

Xiao Jingru also started to yell, saying that she didn't want to go home anymore after living such a busy life.

Everyone sighed, the Qin family had fallen into Li Zhiguo's hands.

Li Zhiguo was also worried that he would make mistakes if he spoke too much, so he said, "It's my birthday today, so I moved the banquet to the middle courtyard, and I can only arrange to show a movie in the evening.

Dad, Third Uncle, let's go to the middle courtyard to chat, drink some tea first, and get to know the residents in my courtyard."

"well!"

The Qin family naturally followed the arrangements. As for Qin Guangming, it was just a matter of course, as he was just a junior.

"Huai Ru, take the person over there, I'll pack up and come back."

Li Zhiguo also prepared some things and put them in the space, but it was difficult for him to take them out since everyone was here.

"Okay, brother!"

Qin Huairu took her father and third uncle to the central courtyard, and Xiao Jingru also took Qin Guangming for a stroll in the courtyard.

The second aunt couldn't help but ask, "Your name is Guangming, right? You give all your salary to your brother-in-law. Is it enough for you to spend?"

"My brother-in-law gives me five dollars a month, which is enough for me to spend."

Qin Guangming is also frugal. He can't spend all the five yuan every month and can save some to treat his friends in the village when they come over next time.

"Oh, they are all good kids."

Second Aunt had nothing to say and could only think that Li Zhiguo was really capable.

At this time, the second aunt went back to the house to get something, and then went to the middle courtyard to help in the kitchen.

Since this banquet was just a dinner, it was able to go quite well even without the support of gifts from the workers.

Suddenly, Liu Haizhong came back, not for a surprise inspection, but he came back early on purpose because such a big thing in the hospital could not be done without his supervision.

"Boss, you have seen the people from Old Qin's family in the middle courtyard, right?"

"I saw him. He looked like a real farmer. I asked him a few questions. The third uncle of the Qin family was a carpenter and had been working in the city recently.

Li Zhiguo's life is really good. Just today, he received another 100 yuan bonus from the factory, and also asked Qin Huairu to raise his salary. Starting next month, he will receive 33 yuan.

This is the same amount that Li Zhiguo earned when he was working before, and with the help of the Qin family, life will be great in the future."

Liu Haizhong's work level is not low and his salary is good, but he can't help but envy her.

"Oh, Li Zhiguo is really rich. But he spends money lavishly and doesn't know how to save money. I guess he will spend all the money in no time.

From now on, I will have to rely on the salary of Qin Huairu and Lao Qin's family to support me."

Second Aunt thought she understood everything, fortunately Li Zhiguo hadn't cheated her yet.

As the saying goes, a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor, and the bad boy also knows this truth.

"Second Aunt, are you home?"

Suddenly, the bad boy's voice was heard outside.

"Oh, your uncle is at home."

There seems to be nothing wrong with this statement, but it does not stand up to careful scrutiny.

"Yes, it's the Second Master I'm looking for."

Li Zhiguo was already at the door, but was forced to turn a corner to find the second uncle.

"Li Zhiguo, you want me to keep an eye on Xu Damao, don't worry, he'll go to the cinema to get equipment after lunch, and I think he'll be there soon. I'll go check it out."

Liu Haizhong had no doubts and hurried to the central courtyard to mix a cup of tea and then supervise the scene carefully.

"Second Aunt, I have something to talk to you about. What did you just say to me about Second Uncle?"

Li Zhiguo complained that he was almost tricked because of his carelessness, or did the aunt really have some ideas?
"Hey, isn't this a panic?"

The second aunt was also a little anxious, worried that the head of the family might misunderstand something.

"Well, you better not explain this."

Li Zhiguo quickly changed the subject, "Second Aunt, it's like this, you go and arrange for someone to push Old He's tricycle to the middle court.

Push one first, and when Old Cai comes back, pull the remaining one to the middle courtyard and park it outside Sha Zhu’s house.”

"Why did you ask someone to push a tricycle in? It takes up space and the table is already set up."

The second aunt was puzzled. Wasn't this just looking for trouble? It was difficult for her to refuse, but she had to ask for the reason.

"Watch the movie while sitting on the seat! This is the tricycle ticket. I'll find Lao He to explain it later."

This was the private room that Li Zhiguo suddenly thought of. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he and his wife could ride on a tricycle together, eat popcorn and watch a movie?

And there is a seat in the car that can be rented out. This is a regular three-wheeler and is allowed by policy.

"Well, you are the most troublesome one."

After saying this, the second aunt went to the Central Courtyard.

"No, what happened today? What he said was unbearable."

Li Zhiguo felt like he was going to get numb, so he decided to get down to business.

He returned to the house and had already taken out and put away the things he needed. Now he walked straight to the central courtyard carrying a large bag.

"Hey! Li Zhiguo, what good stuff did you bring?"

Sha Zhu shouted from a distance. He was not convinced. Why should he and his father help in the kitchen for this kid's birthday?

"Li Zhiguo, what did you prepare? It looks like peanuts. That's too much."

"It can't be peanuts. They must be dozens of kilograms. My goodness."

The people in Old Qin's family were also curious, but Qin Huairu looked confused, thinking that there was no such big bag at home.

Everyone gathered around immediately. Jia Zhang was the most active and was the first to rush to the front. She did not help in the kitchen and was only responsible for pouring tea.

"Look, this is some good stuff!"

Li Zhiguo dropped the bag on the ground, and there was a bang.

When he opened the bag, everyone took a look and realized that this guy would not be so generous.

"No, Li Zhiguo, what are you going to do with dozens of kilograms of corn?"

"You're having a banquet and you're still using cornmeal. We can't process it in our hospital."

Even Yan Bugui couldn't guess the intention, but Li Zhiguo would not do anything stupid.

At this moment, two strangers suddenly walked into the yard carrying things. When the young man saw them, he hurriedly said, "Brother Li, are you late?"

"You've come just in time! I've prepared all the corn, and if it's not enough, I'll have more."

For Li Zhiguo, corn costing a few cents per pound was not something that could be easily produced.

"Oh, I see. This is to make fried popcorn."

Yan Bugui was the first to react. This was outrageous. He didn't expect Li Zhiguo to have such an arrangement. It caught him off guard.

"Oh, there's popcorn."

"Niuniu, come out and watch the popcorn frying."

"I've seen that old man before. He used to sell popcorn in Beixinqiao."

The children in the yard started to make a noise, and the adults gathered around to watch. The two men took out their stuff from their backpacks.

A bellows, a small coal stove, a large blackened iron can, and a large cloth bag, all of which smelled of corn.

"Brother Li, my dad is frying corn for you here. I have work to do so I will go back first."

"Okay, I'll take care of your business later."

Li Zhiguo handed out cigarettes to the person and walked with him for a few steps before returning.

The old man had already set up his stall, right in front of the door of Yi Zhonghai's house, looking festive.

"Brother Li, I'll make you some popcorn right now, and I'll give you a glass of wine tonight."

The old man was already adding wood chips to the small stove and lighting a fire. "Uncle Zhang, you can fry as much as you want. There are many people in the yard and they all love to eat it."

Li Zhiguo ordered Sha Zhu to bring the bag of corn over and put it next to Uncle Zhang.

Just as the old man was getting ready, everyone called him aside and asked him questions.

"No, when did you get to know this old man? He changes places every day, so it's not easy to find him."

Yan Bugui was very surprised. The popcorn was so well arranged. It didn't cost much, but it was so festive, just like setting off firecrackers.

"His son Xiao Zhang worked in a restaurant, and that's how we met."

Li Zhiguo didn't explain much and turned to watch the popcorn being made. He had never seen it live, it only existed in his memory.

At this moment, the children in the yard had surrounded the old man, and many adults were also watching the fun.

Old man Zhang was almost ready, so he poured a small bowl of corn kernels into the tin can and added a few grains of saccharin.

Then he pulled the bellows with one hand and held the round handle at one end of the tin with the other hand, shaking it continuously.

This will take a while to roast, and everyone just watches it like this, it won't be boring to watch.

"Li Zhiguo, your teacup!"

Jia Zhang came over and handed the cup to the person, and then stood in front.

"Thank you!"

Li Zhiguo responded. He was holding little Jingru in his arms at the moment and wanted to watch the fun without leaving the child behind.

Finally, the pressure gauge on the black iron tank reached the preset pressure.

"Here it comes! They're going to make popcorn. I saw it last time."

A child was clapping his hands and making a noise, and then suddenly covered his ears to hide.

Old man Zhang got up from the bench and said, "Brother Li, I'm going to turn on the furnace. It's a bit noisy."

"Open, it's my birthday today, I want to hear the sound!"

Li Zhiguo asked Jia Zhang to stand in front so that if there was any danger, she could help block it. He did this mainly to protect Xiao Jingru.

"Hey!"

Old man Zhang responded and immediately picked up the hot iron can from the stove and put the can into a large and long cloth bag.

With an accurate kick of the foot, the iron lid on the top of the can was opened. There was a loud "bang" and the corn kernels burst out and went into the big cloth bag.

But there was also a cloud of smoke at the scene, and the smell was of corn kernels.

"Haha, wife, listen, even God can't stand this. He must be furious. How is Li Zhiguo going to celebrate his birthday?"

At the gate of the courtyard, Xu Damao came back on a cart. The noise just now almost scared him so much that he hid under the cart.

"Da Mao, don't talk nonsense. I'm going to see what's going on."

Tang Chunyan ran into the yard first, and then never came back. At this moment, everyone in the yard was eating popcorn in the middle yard.

Xu Damao had asked the cart driver to take the equipment to the front yard, but there was still no movement. Just when he was about to go in and call for help, he saw the second uncle coming out.

"Hey, Damao, you're back. Come in and have some popcorn. I'll keep an eye on it for you."

Liu Haizhong originally went to the toilet, but it wouldn’t hurt to hold it in for a while.

"Popcorn, not blast the stove!"

Xu Damao looked disappointed, wondering why couldn't God open his eyes.

"It's the frying pan, the popcorn oven. Go quickly, or you'll have to wait for the next one."

Liu Haizhong urged, "Go in and ask your second aunt to replace me."

"okay!"

Xu Damao wanted to see what was going on and where it came from...ah!

"Da Mao, come here, the popcorn is delicious."

Tang Chunyan waved in the crowd, holding a handful of popcorn in one hand and eating it happily.

There are so many people in the yard, there is not enough to share from one stove. They are already waiting for the next pot. Even if they don’t want to eat, they can still listen to the sound.

“It’s really popcorn!”

Xu Damao was confused. Who could have thought of this in advance? Who wouldn't be confused?

"Da Mao, you came at the right time. I want to discuss something with you. It's a very good thing."

Li Zhiguo rushed out from somewhere, grabbed the man and took him to a corner.

"Let's talk nicely. Don't be impulsive."

Xu Damao couldn't resist at all, this guy was too strong.

"That's great! Do you want a private room in the car? I'll give it to you for ten dollars."

He spent so much effort to come up with this idea, he can't just give it away for free. Xu Damao is rich, and the projectionist's salary is very good.

Others are promoted to level eight, with a salary of 35.5 yuan, the same as that of Sha Zhu, the cook. The bigger the number, the lower the level, with level one being the highest.

Moreover, the projectionist can often eat and drink, and can get things after finishing his work, which is better than Shazhu's job.

"No, what's ten dollars, and a flower car?"

Xu Damao thought, you can't fool people for no reason, he has already suffered a huge loss today.

"Don't be impatient, listen to me..."

Li Zhiguo immediately explained, "Well, if you don't want it, I'll give it to someone else."

"Then can't I go find Cai Quanwu myself?"

Xu Damao was moved. You have already told me the method, so how can I still give you money?
"You can try to find one. Lao He's car doesn't cost anything?
I also have to pay rent, and then I have to go out and buy flowers immediately after I'm done. They're so expensive, and they're all plucked from potted plants.

Forget it, I'll give the opportunity to Jia Dongxu. I guess Chunyan doesn't like this ceremony either."

Li Zhiguo said that he was about to leave, not afraid that Damao would not take the initiative.

"Ten dollars is too expensive. You have to pay less. I spent money to rent the equipment, and I also paid the money for the cart driver..."

Xu Damao felt that these were all tears. When he showed a movie, his family members including himself had to spend money to buy tickets.

"Five dollars, no less, it's fine, no way."

Li Zhiguo was not going to give in. If it was any less, he would not bother with it anymore and would just get the only one.

"Okay, I'll give you five dollars, but don't tell anyone about this, it will have a bad impact."

Xu Damao gritted his teeth and said, this buddy loves his wife so much that he is willing to give up anything to make her happy.

"I promise not to tell anyone. Just tell them that Lao He confiscated the five dollars he earned from helping me cook for free last time. Did I tell anyone?"

Li Zhiguo doesn't speak nonsense, and no one can expect to get secrets from him.

"No, you really didn't say that."

Xu Damao was confused. How do I know this now?
"Okay, it's settled. Let's go. The equipment is in front, right? I'll tell you how to move it to the middle yard."

Li Zhiguo took Damao away and did not forget to call Shazhu. However, brother Dongxu had not come back yet, which was not good.

Among the four progressive young men in Siheyuan, one is missing, and the situation has become worse.

Sha Zhu still had some brute strength, and he started moving things quickly when he got to the front yard. Xu Damao took the opportunity to take out five dollars and stuffed it into the little man's pocket.

"Okay, I won't treat you unfairly. I'll make sure you have a good night."

Li Zhiguo thought that the money he earned from corn had been returned. It didn't make sense for him to pay for his birthday out of his own pocket. He would not be happy that way.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about? I can't do the work alone!"

Shazhu was not happy because he had taken a leave of absence to work for free.

"Da Mao, go help me, I'm going to the bathroom and will be back soon."

Li Zhiguo slipped away. It was his birthday and we couldn't do anything.

"Bah! What kind of person is this? All he knows is to be lazy."

Xu Damao kept muttering to himself, but he still had to continue working. He had to set up the equipment for projecting the movie, pull the wires, adjust the position, etc.

Putting on a good movie is not as easy as you think.

Apart from anything else, Xu Damao is very serious about his work. Since he started showing movies, there have been almost no playback accidents.

"boom!"

Suddenly, there was another loud noise from the middle courtyard, and everyone rushed forward to grab popcorn.

Jia Zhang, who was standing in the front, had already grabbed a handful, but because she was greedy, she stuffed it into her mouth, and it was squeezed out in an instant.

"Eat, eat, eat. I hope you guys won't die of fullness. You guys are all so greedy."

Jia Zhang cursed and squeezed in again.

……

Time passed quickly, and almost all the preparations were ready, including the barbecue grill.

Cai Quanwu also came back from outside. With the enthusiastic help of Xu Damao, he pushed the tricycle to the central courtyard, leaving him confused.

"Lao Cai, I drank a few more glasses tonight, and I'll trouble you to pull a cart for me."

Xu Damao had never had any interaction with Wobo before, but today he had to ask someone for a favor.

"Xu Damao, I won't be driving today. Besides, the car has already reached the Central Courtyard."

Cai Quanwu didn't figure out what was going on.

(End of this chapter)