Chapter 92 Fish

"Qin Huairu, you're back from get off work."

"Qin Huairu, you are not tired from work, are you? Your husband caught another fish, weighing six or seven kilograms, it is quite big."

When Qin Huairu returned to the yard, the aunties greeted her one after another. She knew very well that it was all because of her man.

When she heard that there was another big fish, she hurriedly said, "Then I'll go back and stew the fish. My husband doesn't know how to cook."

"Don't worry, Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao are helping to cook. You can start eating soon."

Mrs. Chen stopped the person and wanted to talk to him. If she had a good relationship with Qin Huairu, it would be easier to talk to Li Zhiguo.

"Jia Dongxu? Isn't he sick? Why is he helping my family cook?"

Qin Huairu was a little confused. This guy didn't go to work but came to her house to help. This was really crazy.

"What disease could Jia Dongxu have? He can eat and sleep well. He is just lazy..."

Sun Erniang gossiped without hesitation and she couldn't stand people who pretended to be sick, but Li Zhiguo was really sick, so the situation was different.

Chen Bihua walked past awkwardly. She came back together with Qin Huairu, but everyone acted as if they didn't see her.

She felt very uncomfortable in the factory today. No one talked to her. In the end, she took the initiative to find Qin Huairu for lunch, otherwise she would have been bored all day.

Now back in the courtyard, seeing Qin Huairu being warmly received by the aunties, she felt indescribably envious and thought she was lucky to be favored by Brother Li.

Chen Bihua returned home with mixed feelings. She lifted the door curtain and saw that the stove was still cold, so she knew that the fire was not on.

"Mom, I'm back. I'll cook right away."

"Hey, don't move. From now on, you are not allowed to cook."

Jia Zhang came out with a pair of new soles for Li Zhiguo. After she coaxed him, he would continue to help her in the future.

"Mom, I haven't treated you unfairly, so why don't you let me cook?"

Chen Bihua was dumbfounded. How could things be different after just one day of work?

"Bihua, mom doesn't dislike you. She wants to train Dongxu."

Jia Zhang felt that she had to explain the interests involved clearly to her daughter-in-law.

"Bihua, you didn't know that Dongxu didn't cook or wash clothes today. He just lay in bed and slept.

While Li Zhiguo got up in the morning to buy vegetables and went fishing for big fish, Dongxu did nothing all day.

This won't work, so Mom decided that Dongxu would be responsible for all the housework from now on, including buying groceries and cooking.

Don't spoil him by not letting him help. Mom suffered the same fate in the beginning, and she spoiled Dongxu."

"what!"

Chen Bihua was really dumbfounded. These were the words her mother-in-law could say, and they were all profound truths.

"It's settled. Listen to mom. Go and take a rest. He'll cook dinner when Dongxu comes back."

Jia Zhang was still able to control her daughter-in-law.

"Oh, Mom, I'll go make clothes then."

Chen Bihua was thinking about the sewing machine and making clothes for her unborn child.

Who knew that Jia Zhang said, "Let Dongxu learn how to sew a sewing machine in the future. Since Li Zhiguo can be a master, Dongxu must learn it too."

"Ok!"

Chen Bihua nodded, but was worried that Dongxu would not be able to learn it. It was not that easy. He was not as smart as Brother Li.

Qin Huairu was finally able to return to the backyard, but before she reached home, she heard shouting.

"Sister Qin, you're back at the right time. The water is boiling, so let's put the dumplings in the pot right away."

Xu Damao looked very happy. Although he lost money on this meal, he could still make a lot back, so it was half a loss.

The key point is that he scolded Jia Dongxu. He was happy to see others suffer!

"I heard Dongxu helps in the kitchen at my house?"

Qin Huairu still couldn't believe it. This was not normal.

"He's inside. Jia Dongxu, Sister Qin is back."

Xu Damao didn't care that Jia Dongxu was older than Qin Huairu, he was willing to insult others.

Qin Huairu arrived at the kitchen door and saw Jia Dongxu standing there awkwardly in an apron. He didn't know what to say when he saw Qin Huairu.

But on second thought, he is better than Li Zhiguo because he can cook.

"Jia Dongxu, you are busy, I will go see your brother."

Qin Huairu was very open about it. Although she had been on a blind date, she refused!

"okay!"

Jia Dongxu's mind is on the pot. Aren't these fish and dumplings delicious?

"Huai Ru, you're back!"

Li Zhiguo heard the noise and got up from his chair. He was listening to the radio. Xiao Jingru had nothing to do, so she followed along and listened.

"Brother, you caught a big fish again. You are so lucky."

Qin Huairu entered the main room, feeling proud.

"Sister, I'm helping my brother-in-law watch the fishing rod."

Xiao Jingru also wanted to take credit and said she would show him her fishing rod next time she went fishing.

Li Zhiguo smiled and said, "Jingru helped a lot. Have you looked in the kitchen? Are the dumplings almost ready?"

Now the wine bottles and peanuts are on the table, ready to drink.

"The dumplings are in the pot, brother, our family is eating so well again!"

Qin Huairu used to eat no more than ten meals of white flour a year at home, and could only eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year.

There is wheat in the village, but white flour has to be exchanged for wheat, and there is a loss requirement, so it is not cost-effective. It is better to grind it into flour and steam it into black buns to avoid waste.

But even black steamed buns are only eaten four or five times a month, and the rest of the time is coarse grains.

"We have plenty of flour at home, more than 100 kilograms, so you can make as much as you want. You're pregnant, so you can't miss out on nutrition."

Li Zhiguo always believed that coarse grains are for people with overnutrition or elderly people who need to maintain their health. Young people like him should eat fine grains.

I'll buy some rice tomorrow and eat it not only as porridge but also as dry food.

"Brother, you are so kind!"

Qin Huairu looked very happy. She felt that her life was worth it. She would only be worthy of the man if she gave birth to a few big fat boys for him.

"That's definitely a good idea! By the way, I've collected five dollars and invited Chunyan and her husband to dinner tonight.

It’s almost time. You take a break. I’ll go call Chunyan.”

Li Zhiguo said this and went out, called Tang Chunyan to come for dinner, and then went to the kitchen.

When Jia Dongxu saw someone coming, he hurriedly said, "Li Zhiguo, you have to give me something to eat. I have been busy for two hours."

"You are my brother, of course I have to give it to you, so that you won't work in vain.

Damao, give Dongxu a bowl of both fish and dumplings."

Li Zhiguo was relieved. He was worried that Dongxu might put medicine in the pot or something like that. That would be a tragedy. He was judging a villain by his own standards.

"okay!"

Xu Damao was also afraid, so he agreed before. He also understood Li Zhiguo's concerns a long time ago. He was upset when he stewed fish for him last time.

"Li Zhiguo, thank you!"

Jia Dongxu was happy, thinking that his work was not in vain. He just didn't have the chance to ask for advice on how to fish. Anyway, he was not working anymore and had plenty of time.

"You're welcome. You, Damao, and Shazhu are all my brothers. We are the four most progressive young people in the hospital. We all need to live a good life."

Li Zhiguo encouraged her and when he turned around, he saw Chunyan coming over with a plate of bacon.

"Brother Li, your stove doesn't have enough bacon, so you can put the bacon I cooked at home and I'll cut it for you."

It's really rare for Tang Chunyan to cut vegetables herself, but she doesn't cut them well.

"It's okay. Meat is meant to be eaten."

Li Zhiguo turned his head and saw Xu Damao with a smug look on his face. This villain is really good. He can counterattack while defending?

For the sake of Damao's wife, I will not care about it this time. There is still a long way to go.

Not long after, Jia Dongxu walked away happily with a bowl in each hand, but when he reached the corridor, he turned a corner and hid in the corner next to the ear room. He put his mouth close to the bowl, raised his hand and held the bowl, wanting to pour the dumplings into his mouth.

Who knew that Xu Damao's skill in scooping dumplings was not good. In addition to dumplings, there was soup at the bottom of the bowl. Before the dumplings fell into his mouth, the soup flowed out first. The light in the corridor was not good and he couldn't see clearly.

"Ouch! I'm so burned."

Jia Dongxu wailed and spat out the scalding soup, but it was too late; his mouth was badly burned.

"Xu Damao, I will never forgive you."

Jia Dongxu cursed under his breath for a while, then looked at the bowl. He couldn't eat the dumplings for the time being.

He had no choice but to take the bowl back home with a numb face. "Wife, I'm back."

"Oh, I smell the fragrance. I said Li Zhiguo is good to me, so he must send me food."

Jia Zhang quickly walked over and took the two bowls from her son's hands.

"Good, that's great. There are dumplings and fish, enough for Bihua and me to eat."

Jia Zhang put the bowl on the table, reached out and grabbed a dumpling and put it in her mouth. It was hot and fragrant. She just licked it a few more times with saliva and it would be ready.

"Mom, don't eat too quickly. There are three of us at home, and there aren't many dumplings."

Jia Dongxu looked around and saw that there was no cold water in the cup, so he simply scooped a bowl of raw water and drank it. This helped him to feel better and he felt like he could eat again.

"Yes, there are three of us, but Dongxu, your wife is pregnant, and your mother and I haven't eaten white flour for a long time.

This bowl of food was given to me by Li Zhiguo. Bihua and I will eat it today. You can steam the steamed bread by yourself.

And the clothes, you can wash them later, and do the housework in the future..."

After giving her son a lecture, Jia Zhang went to get two pairs of chopsticks. When Bihua came over, she handed her one pair and they ate together.

"No, Mom, I earned this by working for it. I didn't eat a single bite."

Jia Dongxu was stunned. This was really his mother. Didn’t she love him the most in the past? At least she wouldn’t eat alone and would always leave some for him.

"Dongxu, you are not lacking in nutrition! Also, Mom has thought about it and decided that Bihua will be in charge of the family's money from now on. If you want to buy any vegetables, ask Bihua for money the day before."

Jia Zhang wanted to manage the money, but was afraid that her son would not agree, so she gave it to her daughter-in-law so as not to spoil her son.

Otherwise, if you have the money but don’t eat enough at home, you will definitely go out to eat, which will cost a lot of money.

It’s half as expensive as cooking at home, and the key is that she can’t eat it at home.

"Mom, I'm your son, your only son! Why do you treat me like this?"

Jia Dongxu was about to cry. He might as well go to work. Why could Li Zhiguo live well but he couldn't? This is so unfair!
However, no matter what Jia Dongxu said, Jia Zhang remained unmoved and had already divided the fish and dumplings in the bowl.

With her son watching, she did not dare to take advantage too much and split the meal almost in half with Chen Bihua. She got the extra fish soup, which was also nutritious.

"Bihua, you give me the food. If you can't finish it, give it to mom. Don't leave any for Dongxu."

"Mom, I listen to you."

Chen Bihua didn't dare to resist. Besides, this was a good thing she brought back from Li Ge'er's house. She quickly ate a dumpling, which was really delicious.

And this fish was caught by Brother Li himself. It tastes many times better than the ones bought outside. Brother Li is really talented.

"Mom, wife, you can't do this!"

When Jia Dongxu came to his senses, he saw that the dumplings and fish were gone. There weren't many of them to begin with, so how could they withstand such a punishment?

"Oh my god, I'm dying."

Jia Dongxu opened the door curtain and came out, crying and shouting in the yard.

"Bihua, don't spoil him. When he's hungry, he knows to come back and cook. Don't give him money. From now on, Mom will calculate the cost of the food he buys."

Jia Zhang wanted to train her son to be a good worker so that she could go to the steel rolling mill with peace of mind. At that time, they would eat white flour for lunch, and the vegetarian dishes would also be oily, which was great.

"I know mom!"

Although Chen Bihua didn't know why her mother-in-law had changed, it was a good thing! If Dongxu didn't work harder, he would be even worse than Li Ge'er.

In the yard outside, Jia Dongxu wailed for a while. He was exactly like Jia Zhangshi, from elementary school to adulthood, and he had some of her shadow.

"Dongxu, what's wrong with you?"

Yi Zhonghai put down his bowl and chopsticks and came out of the house. Although Dongxu had temporarily retired due to illness, he was still his apprentice and a backup plan for taking care of his elderly parents.

"Uncle, my mother is a bully. I worked for Li Zhiguo today, and someone kindly gave me dumplings and fish.

When I brought it home, my mom refused to let me eat it, so I didn’t even eat a single bite!”

Jia Dongxu felt so wronged. Why did I suddenly become so cruel?

"Don't worry, Dongxu. I'll go ask."

Yi Zhonghai lifted the door curtain and walked in. There was more than one person in the Jia family's house, so he didn't need to avoid suspicion.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong with you? Dongxu is crying outside the door. Is he sick?"

"It's Lao Yi, this is the situation..."

Jia Zhang told him about her plan to train her son, and was worried that the old man would protect his son, so she added, "This was also Li Zhiguo's idea. He treats Dongxu as a brother, and it's good for me too."

Yi Zhonghai's originally stern face had already turned cheerful, "It's arranged, I've gone to the hospital to inquire about Dongxu's illness, it won't affect anything, just don't do heavy work.

He is not a hard laborer, so washing clothes and cooking are nothing.

Sister-in-law, you have to keep an eye on Dongxu from now on and teach him well."

"Old Yi, I knew you would agree!"

Jia Zhang smiled. Listen, even Old Yi said so. Everyone was on her side. It was all her son’s fault.

Yi Zhonghai lifted the door curtain with a smile on his face and went out.

"Uncle, please explain it to my mother!"

Jia Dongxu hopes that his master can help him so that he can continue to live a good life.

"Dongxu! I think your mother is right. You are still young, in your early twenties. Do you think you can just do nothing and let your wife and mother support you?
What nonsense! You need to get busy and learn how to do laundry and cook.

"Learn from Qin Huairu, who is frugal and manages the household well. If you are not so good, learn from Xu Damao, who not only works but also cooks every day! Don't let others outshine you!"

Yi Zhonghai was more than happy, he was overjoyed. If Dongxu became diligent, could do all the housework, and knew how to take care of the elderly, wouldn't he be the best caregiver for the elderly?

"No, uncle, why are you talking about me?

Li Zhiguo doesn't do any work, he eats well every day and even goes to restaurants."

Jia Dongxu really cried. Why was he not understood when he also let his wife take over the job?

Yi Zhonghai shook his head, "Li Zhiguo is smart, he is still counting his seniority now, when he recovers from his illness, he will be at least a second-level worker when he returns to the factory.

What about you? You are still an apprentice. How can you compare with him?

You are not smart and not hardworking, so how can you have a good life?

Dongxu, don't blame me for speaking harshly to you. If you don't obey, not only will your mother punish you, I will also criticize you severely."

"Master, I..."

Jia Dongxu was confused. How was he worse than Li Zhiguo? It was just because his father passed away late and he joined the factory late. Otherwise, he would have been a formal employee long ago!

I'm numb and there's no way to reason. Where is justice? This world is clear and bright. Is there no room for good people in this courtyard?

Jia Dongxu wiped away his tears, went home and started kneading dough to steam steamed buns. No matter how uncomfortable he felt, he still had to eat his fill, otherwise how could he sleep?

"Dongxu, don't blame me for being cruel, this is all for your own good.

Here is seven cents. Get up tomorrow morning and make breakfast, then go to the market to buy some side dishes. I have discussed with Bihua, and from now on I will only give you money to buy vegetables. You can go on the third day to buy food.

The rest of the household oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, electricity, and coal will be bought by my mother, and the rest will be saved by Bihua."

Jia Zhang came up with a new idea. She treated her son as a child and made him work hard as long as he had no money.

"Oh my god, what can I buy with seven cents!"

Jia Dongxu had no money on him. A grown man carried seven cents with him when he went out, but after buying a rice cake in the market, he only had one cent left.

"What can you buy? You can buy several kilograms of cabbage. You can be more selective and buy two side dishes. You don't know how to save money. How can you live a good life in the future?"

Jia Zhang muttered, "I ate four dumplings tonight. Although I wasn't full, they were filled with leeks and meat, which were nutritious."

After a while, seeing that the steamed steamed buns were ready, Jia Zhang hurriedly took two and handed one to her daughter-in-law. There were exactly two left in the pot, enough for her son to eat.

"Oh my god, I'm bullying my son."

Jia Dongxu originally wanted to be ruthless and eat four steamed buns and eight taels of corn flour, but half of them were taken away at once. He had just been off work due to illness for one day, and he wanted to go back to the workshop to drill screw holes the next day so that at least he could have white flour and two dishes for lunch.

……

Backyard, Li family!
Li Zhiguo had already made Xu Damao drunk, but this villain still wanted to compete with him in drinking. Isn't this just asking for trouble? He had eaten a rice cake as a base beforehand, but Xu Damao just drank it all right away.

"Chunyan, eat your food. Pack some for Damao to take back later. He can eat it after he sobers up."

Li Zhiguo did not take advantage of others. Others had paid for the dishes on the table. All together, they cost about five yuan.

The main reason for this is that we don't need tickets now, but if every household does this, the burden on farmers will be too great, and the coarse grains they eat every day will not be enough to meet the consumption in the city.

In the end, we had no choice but to issue various bills, otherwise the company would have collapsed.

"Yeah! Damao is just a heavy drinker. He likes to drink even though he can't."

Tang Chunyan didn't care about the man. The dumplings were delicious, and the fish was stewed well too. It was a big fish with few bones and a lot of meat. She liked it.

Li Zhiguo nodded and picked up several dumplings for Xiao Jingru. "Eat quickly. Can you eat fish by yourself?"

"Brother-in-law, I can eat it and I am not afraid of thorns."

Xiao Jingru picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and took out the bones.

(End of this chapter)