Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Faced with his wife's worried gaze, Wang Dong confidently replied, "Wife...when have you ever seen me make a losing deal?"

“Since I dared to rent land in Huai County to grow greenhouse vegetables, this must be profitable. Otherwise, I would definitely have found other ways to help you break out of this predicament in Huai County.”

“Our money didn’t grow on trees, so I’m definitely not going to let it go to waste.”

"If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job..."

"Since I dare to run this greenhouse vegetable business, I must have a way to make money."

"I'll start going to the countryside tomorrow and find a few villages to pilot the program... As long as the local people see that I'm making money growing greenhouse vegetables, they will start growing greenhouse vegetables themselves, or at least they will be willing to rent their land to me and work in my greenhouse."

…………

Tanjiazhuang is a village located less than two kilometers south of Huai County.

Within the entire Huai County, the annual harvest of the people in Tanjiazhuang should be ranked in the middle, neither high nor low.

The main reason is that Tanjiazhuang is located on a plain with a lot of arable land, with about two mu per person.

A family of five was allocated ten mu of land at the beginning of the reform and opening up.

After handing over the annual grain income to the state, the remaining grain was enough to meet the needs of the whole family.

When the harvest is good, they can have a few hundred kilograms of grain left over to exchange for money and supplement their household income.

Because there was no shortage of food, every household in Tanjiazhuang raised poultry and livestock. After deducting the poultry and livestock they ate themselves, they could still earn one or two hundred yuan a year by raising poultry and livestock.

As a result, although the people of Tanjiazhuang were not wealthy, they could at least make ends meet.

If there are no other expenses throughout the year, saving a hundred or so yuan is definitely not a problem.

After several years of reform and opening up, almost every household had saved two or three hundred yuan.

But this amount of money is still too little given the soaring prices.

If someone in the family is in school or sick and hospitalized, that little bit of money is simply not enough.

To increase their income, villagers would take advantage of the off-season to work outside for a few months, and they would be able to earn some money.

Even a small amount is better than staying at home spending money without earning any.

Tan Yong was an ordinary villager in Tanjiazhuang. He had mulberry trees and young children, and his family consisted of seven people. When the land was distributed, they were all allocated fourteen mu of land.

Thanks to the income from the land, the family's life wasn't particularly good, but compared to before the reform and opening up, at least they didn't go hungry, and every few days they could eat the cured meat left over from the previous year.

But these good days didn't last long.

Although the crops in the fields are about to be harvested, Tan Yong, as the head of the family, showed no joy at the harvest.

The eldest son was of marriageable age, but the family's savings had been almost depleted in order to support the education of the second and third sons, leaving no extra savings for the eldest son to get married.

The neighbors and relatives introduced several potential partners, but all the relationships fell through because the families couldn't afford the bride price or build a new house.

Tan Yong is seeing this and is very anxious, but he is helpless.

"Dad, how about I take the second half of the year off from school?" The second son hesitated for a long time before making his decision and asked his father tentatively.

He just got into high school, and the tuition plus miscellaneous fees will cost at least two hundred yuan a year, which is the biggest expense in the family.

He couldn't possibly stand by and watch his older brother remain a bachelor at home because he couldn't afford to get married, all for the sake of his own education.

Moreover……

Even if I do finish high school, I might not be able to get into university.

Rather than wasting time and money at school, it would be better to drop out and earn money outside. The second child really wanted to continue his studies, but the family was in dire financial straits.

Dropping out of school is undoubtedly the best option for the whole family.

Moreover……

The third child is just starting junior high school. His grades are better than mine, and he will get into a better high school in the future, which will increase his chances of getting into university.

The father, Tan Yong, frowned and didn't reply, but the eldest son wouldn't have it.

If my younger brother can get into high school, then there is a high chance that he will get into university and become a cadre in the future. No matter how you analyze it, it is better than staying at home as a farmer.

He insisted that his marriage should not interfere with his younger brother's studies.

Without hesitation, he refused: "I have to go to school..."

"It's such a waste that our family finally has a high school student. It would be such a waste if he didn't go to school."

"As for marriage..."

"I'm not getting married right away, it's okay if I wait a couple more years..."

The second brother frowned and continued, "Big brother..."

"Is this something that will happen two years later?"

“Our family’s income is only this much each year… I’m in high school for three years, which costs 150 yuan a year. After I graduate, my third child will also be in high school, which will also cost 150 yuan a year. And there are also expenses for university. Our family’s dozen or so acres of land, plus livestock and poultry, can only earn a maximum of 200 yuan a year.”

“If I continue studying, our family will not be able to save a single penny for at least six years.”

"You need over a hundred yuan for a bride price to marry your future sister-in-law... Building a house will cost several hundred yuan more. It will take two or three years to save up that money. Are you planning to get married eight or nine years from now? Where will you find a sister-in-law then?"

Hearing this, the eldest brother also showed a pained expression, but he refused to agree to his younger brother giving up his studies for his marriage.

Old Man Tan Yong couldn't help but speak up: "Alright..."

"Stop arguing..."

“Your second son must continue his studies. Being a farmer is too hard. It’s not easy to get a good opportunity to become a cadre. You must not miss it. I, Ze’en, as your father, will sell everything I own to support your continued education.”

The second son struggled to ask, "What about when the eldest brother gets married?"

"I'm going to earn money?" Old Man Tan Yong answered through gritted teeth.

"After the autumn harvest is over, I'll go to Beijing to work... Then my eldest brother will come with me to Beijing to find something to do..."

"A living person can't be killed by holding in their pee..."

"Even if we go to Beijing to do manual labor, we can still earn more than a dollar a day."

"If we can't save enough money for our eldest son's wedding this year, we'll go back to Beijing to work next year and we'll definitely be able to save enough for his wedding and to get him a wife."

"You just need to focus on your studies; you don't need to worry about these other messy things."

The second son wanted to stick to his own ideas, but faced with his father's decision made without any room for negotiation, he had no choice but to compromise.

Then I started working in the fields with my parents and older brother.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the family dragged their tired bodies back to their home. Before they could even catch their breath, a strange face suddenly appeared at the gate of the yard.

This unfamiliar face was none other than Wang Dong, who planned to make a big splash in Huai County. (End of Chapter)