Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 685 Making Money by Pasting Matches When You Feel Injustice

The next day.

In the early morning, a faint musty smell permeated the Jia family's house.

"Grandma, wake up!"

Banggeng's clamor to buy meat woke up Jia Zhangshi.

In the past, Jia Zhangshi would be fast asleep at this time and never got up early, but this time it was Bang Geng who woke her up.

"Grandma, I'll get up right away!"

Madam Jia Zhang got up briskly, glanced at Qin Huairu and Xiao Dang who were still asleep, and pursed her lips.

Unable to bear seeing them still asleep, he deliberately made a lot of noise while washing up, waking them up.

"Ah~" Kuihua burst into tears immediately after being provoked.

"Oh dear~" Qin Huairu immediately picked him up and comforted him gently.

"Hmph!" Qin Huairu looked at the three people who had been woken up and felt smug.

Qin Huairu dared not speak out against her anger.

"Come on, Banggeng, let's go buy some meat!"

"Buy meat to eat! Sell meat to eat!" Banggeng shouted, jumping around.

With the money in hand, the two went to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Before leaving, Banggeng glanced smugly at Xiaodang, then grabbed Jia Zhangshi and hurriedly went out.

Not long after, Jia Zhangshi returned with two ounces of meat.

"Look what this is? Pork belly."

Banggeng untied the rope in front of Xiaodang, revealing a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, glistening with an enticing sheen.

Mrs. Jia's wrinkles were beaming with joy: "My eldest grandson is truly capable!"

There's nothing wrong with buying meat, but they still insist on praising it.

As the cleaver on the cutting board rose and fell, Xiao Dang counted the number of meat slices—thirteen slices.

Banggeng deliberately held up the fattest piece high, "Want some? Call me 'good brother' three times! If you do, I'll give it to you."

"Good brother! Good brother! Good brother!" Little Dangdang shouted immediately, hoping to get meat.

"Haha~" Bang Geng laughed heartily.

Xiao Dang thought he would be able to eat meat at noon.

noon.

Jia Zhangshi cooked it right away, and the aroma of meat filled the house.

To match the pork belly, Jia Zhangshi specially made steamed buns.

Before Jia Zhangshi could even speak, Banggeng sat down and waited for the meal to be served.

Xiao Dang stared intently at the glistening piece of pork belly, her throat bobbing involuntarily.

She wanted to ask for some food, but seeing her grandmother's cold gaze, she swallowed it back.

"What are you looking at, you good-for-nothing? Want some meat? No way!" Madam Jia glared at her, then smiled at Banggeng: "Eat meat, eat meat!"

"Bang Geng, eat it while it's hot, you're growing." She picked up several bites of meat and broke off half a white steamed bun for him.

"Thank you, Grandma!" Banggeng smiled and immediately buried his head in his food. Jia Zhangshi also ate her meat with a smile.

After taking a couple of bites, Banggeng glanced smugly at Xiaodang.

He deliberately waved the slice of meat on the tip of his chopsticks, waving it halfway in front of Xiao Dang before stuffing it into his mouth, chewing it until his mouth was glistening with oil.

He even smacked his lips, splattering oil onto Xiao Dang's patched-up trousers.

Finally, he grinned at her and exclaimed, "It smells so good! It's so delicious!"

Xiao Dang lowered his head and silently ate the cornbread in his hand.

Scooping at the corn porridge in the bowl, I poked around with the tip of my chopsticks at the bottom, but couldn't scoop out more than a few kernels of corn.

Then I saw that the meat gravy in my brother's bowl had turned the corn porridge a dark brown color, while the porridge in my own bowl was crystal clear and I could count the corn kernels.

Qin Huairu's hands trembled slightly as she held the basket of cornbread. She saw it and felt a pang of sadness, but dared not say anything.

All I could do was coax her softly, "When Mom gets her salary, I'll buy you something delicious."

Xiao Dang nodded, mumbled an "Mmm," and didn't look up again.

Hearing Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng eating with relish, Xiao Dang felt wronged.

Why are there such big differences between the grandchildren of Jia Zhangshi and the sons and daughters of Qin Huairu?

Why can she eat the sticky rice cake but not the sticky rice cake?
But she didn't dare ask, even though she was only three years old and didn't understand many profound truths.

But over the years, I've learned to read people's expressions and assess situations, so I won't make trouble for myself.

"Ah~"

Seeing Xiao Dang's disappointed look, Qin Huairu was helpless.

"I'm stuffed."

After putting down his chopsticks, Banggeng ran out, not knowing where he was going to play or who he was going to brag to about eating meat for lunch.

"Hey, be careful, don't go too far."

"Know it."

Madam Jia smiled indulgently, and then, almost done, put down her chopsticks and left.

Only after she left did Xiao Dang dare to raise her head and look at the plate of meat and vegetables.

There wasn't a single piece of meat on the plate, not even a trace of oil, so I couldn't help but feel disappointed and lower my head to continue eating.

I only ate a couple of bites and didn't have much of an appetite.

"Mom, I'm full."

After putting down her chopsticks, Xiao Dang didn't go out like Bang Geng, but instead went back to the kang (heated brick bed) to look at Kui Hua.

Once Xiao Dang left, Qin Huairu lost her appetite and tidied up the dishes to wash.

While washing, she kept thinking, "I need to find a way to earn some money. My salary won't be paid for another few days, and I can't do without money."

Qin Huairu racked her brains trying to think of ways to make money.

She wasn't short of money, just very little, only a few dollars, which shouldn't be so little.

For a period last year, Jia Dongxu would divide his salary into four parts.

He gave 3 yuan to Jia Zhangshi as retirement money, kept 10 yuan for himself, gave 1 or 2 yuan to Qin Huairu, and confiscated most of the remaining 20 yuan as savings.

Qin Huairu would always leave a few cents or dimes when she went grocery shopping.

Qin Huairu had hoped to save money for a long time, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and Jia Dongxu died after the New Year.

His hidden stash of money was also found, and Jia Zhangshi took all of Qin Huairu's hidden money while she was hospitalized.

Qin Huairu originally had seventeen or eighteen yuan in savings, but now it's all gone.

The crucial point is that she still hasn't found where Jia Zhangshi hid her private stash of money.

"Sigh, what easy job can I do?" Qin Huairu thought for a long time but still couldn't think of anything.

"Working is already tough and tiring enough, so where can you find an easy job that pays well after get off work?"

"Sigh~" Qin Huairu sighed and thought for a long time, but still couldn't come up with an answer.

After tidying up the dishes, I went inside to look at the flowers.

Under Xiao Dang's care, Kuihua slept peacefully, and she herself was also fast asleep beside her.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Qin Huairu's heart melted: "If only life could always be like this."

While the two boys were sleeping, Qin Huairu went out for a stroll to see if there was any way to make money.

Where are the workers short?

As Qin Huairu wandered around, she suddenly saw someone carrying a large bag coming towards her.

Along the way, the group was quite pleased with what they had received. "How much did you get?"

"Not much, take 5 first, what about you?"

"So much? I only received 2, how come you received so much? Can you even finish it all?"

"I can finish it, I can finish it. My whole family is always busy making things, how could I not finish it?"

"That's true. With 5 boxes, we should be able to make at least 8 or 9 yuan, which is quite a lot."

"Good enough is fine, it's just a job to make a living."

Hearing the group chatting about money, Qin Huairu couldn't wait to step forward and ask.

"Ladies, what are you talking about? What kind of things are so profitable?"

Seeing Qin Huairu's sudden question, the group didn't hide anything: "The job of pasting matchboxes we were talking about can't make any money; it's just enough to support our families."

Pasting matchboxes? Where can I get that kind of work?

"Look, follow this road, and you'll find a match factory at the end. Just talk to the guy there and you'll know."

"Okay, thank you, ladies." Qin Huairu didn't ask for clarification and continued walking straight down the road.

Sure enough, there happened to be a match factory.

The entrance was bustling with people, many carrying large bags and chatting and laughing as they went in and out.

Upon seeing this, Qin Huairu immediately stepped forward with a smile.

"Come on, come on, register here, then go over there to pick it up. Line up one by one, everyone gets one."

"Those who want matchboxes, go over there and line up. Make sure you've counted them before you come back to line up."

The security guards maintained order and performed their duties.

Qin Huairu first observed what was happening, then hurriedly joined the queue.

Finally, it was her turn in line. The person in charge glanced at Qin Huairu and said, "You don't look familiar? Is this your first time here?"

Qin Huairu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, this is my first time here, I don't know if there are any customs or etiquette?"

"Okay, since this is your first time here, I'd like to explain the rules to you."

"This job of pasting matchboxes is not difficult, but it is tedious and tiring."

Hearing this, Qin Huairu was delighted and interjected, "It's alright, I'm not afraid of getting tired."

Interrupted and hearing Qin Huairu say this, the person in charge couldn't help but smile: "Don't speak too soon. I've seen quite a few people who can't keep up after a short while."

“That definitely isn’t me,” Qin Huairu said confidently.

The person in charge smiled and said, "Alright, I won't waste any more time. If we paste 10,000 matchboxes, we can earn 1.8 yuan."

"Since this is your first time here, take 1 to try it out first. If you think it's good, come back when you have time. You can finish 1 in two or three days."

Finally, after explaining some precautions and giving a general guide on how to paste matchboxes, he had someone lead Qin Huairu to get the wooden pieces.

At that time, there was no concept of environmental protection, and matchboxes were packaged with wood chips. It was only later, when wood became scarce, that paper began to replace wood.

Qin Huairu thought that she could only receive 1,000, which was too little. It would only earn her 18 cents, while others received 20,000 or 30,000.

"Haste makes waste. Let's finish these 1 first." The person in charge insisted that Qin Huairu could only take 1.

Unable to refuse their offer, Qin Huairu had no choice but to agree. Since she had come empty-handed, the match factory gave her a large bag.

The bag contained materials for pasting matchboxes: large boards, long strips, box bottoms, long strips of paper, labels, and straw for binding the boxes.

On the way back, Qin Huairu was making plans.

“1万个火柴盒赚1块8钱，1千个赚1毛8，100个赚1分8，10个赚1厘8。”

Back home, Qin Huairu couldn't wait to start pasting matchboxes.

But before making the paste, you have to make the paste first. If you don't have flour, you can use corn porridge.

The flour used to make the paste is usually produced by contracted households, but Qin Huairu is a newcomer and naturally doesn't have this benefit since it's her first time making it.

If the paste is used sparingly, a considerable amount of flour can be left over after a few months.

After preparing the paste, Qin Huairu began to cook.

The first step is to brush the strips and paste the box sleeve: first, brush paste on the paper with the trademark printed on it, and then stick the trademark paper onto the thin wood strip.
The second step is to paste the bottom of the box. Pasting the bottom of the box must be done according to the size of the mold: first, surround the mold with the box side that is less than two centimeters wide, then paste the bottom of the box on, and finally stick the sides together tightly.

Although pasting matchboxes doesn't require much skill, applying paste relies entirely on feel and experience. Too much paste will ruin the material, while too little will result in gaps and poor adhesion.

"Huh~"

It took Qin Huairu ten minutes to finish one matchbox, her first time making them.

Everything is difficult at the beginning, but practice makes perfect. Once Qin Huairu gained experience, she moved on to the next one.

After working for an unknown amount of time, Qin Huairu finally finished 200, enough to make a stack.

At this moment, Qin Huairu looked up at the sky and realized that it was already evening.

"It's so late~" Qin Huairu wiped the sweat from her forehead.

She only earned 3.6 cents after a hard afternoon's work, which is far less than her daily wage.

"I'm only making this much money. After this is all done, I might as well quit. Why work so hard and get so tired?"

Qin Huairu finally understood what the person in charge of the match factory meant. He worked so hard all afternoon to earn so little money, and he was so tired.

Although it doesn't require much technical skill, it's tedious and doesn't earn much money.

But the purpose of pasting matchboxes is not to make people rich; it's to help those in need support their families.

We need to enable those who need it to earn money, otherwise many people will go hungry, just like textile factories that outsource orders.

Normally, it takes about 10 days to paste 10,000 matchboxes together, earning 5.4 yuan a month, which is just above the poverty line.

Match factories typically release a limited number of matchboxes based on market demand; they can't release as many as they want.

Most match factories work with specialists, but they also reserve a portion of their stock for those who suddenly need it.

It's not that no one can make a fortune by pasting matchboxes.

These families all pitched in; after the children got out of school and finished their homework, they would quickly start pasting matchboxes together.

I can earn around 20 yuan a month.

"After we finish eating, we'll cook something else. Let's get this done as soon as possible."

Qin Huairu tidied up and then went to cook.

Jia Zhangshi watched Qin Huairu pasting matchboxes all afternoon without offering to help.

With 800 yuan in her hands, how could she possibly be interested in such hard and tiring work? Only Qin Huairu would do that.

During the meal, Madam Jia Zhang did not forget to ridicule Qin Huairu, saying that she was always causing trouble.

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu was dissatisfied and resolved to continue doing it.

But after he handed over the 1,000 matchboxes, he received 18 cents, which completely extinguished his idea of ​​making money by pasting matchboxes.

Go to sleep at night.

Hearing Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng snoring, Xiao Dang looked at Qin Huairu and said, "Mom."

"What's wrong? Can't you sleep?"

Xiao Dang shook her head and finally voiced her grievances from the day: "Mom, why can my brother eat meat but I can't?"

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and she patted her head: "You'll understand when you grow up."

"Oh." Xiao Dang didn't ask any more questions, but she still felt empty inside.

A hamster can be willful, can act cute, and can take the best things for granted.

She would be scolded even if she looked at him for too long.

Sometimes, she would secretly wipe away tears at night, but when she woke up the next day, she was still the quiet and sensible Xiao Dang, never making a fuss or fighting for anything.

Qin Huairu saw it all and felt a pang of pain in her heart, but what could she do?

In this family, Jia Zhangshi was the one in charge, while she was just a lowly daughter-in-law.

(End of this chapter)