Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 102 Raising the Flag

Time passes day by day.

In the blink of an eye, only three days remain until Li Hongmei's wedding day.

It was a day off, and almost everyone in the compound was there.

"This way, this way."

"Dongxu, you'd better watch out."

"Mom, don't worry, I won't fall."

"No, it's okay if you fall, but don't break our new sewing machine."

"Mom, so I'm not even as good as a sewing machine?"

"Stop talking nonsense and watch your step."

"..."

Around noon, Jia Zhangshi's voice echoed throughout the courtyard, directing Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai to carry in a brand-new sewing machine from outside.

Before the person even arrived, their voice had already reached them, drawing the attention of everyone in the front yard.

"Oh, Jia Zhangshi, your family bought a sewing machine too?"

When Aunt Yan saw the sewing machine that Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai were lifting together, she was completely shocked.

"That is!"

Seeing Aunt Yan's surprised expression, Jia Zhangshi's vanity was greatly satisfied. She glanced at the east wing and proudly boasted, "It's just a sewing machine, as if no one can afford it."

Listening to Jia Zhangshi's shameless boasting, Yi Zhonghai, who was carrying the sewing machine with Jia Dongxu in the back, almost turned pale.

This is his money!
A large portion of the money for the sewing machine was borrowed from Jia Dongxu.

Yi Zhonghai originally didn't plan to lend such a large sum of money, but since Jia Dongxu personally came to him to ask for it, and it was about the wedding, Yi Zhonghai couldn't refuse.

The money lent to the Jia family was basically never recovered, and Yi Zhonghai tacitly accepted it as an investment.

Normally, a subsidy of ten or twenty thousand yuan is acceptable.

He was really heartbroken about spending such a large sum of money on a sewing machine.

He himself was reluctant to add such a large item to his home.

If he didn't lend it, it would completely damage his master-disciple relationship with Jia Dongxu, and in the end he would have to pay the lion's share, making Jia Dongxu owe him a huge favor.

Even if he borrowed all of it, it wouldn't put any pressure on Yi Zhonghai, but he couldn't do that.

We can't let the Jia family think that borrowing money from him is too easy.

He wanted Jia Dongxu to support them in their old age, but he didn't intend to be taken advantage of.

My salary is high; this is a fact known throughout the entire hospital.

So Yi Zhonghai made Wang Guihua take medicine, partly to manipulate her, and partly to create the illusion that Wang Guihua was taking medicine for a long time and incurring high expenses.

He earns a lot, but he also spends a lot!
That way, even if someone asks him for money, Yi Zhonghai will have a reason to refuse.

Of course.

Even for small amounts, Yi Zhonghai wasn't completely stingy, especially since he used to have a position of great authority.

"Mrs. Jia, your sewing machine doesn't look like the Invincible brand?"

"Mine is the Flying Man brand, it's no worse than the Invincible brand!"

"The Flying Man brand!"

"Old Yan's wife, aren't you a bit short-sighted? There are many other brands of sewing machines on the market besides Invincible..."

"..."

Seizing the opportunity, Jia Zhangshi couldn't help but show off her superiority.

She deliberately avoided buying the same brand of sewing machine as the Li family, especially since the Flying Man brand was now tens of thousands of yuan cheaper than the Invincible brand.

In her view, all sewing machines are the same thing; apart from the brand, there is actually no difference.

She bought the same things at a lower price than the Li family, so she clearly made a profit.

Faced with Jia Zhangshi's boasting and smugness, Aunt Yan felt somewhat uncomfortable and dismissed it.

She wasn't unaware of the Flying Man brand of sewing machines; she simply noticed that the sewing machine the Jia family bought was different from the one Li Hongbing had bought before, so she asked about it. Unexpectedly, Jia Zhangshi became incredibly arrogant.

Having witnessed the shock Li Hongbing had caused, the Jia family's current actions, while enviable, didn't seem particularly noteworthy to anyone.

Think about Li Hongbing. He not only had a sewing machine, but also a bicycle and two large cartloads of dowry. Yet, he wasn't as arrogant as Jia Zhangshi.

At that moment, someone else spoke up.

"Mrs. Jia, what good news has happened in your family? Why did you suddenly buy a sewing machine?"

"Haha, there's really good news. My Dongxu is getting married soon."

"So fast? With whom?"

"The one I went on a blind date with last time."

"Jia Zhangshi, is your Dongxu really going to marry a country girl?"

"What's wrong with a country wife? We're all one family now. If any of you dare say something like that again, I'll report you to the district office and say you're undermining the worker-peasant alliance..."

"..."

Upon hearing someone's complaints, Jia Zhangshi, who had been all smiles, immediately changed her expression.

Although she also wanted to marry a city girl, Jia Dongxu was determined to marry Qin Huairu, and there was nothing she could do about it. In the end, they got together.

Qin Huairu was initially a little reluctant, but once a sewing machine was handed to her, she immediately agreed.

Thinking of this, Jia Zhangshi felt somewhat smug, but also quite unhappy.

This sewing machine wasn't intended as a betrothal gift for the Qin family; it was something our family bought ourselves, as a condition for Qin Huairu's marriage into the family.

Previously, Madam Jia had looked down on and belittled Qin Huairu, a country bumpkin, but when her son was actually going to marry her, she completely changed her tune, waving the banner of workers and peasants, afraid that others would say a word against their family.

The person who had spoken earlier was silenced after being rebuked by Jia Zhangshi.

Even if she looks down on rural people and makes no attempt to hide it, if she argues back after Jia Zhangshi's words, she'll only be the one who suffers.

"Since everyone is here, I'm going to say this right now: if anyone dares to laugh at my Dongxu for marrying a country woman, they are damaging the friendship between workers and peasants and going against the Jia family. I, Jia Zhangshi, will never forgive you!"

Madam Jia looked around at everyone and then uttered these words.

Knowing that Jia Dongxu had married Qin Huairu, a rural woman, the people in the courtyard would definitely gossip and laugh at him behind his back. But if they said these things to her face, Jia Zhangshi would never let them off the hook.

The ass decides the head.

As the mother-in-law, she could dislike her daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu.

These people in the courtyard are no good!
After Jia Zhangshi's show of force, the crowd that had initially gathered to watch the spectacle quickly lost interest and dispersed.

Not long after Jia Zhangshi left, Aunt Yan saw Li Hongmei putting up paper-cut window decorations and immediately came up to her, complaining, "That Jia Zhangshi, she married a country girl and bought a sewing machine, and look how arrogant she's become, she can hardly see anyone else..."

“Aunt Yan, although Jia Dongxu married a rural woman, it’s really not appropriate to say it to her face.”

Although she had a grudge against the Jia family, Li Hongmei was not one to gossip and did not join Aunt Yan in complaining or talking about the Jia family.

The Jia family's affairs had nothing to do with her, and she couldn't be bothered to get involved.

"Well, I just thought she was being too cocky."

Originally hoping to gain approval from Li Hongmei, Aunt Yan was somewhat embarrassed by Li Hongmei's reaction. Her gaze fell on the window decorations that Li Hongmei had just pasted up, and she quickly changed the subject, saying, "You cut these 'double happiness' window decorations yourself, right? They're so beautiful!"

"Aunt Yan, you flatter me. I just found someone to teach me and edited it myself."

Faced with Aunt Yan's praise, Li Hongmei said modestly, but also smiled happily.

Regardless of whether Aunt Yan's evaluation was exaggerated or not, hearing kind praise always makes people feel better.

She'll be getting married in just a few days.

Li Hongmei took advantage of her day off to buy some red paper to cut out paper-cut window decorations and the character for "double happiness" to decorate her house and add a festive touch.

"You've cut so many, how can you possibly paste them all by yourself!"

"Come on, Aunt Yan will help you."

"no need……"

"Hey! We're all neighbors in the same courtyard, no need to be so polite."

"Old Yang's wife, come out and help!"

"..."

At Aunt Yan's invitation, the women from the front yard appeared one after another, chatting and laughing, and took the initiative to help Li Hongmei.

They were all from the same courtyard and both had happy events in their families. Compared to the disliked Jia Zhangshi, Li Hongmei was much more popular in the courtyard.

Whether in terms of character or work, Li Hongmei is far superior to Jia Zhangshi.

Li Hongmei was happy to lend a hand, and so were the others.

It's not really about personal favors, but it's something we'd all be happy to do to strengthen relationships and share in the joy.

(End of this chapter)