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

Chapter 253 Inhumanity, Yan Bugui is Not Human

As the situation worsened, following the reduction in grain rations, the share of meat rations also quickly decreased.

The impact is not limited to ordinary people, but also extends to the entire catering industry.

Due to limited supplies of food and ingredients, coupled with a sharp decline in customers, business has become dismal for everyone in the city, from large restaurants and hotels to small roadside noodle stalls.

The only advantage is that Li Hongbing, the head chef of Fengzeyuan's kitchen, has become more relaxed and can now openly slack off.

Although there are customers, there are plenty of chefs in the kitchen!

To know.

In the past, Fengzeyuan was so popular that they could handle it all. But now, this amount of work isn't even enough for them to warm up.

With only a few customers each day, there's not much work to do. Not to mention master chefs like Li Hongbing and Guo Youzhong, even the apprentices and general workers in the kitchen have become quite idle.

However, compared to other restaurants, Fengzeyuan is actually in a much better situation because it sometimes receives government reception duties.

However, the task of receiving government officials is not something that happens every day.

"Sigh, I haven't seen this kind of scene in many years."

Looking at the once bustling kitchen, which was now deserted despite the large number of people, Guo Youzhong, who had just taken a sip of tea and slowly put down his teacup, couldn't help but sigh.

Guo Youzhong's sentiments resonated with many experienced chefs in the kitchen.

These people all came from war-torn times and have experienced many natural disasters and man-made calamities.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, life gradually became more stable, and everything flourished.

The disasters of last year and this year have forced everyone to tighten their belts again, inevitably creating a sense of déjà vu.

Sensing the somber atmosphere, everyone's morale was somewhat affected. Li Hongbing could only offer words of comfort and encouragement: "Master, fellow masters, this difficulty is only temporary. Don't be discouraged. As long as we get through this difficult period, things will get better in the future..."

"well said!"

Just as Li Hongbing was encouraging everyone, Manager Chen Limin, who happened to be inspecting the area, couldn't help but shout loudly and start clapping.

Recently, the restaurant's business has been declining, but what Chen Limin finds most unbearable is that everyone's morale has also been affected.

Li Hongbing's remarks just now struck a chord with Chen Limin.

Young people are definitely more energetic.

“What Master Li said earlier is right. The difficulties are only temporary. We must look ahead and have faith in the country and the people. As long as we get through this year, I believe everything will return to normal, or even better.”

After saying this, Chen Limin looked around at everyone and spoke again: "Think about it, what kind of dangers did we face back then? Our country's fate was also on the verge of collapse several times, but in the end, we still overcame everything and that's how we got the new China we have today."

Compared to previous challenges, the current situation is only a bit more difficult…

As Chen Limin delivered these encouraging words, the spirits of everyone in the kitchen were lifted.

It wasn't that Chen Limin's words were particularly inspiring, but rather the confidence that this country gave them.

Yes, now it is the new China, and we have fully entered a new society, unlike before when we were adrift and helpless.

Behind them stands the nation.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many people have a deep understanding of the many things that the central government has done and have enjoyed the various benefits brought about by the new China.

There was a time when they didn't even dare to think about what tomorrow would bring.

Although the current situation is difficult, it is not to the point where we cannot make a living, and there is still hope and something to look forward to in the future.

Not only Chen Limin and the kitchen staff, but also many people at the higher levels believed that the disaster and poor harvest were only temporary, and they all hoped that it was only temporary.

Although Li Hongbing knows the true history, he will not step forward and reveal it at this time.

One reason is that nobody believes it.

If he really does that, Li Hongbing will be in deep trouble. He could be directly accused of spreading "rumors," undermining national and social stability, or even being treated as a spy.

Chen Limin's pep talk improved everyone's mindset and made them more positive.

The apprentices, in particular, found work to do when there was none, and did the cleaning job very well.

As his leisurely day came to an end, Li Hongbing packed his lunchbox and prepared to leave work.

The lunchbox didn't contain any leftovers; it was just some meat and vegetable broth.

It wasn't just Li Hongbing; many other chefs, like him, carried a net bag or lunchbox home from get off work.

In this day and age, leftovers are considered valuable, not just a virtue of thrift.

We've only had enough to eat for a few years now, so nobody cares about leftovers, not even the chefs in the kitchen.

In the old society where people could starve to death, food was life itself.

Business used to be good, with many customers, and those who came to spend money were mostly people of a certain status who didn't care about money, so there were always some leftovers.

Back then, the head chefs in the kitchen would pick and choose the leftovers they brought home.

If there aren't any better options, they simply don't bother bringing them home. After all, their salaries and benefits are high, so it's not worth the extra expense.

But in this kind of year...

Don't even think about leftovers; it's already pretty good if you can get a little bit of broth left.

Soups and broths that chefs used to look down on, or leftovers from a fierce battle, are now being treasured.

However, what everyone took were genuine leftovers and soup, not fresh ingredients or specially prepared dishes.

Not everyone is like Sha Zhu, who recklessly withholds food from factory leaders' special meals and steals ingredients, calling it "robbing the rich to help the poor," and even saying things like "If the cooks don't steal, the grains won't be plentiful," as if it were something to be proud of.

Those who can work in the kitchen of Fengzeyuan are basically master chefs with a certain reputation and status in the industry. Regardless of their true character, even if they are constrained by their status, they would not do something like stealing public ingredients.

If you actually did it, you'd be tarnishing your own reputation.

They all have a lineage of masters. Even though most of their masters are no longer alive, they still have a group of disciples, or even grand-disciples.

One person's disgrace is equivalent to the disgrace of the entire sect, and their reputation will be ruined in their old age.

No one would do something so foolish, with such low returns and high risks.

After leaving Fengzeyuan, Li Hongbing rode his bicycle to a silk shop on Qianmen Street nearby, picked up Chen Xueru, and the two went home together.

Return to the courtyard.

Just as Li Hongbing pushed his bicycle into the front yard, Yan Bugui, who was tending to the flowers and plants in the yard late at night, glanced in the direction of the gate and noticed him. He quickly greeted him, "Hongbing, you're off work!"

"Yes!"

Li Hongbing nodded, and looking at what Yan Bugui was doing, he couldn't help but tease him, "Uncle Yan, it's so late at night, why are you still arranging these flowers and plants?"

"No wonder your plants are growing so well; you must have put a lot of effort into taking care of them." Hearing Li Hongbing's teasing, Yan Bugui's face showed a hint of embarrassment, but he quickly regained his composure and said seriously, "Of course! Don't underestimate these plants; there's a lot to consider and learn about them, and you can't be careless at all."

"That's true, but in the whole courtyard, I'm afraid only you, Uncle Yan, know these things."

Li Hongbing smiled, though it wasn't entirely a joke.

It must be said that Yan Bugui's many years as a "gatekeeper" have not been entirely for nothing; at least in terms of cultivating flowers and plants, he does have some skill.

If this were in later generations, and Yan Bugui opened a shop selling flowers and ornamental plants, or even a flower and plant cultivation base, he would most likely have made a great success of it.

Given Yan Bugui's fondness for and shrewdness, he might even find joy in being a businessman.

"You flatter me, I only know a little bit."

Yan Bugui felt a little smug after being flattered by Li Hongbing, but he didn't forget his business and quickly said, "Hongbing, tomorrow is a day off. I'm going to the countryside to exchange some sweet potatoes. Do you need any? I can exchange them for you on the way."

"I really have to thank Uncle Yan for this; we've almost finished our sweet potatoes."

Upon hearing Yan Bugui's inquiry, Li Hongbing immediately understood his intention and asked, "I just don't know how many kilograms of sweet potatoes can be exchanged for a kilogram of coarse grains now?"

For a long time, the Yan family has had a unique practice of exchanging grain coupons or grain for sweet potatoes in the countryside. However, with the reduction of grain rations this year, many people are not getting enough food and have started to use this method to indirectly increase their food supply.

A pound of coarse grains or national grain coupons could be exchanged for several pounds of sweet potatoes, which seemed like a good deal, but that wasn't always the case.

Sweet potatoes are a good food and can be eaten as a staple food, but they are not as filling as staple foods like rice and noodles.

Moreover, rice and noodles are dry, while sweet potatoes contain a lot of water, so the weight and exchange ratio are naturally greatly reduced.

The key issue is that eating too many sweet potatoes can easily cause stomach acid reflux, and eating only sweet potatoes for a long time can easily damage the stomach.

Like Yan Bugui and the others, Li Hongbing also traded grain for sweet potatoes.

On the one hand, it was to blend in with the masses and provide cover for their own families.

Otherwise, everyone else is short of food, but your family is not. Even if everyone in the courtyard knows that Li Hongbing is not short of money, he can easily solve this problem by taking a stroll around the pigeon market.

However, this can easily arouse jealousy and make some people feel unbalanced.

In reality, he was doing well, but on the surface, he didn't have to do so, which had no real impact on Li Hongbing.

When others saw that Li Hongbing had such a high salary, yet still faced the same food shortage problem as everyone else, they instantly felt more at ease and stopped being so resentful.

on the other hand.

When he got the sweet potatoes back, Li Hongbing ate them in combination with other foods for a more balanced diet, unlike some families who eat sweet potatoes for every meal.

“Hongbing, you’ve come to the right person.”

Upon hearing Li Hongbing ask this question, Yan Bugui immediately perked up and said with great enthusiasm, "The harvest is bad now. Originally, one jin of national grain coupons or coarse grains could be exchanged for at least six jin of sweet potatoes."

But now everyone is short of food. As more people in the city go to the countryside to exchange grain coupons and grain for sweet potatoes, the price of sweet potatoes has also risen. Now, one pound of national grain coupons and reserves can basically only be exchanged for four pounds of sweet potatoes.

However, I inquired and found out that in the nearby rural areas, one could only exchange for four jin (2 catties), but in the more remote areas like Shunyi or Changping, one jin of grain coupons or coarse grains could be exchanged for at least five jin (2.5 kg) of sweet potatoes.

"This is great news!"

Li Hongbing wasn't surprised that Yan Bugui had studied these things so thoroughly, but he frowned and said, "But Uncle Yan, Shunyi and Changping aren't exactly close to us, are they?"

"It's not close, that's why I was thinking of borrowing your bicycle tomorrow!"

Yan Bugui was a little embarrassed and directly stated his ultimate goal.

"That's easy to say."

Li Hongbing agreed without hesitation and said, "I'll tell my mom when I get back. If you need the car tomorrow and I'm at work, just ask my mom."

Yan Bugui had already helped his own family exchange sweet potatoes, so it was perfectly reasonable for Li Hongbing to lend his bicycle without contributing any manpower or effort.

Equivalent exchange.

This kind of "cooperation" is not the first time.

Li Hongbing now has three bicycles at home.

One of them was bought before he married Chen Xueru, and it's the one he rides most often, using it to commute to and from work.

The second vehicle was one of Chen Xueru's dowry items, but it was a women's 26-inch bicycle, which was rarely used. It was only used occasionally when the whole family went out. However, this vehicle was obviously not suitable for rough work such as hauling sweet potatoes, and she was reluctant to lend it out.

There's one last one, the one the Chen family used to ride.

The bicycle was already almost unused, especially after Chen's mother moved here. However, since the residents in the courtyard sometimes encountered emergencies, they would inevitably ask Li Hongbing to borrow the bicycle. As long as the relationship wasn't really bad and the other party was indeed in a situation, Li Hongbing generally wouldn't refuse.

Later, Chen's mother suggested that they bring over the unused bicycle from home and place it in the yard so that it could be used by anyone who needed it, without any worries about it.

Although it was old, all the parts were intact. Although the industrial technology at that time was backward, the materials used were really solid and quite durable.

Of course.

Although it is specifically reserved for borrowing, it is not the same as being used by the hospital. If you want to borrow it for no reason, you will not be allowed to.

Gradually, this became a consensus among everyone.

In an emergency, having such a bicycle is a lifesaver. No one dares to break the rules. If you really upset Li Hongbing, you won't even have the chance to borrow a bicycle anymore.

Everyone remembered that Li Hongbing was only being polite to them; he wasn't afraid of anyone. No one in the courtyard could afford to offend him.

"Alright! Hongbing, thank you so much."

Although Yan Bugui had anticipated this outcome and was fairly certain that Li Hongbing would not refuse, he was still very happy to have successfully borrowed the bicycle.

Having a bicycle makes exchanging sweet potatoes much more convenient and less strenuous.

They were originally going to exchange sweet potatoes, and they also helped Li Hongbing exchange some back. With the convenient tool of a bicycle, they didn't lose out at all; in fact, they made a profit.

"Uncle Yan, Daxing and Changping are so far apart. Are you sure you want to ride your bicycle to exchange sweet potatoes tomorrow?"

Faced with Yan Bugui's gratitude, Li Hongbing couldn't help but offer a word of advice.

It was fine before, since they were all in the suburbs, not too far away.

Even with a bicycle, it's not easy to make the special trip to Daxing and Changping, especially on the way back, when the bicycle is loaded with the sweet potatoes they traded, which are definitely not light.

The key is that there are daily shuttle buses between Daxing and Changping. Even though I know Yan Bugui is trying to save money and is reluctant to spend the bus fare, it's still a hassle!
“It’s alright. We’ll exchange the sweet potatoes tomorrow. I’ll have Jie Cheng go. He’s a young man with plenty of strength. This little distance is nothing to him.”

Hearing Yan Bugui say those words with such self-satisfaction, Li Hongbing almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This Yan Bugui really doesn't treat his son like a son, but rather like a mule, squeezing every last drop of value out of him.

Just as Li Hongbing was feeling sorry for Yan Jiecheng, who had become Yan Bugui's son, he suddenly heard Yan Bugui extend an invitation to him with an expectant look on his face:

"Hongbing, are you off tomorrow? Let's go fishing together!"

(End of this chapter)