Siheyuan: He Yuzhu since 1958

Huang Ying received the money, and when He Ping and Zhang Hu left the office, she could not help but think of what He Yuzhu said. Huang Ying suddenly felt that she had lived a comfortable life for too long, and she had lost even the most basic defense. She was not as good as her husband He Yuzhu, who was younger than her. Now that she thought about it carefully, what He Yuzhu said made a lot of sense. Forget it, just live your own life!

He Yuzhu didn't expect that his wife would change her mind just because he sent food to Zhang Hu and He Ping. If he had known this would happen, he would have agreed to it. Although He Yuzhu, who worked in the steel mill, didn't know this, the supply of food in the factory also began to decrease due to the reduction in the supply of non-staple food. Originally, three dishes were provided at noon, but now it has been changed to one dish. Sometimes there is no dish, only a simple soup. The workers in the kitchen have also been completely idle. But this is a good thing for He Yuzhu. He just happened to have some free time.

"Hey?! Zhuzi, you got off work really early today?!" Yan Bugui came back from outside with a bucket in one hand and a fishing rod in the other. He met He Yuzhu at the door and greeted him with a smile.

He Yuzhu asked back: "Uncle, are you back from fishing? Why didn't you go to class today?!"

Yan Bugui said: "If we don't have enough food, how can we have the energy to attend classes?! The school is afraid that our teachers can't bear it, so we adopt a shift system. We don't have to report to school every day. We have to wait for the school to notify us when to resume normal classes. I have nothing to do anyway, so I went fishing in Shichahai. I wanted to add a dish to my family. I didn't expect that after working for a long time, I only caught two catfish."

He Yuzhu replied, "Uncle, in this season, it's great to have such a big fish."

Yan Bugui looked around and asked, "Zhu Zi, did you buy food last night?!"

He Yuzhu immediately understood what Yan Bugui meant and said, "We bought some, but not much. It's barely enough to last until next month when we buy rations."

Yan Bugui then asked: "Zhu Zi, can you spare your uncle some time?!"

He Yuzhu replied, "Uncle, it's not that I don't give you face, it's just that food is too difficult to get right now. Otherwise, you should think of another way. I don't want to talk to you anymore, I want to go back and rest for a while!" After that, He Yuzhu pushed the bicycle into the gate of the courtyard.

Watching He Yuzhu's back disappear at the gate of the middle courtyard, Yan Bugui sighed and muttered to himself: "Life is getting harder and harder! I should find time to go to Zuojiazhuang to exchange grain tomorrow! Let's get through this period first!"

He Yuzhu returned home and saw his third uncle was there too. He asked curiously, "Third uncle, when did you come? Why didn't you say hello in advance?!"

"Zhu Zi!" Lu Guoliang called out, with an embarrassed expression on his face, and said, "Zhu Zi, I, your third uncle, am here today for no reason!"

He Yuzhu was stunned and asked, "What's wrong with Third Uncle?!"

Lu Shunyi said, "It's all about food."

He Yuzhu asked, "Third Uncle, didn't I just ask Taishan and the others to deliver food to our home? It's gone so soon?!"

Lu Guoliang said, "Zhu Zi, isn't she your third aunt?! She saw her family starving and couldn't bear it so she gave them some money. Now, her family is relying on her for support."

He Yuzhu said: "This is easy! At worst, we can just not go back."

Lu Guoliang said: "If we don't go back, what will we eat?!"

He Yuzhu said, "I'll find you a job. You come to the city to work. Your aunt will come to the city to take care of you! If you don't go back, what can they do to you?!"

Lu Shunyi said: "Zhu Zi, this is not a solution. I know you have something in mind. Don't tease your uncle. Just tell me what you really think!"

He Yuzhu asked: "Third uncle, tell me honestly. How much food do you have left at home?!"

Lu Guoliang replied: "We still have 60 kilograms of cornmeal and 10 kilograms of rice. With our current appetite, we can last for a month."

He Yuzhu said, "Uncle, go back and tell your aunt that we are out of food in the city. All the food at home has been given to my nephew's wife to support her colleagues in the unit. If you want food, you can only go to the pigeon market or the black market to buy expensive food. Cornmeal is now sold at 70 cents per pound in the pigeon market, and cornmeal is now considered a fine grain and sells for 1.5 yuan per pound. Ask your aunt how much she plans to buy and let her give you the money. As long as you buy food a few times, your aunt's family will probably stop worrying."

Lu Guoliang said: "Zhu Zi, even if you have money, I, your third uncle, have no connections?!"

Lu Shunyi looked at his son with a look of disappointment, and said, "How could I give birth to such a stupid son like you?! Zhuzi has made it clear, why are you still confused?!"

Lu Guoliang hesitated for a few seconds, then reacted immediately. He Yuzhu said, "Don't keep the money. Give it to your grandparents. It's easy to be exposed if you keep it with you."

Lu Guoliang said: "Okay! I'll go back right away."

He Yuzhu said, "It's getting late. I'll make some food. Eat before you leave!"

Lu Guoliang said: "Let's not eat. We still have a long way to go back!"

He Yuzhu said, "Then you can take my bike away, and let Taishan and the others ride it back next time."

Lu Guoliang thought about it and nodded, "Okay! Then I won't be polite!"

He Yuzhu took out two cans of canned fruit and two cans of luncheon meat from the cupboard, put them in a cloth bag, handed it to Lu Guoliang, and said: "The canned fruit will quench your thirst on the road. The canned luncheon meat will be a dish when you go back. Don't treat yourself badly. You don't want to give others a discount." Then He Yuzhu handed the bicycle key to Lu Guoliang.

Lu Guoliang was filled with emotion at this moment: "I failed to help my nephew, but in return, I need my nephew to help me. I am really blessed by my predecessors."

After sending Lv Guoliang away, He Yuzhu returned home. Lv Shunyi asked, "Zhuzi, you gave the bicycle to your third uncle, what are you going to do these days?!"

He Yuzhu replied, "Grandpa, a bicycle is a rare item for others, but for me, your grandson, it is just a means of transportation. You can buy one anytime you want. Besides, I have a tricycle at my door. At worst, I can ride the tricycle to work these days." Then He Yuzhu took out a cigarette box from his pocket, took out two cigarettes and handed one to his grandfather, lit one himself, took two puffs, and asked, "Grandpa, I think my third aunt is a good person. Why is her family like this?!"

Lu Shunyi replied: "Isn't it the lack of food that caused the trouble?! Forget it! The more I talk about it, the sadder I get."

"The third child is gone?!" Just then Cui Juan came in holding He Bing. He Yuzhu took his fat son with a smile, and asked while teasing the child, "Grandma, why don't your mother's family look like your third aunt's family?!"

Cui Juan said, "Your uncle is still here! Who in our Cui family dares to make trouble?! But your uncle and his family are not having a good time now. If you hadn't arranged a job for Dongzi, they probably wouldn't be able to hold on now."

Lu Shunyi went on to say, "Although the Cui family is one of the three major surnames in our village, the Cui family has a rule that when children get married, they will separate from the family. Unlike the Zhang family and the Niu family, they insist that the children will not separate from the family as long as the parents are alive."

Cui Juan said: "Old man, do you still remember what happened back then?!"

Lu Shunyi answered firmly: "I remember! Of course I remember! I will never forget this until I die."

He Yuzhu heard the conversation between his grandma and grandpa and immediately realized that there was something fishy going on. Just as he was about to ask, Lu Shunyi said, "Zhuzi, the Niu family really came to buy grain. Do you have that much grain?!"

He Yuzhu replied: "Grandpa, don't worry about this! Besides, I don't know whether the Niu family has money. I am just afraid that the Niu family will target Taishan and Taihe."