I am He Yuzhu in Siheyuan

On the 1976th day of the twelfth lunar month in , it was snowing.

This disastrous year has finally passed, the New Year has arrived, and every household is preparing for the New Year.

After the movement ended, there were fewer restrictions, except that people were still afraid to talk nonsense. The streets were already very lively.

At this time, the population of the capital was already very large, there were street vendors setting up stalls, and many young people were also selling things.

Today is the day when the steel mill’s wages are collected. It has been ten years since the wages were collected ahead of schedule.

During the first Chinese New Year after the end of the movement, the factory will be on holiday from the day after tomorrow and will return to work on the sixth day so that the workers can have a good year.

Tomorrow we will hold a meeting to recognize our achievements, show a movie, distribute year-end bonuses, and have a dinner.

This year we can set off firecrackers, have an annual party, and go out for fun.

Now the policy is getting better and better, those old guys all went home after receiving their wages. This is the first time they have gone home in ten years.

He Yuzhu didn't have a holiday until the afternoon of the 10th day of the twelfth lunar month. When he came back, he was carrying two chickens, two geese, and some vegetables. The year-end bonus from the steel mill gave him kilograms of meat and some other things, not including the bricks. The benefits for cadres are good.

Brick's masters all went home to celebrate the New Year, so he also took a day off, going out for a walk every afternoon and coming back only in the evening, and always feeling a little lost.

Dantou was different. He worked harder after being abused last time. Whether it was boxing and horse stance training in the morning or going to the steel mill to have extra training with his master, he never complained about the hardship or tiredness. That is, it was the Chinese New Year, so he only practiced boxing and horse stance in the morning and rested for the rest of the two days.

This year, it is possible to set off firecrackers. Dantou finally found a new toy. He believed that a man should set off the loudest firecrackers, so he asked his brother to purify the explosives, and he made firecrackers himself to play with. Then he took Fangfang and Yueliang to set off ice cubes and fish, and they had a good harvest every day.

"Brother, these explosives are too weak. Move forward a little further and try to blow up a bunch of fish with one shot."

Brick is in a bad mood these days, I don't want to pay attention to him

"Would you like me to get you some TNT and some detonators?"

When Bullet heard this, his eyes lit up and he said

"Okay!"

"Get out! Get out! Get out as far as you can!"

When Bullet saw his brother explode, he ran away quickly. He said, "I can't afford to provoke you. I can't afford to provoke you. Your brother hasn't been in good condition these days, so it's better not to provoke him."

On New Year's Eve, there was a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner with eight dishes and meat dumplings. The family sat in a neat row, and after the meal, He Yuzhu began to give out New Year's money.

The child is grown up and needs to have money in his pocket. Normally, I give him 5 yuan a month. Today is the New Year, so I give him 10 yuan. I can't let my child feel inferior in front of others.

Zhuantou's salary was given to He Yuzhu. He usually didn't spend any money, and he still had 3 or 4 yuan saved. This was the money left after occasionally bringing gifts to the masters. After all, it was not easy to spend money without tickets.

Dantou is a typical moonlighter. He has younger brothers in school, and it is not popular to collect protection fees now. Besides, he dare not do it, otherwise his master and father will destroy him.

The moon is half saved and half spent. The little girl doesn't necessarily buy something just because she likes it. There is no shortage of snacks and candies at home.

After dinner, Fangfang came and He Yuzhu also gave her 10 yuan. After all, she was his future daughter-in-law, so it was not a loss for him.

Then the children went out to play. The first stop was Yi Zhonghai's house.

Yi Zhonghai was really generous, giving 10 yuan to each person. He had a pension and rehire salary every month, and the old couple couldn't spend much, and they only had Fangfang. So Yi Zhonghai was even more generous to Dantou, and in addition to Fangfang, Dantou also secretly gave some pocket money every month.

The second stop was Xu's house. A group of children first wished Xu Damao and his wife a happy new year. Then Xu Damao began to take money out of his pocket to give out New Year's money.

Still 10 yuan per person. Don't be surprised by Damao's financial ability. The Lou family left him a lot of money. Xiangjiang couldn't spend it, so they gave it all to Damao, all in the third set of RMB. Although the Lou family had spent a lot of money to cash in gold before leaving, and their house was raided, a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and Damao is the richest.

Damao's favorite is Zhuantou, but He Yuzhu doesn't agree to let Zhuantou become his godparents, so he sets his sights on Dantou and Xiaoyueliang. Damao likes Xiaoyueliang very much and dotes on her the most, followed by Dantou. He has never let any of them down, and plans to wait until Dantou and Xiaoyueliang are 16 years old before becoming their godparents.

Then the kids took the money and went out for a walk. When they reached the middle courtyard, they saw Sophora japonica.

"Brother Brick, where are you going? Can I follow you?"

Huaihua said to Brick hopefully.

"I don't know. We're just going to take a look around and we won't take you with us."

Sophora japonica is a little lost,

"Okay then, Happy New Year!"

"Well, happy new year!"

After Brick and the others left the yard, Little Moon asked

"Brother, why does the girl next door, Huaihua, always want to play with you? You are so indifferent to her, but she always comes forward to ask you?"

"I know. My second brother will tell you that when my brother was 6 years old, Huaihua's brother Banggeng found someone to bully my brother. Before my brother could take revenge, he went to the countryside."

Bullet rushed to answer.

"Oh, I see."

Brick didn't tell his younger brothers and sisters the reason, leaving it to them to guess. He walked around the area with the three children for a long time.

In the first Spring Festival after the movement, there were not many fireworks, and everyone was not that wealthy yet, and they were very restrained.

On the first day of the new year, everyone went out to play after breakfast. After the old lady passed away, Zhuantou and his friends no longer had to deliver dumplings. He Yuzhu was waiting for his apprentices to pay New Year's greetings at home.

Fatty Ma Hua came over one after another, buying gifts, cakes, tea, etc. He came to wish He Yuzhu a happy new year, and Han Chunming also came with a flattering face. The young man was very lively, with lively eyes and a sweet mouth. After a while, he called Mrs. Xingzhi "Mrs. Mrs.".

The young man was very knowledgeable and often asked Ma Hua for advice under the pretext that He Yuzhu was teaching him three dishes.

Everyone sat down, and He Yuzhu spoke.

"Today we have three dishes per person. It's a test of your efforts over the years."

At noon, He Yuzhu's family of five and his three apprentices ate together at a large table, and were also testing their knowledge over the years.

"Ma Hua and Fatty can now stand on their own. The steel mill is preparing to resume the grade examination. By then, we should be able to get a grade 6. Han Chunming! After the Chinese New Year, I will learn how to cook big pot dishes from your two senior brothers. The grade examination in our factory is about big pot dishes."

"Yes! Master!"

The three of them replied together

After dinner, Xingzhi gave each of them a packet of snacks, and then they went home.

Han Chunming came to pay homage to his master on the fifth day of the first lunar month. He had to go to work the next day, so his mother and brother came with him. They kowtowed and served tea to him.

After the work started this year, the old guys came to the steel mill again. They brought a message that the wind direction was changing. At the same time, they asked Brick to study harder, including liberal arts.

On August 1977, 8, Deng Xiaoping summoned a group of the most knowledgeable people in the country for a discussion and decided that all workers, farmers, educated youth who had gone to the countryside or returned home, soldiers, and cadres who met the requirements could sign up for the college entrance examination.

When the news came out, young people all over the country were excited, especially the educated youth who went to the countryside, whose eyes were filled with tears. A wave of learning was set off.

The broken circuits for young people were reconnected, major universities began to recruit students, high schools became formalized, and everyone started studying again.

In the steel rolling mill, Brick and Bullet are both studying. Brick is going to take the college entrance examination, and Bullet needs to go to high school.

In the courtyard, Huaihua is the only one who is of appropriate age to take the exam. The others who went to the countryside have already married and are working. Moreover, they did not continue to study after going to the countryside, and now that they have a job, they don’t think about anything else.

Finally, Dantou went to high school first, and only Brick was left to study in the steel mill. It's not that He Yuzhu is biased, but everyone has different talents. Although Dantou is very smart, he doesn't want to study very much and becomes more active.

The children in the courtyard have also given up their laziness. They no longer have to think about not being able to go to school after graduating from junior high school. Now that they have a way out, parents have picked up sticks for their future.

Xiaoyueliang and Fangfang are also working hard. Brick never puts down his book, and Bullet has already gone to high school, so they can't fall behind.

Finally, December is here.

He Yuzhu and Brick rode their bikes back to the compound. During the ride, Brick kept frowning, looking a little bored.

Xingzhi saw it and said

"It's okay, Boss. You're only 16 years old. If you don't do well in the exam this time, we can go to high school and take it again later. It's not a big deal."

"No, Mom, I passed the exam, but it just doesn't feel right. What should I say? Well, even if my brother works a little harder, he can probably pass the exam, even though he doesn't study much!"

"Boss, do you mean it's too simple?"

"Yeah! I don't know why, it just feels like a child playing house."

Brick frowned and said

Xingzhi was speechless and didn't know what to say.

On the other side, the Jia family.

"Huaihua, how do you feel? Are you confident?"

Qin Huairu looked at her youngest daughter with anticipation, after all, her daughter has loved reading since she was young.

"It's OK. The questions are a bit difficult, but I think I can answer them well."

"Well, that's good. You are the most promising one in our family now."

Huaihua's eyes involuntarily looked towards the He family, thinking

"Brother Brick must have done well in the exam. He reads a lot, so he must have passed. Although I also read a lot like him, I still feel a little uncertain."

Sure enough, before the Chinese New Year, the college received two admission letters.

Huaihua was admitted to a normal university.

Brick was admitted to the science and engineering school of China Wudaokou Vocational and Technical College.

This year, a total of 570 million candidates took the exam nationwide, and 27 were admitted, with an admission rate of only 3 percent.

Unlike the excited Jia family, Brick was frowning and unhappy. The questions were too easy and the level was too low. What could he learn in school?

He Yuzhu and Xingzhi didn't think too much about it. Their son was admitted to the university, so they had to celebrate. He Yuzhu made two more hot pots, and the four families came together again: the Yushui family, the Yi family, the Xu Damao family, and the He family. They had white wine, beer, and juice, and celebrated in the brick house in the backyard.

"Jianguo, congratulations on being admitted to university. This is a small gift from your aunt and I. It is a gift from an elder and cannot be refused!"

Li Xingguo took out a red envelope and gave it to Brick. Brick took it without hesitation because his family and his aunt's family were all one family.

At this time, Yi Zhonghai and Xu Damao also took out a red envelope and gave it to Brick.

"Jianguo, work hard in the future. Your uncle Damao will be relying on you for protection when the time comes."

"Jianguo, we will be a family from now on, so you're welcome!"

At He Yuzhu's suggestion, the bricks were accepted, and everyone started celebrating in the most classic way of the Chinese people, eating a big meal.

In the evening, Brick opened the red envelopes, which contained 100 yuan per person. As if it had been discussed beforehand, he put the money back into the red envelopes and then put it into his own piggy bank.

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