I am He Yuzhu in Siheyuan

On this day, the factory brought back a batch of pork from the meat processing plant, the welfare of the steel mill employees,

Each person got 16 jin, plus a box of snacks and two towels. At that time, jin was liang, which was distributed by various departments and workshops. (Cutting thousands of portions would tire the cooks out, and the portions would have been ready when they were brought back.)

The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and the steel mill will be closed for the holiday. During these days, they will do a general cleaning, pay salaries, hold a general meeting, evaluate advanced employees, and finally show movies for two days.

The canteen has been very busy these days because of the dinner parties. Each department has issued meal tickets and people can order food based on the tickets. The workers only need a big pot of stew for dinner parties, but the leaders' small canteen is very busy for dinner parties.

At dusk on the 26th, the workers rushed home carrying pork and snacks. Each person was given two meal tickets so that they could bring one person to eat together.

He Yuzhu, like everyone else, was holding his year-end benefits in his left hand and a net bag with two lunch boxes in his right hand, and he walked leisurely towards the courtyard.

When you enter the gate, the first person you see is Yan Bugui.

"Shazhu, you're back. The benefits at your steel mill are really good. This big piece of meat must be at least 1 kilograms."

"Uncle San has good eyesight. It was given by the factory. Everyone has it. What did you get?"

"We just give out peanuts and melon seeds, which are not as good as your welfare."

"It's fine as long as it's sent. You keep busy, I'll go cook for Yu Shui."

"Hey, go ahead,"

In the end, Yan Bugui didn't ask about the meal ticket. There was no reason for him to ask, so he went back in a depressed mood.

"Yushui, our factory has issued two dinner tickets. I will be busy and won't be able to pick you up, so you can go with the people in the yard. I'll give you two tickets. If you have good friends, you can go together."

"Okay, I'll go with Aunt Zhang and Wang Yumei then."

"Okay, come find me in the kitchen and I'll serve you something nice."

"Yeah, got it, bro."

The next morning, the whole factory held a party. As expected, He Yuzhu won the individual advanced title in logistics. In the afternoon, the whole cafeteria became busy.

"Silly pillar! Silly pillar!"

Xu Damao's voice sounded in the back kitchen, until He Yuzhu came out and saw Xu Damao leading Yu Shui and Wang Yumei in.

"Yushui, I didn't lie to you, go find your brother, I'm a professional"

"Xu Damao, that's great. You finally did something humane."

"Why don't you call me Shazhu? You don't even know how to greet your sister when she comes."

He Yuzhu rarely refuted him and led Yu Shui and Yu Mei to the kitchen.

"Xu Damao, come here."

"What do you want to do?" Xu Damao became alert instantly and prepared to run away if he felt something was wrong.

"Get you something nice"

"You would be so kind?"

"Thank you for bringing the rain here. If you don't come, I won't give it to you."

"Come, why not come? I earn my living through labor, it's only natural."

In the kitchen, He Yuzhu put the dishes that could not fit on the leaders' plates together in two small bowls and asked them to cook them, and gave each of them a steamed bun.

"Come and try my handiwork."

He Yushui and Wang Yumei couldn't wait to pick up their chopsticks and start eating.

Xu Damao had heard about He Yuzhu's excellent cooking skills a long time ago, but this was his first time eating He Yuzhu's special meal, so he picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

"It's just so-so. It's far worse than what I eat out." Xu Damao said unconvinced, but his chopsticks moved faster and faster.

After dinner, Xu Damao said to He Yuzhu, "Shazhu, I'm taking them to the movies now. Remember to pick them up when you're done."

Don't be in a hurry. He Yuzhu picked up their lunch boxes and put today's stew into a big pot. Each person got a box full, and there were obviously a lot of meat slices in it.

“Pack everything up, heat it up at home and it’ll be a delicious meal.

"Okay, I won't be polite. I'll take them both away. Come over when you're done. I'll save a seat for you. Let me make it clear first, I don't owe you anything."

In the evening, after the workers and their families had a hearty meal, they came to the open space where the meeting was held to watch a movie together.

Tonight's stage belongs to Xu Damao. This is the first time he has screened a movie by himself after becoming a regular employee. He fully demonstrates his talent and works hard for his career.

Later I learned that in order to pave the way for his son, Lao Xu resigned during the Chinese New Year, worked in a screening room, and was even allocated a house. This might be the best path he could choose as a native of Loubancheng.

The next day at noon, He Yuzhu was busy in the canteen as usual. The workers were on holiday, and the leader had to make a statement and then go on holiday one day later to check safety, take inventory of the warehouse, etc.

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu happily walked home carrying four lunch boxes.

Along the way, we saw cheerful people carrying New Year's goods back home from the supply and marketing cooperatives. Children were holding candies in their mouths, holding a spark of firewood, and lighting small firecrackers from a distance.

After a busy year, everyone is enjoying this hard-earned happy time.

When I returned home, Yu Shui had already pasted the couplets. I learned paper cutting from Aunt Zhang in the front yard, and then I couldn't stop. I pasted them on the windows and the head of the bed.

He Yuzhu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and finally asked Yushui to send some of the rest to the old lady and Xu Damao's house. During this period of time, every household was making delicious food, and the fragrance in the air almost never stopped.

"Rainwater, if the family needs anything, we can go to the market tomorrow morning to buy some."

"We have peanuts, melon seeds, and snacks. You brought back a big piece of meat yesterday. We also have slaughtered chickens, ducks, and geese. Buy two more fish, brother. Isn't it said that there will be fish every year?"

"Okay, I'll go buy some tomorrow morning, and get some vegetables and sugar, and we'll have enough to eat this year."

Early the next morning, He Yuzhu went to buy candies and snacks, as well as a few strings of firecrackers. He also bought a few strings of small firecrackers and small fireworks that could burst into flowers for Yu Shui.

I bought a pig's head and two offal at the market, and exchanged some change for spare. On the way back, I took out the fish and vegetables I had prepared in the space and headed home.

In the morning, He Yuzhu fried radish balls, chicken, fish, eggplant, and other ingredients that needed to be fried in advance, and cleaned the pig's head and offal to prepare the stew.

After working for a whole morning, Master He finally got everything ready. He cleaned up the place and put away things like scissors and brooms that were not allowed to be used during the New Year.

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu went to get a haircut first, and then asked Yu Shui to go to the bathhouse to take a bath. Only then was everything done, and all that was left was to celebrate the New Year with peace of mind.

On New Year's Eve, chop dumplings with pork and green onion fillings, which look delicious. Chop enough for two meals, eat them in the evening and on the morning of the first day of the new year, and wrap them in advance in the afternoon.

He Yushui was good at making porridge, but rolling out dumpling wrappers was too much of a challenge for her. The young girl was in a mess, with flour all over her face and sleeves. He Yuzhu immediately drove her out of the kitchen and started to work on her own.

Food is the most important thing for people. Life is about firewood, rice, oil and salt. People who are often hungry will not pursue the so-called spiritual freedom. The best food in a year is these few days.

In the afternoon, after visiting his mother's grave, He Yuzhu started to show off his cooking skills at home.

Six dishes, chicken, duck, fish, braised meat and two vegetarian dishes, six is ​​six, two people are already very luxurious. The leftovers alone will take several days to eat.

I don't know whose family started it first, but the sound of firecrackers continued, and the same was true in the yard. Except for the children who were stopped from picking up the firecrackers that had just been set off, the whole place was harmonious.

There was no Spring Festival Gala in this era, television was not available to ordinary people, and there were not many radio stations. After dinner, everyone gathered in the yard to chat about the achievements of the year and the direction of national development.

Children ran around the yard in groups holding firecrackers, but in the absence of street lights they didn't dare to run too far.

Occasionally, they would set off a firecracker behind an adult and watch the frightened adult laugh. Of course, the frightened adult would just laugh and not take it seriously, after all, you can't hit children during the Chinese New Year.

I had to stay up all night on the night of the 30th. In an era without entertainment, after running around all day, my eyelids started to droop in a short while. After receiving the New Year's money from He Yuzhu, I fell asleep peacefully.

What a busy 53 years!