The conspiracy of the courtyard

As the sky turned slightly white, the last person, Lu Zhihai, finally arrived.

The person asked directly, "Name? Which room are you staying in? Family members? Write down your entire itinerary for the past seven days. Every place you visit must be verified by someone. If you can't write, just dictate it and I will write it for you. You sign and put your fingerprints on it."

“I can’t write, except for my own name. My name is Lu Zhihai, and I live in the back house in the front yard.

There are me, my wife Chen Ping, and my 4-month-old son Lu Zixuan at home.

For the past seven days, I have been working at 7:30 a.m. with my master Yi Zhonghai. People in the workshop can prove my working hours. I get off work at 6 p.m. and go back to the courtyard with my master Yi Zhonghai.

These past few days, I have been going in and out and eating with Yi Zhonghai, and usually come home around 9pm. My wife can testify to this."

After Lu Zhihai finished answering, he was still thinking about what omissions there were.

Then I heard the man say, "Come on, sign, put your fingerprints, and then go home and rest."

Lu Zhihai had a thousand horses galloping in his heart.

"Damn it, if I had known it was so simple, why would I have dragged it to the last minute? You've wasted my whole night."

But I still signed and put my fingerprints on it.

Dragging my tired body, I walked into the house in a trance, closed the door, fell on the bed, and fell asleep in a second.

next morning

The human body's biological clock woke up Chen Ping from her deep sleep. She took out the pocket watch under her pillow and saw that it was almost 7 o'clock.

I quickly got out of bed, picked up my coat, buttoned it up, and rushed out to the courtyard. The courtyard was unusually quiet today. That's right, we were busy until midnight.

I was scared by what happened yesterday. I need to have a good rest. I feel inexplicably happy.

Perhaps it was because he heard his son complain about the many people and things in the courtyard that he was hostile to everyone, fearing that they would get close to him and plot against him. Chen Ping couldn't help but mutter in his heart

"I'd better listen to my son and stay away from him. With my brain, if it weren't for my son's guidance, I would have been thrown in jail.

Life in this city is so thrilling. Just yesterday I experienced public speaking, election management, being monitored, almost being blamed twice, getting to know leaders, defeating spies, and exposing the villains.

Oh my god, was yesterday so exciting? It was so exciting. My son is so smart, he can handle anything.

Why do I feel like my son is raising me? Pah, who should I raise if my son doesn’t? He’s my own son. Hehe.”

"Zhi Hai's wife, you got up so early? Do you know what happened yesterday? Why did even the soldiers come?"

Aunt Yang is here to make a presence felt again.

Chen Ping smiled and replied: "I don't know. Teacher Yan is knowledgeable and probably knows. I have never seen such a big scene."

"Well, I've seen so many soldiers, but I've never seen them entering the yard. They looked so ferocious that my legs went weak with fear. Aren't you afraid?" Aunt Yang said in disbelief.

"Of course I'm not afraid. But I feel better when I don't see any weapons. Aunt Yang, you go ahead and do your work. I have to go cook. Zhihai has to go to work," Chen Ping said as they walked.

Aunt Yang turned away and said in a disdainful whisper: "Isn't it just a few noble words? I can do it too. Humph."

After entering the house, he first went to see his sleeping son and smiled with satisfaction.

Then she turned and walked towards the stove. The window of her house was reasonably opened, against the east wall. The stove was in the room, not big, with a shelf next to it, just right for the chopping board. The space was reasonably used.

Open the window, take the pot of warm water off the stove, pick up the poker on the ground, poke it in the stove eye a few times and shake it a few times to make sure all the coal slag falls into the fire vent, and then clean the coal slag into the trash can.

Add some more coal, put the pot on the stove to warm up the water, sprinkle a handful of corn flour, put a sieve in the pot, cover it with a steamer cloth, and put a few steamed buns in, and the meal is ready.

Everything was ready. She just had to wait for her son to wake up, eat, and take him shopping. As for Lu Zhihai? Who cares? He can eat or not. Whatever... Chen Ping is now content with having a son.

He immediately washed his face with water, then took a toothbrush, dipped it in tooth powder, brought a bowl of water, and started brushing his teeth.

Then he called Lu Zhihai to get up and eat. Lu Zhihai sat up in a daze and asked:

"What time is it? I just lay down after a sleepless night."

"You bought a watch? Why didn't I see it? I saw it was getting late, so I came to call you," Chen Ping replied.

"Why don't you go see where the watches are cheap and buy one. You have money, don't you? Buy it. I'm a regular employee now. If others have it, we should have one too. I was dealing with it alone before and didn't pay much attention." Lu Zhihai said domineeringly.

Chen Ping said, "Then I'll go take a look today and buy something suitable. You should get up quickly to eat and go to work. Besides, you won't give me the money for the family expenses this month, right?

That money is not enough for my mother and me to live on for a lifetime, can you at least give us 10 a month to live on?"

"I've used up this month's money, so I'll give you 10. Starting next month, I'll give you 15 every month, okay?" Lu Zhihai said as he took out the money.

Chen Ping nodded and agreed: "Okay, as long as you know the number. Take a break in the factory at noon, put the dirty clothes in the basin, and I will wash them in the afternoon."

Lu Zhihai didn't say anything. He turned around, took two steamed breads from the pot and left.

Lu Zixuan woke up singing a ditty

[The petite girl got up early, holding up her pants...]

[Oh? My dear beautiful mother is up? So early?] Lu Zixuan thought to himself

Chen Ping ran towards her son happily and said, "Son, are you awake? Are you hungry? Did you pee? What are you singing? The tune is nice, but the lyrics are really vulgar."

[I want to do both. Excuse me, mom. Which one should I do first? Or both? As a child, what choice do I have? I want both. Haha] Lu Zixuan thought shyly.

"My dear son, why are you being so polite to your mother? You are my biological son and you are so young. If I don't take care of you, who will? What did you say? Do you mean that you have to pee in your pants for me?" Chen Ping said as she pulled Lu Zixuan up

Lu Zixuan became serious

[That can't be done. Are you still not going to cut off my food supply? I'm a little excited today. This is my first time shopping.

I heard you want to buy a watch just now, right? Then buy a table clock. It's cheap, but it needs to be made with effort and is a bit troublesome.

Please keep that pocket watch safe. It is a real antique, probably left behind by the multinational coalition forces when they invaded. I took a look at it yesterday, and it should be pure gold, so it will be valuable in the future.]

Chen Ping immediately said nervously: "Is it so expensive? I thought it was just an ordinary watch. Fortunately, I didn't show it off to others. I will put it in the cabinet later."

Lu Zixuan asked, "Haha, you need someone to show off to. You only know Aunt Yang, do you dare to go? Mom, what is the order today?"

Chen Ping was also happy: "Let's go shopping today. We need a lot of things at home, so we have to buy them all."

Lu Zixuan thought, "Okay, I haven't seen the Sijiu City of this era yet, let's go and have a look."

[Mom, they say that the cornmeal at this time is ground together with the core, so is it true that cornmeal porridge can make your throat sore? ]

Chen Ping recalled: "Yes, in these days of poverty, basically nothing that can be eaten will be wasted. But the rich people in the past ate pure cornmeal. I have tried it, and it also makes my throat sore, but it tastes sweeter. Will people no longer eat cornmeal in the future?"