Living in a Siheyuan

The steel rolling mill is particularly busy today.

Yesterday, Li Pingan brought back three big fat pigs to the factory. Today, everyone is looking forward to a delicious lunch.

At noon, the cabbage and vermicelli stew in several canteens made everyone very happy. There was no leftovers in the kitchen.

Fortunately, the people in the kitchen had prepared meals for me in advance, otherwise I would have nothing to eat in the end.

The leaders also had a special meal today, and Sha Zhu cooked a table full of delicious dishes for them. At the same time, Sha Zhu secretly hid two lunch boxes of meat and vegetables for himself. Add to that the big pot of food he cooked for himself, and there were three lunch boxes in total.

Qin Huairu wanted to take the food she cooked home for Banggeng to eat at noon. But seeing that everyone was eating with gusto, she couldn't help herself and ate most of the food. She regretted it after eating. This little food was not enough for Jia Zhangshi to eat.

So when he saw He Yuzhu's three full lunch boxes, he started to think about it.

She walked up to Sha Zhu and said, "Zhu Zi, my son Bang Geng hasn't had meat for a long time. Can you give me some of the vegetables you prepared for lunch? I don't want your special meal, just the cabbage vermicelli for lunch will do."

After saying that, he nudged He Yuzhu with his body.

In the past, Sha Zhu would have delivered it himself without Qin Huairu asking him to do so. But after getting married, Sha Zhu no longer dared to do so.

Especially since he had just been scolded by his wife last night, Sha Zhu felt a little uneasy.

So he said, "Sister Qin, it's not that I don't want to give it to you. It's just that you know my wife, she values ​​food more than me. If I give it to you, I'm afraid she will chase you home and cause trouble. Or let it go."

After saying that, without waiting for Qin Huairu to speak, he picked up the lunch box and left quickly.

Qin Huairu looked at Sha Zhu's appearance and gritted her teeth in anger.

At the same time, her heart was filled with hatred, both towards Wu Tingting and Sha Zhu.

She walked back with her lunch box in her hand, feeling worried. But what she didn't know was that behind her was He Daqing.

He Daqing saw Qin Huairu walking with her head down, her big butt swaying in a very charming way. His love for widows came back.

He thought about it, then walked a few steps faster. When he passed Qin Huairu, he bumped into her lightly.

Qin Huairu was still thinking about how to appease Bang Geng when she got back. She was bumped by someone and stumbled. So she looked back. It turned out to be the old man He Daqing.

He Daqing pretended not to notice and said quickly, "Oops, sorry Huairu. I was in a hurry and didn't notice you. Are you okay?"

After saying that, he reached out to help Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu saw so many people on the road and hurriedly dodged, leaving He Daqing's hand empty.

At the same time, he said, "I'm fine, Uncle He, I didn't notice you either."

He Daqing was not embarrassed. After all, he was an old hand and had become very thick-skinned.

He smiled and said, "I saw you walking with your head down. What were you thinking about so intently? You didn't even look at the road."

Qin Huairu saw He Daqing also carrying two lunch boxes, and wondered if his family was having a dinner party tonight. It would be so sumptuous.

So she rolled her eyes and said, "Didn't we agree to bring some meat and vegetables home for Banggeng to satisfy his craving today? As a result, there wasn't enough food for lunch, so I was thinking about how to explain it to the child when I got home? After all, he hasn't eaten meat for a long time, and he has been waiting for this meal. In the end, I haven't brought any back yet. Alas..."

After saying this, he wiped away non-existent tears.

Who is He Daqing? Seeing Qin Huairu's expression, I understood what she meant.

He said, "I didn't think it was a big deal. It's normal for children to be greedy. Why don't we go over there and I'll give you some so you can take it back. You can't mistreat a child anyway, right?"

Qin Huairu also saw that the road was full of people, and it would be difficult to explain if she was seen by others, so she nodded and agreed.

He Daqing took Qin Huairu to a small forest on the side of the road and led the way inside.

Qin Huairu looked at the forest and hesitated. But she thought that if there was no food, the stalks would make a fuss. So she followed them in.

When He Daqing saw Qin Huairu coming in, he felt confident this time. He went up to her, grabbed her hand and said, "Huairu, you see, it's not easy for a woman to support a family. And I don't have a wife either. If you follow me, how about I take care of your family in the future?"

Qin Huairu hurriedly broke free and said, "Uncle He, don't do this. I already called you uncle, what if someone sees this?"

"It's okay. You're from the countryside, so you've seen a lot of things like this. Think about it, if we get married, won't your family's life be much better?"

Qin Huairu didn't want to talk to such an old man. She said, "Uncle He, please stop talking. If you are willing, share some food with me. If not, forget it. I have to go home to see my children in a hurry."

He Daqing also knew that some things could not be rushed, so he handed her a lunch box and said, "Take this, and think carefully about what I said. If you have any difficulties, tell me."

Holding He Daqing's lunch box, Qin Huairu ran out of the grove quickly. Her heart was beating fast along the way. She never thought that He Daqing would have such an idea about her. He was almost as old as her father, and he was still so shameless.

Cursing He Daqing in her heart, Qin Huairu quickened her pace to go home.

He Daqing continued to walk home happily. The first step had been taken. It depended on whether Qin Huairu would take the bait.

When they got home, Qin Huairu put two lunch boxes on the table and served the hot steamed bread. Banggeng and Jia Zhangshi scrambled for the meat slices in the lunch boxes like starving ghosts. There wasn't much meat to begin with, so they finished it in a few bites.

Banggeng was a child after all, and he was not as quick as Jia Zhang. He only grabbed a few pieces of meat, and the rest was eaten by Jia Zhang. Not to mention Xiaodang, who barely got a bite.

Bang Geng angrily threw his chopsticks on the table and said, "I don't want grandma anymore. She ate all the meat. Mom, let's send grandma back to the countryside."

Hearing Bang Geng's words, Jia Zhang was so scared that she waved her hands repeatedly and kept pointing at Qin Huairu.

Although she couldn't speak, Qin Huairu could guess what she meant. She was blaming herself for bringing back too little meat.

She complained, "Mom, you are such a grown-up, but you still fight with children for food. Don't you know that Banggeng and Xiaodang are still growing? I couldn't bear to eat them at noon, so I brought them back and let you finish them all by yourself. If you do this again, I will really send you back."

Bang Geng also stared at Jia Zhang fiercely, and pushed the lunch box on the table in front of himself to prevent Jia Zhang from eating.

Since Jia Zhang became mute, her status in the family has been getting lower and lower. Bang Geng often despised her for being shameful. Besides, she had no money at all, and she had to depend on Qin Huairu's mood to take some painkillers. Although she hated Qin Huairu at this moment, she couldn't say anything, and she couldn't do anything about Qin Huairu. She could only take a steamed bun and eat it.

Qin Huairu gave some of the food in the lunch box to Xiaodang and started to eat the steamed bread herself.

Bang Geng held the lunch box, and most of the food went into his stomach. After finishing eating, he touched his stomach and said, "Mom, please bring more food back to our house in the future. I am so hungry now."

Indeed, the four members of the Jia family depended on Qin Huairu's monthly salary of 22 yuan, which was not enough for her family to eat. Basically, all of her monthly salary was spent. You should know that in normal years, those with an average income of less than 5 yuan per capita are considered poor households. Nowadays, food prices are soaring. Her family does not have enough food to eat.

Moreover, Jia Zhangshi was a rural hukou, had no food rations, and ate the most. Qin Huairu's salary was basically spent every month.

After listening to Bang Geng's words, Qin Huairu also felt that it was too difficult for her to support the family alone. Not only did she work hard, but no one at home understood her.

In this way, the days passed slowly. He Daqing would greet Qin Huairu every day when he saw her. He was waiting, waiting for Qin Huairu to take the bait herself.

Qin Huairu was also very distressed recently. The family had run out of food and the salary had not yet been paid, leaving the family with no money at all.

She wanted to borrow some from someone. But she and Sha Zhu had offended everyone in the kitchen before. Sha Zhu was the class leader and the chef, so there was nothing they could do. But Qin Huairu was still often bullied.

Especially Liu Lan. Her father was so angry with these two that he retired due to illness. How could she meet Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu?

So Qin Huairu couldn't find anyone in the factory who could lend her money or food.

After work that day, she saw He Daqing, who was carrying a lunch box, greeting her. Qin Huairu said, "Uncle He, I have something I want to ask you for help, okay?"

Seeing that Qin Huairu had taken the bait, He Daqing said with a smile: "What's the matter, Huairu? I will definitely help you if I can."

"Uncle He, my family is out of food. You see, there are still a few days before the salary is paid. Can you lend me some food or money? Don't worry, I will pay you back after I get paid."

He Daqing thought for a moment and said, "I do have some food at home, but there are too many people here during the day, so it's inconvenient for me to give it to you. How about this, I'll wait for you in the vegetable cellar at night when everyone is asleep, and you can come and get it."

Qin Huairu knew that He Daqing had bad intentions when she heard this. She wanted to reject him directly. But she thought that there was no food at home, and Banggeng and Xiaodang would go hungry. She could only nod and agree. At most, she would run away when the time came.

He Daqing thought that he was finally going to win over this charming young widow. He was so happy that he even walked with the wind.

Qin Huairu was still thinking about how she would respond if He Daqing behaved like a hooligan at night.

After dinner, it was winter and it got dark early, so everyone went to bed early.

It was not until twelve o'clock that Qin Huairu quietly put on her clothes and got out of bed.

She looked at the two children sleeping soundly, and listened to Jia Zhang's snoring. Then she slowly opened the door.

She groped her way into the vegetable cellar, where He Daqing was already waiting for her with a flashlight.

When He Daqing saw Qin Huairu coming, he happily stepped forward, took her hand and said, "Huairu, I've been waiting for you for a long time. Look, I brought you ten kilograms of corn flour. Eat it first, and I'll get you more if it's not enough."

As he spoke, he shone the light on the corn flour in the corner.

Qin Huairu was a little disappointed when she heard that there were only ten kilograms of corn flour. She quickly pulled her hand away and said, "Thank you, Uncle He. I will definitely pay you back when I get my salary."

As he said this, he went to get the flour bag.

But He Daqing had waited so long for this opportunity, how could he give it up so easily? He stepped forward and hugged Qin Huairu, saying, "Huairu, as long as you follow me, I promise that your family will have good food and drink in the future. Uncle really loves you."

After saying that, he moved his mouth upwards and started touching Qin Huairu's body with his hands.

Smelling the stench coming from He Daqing's mouth, Qin Huairu struggled and stepped on He Daqing's toes. He Daqing stopped in pain and raised his foot to rub it.

Qin Huairu took the opportunity to run out with the corn flour.

Seeing the duck that he had caught fly away like this, He Daqing was furious. He never thought that he was fooled by a young widow.

After thinking for a long time, He Daqing felt that being soft was not enough, and it seemed that he had to resort to some tricks.

So he rubbed his stepped toe, took the flashlight and walked out of the vegetable cellar angrily.

Qin Huairu had long disappeared by now.

Qin Huairu ran back home and patted her chest in panic. Fortunately, she ran away, otherwise she would have suffered a great loss. He Daqing, the stingy old man, wanted to take advantage of her with only ten kilograms of corn flour.