The courtyard: the atmosphere of human life

Darong was not familiar with Team Leader Liu, but she probably understood that this was a suggestion from the workshop director.

At that time, wages were calculated based on deductions from production, which meant that if the production target was not met, the shortfall would be deducted from the completed production before the production wage was calculated.

That is to say, if the stipulated output is 50 kilograms, and you have completed 45 kilograms, but there are still 5 kilograms left, then the remaining 45 kilograms must be subtracted from the 5 kilograms that have been completed, and the remaining 40 kilograms can be counted as the output for the day.

Although this method of calculation seems quite unreasonable to us now, many state-owned factories at that time used this method to promote output value, and people all uniformly abided by such regulations.

Darong knew that this was directed at her, so even if she argued it would be fruitless.

She had no other choice but to do it herself. Although she had mastered the basic skills, when she really started working, she was still running back and forth in a panic.

In one afternoon, Darong only completed half of the output of others.

On the way home from get off work that day, Darong's steps were unusually heavy. She didn't care much about the sarcasm of the workshop director and the team leader, but she was very upset because she didn't meet the production target for her master.

"What's wrong, sister?"

As soon as Darong entered the alley, she met Sibei who had also just returned. He could see at a glance that his sister was unhappy.

"It's okay, I'm just a little tired. Why did you come back so late today?"

Although Sibei is naughty sometimes, he is a sensible child at heart. He graduated from junior high school this summer vacation. Although he also signed up for the recruitment exam, boys and girls are sometimes not recruited at the same time.

Darong and his colleagues were recruiting for textile factories, and basically they wanted girls. Although Sibeier was not able to find a job, she was not sitting idle at home.

After the holiday, he made two layers of cardboard boxes, covered them with a small quilt, put on straps, and went from street to street selling popsicles.

"Business is not good today. Schools have started. There are not many people during the day. I can only sell a few in the evening after school."

As Sibei spoke, he took out a popsicle from the small box and handed it to Darong.

"Go back and give it to them. I don't like cold food."

Sibei sold popsicles every day, but he was always reluctant to eat one himself. He would only eat one when Xiao Ling bought some for him. But when he returned home every day, there would always be one or two unsold and half-melted popsicles in the box.

"Sister, you eat it. You usually give it to them, but today you have to eat it. Eat all of them."

Sibei pulled Darong and made her sit down on the stone next to him. He knew that his sister was in a bad mood today, but since she didn't say it, he didn't ask much. He just wanted to take care of his sister in his own way.

Darong looked at Sibei and smiled warmly. After sitting on a big rock and finishing the popsicle in her hand, the two siblings continued to walk towards home.

"Mom and Dad, we are back."

When Darong and Sibei came back, Darong's mother had already prepared the meal and Darong's father had also returned home.

"Are you going to work or shopping in the city? You are dressed so fashionably." Darong's father looked at Darong and said with a smile.

Darong smiled and went into the house to change her clothes.

"Da Rong's mother, we have almost gathered the materials for building the house. Lao Liu and the others have agreed that once the work at the Fourth Hospital is finished, we will go to her grandmother's house and quickly build the foundation while we have some free time. We will build as much as we can before the next job comes."

Darong's father was in a good mood today. He took a sip of wine and spoke slowly.

"Well, okay. The residential land over there has already been allocated, and we can start construction as soon as we get there."

Darong's mother simply responded verbally, but in her heart she felt proud and happy, knowing that she had made the right choice in the man she married.

During the days when the house was being built, the meals at home became unusually rich. At noon, as long as Darong's mother had time, she would go to Zhouzhuang to prepare wine and food for people, and in the evening she would invite everyone to her home to enjoy the food and drinks.

Although the labor money was saved, all the grain, oil, meat and eggs in the house were eaten up.

"Eating corn cakes every day has made my throat burn."

When the third child came home from school at noon and saw the cornmeal buns in the pot, he was filled with resentment.

"Brother, eat quickly. Grandma is building a house here, and the rice and flour have to be given to those uncles and grannies. Our mom will scold you if she hears you complaining." Although Xiaoying didn't like eating these coarse grains, she understood it very well in her heart.

"Our brother is lucky. Ever since our family started switching to corn flour, Sister Xiao Ling has brought him steamed buns every day." The third brother sighed with envy and helplessness.

"You keep saying bad things about me behind my back every day. Give it to you, give it to me quickly." Sibeier stepped into the yard and heard the third brother's complaint.

"Brother, why are you back at this time? Where's the popsicle box?" Xiaoying looked at the buns that Sibei had placed on the table with surprise.

"I came back to listen to you say bad things about me." The fourth generation glanced at the third generation with a smile on his face.

"Eat quickly. Xiao Ling is selling popsicles for me. I have to go back quickly. You two can take a break after eating and then go to school. Don't skip classes."

The last sentence of Sibei was addressed to the third child, as if he had become an adult as soon as he graduated and had long forgotten the glorious deeds he did when he was in school. Now he was educating his younger siblings in a serious manner.

After explaining everything to the four generations, he took two corn cakes from the pot and went out. He didn't bring many buns, so the third brother and Xiaoying shared them. Xiaoying was full, but the third brother was still hungry and had diarrhea, so he had no choice but to eat the corn cakes.

"How many have you sold?" Sibeier saw Xiao Ling sitting under the shade of a tree eating popsicles from a distance. Xiao Ling took care of half of his business by herself, and she bought one or two popsicles almost every day.

"Count me three." Xiao Ling finished the last bite and inserted the wooden stick into the interlayer of the box.

"Here." Sibei handed a corn cake in his arms to Xiao Ling.

After Xiao Ling took it, she held it in her hand and read it over and over again.

"Am I the first one to exchange buns for steamed buns?" Xiao Ling said jokingly to Sibei'er.

"I won't charge you for this popsicle today. It's my treat." Sibei just kept eating without even looking at Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling sat next to Sibei'er with a happy silly smile on her face, leaning her back against him, as if she had already won life at this moment.