Quick Wear: Men Farming and Women Weaving

Winter of 1950

The east wing of the backyard of the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

"Boss, is this medicine effective?" Aunt Yi looked at the medicine jar on the table.

"This is the medicine prescribed by the old doctor in Huichuntang. He was an imperial physician before the Qing Dynasty who specialized in treating the empresses in the palace." Yi Zhonghai picked up the medicine jar and poured two bowls of medicine. He handed one bowl to Aunt Yi and drank the other bowl in one gulp.

Aunt Yi finally drank the whole bowl of medicine helplessly.

"You have to take this medicine for ten days or half a month, and then we'll see how effective it is." Yi Zhonghai is so eager to have a child that he's willing to try any method.

After drinking, the couple cleaned up and lay down in the inner room to rest.

The next day, after drinking sweet potato porridge, Yi Zhonghai went to work at the steel rolling mill. He met many of the neighbors' men or women who went to work, and they greeted Yi Zhonghai when they saw him.

"Master Yi is at work"

"Let's go to the factory together"

"OK"

Yi Zhonghai went to work in the steel rolling mill workshop with his neighbors. He was a level 5 fitter and experienced leader of the workshop, with an apprentice named Jia Dongxu under him.

"Master" Jia Dongxu saw the master coming in and immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Well, watch our movements carefully and learn from them today." Yi Zhonghai patted his shoulder with satisfaction.

"I will, Master." Jia Dongxu nodded seriously.

The power of the entire workshop was turned on, the machines started running, and the workers took the parts and began to do metal processing by cutting, filing, sawing and grinding.

Yi Zhonghai turned on the machine and skillfully made the delicate parts. After a while, he completed one.

At noon, the workers went out of the workshop and went to the canteen to get their meals. Yi Zhonghai followed the crowd to the second canteen to queue up.

"Old Yi, what do you want to eat today?" He Daqing, who was standing at the cafeteria window getting his meal, looked at Yi Zhonghai.

"Give me a portion of cabbage and three steamed buns." Yi Zhonghai took the lunch box with the extra portion, thanked He Daqing, and found a place to sit down and eat.

"Master is eating." Jia Dongxu sat next to the master with his lunch box.

"Why do you eat so little? Otherwise you won't have enough strength to keep up." Yi Zhonghai frowned as he watched his apprentice eat only a steamed bun and some vegetables.

"Master, I have no choice. I only have that little salary and I have to support my mother." Jia Dongxu also smiled helplessly.

"You eat this steamed bun." Yi Zhonghai took the remaining steamed bun and put it into his lunch box.

"Master, thank you." Jia Dongxu was touched by Yi Zhonghai's care for him.

"It's okay, everything will be much better when you are promoted to a first-level worker," Yi Zhonghai comforted his apprentice.

When it's time to work, go back to the workshop and continue making parts.

In the evening, the bell rang and workers rushed out of the factory to go home.

"Boss, you've come back and wipe yourself quickly," Aunt Yi told him to wash his face and prepare for dinner.

"In the evening, I eat coarse grain porridge and steamed buns made of three-grain flour."

"Take a few steamed buns and give them to the old lady next door," Yi Zhonghai instructed Aunt Yi.

"Okay." Aunt Yi sent the steamed buns that she had already prepared to the old lady's house next door.

"Grandma, my family has prepared some steamed buns for you to try." After Aunt Yi knocked on the door and went in, she saw that the old lady had already cooked the millet porridge.

"Thank you so much, you two. You are the only two who care about me," the deaf old lady said with emotion as she looked at the steamed buns.

"Well, that's as it should be. You are the oldest elder in our yard."

"I won't keep you here anymore, you should go back and have a rest and eat." The deaf old lady came over because she knew that Aunt Yi hadn't eaten yet.

When Aunt Yi returned home, she saw her husband still waiting for her. She felt sweet in her heart and told him to eat first and not wait for her.

"It's getting late, let's have dinner." Yi Zhonghai sat in the main room, exuding a mature and steady look.

Aunt Yi sat down without objecting and started eating.

After dinner.

"Boss, do you want to drink more?" Aunt Yi watched the medicine jar simmering on the small stove.

"drink"

Yi Zhonghai told her one word at a time, firmly.

"I just don't believe that I, Yi Zhonghai, don't have a son." Yi Zhonghai firmly believed that he was still young and still had a chance.

"Head of the family, why don't you try someone else?" Aunt Yi felt a little ashamed and wanted her husband to find a woman outside to have a child. She couldn't let the Yi family be extinct. She would not be able to face her parents-in-law in the underworld.

"Don't say that. It's impossible to find someone else outside." Yi Zhonghai rejected Aunt Yi's suggestion.

In fact, Yi Zhonghai had also thought about finding a widow outside to try to see if he could have a child. He had consulted a doctor, who said that he was born with insufficient sperm and it would be difficult for him to have children. Even if he found a woman, it would be useless. He would have to spend money to support the woman, so it would be better to save the money for his retirement.

The medicine prescribed by the doctor can only improve his vitality. After Aunt Yi drank it, it only blocked the people in the hospital. The medicine did not cause any harm to her.

The couple lived like this, taking Chinese medicine. After half a month, anyone who walked through the backyard of the courtyard could smell the medicine and knew that Aunt Yi was crazy about having a child.

Yi Zhonghai felt much better and decided to give it a try.

After dinner, he dragged Aunt Yi around and played around all night, making her blush. The next day, she couldn't get up because of back pain. Yi Zhonghai got up in the morning, made something to eat, and went straight to work. Before leaving, he reminded Aunt Yi to have a good rest.

This went on for several days until the fifth day when things returned to normal.

This also made the Xu family next door feel relieved. Listening to the noises coming from next door every night made the couple feel itchy.

The deaf old lady next door heard the noise but didn't say anything. She also hoped that the couple could have a child and hoped that God would open his eyes.

After a month, Yi Zhonghai and his wife gradually became disappointed. Aunt Yi did not feel any discomfort and her menstruation came normally, so she gave up hope.

Two months passed slowly, and winter was approaching in Beijing. Every household began to prepare firewood and coal, and also to store vegetables such as cabbage and radishes.

One day, when Aunt Yi was about to take out some cabbage from the cellar, she realized something was wrong. A lot of the cabbage was missing. The cellar was in the backyard and only three families shared it, so no one would steal.

On the second day, he focused on keeping an eye on the movements in the cellar and didn't even notice that Yi Zhonghai had returned.

"Why do you feel so absent-minded all day?" Yi Zhonghai rarely saw his wife like this.

"I, the head of the household, discovered yesterday that our stored cabbage has decreased a lot."

"I want to see who would steal in the cellar," Aunt Yi turned around from the window.

“I guess someone took it by mistake.” Yi Zhonghai waved his hand nonchalantly. With his salary, it was more than enough to support his family.

At night, an old lady suddenly woke up and noticed the noise coming from outside. She immediately put on her clothes and went to the cellar door.

Seeing a sneaky figure, Aunt Yi rushed up and grabbed it without saying a word.

"let me go"

"Who are you? Why are you stealing things from me?" Aunt Yi felt that the voice was a little familiar, but she couldn't remember it.

The thief panicked and pushed Aunt Yi, knocking her down at the door of the cellar.

He took the cabbage in his hand and ran back to his home.