Siheyuan: Being a fisherman in 1962

Sha Zhu got busy preparing the goods for tomorrow.

Carefully select the ingredients and meticulously prepare the seasonings needed for braising.

He was extremely attentive in every step, as if he was preparing for a grand banquet.

After a tiring day, when Sha Zhu returned home, he found only leftovers on the table.

He was stunned, feeling a little disappointed.

But then he laughed again.

I remembered the grand scene of the braised food stall today, Qin Huairu's eloquence, and the satisfied smiles of those customers.

All this joy was enough to make up for his hunger at the moment.

Sha Zhu picked up the leftovers on the table and ate them silently.

It tastes especially sweet, as if you are tasting the most delicious food in the world.

Sha Zhu sat alone in the simple house, holding a broken bowl filled with food that had long since cooled.

His eyes unconsciously drifted to the window, where was the bustling street, where he had struggled today.

Recalling Qin Huairu's figure in front of the braised food stall, her clever remarks, her witty responses, those scenes seemed to be still before his eyes. The fragrant braised food and the satisfied smiles of the customers all made him feel that his life seemed to have turned around.

Although the job in the steel mill canteen was stable, the income was meager and life was always tight.

Now, the profit potential of setting up street stalls has brightened his eyes.

He seemed to see the possibility of changing his life, saw the new house he had always dreamed of, and saw the happy and satisfied smiles of his family.

Thinking of this, an impulse surged in Sha Zhu's heart.

I want to change, I want to work hard, I want to give my family a better life.

He stood up, walked to the window, and took a deep breath of fresh air, as if to breathe this determination into his lungs.

However, at this moment, Qin Huairu's voice came from outside the door.

She pushed the door open and saw the leftovers in Sha Zhu's hand, frowning.

"Why are you eating this again?" She said with a hint of reproach in her voice, "How can your body bear it?"

Looking at Qin Huairu's concerned eyes, he had never thought that someone would care so much about his health.

"I...I just want to save some money." He answered with a stammer.

Qin Huairu sighed, walked to Sha Zhu, and patted him on the shoulder gently, "Remember, your body is the capital of revolution. Without a good body, how can you make money to support your family?"

As the night faded and the dawn broke, Sha Zhu was already busy on the streets.

Today's braised food stall seems to be more lively than yesterday.

Qin Huairu helped, and with her skillful hands and wisdom, she made the braised dishes taste even better.

The breakfast stall not far away attracts passers-by with its steaming buns and fragrant soy milk.

Sha Zhu looked at it and felt a little drooling, but when he thought of how Qin Huairu often warned him that the food outside was unhygienic, he forced himself to suppress his greed.

"This braised dish is so delicious. Are all yesterday's sold out?" The breakfast vendor greeted with a smile, his eyes full of envy.

Sha Zhu smiled smugly and was about to respond, but Qin Huairu coughed lightly, signaling him not to say anything more.

The braised food stall is already bustling with people.

The third uncle, an old man who was quite prestigious in the neighborhood, walked over with a swaying step and a teasing smile on his face.

"Shazhu, your stewed food business is so prosperous, it's really enviable." The third uncle changed the subject, "But, I heard that you were in jail before. If this gets out, can you still do business?"

That past was a forbidden area in his heart that he did not want to touch.

He stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing with anger, and said in a low but firm voice: "Uncle, if you are here to show your support, I welcome you; if you are here to cause trouble, please leave!"

The third uncle was intimidated by Sha Zhu's aura and left in embarrassment.

Seeing this, the customers around did not dare to mention the matter again.

At this time, a middle-aged man hurried over, his eyes full of disappointment: "Where is Qin Huairu? I made a reservation for her braised dishes yesterday, why is she not here?"

"Qin Huairu went to work today. If you want to buy some braised dishes, I have some too."

"Forget it. Without Qin Huairu, this stew will lose its flavor."

After saying that, the man turned and left.

Looking at the man's back, Sha Zhu felt an inexplicable sense of frustration.

I thought my braised food skills were enough to attract customers, but I didn't expect that people were more attracted to Qin Huairu.

Standing in front of the braised food stall in a daze, Sha Zhu felt a surge of loss in his heart.

I originally thought that my braised food skills could win the favor of customers, but I never expected that people came more for Qin Huairu.

His eyes fell on the middle-aged man who was leaving in a hurry not far away. He remembered how he had gotten up early and worked late, carefully preparing ingredients, with the sole intention of making delicious braised dishes.

However, he never expected that the most attractive thing at this braised food stall was Qin Huairu's charming smile.

Just then, a young man came over with a shy look on his face.

Sha Zhu recognized him; he was the guest Qin Huairu had entertained yesterday.

"Where is Qin Huairu?" the young man asked, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"She went to work today. If you want to buy some stewed food, I have some too."

He shook his head and said in a low voice: "Without Qin Huairu, this stewed dish will lose its flavor."

"How could this be?"

"Is she married?"

"Done."

When he learned that she was married and had children, the man broke down.

Suddenly I realized that maybe I was wrong from the beginning.

The sunlight shines down, illuminating the braised food stall on the corner of the street, but it cannot illuminate the gloom in Sha Zhu's heart.

The young man's crying and shouting pierced his heart like a sword, catching him off guard.

He stood there in a daze, watching the man's back gradually walking away, feeling sad.

"Give me back my lovely big sister!" The man's voice echoed in the street, attracting the glances and discussions of passers-by.

Sha Zhu frowned and tried to calm himself down.

All this confusion and misunderstanding was caused by Qin Huairu.

Her beauty and wisdom attracted everyone like a magnet, but also inadvertently brought him endless troubles.

"Brother, Qin Huairu is just here to help, she is not mine..."

Before she finished speaking, she was interrupted by the man: "I don't care! I just like Qin Huairu, she is my lovely big sister!"

As his emotions became more and more agitated, Sha Zhu had to raise his voice to warn: "Calm down! If you continue to act like this, I will call the police!"

The man seemed to be frightened by Sha Zhu's harsh tone and his crying gradually stopped, but the disappointment and unwillingness in his eyes became more and more obvious.

He glared at Sha Zhu, turned and left, leaving Sha Zhu alone and disheveled in the wind.

This scene made Sha Zhu deeply realize the complexity of human nature and the absurdity of society.

I originally thought that I could make a name for myself through my hard work and talent.

But he never thought that he would become a laughing stock in the eyes of others on this bustling street.

He smiled bitterly, shook his head, and turned back to the braised food stall.

The braised food in front of him still smelled fragrant, but at this moment he had no appetite to taste it.