Siheyuan: Happy Life of Jia Zhang Family

At 1960: a.m. on the th day of the twelfth lunar month, a summary and commendation meeting for was held in the conference room of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. All middle-level and above cadres and outstanding employee representatives attended the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Factory Director Wang Cheng. At the meeting, Factory Director Li Huaide reviewed the great achievements made by the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill in the past year and put forward plans for the work in the new year. He asked everyone to unite and create greater glories under the strong leadership of the Ministry of Machinery Industry and the Metallurgical Bureau.

Deputy leader Xu Sinian read out the list of outstanding departments and employees of Red Star Steel Rolling in 1960. Ten employees including Zhang Dabao and Zhang Cuihua were on the list. The leaders on the stage presented them with certificates and prizes.

Deputy Minister Shi Kejun made an important speech, affirmed and praised the achievements made by Hongxing Steel Rolling, expressed hope for the work of the steel rolling in the new year, and put forward several requirements for all cadres and employees.

Director Yang Weihua of the Metallurgical Bureau also delivered an important speech. Deputy Director Wang Cheng summarized a few points in the end, requiring all cadres and employees of the steel rolling mill to bear in mind the instructions of the leaders, work hard, and make new achievements. He also required all employees to learn from the advanced and encouraged advanced employees to strive for greater achievements in the new year.

The meeting lasted a whole morning. After the meeting, outstanding employees such as Zhang Dabao and Zhang Cuihua were invited to the canteen to have lunch with the employees.

After the meeting, the new workshop did not have a holiday, and the staff on duty in the office also had a holiday. Zhang Dabao did not have to be on duty, so he first picked up the things he had ordered at the steel rolling mill, and took Zhang Cuihua back to Yard 95.

"Why are you crying? What's there to cry about? He's just an excellent worker. Is it necessary to get so excited?" Zhang Cuihua started crying as soon as she got on the motorcycle. While crying, she kept muttering about Jia Youfu.

"Da Biao, I never thought that I would have such a day. Even if I die today, I will not lose out," said Zhang Cuihua.

"Good people don't live long, evil people will last for thousands of years, but you will never die. You have just come to that point, maybe in the future you will be able to sit on the stage and present awards to others," said Zhang Dabao.

"I present awards to people? That's impossible. The youngest one is the deputy director, Uncle Xing, and even the assistant director can't sit on the stage. How can I, a small deputy section chief, sit on the stage?" Zhang Cuihua said.

"That's not necessarily true. Work hard. Dongxu's future achievements are limited. Huairu's personality doesn't allow her to be the boss. The Jia family still depends on you," said Zhang Dabao.

"Da Biao, do you think Banggeng will work?" Zhang Cuihua suddenly asked.

"Just educate him well and don't let him learn from Dongxu. Dongxu was spoiled by you and brother-in-law when he was a child. He is already 26 or 27 years old, but he is still like a child. However, he has made great progress this year. I also met Director Shi a few days ago. Dongxu should be able to be a team leader or something, but the team leader is a unit-level cadre and the Red Star Institute is only at section level. Can he be the director?" Zhang Zaibiao said.

"Dongxu is far from being able to be the director. His poor brain is a fatal flaw. Never mind. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. Why think so much?" Zhang Cuihua was relieved in an instant.

"I want to see what prizes are given out. Have you seen them?" Zhang Dabao asked Zhang Cuihua again.

"What good things can there be? Either food coupons or money, it looks like around ten yuan. But the certificate is so good, which room do you think I should put it in? If I put it in the room where I live now, others won't be able to see it when they come." Zhang Cuihua had a new problem.

Zhang Dabao didn't want to talk anymore, and the two of them returned to Yard 95. They called a few children to take the tricycle parts from the car to the backyard and began to assemble the tricycles. By the evening, the two tricycles were assembled, and the only job left was painting. Zhang Dabao gave this job to He Yuzhu because the time was up and he had to attend Cao Lianbiao's drinking party.

"Brother Zhuzi, after you've rinsed the paint, put it in Xinsheng's original room. Light up the stove and warm up the room. It will be almost done in two days. Don't forget, it's too cold in the yard and the paint won't dry," Zhang Dabao instructed He Yuzhu.

"The tricycle is great, Mom. How about we take turns riding it?" Jia Dongxu liked it more and more. There was also a bucket. How many letters and newspapers could it carry?

"Get lost! If I could learn to ride a bike, would your seventh uncle have to spend the effort on this?" Zhang Cuihua cursed.

"Aunt, you're pregnant now, so it must be inconvenient. How about I familiarize yourself with it first?" Jia Dongxu asked Zhang Lianhua again.

"Okay, Dongxu, how come your brain works so well? Aren't you on vacation too? Why are you riding your bike?" Zhang Lianhua asked.

"Yes, I'm on vacation," Jia Dongxu suddenly realized. Assembling the tricycle attracted the attention of everyone in the institute and became the hottest topic in the institute. Zhang Cuihua became an outstanding employee of the steel rolling mill. Everyone forgot to ask, which made Zhang Cuihua very disappointed.

After having a big drink with his public security comrades, Zhang Dabao returned to the yard and saw that He Yuzhu and Jia Dongxu were still lighting a fire in the east wing, making the whole room very warm.

"Don't we take turns to take a break? Do we have to burn it both ways? They gave me some coal and put it at the gate of the yard. Dongxu pulled it in. How much is needed to burn the wood?" Zhang Dabao said. Then he went to the gate of the yard, took out about a ton of coal from the space and put it on the tricycle.

"So many? It's better to have more friends. Zhuzi went to the third uncle's house to borrow a cart," said Jia Dongxu.

"Wait a minute, I'll bring two trucks for your house, and put some at your aunt's house and your aunt's place. I'm not at home most of the time, so one truck is enough for my home," said Zhang Dabao.

"Okay, Seventh Uncle" Jia Dongxu is never polite, and always does whatever Zhang Dabao says.

He Yuzhu borrowed a cart from Yan Bugui's house. Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiedi also came out to help. Liu Guangtian also heard it and came out to help. After they were done, Zhang Dabao gave each of them two apples.

"Such big apples? Dabiao is really generous," Yan Bugui said while looking at the apples in the hands of the two children. He then turned to his second son and said, "Jiefang, why don't you go and help? If you go, you can only get two apples, so that five people in our family can have six apples."

"Dad, I'm so tired. I just got a holiday and I want to have a good rest," said Yan Jiefang.

"I can tell you don't know how to live. An apple this big can't be bought for less than fifty or sixty cents. It smells so good," Yan Bugui said unhappily.

"Dad, Brother Da Biao left some coal for you, saying that you can't use the cart for nothing," said Yan Jiedi.

"That's great. Let's dig some soil tomorrow and mix it with the coal. It will last for several days." Yan Bugui was happy again.

He Yuzhu and Jia Dongxu took turns sleeping in the backyard, one in the first half of the night and the other in the second half of the night. The stove in the house was burning brightly.

"Dongxu, didn't you sleep well?" The next day, Zhang Dabao saw that his nephew looked unhappy and asked.

"The smell in the room is too strong, it's choking and uncomfortable," said Jia Dongxu.

"Were you two sleeping in that room?" Zhang Dabao asked.

"Of course, it's very warm in the house, much better than my house. I don't even have a stove in my house, and I'm freezing every day," said Jia Dongxu.

"The smell is so strong and you're still inside, you deserve it. Hurry up and pack your things, we'll be leaving soon," Zhang Dabao said to Jia Dongxu.