Siheyuan: Happy Life of Jia Zhang Family

"Da Biao, are you cooking mutton?" Zhang Cuihua smelled the aroma and came to the backyard carrying her granddaughter.

"Mom, you can smell this?" Jia Dongxu was a little surprised.

"Anyone can smell it, right? When I was a child, my family raised several sheep. Every time we slaughtered a sheep, my grandparents and I would do it together and eat it together," Zhang Cuihua said proudly.

"Great-grandfather is so good to you," Jia Dongxu said with envy.

"Of course, I was blind to marry into your Jia family, and I have suffered so much. I was very favored in the Zhang family. Zhang Dasong was the eldest son and grandson, and he never dared to show his teeth in front of me. If he didn't obey, I would beat him up... No, Dongxu, why did you come back so early?" Zhang Cuihua recalled the past for a while and found the problem.

"I came back to help kill the sheep. You see, it's so troublesome to deal with these sheep offal," said Jia Dongxu.

"Have you mastered the skills? You can't fail to pass the second level again," Zhang Cuihua asked her son again, feeling worried.

"This time it's almost done. By the way, Mom, my seventh uncle said that if I pass the exam, he will make you a waistcoat with this sheepskin. I touched it and the fur is really long. It will definitely be warm when you wear it," said Jia Dongxu, pointing at the hanging sheepskin.

"Really? That's great. I've never worn any fur clothes. Gu Xiaoli on the street in front has a sheepskin coat. It was a dowry she brought when she got married. I heard it's very warm. You won't feel cold when you wear it no matter how heavy the snow is." Zhang Cuihua was instantly attracted by the new clothes. Now all she had eyes for was the hanging sheepskin.

"Mom, what do you think about changing my job if I can't pass the second level exam again?" Jia Dongxu hesitated and said what Zhang Dabao had suggested.

The storm that Jia Dongxu imagined did not come. After hearing what her son said, Zhang Cuihua thought about it seriously and said, "Let's change it. We couldn't change it before because we had no connections. Now your great uncle is a leader in the factory, so it should be possible to change his position. Dongxu, why are you not as good as Youfu? He worked with Lao Yi at that time, and his skills were very good." Zhang Cuihua agreed to her son's suggestion, but still felt regretful.

"Mom, my dad and my master work together. My master does the work and my dad helps him. Just like today Zhuzi was handling the sheep and I was helping him, can I handle sheep?" Jia Dongxu spoke the truth that had been hidden in his heart for many years.

"You're talking nonsense. You're not good enough and yet you say your father is not good enough either. Jia Dongxu, how dare you say that? If you were lucky enough to live to this day, you would definitely be an eighth-level worker." Zhang Cuihua became anxious when she heard her son talking about her husband who passed away early and had no skills.

"You dare to dream of an eighth-level worker? It would be good enough if he could reach the third level," Jia Buxu said what was in his heart.

"Level three, I asked you to reach level three, did you fucking reach level three? You said your father can't do it, but you can do it too. I think you can't compare to being blessed." Zhang Cuihua was really angry. She stuffed Xiaodang into Zhang Dabao's arms and attacked Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu didn't react immediately and was slapped twice, then ran eight meters away. "Mom, I was just talking casually, why are you angry? You are so angry and have a bad temper. This is not good," said Jia Dongxu.

"Dongxu, it's menopause," Zhang Dabao reminded.

"Yes, Mom, you have reached menopause. You need to change your temper. It's not good for your health," Jia Dongxu said to his mother after getting the hint from his seventh uncle.

"I want to change? I tell you, Jia Dongxu, I can't change it." Zhang Cuihua chased after him again.

Seeing that things were not going well, Jia Dongxu ran out of the yard.

At this time, the large group of people who were off work came back. The first to come was Yi Zhonghai. Jia Dongxu entered the yard with him and said, "Master, my father worked with you at that time. How was his skill?"

"Brother Youfu's skills were pretty good, almost the same as mine at that time. If he could live until now, he would be at least level six," Yi Zhonghai said affirmatively.

"No, didn't my father help you?" Jia Dongxu's worldview collapsed. The secret he had hidden for so many years turned out to be wrong?

"When I was making very precise workpieces, he helped me. This is not something that anyone can do; the use of tools and the grasp of dimensions require very high standards. Brother Youfu is also a very good craftsman. Gongxu, don't be discouraged. Now you start to use your brain. If you study hard for a decade or so, you can almost reach the level your father was at." Yi Zhonghai's words directly made Jia Dongxu collapse. It turned out that his father was a master.

Yi Zhonghai went home. Jia Dongxu stood at the door for a long time until Liu Haizhong came in again. Jia Dongxu stopped him again and said, "Second uncle, can I ask you something?"

"What's the matter?" Liu Haizhong puffed out his belly and put his hands behind his back. From outsiders' perspective, he was at least a village-level cadre.

"Wasn't my father a workmate of yours? How good are his skills?" Jia Dongxu took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it for Liu Haizhong.

Liu Haizhong took a deep puff of his cigarette and said, "Youfu is a petty person who is slow to get things done and doesn't respect his superiors very much. But his skills are okay, slightly worse than mine, around level six. Dongxu, you are much worse than Youfu. I'm not saying this to you, but you have to work hard. You said you've been a level one worker for almost seven years, which is not only embarrassing for Youfu, but also for our No. 95 Yard. The exam is coming soon, you'd better study hard, and if you can't do it, you can work overtime. You are always the first one to leave the factory after get off work, and you don't have any sense of contribution..." Liu Haizhong taught Jia Dongxu a lesson, finished his cigarette, and then walked back to the backyard in a square step.

"Damn it, he eats delicious food and drinks spicy drinks every day, and he doesn't even invite the second uncle in the backyard. He has no respect for the leader at all." Liu Hai looked at Zhang Dabao, He Yuzhu and others angrily, and returned to his room.

Jia Dongxu is now feeling drowsy. It is now confirmed that his father is really a senior worker, because Liu Haizhong can't lie. He has no brains, is not good at lying, and there is no need to lie to him.

"Dongxu, don't waste time. Go and see if your wife is back. Let her come over directly. Call He Yushui as well. Let's all drink the first bowl of mutton soup in 1960 together." Zhang Dabao saw that Jia Dongxu was looking down and listless, so he arranged something for him.

Jia Dongxu turned around and went back to the central courtyard. Zhang Lianhua came back with the sticky Jia Jingshu.

"Dad, has my seventh uncle made delicious food again?" Banggeng asked happily when he saw Jia Dongxu.

"Do you still need to ask? Go now," Jia Dongxu replied to his son unhappily.

"Dongxu, what are you doing here?" Zhang Lianhua asked her nephew.

"When Yushui and Banggeng's mother come back, Uncle Qi will let us go to the backyard to drink mutton soup together," said Jia Dongxu.

Xu Damao was also at home today. Zhang Dabao called Xu Damao over again and asked Jia Dongxu to send a large bowl to the Yan family, a large bowl to the Liu Guangtian brothers, and a bowl to the Guo Kang family who lived in the backyard. As for Liu Haizhong, he was told to get out of here as far away as possible.

"Dongxu delivers food everywhere, but he doesn't even mention giving a bowl to his master." An old lady got a little angry when she saw Jia Dongxu carrying a bowl of food everywhere.

"Is this his thing? Does he have the final say? It's good enough that he can make a living with his family. Can he take us with him?" Yi Zhonghai said to his wife.

Yi Zhonghai's answer was a long sigh.