Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

As Xu Damao rode his bike out of the factory gate, he saw He Yuzhu walking in front of him.

"Hey, hey, Brother Zhu, can I give you a ride?"

"Hey, what's up, Xu Damao, what's the conspiracy?"

"Silly Zhu, what conspiracy can I have in taking you for a walk? You are just a petty person. Come on, sit down if you want."

"Wait, it would be a waste if you don't sit down."

He Yuzhu jumped on the bike, and Xu Damao pedaled.

"Brother Zhu, how about I serve the wine and you serve the dishes tonight, and we have dinner together tonight?"

"Xu Damao, if you have anything to say, just tell me."

"Brother Zhu, you know, my wife and I are not very good at cooking, and you are a good cook. How about I go to the stewed food store and buy half a pound of pork head meat and two bottles of bottled lotus white? You won't suffer a loss, right?"

"Hey, Xu Damao, are you so generous today?"

"I've also been promoted. We're childhood friends, so let's have a drink together to celebrate my promotion."

"Okay, let's do this. You drop me off at the alley later, and you go buy some pork head meat. I'll go home and prepare some for you. How about three dishes and a soup?"

"That's it."

At 95: pm in the courtyard of No. , Xu Damao, Lou Xiaoe, He Yuzhu and He Yushui had four dishes and a soup: pork head with coriander, fried peanuts, spicy fried potato shreds, oily cabbage stalks, a large plate of scrambled eggs, and a pot of kelp and lard soup. Xu Damao also bought two bottles of Arctic Ocean soda for He Yushui.

"Wow, brother, what day is it today? Such a rich dish. Brother Damao, are you buying this soda for me?"

"Sister Yushui, my sister-in-law and I came here to learn from your brother's cooking skills and bring you some soda. But remember, you are responsible for returning the bottles tomorrow. You can get a 10 cent refund for two soda bottles. You can keep them if you return them."

He Yushui looked at He Yuzhu, who took up the wine glass and drank a cup of wine by himself. "Sister, since Xu Damao is so generous, why don't you take it? Where can you find such a good thing? Keep it and buy pencils for yourself. Study hard, and I will support you to go to college."

"Da Mao, come, let me toast you, thank you."

He Yuzhu poured himself some wine and picked up the wine glass. Xu Damao also picked up the wine glass and they drank together.

Lou Xiao'e ate the dishes made by He Yuzhu and felt that he was a good cook. She raised her wine cup with great interest and said, "Brother Zhuzi, your cooking skills are really extraordinary. You can make a few simple home-cooked dishes that taste better than those in restaurants. I am grateful to you today, so I want to toast you."

He Yuzhu didn't expect that the woman from Xu Damao's family was so fierce. Before he poured the wine, Lou Xiao'e had already finished it.

"Xu Damao, Lou, Lou Xiao'e, right? I didn't expect you two could drink. Come on, have fun today, drink."

After drinking, Xu Damao said to He Yushui, who was about to leave to do homework, "Sister Yushui, do you have a classmate named Yu Haitang who is the same age as you?"

"Yeah, Brother Damao, how did you know that?"

"Not only do I know that Yu Haitang is in the same class with you, I also know that she has an older sister who is just the right age for your brother. Go ask your classmates if her sister is married. This will be a perfect opportunity to find a wife for your silly brother. In the future, you will have a sister-in-law to love you."

"Xu Damao, Yu Shui is only 11 years old this year. You asked her to introduce a date to me. What are you thinking?"

"This is just the right time. I tell you, you will never get it again if you miss it. I heard that the third uncle is looking for a partner for his eldest son. Liu Guangqi from the backyard was supposed to get married at the end of last year, but for various reasons, the marriage was postponed. He will definitely get married in the first half of this year, before Labor Day. By then, you will be the only single guy of your age in our No. 95 compound. And I also heard that your sister's classmate is very beautiful. If you don't act early, you will have no chance. Anyway, my information is free, it's up to you whether you listen to it or not. Let's have a drink, and then we'll go back and make love with our wives."

Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e left. He Yuzhu was actually moved, and under the influence of alcohol, he went to his sister's residence in the ear room.

"Yushui, is there really a Yu Haitang in your class?"

"Brother, yes, Yu Haitang and I are pretty good friends. It seems like their home is not too far from us."

"Well, Yushui, when you go to school, please help ask your classmates about, uh... her sister."

"Brother, I'll just ask for you. Don't bother me. I have some homework and I'll go to bed after I finish it. Go back to your room."

In the backyard of Xu Damao's house, Lou Xiao'e had drunk some wine today, and despite Xu Damao's hard work, she acted very unrestrained. She even shouted out Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu from opposite sides of the house and they stayed at the wall to listen.

"Da Mao, you still have the potential to be a matchmaker. Tell me the truth, how did you know there was such a girl?"

"Xiao'e, don't worry. It was my senior brother Zhang Lingyun who told me that the girl from the Yu family is one year younger than you. My senior brother originally wanted to marry her, but her family disliked that my senior brother worked at the recycling station. I only found out about it after they mentioned it to me. Today, I thought that He Yuzhu and I would be a good match, so I mentioned it. In fact, the most important thing is that something big happened in the yard today."

Xu Damao got excited and stood up to light a cigarette. He then poured Lou Xiaoe a cup of hot water and continued to talk.

"Today, the factory has dealt with Jia Dongxu from the Intermediate Court again. Jia Dongxu really deserves it. He failed the exam yesterday and had a fight with a coworker, so he was fined 15 yuan for compensation. Today, he talked back to his boss and was almost fired. He also damaged property and was fined two months' salary. He also has to be treated as a temporary worker for six months and is not allowed to take the exam for three years. He is so unlucky. Think about it, the mother of the Jia family is not a good person. Jia Dongxu has no income for several consecutive months, and the Jia family will definitely make a big fuss again. This is when the uncle should play a role. You don't know that Uncle and Auntie have been obsessed with finding someone to take care of them for the past few years because they have no children. Why do you think Uncle accepted Jia Dongxu as his apprentice? It was not for anything else, but to calculate that Jia Dongxu would take care of him in his old age. Now that the Jia family needs to be pulled up, the Jia family looks like a bottomless pit. Uncle might turn around and find Sha Zhu, who is so reckless. I just want to cut off Uncle's support and tie him to Jia Dongxu. Otherwise, how can I use Sha Zhu's cooking skills in the future? Isn't it. "

"Da Mao, you're not that old, you're only in your early 40s, why are you in such a hurry?"

"You may not understand this, but the less children you have, the emptier your heart becomes, and the more anxious you become. Just wait and see, maybe the eldest uncle will take action in the next few days. The Jia family may have an internal conflict in the next few days. Jia Dongxu has no income and needs to pay compensation. He will definitely ask his mother to use the so-called pension money to live. I think the Central Courtyard will be busy in the next few days. But Xiao'e, I remind you again, don't be kind-hearted in Courtyard No. 95, it will cause endless troubles."

Lou Xiao'e was skeptical, but she listened anyway, "Da Mao, why don't you manage the money for our family? I really might not be able to control my heart, so I feel sorry for him."

"That won't work. Since ancient times, men have been in charge of external affairs and women have been in charge of internal affairs. It's only natural for women to manage money. You just need to save it well. But I'm ashamed to say that I haven't given you a penny in the past few months. I've been spending a lot of money during this period."

"Da Mao, I don't care. It doesn't matter who manages the money in the family. My mother has never managed the money."

"We'll discuss this later. Just observe more in the courtyard. Once you see the way, you won't be so kind. Go to sleep. It will be morning tomorrow."

He put out the cigarette, drank some water, and rinsed his mouth before going back to bed, hugging his wife, kissing her for a while, and then falling asleep.