Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

Under the guidance of the superiors, who encouraged us to work hard, strive for excellence, and achieve more, faster, better, and more economical results, the staff of Red Star Steel Rolling Mill felt that there had been great changes from the factory leadership to the grassroots staff when they started work this year. Everyone's task targets had increased.

Not to mention the workshop workers, canteen staff also began to take turns on duty to cope with the dinner supply for workers who often work overtime.

As a film projectionist in the factory's publicity department, Xu Damao's overall workload has increased this year. Last year, he delivered movies to the grassroots and showed a total of 150 shows a year in the countryside. This year, the number has increased to , which means that he has to do field work for nearly half of the year.

Xu Damao still felt overwhelmed. Except for rainy and cold weather, he had to run around outside almost every day.

On the first day of work, I felt a bit like a frost-bitten eggplant. Lou Xiao'e immediately sensed the change in Xu Damao's spirit.

"Da Mao, what's going on?"

"Ezi, this is really troublesome. I will probably have to go out to the countryside more often this year. I don't have time to take care of you and Huohuo."

"That's nothing. I'm here at home. If things don't work, there's still your mom and my mom to help. I can handle it now. Besides, there's Yu Li in the compound. She's also had a baby. We can all take care of each other. Just focus on your work."

"This is the only way." Xu Damao was thinking that he was currently studying hard, and getting busy would delay his study opportunities at the museum.

Fortunately, he wanted to come back. He was familiar with the direction of history. This year, it was precisely because of this unrealistic goal that many regions adopted wrong methods to carry out their work, causing a series of subsequent problems.

Soon we will enter a long and difficult period of natural disasters. Others may not know, but Xu Damao knows. He can only know it himself. He has no ability to change the overall situation, so he can only find a way to change himself.

If you go to the countryside, just go there, stock up on some food, and occasionally collect some old stuff in the countryside.

So, in the second week, Xu Damao packed up his equipment and started his journey to the countryside.

During the Spring Festival and the slack season, even if it is cold outside, it can’t stop the popularity of movies. Moreover, there are still many villages in the countryside that have large auditoriums for screenings.

Many villages in the hot spring town have auditoriums.

While going to the countryside, Xu Damao took the opportunity to go to Baishui Village and visit Gu Meifang.

The fruit candies, brown sugar, scented soap, soap, and vanishing cream from the city were brought to Gu Gu. Each of the children was given a 5-yuan red envelope, and Gu Meifang was given 20 yuan for household expenses.

That night, Xu Damao stayed at Gu Meifang's house. Gu Meifang did her best to have fun with Xu Damao.

"Da Mao, my Dayong and Xiaoyu already know about you and me. I have also told my children, so you don't have to hide it from them. But don't worry, I, Gu Meifang, don't want anything else from you. When Dayong and Xiaoyu grow up, it would be great if I could help them. That would be a blessing for the two children. I will never marry again in this life, so just come and see me when you have time, and I will be satisfied."

Xu Damao didn't expect that Gu Meifang was so bold and even confessed her affair to the child.

Well, think about it, the child also understands that he is a descendant of the Chen family. Even his uncles can't help the children of the Chen family, so he can't blame his mother for asking others to help. After all, sometimes staying alive is the first priority. Moreover, in Chen Zhiyong's eyes, Xu Damao seems to be very good to his mother.

Chen Zhiyong had no idea that the intrigues between adults were completely due to Xu Damao's physical needs. But this time he was really touched. He silently made up his mind to live up to Gu Meifang's small expectations of him.

"Meifang, when do you usually plant potatoes and sweet potatoes here?"

"Da Mao, why are you asking this?"

"I'm just asking casually."

"Potatoes can be planted in the beginning of spring, and sweet potatoes can be planted a month later than potatoes. They can be transplanted in April."

"Oh, I see. Meifang, you should plant more potatoes and sweet potatoes this spring. I have a feeling that the harvest next year will not be very good. You should plant more crops that can fill your stomach and are suitable for storage, so as to store more food and prevent famine. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Da Mao, what's the matter? Have you heard anything or are you good at fortune-telling?"

"Meifang, I feel your love for me. Don't worry. Whenever I have the chance, I will get Dayong to live in the city, and I will also find a way to marry Xiaoyu to the city, so that you can go with me. You can let them study hard. It will be much more difficult for them to go to the city without education. It would be best if they can study until high school. If you have any difficulties, please tell me. I can still afford their tuition."

Gu Meifang was so moved that she hugged Xu Damao tightly and burst into tears. So far, neither her parents nor her husband had ever told her children to study. Although Widow Gu had two children around ten years old, she was actually only five or six years older than Xu Damao. After the Chinese New Year, she was only twenty-nine and less than thirty years old. She was really as beautiful as a flower, in full bloom.

In front of the little man Xu Damao, she was as delicate as a little woman, and did not behave like an older sister next door at all.

Hi, Xu Damao likes this one.

I stayed in the countryside for five days and returned to the compound on Saturday.

The compound is much more lively now. The little girl of the Yan family in the front yard can run and jump, Jia Xiaodang in the middle yard is also growing up, Xu Jun in the back yard can run around freely, and He Jianxin, the son of Shazhu, will smile at people.

Look, Xu Damao went back to the factory on Saturday to report for reimbursement and return equipment. He returned to the compound at three in the afternoon. Lou Xiaoe, Yu Li, Qin Huairu, and the first and third aunts were all in the central courtyard.

"Oh, is this the New Year's Women's Meeting for our No. 95 compound? It's packed with people."

After Xu Damao met Qin Huairu on the fifth night of the New Year, he felt a little scared. He didn't want his image to collapse before Lou Xiaoe left Beijing for Hong Kong.

But he still glanced at Qin Huairu and met her resentful eyes.

Xu Damao's heart still skipped a beat: There can't be any trouble.

Yu Li quickly said to Lou Xiao'e, "Ezi, Yu Li, do you have any vegetables at home today? Do you want me to go to the vegetable market to buy some?"

"Da Mao, if we wait for you to come back to replenish us, we will be left with nothing. You came back early today, so why don't you just cook dinner?"

"Okay, we still have to listen to our wives, right, first aunt, third aunt? Then you can continue the women's meeting."

I quickly pushed my bike back to the backyard, washed my face with hot water, made a cup of hot tea, and smoked a cigarette for a while.

Before she finished her cigarette, Lou Xiao'e came back with Xu Jun.

"Da Mao, can you please stop smoking in the house? Go to the patio if you want to smoke. There are stools and tables over there. Xu Jun is still young, and it's not good for his health."

"Yes, yes, I forgot. I've been traveling every day this time, and I'm a little tired physically and mentally. Besides, the roads in the countryside are not easy to travel on, and the snow hasn't melted in some places yet."

"Well, I know you're working hard, so you stay in the house with your son. I'll go to the middle courtyard to help Yu Li cook. We'll have dinner there later. Sha Zhu won't be back for dinner today, so the factory will have a treat tonight."

Xu Damao was a little indignant when he heard this. "Damn it, being an official is really good. You sit in the office, drink at banquets, and get a high salary. No wonder everyone wants to climb up."

"People always strive for higher goals. There's nothing hard to understand about that. If you have the ability, you can climb up the ladder too. You don't have to be away from home all day, making us mother and daughter worry all day long."

Xu Damao stood up and hugged Lou Xiao'e, then picked up his son who weighed more than ten kilograms, and said, "I want to ride the wind to go back, but I am afraid that the jade building is too cold up there."