Siheyuan: From Being Called Shazhu

New Year's Eve.

The New Year atmosphere in the yard was still very strong, especially when children in the house ran out and ran around the yard, the atmosphere became even heavier.

However, ordinary people have been exchanging their wages for food these days to prepare for various emergencies.

But, as the saying goes, who doesn’t eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year?

Especially for those who are living in the courtyard now, during the Chinese New Year, they will definitely have some extra money to buy some New Year's gifts.

It's the end of the year, what's wrong with relaxing?

Moreover, from what I have learned in the past ten days, I know that there are still people patrolling and guarding the avenue even during New Year's Day, and the adults in the compound can at least be seen smiling.

As for the He family, even though He Daqing hasn't gone out to sell buns or go to work recently, and He Yuzhu goes out every day just to get some food, the most he gets is the 2 pounds of meat he brought back last night.

However, it is true that a cook will never starve to death in a famine.

Especially for a chef like He Daqing who has a master and is a local chef, he will never go hungry.

Although He Yuzhu's family may not have much cash now.

However, there is definitely no shortage of food.

Otherwise, He Daqing would not have taken He Yuzhu out to sell buns a while ago, and now he has no right to sell them.

It was the first day of the new year, and He Yuzhu and He Yushui went door to door in the yard to wish everyone a happy new year.

As for He Daqing, he had to stay at home and wait for other children to come.

In this era, every household is not so wealthy, but most of the people who can come to pay New Year's greetings are children from old neighbors. Normally, everyone sees each other every day. We can't say that the relationship is very good, but at least it's not bad.

As a result, most people who choose to give their children "New Year's money" basically do not give money, but instead give them some food or something.

People like Yi Zhonghai who live a good life will give their children a handful of peanuts, melon seeds, etc., which is enough to keep the children happy for a long time.

Of course, there are also some who are unhappy, because after they go home, their parents will dig them out and give them to other children who come to pay New Year's greetings.

Those who can afford inferior or ordinary hard candies are considered wealthy families, and they also have to have some background.

Because in this era, sugar was a military supply and a controlled item. If you could buy it, you had to ask someone to help you or spend a lot of money.

As for some families that are not having a good time or are stingy, like the Jia family, giving their children a handful of fried soybeans is considered as adding some food to their children.

This is good because the children can eat three or five grains at a time along the way, and they are gone in a few bites.

As for those families that are in a more difficult situation, sensible children or some parents will also advise their children to stop paying New Year's greetings and not to stay in other people's homes, so as to avoid embarrassing them and then making the situation worse.

But, as a human being, life is all about face.

Maybe these families don’t even have everything they need for the New Year, so how could they have extra things to give to outsiders?

But these people also have tricks.

That means giving money.

Yes, you read it right, it means giving money, and hundreds of dollars at a time.

At this time, because the previous gold yuan coupons were over-issued, the next currency has not yet come out.

When I go out to buy something, I put dozens or millions of bills into a stack, and then put together dozens of stacks to buy it together.

To put it bluntly, if you want to buy some newspapers to paste on the wall, it would be better to just use the gold yuan coupons to paste and save money.

This is what we give to children now.

You won't make things worse for the sake of face, and you won't lose face.

After He Yuzhu and He Yushui finished greeting several familiar neighbors in the surrounding area, seeing that it was still early, they took He Yushui to Master Sun.

It should be said that He Yushui, who is less than four years old, looks like a porcelain doll in her new cotton-padded jacket.

Once they entered the garrison, the "old hearts" of those "rough men" all burst into tears when they heard the "porcelain dolls" shouting "Happy New Year, brother" and "Thank you, brother".

This one puts some peanuts into He Yushui's pocket, and that one puts some melon seeds into He Yushui's pocket.

Seeing that they are both stuffing peanuts and melon seeds into their mouths, he has to stuff them too. What’s more, he has to stuff them with something good, like candy.

In the end, He Yushui was so stuffed that she even had a cloth bag in her arms.

This was when He Yuzhu only asked He Yushui to collect some food.

Otherwise, He Yushui would have small ornaments on his body including but not limited to pens, ink, books, and even made of bullet shells.

In the end, it was Master Sun who came out and said, "Don't be afraid of freezing your sister, come in quickly," which ended He Yushui's "purchasing" journey.

Waiting to enter Master Sun’s temporary tent.

What "frozen" and "coming to buy goods" were all gone when He Yushui called him "Uncle".

Yes, but it was just that He Yuzhu got a copper coin as a New Year's gift because of He Yushui's help.

At first, He Yuzhu didn't care.

After all, only a few decades had passed since the Qing Dynasty, and copper coins were no longer a rare commodity.

But when He Yuzhu looked at the copper coins that had been strung together with a red rope by Master Sun and hung around He Yushui's neck, and which had an obvious patina, He Yuzhu couldn't help but take a serious look at them.

It would have been fine if he hadn't looked at it, but when he did, He Yuzhu was shocked.

The one in He Yuzhu's hand has "Long Life and Wealth" printed on the front, and the back also has four big characters, "Blessing from Hanshan".

Moreover, the copper coin has a lace border similar to a wreath on it.

There is a hole in the middle of the lace.

As for the one on He Yushui’s neck, the front side has “Long Life” inscribed on it, while the back side has some flowers, leaves and fruits.

Moreover, the coin in He Yushui's hand and the one in He Yuzhu's hand are made of different materials.

Although they all appear shiny due to the patina, the one in He Yuzhu's hand appears coppery yellow.

But He Yushui's was bright black.

He Yuzhu still knows how to spend money.

Especially the one on He Yushui's neck. He Yuzhu didn't dare to say for sure, but there was 80% chance that it was made of silver.

"Master, this is too expensive."

He Yuzhu was a little hesitant. He didn't know what era this coin was from or how much it was worth.

If it is important, even though he calls Master Sun "Master", he is just a Master, not a Master.

Besides, he and Master Sun had only known each other for about ten days.

I accepted it. It's really inappropriate.

However, it was obvious that Master Sun didn't care at all.

He glared at He Yuzhu, then teased He Yushui with one hand, and took a shoulder bag from behind with the other hand and shook it a few times.

"Expensive? How is it expensive? It's just a bag."

He Yuzhu believed it after hearing the clinking sound of copper coins in his bag.

"Well, thank you, Master."

Having said that, He Yuzhu didn't hesitate any longer. He picked up the remaining red string that Master Sun had used to string He Yushui, strung it on his own "Long Life and Wealth" pendant, and hung it around his neck.

"Hey, kid, you're really rude."

Looking at He Yuzhu's actions, Master Sun scolded him with a smile, then ignored him and continued teasing He Yushui.

After chatting with Master Sun for a while, He Yuzhu saw that it was getting late outside, so he prepared to take He Yushui home.

"You can go, Xiao Yushui stay."

Master Sun hugged the innocent-looking little Yu Shui with a look of reluctance on his face.

"Xiao Yushui, how about eating here with me later? I have made a lot of delicious food here."

As a child, even if she is not afraid of strangers, she will still be scared when she hears that her brother is leaving and a stranger is trying to keep her.

"Brother hug."

As he spoke, He Yushui stretched out his arms towards He Yuzhu.

Although Master Sun was reluctant, he still handed Xiao Yushui to He Yuzhu to hold.

"Master, if there's a chance, I won't eat here today. My father should still be waiting."

"alright."

Master Sun also knew it, but his face was still full of regret.

Before leaving, Master Sun said something to He Yuzhu.

"Go back and pay attention to the residents in the alley these two days. They will be useful in a couple of days."

Although He Yuzhu didn't know what Master Sun meant specifically.

However, He Yuzhu, who had the complete memory of this alley dweller, was not afraid at all.

"Don't worry, Master. There's nothing I don't know about the 16 alleys in Nanluoguxiang."

As he spoke, He Yuzhu waved He Yushui's little hand towards Master Sun.

"Come, Rainwater, say goodbye to me."

"Goodbye, sir."

He Yushui's childish little noises were silenced by Master Sun.

"Hey, goodbye, little Yushui. Come over here with your brother when you have time. I have a lot of delicious food here."

Now, Master Sun’s eyes are filled with the image of He Yushui, the cute porcelain doll.

When they got home, He Daqing had already sent away the people who came to pay New Year's greetings, and the food was already heated up and waiting for the brother and sister.

"You... you took your sister out for the whole morning, aren't you afraid of giving your sister..."

He Daqing wanted to scold He Yuzhu several times, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he took them back, probably because it was the first day of the Lunar New Year.

I just took He Yushui with heartache.

"Daddy."

You say He Yushui is sensible, but she is less than four years old and sometimes she still needs to be fed.

But if you say that she is ignorant, she can still act coquettishly to help He Yuzhu out of the situation.

No matter what, He Daqing let He Yuzhu off.

However, during the meal, He Yushui yawned several times, which made He Yuzhu suffer a deathly gaze from He Daqing again.

It was the second day of the Chinese New Year. He Yuzhu got up early and started wandering around the alleys.

He Yuzhu can even chat about family matters with the people he knows.

Although He Yuzhu has a complete memory, he can recite the residents in the alley by heart.

However, who knows if any of those people in the alley have run away in the past half month.

Just like Xu Damao’s family in the backyard of the compound.

From the day the city gate was opened, Xu Damao's father took his family back to his hometown in the countryside.

It's been more than ten days and he hasn't come back.

If the residents in the courtyard who worked in the steel rolling mill had not occasionally mentioned that they had met Xu Damao's father in the factory, who would have known that Xu Damao's family had not run away and never returned?