Siheyuan: I am the Smart Pillar

The winter in the city is very cold. Even when the sun is high in the sky, it still feels very cold. If it is windy, the white wind will freeze your face. Today is a day off, and everyone is staying at home, not wanting to go out and freeze.

Yan Fugui was sitting in the living room of his house wearing a coat, and Yan Jiecheng looked very unhappy. He said to his father, "Dad, these dead branches and rotten leaves don't produce much heat when burned! Why don't we buy some coal? You should think about us brothers, your newborn sister and mother. Ugh, you see I'm almost catching a cold, how can I live like this?"

Yan Fugui tightened his coat. He had spent most of the day bargaining on the black market to buy this coat. It cost him two dollars, which really broke his heart. He was the only one wearing this coat in the Yan family. If his three sons wore it, there would be no way. In addition to paying the rent, Yan Fugui thought he could negotiate. Other than that, don't even think about it. He, Yan Fugui, would definitely not suffer a loss.

Yang Ruihua sneezed. Her husband was good in every way except that he was very stingy. She also felt that if they didn't buy some coal, they would definitely not be able to survive this winter. Yang Ruihua persuaded him, and several children also said so. Yan Fugui's family didn't have an iron stove for heating. They only used a broken iron basin, put some dead branches and rotten leaves in it, and used it to keep warm.

It was like this every year. In the fall, Yan Fugui took his wife and children to collect the dead branches and leaves that no one wanted, and used them to keep warm in the winter. Yan Jiecheng and his brothers complained privately, thinking that their father was too stingy. Yan Fugui thought about it and said, "Okay, we can buy some coal slag. When the time comes, mix it with loess and make some honeycomb coal, right?"

Yan Jiecheng frowned and said, "You mean we can make honeycomb coal ourselves, but that's very troublesome. Why don't we buy some coal and burn it to keep warm?" Yan Fugui frowned and pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He complained to his son, "You kid, you have enough food and clothes to eat, but you are poor because you don't plan well. Let me tell you the math."

"Now, a ton of coal costs at least 20 yuan. Our family must have at least three tons of coal to get through the winter. But this coal slag is different. I have learned about it recently. It seems that a ton of coal slag only costs ten yuan. We can go to the coal yard to get three tons of coal slag, and then use loess to make honeycomb coal. I can tell you kids that the burning time of this honeycomb coal is much longer than that of coal. Since it is only the beginning of winter and we have a day off today, let's go to the coal yard this afternoon to take a look. What do you think?"

Everyone looked at each other, no one said anything. Although my father was right, the temperature of the honeycomb was not high at all if it was burned with that kind of thing. And if the proportions were not well controlled, the honeycomb coal would be like a stone and could not be burned. But this kind of honeycomb coal was very popular among the lower-class people. The reason was that it was very cheap and would not cause economic pressure on the lower-class people.

Yang Ruihua thought for a moment and said, "Burning the honeycomb is a solution, but you need a stove. You can't put it in this iron basin and burn it." When he said this, Yan Fugui pushed his glasses on his nose. The light of wisdom shone in his little eyes.

Yan Fugui smiled and said, "I remember that Sha Zhu's family has an old stove. I can find a way to borrow it from them. Didn't Sha Zhu buy two new stoves some time ago? I believe that the old stove is definitely not used anymore. I am the third uncle in the yard and the elder of his family. I believe he will not refuse to lend it to me if I ask him to borrow the stove." Yang Ruihua listened to his wife's words and felt that it made a lot of sense. Sha Zhu's old stove was just sitting there anyway, so why not lend it to them?

Yan Fugui smiled, thinking that his idea was really good. He stood up and said, "Big brother, second brother, third brother, you three, get ready. We will go to the coal yard to get some coal later. I will go to Sha Zhu's house to ask and borrow a stove from him." Yan Jiecheng sneezed. Although it was only early winter, for some reason, the weather this winter was really cold.

Although the sun was shining brightly outside today, the temperature outside was still very cold. He finally had a day off today, and he really didn't want to go out again. After thinking about it, he said, "Dad, we really don't want to go out today. How about we go another day? I want to rest today."

Yan Fugui grinned, snorted coldly and said, "Okay, then we won't buy coal today." Yan Jiecheng thought he had heard it wrong, and asked his father in surprise, "Oh, Dad, you agree." Yan Fugui nodded with a smile and said, "The next time we father and son take a break, it will be next week. We can save some money by buying coal later. I think what you said makes sense."

Yan Jiecheng was stunned. Thinking of the temperature at home after school every day, he couldn't help but shiver. Although the honeycomb coal is not as good as coal, it is still coal after all. It must be hotter than these dead branches and rotten leaves. Add to that the stove at Sha Zhu's house, and it won't be so cold every night.

Yan Jiecheng smiled awkwardly, thought for a moment and said, "I'll clean up with the second and third sons, and you can go find Sha Zhu." Yan Fugui snorted coldly. No one knows his son better than his father. As soon as his eldest son sticks his butt out, he knows what kind of shit he has pulled. After borrowing the stove from Sha Zhu's house, the stove in Sha Zhu's house can only be used by the two of them.

As for his three sons, the grown-ups were sleeping on a cold kang, wouldn't it be a waste to use a stove for such a big temper? Yan Fugui grinned, he felt that his brain was really too smart. He could be said to be the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, the living Liu Bowen. Yan Fugui tightened his worn-out cotton jacket, opened the door and went to Sha Zhu's house.

Yan Jiefang, the second son of the Yan family, said to his eldest brother somewhat unhappily, "Brother, what are you doing? The school finally has a holiday, and I want to stay at home. The weather outside is so cold, I really don't want to go out." Yan Jiefang had just gone out, and even though he was wearing thick clothes, he felt like he was in an ice cave as soon as he left the house.