Siheyuan: Yan Jiekuang's carefree life

Tian Dazhuang said: "The raw materials have just been harvested from the fields, so we need some time to process them. So, the first batch will be delivered to you in a week."

"Okay! Then I'll wait for you for a week." After that, Meng Yongsheng chatted with Tian Dazhuang about some family matters, and then sent Tian Dazhuang out of the office.

Tian Dazhuang didn't expect that things would go so smoothly today. After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, Tian Dazhuang got on his bicycle, was stunned for a few seconds, then pedaled hard and rushed to the brigade excitedly.

When Tian Dazhuang returned to the brigade, Gao Junsong also came back. Tian Dazhuang saw Gao Junsong and asked, "How is it going? Did the beet harvest go well?!"

Gao Junsong replied, "It went smoothly! How could it not go smoothly? I gave them money, but they still didn't want to?!" Then he asked, "What about you?! Is it going smoothly on your side?!"

Tian Dazhuang said, "I've got the certificate." Then Tian Dazhuang looked around, then pulled Gao Junsong into the office and said, "I went to the supply and marketing cooperative, and Meng Yongsheng agreed to buy our sugar at 58 cents per pound. And he asked us to provide at least 2,000 pounds of sugar before the New Year."

Gao Junsong muttered to himself, "Two thousand kilograms of sugar?! According to the current production ratio, we need 20,000 kilograms of sugar beets?! The sugar beets I received today, plus the sugar beets produced in our fields, are about 30,000 kilograms, which should be enough."

Tian Dazhuang said: "Since we have enough beets, let's start working as soon as possible."

"Okay! I'll call a meeting for everyone in the team in a moment." Then Gao Junsong changed the subject and said with a worried look on his face, "But whether the people who go to the sugar factory should be paid wages or work points, this needs to be discussed in advance! Otherwise, it's easy to cause trouble."

Tian Dazhuang said, "Let's calculate the salary! Forget about our two families, and the others will be paid one yuan a day. As for Yan Zhiqing, let's discuss with him and decide how much is appropriate to give him."

Gao Junsong nodded and said, "It's getting late now. Let's go have lunch first. After lunch, we'll go find Yan Zhiqing and then talk to the people in the brigade about recruiting workers."

After Gao Junsong and Tian Dazhuang reached a tacit understanding, they left the brigade. At the same time, a group of people came out of the mountain with today's harvest. Tian Xiuqin, who was walking in front of the team, asked, "Xiao Yan, are you going into the mountain tomorrow?!"

Yan Jiekuang was stunned for a moment, then replied, "Come in?! Let's try to get more food before it snows."

Wu Cuihua continued, "Xiao Yan, when we go into the mountains tomorrow, please wait for us for a while. We will go together."

Yan Jiekuang understood instantly, smiled bitterly in his heart, and agreed: "Okay! We will meet at the mountain pass tomorrow. Then, we will go into the mountain together."

After walking for a while, everyone dispersed. Yan Jiekuang took Su Zihui back to their home. Su Zihui took off the backpack and said, "Brother Jiekuang, we have already got a lot of things in the past few days, enough for us to survive the winter. Why do we have to go into the mountains tomorrow?!"

Yan Jiekuang said, "It looks like a lot of food, but after processing it, there isn't much. It's just enough for the two of us and your grandpa and grandma. Don't forget, there are other people at your grandpa's place. Given your grandpa's relationship with them, if we send it to your grandpa and grandma, will they not give them food?!"

Su Zihui thought about it and agreed, "That's true."

"Okay! Don't think too much. Go back to the room and clean up first. We'll eat right away." After saying that, Yan Jiekuang went into the kitchen.

At the same time, Tian Xiuqin returned home. Gao Junsong heard the noise and came out of the house. Tian Xiuqin hurriedly urged: "What are you still standing there for? Come over and give me a hand!"

Gao Junsong immediately rushed over, took the things from his wife's hand, and asked, "Where did all these things come from?!"

Tian Xiuqin replied, "I got it from the mountains. When I go to the mountains to collect mountain products in the future, I must follow Yan Zhiqing. Don't be fooled by his young age. He is better at finding things than any of us. When we came back, we had already agreed that we will go into the mountains together again tomorrow."

Gao Junsong said hurriedly: "I don't think he will be able to go into the mountains with you tomorrow."

Tian Xiuqin was stunned for a moment and asked, "Has the commune agreed to open a sugar-making workshop?!"

Gao Junsong replied, "Agreed. And Lao Tian received a large order today. The supply and marketing cooperative bought 2,000 kilograms of sugar from us."

Tian Xiuqin laughed and said, "This is a good thing!"

Gao Junsong said, "After dinner, Lao Tian and I will go find Yan Zhiqing, and then call a meeting for all the people in the brigade. We will announce that the sugar workshop is recruiting people. In theory, each family will provide one person. Lao Tian said that our two families can just let it go. But after I came back and thought about it, it can't be counted! One person must be provided by each of us. I just came back and thought about it. The second family will work for half a month, and the third family will work for half a month. The money they earn belongs to them. We don't want them to hand it over to the government."

Tian Xiuqin thought about it and nodded, "Okay! I'll do as you say."

"Dad! Mom!" Just then Gao Jianmin and Gao Jianshe came in from outside with their wives.

Seeing the expressions on the four people's faces, Gao Junsong asked, "I didn't see you all this morning. Where have you been?!"

Gao Jianmin smiled and said, "We took our wives to the hospital today. Congratulations on becoming grandparents."

"What?!" Tian Xiuqin was stunned for a moment, then reacted instantly and said excitedly, "Good! Good! Good to be pregnant!" Then she asked, "How many months have you been pregnant?!"

Gao Jianshe said: "My wife has been pregnant for more than two months, and my sister-in-law has been pregnant for more than a month."

"Dad! Mom!" As soon as Gao Jianshe finished speaking, Gou Wa suddenly appeared. Seeing what Gou Wa was holding, Gao Junsong asked, "Did you send it to your father-in-law's house?"

Gou Wa replied, "It has been sent. This morning I heard that my second and third brothers were going to take their sister-in-law to the hospital, so I brought back two pheasants to make soup for them."

Tian Xiuqin took the pheasant from Gou Wa and said, "I'll go get you some food."

After Tian Xiuqin left, Gao Junsong asked his son and daughter-in-law to sit down and said, "The village will soon open a sugar-making workshop. Each family will get one quota. The wages are one yuan a day. I thought about it and Gou Wa has skills, so he doesn't need that. Jianmin and Jianshe, your wives are both pregnant. So, you two can each take the first half of the month. Your mother and I have already discussed it. You don't have to hand in the money you earn, you can keep it for yourself."

Wu Dani couldn't help but say, "Dad, isn't this a bit unfair to Gou Wa?! How about each of us work ten days and earn ten dollars each?!"

Gou Wa said, "Second sister-in-law, please don't worry about me. I have a skill and it's easier for me to make money than you. Besides, Yan Zhiqing has promised to teach me how to repair the radio. Once I learn this skill, I will make more money in the future."

Gao Junsong looked at Gou Wa and asked, "When did you go to see Yan Zhiqing?"

Gou Wa replied, "I went up the mountain that day and passed by the door of Yan Zhiqing's house on my way back. I saw Yan Zhiqing fiddling with the radio, so I went in to ask him."

Gao Junsong then remembered the things on the table behind Yan Jiekuang's bicycle when he came back from town before the busy farming season, and muttered, "I never thought that Yan Zhiqing had such a skill?!"

Gou Wa said, "Dad, you don't know. Although Yan Zhiqing is young, he is very capable. He knows a lot of things."

Gao Junsong said: "Since he is willing to teach you, I still say the same thing! Study hard!"