Siheyuan: Yan Jiekuang's carefree life

At this time, Sijiu City had already snowed twice in a row. The temperature outside was already very low. Yan Jiekuang divided the meat he brought back and put it into a large water jar, then covered it with a lid and put it at the door of the main hall to freeze. Then Yan Jiekuang took the remaining things and followed Su Zihui back to the house.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw two children sitting on the bed in a daze. Yan Jiekuang's heart was instantly melted by the cute looks of the two children. Yan Jiekuang put down his things, ran to the bed, picked up the two children, and kissed them on the face.

Su Zihui saw that the two children were not shy, and she finally felt relieved when she entered the room. Su Zihui walked to the bed and sat down, leaning her head on Yan Jiekuang's shoulder. Yan Jiekuang rubbed Su Zihui's head with his chin and said, "Wife, you have worked hard this year."

Su Zihui replied: "It's not hard at all. Now that you're back, I won't feel tired at all."

After hearing what Su Zihui said, Yan Jiekuang laughed unconsciously. The couple sat like this for more than a quarter of an hour. Then they heard Yan Bugui's voice at the door: "Jiekuang, call your wife out for dinner. Otherwise, you will be late for work."

"Oh!" Yan Jiekuang came back to his senses and said, "Let's go out for dinner."

After breakfast, Su Zihui and Yan Jiedi went to work. Yan Bugui and the third aunt were at home looking after the children, and Yan Jiekuang followed them out with the documents. Twenty minutes later, Yan Jiekuang arrived at the subdistrict office. He had been here once before when he helped Su Zihui, so this time, Yan Jiekuang was familiar with the place. In just over ten minutes, all the formalities were completed. Then Yan Jiekuang went to the Public Security Bureau and the Grain Administration Bureau. A little after ten o'clock in the morning, Yan Jiekuang had completed all the matters.

"Dad!" Yan Jiekuang returned home and saw Yan Bugui playing with the two children in the yard. Yan Bugui asked, "Is everything done?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied, "It's all done." Then he handed the household registration booklet and grain purchase certificate to Yan Bugui. Yan Bugui did not take the things from Yan Jiekuang, and said, "After lunch, come with me to the Public Security Bureau. Let's divide the households."

Yan Jiekuang said, "Dad, why are you dividing the households for no reason?!"

Yan Bugui said: "Aren't you afraid that Yan Jiecheng will come and cause trouble?!"

Yan Jiekuang was stunned for a moment and asked, "What is he trying to do?!"

Yan Bugui replied, "What else could it be? For money! Yan Jiecheng feels that I, as a father, only think about you three kids. I don't have him in my heart. He's afraid that when we get old, we'll give you everything, so he's making a fuss about dividing the family."

Yan Jiekuang was stunned for a moment and said, "Dad, how could he think like that?! If we were to say which family in this courtyard is the fairest, there would be no other family except ours. My second brother and I were out in the countryside, so we didn't have jobs. Although we didn't pay any money home, we often brought things back. If we really wanted to convert it into money, the things we brought back would be worth a lot."

Yan Bugui said, "You are wrong! It's not that you didn't give money. After your second brother returned to the city, he brought home ten yuan every month when he got his salary. Now he has a raise, and he gives me twenty yuan every month. Your wife only keeps half of her salary every month, and gives the other half to me and your mother. It's the same for Jie Di." Yan Bugui glanced at Yan Jiekuang, and seeing Yan Jiekuang's dumbfounded look, he couldn't help laughing and continued, "I can see through it. Filial people are filial, needless to say. Unfilial people, even if you ask them to pretend, they won't be willing to pretend."

Yan Jiekuang pushed the things in his hand into Yan Bugui's hand and said, "Dad, I just came back and you separated from me. The neighbors will gossip if they find out. Let's wait two years before we talk."

Yan Bugui hesitated for a few seconds, thinking that what Yan Jiekuang said made some sense, and compromised: "Okay! I'll listen to you. We won't separate for now."

Yan Jiekuang then asked: "Dad, have you called my second brother?!"

Yan Bugui replied, "I have called, and he will come over after get off work tonight." Then he asked, "Did you register your job when you went to the street office to handle the formalities?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied, "Dad, what a coincidence. The current director of our neighborhood office is the aunt of a comrade-in-arms from my time in the production team. Every year when I come back to visit my family, I would help him send some things home. I didn't expect that the connections I had accumulated in the past would be put to use today. She got me a job in the production team and arranged me to work as a logistics purchaser at the Sijiucheng Heavy Machine Tool Factory."

"Oh?! Purchasing is a lucrative position?!" Yan Bugui's eyes suddenly lit up and he said, "Is this favor big enough?!"

Yan Jiekuang smiled and asked, "Dad, are you relieved now?!"

Yan Bugui smiled and replied, "Don't worry! Don't worry! How can I not worry?!" Then he asked, "When are you going to report?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied: "I will have my physical examination done tomorrow and will be able to report the day after tomorrow."

"Hey! Jie Kuang, you're back?" Just then Xu Damao came in from outside, pushing his bicycle. Yan Bugui smiled and greeted him: "Brother Damao, are you going to the countryside to show movies again?!"

Xu Damao smiled and replied, "That's all a thing of the past. I used my connections to transfer to the Daguanlou Cinema as a projectionist. The machine broke down yesterday, and it wasn't fixed until this morning. My boss gave me half a day off to come back and rest. But then again, although the income of the cinema is not as high as before, we still have to live in the open air." Then he asked, "Jie Kuang, are you leaving again this time?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied: "I'm not leaving!"

"It's better not to leave!" Xu Damao echoed, and then asked: "Have you found a job?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied: "I found it. I'm working as a purchaser at the Sijiucheng Heavy Machine Tool Factory."

"That's a good job!" Xu Damao echoed, saying, "Uncle San, you can rest assured this time!"

Yan Bugui laughed and said, "Why should I worry?" Then he said, "Da Mao, your boy is exactly the same as you were when you were in school. Two days ago, I saw him and a female classmate go into the woods near their school."

"What?!" Xu Damao was shocked and said, "This little bastard, no wonder his academic performance has been getting worse and worse recently."

Yan Bugui said: "Da Mao, your boy is already grown up. I think since he has no interest in studying, you might as well find him a job."

Xu Damao said, "Uncle, this matter can't be rushed. I'll ask him later." After saying that, Xu Damao said hello and pushed his bicycle past Yan Jiekuang and Yan Bugui.

After Xu Damao left, Yan Jiekuang asked, "Dad, what's the situation with Zhuzi's two kids now?!"

Yan Bugui replied: "The eldest is not good at studying and is now learning cooking from his father. The second is good at studying and is now in the second year of high school."

A little after three o'clock in the afternoon, Su Zihui came back from get off work. As soon as she entered the courtyard gate, she saw Yan Jiekuang playing with two children and couldn't help laughing. Yan Jiekuang heard the laughter, turned his head to look at Su Zihui, and asked, "Why are you back so early?!"

Su Zihui replied, "I'm not the class teacher! I came back when I didn't have any classes." Then she asked, "Is it done?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied: "It's all done. I've got a job."