Siheyuan: Yan Jiekuang's carefree life

After Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu left, the workers in the lounge immediately started talking about Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu. One of the people who lived opposite the Yan family in the front yard of the quadrangle exaggerated the relationship between Qin Huairu, Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai. When the workers heard this, they all showed surprised expressions.

After leaving the steel mill, Qin Huairu said with some concern: "Dongxu, loading and unloading are both physically demanding jobs. Can I do it?!"

Jia Dongxu replied: "It has to work. It will only take a few months. When my leg is healed, you won't have to go to work anymore."

"Oh!" Qin Huairu responded reluctantly and asked, "How do we get back now?!"

Jia Dongxu glared at Qin Huairu and replied, "How else can we go back?! Call a taxi!"

"Hey!" Qin Huairu responded and stopped a donkey cart carrying goods. She told the driver the place, gave him 20 cents for the fare, and then helped Jia Dongxu onto the cart.

"Dongxu, how is the matter going?" Qin Huairu helped Jia Dongxu into the middle courtyard. Jia Zhang, who was sitting at the door sewing shoe soles, immediately put down what she was holding, ran to Jia Dongxu's side, and asked excitedly.

Jia Dongxu sighed and said, "Let's go back and talk about it!"

Jia Zhang was stunned for a moment and asked, "What's the matter?!" Then she followed Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu into the house.

Jia Dongxu said: "I have already agreed with the factory that Qin Huairu will do the job for me while I recover from my injury."

"OEM?!" Jia Zhang looked at Jia Dongxu in confusion, then looked at Qin Huairu and asked, "What's going on?!"

Qin Huairu said, "There is a document from above, asking to dismiss some workers whose family members are registered in the countryside. Dongxu just meets the requirements in the document. If Dongxu gives me the job, our family will have to go back to our hometown in the countryside to farm."

"No!" Jia Zhang said firmly, and then continued: "It's been so many years since we left. If we go back now, where will our family put our face?! Won't we let those people laugh to death?!"

Jia Dongxu said: "So I didn't transfer the work to Huairu."

Jia Zhang came to her senses and asked, "Huai Ru is taking your place at work. You are doing technical work, can she do it?!"

Jia Dongxu said: "I have been transferred out of the third workshop. Now I am transferred to be a loader. Moving things does not require any skills, just strength."

Jia Zhang was slightly stunned, and asked excitedly: "Why did they transfer you to be a loader for no reason? How much money will you lose this month?!"

Jia Dongxu said, "It's because you offended Yi Zhonghai. Although he was demoted, his skills are there. And he has been in the factory for so many years, he still has some connections. This time he didn't do anything extreme, which can be regarded as giving us a way out. My salary was reduced by one level. In addition, I just learned that stevedores don't have work every day. In addition, if they don't take a break every month, they can get an extra five yuan subsidy. Calculated this way, the salary is not much different from before. Moreover, stevedores are special heavy manual laborers, and the monthly quota is 55 kilograms. It is a full ten kilograms more than before. Calculated this way, it is actually a profit."

Jia Zhang sighed and said, "For this family. Dongxu! You've suffered so much!" Then Jia Zhang looked at Qin Huairu and yelled, "What are you standing there for? Why don't you go and cook?!"

"Oh!" Qin Huairu didn't dare to say any more. She just responded and walked towards the stove obediently.

When Qin Huairu was busy cooking, Secretary Sun from the street office walked into the courtyard gate. When the third aunt saw Secretary Sun, she hurriedly asked, "Comrade Sun, what brings you here today?!"

Secretary Sun smiled and said, "Aunt Yang, Teacher Yan is back tonight. Please tell him. Director Wang asked him to go to the street office when he has time. If you have anything, please come to him."

"Hey! I'll tell him when he comes back. Let him go find Director Wang." After saying that, the third aunt sent Secretary Sun out of the courtyard.

After Secretary Sun left, the neighbors immediately gathered around to ask for information. However, the three aunts didn't know anything.

Yan Bugui came back a little after 3 o'clock in the afternoon. As soon as he entered the house, the third aunt told Yan Bugui that Director Wang had come to see him. Yan Bugui smiled and pulled his wife back into the house, closed the door and whispered, "I happened to meet Director Wang when I came back. The application we submitted to the street office was approved. When Jie Kuang comes back in the evening, ask him how many rooms he plans to rent."

The third aunt asked, "Old Yan, how many rooms can our family rent?!"

Yan Bugui replied, "We have a total of six back houses here. One is already occupied. The remaining five are in similar conditions. I heard from Director Wang that we are paying for the repairs ourselves, so we can rent one more room. But the specific details will depend on the size of the house."

The third aunt said, "Yesterday I secretly peeked in through the crack in the door. The rooms near the west are absolutely uninhabitable unless they are repaired. The two rooms near our side are not bad. But the roof of the room near the gatehouse has a big hole."

Yan Bugui smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if it's broken. We'll have to repair it after renting it anyway. At most it'll cost a little more money. I inquired a few days ago, and if we use old tiles, it won't cost much. Besides, it's Jie Kuang who wants to rent the house. He should pay for the rent and the money to repair the house."

The third aunt asked with some concern: "Where did Jie Kuang get so much money?!"

Yan Bugui smiled and looked at the corner where bicycle parts were piled up, and said, "Isn't this money?!"

The third aunt reminded him, "Old Yan, don't be too calculating! If we piss off Jie Kuang, we won't get a penny in the future. That would be a big loss."

Yan Bugui nodded in agreement and said, "That's why I want to ask him. After all, he paid for it."

"Dad, who should we let go?" Yan Jiekuang came back at this moment. The third aunt said, "I was talking to your dad about the back house."

Yan Jiekuang asked: "Did the Street Office agree?!"

Yan Bugui replied, "I agree." Then he asked, "Jie Kuang, your mother has seen it. If we rent the back house, we must do a major renovation. Otherwise, it will be uninhabitable. Renovating the house will cost a lot of money."

Yan Jiekuang smiled and said, "Dad, I thought you were worried about something?! It turns out it's about money?! I knew that day that you wouldn't pay. Don't worry! I didn't intend for you to pay for it. But let me make it clear to you first. No matter how many rooms you rent, the house belongs to me as long as I pay for it. No one can move in without my consent."

Yan Bugui instantly understood what Yan Jiekuang meant. He looked at Yan Jiekuang and said, "That's no problem." Then he asked, "Repairing a house requires someone to watch over it."

Yan Jiekuang rolled his eyes at Yan Bugui, then looked at his mother and said, "Mom, wait until the house issue is settled and the rental procedures are completed. I will find someone to build the house. According to the current market conditions, in addition to paying them wages, they will also be provided with a lunch. I will bring back the food and vegetables. Please help me with the cooking. Don't worry! I won't let you work for nothing. I will give you fifty cents a day until the house is repaired."

When Yan Bugui saw that Yan Jiekuang had arranged a job for his wife, he became anxious and asked impatiently, "What about me?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied with a smile: "Dad, you'd better give up! I can't afford your salary." After that, Yan Jiekuang began to fiddle with the bicycle parts placed next to him.