Siheyuan: I earned foreign exchange in the heyday

After Chen Changan got the cigarette, he sat next to Uncle Xiao and watched him use his corn and smoke the cigarette he had just given him. Chen Changan was speechless.

Seeing that it was almost time for lunch, Chen Changan took a black carp and a few small white fish, packed the many receipts he had exchanged, gave all the remaining fish to Grandpa Xiao in one go, and leisurely went home with the bucket.

At noon, Xiuhua continued to make his porridge, while Chen Changan made steamed squid and pan-fried small white fish. Thinking that Xiuying was not there at noon, he didn't want to eat. He just happened to have exchanged a lot of bills, so he went out to eat in the evening. He had been in this era for several days, so he went to the next restaurant to try. By the way, he went to the supply and marketing cooperative to check out and buy some.

After dinner, Chen Changan watched Xiuhua and Xiujuan go out to play, while he had a good sleep at home. When he woke up, it was almost time for Xiuying to finish school. He cleaned up and called the two sisters back to dress them up. Xiuying also came back from school. When she heard that Chen Changan was going to take them to a restaurant to buy more food, she cheered and ran out happily.

In this era in the old city, when it comes to eating out, for the later Chen Changan, he has only heard of Quanjude, Donglaishun, and Lao Mo. No matter what, there is still a lot of time to come, so he might as well try them one by one in order.

Several sisters chose to go to Quanjude, so let’s go to Quanjude.

Afraid that his sisters wouldn't have enough to eat, he ordered two ducks and some side dishes. It happened that the receipts he had collected today were enough. Seeing his sisters eating with their mouths full of oil, Chen Changan felt that he should not be lazy in the future. He should go fishing more often and exchange more receipts to let his sisters live a better life.

After the meal, the sisters' stomachs were full. Chen Changan also felt that the roast duck of this era was more delicious than that of later times. He packed up two duck racks and took his sisters straight to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Chen Changan transformed himself into a rich man in his afterlife and bought hairpins and fruit candies for his sisters. When he saw the cloth, it seemed that he had promised to make clothes for Xiuhua, so he directly bought enough cloth for his three sisters and also bought some snacks.

After happily bringing his sisters home, Chen Changan calculated and found that the meals and shopping cost him more than 20 yuan.

This won't do. I spent more than half a month's salary on this purchase. One fifth of the 100-plus yuan I earned from selling fish was gone in an instant. I still have to work hard to fish. It seems that I have to go fishing tomorrow, not only fishing, but also fishing for big fish. The only big fish that can be caught are silver carp, bighead carp and black carp. Fishing black carp is not easy, and bait is also troublesome. I still have a lot of silver carp and bighead carp bait I made last time, so I will continue fishing for silver carp and bighead carp tomorrow. I will catch to kilograms and send it to the factory on the same day.

When he led his sisters into the courtyard, he met the third uncle Yan Fugui again. Seeing Chen Changan and his sisters buying so many things, he was surprised and said, "Changan, are you not living a good life? You bought so many things at once. Look at this cloth, it's really good. You bought so much at once? Nowadays, clothes are given to the second child after the eldest child wears them, and the third child wears them. It's enough to buy enough cloth to make one piece of clothing. Look at you, you don't know how to live, buying so much at once. Oh, this is a duck bone, right? Are you going to Quanjude to eat? You really don't live a good life? I'm not saying anything to you, third uncle, you are still young, you don't live like this."

Listening to the chatter of Third Uncle Yan Fugui and the gossipy aunt, Chen Changan handed a pair of duck racks to Third Uncle Yan Fugui and said directly, "Third Uncle, take it. This is for you. But I also want to say something to you. You have been scheming all your life. You have been stingy all your life. What's the point of living this life? You have never eaten good food, used good things, or enjoyed yourself. You have come to this world for nothing."

Looking at the third uncle Yan Fugui, holding the duck rack in his hand, stunned and motionless, Chen Changan ignored him and went straight home with his sisters.

In fact, Chen Changan knew that Third Uncle Yan Fugui's family was not as badly off as it seemed.

What kind of salary is it to support two adults and four children with just twenty or so dollars?

I won’t say much, but even if I have been teaching for so many years, it is impossible for me to be paid the salary of a first-class worker, right?

Moreover, before liberation, every old Beijinger’s family had some assets.

It was unknown how long it had been before the third uncle Yan Fugui began to tremble. He looked down at the duck rack in his hand, looked up at the direction of Chen Changan's house, and then turned around and walked back home slowly. He murmured, "Do you think I don't know how to enjoy life? Do you think I am willing to be so stingy? Do you think I am willing to stand at the door every day to take advantage of others? You know that I support three sons, a daughter and the two of us old people with my salary of 20 to 30 yuan as a primary school teacher. If I am not stingy, they will all starve to death." He walked back home step by step.

Chen Changan stood behind the window and looked at the spiritless Third Uncle Yan Fugui. He thought to himself, I wonder if I have broken your heart.

There was no sewing machine at home, and the three sisters had no one to teach them, nor did they have the skills to make clothes. So she took the three sisters and the cloth and went out to find a widow who specialized in making clothes in the alley. She measured the sizes of the three sisters, but did not give them tickets, and paid 5 yuan. After agreeing on a time, Xiuhua asked, "Brother, don't you want new clothes?"

"Brother is at work, he has work clothes, brother doesn't want clothes."

A girl this young would only care about herself in later generations, but children of this age are much more sensible and precocious.

A silent night and a new day begins.

Cornmeal porridge was the usual morning dish, but today there was an extra duck bone. Xiuying was going to make soup, but Chen Changan thought it was not a good idea to drink soup so early in the morning. He decided to save it for the evening. With the cornmeal porridge and a few snacks, he carried a bucket and homemade atomized bait and went back to the old place to fight.

From a distance, he saw that the old spot was occupied by someone. He thought it was all over. It must be that he often fished there, and someone saw it and chose this place. His old spot happened to be surrounded by two willow trees, so it was not so hot when the sun came out. But when he got closer, Chen Changan smiled and said, "Isn't this Mr. Xiao? Why are you so interested today? You came so early?"

Uncle Xiao was also very happy to see Chen Changan coming, and said, "I came here today just to wait for you."

Chen Changan asked in confusion, "What are you waiting for me for? You don't look like you're in a bad mood, do you? Are you still planning to let me, a genius who can predict 2000 years ahead and 50 years into the future, give you some advice?"

Uncle Xiao said, "Today I came to see you, not only for fishing, but also because of the Red Army and Blue Army idea you gave me. The leaders agreed to it. My stress has also been reduced. Now I am in a good mood and have no pressure, so I am in the mood to go fishing. By the way, I want to see if you need any help, whether it is work or life, I will arrange it for you if I can."