Siheyuan: Wang Bo's Happy Life

After Wang Bo exchanged a few words with his neighbors, he walked to his own door. He opened the door of the back house and after entering the house, he found that the house was cleaned thoroughly.

Wang Bo thought that it must have been cleaned up by the rain.

He put down his luggage, sat on the bed and read the newspaper he bought when he got off the train. There was nothing major in the newspaper except an article reporting the successful diversion of the Liujiaxia Water Conservancy Project.

Wang Bo looked at the time on the newspaper and saw that today was January 1960, 1, the 19st day of the twelfth lunar month, and the Chinese New Year was less than ten days away.

When Wang Bo was relaxing, he suddenly heard a noise coming from outside. He hurried out to see what was going on, and saw Liu Haizhong's family arguing with each other.

Liu Haizhong had already changed into the blue work clothes of the steel rolling mill and was in a hurry to go out, while Second Aunt and Guangtian Guangfu were pulling his arms.

"His father, you just came back, why do you want to go to work in the factory right away? Can't you take a rest for two days?"

Liu Haizhong looked impatient, "What do you know? I've been suffering outside until now, isn't it just for this moment? Let go, don't stop me!"

Liu Haizhong's exercise in the past two years was not in vain. The fat on his body was long gone, and he was much more muscular than before. He shook his shoulder, causing the three people to stagger. After getting away, he walked out with big strides.

Liu Haizhong was in a hurry to go to the factory to take credit!

The second aunt saw Wang Bo standing at the door and forced a smile. "Wang Bo is back too. Look at you, you are tanned. You have suffered a lot in the past two years."

Wang Bo also responded with a smile: "Second Aunt, long time no see, you are doing well, by the way, what is the Second Uncle in a hurry for?"

"Hey, who knows what he's thinking? He insisted on reporting to the factory. I told him to rest at home for a day and report tomorrow, but he still wouldn't listen!"

The second aunt also looked anxious. She had just seen her husband and left before she could even say a few words.

"Guangtian Guangfu, is the school on holiday?"

"It was released two days ago."

As they were talking, Xu Damao came out of the yard pushing his bike. He raised his head and lowered his eyes, glanced at everyone without saying a word. He left the yard and rode his bike towards the steel mill.

Seeing that Xu Damao still looked down on others, Liu Guangtian spat on the ground and said, "We shouldn't have let this bastard come back!"

Wang Bo looked at the direction Xu Damao was going and wondered if he was also going to report to the steel mill?

Just as he was thinking about it, Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu also came out in work clothes.

When the second aunt saw the two men had changed their clothes, she quickly asked, "He Yiye and Shazhu, are you going to the factory too?"

Yi Zhonghai responded with a smile: "I talked to your sister-in-law after I came back. Now that there is nothing serious, I asked Zhuzi to report to the factory together. The sooner we go to work, the sooner we can contribute to the country."

When Sha Zhu saw Wang Bo at the door, he opened his mouth and said, "Wang Bo, you should also report to the factory later."

Sha Zhu was very impressed by Wang Bo's performance at the Gongqing Farm in the past two years. Although he did not admit it, he knew in his heart that he could not do as well as Wang Bo.

Just now Yi Zhonghai asked him to report to the factory early. He understood what Yi Zhonghai meant. It was nothing more than to get the first chance to show up in front of the leaders and comrades, to gain more face and get more benefits.

Wang Bo was also surprised to hear Sha Zhu calling him, "You guys go first, I'm going to pack up and go tomorrow."

Sha Zhu wanted to say something, but Yi Zhonghai spoke first, "Xiaobo has been gone for two years, it's time to clean up the house. By the way, his second aunt, did anyone go to the factory just now?"

"That's right. My wife insisted on going and I couldn't stop her. Just now, Xu Damao seemed to have gone to the factory too."

Hearing what the second aunt said, Yi Zhonghai's smile froze, "Then you guys are busy, Zhuzi and I will go first."

After the two men left in a hurry, Wang Bo also walked out of the compound. He was not going to the steel mill, he was going to find something to eat. Although he had not been hungry on the farm in the past two years, the food was too bad.

Wang Bo randomly picked a small shop and went in. He looked at the menu on the blackboard and asked curiously, "Comrade, don't we have any meat dishes?"

"Meat dishes?" The waiter beside him looked at Wang Bo curiously, "You little comrade, are you kidding me? We haven't seen meat in our small shop for more than half a year. Even if there is meat, it's not enough for me to eat."

"Where can I buy meat and vegetables?"

"Well, try your luck at those big hotels."

Wang Bo went to Donglaishun first, hoping to satisfy his craving for some mutton hotpot, but when he got there he found out that they had a daily limit and the quantity for the New Year had long been sold out.

Wang Bo went to Hongbinlou again. When he went in and asked, he found out that it was not limited in quantity, but limited in number. Not to mention the numbers before the New Year, even the numbers after the New Year had to be booked after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

There was no other choice, so Wang Bo found a small restaurant and ordered some shredded potatoes and two steamed buns.

When Wang Bo returned to the compound after eating, he happened to run into Yan Fugui. Wang Bo greeted him, "Uncle, long time no see."

Yan Fugui was very happy to see Wang Bo, "Xiaobo is back, it's good to be back, you don't have to suffer anymore."

"Oh, Uncle San, before you left, you said that I could buy back my tricycle for 60 yuan. I have the money. When can you push the tricycle to me?"

When Yan Fugui heard Wang Bo mention the tricycle, his heart was broken and he closed his eyes in pain.

Seeing his expression, Wang Bo laughed.

That’s right, this is the feeling of a Siheyuan!

At night, after every household had dinner, Yi Zhonghai called Jia Dongxu out. The master and apprentice had not seen each other for two years and had a lot to talk about.

"Dongxu, you and your wife have been visiting your aunt quite often in the past two years. That's really thoughtful of you."

"This is what I should do. Besides, Banggeng and Xiaodang also like Yidaima very much and often go to play with her."

Yi Zhonghai heard this from his wife. He was very happy that Jia Dongxu's family could take care of his wife. However, Banggeng and Xiaodang often ate food directly from their house, which made his wife unhappy.

"Bang Geng is in primary school now, right? How is he doing in school?"

"It's okay, just a little naughty and likes to fight with classmates."

"How have things been like at home these past two years?"

When Yi Zhonghai asked this, Jia Dongxu couldn't help but complain, "Master, you don't know, the past two years have been tough, every household has not had enough to eat, my family has many people, and I'm the only one earning money, the stalks are at their best to eat, my mother and Huairu can only eat thin food every day."

Hearing Jia Dongxu's miserable words, Yi Zhonghai sighed and said, "I'll ask your aunt to send you half a bag of corn flour tomorrow."

"Thank you, Master."

Although Jia Dongxu wanted white flour, corn flour was also good, at least he could have enough to eat during the New Year.

"By the way, what level of worker are you now?"

"Alas, I'm still a second-level worker."

Speaking of this, Jia Dongxu looked unwilling and began to complain, "Master, you don't know that the state has stipulated that there must be a quota for the examination. There are too many people and too few places in our factory. I can't even get a number."

Yi Zhonghai was silent for a while after hearing this. "I'll wait until I go to work tomorrow and see what happens first."

"Then thank you, Master."

As one of the top eighth-level workers in the factory, Yi Zhonghai would naturally get a spot if he worked hard for it. Jia Dongxu cried for a long time about being poor, not for that half bag of corn flour, but for the chance to be promoted!