Siheyuan: Cao Liang's rise

Get off work in the afternoon.

Cao Liang was sitting on his bicycle waiting at the factory gate. Soon, Chen Huilan came out carrying a lunch box.

Cao Liang waved, "Mom, this way."

"Hey, Liangzi, you're waiting for your mother to get off work again! You're so filial!"

"Indeed, Liangzi is not only filial, but also good-looking. It just so happens that my mother's family has a niece, Liangzi, how about introducing her to you?"

Several middle-aged women in the cafeteria tease Cao Liang on a daily basis.

Cao Liang couldn't stand the enthusiasm of these aunties, so he hurriedly urged Chen Huilan to get on the bus, and then he pedaled away.

On the road.

Chen Huilan advised: "Liangzi, isn't it bad for you to drive me home every day?"

Cao Liang knew that Chen Huilan was talking about the bicycle. She had always thought that the bicycle belonged to the factory.

Cao Liang used the money to give her a ride, which was considered misappropriation of public funds, and she was afraid of gossip.

"It's okay. Xu Damao is even more extreme than me."

Cao Liang replied casually.

Of course, this was just to reassure his mother.

But what he said is also true.

Although Xu Damao's bicycle belonged to the factory, he treated it as his own and rode it wherever he went!

Return to the courtyard.

"Huilan, Liangzi, you're back!"

Yan Bugui reminded: "We have a meeting after dinner, remember to go to the Central Courtyard!"

Cao Liang frowned slightly. Another meeting? What was the reason for this?

Chen Huilan even asked directly: "Uncle, what's the matter?"

"do not know."

Yan Bugui shook his head. "It was the secretary of the subdistrict office who notified me."

"Thank you, Uncle Three."

Chen Huilan thanked him and went home with Cao Liang.

"Mom, brother, you're back!"

The two younger ones were playing with the Yan family’s children at the door. When they saw them come back, they came over.

Chen Huilan looked at the two children and then complained, "Look at what you two little things have done to yourselves. You look like little cats. Xiao Ming, is this how you take care of your sister?"

Cao Liang smiled and said, "What's the big deal? I went through the same thing when I was a kid. It will be fine when I grow up."

"You! Just spoil them!"

Chen Huilan shook her head helplessly and went into the house to cook.

Cao Liang took out some candies, handed them to the children, and went into the house.

For dinner, we had fish, steamed bread and two steamed buns. The steamed buns were brought back by Chen Huilan from the canteen.

Of course, they are not leftovers as Sha Zhu said, but they are bought with his own money.

The factory is also short of food now, and there is no leftover food in the canteen.

Even if there was, it was taken away by Sha Zhu, and it was not the turn of Chen Huilan and the others.

Chen Huilan put a steamed bun into Cao Liang’s bowl, picked up another one, broke it in half, and gave them to Xiao Ming and Yaya respectively.

He took a bite of a steamed bread and asked, "Liangzi, what do you think this meeting is about?"

"Mom, you eat! You're tired from work. I drink tea in the office every day, so it doesn't consume much."

Cao Liang put the steamed bun into Chen Huilan's bowl and replied, "What could be the problem? It's probably a quantitative issue again."

During the famine, there was a food shortage everywhere, and even the rations in the city were reduced several times.

Chen Huilan sighed, "Hey, what is going on? I don't know when it will end."

The rations were getting smaller and smaller. If Liangzi hadn't been so helpful and brought back some meat and food from time to time, the children would have starved to death.

"It's okay. I'll figure out the food issue. You can just go on as usual."

Cao Liang consoled her and said, "It's not us who should be worried. After all, we all have city hukou and have a quota. But it's difficult for some people."

Chen Huilan was stunned for a moment, but soon realized that Cao Liang was talking about the Jia family.

Jia Dongxu is the only one in the Jia family who has a city hukou.

The children are all registered under Qin Huairu’s household registration, and Jia Zhangshi also has a rural household registration.

The whole family depends on one person's ration to survive, and now the ration has been reduced. Even though Jia Dongxu's salary is not low, it is not enough to eat.

Chen Huilan sighed, "It's true that their family is in trouble, but it's not something we can control. My biggest wish in this life is to raise you guys. That way, I can give an explanation to your father a hundred years later."

"That's what mother said."

...

7 p.m.

People from the subdistrict office came, and it was Director Wang who came in person.

Except for the children, almost all the adults in the courtyard gathered in the middle courtyard.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

Director Wang raised his hand, and after everyone quieted down, he said, "I came here to announce something. Starting from next month, the food ration will be reduced by another 10%."

"Ah, another reduction? Life is hard enough already, how can we survive like this?"

"Yes! I only have two steamed buns a day. I don't even have the energy to work."

"That's nothing. I fainted while working yesterday and was afraid I wouldn't wake up."

"When will this day end..."

"..."

As soon as Director Wang finished speaking, there was an uproar in the crowd, with everyone talking about it.

Expressions of worry and despair appeared on everyone's face.

In the crowd, Jia Dongxu's face was extremely pale without a trace of blood.

The quantitative reduction again had the greatest impact on his family.

Not long after that, Jia Dongxu lost some weight again, became even thinner, and was not in a very good spirit.

Jia Dongxu was very filial and gave almost all the food in the house to Jia Zhangshi, his wife and children.

He eats little and does physical work.

Maybe the reason he got into trouble later was because he was hungry.

"Comrades, please be quiet and listen to me."

Director Wang felt bad when he saw that everyone below was pale and thin, but there was nothing he could do as the country was facing difficulties now.

The situation in the city is already good. Recently, more and more people fleeing famine have entered the city. She is responsible for resettling a group of them, and now she is having a headache about this!

After everyone quieted down again, Director Wang said loudly: "I know that everyone is having a hard time now, but our country is facing difficulties now, and we should work together to help the country overcome the difficulties.

I believe that difficulties are only temporary and the hard times will pass. With the efforts of all our comrades, our country will become more and more prosperous. "

"Okay, Director Wang said it well, let's applaud!"

Liu Haizhong was the first to react and signaled for everyone to applaud.

I thought to myself: Director Wang said it very well, especially the last few sentences. I must write them down, as they may be useful in the future.

Snap! Snap! Snap...

Under Liu Haizhong's encouragement, the crowd burst into warm applause, but there was bitterness on everyone's face.

Of course, they also hope that the country will get better and better, but no matter what, they have to fill their stomachs first, right?

After explaining the matter, Director Wang left. She had to go to the next courtyard to announce the matter.

People went back to their homes with sad faces...