I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 104 New Year's Eve

"Dongjin gave it to me. This is the bodyguard's money I earned."

Yan Jiekuang looked proud as he took out 1.2 yuan from his pocket and carefully laid it out on the dining table.

He worked as Banggeng's bodyguard for three months, earning 1.5 yuan. He spent 30 cents on snacks and candy, and dared not spend the rest of the money recklessly, handing it over to his family obediently.

Yan Jiedi will be seven years old next year. The little girl is in the first grade. She didn't say a word, just watched quietly from the side.

The young girl was as calm as a mountain. Jia Dongjin had already told her that he would hire her as the teacher of the sticky rice next year, and the reward would naturally be delicious food.

"Shh, keep this to yourselves and don't tell anyone. Don't tell Jie Cheng Jiefang either. Let the two families fight it out, we'll just watch the show. We just didn't expect that the Yan family would benefit from it."

Yan Fugui looked at his family, and finally gave his little daughter a meaningful look. He secretly praised Yan Jiekuang as a good son.

When it comes to scheming, the youngest daughter, Yan Jiedi, has truly inherited the Yan family's wisdom. She kept the benefits a closely guarded secret. If Jia Dongjin hadn't asked Teacher Yan for the first-grade textbook, Yan Fugui would never have known about this wonderful tutoring opportunity.

Jia Dongjin actually hired the wrong bodyguards. He didn't expect that the ones who would really help him in the end were not the officially employed bodyguards Yan Jiekuang and Liu Guangfu, but someone else, who wasn't even a temporary worker.

Thinking of Jia Dongjin's improved attitude, Yan Fugui had an idea. He said to his eldest son, Yan Jiecheng, "Jiecheng, when we pay our New Year's visits, let's find an opportunity to talk to Jia Dongjin again and ask him to help you take the electrician's certificate exam."

"Why would anyone help if there's no benefit in it?"

After being brutally beaten by society for another year, Yan Jiecheng has gained a deeper understanding of human relationships and social dynamics.

People don't understand what they're taught; they only learn from experience. It's like not turning back until you hit a brick wall.

There is no such thing as love without a reason. Yan Jiecheng finally realized that taking advantage of others is unreliable. After growing up and maturing, his resentment towards Jia Dongjin lessened by half.

"Dad wouldn't lie to you. This year is different from previous years. Maybe, just maybe, he really will help you."

The more Yan Fugui thought about it, the more he felt there was a chance, and finally he couldn't help but make a joke.

"real?"

Yan Jiecheng looked incredulous, and Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang, standing to the side, also didn't believe it, but since it was the New Year, they didn't want to spoil Yan Fugui's mood.

"Just you wait and see."

Yan Fugui said smugly to his wife, Yang Ruihua, "Find a gift, something suitable for Jia Dongjin's new house, preferably something Qin Huairu needs or likes. This concerns our eldest son's job and future, so don't give him something cheap."

On New Year's Eve in 1959, Yi Zhonghai's family still gathered together with the deaf old lady and He Yuzhu and his sister to celebrate the New Year, only this time there was an additional Yi Damao.

With the sudden addition of a child, the atmosphere became much more lively than last year, and the New Year's Eve dinner was even better than last year. Yi Zhonghai put in a lot of effort to create a fresh start for the new year.

He spent a fortune to buy a chicken and a fish at the pigeon market, and He Yuzhu also contributed a piece of meat and an egg.

With the added benefits from the factory, the six of them ate with great relish, and the usually quiet Yi family home suddenly became lively and bustling.

"Grandma, eat more braised pork. It won't get stuck in your teeth and is easy to digest." Seeing the thriving family, Yi Zhonghai spoke more than usual.

"Da Mao, it's Chinese New Year today, eat as much as you want!"

"Thank you, Grandma!"

Gao Cuilan was the same; she kept serving braised pork to her godson Yi Damao. Seeing the child growing better and better, she was overjoyed, her face full of love.

He Yushui sat in the corner of the dining table. She couldn't reach the braised pork, and she was too embarrassed to stand up to pick up the food, so she could only concentrate on eating the braised fish in front of her noodles.

He Yushui was enjoying her meal when a new situation arose.

After Yi Damao finished eating the braised pork, he wanted to eat fish. He Yuzhu hurriedly brought the braised fish to Yi Damao, which made He Yushui so angry that she almost wanted to slam the door and go home. However, she couldn't bear to part with a good meal, so she could only patiently persist.

Ten-year-old Yi Damao had an unusually good appetite and quickly finished the fish. Seeing that the braised fish was gone, He Yushui gave up and reached for the steamed buns made from two kinds of dough. Unexpectedly, Gao Cuilan was one step ahead. She took the buns and gave them to Yi Damao and the deaf old lady. "Yushui, let's save our room for a good meal of meat dumplings later."

After He Yushui patiently waited for the meat dumplings to be served, they were quickly devoured by everyone before she could eat more than a few, leaving only the vegetarian dumplings with sauerkraut filling.

"You guys eat, I still have books to read."

He Yushui stood up angrily, walked to the other side of the table, and under the pretext of "needing nutrition to study back in the room," directly started eating the snacks that Yi Zhonghai and He Yuzhu had with their drinks.

She was angry and ignored Gao Cuilan's glare. She shoveled half of the sausage and cured meat into her bowl, then took the bowl and went back to her side room in a dignified manner.

He Yushui, the younger sister, was rude, and He Yuzhu was so angry that he wanted to go and hit her. Yi Zhonghai and Gao Cuilan quickly pulled her back. After much persuasion, the group finally sat down to drink again, but the lively and peaceful atmosphere of the New Year's Eve dinner was completely gone.

Unlike the original drama, He Yushui's interactions with Jia Dongjin increased. Under Jia Dongjin's intentional or unintentional influence, the young girl matured rapidly and no longer endured humiliation as she did in the original drama.

Most importantly, Yi Zhonghai's so-called authority and fairness have been greatly weakened by Jia Dongjin, and He Yushui is no longer as fearful as she was in the original drama.

He Yushui is a junior high school student who is preparing to apply for a vocational school. Jia Dongjin has repeatedly reminded her that at this crucial moment in her life, she cannot rely entirely on others for charity and must strive for her own interests.

As the older brother, He Yuzhu had a duty to take care of his younger sister. Jia Dongjin told He Yushui not to be shy and to ask for money for living and study expenses with confidence. If He Yuzhu refused, she could borrow from Jia Dongjin and pay him back after she got a job. He stressed that it was crucial not to let it affect her preparation for vocational school.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was trying to win over He Yuzhu, Jia Dongjin also joined in, mixing in the situation as well.

With He Yushui as an aid, we must resolutely implement the policy of "making more friends and fewer enemies," and maintaining good relations with the Yan family is also part of this policy.

Carrying a bowl of delicious food back to the side room, He Yushui found herself sweating profusely. Then she felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Sure enough, Jia Dongjin was right. If her silly brother didn't care about her, then He Yushui would take care of herself.

Since the He family provided meat, eggs, and other ingredients, and He Yushui was entitled to a share of the New Year's Eve dinner, why should she, like a beggar, pitifully wait for Gao Cuilan to give her alms?

"Self-reliance leads to abundance; all opposition is a paper tiger!"

Looking at her Chinese textbook, He Yushui smugly ate sausage and cured meat.

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"This is what you call a sausage?"

Sisters Qin Huairu and Qin Jingru were also eating sausages. Neither of them had ever tried them before, but Qin Jingru especially liked them, her eyes practically squinting as she ate.

"To be precise, this is called red sausage, a type of sausage, and it was probably transported from Northeast China."

Jia Dongjin doesn't like red sausage, always feeling it has a burnt taste. He symbolically picked up a small piece, and sure enough, it had a Russian flavor. Jia Dongjin then focused on cured meat and stir-fried dried fish, revealing that he is actually quite traditional at heart.

"It's better to be a leader."

Watching his family enjoy their meal, Jia Dongjin felt secretly pleased. Like other men, he enjoyed the admiration and dependence of his family, and he was addicted to the feeling of being needed.

After eating steamed buns made from two kinds of flour every few days, and with Qin Huairu's occasional support, exchanging sweet potatoes and potatoes for his cornbread, he has been rescued and regained his former vitality and boldness.

Having become the electrician team leader and been rated as a level 5 electrician, Jia Dongjin was already considered a promising candidate in Li Huaide's eyes. Electricians were a lucrative profession, and their benefits during the Spring Festival were much greater than those of ordinary workers. Jia Dongjin even received red sausage, just like Yi Zhonghai.

"Since I've decided to sell myself, I might as well go all the way. Forget about saving face; I need to find connections and curry favor. Zhang Xiaohui, the head of the power department, is a good candidate. The electrician team leader is too low-ranking, not even an official. I need to climb higher to avoid further trouble. At least, I need to achieve the freedom of 'braised pork' like some other people!"

Seeing his family reluctant to eat meat, Bang Geng, who was craving more, was hit by Qin Huairu's chopsticks for taking an extra slice of sausage. He was extremely aggrieved.

Jia Dongjin felt extremely uneasy. He had already tasted the benefits of being a leader, but the future held great responsibilities, so he decided to seize every minute.

"Come on, everyone, eat your fill! Things will only get better from now on, I promise!"

Jia Dongjin took out a braised pig liver from the cupboard, cut off a large half, and arranged it on a big plate, inviting Banggeng to enjoy it to his heart's content.

To prepare for the Chinese New Year, he rode his bicycle to a restaurant far away and bought a lot of expensive food, including braised pig liver and various braised offal.

"Dad, Grandma said we should save the pig liver for the Lunar New Year. If we eat it so well now, what will we do if we go hungry later?"

Difficulties accelerate growth. At a young age, Banggeng was hit once for fighting over food, and as if suddenly enlightened, he asked a profound question.

In fact, it was also due to life lessons that Erdan and Yan Jiekuang were so hungry that they were weak and listless. They often discussed the problem of hunger with Banggeng, arguing about whether the children of the compound could eat their fill, including whether there were pork buns at state banquets.

Since it concerns the stomach, and is a matter of great importance, it naturally receives high attention from the staff.

"Bang Geng, you're a man. If you're hungry, go find food. Even swallows know to migrate every year, flying south to find food in the spring. You can't be worse than a swallow, can you?"

"It's so nice to have good food in the South. When I grow up, I want to go to the South too."

After Banggeng finished talking about growing up and going south, Qin Jingru asked, "Brother-in-law, what if there's no food in the south either?"

Qin Jingru has grown up and is no longer easy to fool. Jia Dongjin thought for a while before squinting his eyes.