I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 97 Instigation

Jia Dongjin opened the door, and Ma Quansheng, who was outside, was holding a small bowl. His face was full of embarrassment. He really had no choice. It was a fact that pregnant women needed nutrition. Paying money was a man's helplessness and last bit of stubbornness, even if it meant bowing down to his former rival. "Dongjin, my wife is pregnant and needs to supplement her nutrition. I can't get any meat, so I want to buy a bowl of fish to help her recover."

Jia Dongjin was stunned for a long time. He could hardly believe his ears. For a moment, he seriously suspected that Qin Huairu from the original drama had time-traveled and possessed Ma Quansheng.

"I need to replenish my nutrition" is Qin Huairu's standard line when she comes to ask for benefits. The only difference is that Ma Quansheng is buying instead of borrowing.

This was Ma Quansheng's first visit. After spending more time together, Jia Dongjin knew that Ma was a good person. As a neighbor, he felt embarrassed to sell, as it would involve speculation. Jia Dongjin was now especially careful and dared not cause any trouble.

Ma Quansheng is not short of money, but in this day and age, he can't buy meat with money.

"We're neighbors, let's not talk about money. I was lucky, I just happened to catch a few fish today, here you go."

Jia Dongjin took the bowl and filled it to the brim with sauerkraut fish.

Life is cruel, especially in the face of the torrent of the times. Those who are a little slow to react can only go with the flow. Ma Quansheng was no exception. Even though he was a smart vocational school student, he was still swept around by the torrent.

"All-out victory! Restaurants no longer need food coupons."

When seeing Ma Quansheng off, Jia Dongjin couldn't help but whisper a suggestion, telling him to go to a restaurant and buy expensive steamed buns and pancakes, or even to eat out.

After seeing the guests off, Jia Zhangshi was filled with worry. She sighed and instructed Jia Dongjin, "In this year, if we can't get food, getting pregnant is not a good thing. If he comes again, we can't refuse to charge him."

"Mom, that makes sense. Even if we don't care about the man, we should consider the woman's feelings. His wife is Zhang Qin. If he comes back asking for more, we'll give him two more times. After the third time, we won't give him any more, not even money. This isn't about money; we can't set a precedent. Mom, Huai Ru, what do you think?"

Worried that Zhang Qin might cause Qin Huairu to misunderstand, Jia Dongjin decided to speak frankly and reveal his true thoughts.

"That's right, it's really not about the money."

Jia Zhangshi nodded. After her life stabilized, her brain functioned normally, unlike in the original drama where she was forced by life to become vicious and relentlessly harass her neighbors.

"I will listen to Dong Jin."

After speaking, Qin Huairu lowered her head. She felt exceptionally relaxed. Jia Dongjin was clearly worried that she would be jealous. The man had underestimated her this time. She was only wary of Zhang Qin trying to steal her boyfriend, and she wasn't jealous at all.

"We can let him exchange it for grain."

Qin Jingru, concerned about the Jia family's food supply, couldn't help but chime in.

"China Mobile, I think it's feasible."

Jia Dongjin accidentally said something cryptic again, but fortunately everyone understood what he meant.

"You're just making jokes. I'm looking forward to when you're almost retired, and you'll take me traveling around China. You have to keep your word."

Qin Huairu didn't know the word "GG". She had just learned what "Shenzhou" meant and was thinking about the man's promise to take her on a journey of thousands of miles. However, Jia Dongjin valued romance and was unwilling to squeeze onto a free train with the future Red Guards. He thought that it would be at least the late 1970s before he could travel around, so he set the date for when he was close to retirement.

"I keep my word, it's no big deal."

Ignoring his mother Jia Zhangshi's disapproving look, Jia Dongjin smiled and winked, signaling his wife to send some small fish to the Luo family as well.

People from the lower classes are kind and intelligent, which may seem beautiful, but it is a luxury, just like Tiger Girl marrying Camel Xiangzi, which is destined to be a tragedy.

Jia Dongjin was too shallow; he underestimated the trends of the times.

Outside the window, the night deepens and the dew grows heavy; tonight, fallen flowers form a mound. Spring comes and goes without a trace, leaving only a curtain of wistful dreams.

The road of love is thousands of miles long, far too long, and in the end it became a permanent pain deep in his heart.

Jia Dongjin had done Ma Quansheng a great favor, and Ma Quansheng was extremely grateful. He went home and handed the fish to his wife, Zhang Qin.

Pregnant women eat for two, and both crave food. Nowadays, even if you have money, it's hard to buy meat. Zhang Qin's father uses his connections to bring some food, but he's just a regular employee at the food bureau, which is far from enough to meet the pregnant woman's needs. He's only capable of getting cornmeal, and at most, he can get some refined grains.

For someone who lacks oil and fat, the allure of pickled fish is irresistible. Zhang Qin tried to resist eating it, but she couldn't overcome her cravings and soon finished it all. Wiping her mouth, she said apologetically, "Quansheng, thank you."

"What's the big deal? You're doing this for our child." Ma Quansheng swallowed hard, but pretended to be nonchalant. Afraid of making a fool of himself, he quickly grabbed the bowls and chopsticks to wash them.

After Zhang Qin became pregnant, Ma Quansheng, who couldn't cook, could only take on the task of washing dishes and, barely, doing the laundry.

Watching her husband wash the dishes, Zhang Qin was moved. Despite the hardships of life, she was satisfied with her husband. He was a good worker, considerate, and had never hit or scolded her.

Of course, Ma Quansheng also had his shortcomings. He was a bit of a bookworm, didn't know much about housework, and had to send 8 yuan to his family in Miyun every month.

The thought that the pickled fish was given to Zhang Qin made her feel uneasy. Women generally find it hard to forget the first man they have ever fallen for.

Hearing Ma Quansheng's gentle words, Zhang Qin's heart softened. After getting into bed that night, she snuggled into her husband's arms and said softly, "It's been three months now."

------

Seeing others in pairs, even pregnant and having children, He Yuzhu felt depressed and could only serve them according to the old rules.

"I'll just scatter some words like peanuts, and all my dream partners will be there."

There were no peanuts available, so He Yuzhu had to use the pickled vegetables that Luo Daya had given him as a substitute. It was still much better than some people's, like the guy in the next yard who supposedly used iron nails to stick vinegar to his drinks.

During these difficult times, soy sauce and vinegar are the only things that are unlimited; the only requirement is that you can only buy a certain amount at a time.

This didn't stump the clever Chinese people. They would queue up whenever they had free time and adopt a strategy of buying small amounts frequently. Every household had plenty of soy sauce and vinegar. As a result, many families invented various dishes such as eggplant with soy sauce and cucumber with vinegar.

Jia Dongjin was really looking forward to it, wondering what those people from his previous life who wanted to return to this era would think and how they would live.

He Yuzhu was drunk when the door to the He family's house was pushed open, and Yi Zhonghai walked in with wine and food.

"Uncle Yi, is there something you need?" He Yuzhu was taken aback.

After Yi Zhonghai had four front teeth knocked out by Jia Dongjin and was publicly humiliated, Yi Zhonghai and his wife lived a secluded life, rarely participating in the affairs of the courtyard house and even speaking very little to their neighbors.

After making the donation, Yi Zhonghai's reputation was somewhat restored. This time, he was very open and generous, carrying sausages and cabbage, and came to the He family's house.

Regardless of the circumstances, He Yuzhu had feelings for Yi Zhonghai. He had received a lot of help from Yi Zhonghai in the past, and Yi Zhonghai had indeed done a lot to protect the main house and side rooms of the He family in the courtyard.

"Uncle Yi, please have a seat!" He Yuzhu hurriedly stood up to greet him.

"Can't I come see you for no reason? We've known each other for years. I didn't do anything wrong; I just meant well by accompanying Qin Huairu to Liu Hong's house. I didn't expect it to cause a misunderstanding with Jia Dongjin. I can't explain myself, so I can only accept this injustice. Don't listen to outsiders' wild speculations. Everyone knows who I, Yi Zhonghai, am. I came here today because I saw how outrageous you were. How could you drown your sorrows in alcohol like this?"

Seeing the mess in He Yuzhu's room, which was no better than a doghouse, Yi Zhonghai sighed deeply, his eyes filled with helplessness and regret.

"Uncle Yi, I know you're feeling wronged, but I haven't been able to find a partner, and I'm feeling really down. I haven't been able to concentrate on anything, which is why I'm a bit unkempt. Uncle Yi, please have a seat. I'll get some for Yushui so she can have a little something to enjoy, and then we can have a couple of drinks together."

He Yuzhu grinned and quickly forced a smile.

He was a proper chef, and his hands were busy all day long. He quickly cleared the table and poured the wine.

At the same time, He Yuzhu took a small bowl, put some sausage and peanuts in it, and sent it to his younger sister He Yushui in the side room.

The other party behaved as usual. After Yi Zhonghai sat down, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He knew He Yuzhu was a good person and cared about his sister. As long as he married a good wife, he should be able to support him in his old age.

After drinking for a while, Yi Zhonghai got down to business, "Shazhu, you need to pull yourself together. As long as you do one thing well, finding a wife won't be a problem."

"Uncle Yi, I'd like to hear the details." He Yuzhu listened attentively.

"You silly Zhu, why are you trying to use such fancy words with Grandpa Yi?" Yi Zhonghai laughed heartily.

He didn't pretend to be profound and said directly, "The grading exam is coming up at the end of the year. If you pass the ninth-level chef exam, finding a girlfriend will be a piece of cake. Although chefs don't earn much, they never lack food. As long as there's food, you won't have trouble finding a wife. I've heard that in the countryside now, as long as there's food, young women will fight to go with you, just for the sake of food."

After saying that, Yi Zhonghai asked mysteriously, "Do you know how much grain it takes to find a young woman?"

"Uncle Yi, you know I'm slow-witted, so please stop teasing me."

"Five catties, just five catties of cornmeal, and you can find a wife. People aren't selling their daughters, they're just trying to find a way to feed them."

Looking at Yi Zhonghai's five outstretched fingers, He Yuzhu shook his head and said, "Uncle Yi, I am a chef at a steel mill. I have skills and a house. I still want to find someone from the city. Jia Dongjin and Ma Quansheng have both found good ones. I don't lack anything either. Why should I only be able to find someone from the countryside?"

"It's not difficult in the city either. As long as you pass the ninth-level chef exam, and by the way, I'll help you find someone to see if you can skip a level and try to pass the eighth-level chef exam by the end of the year. The monthly salary will be 35 yuan, which is no less than that of cadre Ma Quansheng."

When Yi Zhonghai saw that He Yuzhu was unwilling to marry a rural woman, he had no choice but to put aside his wife Gao Cuilan's distant niece and bring up the matter of skipping grades.

"No way, skipping a grade is definitely out of the question. The highest level a chef at the steel mill can reach is level six, and there's no rule about skipping grades. You can only climb up one level at a time." He Yuzhu shook his head like a rattle drum.

"Your name is Sha Zhu, are you really stupid? Why can Jia Dongjin skip grades in the exam? He got his father-in-law and cousin into the steel mill, he must have powerful connections. It's just a matter of whether he helps or not. If he can do it, you can definitely do it even better. You are the successor of the Tan family cuisine, everyone in the steel mill knows how good your cooking is."

"Will this work?"