HPDBC Chapter 47 Chinese New Year
Chapter 47 Chinese New Year
"These are all repair tools. I plan to get my radio repaired after the New Year."
"radio?!"
"You know how to fix a record player?"
To the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's questions, Jia Dongjin looked smug and snapped his fingers, saying, "I'm a level three electrician. Repairing radios is a piece of cake for me. I guarantee you'll be able to listen to the radio next year."
In reality, being an electrician and repairing a radio are two different things, but they do have some similarities.
If life is peaceful and serene, then cherish your time.
If time is dark, then there will be more trials and tribulations.
Having a foundation from his previous life, Jia Dongjin understood one principle and could apply it to many others. He hadn't been idle these past few days, borrowing relevant reference books and feeling that the problem wasn't too difficult. That's why he went to the trust store to buy various tools, preparing to try his luck after the New Year.
"We'll have to wait until after the New Year. It would be great if we could hear it during the New Year."
Jia Zhangshi clicked her tongue, a look of regret on her face, while Qin Huairu on the kang (heated brick bed) also looked longing.
At that time, there was not much spiritual nourishment, and the radio was the "one of the three turns and one sound" in the famous "three turns and one sound". People in Beijing, regardless of age or gender, all liked to listen to the programs on it.
Yan Fugui had one at home, and he treasured it terribly every day. In order to save batteries, he would turn the volume down to the lowest setting and then put his ear right up to the radio speaker to listen. He made such a nice thing sneaky, not afraid that someone would report him for listening to enemy stations.
"Brother Dongjin, the stuff in the bowl smells delicious, it must be tasty!"
Ignoring He Yuzhu's embarrassed expression, He Yushui grabbed the basin on the table and poured it into her mouth. She proudly told Jia Dongjin that she had gotten first place in the final exam. The teacher praised her for her powerful writing and novel vocabulary, and used her essay as a model to be posted on the bulletin board for everyone to learn from.
"That's good. Yushui, you must work hard and try to get into a vocational school so you can become a cadre in the future. It's a pity that your brother is not knowledgeable enough to help you much."
Jia Dongjin remained calm and declined the offer to tutor the young girl in the side room. He Yushui would be 15 years old soon, and he had to be careful about the separation of boys and girls.
The house-grabbing incident reminded him that the courtyard house was surrounded by scoundrels, and he had to be careful with every move. Since they had already broken off relations, he couldn't give the enemy any opportunity to take advantage of him.
To Jia Dongjin's surprise, some gates, once opened, are difficult to close again.
In the beginning, in order to improve his relationship with the He family, Jia Dongjin showed off in front of He Yushui. Even though he later realized something was wrong and repeatedly claimed that he had no knowledge and that it was due to plagiarism of newspapers, it had already caused bitter consequences.
He forgot one crucial element: He Yushui was intelligent. As her knowledge deepened and her Chinese teacher praised Jia Dongjin, He Yushui quickly realized that Jia Dongjin had a profound cultural foundation and was definitely not at the level of a high school student.
He also underestimated himself. Jia Dongjin was rated as a level three electrician, with a monthly salary of 51 yuan, making him the highest-paid young person in the courtyard and surrounding area. Liu Haizhong had been a blacksmith for many years, and his monthly salary was just 70 yuan. Ordinary cadres only earned 30 yuan when they first started working.
In the eyes of his neighbors and neighbors, he was already an excellent candidate for a partner, and Erdan's mother was one of them.
Moreover, he was too young, and his potential was so high that it was unbelievable. He Yushui was a naive and ignorant girl who lacked fatherly love, so it was easy for her to develop feelings for Jia Dongjin.
After the house-grabbing incident, He Yushui was worried that it would affect the relationship between the two families. Unexpectedly, Jia Dongjin took the initiative to make peace, such as sending a brazier and food, which made her secretly happy, thinking that Jia Dongjin was secretly making goodwill.
Thus, the seedling in He Yushui's heart grew strong and eventually became so unbearable for Jia Dongjin that he could hardly stand it at any moment.
Madam Jia could never have imagined that her casual act of "bumping in the basin" would foreshadow the intense clashes that would follow in the courtyard, almost exactly like the "bumping in the courtyard."
At the entrance of the He family's house, Gao Cuilan was about to talk to He Yuzhu about spending the New Year together when she saw Jia Dongjin bringing food to the He family. Her eyes were complicated, and she silently retreated.
The aftermath of the house-grabbing incident was still lingering. When Jia Zhangshi mentioned that Yan Fugui had gone to Yi Zhonghai's house for drinks, Jia Dongjin raised an eyebrow. He knew that the two beasts had not given up.
After much deliberation, he asked Jia Zhangshi to find a piece of red cloth and make a pattern similar to a brocade banner. The whole family then went to the street office in a grand procession.
"Director Wang, thank you for standing up for the people. The Jia family is truly grateful to you. You are a model cadre for the new era!"
After reciting Jia Dongjin's words, Jia Zhangshi expressed her gratitude profusely. Bang Geng also set off a string of small firecrackers, attracting a large crowd to Director Wang's office to watch the spectacle.
"People's cadres serve the people, this is what we should do. 'Going east' is not appropriate to just hang it on the wall, it's really inappropriate."
This was the first time Director Wang had received such gratitude. Seeing the public's affirmation of her work, Director Wang felt a sense of relief, and the gloom in her heart dissipated. All the staff of the street office also felt honored.
Li Lan was the most quick-witted. She immediately found a hammer and nails and, together with Jia Dongjin, hung up the banner. Director Wang didn't object in the end. She even stood in front of the banner and helped Jia Dongjin adjust the angle to prevent it from hanging crookedly.
When the flag was being hung up for cooperation, Jia Dongjin didn't forget to finalize the matter of sending salted fish. Director Wang and Li Lan readily agreed to exchange cornmeal for salted fish.
"Mom, do you see? We have to send a banner. Hanging it in the neighborhood office, everyone who comes and goes can see it. It will enhance the neighborhood office's image and also make them remember the injustice done to our Jia family. In this day and age, don't underestimate the importance of a positive image. A letter of thanks is far less effective."
"It's all about having a good reputation, Mom doesn't even know that."
Jia Dongjin's words were rambling on and on, but Jia Zhangshi, who was heartbroken over the red cloth, hit the nail on the head, leaving Jia Dongjin speechless.
The old woman was still old-fashioned; she didn't understand the importance of the cloth flag. She only felt sorry for the red cloth and didn't understand Jia Dongjin's good intentions. The cloth flag improved the neighborhood committee staff's goodwill towards the Jia family and played a significant role later on.
The Spring Festival of 58 arrived as scheduled. Apart from the Yan family, who had suffered heavy losses, the other families in the courtyard were filled with laughter and joy.
With a small amount of pork from the steel mill as a base, almost everyone made meat dumplings, and the whole courtyard was filled with the aroma of meat.
"You didn't even prepare any meat for the New Year!"
Yan Jiefang reluctantly picked at the sauerkraut dumplings in his bowl.
"Exactly, who's this stingy during Chinese New Year?"
To make up for the family's financial deficit, Yan Jiecheng dared not slack off. He carried heavy loads for a whole month, not even caring about the cramps he was in. But he never expected that he still wouldn't be able to eat anything good during the New Year.
"Alright, Dad knows you've worked hard carrying the bags, so didn't I give you three extra dried fish?" Yan Fugui had no choice; the school's benefits weren't as good as the steel mill's, and he only received five jin of cornmeal for the New Year.
Seeing his family members looking listless, Yan Fugui tried to boost morale by showing off his idioms, saying, "This year is a year of hardship and perseverance for our Yan family. Everyone knows that something has happened at home, but things will be better next year."
Yan Jiedi quickly chimed in, "Dad, what about next year?"
Yan Fugui was overjoyed. His daughter was so thoughtful, much better than those three brats. He shook his head and said, "Next year is a year to work hard and improve. Everyone, cheer up! Your mother's sauerkraut dumplings are absolutely amazing; most people can't get their hands on them."
Everyone else's family had meat to eat, even his close friend Erdan's family, which made Yang Ruihua very unhappy.
Seeing that Yan Fugui was trying to fool the children again, she couldn't help but say angrily, "Don't listen to your dad's lies. 'Enduring hardship and striving for success' means almost the same thing. What your dad means is that you'll be used to being poor next year."
The four children of the Yan family: "..."
"Bang!"
Yan Fugui picked out an empty bowl with a chipped rim, smashed it on the ground, and the Yan family began to sing "May you have peace and safety every year."
The east wing of the central courtyard of the Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) belongs to Yi Zhonghai.
On New Year's Eve, Yi Zhonghai's family still followed the old tradition. Yi Zhonghai has no children, so every year, several families gather together to celebrate the New Year in order to have a lively atmosphere. This year, he is with the He family, including the deaf old lady, but the Jia family, which has the largest number of members, is missing.
In the west wing of the Jia family across the street, the shouts of Bang Geng could be heard from time to time, interspersed with the baby Xiao Dang's soft, babyish cries, which rippled through Yi Zhonghai and Gao Cuilan's ears and stirred up waves of emotion in the couple's hearts.
Because of the dispute over the house, the five people present were not in high spirits. He Yushui may have caught a cold, as the young girl did not say a word and just buried her head in eating.
The deaf old lady tried to start a conversation several times, but it all ended inconclusively until she brought up the topic of He Yuzhu finding a partner after the New Year, which finally brought the atmosphere to a lively one.
He Yuzhu is 23 years old this year, and will be 24 next year, which is a good age for a man to get married.
"Shazhu, tell us what kind of person you're looking for, so we can help you find someone."
Yi Zhonghai picked up a piece of cured meat, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"I can't really explain it, I just want to find someone who is good-looking, good at managing a household like Sister Qin, and preferably a bit educated."
When the topic turned to his girlfriend, He Yuzhu blushed slightly, recalling the image of a beautiful woman washing clothes that he had seen at the water tap when he sat on his doorstep.
When He Yuzhu mentioned the Jia family, Yi Zhonghai felt displeased. In the past, the Jia family had been obsequious to him, calling him "Master" this and "Master" that. But this year, they were treated worse than strangers, and he had inexplicably fallen to this state.
A few days ago, the Jia family made some potted plants, but they didn't send any to the Yi family. Instead, they sent some to the He family, showing no courtesy whatsoever, which made Yi Zhonghai very unhappy.
A hint of resentment flashed in Gao Cuilan's eyes. Unlike Yi Zhonghai, she still harbored the hope of reconciling with the Jia family. The deduction of 60 yuan from the debt earlier was actually at Yi Zhonghai's behest.
She believes there is still room for reconciliation, since Yi Zhonghai had no malicious intent at the time. He was just implicated by the Yan family, which led to Jia Dongjin's misunderstanding, making everything seem irreversible.
Compared to He Yuzhu, Gao Cuilan preferred Jia Dongjin. Like any other older woman, she liked filial and capable young men and disliked He Yuzhu, who was often foolish and unattractive.
He Yuzhu has a fatal flaw: his biological father, He Daqing, is still alive, which leaves Gao Cuilan with a lingering resentment.
In addition, He Yuzhu is rather rough and careless, and is not someone who can take care of the elderly at all.
For this reason, He Yuzhu had to carefully consider his choice of partner. Beauty and education were just minor details that the couple didn't care about at all.
Filial piety, gentleness, and the ability to manage a household are the consensus of Yi Zhonghai and his wife, and are considered both necessary and sufficient conditions.
The deaf old lady also agreed with this view, but this matter could not be stated explicitly, otherwise the foolish Zhu might become stubborn.
Everyone knows that Sha Zhu likes beautiful women, just like his father He Daqing.
Back then, it was the deaf old lady and Yi Zhonghai who devised a little scheme. The two of them searched around and found the beautiful widow Bai to seduce He Daqing. As expected, one needed a long-term meal ticket and the other was lustful. The two hit it off immediately.
Subsequently, the deaf old woman used the issue of family background to scare He Daqing, forcing him to leave for Baoding, abandoning his two biological children and the coveted main house of the courtyard.
He Yuzhu's stubbornness troubled the three-person retirement team. His single-mindedness and gullibility were advantages, but they were also prone to being obstinate, which secretly saddened the three-person retirement team.
"The new year is almost here! After the New Year, we'll go find Matchmaker Wang. Let's all cheer up and welcome a new year with a fresh start!"
Yi Zhonghai raised his glass and drank it down in one gulp.
Jia Dongxu is gone, but Jia Dongjin has come; even if Jia Dongjin is gone, there is still He Yuzhu ready.
He has a skill to rely on, and he's not too old yet. Yi Zhonghai has secretly saved a large sum of money, so anything is possible, and it's not irreversible.
"Uncle, thank you so much. Let's have a good drink today and get rid of any bad luck."
Upon hearing the name of Matchmaker Wang, He Yuzhu immediately perked up. He secretly kicked his sister under the table, picked up his wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.
He Yushui received the hint and raised her head, picked up her wine glass and took a big gulp. Because she drank too fast, the little girl choked and coughed repeatedly. The other four people laughed heartily, and the Yi family was filled with a joyful atmosphere again.
The New Year is a time for good fortune, and since Liu Haizhong didn't beat his son, the Liu family was filled with laughter and joy. However, the atmosphere at Xu Fugui's family, who were also in the backyard, was a bit somber.