I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 83 The Bottom

The scramble for houses is a typical evil of the lower class. People at the bottom are busy working hard all day to make a living and have no time to think about spiritual matters.

Yan Fugui was relatively fortunate; he didn't fall to an even lower level. Those at the very bottom had even developed dog-like instincts, fawning and currying favor with the strong while relentlessly harassing the weak like wolves.

The Yan family is only making trouble because they lack housing, hoping to seize the back house; it's a typical case of the lower class harming each other.

It's not that people at the bottom of society enjoy harming each other; it's just that survival resources are extremely scarce, and they've already done their best to stay alive. In order to compete for survival resources, they can only fight and grab like animals, without considering whether it will cause harm to others, only caring about their own survival.

Yan Fugui dared to rob the house because he knew that the Jia family were from the bottom of society, powerless, helpless, and without support.

If Jia Dongjin had power and influence, Yan Fugui might have transformed himself into a supporter of Jia Dongjin's faction.

"Jie Di is quite resilient, she's a good girl. Mom fried some dried anchovies in oil, take some to her tomorrow. Jie Di is too thin, don't let her starve herself."

To nourish Jia Dong's body, Qin Huairu specially stir-fried some dried anchovies in oil as a daily breakfast supplement. She took out a small bowl and scooped out some dried anchovies for Bang Geng.

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"Stop! Hands up! I'm talking to you!"

The reduction in the quota has also affected Jia Dongjin's fishing. The river may not have an owner, but it can have one at any time.

After walking too many dark roads, I finally encountered a ghost.

In May 1959, when the couple were catching fish for the third time, they were stopped at gunpoint by militiamen from a nearby village. If it weren't for the presence of a woman, the farmers would have tied up the worker, Jia Dongjin.

"I've met you before. Your wife is Qin Yueru from Qin Family Village. I am Yueru's cousin, Qin Huairu. My father is Qin Cang. You have to call him Uncle."

At a crucial moment, Qin Huairu played a significant role; she actually knew the other party.

Coincidentally, the militiaman who captured them was named Shuanzi, and his wife was Qin Yueru from Qin Family Village. Qin Yueru was Qin Huairu's distant cousin, so Qin Huairu had met her before.

"I'm sorry, this is a new regulation from the commune; outsiders are not allowed to catch fish in the river."

The flood washed away the Dragon King Temple; it turns out they were all our own people.

Shuanzi quickly put down his gun, scratched his head, and apologized to Jia Dongjin, who was carrying a shoulder pole, with an embarrassed look on his face.

The difficulties have the greatest impact on grain farmers. In order to have food, people can only rely on the mountains and rivers for sustenance. The nearby forests and rivers are separated, and outsiders are not allowed to enter to fish or hunt. During the off-season, the village will organize villagers to search for food from time to time.

"I'm also a son-in-law of Qin Family Village, so I'm not an outsider."

Seeing misfortune turn into good fortune, Jia Dongjin seized the opportunity and didn't care that Qin Family Village was still sixty or seventy miles away.

"I'm willing to go fishing because of my connections, but using a fishing net is out of the question."

Even the most honest and simple-minded man knows he must protect the interests of his village.

It's impossible to reason with them. If it really comes down to official business, the villagers confiscating the fish and fishing gear is considered very polite.

Jia Dongjin had no choice but to try and bring up Xu Damao from the courtyard house. However, the villagers who came after hearing the news did not give him any face until the village chief heard the name Xu Fugui.

"Since you're Old Xu's neighbor, let's talk this over. You can come and catch fish in the future, but you'll have to pay 5 cents each time, or you can pay three catties of fish." After a moment's thought, the village chief decided to give Xu Fugui face.

Five cents is just the right amount, enough for three pounds of fish. The village doesn't lose out. Not every angler can catch a lot of fish, not even net fishermen.

"It's a deal. Thank you, Village Chief Li. I'll tell Uncle Xu about your village when I get back. I promise to come and show movies often to support the village's cultural and ethical development and bring you valuable spiritual nourishment."

Having connections makes things easier; Jia Dongjin escaped a disaster, but the price was having to pay money each time.

"Going east, 5 cents isn't much, and there's nothing Shuanzi can do about it; he's not the village chief."

Qin Huairu knew Jia Dongjin's skill in catching fish, and worried that the man might be upset, so she quickly comforted him softly.

"What's the big deal? If it can be settled with money, it's not a big deal. These days, money isn't worth as much as fish. We're not losing out. Consider it a legitimate business, and we'll have fewer competitors in the future."

Jia Dongjin didn't take it seriously at all. In his previous life, he had encountered far more troublesome things than this when catching fish. On the contrary, he was quite happy. His wife's progress after marriage was obvious to the naked eye; she no longer cared about the huge loss of 5 cents.

Hunting is costly, difficult, and dangerous. To get food, there are significantly more fishermen on the riverbank than before. Jia Dongjin estimates that the number has increased tenfold, and catching fish will no longer be as easy as it used to be.

Later, Jia Dongjin would find that almost all the rivers had owners, and outsiders were not allowed to catch fish, even if they paid money. The Chaobai River was considered a relatively easy place to talk to.

Later, Jia Dongjin could only go further and further away, to more and more remote places, or simply grab whatever he could find in places like Kunming Lake.

In difficult times, almost everyone suffers. People struggle for their families, often resorting to desperate measures out of necessity.

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"Is Rainwater at home?"

In fact, Qin Huairu was reluctant to part with 5 cents, but she enjoyed the fun of catching fish with the man more. She wasn't greatly affected and happily brought two bowls of food to He Yushui when she got home.

Since the fish had a strong smell and couldn't be hidden, the Jia family simply decided to give some away openly, which would also help them make friends with their relatives. He Yushui was the person Jia Dongjin cared about the most, and he never missed giving her any of the fish when they were being distributed.

At this time, 5 cents was not a small amount of money. Taking advantage of delivering fish to the He family, Qin Huairu publicized the thrill of catching fish by the river to make the people in the courtyard feel better and not be too envious.

After a series of diplomatic maneuvers, the Jia family's reputation in the courtyard improved, their relationship with Aunt Wang's family in the back courtyard became closer, and they were no longer left to fend for themselves. Yang Ruihua's expression in the front courtyard also improved.

The impact of 5 cents was enormous. Yan Fugui immediately gave up the idea of ​​going with Jia Dongjin. Erdan's father wished he could sell his small fishing net on the spot. He could not catch two catties of fish even after a whole day's work. Going to the suburbs was obviously a losing business. From then on, he gave up and abandoned the idea of ​​going to the suburbs to catch fish.

"Sister-in-law, you're here, why bring anything?"

Not only did the small canteens at the steel rolling mill stop operating, but the traditional oil residue in the braised cabbage dish was also gone. Even stir-fried potato shreds required a lot of people watching closely, with Director Li of the canteen personally overseeing the process, fearing that the chefs might pour too much oil.

The cafeteria's routine practice of bringing leftovers home has long been discontinued. Not only Qin Huairu, but even the core chef He Yuzhu has no opportunity to buy leftovers.

He Yuzhu is also short of food now, and when he sees the fragrant pickled fish, he can't help but swallow his saliva.

"You dare call her Sister Qin!" Because it didn't conform to the rules of Beijing, Jia Dongjin shamelessly "criticized and corrected" him.

In order to get the young man to call Qin Huairu "sister-in-law", Jia Dongjin waved his household registration book in public and claimed that he was indeed born in early 35 and that he was just joking with He Yuzhu.

Age is a minor issue. He Yuzhu and the young people in the courtyard are too young. Aunt Wang can personally testify to this, and she speaks with great conviction. Jia Dongjin held the household registration book too high, making it inconvenient to snatch it and check it. Therefore, He Yuzhu accepted that Jia Dongjin was born in 35. Now he calls Qin Huairu "sister-in-law," no longer the "Sister Qin" from the original drama.

It must be said that the screenwriter understands Beijing. He Yuzhu and the young man in the courtyard are younger than Jia Dongxu, so they should respectfully call Qin Huairu "sister-in-law" instead of the inappropriate "Sister Qin".

According to the rules of Beijing, only Qin Huairu's younger brother from her maternal family was qualified to be called "Sister Qin".

It is disrespectful for a man to call her "Sister Qin," and based on this alone, Jia Dongxu is an unqualified husband.

When Jia Dongjin first transmigrated, Jia Zhangshi scolded him, saying that he could not call her "Sister Qin" but had to call her "Sister-in-law," which shows that Jia Zhangshi knew the proper etiquette.

As for why he didn't correct He Yuzhu and the others, Jia Dongjin guessed it was because the Jia family was weak and could only let people call them whatever they wanted. Now that he was married to Qin Huairu, Jia Dongjin didn't want to tolerate these young people.

"Rain, you've lost so much weight!"

As time goes by, the horror of the difficulties gradually becomes apparent.