I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 62 Rumors

The so-called "house" was actually just a corner between the street office gatehouse and the inner wall.

The house had no office chairs, no doors or windows, not even a roof, and Jia Dongjin had to run the power outlets himself.

"Housing is tight, so just make do for now. Find some planks and build a simple shed; why be so fussy? Or how about this, come to my office to fix the radio?"

They promised to provide an office, but there wasn't even a roof, let alone windows or doors. Director Wang felt embarrassed, but he still had a lot to say.

In reality, the neighborhood committee has plenty of buildings, but since someone had spoken up, Director Wang couldn't say anything and could only let Jia Dongjin overcome the situation.

Repairing radios is a sensitive issue. Everyone is concerned about the unit's funding and benefits, but no one cares that Jia Dongjin generates revenue for the street office. Instead, they are jealous that he can earn extra money.

Since he could make money openly and honestly, Jia Dongjin didn't say anything more. He first asked Director Wang to get some desks and chairs. The neighborhood office had plenty of desks and chairs. He then found a board and wrote the words "Convenient Radio Repair" on it, and marked the repair time and Jia's address below.

He gave the security guard at the subdistrict office two packs of cigarettes, smoothed things over between them, and then Jia Dongjin found a good spot at the entrance of the subdistrict office, hung up the "GG" sign, and that was it—officially, it was a grand opening.

It was called a repair shop, but it actually had nothing at all; it was truly destitute.

Having no other choice, Jia Dongjin rode his bike to a scrap metal recycling station and got some planks and materials from his childhood friend Song Tao. After much effort, he finally managed to build a small repair shed, which didn't even have a door.

Spring in Beijing is awakened by the wind.

When the northwest wind finally shed its fierce armor, the old locust tree in the inner courtyard of the siheyuan was the first to sense the news. On its gnarled and twisted branches, tender yellow buds quietly sprouted, like clenched little fists, gathering their strength to crush the gloom of the whole winter.

When the wind warms up a bit more, the ancient cypress trees at the Temple of Heaven will shake off the last bit of snow, revealing their dark brown bark, the texture of which seems to hold the tidings of spring for hundreds of years. Meanwhile, the early cherry blossoms at Yuyuantan Park seem impatient, bursting into bloom with pink and white buds as early as the beginning of March. A gust of wind sends the petals fluttering down, landing on the benches along the shore, on the shoulders of passersby, and filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

At this moment, Jia Dongjin did not feel any warmth at all; he even wanted to look up to the sky and howl.

"I'm having such a hard time, who else is?"

The signboard was too shabby. Jia Dongjin smoked his cigarette, feeling dejected, and considered whether he should sell himself and set up a stall on the street.

Jia Dongjin considered selling himself into servitude, but feared the formidable reputation of the older women and was afraid of offering himself up to them.

He was so worried that his brows were so furrowed they could almost trap a fly, yet business was pouring in.

"Young man, can you fix radios?"

An old man walked over. He had come to the neighborhood office on business and happened to see the radio repair sign, so he stopped by to ask about it.

"Hello sir, what's wrong with your radio?" Jia Dongjin didn't explain directly, but instead spread out his repair tools and showed his work ID.

Jia Dongjin had a government job, and people trusted government officials at that time. After finishing his business at the street office, the old man went home without saying a word and brought back a radio.

The reason for using the word "hug" is that radios these days have a common feature: they are very large. However, although radios are large in size, their internal structure is very simple.

Jia Dongjin didn't have much trouble. He pretended to observe for a long time before fixing it in no time. The radio was just a simple contact problem, and there was no need to replace any parts.

"Sir, your radio is so old. It took me ages to find what was wrong. It would cost at least 80 cents outside, but since this is a service provided by the neighborhood committee, I'll only charge you 50 cents."

The man with the radio was not short of money, so he didn't stand on ceremony and directly accepted the old man's 50 cents.

As the old man happily prepared to take the radio home, Jia Dongjin handed him the prepared receipt. "Sir, please sign this receipt. If the old problem persists within ten days, I'll repair it for you free of charge upon presentation of this receipt."

Repairing radios is different from Lao Cai's method. Lao Cai's repair costs are large and can't be hidden, so his repair fees are all piecemeal.

To avoid trouble, Director Wang gave him a two-part receipt book to facilitate the settlement of the street office's financial management. One copy of the receipt was given to the customer, and the other copy was given to the street office's finance department. Jia Dongjin himself could only keep a record in a small notebook.

Seeing that Jia Dongjin had introduced such a good thing as a free repair period, the old man was naturally satisfied. Before leaving, he even said he would introduce him to some business. He had a friend whose radio was also malfunctioning. He couldn't find a place to repair it nearby, and going to Xidan was too far.

"Wow, you've made fifty cents in just a short while."

The old man who guarded the neighborhood office was surnamed Mao. When he saw Jia Dongjin collecting money, he couldn't help but come over.

These days, 50 cents isn't a small amount; it can buy five pounds of cornmeal, enough for the whole family to eat for a day.

"My cooking skills are only occasionally good, thanks to you. I can't have business every day, and I still have to hand over 30% to the neighborhood committee."

Not wanting to flaunt his wealth, Jia Dongjin quickly adopted a humble attitude, not daring to say anything profound or witty like "it costs 1 cent to fix it, and 49 cents to find out what's wrong."

"Dongjin, it's good to have a skill. You can earn more than ten yuan a month, which is almost enough for an apprentice's salary. Yan Jiecheng carries heavy bags every day and works like a dead dog, but you just do a little work and you earn the same amount as him."

A week later, Jia Zhangshi did the math and found that Jia Dongjin had actually earned three yuan and fifty cents, with a very promising future. Qin Huairu, who was standing next to her, had her eyes sparkling.

Fortune and misfortune are unpredictable. Just as the Jia family was filled with joy, a rumor began to spread only a week after Qin Jingru left.

"It's no wonder that Widow Qin and her brother-in-law had an ambiguous relationship and that she was unwilling to marry a cadre."

As the rumors spread, they became increasingly bizarre, with some even claiming that Xiao Dang was Jia Dongjin's child.

The most bizarre and malicious thing is that it is said that Jia Dongxu's death may be related to Jia Dongjin and Qin Huairu.

"The old saying is true: gambling leads to theft, and adultery leads to murder." This is exactly the point. Some people spread the word in private, making it sound very plausible and well-founded.

Gambling often takes place at night, and when gamblers return home after losing, it is late at night and quiet, which can easily lead to theft. Adultery can easily lead to fierce conflicts, even to the point of life and death, with Wu Dalang drinking poison being a typical example.

The people in the courtyard were whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with an eerie look, while Liu Haizhong was also chatting with great interest.

Finally, Yi Zhonghai couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up for the Jia family, saying, "What's going on between Qin Huairu and Jia Dongjin? Others may not know, but we neighbors know perfectly well. You just took their gourd vines, and now you're gossiping about them behind their backs. That's not right. Neighbors should help and support each other."

Aunt Wang from the backyard was on good terms with Jia Zhangshi, and she also stood up to speak for the Jia family, which finally calmed the gossip in the courtyard.

But rumors are just rumors; they can't be stopped, and there's no way to stop them.

The more widely the rumors spread, the darker Jia Zhangshi's face became. Rumors are the most taboo thing for a widow's family; they are a sharp blade that kills without drawing blood.

The innocent are innocent, Qin Huairu remained calm, and Jia Dongjin acted as usual, until Yan Fugui came to the door.

Yan Fugui was the prime suspect. Jia Zhangshi was planning to cause trouble for Yan's family, but unexpectedly, Yan Fugui delivered the goods to their door.

Just as Jia Zhangshi was about to unleash her fury and summon Old Jia, Yan Fugui raised his hand and stopped her abruptly with a single sentence.

"Sister-in-law, I owe the Jia family a favor. The Yan family is a scholarly family and would never do such a despicable thing. I, Yan Fugui, can swear to God."

Yan Fugui spoke with absolute certainty, but seeing Jia Zhangshi's suspicious expression, he smiled slightly and reminded her, "Rumors naturally have a purpose; whoever benefits from them is the one who gets them."

After Yan Fugui returned home, the three members of the Jia family analyzed the situation and couldn't figure out who could benefit, so they could only accept their fate.

Finally, Madam Jia decided to act decisively and urged Qin Huairu and Jia Dongjin to settle their respective marriages as soon as possible.