I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 61 Spring

At this point, the slightly more astute people rushed to the Jia family's residence in the middle courtyard to demand the remaining seedlings. Jia Zhangshi's voice was loud and clear; she once again enjoyed her moment in the spotlight.

Squash is similar to pumpkin; if grown well, mature squash is an excellent grain substitute.

Similar to sweet potatoes, squash is not only high-yielding and easy to grow, but it can also be steamed or boiled, and it has a sweet taste that both the elderly and children love.

As long as the seedlings are well cared for, harvesting dozens of squashes is not a dream, which can be equivalent to a hundred kilograms of grain. This is no small matter.

When Qin Jingru returned home to deliver New Year's gifts, she followed Jia Dongjin's instructions and brought back a bag of melon seeds. She then cultivated two large basins of melon seedlings on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove). The Jia family had just planted twelve seedlings, and sixteen had been given to the He and Yan families, leaving more than forty seedlings remaining.

Everyone wanted seedlings, and Jia Dongjin wasn't stingy. He figured having too many seedlings wouldn't do any good, so he gave the rest to his neighbors, except for six he kept as a reserve for replanting.

He didn't divide them equally; Jia Zhangshi also contributed. She gave eight trees to Aunt Wang in the backyard, with whom she had a close relationship, and the rest were basically divided equally among the neighbors.

Apart from the second aunt muttering a few words, everyone was quiet and expressed their gratitude to the Jia family.

Qin Jingru returned to the village to earn food. In order to improve the image of the Jia family, Qin Huairu took on the role of the "Guagua Ambassador" for the courtyard, providing technical guidance to each household. After some effort, the courtyard became peaceful, and the gloom of the reduced quota dissipated a little.

Life remains the same, and always will be.

Spring is here, it's the season for... well, you know, and even the highest wall can't stop the hormones.

Just like Jia Dongjin, who secretly read Jin Ping Mei at night, Xu Damao began his career as a womanizer.

On his first solo mission, Xu Damao was attacked and ended up surrendering without resistance.

Rural areas entered a period of hardship earlier than cities. Yue Qiuqin's family had a bad class background, so in order to improve it, she married a poor peasant.

She initially enjoyed a happy life, but her life took a sharp turn for the worse when her husband was killed by a falling rock while quarrying.

Seeing her crying children begging for food, she had no choice but to put her ideas into action. However, everyone was short of food, so her ideas were useless until she saw Xu Damao showing a movie, or rather, she saw the sack next to Xu Damao.

Being a movie projectionist is a lucrative job. Xu Damao had already completed his apprenticeship. After the projector "broke" a few times, the commune knew that this young man was not easy to fool. After a small meeting, they urgently brought out a hen, along with five catties of cornmeal and some dried mushrooms, which miraculously restored the projector to normal operation. They also brought three new movies that they had not yet seen.

While the villagers were engrossed in watching the movie, Yue Qiuqin had already dressed up and gracefully brought a glass of water to the projectionist, Xu.

"Comrade Xu, this is spring water from the mountains outside my house. Spring water is different from well water; it has a natural sweetness. Would you like to try some?"

Xu Damao didn't pay attention. At this time, when the movie was being shown, the projectionist was needed to explain it, similar to the later simultaneous interpretation. He was talking until his mouth was dry, and he reached for the tea mug. At this moment, Yue Qiuqin's small hand tilted slightly, and Xu Damao's hand just happened to touch her soft hand.

Xu Damao was taken aback. He looked closely and saw that the woman opposite him looked like a young married woman. She was plump, pretty, and had big, watery eyes looking at him.

It's easy for a woman to pursue a man; the moment their eyes met, Xu Damao understood.

Xu Damao's heart pounded. Yue Qiuqin smiled slightly and said, "Comrade Xu, you've had a long day. Don't strain your voice. If you like the spring water, I have some at home. It's a pity my husband passed away, so I don't have anything good to offer you."

As the party ended and the party was over, Xu Damao's inner rage only grew stronger. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and finally tiptoed out of bed. He picked up a sack and went to the young widow Yue Qiuqin's house to drink some spring water.

"Comrade Xu, just lie down and rest on the kang. We're both doing this willingly. Everyone in the village knows about my sister's difficulties. You're doing a good deed, and the village will never make things difficult for you. I don't want anything from you. Just come and see me when the movies are shown in the village. It's just that the baby is still young and is so hungry that he can't sleep, which is a bit of a problem."

After the deed was done, Yue Qiuqin was satisfied with the hen and five pounds of cornmeal. She had used all her skills to serve him wholeheartedly, and the young man was generous enough not to mistreat her, even offering to exchange his steamed buns for hers.

"Sister Qin, I, Xu Damao, will definitely treat you well and will never mistreat you."

For the first time, Xu Damao understood the benefits of a gentle embrace. He worked up a sweat, and the woman brought him warm water to carefully wash his body.

Although there was no delicious food to supplement his diet, fresh fruits and vegetables were cut up and fed directly to him by the woman. He only needed to open his mouth and did nothing else. He could just lie there and wait for the woman to serve him, enjoying a blissful experience.

In the end, Xu Damao stayed an extra day. He enthusiastically showed three more movies for the villagers, who were extremely grateful and praised the projectionist for his generosity, saying that he really showed movies after receiving a benefit.

"Da Mao, you must come often in the future. Your sister looks forward to seeing you every day."

As they parted, Yue Qiuqin waved her little hand, reluctant to say goodbye.

"Sister Qin, I will definitely come. As long as there is a screening plan in this area, I will come even if it means going through fire and water."

Xu Damao was also moved. It was the first time he had ever seen a woman be so kind. Seeing that no one was around, he took out two yuan from his pocket and stuffed it directly into Yue Qiuqin's arms. He then helped her take her temperature before reluctantly leaving.

Similar to his good friend Xu Damao, He Yuzhu also had good things happen to him.

Matchmaker Wang really went to great lengths to find him a girl who would bring good fortune to her family and husband. The girl was plump and beautiful, with an appearance that was above average. Everyone could tell at a glance that she was a good girl, and they all envied He Yuzhu's good luck.

The girl's mother also came to meet the family. Since there were no elderly people in the He family, Yi Zhonghai and Gao Cuilan served as their companions.

In order to find a girlfriend, He Yuzhu put in all his effort. He went to great lengths to get a good piece of pork belly, four eggs, and even shamelessly borrowed a plate of dried fish from the Jia family, making a whole table of hearty dishes.

"Mom, Sha Zhu has no chance. He's bound to mess up at the blind date. Just you wait and see."

It is speculated that after Yi Zhonghai made the report, Jia Dongjin remained indifferent and is now trying to figure out Yi Zhonghai's intentions.

The two women from the Jia family were skeptical until they saw Yi Zhonghai and Gao Cuilan enter the He family's home.

As they ate the fragrant braised pork, the girl's mother's expression completely brightened. He Yuzhu's mature appearance made the mother and daughter's moods fluctuate, but his good cooking skills were a plus, making up for his lack of good looks.

Just like people prefer to buy the best-looking fruit, appearance is always an important factor in the marriage market. Men like pretty girls, and girls also like handsome young men; it's only natural.

Before she arrived, the matchmaker Wang made it clear that cooks were in high demand due to the rationing, and that a woman's life revolved around finding a good husband.

He Yuzhu may not be good-looking, but he is well-off. He has his own private house, which is the best main house in the courtyard. After his only sister gets married in a few years, he will have two rooms to himself.

In addition, He Yuzhu is skilled in cooking and can also go out to cook banquets to earn extra money. He is like a steamed bun with meat inside, just not in the pleats.

The mother and daughter were exchanging glances when Gao Cuilan put some meat on her daughter's plate and praised her enthusiastically, "Shazhu is someone we've watched grow up. He's a descendant of the Tan family's cuisine lineage, and his skills are absolutely top-notch. Our daughter will be living the high life from now on, and you can look forward to enjoying a life of luxury."

Tan Family Cuisine, also known as Official Cuisine, was served to officials during the Qing Dynasty. Ordinary people could only admire it from afar.

The woman was pleased with this offer. Seeing Gao Cuilan pronounce "Silly Zhu" very heavily, the girl's mother had a sudden inspiration and asked about He Yuzhu's nickname, "The child is good, why does everyone in the courtyard call him Silly Zhu?"

Yi Zhonghai hurriedly explained that during the chaos of war, the He family steamed buns to make a living. He Yuzhu's father, He Daqing, steamed buns at home, and He Yuzhu took the buns to sell on the street. Two defeated soldiers snatched the buns and ran away. He Yuzhu chased them for ten miles and was almost shot to death. In the end, the money he managed to get from the defeated soldiers was counterfeit. His father, He Daqing, was angry that his son was unaware of the danger and scolded him for being stupid. The nickname "Stupid Zhu" has been passed down to this day.

Despite saying that, the woman shook her head as she left the courtyard and said tactfully to the matchmaker, "There are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names."

The girl's mother didn't focus on the thrills of the story; what she cared about was that He Yuzhu was unreliable and somewhat foolish.

In this era that values ​​reputation, He Yuzhu's personality and behavior are likely to offend people and even cause trouble. The woman's concerns are quite reasonable and understandable.

This girl is outstanding and has a wide range of choices; she doesn't want to marry a man that others call a fool.

All his hard work had come to naught. He Yuzhu sat on the threshold and scratched his head. Wang the matchmaker was furious, but she couldn't say anything more.

As a result, He Yuzhu's blind date failed.

"Silly Zhu, don't worry, there are plenty of good girls out there. I'll try to find some for you tomorrow."

Gao Cuilan quickly encouraged him, saying that He Yuzhu is young and can afford to wait. Finding a partner is a major life event and cannot be rushed. It must be done carefully. You can't just pick anyone and expect that you will eventually meet a good girl who can discover the gem that is He Yuzhu.

"Auntie, I'm not in a hurry. I have a skill to rely on, so I need to find someone who's at least as good as Jia Dongjin's partner."

He Yuzhu isn't in a hurry right now. Yi Zhonghai has already told him that once he gets promoted, he can pick any good girl he wants, and Jia Dongjin is a perfect example.

As long as a man can make money, he can indeed pick and choose the best. Yi Zhonghai's words make sense, and even He Yushui nodded in agreement.

The Jia family, diagonally opposite, saw everything clearly. Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, looked at each other, their eyes filled with astonishment.

"Was this house provided by the neighborhood committee?"

While He Yuzhu's blind date failed, Jia Dongjin arrived at the neighborhood office with his toolbox and stood in front of the building, looking shocked.