I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 57 Aftermath

Jia Zhangshi helped Wang Dama back to the backyard and whispered to her, "My Dongjin said that side dishes and dried vegetables can also replace grain. If you haven't bought enough, hurry up and go. Buy as much as you can. Don't worry about it spoiling if you can't finish it. You can exchange it with others for grain later."

"Thank you, sister-in-law. We've bought enough for our rations. I only have eighteen yuan of my own money left, and I spent it all on groceries the other day. I'll go get some more money to buy more now."

Seeing that Aunt Wang was in a hurry to leave, Jia Zhangshi grabbed her and whispered, "Don't tell anyone. Take your son and daughter-in-law with you, and take plenty of bags. Everyone is rushing to buy grain today, but once they calm down, they'll go buy groceries. Be quick, or it might all be gone by tomorrow."

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law still chatting idly with others, Grandma Wang grabbed her son by the ear, dragged him home, and gave him a good scolding. After she finished scolding him, she quietly told her son to take some money and go out shopping.

"Mom, why do you need 100 yuan? Are we going to starve?"

"Shut up, you idiot, you're as dumb as a pig!"

Grandma Wang was so angry that she kicked her son wildly, which terrified her daughter-in-law Guihua, who was standing next to her. She wondered what had gotten into the old lady today.

As soon as Aunt Wang's family arrived in the front yard, they encountered the Yan and Liu families, who had all come out to shop. Everyone understood each other perfectly and, carrying bags of all sizes, joined the flow of people going out to shop.

"Mom, there are so many old people here today, there must be a temple fair going on. Do you want me to carry you there?"

Grandma Wang rolled her eyes in anger. She quickly gestured for her son to carry her on his back, since her silly son had plenty of strength.

After reciting the instructions, Aunt Wang pointed ahead and shouted, "Guihua, lead the way! To the grocery store, get me some duck!"

Aunt Wang's daughter-in-law, Guihua, was busy clearing the way ahead. She was very experienced at it, shouting all the way, "Sister, I'm eight months pregnant! Anyone who dares to block my way will have to pay for my son! Get out of the way, get out of the way!"

Upon hearing that they would have to compensate their son, who could afford to do that?

Instantly, the crowd parted to make way for them.

Along the way, some dim-witted people asked, "Isn't that Sister Guihua? How come she's eight months pregnant, but her belly isn't that big?"

Before he could finish his question, the man was hit on the head. "You idiot, why aren't you running? They'll be sold out if you're late!"

"Hey, who dares to block my way? Get out of my way! Anyone who stands in my way dies!"

The idiot roared, and Grandma Wang in front trembled three times, almost falling off the "horse".

Like everyone else, Jia Dongjin also participated in the shopping spree and bought some food.

Because of their foresight, the Jia family had quietly purchased and stored a large amount of food. The cellar water tank was already full, and food was stored in the grain cabinets and all other places where it could be stored.

Jia Dongjin had already focused on buying oil, salt, and sugar, and also bought a large quantity of various seasonings. With receipts obtained through secret transactions, his shopping went smoothly.

He had a bicycle, which gave him an advantage in terms of speed and carrying capacity when shopping. He had already asked the Qin family to buy two hundred catties of potatoes.

Potatoes are rich in starch and are a great substitute for grains. They taste even better than whole grains, but they are a bit pricey. Jia Dongjin and Xiaobanggeng both love them.

Jia Dongjin hadn't been working there long, and the Jia family wasn't wealthy. Fortunately, Yan Fugui's greed and recklessness allowed him to make a fortune.

The renovation and custom-made furniture cost 300 yuan, and the remaining 140 yuan was just enough to fill the grain pit.

Since Jia Dongjin appeared, with the protein and oil he sourced, the Jia family's appetite has decreased. Jia Zhangshi no longer eats like a tiger descending a mountain; a single steamed bun is enough for a meal. This is the benefit of meat and oil; Jia Dongjin's hard work has not been in vain.

Even without Qin Jingru, the Jia family would have no problem with food, even if the food ration was reduced.

"We had no money and no food, but the Yan family sent us some."

Hugging Xiaobanggeng, Jia Dongjin hummed a little tune with pride and handed him a boiled egg.

"Uncle, let's split it in half."

Banggeng broke the egg open, and with a look of admiration, generously shared half with Jia Dongjin.

As Banggeng grew older, he realized that his uncle was his support. Liu Hong didn't want him, whether it was for candy or other things, which made Banggeng even closer to Jia Dongjin.

"My uncle doesn't like to eat eggs, but he does. Our little hamsters are growing and need more nutrition."

Jia Dongjin felt a warmth in his heart and affectionately patted the watermelon-shaped head.

Qin Huairu was breastfeeding when she saw the uncle and nephew being so affectionate. She was stunned, and her eyes suddenly lit up with an alarming brightness.

"Sister, the milk is already coming out. Look how anxious our little Dang is, tears are even coming out. Oh, sweetie, don't worry, Auntie will help you nurse."

"Oh!"

Qin Huairu exclaimed in surprise. Seeing Jia Dongjin looking at her, she quickly lowered her head and used her clothes to cover the granary. However, the granary was too big to cover, so the woman quickly stepped aside to avoid it.

"Sis, what are you shy about? You're so big, how can you block it?"

Seeing Qin Huairu's face flushed red, Qin Jingru couldn't help but lean close to her ear and chuckle, "Golden breasts, silver breasts, but after giving birth, they're just dirt breasts."

"I'm earth and you're metal, okay?"

Qin Huairu squeezed out six words through gritted teeth. A thought flashed through her mind, and she felt a pang of sorrow. Tears began to stream down her face again.

"Oh dear, sister, you mustn't cry, crying will make your milk dry up. I have to go home right away to earn money, so you have to take good care of yourself."

Qin Jingru turned pale with fright. She had meant that Qin Huairu was making a fuss over nothing. Realizing that she had said the wrong thing, Qin Jingru hurriedly stood up and shielded Qin Huairu with her body.

"Don't cry, sister. Why are you so small? If only you had been born a few years earlier! You're making me so anxious!"

Qin Huairu closed her eyes tightly, her voice barely audible.

"Hmph, Old Man Yan has three brats who will eat Old Man Yan to death. Let's see how he survives."

With her granary overflowing with grain, Jia Zhangshi was in high spirits and paid no attention to her two young maids.

Previously, Jia Zhangshi was always uneasy and worried about the emergence of difficulties. But when the difficulties were actually announced, Jia Zhangshi was no longer worried and adopted an attitude of "I don't care what anyone does".

Jia Dongjin's "high salary" and stockpiled grain gave Jia Zhangshi confidence and peace of mind. She focused all her attention on the Yan family, hoping to see Yan Fugui's family make a fool of themselves.

She decided that from now on, every mealtime, she would go to the front yard of the Yan family's house to see how Yan Fugui fed his four children.

Each resident of the courtyard house had their own savings, and in times of hardship, no one dared to be stingy with their money; food became more precious than money.

Although the Yan family suffered heavy losses due to Jia Dongjin's scheme, Yan Fugui still had some savings. At this moment, he dared not hide them any longer. He thought about it over and over again until midnight, and finally, from somewhere, he took out his long-hidden savings.

"Old Yan, are you really going to use your life savings for your funeral?"

Yang Ruihua, the former third aunt, shed tears. This was Yan Fugui's savings buried before liberation, and she never expected that one day it would be used.