I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 33 Thoughts

"Mom, what the old man said is right. With the subsidy, we can get about 55 yuan."

These days, salaries are transparent, and you can find out with a little inquiry. There's no need to hide it from your family. Jia Dongjin's honesty puts his family at ease.

To avoid any trouble caused by Jia Zhangshi, Jia Dongjin carefully considered the matter and decided not to mention that he had been reported.

Making a scene won't solve anything; he's prepared to take things slowly and wait for his chance to get revenge on his enemies.

He's not the type to bully others, but if someone crosses him, he'll retaliate fiercely. However, he can't wrongly accuse anyone; he always needs some evidence and can't just rely on guesswork.

At the dinner table, Qin Huairu was clearly distracted. Many people in the hospital had been promoted and received a raise, but she was still working as a kitchen helper in the canteen. Her monthly salary, including Jia Dongxu's seniority pay, was still 22.5 yuan.

"Sister-in-law, you make great noodles. Learn from Chef Wang and strive to become a level 10 chef next year."

Aside from gatherings, Jia Dongjin almost never drinks alcohol, he said, biting into a steamed bun.

Seeing Jia Dongjin eating with relish, Qin Huairu smiled slightly and handed him the salted egg that had been allocated to her. "You've had a long day. Since you like salted eggs, eat more to increase your nutrition."

The Jia family now has a lot of money and grain. After the eldest daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu, expressed her determination not to remarry, Jia Zhangshi was not as sharp-tongued and mean as in the original drama.

Jia Zhangshi herself was a glutton, and she and Jia Dongjin were of the same mind. As a result, the Jia family's food standards were always rising, but the upward trend only stopped with the arrival of Qin Jingru.

Following the pregnant Qin Huairu, Banggeng got plenty of good food. When he saw that the salted eggs had gone to Jia Dongjin, he couldn't help but complain, "Mom, you're being unfair. Those are my salted eggs."

Seeing that Madam Jia was spoiling her little grandson again, Jia Dongjin immediately threatened, "You idiot, do you still want that matchstick gun?"

"And then there's the bow and arrow. My bow and arrow are broken, so I need to make another one."

"Dream on! Last time you shot someone's cat, they came to our door. It was only because Grandma protected you that we were punished. It seems you haven't learned your lesson. You'll definitely shoot our chickens with a bow and arrow next time. Chickens that are frightened won't lay eggs, which is no small matter." Jia Dongjin didn't tolerate Xiao Bang's words.

"Uncle is right. You're not allowed to shoot other people's cats, and you can't mess with our chickens either, or I'll beat you up."

Qin Huairu followed suit habitually, and she didn't know when it started, but she had come to regard him as the head of the family.

Jia Dongjin has brought up the topic of Bang Geng's education many times, and Qin Huairu now agrees, feeling that Jia Zhangshi spoils her too much.

Especially regarding the conversation about the backstage that night, Jia Dongjin gave Jia Zhangshi a special lesson the next day and warned Bang Geng that it must not be told to anyone.

As long as Yan Fugui reports that Jia Zhangshi wanted to take Yan Jiedi as her maid, the Jia family will be guilty of a mistake, and Jia Zhangshi will be imprisoned!

"Grandma wouldn't beat me. I agreed when Sister Jiedi wanted to make a shuttlecock out of chicken feathers. A man's word is his bond."

Bang Geng was still young, and by accident, he leaked classified military information.

"Snapped!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Banggeng was struck on the head.

Jia Zhangshi personally carried out the dirty work. She looked fierce and said, "You can do whatever you want with the cat, but the chicken's ass is Grandma's bank. You dare to touch it and see what happens."

In the original drama, Banggeng was the only support for Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu, so the two women spoiled him rotten.

Now that Jia Dongjin is in the cast, things are different from the original drama, and the days of the "bang gag" running rampant are over.

After intimidating Bang Geng, Jia Zhangshi faced another dilemma.

She loves cleanliness. With a large family and limited space, she had to let both hens inside at night, making the house filthy.

Thinking of Jia Dongjin's upcoming marriage and children, Jia Zhangshi frowned deeply, her brows furrowed so tightly they could trap a fly.

"If only we had another room, even a woodshed would be fine. There are too many people and the house is too small. Huai Ru is about to give birth, and there will be another person in the family in no time. Our house is really cramped."

Jia Zhangshi's words were somewhat inappropriate, and Qin Jingru, who was standing next to her, felt very uncomfortable. She quickly lowered her head and focused on eating, just like her sister Qin Huairu.

"Why would I need a woodshed? Look at this!"

Jia Dongjin looked at his family with a smug expression, chuckled, and took out the paperwork, including the two keys he had obtained from the neighborhood office.

"Old Jia, Dongxu, come up and take a look..."

After confirming that the room assignments were correct, Jia Zhangshi burst into tears. She opened her trembling hands and once again began the ritual to summon the spirits of the dead.

"Mom, please don't do this. Let's wait until we move in before we let the news get out of the way."

Jia Dongjin couldn't stand seeing his mother like this, so he quickly spoke up to stop her.

"We have official procedures, so why would we be afraid of leaking information?"

Jia Zhangshi stopped calling out, pursed her lips, and carefully put away the paperwork and keys.

"No need to hide it so well, we still need to find someone to repair the house with the necessary paperwork these next few days."

As the man who was responsible for the family's livelihood, Jia Dongjin felt a sense of joy and pride for the first time, and found his favorite salted eggs even more delicious.

"Repairing the house?"

When the topic of repairing the house came up, Jia Zhangshi immediately thought of the current state of the front yard's rear building, and her brows furrowed in distress.

She had been poor for many years and valued money almost as much as her life, so she couldn't bear to spend money to repair her house, especially such a large sum of money.

"It's alright, let's just make do for now and do a simple job. We can fix it properly when we have more money. I have my own way."

Jia Dongjin was also worried. The three years of hardship were just around the corner. He knew that Jia Zhangshi had some money, but she couldn't spend it on repairing houses. Ensuring that they wouldn't go hungry was the most important thing.

"Let me think about it carefully. A simple solution is fine, but if it's too dilapidated, it won't be good. It will affect your chances of getting married next year. If a girl comes to our house and sees it, she'll turn around and leave."

When Madam Jia Zhang mentioned Jia Dongjin's marriage, Qin Jingru was hearing about it for the first time, and she couldn't help but look at her sister beside her.

"Mom is right. We should try to get the best house possible. Going back and forth is more troublesome. If we don't have enough money, we can borrow it first. The salary in Dongjin is high, and Uncle Yi should be willing to lend it to us. We should be able to pay it back in a year. Only with a good house can we attract good business. A house is a big deal, and we can't be stingy with the money."

Qin Huairu raised her head, ignoring her sister, and spoke in a clear and articulate manner, prompting Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongjin to nod repeatedly.

Jia Dongjin was only thinking about saving money to cope with the three-year hardship and hadn't considered borrowing money. He didn't expect Qin Huairu to be so calculating, knowing how to use other people's money to do her own thing. He couldn't help but give Qin Huairu a deep look.

"What are you looking at? Huai Ru is right. What's wrong with borrowing money based on your own ability? Mom didn't agree to you repaying your debts in the first place, and now you're going to borrow again. Aren't you tired of the trouble? Forget it, it's good that there's a precedent for repaying money. Let's borrow money from Yi Zhonghai. He'll definitely agree. Huai Ru is doing this for your own good. She's afraid you won't be able to find a pretty wife. After you get married, don't forget Huai Ru and Bang Geng. Bang Geng is your own nephew."

With the housing repair fund secured, Jia Zhangshi was overjoyed. She now regarded Jia Dongjin as a prized possession, not only refraining from mentioning the past but also worrying that Qin Huairu would bring up the issue of succession by younger brother. Seeing Qin Huairu taking the initiative to think of Jia Dongjin, she couldn't help but give him some pointers.

As she pondered this, Jia Zhangshi narrowed her eyes.

She was thinking that she would have to manage the household for Jia Dongjin in the future, or Jia Dongjin would have to pay 25 yuan, no, 30 yuan a month for food expenses, so that his daughter-in-law would not mistreat Qin Huairu and Banggeng.

"Mom, I know."

Jia Dongjin nodded repeatedly.

Meanwhile, in the central courtyard of the Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) was Yi Zhonghai's home.

"Zhonghai, I've said it so many times, Dongjin isn't suitable. First, you expressed your feelings that day, and he didn't respond, which was a clear statement—he wasn't willing. Second, he's different from Dongxu. You yourself said that Dongjin has a good relationship with his adoptive parents, and that alone makes him unsuitable. Dongjin has three elderly parents to support, which is too much of a burden. Even if he had the will, he wouldn't have the ability. Most importantly, he's capable. I've observed him carefully; he's particular about how he eats and speaks, unlike most people. Yan Jiecheng is far inferior; he's too cowardly, not even as good as Shazhu."

The deaf old lady glanced at Gao Cuilan, an older woman in the kitchen, and said in a low voice.

Yi Zhonghai closed his eyes and pondered. On Jia Dongjin's first day at work, he gave Jia Dongjin enough hints outside the cafeteria. Although the other party was as respectful as ever, he never made his attitude clear.

Indeed, as the deaf old woman said, not expressing an opinion is also a form of expression. Therefore, he made a seemingly insignificant move to help Yan Jiecheng get into the steel rolling mill.

Jia Dongjin was promoted to a level three electrician. Just as the wild horse was about to break free of its reins, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but seek out the deaf old lady again. Gao Cuilan had taken a liking to Jia Dongjin and nagged him every night, making Yi Zhonghai very upset.

"Zhonghai, let me be frank. Dongjin is only making 51 yuan a month now. Judging by his momentum, getting an apartment is a piece of cake. He's better looking than Dongxu, earns more, and has a skill. You yourself said that girls are eager to marry him. What can you do to help him?"

The deaf old lady simply laid it all out.

"Grandma, he's just a junior electrician now. I have my own plans."

Yi Zhonghai smiled slightly, and Gao Cuilan's heart skipped a beat. She knew her husband all too well.