I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 7 The Grand Assembly

Jia Dongjin believes that long-term poverty has extinguished Jia Zhangshi's normal humanity.

When people are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know etiquette.

Among the people in the courtyard, apart from Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, and others, many others had their backs broken by poverty.

Regardless, the old woman opposite him was the original owner's biological mother, and his body's various natural reactions were constantly reminding Jia Dongjin not to look down on the woman opposite him, but to treat her kindly.

Jia Dongjin patted Jia Zhangshi's hand and gently comforted her, "Mom, just you wait and see. Your son has grown up and has skills in car repair and other trades. Our Jia family's good days are just around the corner. Just wait and enjoy the good life."

"Don't try to fool your mother. Look how red those bastards' eyes are. They'll definitely try to use the bicycle for free later. This bicycle is under my control. I'll squeeze them for a fortune. I'll save all the money you make for you to use when you get married in the future," Jia Zhangshi said viciously.

While making harsh remarks, Jia Zhangshi gave her eldest daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu, a meaningful look. Qin Huairu didn't say a word, but just lowered her head to stew soup and cook.

A sincere and devoted heart was tragically shattered by the fierce wind and rain.

Jia Zhangshi's words left Jia Dongjin dumbfounded. He lacked experience in fighting, and before the beasts outside could even make a move, his own mother was already trying to snatch his bicycle, and the reason was so convincing and justifiable that he couldn't refute it.

"Mom, what are you saying? I have a very important use for this bicycle, and I won't sell it for any amount of money. I also have two things to tell you tonight, but don't ask what they are yet. Let's eat first, because we have a hospital-wide meeting later."

Knowing that a large sum of money was involved, Jia Dongjin decided to settle the matter once and for all and then disappear.

Madam Jia wasn't buying it at all. She followed closely to the dining table and declared directly, "Stop arguing with your mother. Nothing is more important than this bicycle. The bicycle belongs to the Jia family, and what belongs to the Jia family is mine. How dare you be unfilial?"

"The bicycle is mine, and of course it's yours too. Aren't those neighbors just trying to take advantage of us? It's actually very easy to handle. I won't sell it for less than 120. No matter who it is, the used bikes at the trust store are only 80 yuan. They won't be stupid enough to buy it. You can borrow the bicycle, but you have to give me a bribe. It's two cents a time. The price is clearly marked and I'm fair to everyone." Jia Dongjin was so hungry that he could only raise his hands in surrender.

Jia Dongjin was a little nervous about attending the courtyard meeting for the first time, but seeing Yan Fugui's fear of Jia Zhangshi and with Yi Zhonghai, the big boss, as an ally, he knew that the Jia family would not suffer any losses when the courtyard meeting was held later.

"That's more like it. Dongjin, don't be afraid to hold a big meeting. Our Jia family has never suffered a loss in meetings. Old Man Yan dares to covet my son's things. He doesn't know how many eyes the Horse King has. I'll teach that scheming Yan Fugui a lesson later."

Madam Jia Zhang proudly picked up the stalk of the bone broth, sniffed, and said, "Huai Ru, this bone broth isn't fragrant enough. It needs to simmer for a while longer. Let's eat something light for now, and then we can have a proper soup after the meeting."

Dinner was similar to breakfast, consisting of cornmeal porridge, steamed buns with pickled vegetables, except for a large bowl of steaming hot pork bone and radish stew, plus two steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and vegetables.

Two-grain steamed buns are a traditional type of steamed bread made from a mixture of cornmeal and wheat flour. The name "two-grain" or "two-mixed" indicates that two types of flour are mixed together. Common alternative names include two-mixed steamed buns, two-flour steamed buns, and mixed-grain steamed buns.

Two-ingredient steamed buns are a good thing, and Jia Zhangshi, without hesitation, picked up one first.

She broke the steamed bun in half and gave it to Jia Dongjin and Banggeng. Then she picked up another steamed bun, took a big bite, chewed it and swallowed it. She then picked up a small bowl of bone broth that Qin Huairu had served and drank a big mouthful.

The bone broth was glistening with the oil from the simmering marrow, and its aroma was so enticing that it made Jia Zhangshi squint her eyes in satisfaction.

The other three were also drinking soup. For people who hadn't had oil and fat for a long time, the aroma of the aromatic hydrocarbons in the fat made Jia Dongjin's mouth water.

Little Stick was even worse off; the soup was too hot for him to drink, so he kept blowing on the bowl to try and get it down as quickly as possible.

"Hey, you can't do it like this. Let your uncle teach you how to do it."

Jia Dongjin casually handed half a steamed bun made from two kinds of flour to Qin Huairu. He had just eaten meat buns for lunch and didn't care much for steamed buns. "Sister-in-law, I don't like steamed buns made from two kinds of flour. You can have it."

He got up, took a bowl, and began to teach Banggeng to stir the bone broth back and forth between the two bowls, stirring it with chopsticks and blowing on it vigorously.

After a flurry of activity, Banggeng finally got to drink the bone broth. He drank it with his head down, mumbling his thanks, "Uncle, it's so delicious! This soup is so fragrant!"

"If it tastes good, drink more. There's plenty more in the pot. It'll taste even better if it simmers longer." Jia Dongjin forced himself to start gnawing on the cornbread, but he still couldn't swallow it. He still couldn't bear it and didn't want anyone to see it, so in the end he could only resort to his old trick: he broke the cornbread into pieces and soaked it in the bone broth.

Humans have an exceptionally strong ability to adapt to their environment. With the help of hot soup, Jia Dongjin no longer resisted eating cornbread and quickly slurped it all down.

The family had just finished eating when Yan Jiecheng's voice came from outside the door, "Meeting! Meeting!"

The summons was like "Let's exercise! Let's exercise!" Jia Dongjin seemed to transform into Xiaowen, and for a moment he felt as if he were in a dream.

He hurriedly shook his head, and was just about to leave when Jia Zhangshi spoke up to stop him, "What's the rush? The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is. Yan Jiecheng is a good-for-nothing."

The family calmly finished cleaning up the dishes, then leisurely picked up their small stools. Jia Zhangshi led the way, followed by Jia Dongjin, with Qin Huairu pulling the stick behind them.

Having drunk some of the meat broth, Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongjin, emboldened by the rich fat, strode confidently towards the courtyard assembly, while Qin Huairu still habitually bowed her head slightly.

The essence of a siheyuan (courtyard house) lies in its central courtyard, which contains the most houses and has the largest open space. Therefore, large meetings are held in the central courtyard.

Yan Jiecheng pulled out an electric wire, mounted a light bulb on a bamboo stick, and set up an eight-immortal table in front of He Yuzhu's main house, with three chairs next to it. The residents of the courtyard sat down in the open space in the middle of the courtyard.

Some people didn't bring stools and simply sat on the covered walkways around the house. Some wealthier families even brought some melon seeds and candies. Families who knew each other sat together, chatting and gossiping.

Sunflower seeds and fruit peels flew everywhere, and adults and children chatted and laughed together. Jia Dongjin suddenly realized that he actually liked this lively atmosphere. He looked around and decided not to sit with Jia Zhangshi, but instead sat next to Xu Damao.

Xu Damao had his parents on his left, and then suddenly the main character of the meeting appeared on his right, which immediately piqued his interest.

Xu Damao's father, Xu Fugui, was a projectionist at the steel mill. He was issued a bicycle by the factory and didn't care much for it. He leaned close to Jia Dongjin's ear and whispered, "Brother Dongjin, Yan Laokou is the kind of person who would even taste the saltiness of a manure cart passing by. My dad thinks he's got his eye on your bicycle, or at least wants to use it for free. You'd better think about how to deal with him."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Damao. It's fine to borrow from neighbors, but I'm worried about being robbed." Jia Dongjin was still a little reserved when he first entered the famous courtyard hall.

"That won't do. He doesn't have the guts or the face. I, Xu Damao, am definitely on your side."

On the other side, Xu Damao's parents were also chatting, their voices extremely low. Jia Dongjin could only vaguely hear a few words such as "a bunch of poor bastards talking nonsense" and "nonsense nagging".

Just as the noise was rising, three old men walked over, all with smiles on their faces and light steps, each carrying a large tea mug. They went straight to the octagonal table and took their seats.

Solemn and dignified!

"Wow, I'm impressed."

Jia Dongjin suddenly had a feeling of some kind of conference. He noticed that the three men's teacups all had the characters facing outwards, and the words "Advanced Individual" were printed on them. They all had a lot of style and presence.

The grand assembly of the entire courtyard at No. 95 lived up to its reputation. No wonder all the young talents of the courtyard bowed down. Jia Dongjin gasped and once again had the idea of ​​pretending to be a quail.

When one is unsure of the situation, the best way to protect oneself is to follow the rules, without exception.

Similarly, you can only jump higher if you crouch down first.