Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 396 A Change of Perception About My Brother-in-Law

He Yuanchao was stunned when he saw the money handed to him. The money for buying the grain was paid by Zhang Lide, and had nothing to do with him.

He glanced at Zhang Lide and saw his father-in-law shake his head slightly. He immediately decided to continue the charade, since it was just a matter of transferring money from one hand to the other.

"I didn't spend that much on grain. Cornmeal was 22 cents per pound, and flour was 35 cents per pound. I spent a total of 290 yuan."

As he spoke, He Yuanchao took the money, counted out two hundred and one, and handed it back to Zhang Zhao.

Zhang Zhao is the kind of person who won't follow if you lead him, and will only back down if you try to pull him.

Seeing He Yuanchao's attitude of settling accounts clearly even between close brothers, he readily accepted the money and did not use this matter to curry favor with Zhang Lide. Instead, he looked at him with higher regard.

Zhang Zhao took the money without checking it, stuffed it all into his pocket, and awkwardly said:

"Thank you for the food."

The sound was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz, but it conveyed an attitude, and He Yuanchao even showed a slight smile.

When they first met, Zhang Zhao looked down on He Yuanchao, but at that time He Yuanchao also disliked Zhang Zhao.

But Zhang Zhao's act of returning the money just now changed He Yuanchao's impression of his brother-in-law.

Although this brother-in-law is a bit soft-hearted and somewhat clueless about family matters, he is not a bad person. He is straightforward and wears his heart on his sleeve.

The fact that he paid back the money as soon as he had it, and didn't try to renege on the debt because of our family relationship, proves that my brother-in-law has pretty good values. Perhaps when we really run into each other again in the future, it shouldn't be difficult to get along with him.

After this incident, the atmosphere inside the car improved considerably.

A relieved smile appeared on Zhang Lide's face. He raised his hand to check his watch and said, "It's getting late. I think we should go eat first, so we don't have to make another trip to the guesthouse."

Driver Xiao Wang loved hearing this. Although he couldn't go home these past two days, the daily food allowance made him feel no resentment. He even thought that Zhang Lide and He Yuanchao could stay here for a few more days.

Zhang Zhao was filled with grievances and sadness, and nothing could arouse his interest. He turned his head and looked out the car window without saying a word.

He Yuanchao hadn't eaten enough at noon and was a little hungry now, so he readily nodded and said, "Okay, let's go eat first, and we can return the lunchbox to Sister Liu while we're at it."

The reason I was in such a hurry to return the food was that I was afraid it would delay the waitress from having anything to put home with when she took the food home that night.

The saying "Even in a famine, the cooks won't go hungry" may be a bit exaggerated, but it's not entirely untrue. You don't need to take half a chicken like Sha Zhu did; as long as you scrape a little out of each dish, everyone in the restaurant can benefit.

Driver Xiao Wang pricked up his ears, and seeing that no one objected, his smile widened, and he couldn't help but hum a little tune.

No wonder Xiao Wang was happy. Since 1959, there had been shortages of various supplies on the market, especially grain and various non-staple foods, which were distributed in much smaller quantities.

Just as Liu Caixia said, food is the most important thing in the world. Nowadays, most people's happiness is very simple, which is to be able to eat a full meal.

Knowing that He Yuanchao and his team had finished their business, Xiao Wang decided to enjoy his meals to the fullest, disregarding the bumpy ride. He sped along, covering a journey that usually took forty or fifty minutes in just half an hour.

As soon as the jeep came to a stop in front of the restaurant, He Yuanchao and the others, who were still dizzy from the bumpy ride, hurriedly opened the door and got out of the car. They stood in front of the restaurant for a while to catch their breath before finally going inside.

It's a few minutes to 5:30, which should be lunchtime, but the restaurant is exactly the same as the previous two days, with only a few scattered people eating.

The restaurant staff, who had nothing else to do, gathered around the service counter chatting and laughing, just like when they arrived at noon.

Upon seeing He Yuanchao and his group enter the house, a middle-aged woman in her forties smiled at Liu Caixia and said, "Caixia, your good brother has come to see you again."

The tone was teasing, and Liu Caixia naturally understood the implication. But Northeastern women, especially married ones, wouldn't care about such trivial matters. Giving the middle-aged woman a sidelong glance, Liu Caixia stood up and walked out of the service counter, grumbling as she did so:

"I have a younger brother to prove I'm charming. Someone like you, with a butt as thick as your waist, probably wouldn't even get a second glance even if you paid him."

Hahaha~~
Liu Caixia's words were considered somewhat vulgar in those days, and everyone in the room burst into laughter. Two young men even turned to look at the middle-aged woman's waist a few times, as if to verify the truth of her words.

The middle-aged woman was displeased by what was said, and her face immediately fell. However, since she was the one who started the conversation, she couldn't retaliate. Without even glancing at Liu Caixia, she turned her head and walked towards the kitchen with a disgruntled expression.

You're smart to know your place. If you piss me off, I'll teach you a lesson.

Liu Caixia turned her head and looked at the middle-aged woman's back, muttering something to herself. She ignored her and turned back to the table where He Yuanchao and the others were sitting. Her expression changed, and she walked over to the table with a smile.

Upon seeing Liu Caixia approach, He Yuanchao quickly stood up with his lunchbox.

"Sister Liu, I'm so grateful for your lunchbox, otherwise I would definitely have gone hungry at noon. It's just that I couldn't find any water, and the lunchbox hasn't been washed yet..."

"Why wash?"

Liu Caixia rolled her eyes at He Yuanchao and interrupted him, saying, "I can wash myself in a bit."

After saying that, Liu Caixia nodded and smiled at Zhang Lide and the others, then pulled He Yuanchao aside and whispered, "How's the grain situation going? Have you bought it?"

"Speaking of this, sis, I really have to thank you."

He Yuanchao thanked him first, and then briefly explained the matter of buying traffic.

Hearing that they had successfully purchased the grain, Liu Caixia was happy for He Yuanchao and also breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's good that you got it, it's good that you got it. You don't know, ever since you left with Zhang Daya at noon, my heart has been on edge, afraid that something might happen. I only felt relieved when I saw you come in just now..."

Liu Caixia rambled on for a while before slapping her thigh and saying somewhat embarrassedly:
"Look at me, I was so busy talking that I forgot about the important matter. There aren't many dishes left in the kitchen right now, and some dishes probably can't be made. If you don't like it, you should hurry up and go to another restaurant to check."

He Yuanchao waved his hand dismissively and said, "No need for that. Sister, just take a look and get me whatever you have. As long as I can eat my fill, that's fine."

"Okay, I'll go check now and pick out two for you."

After Liu Caixia finished speaking, she didn't linger and turned around to run into the kitchen, as if the food would be gone if she was a little late.

He Yuanchao smiled as he looked at Liu Caixia's hurried appearance, thinking to himself that he must buy this older sister something as a souvenir before returning to Kyoto.

Before they could even decide what to buy, the middle-aged woman who had been criticized by Liu Caixia earlier strode out of the kitchen with a livid face. She snorted coldly when she saw He Yuanchao and then walked out of the restaurant.

He Yuanchao was a little confused, thinking to himself, "I didn't do anything to you, why are you bothering me?"
Looking out the window at the middle-aged woman walking away, He Yuanchao, still confused, didn't take it seriously and went back to the table to sit down next to the driver, Xiao Wang.

With the food issue resolved, Zhang Lide's mood improved considerably. He was currently smoking and chatting with Xiao Wang.

Seeing that the driver, Xiao Wang, who was busy running around, was chatting and laughing, He Yuanchao breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he didn't have to be the mood-maker anymore.

As for Zhang Zhao sitting there silently, staring out the window like a philosopher, He Yuanchao didn't pay him any attention. He's a grown man now, he can't be like a child who needs to be coaxed for everything. He has to learn to get up on his own when he gets stuck.

While listening to Zhang Lide chatting with Xiao Wang, He Yuanchao, who had nothing to do, took out a cigarette and was about to light it when Liu Caixia, who had gone to the kitchen, rushed over.

(End of this chapter)