Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 916: Partners Reunited
Wang Zhan just listened to the matter of No. 95 Courtyard and didn't care at all. But before the start of the school year, he received a private letter from Principal Ren, which contained only eight words: "The situation is tense, be careful with your words and actions!"

Wang Zhan was very puzzled at first. He was just a junior high school student, and no matter what happened, it would not involve him, not to mention that he was a relative of a martyr.

But the series of events that happened afterwards caught him off guard and left him at a loss.

First, Principal Ren and his wife disappeared. Even his master could not find any news about them, as if the couple had never appeared.

After a while, Qi Dasheng left him a letter and left, saying that he was going back to the mountain to practice and asked Wang Zhan not to look for him. Wang Zhan did not believe his master's words at all. Although Qi Dasheng was once a monk, he did not consider himself a practitioner at all and had never received formal ordination.

Since Qi Dasheng left, Wang Zhan's life slowly calmed down. After school started, he went to class and no one bothered him. But after learning that He Yushui had distanced themselves from Wang Zhan, Xiaosi, Xiaowu and Da Laotie rarely contacted He Yushui. In this way, an ordinary but extraordinary year passed.

Wang Zhan’s target now is no longer school. He goes to the pigeon market every day, and rushes to any place selling food and buys it without saying a word.

His companions were the same as him. Xiaowu's father even doubled the size of his cellar. Xiaowu said that his father often went to the countryside. As he had been a purchaser, he was very familiar with several surrounding villages. After coming back, he would say nothing and secretly stockpile food.

Wang Zhan wanted Wu Yong to find a way to buy some new grain so that he could replace the old grain. The so-called old grain was actually the grain that Hei Pi had brought back before. It was always kept in the cellar and not eaten. Wang Zhan felt it was a waste. In addition to buying the ration for himself and his sister, he often went to the pigeon market and the ghost market, so the food at home became more and more.

Wang Zhan had a good idea, but unfortunately it didn't go as planned. Wu Yong helped, asking people from all over the country. He just said, "Now we can't even finish eating the new grain, who wants the old grain?"

Wang Zhan was also confused. Are the rural areas so wealthy now? There was no way around it. He had to leave the grains alone and try to eat them first. Fortunately, the miscellaneous grains prepared by Hei Pi were very rich, including millet, corn, red beans, mung beans, etc. There were many kinds, but the most common ones were cornmeal and mixed flour.

In the second half of 1957, Wang Zhan and his sister ate less fine grains. Thanks to Wang Zhan's cooking skills, all kinds of porridge were on the table. Wang Li also liked it, and even his friends who always came to his house for meals ate it with relish.

A bowl of millet porridge with some dates and brown sugar in it. They can drink a big pot together, and then have corn cakes or two-grain steamed buns, plus a few dishes of pickles. In Xiao Si's words, it is "delicious!"

Wang Zhan, who was in the second year of junior high school, also changed classrooms. Their class moved to the second floor, but Wang Zhan and Xiao Si were still deskmates, and Yu Fei was still in front of Wang Zhan. However, Zhao Wenhai's position had changed. He moved to the second row in the front because he was the class monitor and could cooperate with the teacher better by sitting in the front.

Xiaowu said that there was a major reshuffle in the positions of their class. Except for him and Da Laotie, everyone else's positions were changed. He Yushui also moved to the front. I heard that this was a special treatment given by the head teacher to the first in the class.

Director Wang found Wang Zhan's home. She came to deliver some bills to Wang Zhan, but compared with previous years, the bills delivered had shrunk by more than half, and those in-demand bills were no longer available. Anyway, her master no longer lived here, and he didn't smoke or drink, so it didn't matter.

When Director Wang came in, he saw Wang Zhan making scrambled eggs with peppers, but when he turned around, he saw the chicken coop in Wang Zhan's yard from afar. A big rooster was circling around the coop in front of it in a domineering manner, followed by a group of chicks. Director Wang wanted to say something but stopped himself, but in the end said nothing. Later, Wang Zhan found out that there were regulations that prohibited raising so many chickens privately, and a maximum of three could be raised. But Wang Zhan didn't know this at the time.

Wang Zhan is just a student in the second grade of junior high school. He doesn't have much to think about, but he pays great attention to the living standards of him and his sister. After all, his sister is still growing up and just turned eight this year. He doesn't care much about what happens outside. Apart from the rationed food, he rarely goes to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy vegetables.

Wang Zhan is not short of money, but now it is useless if he has money without tickets. However, his family has a small vegetable garden. Although it is only a little more than one cent, it is really self-sufficient. In addition, his own hens are doing well, so his family lives a pretty good life. Otherwise, those friends would not come to eat every now and then.

In the first semester of the second year of junior high school, Wang Zhan only went to three places: his home, Red Star Primary School, and the Fifth Middle School. He rarely went to other places. Wang Li was the same. This girl could play with Dayu's child all day. During the rest time, she would take Erya and Xiaopang to play in the yard. Wang Zhan was still very relaxed in the first semester exams of the second year of junior high school. Now his biggest hobby is to do various chemical experiments in the laboratory. Wang Zhan went home and performed for his sister. After Wang Li saw it, she pouted and got angry. Wang Zhan wondered what was wrong with her. It turned out that Wang Li also wanted to go to middle school. Middle school is much more fun than elementary school.

Wang Zhan laughed and said, "Sister, you have already skipped two years. Look at your playmates. If you skip again, you will lose your happy childhood. Oh, and those friends too."

The image of her best sister, Zhang Erya, instantly emerged in Wang Li’s mind. Now Zhang Erya was not in the same grade as her. Wang Li would wait for Zhang Erya after school, and then follow Wang Zhan to their house to do homework. Except for classes, the two little sisters were inseparable.

On the second day of winter vacation, Fei Qing showed up, followed by Xiao Si, Xiao Wu and Da Lao Tie. Wang Li greeted them warmly, but her eyes were fixed on the bag in Fei Qing's hand. Fei Qing laughed, touched Wang Li's head and said, "Take it. This is for you. Biscuits and candies."

Wang Li took the bag, said thank you, and then took Zhang Erya and the two children back to her room to divide the loot.

Wang Zhan asked, "How is it? Still among the best?"

"Of course, without you, I would be invincible in that school." Fei Qing said proudly.

Xiao Si pouted, and Xiao Wu looked at Fei Qing and said, "Look at our big buddy, he has grown so tall, why haven't you grown taller? Fei Qing, have you only grown other things?"

Fei Qing looked at Xiao Wu and said, "What do you mean, what have I grown?"

"It's your ability to brag. I've never seen you show off before. Alas, the past Fei Qing is gone." Xiao Wu pretended to be sad, and a group of people laughed.

Fei Qing gave Xiao Wu a slap and said, "I finally came here, and you sent me away. Are you still a buddy?"

A group of people laughed, and Wang Zhan said, "It's rare for us brothers to get together, do you want to have a drink? By the way, are you going home today?"

Wang Zhan was asking Fei Qing. Wang Zhan knew that the school Fei Qing attended was under military management, which was very strict. If Fei Qing went back, he would definitely not be able to drink.

Before Fei Qing could speak, Big Boss spoke first, saying in a muffled voice: "If I drink, I have to go back to the sports school and ask for leave."

Wang Zhan gave him the car keys, and the old friend turned around and went out. Fei Qing said, "I'm not leaving tonight. I'll stay at your house. I'll go home directly tomorrow morning. I have a five-day vacation."

Then, Xiaowu took the money and the thermos to get beer, and Xiaosi followed behind him, also carrying two thermoses.

(End of this chapter)