60s: I have a store

Chapter 546 Pavilion Dispute
Zhou Yimin finished a busy day at work and rode his motorcycle on the way back to the courtyard.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, stretching his shadow very long.

Looking at the passers-by hurrying along the street, he suddenly remembered that it had been a long time since he had a good reunion with Dapeng and Li Youde.

On weekdays, everyone is busy with their own lives and just greet each other hurriedly when they meet. Thinking of this, Zhou Yimin's mouth curled up slightly, and he decided to call everyone to the courtyard tonight for a lively dinner.

The motorcycle stopped in the courtyard and Zhou Yimin arrived outside Dapeng's house in the backyard and gently patted the weathered door.

"Who is it?" Dapeng's rough voice came from the yard.

"Dapeng, it's me, Yimin!" Zhou Yimin shouted.

After a while, the courtyard door creaked open. Dapeng, wearing a washed-out short-sleeved shirt and holding a half-eaten steamed bread in his hand, saw Zhou Yimin and grinned, "Yimin, how did you find time to come to see me? The sun is rising from the west!"

Zhou Yimin pointed to the room and said, "Let's go in and talk."

The two men entered the house, which was simply furnished with a tattered wooden table, a few benches, and a few patched clothes hanging on the wall.

Dapeng scratched his head sheepishly and said, "We don't have anything good to offer you at home. All we have left are these steamed buns made of 200 grams of flour and some vegetables. Do you mind if you want to have a bite?"

Zhou Yimin waved his hand and said, "I came here today to invite you to my courtyard for a meal so that we can have a good reunion. I prepared some rare things that I guarantee you have never tasted before!"

Dapeng's eyes lit up instantly, and the steamed bread in his hand almost fell to the ground. He said excitedly: "Really? Yimin, don't make fun of me! The steamed bread has been so hard that it hurts my teeth. My cheeks hurt from chewing it every day!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded: "Of course it's true, how could I lie to you? I'll show you my skills later!"

Dapeng put the steamed bread in his hand on the table without saying anything, and said, "Let's go! Let's go now! If I stay here, I can only eat this hard steamed bread. I'd be a fool not to go with you to eat better! If we're late and others eat it all, I'll be angry with you!"

Zhou Yimin said at this time: "Don't worry, it hasn't even started yet, how could it be eaten up?"

After coming out of Dapeng's house, the two walked towards Li Youde's house.

Li Youde's home was not far away. At this time, Li Youde was sitting on a small bench in the yard. On the small table in front of him was a bowl of thin noodle porridge that was so thin that you could see your reflection in it and a plate of pickled vegetables. He was preparing to eat.

Seeing Zhou Yimin and Dapeng approaching, Li Youde quickly stood up and greeted them warmly: "Yimin, Dapeng, come and sit down. Have you eaten? Would you like to have some porridge together? But I have to say this, the porridge only has a few grains of rice, please don't despise it."

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Youde, we are not here to drink your porridge. I want to invite you to my courtyard for a meal so we can have a good chat. There will be meat and vegetables, and new ways to eat them that you would never imagine!"

Li Youde looked at the food on his table, then looked at Zhou Yimin, swallowed his saliva, and said decisively: "Okay! I don't have to eat this meal, I'll go eat something good with you guys!"

As he said this, he put the bowl down, dusted himself off, and followed Zhou Yimin and Dapeng away.

The three of them walked to the street. Zhou Yimin originally planned to walk to the courtyard. After all, the distance was not far and a walk could help digestion.

But Dapeng was like a little kid, holding Zhou Yimin's arm and begging, "Yimin, let me ride a motorcycle for once! I haven't ridden one many times in my life, just ride it once, okay? Riding a motorcycle with the wind blowing is really exciting!"

As he spoke, he kept shaking Zhou Yimin's arm.

Li Youde also joined in the fun: "Yimin, let Dapeng ride for once. I also want to experience the feeling of riding a motorcycle again. The last time was the last time. I almost forgot what it felt like!"

Zhou Yimin smiled helplessly and had to agree.

He first returned to where he parked his car and loaded the ingredients he had prepared onto his motorcycle one by one.

There is fresh pork, vegetables, and hot pot base that was bought at the store in a flash sale today.

These ingredients were rare in the era of material scarcity.

Zhou Yimin got on the motorcycle, and Dapeng and Li Youde sat on the back seat excitedly.

As the roar of the motorcycle sounded, the three of them drove towards the courtyard.

Along the way, Dapeng kept exclaiming in amazement, feeling the joy of the wind whistling past his ears: "Wow! Yimin, go faster! It feels like flying!"

Dapeng shouted at the top of his lungs, but his voice was cut off by the wind.

Li Youde also laughed from ear to ear: "Haha, it's so cool! It's much more exciting than riding a bicycle!"

In less than five minutes, the motorcycle stopped at the gate of the courtyard.

The two were still not satisfied, but it was over so quickly.

If it weren't for the temptation of the feast, Gao would have asked Zhou Yimin to take them for a few more rounds.

Zhou Yimin parked the car and walked up to knock on the gate of the courtyard.

"Who is it?" Zhou Dazhong's voice came from inside the door.

"Da Zhong, it's me, Yimin! I brought two greedy cats with me!" Zhou Yimin shouted.

The door opened quickly, and Zhou Dazhong saw that it was Zhou Yimin with Dapeng and Li Youde. He immediately smiled and said enthusiastically: "Yimin, you are finally here, come in! We are waiting for you to have dinner!"

When the other people in the courtyard heard the noise, they also came out of their houses.

Zhou Dafu was sharp-eyed. Seeing the food Zhou Yimin was holding, he asked curiously, "Uncle Sixteen, what are these delicious? Are they pickled vegetables again? I'm tired of them!"

Zhou Yimin smiled mysteriously and said, "You will know in a moment. Today I will give you a taste of a new flavor of hot pot, which will surely make you swallow your tongue!"

Everyone gathered around, staring at the hot pot base with curiosity on their faces.

Zhou Dazhong asked in confusion: "Yimin, what is this? I've never seen it before. The colorful packaging looks very expensive."

Zhou Yimin smiled and explained: "This is the hot pot base. Put it in the pot and boil it. Then add water and you can cook all kinds of delicious food. It's so delicious! It's spicy and numbing. After eating it, you will feel refreshed!"

After hearing this, everyone showed anticipation on their faces.

Chow Tai Fook volunteered and skillfully took out a large pot from the kitchen and placed it on the stove in the yard.

Zhou Yimin carefully unpacked the hot pot base and put the red and shiny base into the pot.

After a while, the flames licked the bottom of the pot, the butter slowly melted, and a rich aroma began to spread through the yard.

"This smells so delicious!" Li Youde took a deep breath and couldn't help but exclaimed.

Dapeng was also sniffing at the side and said, "This is the first time I've smelled such a fragrant smell. It feels even more tempting than the meat fragrance I smelled during the Chinese New Year! Yimin, where did you get this treasure from?"

As the base material is completely melted, add water, the pot gradually boils, bubbles pop up, and the aroma becomes more intense.

Fortunately, there were no other outsiders in the courtyard, otherwise the tempting fragrance would surely attract all the neighbors.

Zhou Yimin began to arrange for everyone to prepare the ingredients. Zhou Dazhong and Dapeng were responsible for cutting the meat. They cut the fresh pork into thin slices. The fat and lean slices of meat shone with an attractive luster in the sun.

Li Youde and Zhou Dafu went to wash the vegetables, and crystal water droplets were still hanging on the tender green leaves.

Xiaomei wanted to help, but Zhou Yimin said, "Just let your brother and the others do the work. You're not feeling well, so just rest more!"

After hearing Zhou Yimin's arrangement, Xiaomei obeyed obediently, and Zhou Yimin also gave Xiaomei two candies.

The others were not idle either. Some helped to set the table, some moved stools, and the courtyard of the quadrangle was bustling with activity.

Everything was ready, and Zhou Yimin asked everyone to sit around the pot.

He first picked up a piece of meat and put it into the boiling pot. After a while, the meat became pink and tender. He took out the meat, put it in a bowl, sprinkled some chopped green onions and coriander on it, and handed it to Dapeng beside him, saying: "Dapeng, try it. Be careful of the heat, eat slowly!"

Dapeng took the bowl impatiently, blew away the hot air, stuffed the meat slice into his mouth, his eyes widened instantly, and he said incoherently: "It's delicious! It tastes so spicy and fragrant, I have never eaten anything so delicious! Yimin, you are simply a cooking god! This is better than the braised pork I had in the restaurant!" As he said that, he quickly picked up several slices of meat and put them into the pot.

Seeing this, others also started to pick up their chopsticks.

Li Youde picked up a piece of meat, put it in his mouth and savored it carefully, and said with emotion: "Yimin, where did you get such good food? This hot pot is so delicious! If I can eat this every day, I would be happy to live ten years less!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and said: "I got it by chance, so I thought I'd buy it back for everyone to try. It's good to satisfy your cravings once in a while!"

Everyone ate and chatted, and laughter echoed in the courtyard.

Some people talked about interesting things at work, some shared their little troubles in life, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Zhou Dafu's face turned red from eating so much that he kept wiping his sweat with his hands, and he kept shouting, "It's so delicious! It's so delicious! Uncle Sixteen, I can drink three bowls of this hot pot soup!"

Zhou Dazhong would add more food to everyone's plate from time to time to ensure that everyone could enjoy the food.

"Eat more meat, young people, don't be polite!" Zhou Dazhong said as he put meat into everyone's bowl.

The soup in the pot kept boiling and the ingredients were decreasing.

Everyone's stomach was gradually filled and their faces were filled with satisfied smiles.

In the end, even the soup in the pot was drunk up by everyone.

After the meal, everyone cleaned up the dishes and washed the pots and stoves together.

Although it was busy, everyone had a smile on their face.

As the night deepened, Zhou Yimin prepared to leave with Dapeng and Li Youde.

Just after parking the motorcycle, I heard a fierce quarrel coming from the courtyard.

"This is not okay, absolutely not okay!"

"Why should your family use it whenever they want? This is a public place!"

The sharp shouts broke through the courtyard gate, and were particularly harsh in the quiet street.

The originally relaxed expressions of Zhou Yimin and the other two instantly turned solemn. Dapeng subconsciously clenched his fists, Li Youde frowned, and Zhou Yimin's eyes became stern, and he quickened his pace towards the gate.

The moment I pushed open the door, a smell of gunpowder hit me in the face. The yard was full of people. Standing in the middle was Aunt Qian, her hands on her hips, veins bulging on her neck, confronting Aunt Zhao from the opposite door.

Aunt Qian's face flushed red, her hair was a little messy, like an enraged lioness. She waved her arms and spoke in a voice so sharp that it could cut through the night sky: "I came up with the idea to build the pavilion, and my family is also responsible for cleaning it. What's wrong with using it? The junk in my house doesn't take up much space! Don't take advantage of me!"

As she spoke, she stomped her feet hard, and the dust on the ground flew up.

Aunt Zhao showed no weakness. She stretched her neck forward, her fingers almost poking Aunt Qian's face, the veins on her neck throbbing. "So your family is taking all the benefits? This pavilion was built with the money and effort of everyone. It's not your Qian family's private property! Today you can put sundries in it, tomorrow his family can pile coal briquettes. How can this yard be good? Why don't you put your old hens in the pavilion to lay eggs!"

"Stop spitting bloody words here!"

Aunt Qian screamed, suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Aunt Zhao's wrist, "I think you are just jealous and can't stand seeing others doing well! If you have the ability, you can give some advice. What's the point of talking nonsense here!"

Aunt Zhao was not to be outdone, and the two of them started pushing and shoving each other. Several women around them hurried forward to pull them apart, fearing that they would start fighting.

Uncle Wang was so angry that he slapped his thigh and shouted tremblingly: "Stop making a fuss! What nonsense is this! We are all old neighbors. If we make a fuss over such a small matter, it will be laughed at if it gets out!"

But his voice was soon drowned out by the noisy quarrel, and he could only shake his head helplessly.

Uncle Zhao standing by was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet: "We just agreed to build the pavilion for everyone, but now it's like this over such a trivial matter! I should have stopped making such a fuss earlier!"

People around also expressed their agreement.

Aunt Qian struggled to shake off the hands of others, jumped up and down and shouted, "I don't care! I have put in so much effort, it is only natural for me to use the pavilion! If anyone disagrees, don't build the pavilion! At worst, we can just break up and no one will be happy!"

Aunt Zhao said at this time: "If you don't want to build it, then don't build it. We won't lose anything anyway!"

Aunt Qian didn't expect that her tried-and-tested trick wouldn't work on Aunt Zhao.

The sounds of quarrels, shouting, and calls for people to stop fighting were intertwined, and the entire courtyard became a mess. Even the birds in the trees outside the courtyard were startled and flew away.

Zhou Yimin looked at the tense situation and felt relieved - fortunately it was not a big deal.

He walked through the crowd and approached an old man who was sitting on a stone pier with his brows knitted into the shape of a "川" character. He asked softly, "Uncle, what's going on? Why is Aunt Qian making a fuss again? She's not like this usually. Is she having some problem?"

The old man sighed heavily, wiped his face with his hand, and his cloudy eyes were full of helplessness: "It was originally a good thing. In the afternoon, Aunt Qian suddenly called everyone to the yard and said that she wanted to build a pavilion under the old locust tree.

You know, in this hot summer, we don't even have a place to cool off in the yard. When everyone heard about it, they all thought it was a good idea and started to make suggestions, discussing what the pavilion should look like and what materials to use. Some said it should have a pointed roof, while others said it should have four corners. It was very lively. "

At this point, the old man paused, took out his pipe from his pocket, took two puffs, and the smoke from his mouth curled up and dispersed in the moonlight: "Who would have thought that when we were discussing the details, Aunt Qian suddenly said that after the pavilion was built, when no one was using it, she could put some sundries in it. She also said that as compensation, she would be responsible for cleaning the pavilion in the future. As soon as she said this, the whole yard went crazy."

The neighbor next to her angrily took over the conversation: "That's right! This pavilion was built for everyone to enjoy the cool air and chat, it's not her warehouse.

Besides, who knows what she has put there? How can we use it when it is piled up in a mess? My kid runs around the yard every day. If he gets hurt by something, who will be held responsible?"

The uncle nodded slightly and continued, "Aunt Zhao was the first to stand up and object, saying that this pavilion is a public facility and cannot be used by one family alone.

Others also echoed this, saying that if this precedent was set, everyone would want to occupy some public space in the future, and the yard would be in chaos.

Aunt Qian felt that she had been wronged, saying that she had come up with the idea, and that cleaning was laborious, so why couldn't she just use the pavilion? Neither side could convince the other, and they started arguing.

After listening to this, Zhou Yimin glanced at the people who were arguing.

Aunt Qian was still chattering away, trying to convince everyone, while the others were filled with indignation and refused to give in.

He knew that if this matter was not handled properly, the relationship between neighbors in the yard would become difficult in the future.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Yimin cleared his throat and raised his voice, saying, "Everyone, stop arguing and calm down! Since this is for the good of the yard, let's have a good discussion and we can always come up with a solution that will satisfy both parties. Aunt Qian is also doing this for the good of the yard, and her starting point is right, so let's not hurt the harmony."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Zhou Yimin, and the quarrel in the yard gradually subsided.

Zhou Yimin looked at everyone and continued, "Building the pavilion is indeed a good thing. Aunt Qian has worked hard to come up with the idea, and everyone can see that. But this pavilion is a public facility in our yard, and it really can't be used by just one family.

I think we can make a rule that the pavilion is usually for everyone to use. If someone needs to put something there temporarily, they can discuss it with everyone. As long as everyone agrees, it's okay to use it.

As for sanitation, although Aunt Qian is willing to take responsibility, we can't take advantage of Aunt Qian for nothing. The sanitation of the pavilion will be the responsibility of everyone. Each household will be responsible for one week?"

After hearing what Zhou Yimin said, everyone began to discuss it in a low voice and thought it was a good idea.

Aunt Qian opened her mouth and seemed to want to say something, but when she saw the approving looks around her, she swallowed her words back.

Aunt Zhao nodded and said, "Yimin's idea is good. As long as it's not monopolized by one company, it's okay to use it occasionally. I was just angry and said something harsh. Aunt Qian, don't take it to heart."

Aunt Qian turned away and muttered, "I don't really want to keep it all to myself, I just don't have any room to put it at home. Since everyone says so, I'll listen to everyone."

The uncle looked at the people who were gradually calming down, smiled with satisfaction, and said: "Yimin is right, we are all from the same courtyard, if there is anything, we should discuss it properly and don't hurt the harmony.

Since everyone has no objection, then let’s just do it. We’ll start preparing to build the pavilion tomorrow.

Let’s just treat what happened tonight as a minor incident and let it go!”

With Zhou Yimin's mediation, the storm gradually subsided.

(End of this chapter)