Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 216 A Dispute Caused by a Big Chicken Leg

Work and life are rarely two parallel lines that never intersect.

However, after the Yan Bugui incident, Li Hongbing clearly learned his lesson and became much more cautious, at least in matters involving important figures like Old Xu.

Fortunately, this incident did not cause Old Xu to develop any resentment or distance from him, and everything gradually returned to normal.

Actually, Li Hongbing has been very disciplined.

Not to mention the people in the courtyard, even Chen Xueru and Li Hongbing had never mentioned Xu Lao and others to her. Who would have thought that Yan Bugui would suddenly appear as such an "accident".

Of course.

Chen Xueru wasn't completely unaware that Li Hongbing sometimes took on private jobs, or that he was invited by important figures to cook. However, she consciously never asked or gossiped about these things.

After all, living under the same roof and sleeping in the same bed, it's rare for them to keep things from each other.

For example, they work a fixed number of days a month, and each month they usually have special family activities, such as going out shopping, having a picnic in the park, or even climbing the Great Wall.

Li Hongbing usually takes on private jobs or accompanies Mr. Xu fishing or playing chess, which naturally takes up some of his personal time.

Moreover, for a chef of Li Hongbing's caliber, those who would willingly invite him to their home to cook are naturally not ordinary families; they are either extremely wealthy or have some kind of connection with him.

Not to mention Chen Xueru, anyone with a little knowledge could have thought of it, but no one could have imagined it would be someone of Xu Lao's level.

To cook for these bigwigs, one must first have a clean background, secondly be a reliable person with sound political awareness, and only lastly possess culinary skills.

Otherwise.

In Beijing today, there is no shortage of chefs who can cook. Even if only a small number of them are top-notch, not everyone has the opportunity like Li Hongbing.

One of Li Hongbing's biggest advantages is his youth.

Youth represents hope and the future, vitality and limitless possibilities.

Those as young as him don't have his skills, and those with his skills aren't his age, and they're far inferior to him.

It's unique in the entire city of Beijing.

Besides his skills and fame, Li Hongbing is unique in that he generates a lot of buzz and attention.

Seeing him, even important figures like Elder Xu seemed to see a bright future for the country.

The key is.

Li Hongbing now knows more than just his native Shandong cuisine; he also has a background in Sichuan cuisine, Tan family cuisine, and Huaiyang cuisine, and he does them quite well.

Once you have a solid foundation, especially at his level, you're no longer limited to one particular skill but start to learn from others and apply that knowledge to other areas.

It's not difficult to make classic dishes from other cuisines well.

In particular, Li Hongbing also had a box of recipes from various disciplines that were extremely valuable and practical. These were also generous rewards provided by his previous skill upgrades, which greatly facilitated his attempts and research during his learning process.

Many master chefs find it easy to replicate classic dishes from other cuisines, but making authentic, original flavors is not so simple.

Because the seasoning, cooking time, and preparation of many classic dishes are all very particular, and are even techniques and "secret recipes" that are not easily passed on to outsiders, even if you have culinary skills, you cannot grasp all the essence by just glancing at them or tasting them a couple of times.

Even among masters and apprentices with formal apprenticeships, many hold back some skills. Not to mention, between different cuisines and traditions, it's not so easy to learn from a peer.

Since the bigwigs at the top come from almost all over the country and have different taste preferences, and Li Hongbing is proficient in more than just Shandong cuisine, he can often make targeted adjustments to the dishes he cooks and prepares according to the guests' preferences and differences. This is one of the main reasons why Li Hongbing is so popular.

Li Hongbing had the most contact with Xu Lao and was the one he valued the most. However, Li Hongbing had met many important figures, including Xu Lao, and thus became a regular there.

only.

As the following year arrived, Li Hongbing began to cook for these important figures less and less.

The year was 1959, a rather special year.

The three years of hardship are coming again.

This was the first challenge that Li Hongbing encountered after arriving in this era.

Time flies, and several years have passed.

In order to cope with and get through this period, Li Hongbing had been making preparations for the past few years.

That's why Li Hongbing doesn't feel any pressure, no matter what happens or what he faces next.

For now, things are calm, but the higher-ups have clearly realized this and have begun to devise plans and measures to deal with it.

This was certainly not something Li Hongbing overheard from important figures like Old Xu. Even if he had a hundred lives, Li Hongbing wouldn't do something so foolish.

Even if Xu Lao and the others admired and trusted Li Hongbing, they would not easily reveal such a secret concerning the foundation of the country to him, not even a hint of it.

in contrast.

Li Hongbing was merely using his premonition about history and this event to deduce the reasons why they had been setting an example by voluntarily reducing private banquets and lowering the standard of meals during this period.

just.

As time went on, rumors began to circulate, and people began to pay attention to and discuss this year's drought in private.

As the "information hub" of the courtyard, Yan Bugui naturally showed off and discussed a lot of information he knew or heard from school, and in front of other residents, he would express his own wild analysis or hearsay "insights".

Li Hongbing ignored all of this and did not participate in the entire process.

Before long, the higher authorities will soon introduce policies and standards to reduce grain rations. However, before this notice is even issued, the courtyard's tranquility is once again disrupted by the arrival of a certain person.

……

this day.

A woman dressed in gray cloth, with a headscarf covering the lower half of her face, walked in hurriedly from outside.

Upon discovering this, Aunt Yan and Aunt Yang, who were sitting in the courtyard chatting and sewing shoe soles while basking in the sun, were taken aback.

"Comrade, who are you looking for?"

Although she couldn't see the other person's face clearly, judging from their appearance and attire, they were obviously not residents of the courtyard house, so Aunt Yan subconsciously asked them a question.

however.

Upon hearing Aunt Yan's voice, the other party not only did not respond, but quickened their pace and walked silently toward the Intermediate People's Court.

"stop!"

Originally, she was just curious, but the other party's actions aroused Aunt Yan's suspicion, and she immediately shouted.

Unexpectedly.

At Aunt Yan's shout, the other party quickened their pace once again and rushed towards the Intermediate People's Court.

"There's something wrong with this guy."

"Old Yang's wife?"

"on!"

"Quick, hold her down!"

"..."

Realizing something was wrong, Aunt Yan quickly called to Aunt Yang and the others beside her, and together they rushed towards the other party.

Although they were housewives, Aunt Yan and Aunt Yang were not weak. They were confident because they had more people on their side and the other woman was alone.

Otherwise, if they weren't confident or sensed any potential danger, they would have already hidden far away, at most going to the neighborhood office or police station to report it.

Sensing the commotion behind him, the person who suddenly ran in seemed to panic for a moment. Instead of fleeing, he continued running towards the central courtyard, becoming a sitting duck.

However, Aunt Yan was alert and reacted quickly. In addition, there were many people in the front yard, so the other party did not even have a chance to escape to the middle yard. He was caught up and a group of people pinned him to the ground.

"Quite strong?"

"Speak! Who are you, and what are you doing in our yard?"

"Why ask these questions? Just take her to the police station and see if she'll behave herself and dare to cause trouble in our compound."

"Hehe, they might be enemy agents. We've done a great job this time!"

"Don't rush, let's see who this person is first... Damn, Jia Zhangshi?"

"Me... Jia Zhangshi, how could it be you?"

"..."

The whole group of people were stunned.

They initially thought the other party was someone with ulterior motives, or even a spy. Just when they thought they had already gotten the credit, they never expected it to be his mother, Jia Zhangshi.

Upon discovering this situation, no one knew whether to feel fortunate or helpless.

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi, who was sitting on the ground panting heavily and surrounded by people, looked at the familiar faces in front of her and finally her gaze fell on Aunt Yan.

"Yang Ruihua, I'll fight you to the death."

Having just recovered, Jia Zhangshi shouted loudly as she tried to get up to seek revenge on Aunt Yan.

Of all the people in the courtyard just now, Aunt Yan was the one who made the most noise, and she was also the first to cause trouble for her. Jia Zhangshi clearly regarded her as the "ringleader" and wanted to deal with Aunt Yan, the ringleader, first.

Before Jia Zhangshi could even stand up, the crowd pushed her back down.

"you……"

Seeing these people who had joined forces with Aunt Yan, Jia Zhangshi was dumbfounded and looked at them in disbelief.

Too bully.

"Jia Zhangshi, what brings you back?"

At this moment, Aunt Yan and Aunt Yang looked at Jia Zhangshi and began to question her directly.

Upon discovering that the visitor was Jia Zhangshi, their former neighbor, the group naturally refrained from doing anything further to her. However, they still needed to clarify the situation.

"My home is here, why can't I come back?"

Although Jia Zhangshi was ruthless, she wasn't stupid.

When you're under someone's roof and facing so many people, you have no choice but to bow your head.

However, Jia Zhangshi was very dissatisfied with the question they asked.

“Jia Zhangshi, isn’t your home in the countryside? When did you get here? From the beginning, you were never one of us in this courtyard.”

In response to Jia Zhangshi's answer, someone asked a couple of questions and then expelled her from the brothel.

"Bullshit! I, Zhang Cuihua, have lived in this courtyard for countless years. When I married into this family, many of you were still nowhere to be found!"

Upon hearing that she had been expelled from the hospital, Jia Zhangshi was furious.

This is what she cares about most right now.

“Jia Zhangshi, you are indeed not one of our people.”

In response to Jia Zhangshi's earlier statement, Aunt Yan thought for a moment and retorted directly: "Your household registration has never been in the courtyard, much less in the city, but in your rural hometown."

You were only staying temporarily in our courtyard house at first, and now that you've gone back to the countryside, you're no longer considered part of our household.

Aunt Yan's words struck Jia Zhangshi right in the heart, and she felt immense regret for her decision back then.

Back then, for the sake of that piece of land in the countryside and the rent, Jia Zhangshi had many opportunities to obtain urban residency, but she herself gave them up.

If it weren't for this, even if they had made mistakes before, they wouldn't have been sent back to the countryside.

As long as your household registration is in the city, even if you're punished or receive education, it's still in the city; you don't even need to leave home. "So what?"

"Household registration is household registration; they are two completely different things."

“I lived in this courtyard house before liberation, so why can’t I be considered a member of the family?”

"Moreover, my son Jia Dongxu lives here. Wherever he is, that's where my home is."

"Whether I, Zhang Cuihua, belong in this courtyard or not is not for you to decide!"

"..."

Even though everyone unanimously expelled Jia Zhangshi from the courtyard house, she still had her own set of arguments to uphold.

It's not that there's absolutely no reason behind it.

It's just that Jia Zhangshi doesn't live here; that's a fact.

Moreover, she doesn't have a city household registration now, and she was even repatriated back then. It probably won't be easy for her to re-enter the city, or even move back into the courtyard house.

From everyone's perspective, Jia Zhangshi no longer belongs to their "circle".

"Say what you want, but why did you suddenly come back today? And you were acting all sneaky, we thought you were a spy!"

No one bothered to argue with her, but some people did openly criticize her.

"spy?"

"You're the spy, your whole family are spies?"

"No... Jia Zhangshi, dressed like this, who could recognize you? The way you were sneaking around just now, you looked like a spy!"

"What do you mean by 'sneaking around'? You didn't even recognize me, and you still have the nerve to say that? Just now, which of you laid a hand on me? You almost beat me up, you..."

"Mrs. Jia, don't be unreasonable. Otherwise, we'll go to the neighborhood office and invite Director Wang over. You can talk to Director Wang directly then!"

"Fine, I'm not going to argue with you. I'm going home!"

"..."

Although she had been away from the courtyard house for some time, Jia Zhangshi still maintained her imposing manner. Even when outnumbered, she showed no fear. It wasn't until someone said they needed to find Director Wang from the neighborhood committee that Jia Zhangshi became somewhat frightened and awkwardly shrank back. She quickly got up from the ground, pushed through the crowd, and ran towards the central courtyard as if fleeing.

This time, at least no one stopped her.

"Huairu!"

"Qin Huairu, where are you?"

"Where have you been?!"

"Qin Huairu..."

"..."

The commotion in the front yard naturally caught the attention of some people in the middle yard. Just as someone was about to go to the front yard to check, they saw Jia Zhangshi rushing over from the front yard in a hurry, rushing directly into her own west wing room, and then quickly running out of it shouting.

With her door unlocked and no one inside—not only was Qin Huairu absent, but even Bang Geng was nowhere to be seen—Jia Zhangshi naturally became anxious.

She returned suddenly this time without informing Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu in advance.

Even so, with Jia Dongxu at work and not home, where could Qin Huairu, an unemployed housewife, possibly go in broad daylight?

Before she could call out any further, Qin Huairu came out from the Yi family across the street. Looking at her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, who appeared before her, she said with a shocked expression, "Mom, what brings you here?"

"Why can't I come? Qin Huairu, this is my home. What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Upon hearing Qin Huairu's question, which she had asked instinctively, Jia Zhangshi immediately frowned, staring at Qin Huairu with a gloomy expression and full of displeasure.

It was one thing for Aunt Yan and the others to treat her like that in the front yard, but now her daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu, is reacting the same way, as if she's not welcome.

She hadn't been too tolerant of the crowd earlier, so how could she possibly put up with being mistreated in front of her daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu?

Even if it's just an act for others, she can't keep up the pretense.

If it weren't for this, Jia Zhangshi wouldn't have ended up being sent back to her rural hometown after being targeted by the wicked women.

"Sister-in-law, you've misunderstood Huairu's meaning."

At this moment, Wang Guihua also came out of the house and stood beside Qin Huairu, trying to smooth things over for Qin Huairu, saying, "Huairu means that if you're coming back, you should have someone send a message to Dongxu in advance so they can prepare to pick you up and buy some meat and vegetables to cook something nice. You see, there's nothing prepared today..."

Upon hearing Wang Guihua's words, Jia Zhangshi's expression immediately softened.

That's a nice thing to say.

What Wang Guihua just said is exactly what a dutiful daughter-in-law should do.

"Huai Ru, where's the stalk?"

Once her emotions were calmed down, Jia Zhangshi quickly turned her attention to her beloved grandson, Banggeng, whom she hadn't seen for almost two months.

"He's probably playing outside. Didn't you see him outside when you came in, Mom?"

After saying one thing, Qin Huairu asked another, teasing Jia Zhangshi: "This little rascal will come running back by himself in a bit. He'll be so happy to know you're back."

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia didn't say much, but instead couldn't help but laugh.

Kids, they all love to play.

The key point was that Qin Huairu's words just now struck a chord with her. Regardless of whether Qin Huairu thought that way or not, Jia Zhangshi liked to hear it.

However, Jia Zhangshi did not allow Qin Huairu to go out and retrieve the stick.

This time, she returned to the courtyard house, partly to see Bang Geng, but that wasn't her sole purpose; there were other things on her mind.

“Sister-in-law, you haven’t been back for a while. Why don’t you go home with Huai Ru and see if the house has changed? Besides, it’s almost time to cook dinner…”

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi was about to walk towards her own home without even raising her head, Wang Guihua became anxious and quickly stepped forward to stop her, and tried to persuade her.

"No rush! It's still early. Let me come over to your place for a bit. I'm thirsty, can I have a drink of water?"

As Jia Zhangshi spoke, she didn't sense anything amiss and took another step forward.

Given the previous relationship between the two families, Madam Jia didn't stand on ceremony at all. She practically treated the Jia family as her own home, and naturally, she didn't feel embarrassed to come over for a chat and a drink.

"Sister-in-law, I..."

Seeing this, Wang Guihua panicked again and suddenly slapped her thigh, saying to Jia Zhangshi, "I almost forgot, my thermos is almost empty, and I haven't had time to boil water yet. Why don't you go home and have some first, then come to my house and we can chat..."

Faced with Wang Guihua's actions, Jia Zhangshi raised her head suspiciously, looked her up and down, and felt that something was not right.

"It's alright, I'm not that thirsty. You can boil some water first, and then get some tea leaves from home. I live in the countryside, and I haven't had tea in a long time."

After Jia Zhangshi uttered such a blunt remark, Wang Guihua was truly helpless and clearly could no longer stop it. She quickly winked at Qin Huairu, who was standing to the side, wanting her to "take over."

"mom……"

Qin Huairu hesitated for a moment, and just as she opened her mouth to call out "Mom," before she could say anything else, Jia Zhangshi had already walked past her and Wang Guihua and went straight into the house.

Upon discovering this, Wang Guihua and Qin Huairu exchanged a glance, both feeling a sense of foreboding, and quickly followed her inside.

And this moment.

Upon entering the house, Jia Zhangshi first surveyed the overall situation and found that it had not changed much since she left.

Subsequently.

Jia Zhangshi's gaze quickly locked onto the pot of still steaming chicken soup on the table, next to which was a bowl containing a large chicken leg that had just been bitten into, and a small half bowl of chicken soup.

Upon discovering this, Jia Zhangshi's face instantly turned ugly.

She was just wondering about it!
It turns out that Wang Guihua had cooked chicken soup at home and wanted to eat it all by herself so that Wang Guihua wouldn't find out.

wrong……

Qin Huairu was also in the room just now.

Obvious.

Qin Huairu also contributed to this pot of chicken soup.

So, Wang Guihua was guarding against her alone?

Having figured this out, Jia Zhangshi glanced at Qin Huairu beside her, her gaze turning displeased.

But soon.

Madam Jia then suppressed all her negative emotions and dissatisfaction.

Immediately afterwards, Jia Zhangshi's face lit up with a bright smile, and she said to Wang Guihua with a look of excitement and embarrassment, "Oh, you've made chicken soup? I just got back, and you've even served me a big chicken leg. You're too kind, I'm actually quite embarrassed..."

Although Jia Zhangshi said she was embarrassed, her hands moved quickly. She picked up the bowl of chicken soup with a chicken leg on the table and ate it without any hesitation or disgust, regardless of who had eaten from it before.

Seeing Jia Zhangshi's rudeness and disregard for family, Wang Guihua was about to lash out when Qin Huairu, noticing her intention, quickly shook her head.

Seeing this, and considering that Jia Zhangshi had already taken a bite out of the chicken leg, Wang Guihua had no choice but to give up the plan, feeling both helpless and frustrated.

Enjoying the big chicken leg and the fragrant chicken soup, Jia Zhangshi was extremely satisfied and didn't care or worry about Wang Guihua's reaction at all.

Taking advantage of any opportunity is Jia Zhangshi's consistent style.

Moreover, her life in the countryside has not been easy; she hasn't eaten meat for a long time.

With such a large chicken leg placed in front of her, Jia Zhangshi couldn't pretend not to see it.

The key is.

Just now, Wang Guihua stopped her from entering the house and made up various reasons to persuade her to go home first. It was obvious that she wanted to get rid of her so that she could take the opportunity to hide the pot of chicken soup and enjoy it secretly behind closed doors.

Luckily, she was quick-witted and didn't fall for it, otherwise she would have had to say goodbye to such a big pot of chicken soup and this big chicken leg.

however.

Just as Jia Zhangshi was happily gnawing on the large chicken leg in her hand, a voice came from outside, growing louder as it approached.

"Grandma, is my big chicken leg ready yet?"

Jia Zhangshi, who was gnawing on a chicken leg, suddenly paused.

The sound of a stick?
Although they hadn't seen each other for a while, Madam Jia had always doted on this grandson, Banggeng, and regarded him as her pride and the future of the Jia family, so she naturally wouldn't mistake him.

Just after confirming the identity, the owner of the voice appeared right in front of her. Seeing her beloved grandson Banggeng, Jia Zhangshi immediately waved the chicken leg she was holding at Banggeng and shouted happily, "My big grandson!"

However, the harmonious scene of grandmother and grandson that Jia Zhangshi had imagined did not materialize.

At this moment.

Banggeng saw that Jia Zhangshi had almost finished eating the big chicken leg in her hand, and immediately burst into tears, sitting on the ground in a fit of pique.

"My big chicken leg!!!"

"Wow~~"

"You bad person!!"

"You owe me a big chicken leg!"

"Wow~, my big chicken leg..."

"..."

(End of this chapter)