Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

When Qin Jingru saw Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai, her tone was somewhat unfriendly.

"Of course I work in the cafeteria. Can't you see I'm serving food? What do you want? Hurry up, there are so many people waiting behind us."

Jia Dongxu hurriedly said, "Jingru, I'm asking how you ended up working at the steel rolling mill. How did you get in?"

Qin Jingru waved her hand impatiently: "What's it to you? If you want to get your food, hurry up. If not, move aside. I'm busy right now and don't have time to chat with you."

"Hey, Jia Dongxu, are you going to get your food or not? If you're not going to get your food, don't stand in front of us. If you don't want to eat, don't hold us up."

"Yeah, Jia Dongxu, don't you have any public spirit? There's a whole bunch of people queuing up behind you."

Jia Dongxu wanted to say something more, but Yi Zhonghai patted him on the shoulder and said, "Dongxu, get the food first, we'll talk about it when we get back."

"Um."

"Jingru, I want two cornbread buns and a serving of cabbage."

Jia Dongxu was usually very frugal at the factory, but before, when Sha Zhu was in the third canteen, the kitchen staff would give him a little extra and pick out two larger steamed buns for him, so he could barely get enough to eat.

Qin Jingru took the money and picked out two of the smallest steamed buns for Jia Dongxu. She dipped the ladle into the dish and when it came out, it was still a full ladle. Just as the ladle was about to hit Jia Dongxu's lunchbox, her hand trembled, and only a ladle of soup and a few vegetable leaves remained.

"Jingru, you...we're relatives after all, how could you flip the wok for me?"

When Jia Dongxu saw that the two steamed buns in the lunchbox were only half the usual size, and the cabbage was just a few leaves with some water on it, he was immediately enraged.

Qin Jingru said coldly, "Jia Dongxu, I don't have a relative like you. Besides, which eye of yours saw me flipping the wok? Eat it or don't, it's up to you."

Qin Jingru now despises the Jia family the most. None of them are good people. The reason why Qin Huairu has become like this is basically entirely the Jia family's responsibility. Qin Huairu is beyond saving now, and it's just a pity for her uncle and aunt.

Jia Dongxu wanted to argue with Qin Jingru, but the people behind him urged him on:

"Jia Dongxu, are you going to get the food or not? You've taken so long getting the food by yourself, are we even going to eat?"

"Jia Dongxu, are you trying to chat with this pretty girl because you think she's pretty? Look at yourself, a complete loser. Do you think any girl would be interested in you? Besides, you're a married man."

"Hahaha, Jia Dongxu, you've been a first-class worker for nine years, you shouldn't be so delusional. Someone like you should be lucky to even get a wife. You're dreaming of a toad wanting to eat swan meat."

Yi Zhonghai patted Jia Dongxu on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Dongxu, don't say anything, we'll talk later."

When Jia Dongxu heard the mockery from others and heard Qin Jingru flipping his wok, his fists clenched and his eyes turned red.

However, he suppressed his anger, grabbed his lunchbox, and left.

When it was Yi Zhonghai's turn to get food, Qin Jingru didn't give him a friendly look either, since he was the one who had always been at odds with her brother Wang Feng.

Yi Zhonghai, with a kind and gentle expression, smiled at Qin Jingru and said:

"Jingru, I want two cornbread buns, a serving of cabbage, and a serving of potatoes."

Qin Jingru took the money and picked out two of the smallest steamed buns for Yi Zhonghai. After she tossed the two dishes in the wok like that, they were less than a third of the usual size.

Yi Zhonghai sighed, said nothing, and left with his lunchbox.

Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai sat down at a table, and Jia Dongxu couldn't help but say:

"Master, what's going on? How did Jingru end up working in the canteen? How did she get into the steel rolling mill? Master, Jingru and I are relatives, after all. Look at how she's flipping the wok! There are only a few cabbage leaves left, and the two steamed buns aren't even that big."

Yi Zhonghai sighed, opened his lunchbox, and gave a wry smile:

"Dongxu, I'm not much better off than you."

When Jia Dongxu looked at Yi Zhonghai's lunchbox, he saw that it contained only two of the smallest steamed buns, a few cabbage leaves, and hardly any shredded potatoes.

"Dongxu, let's eat first. After we finish eating, I'll ask Old Liu in the kitchen, and then we'll know what happened."

"All right."

the other side.

Yan Jiecheng worked in the foundry workshop all morning, and on top of that, he had been suffering from insomnia all night. Now he's walking unsteadily.

After finally getting off work and having dinner, he went to the third canteen and saw that there was a particularly long queue at one of the food serving windows. He guessed that the food at that window must be better, so he quickly joined the queue.

After waiting in line for a few minutes, when it was finally his turn, he exclaimed in surprise when he saw that the person serving the food was Qin Jingru: "Qin Jingru, what are you doing here?"

"Clang clang clang".

Qin Jingru tapped the plate and said irritably, "What business is it of yours where I am? Hurry up, if you want to get your food, hurry up, there are so many people in line behind us."

Qin Jingru was feeling rather down today. It seemed like everyone who came to her stall had some kind of conflict with her family.

First it was Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai, and now it's Yan Jiecheng. If she doesn't make them question their existence by flipping the wok today, she's not Qin Jingru.

"Yan Jiecheng, are you going to serve the food or not? You're walking so lightly, you didn't go kill chickens again last night, did you? Haha."

"Yan Jiecheng, you chicken-killing maniac, hurry up and serve the food, don't block the way."

Upon hearing this, Yan Jiecheng's eyes turned bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead. He wished he could tear the mouths of these gossipy people to shreds.

This morning, when he went to the toilet, he heard about his reputation as a chicken-killing maniac. He never expected that this would spread to the factory, which made him hate Jia Zhangshi even more.

Forcibly suppressing his anger, Yan Jiecheng smiled obsequiously and said, "I want three steamed buns and a cabbage. Jingru, we're from the same compound, so you'll have to take care of me."

Qin Jingru rolled her eyes, thinking to herself, 'You strangled my chicken, and you expect me to take care of you? You're dreaming! If I don't give you a good wok-fry today, I'm not Qin Jingru.'

Qin Jingru didn't say anything, but dipped her ladle into the dish and scooped out a large spoonful.

Seeing this, Yan Jiecheng felt much better. Qin Jingru had prepared more than a third more food for him than he usually did. After all, they were from the same courtyard, so she should take care of him.

Just as Yan Jiecheng was in a good mood, Qin Jingru's hands trembled incessantly, like those of someone with Parkinson's disease. By the time the scoop of vegetables got close to Yan Jiecheng's lunchbox, there were only two cabbage leaves and a large spoonful of soup left.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Jingru picked out three of the smallest steamed buns and put them into Yan Jiecheng's lunchbox.

Seeing this, Yan Jiecheng's face immediately darkened, and he said coldly, "Qin Jingru, what do you mean by this? We're from the same courtyard, why are you making me cook?"

Qin Jingru's face also turned cold, and she said irritably, "Eat it or don't, that's how it is here. Once you've got your food, hurry up and leave. There's a long line of people behind you."