Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

It's only been a month since winter began, and several elderly people have already passed away in Nanguogu Lane.

Winters are always like this, and many elderly people can't get through it.

In early 1960, there was a three-day holiday for New Year's Day. Zhang Shih-hao's grandmother passed away right after the holiday.

At least we got to celebrate the New Year.

As is customary, a funeral will definitely be held, but it will be relatively simple.

The people in the courtyard volunteered to help without being asked; it didn't take many, just one person from each household.

The Lou family was different; they came out with good intentions.

This left the Zhang family dumbfounded, their lips twitching uncontrollably.

However, they also understood, because the Lou family didn't know how to manage their finances; they were all Lou people, and their lives were a mess.

"Old Yan, our whole family has come to help. This is my funeral gift!" Lou Bancheng presented the funeral gift to Yan Bugui and took a dollar.

When Yan Bugui looked up and saw the whole family behind Lou Bancheng, his face trembled. He shook his head with a wry smile and winked at Yi Zhonghai beside him.

Yi Zhonghai naturally understood Yan Bugui's meaning and stepped forward to pull Lou Bancheng outside to talk.

After offering him a cigarette, he spoke:

"Old Lou, why did you bring your whole family along?"

Lou Bancheng asked in confusion:

"Happy occasions don't happen without invitation, but funerals come uninvited. I just brought my family to see if we need any help. What's wrong? Is there any taboo?"

Lou Bancheng also noticed that Yi Zhonghai's tone was a bit off when he asked him the question.

Yi Zhonghai smiled:

"Old Lou, you mean well, and there's nothing wrong with that, but the timing is wrong..."

Lou Bancheng raised an eyebrow:

"Old Yi, tell me in detail, please tell me in detail."

Yi Zhonghai took a drag of his cigarette:

"If you had done this a few years ago, it would have been understandable. They're all neighbors, and the more people help each other, the better. It also shows that the host family has good interpersonal relationships."

"But things are different now. In these special times, there's not enough food. Now that your whole family has come, shouldn't the Zhang family treat you to a meal?"

"This isn't helping out, it's a hindrance. You understand that, right?"

Lou Bancheng slapped his forehead in frustration after hearing this:

"Oh dear, I was too hasty. I was only thinking about lending a hand and didn't consider this aspect. Damn it, I'll send them back now and help out here myself."

"Thank you, Lao Yi."

Yi Zhonghai smiled and waved his hand:

"It's alright, the neighbors all understand. It's just that your family is struggling financially, so the Zhang family can understand too."

Lou Bancheng blushed, turned around and told his family to go home, leaving him alone there.

The Zhang family breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this; if the Lou family had all stayed to help, there wouldn't have been enough food.

Fortunately, they realized their mistake in time.

They really didn't blame Lou Bancheng. After all, he had never experienced hardship at the bottom of society. They could understand; everything could be learned on the job!

The Lou family really messed up this time, but luckily they realized their mistake in time, otherwise the Zhang family would have been in serious trouble.

People are trying to help us out of kindness, so we can't just chase them away, that would be disrespectful.

So there's no need to make a special announcement about this; those who know, know. Only one person from each household in the courtyard will come.

It's enough to leave the people who helped out for a meal when the banquet starts.

It's not that I don't have money, it's that I have money but don't know how to spend it.

Holding a funeral at this time would deplete the family's food ration for two months.

But we can't just skip it; we can't just cremate and bury someone who's died right away.

This approach is understandable if it's for elderly people living alone, since they have no one else at home.

But you can't do it this way if there are people at home.

No matter how many red tapes you cut, you can't skip a funeral.

This is a tradition that has existed in China for thousands of years.

It can only be done in a simple way, very simply.

The Zhang family kept it very simple: the body was cremated on the same day, the ashes were kept for a day for funeral arrangements, and relatives and friends came to see him off. The body was then sent off on the morning of the third day.

It's only three days, very simple.

If the burial date is not auspicious, the ashes can stay for a couple more days.

This is the current funeral etiquette in Beiping. It cannot be done any faster, or things will become difficult.

Moreover, the family was also afraid that an unlucky burial date would affect the family's fortune.

Many people want things to be simpler, but these concerns force them to comply.

As long as it's within the bounds of national policy, there's no problem with this.

Now even the gongs and drums are gone; the courtyard is eerily quiet, and the children have been told by their parents not to go out.

Of course, what's the point of nagging? If a child isn't naughty, would they even be a child?

Banggeng took several children to see Grandma Zhang's ashes, what are you afraid of!

This is a true story; Li Jiuzhou's son, Tie Niu, also went.

Like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger, they were genuinely unafraid, driven by curiosity.

Jia Dongxu watched his son jumping around, veins bulging on his forehead, but he couldn't lose his temper in the funeral hall.

During dinner that evening, Jia Zhangshi muttered about how Old Lady Zhang had left behind some inheritance.

Not long after Old Lady Zhang left, she and some other elderly women from the courtyard went to help.

"The old woman even left a small yellow croaker, it was so golden it almost blinded me."

Jia Dongxu laughed:

"Haha, it's normal for an elderly person to have some belongings. Mom, you also have a gold bracelet and a gold ring."

Madam Jia glared at her son:

"Hmph, let me tell you, don't even think about it, those are all for my granddaughter-in-law."

Banggeng was engrossed in eating when he heard the word "grandson." He looked up at his grandmother and innocently said:

"Grandma, when are you going to give me your gold bracelet?"

Madam Jia patted her grandson's head:

"Everything will be yours after Grandma dies, including the money!"

Upon hearing this, Banggeng's eyes lit up:

"Really? Then Grandma, when are you going to die?"

"Why don't you just die now? I want the gold bracelet and the money right now!!!"

"Pfft~" Tong Jie and Jia Dongxu spat out the steamed buns they were eating. They were really shocked by their son's words. This child was too filial, so filial that it made their teeth fall out.

Looking at Madam Jia, her face was as black as the bottom of a pot; she too was moved by her grandson's words.

Seeing that his grandmother didn't respond, Banggeng became anxious and grabbed her arm, unable to stop talking:

"Grandma, just die already! That way I'll have a gold bracelet and money, enough to buy lots of snacks, and even meat for you to eat!"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Madam Jia breathed a sigh of relief and silently repeated to herself several times that children's words are innocent.

But Jia Dongxu wouldn't have it. His son had been running around in the Zhang family's mourning hall all day, and he had wanted to get rid of him for a long time.

He grabbed the stick by the handle, pulled down the pants, and started beating her.

"I'll teach you to spout nonsense and talk a load of rubbish!"

"Ah, no..." Bang Geng's screams quickly carried out, echoing throughout the silent courtyard.

Upon hearing the commotion, Yi Zhonghai rushed over and, seeing his apprentice beating his grandson, immediately snatched the stick from him, glaring at Jia Dongxu with displeasure.

"Dongxu, why are you hitting the child? You're so rough."

Jia Dongxu was furious:

"Master, this little brat needs to be disciplined. He's spouting nonsense. Please step aside, I still need to beat him."

"Banggeng, why did your dad hit you?" Yi Zhonghai asked after comforting Banggeng for a few moments.

Banggeng rubbed his eyes and cried out:

"Waaah, Grandpa, I just want Grandma to die sooner so I can take her gold bracelet, waaaah..."

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze. Then, under the gaze of the three, he silently placed the stick on Jia Zhangshi's kang (heated brick bed), then slowly walked to the door of the Jia family's house, stopped, and turned back to say:

"Dongxu, you didn't hit me hard enough. Tonight... I wasn't here..."

He left immediately after saying that...

Jia Dongxu picked up the feather duster again and walked towards the stick with a wicked grin.

The pheasant cowered in the corner, terrified, and howled in fear.

"Don't come any closer..."