Chapter 157: Jia Dongxu's Wedding

On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, as dawn barely lit the sky, the Siheyuan became bustling. Jia Dongxu is marrying today; Sha Zhu had already set up the Stove in the courtyard, tied an apron, and prepared to take charge of the cooking.

Yi Zhonghai walked over, hands behind his back, and said, "Zhuzi, today you have to really show your skill."

Sha Zhu wiped his knife: "Master Yi, if you hadn't spoken up, I really wouldn't take a job that pays three coins per table. That price doesn't even cover labor."

Jia Dongxu's situation isn't easy; Yi Zhonghai sighed, saying that they're old neighbors and will help if they can.

Yan Bu Gui stepped forward: "Old Yi, the vegetable buying is on me!"

Jia Zhangshi came out of the house, pulled out a handkerchief and counted for a while: "Fifteen coins, spend sparingly."

"This amount of money…" Yan Bu Gui took the money, clicked his tongue, fearing he can't buy any good vegetables.

"As long as it fills the belly, that's enough!" Jia Zhangshi pouted. "Now you need meat tickets to buy meat, oil tickets to buy oil; where am I supposed to get them?"

When the sun rose higher, Yan Bu Gui returned carrying a vegetable basket. Sha Zhu lifted the cover and his face turned green: "All we have are green vegetables and radishes? Where's the meat?"

"Not enough money!" Yan Bu Gui shouted in grievance. "Fifteen coins still have to buy seasonings; being able to buy these is already good. I even split a single coin into two parts to spend, otherwise I couldn't afford these."

Sha Zhu stomped in anger, but the Bride was about to enter, so he had to grit his teeth and start stir‑frying.

At this moment Qin Huairu entered the courtyard in a bright red wedding dress. The Bride looked handsome, making the young men in the courtyard stare. A few Qin relatives followed, wearing patched cotton coats, looking around curiously.

The Bride is truly radiant!

The Jia family boys are so lucky!

Yan Bu Gui hurriedly set up a table and wrote the gift list.

Old Liu family, one mao!

Xu family, two mao!

Wang family, five mao!

When it was Yi Zhonghai's turn, he took out five coins: "Record me for five."

The crowd gasped. Liu Haizhong, seeing this, unwilling to be outdone, also took out five coins: "I'll also give five!"

Everyone thought Liu Haizhong was a fool, flaunting his money.

Yan Bu Gui wrote his own name on the list without putting a single coin.

At noon the banquet began, eight tables filled to the brim. Everyone had been hungry all morning, waiting for this wedding feast. But when the dishes were brought out, everyone was stunned.

Stir‑fried cabbage, vinegar‑sautéed shredded potatoes, radish soup… not a single meat dish in sight.

"What kind of wedding feast is this?" Xu Damao was the first to shout, "There's not even a hint of meat! Sha Zhu, did you keep all the meat for yourself?"

"Exactly! We gave our gifts!"

Sha Zhu stuck his head out of the kitchen: "What are you shouting about? A clever housewife can't cook without rice! Yan Bu Gui only bought greens, I can't do anything either."

The crowd pointed at Yan Bu Gui: "It must be you who pocketed the money for buying meat!"

Yan Bu Gui jumped in desperation: "Heaven and earth, have mercy! Jia Zhangshi only gave fifteen coins; even circling the market you can't buy meat!"

Jia Zhangshi, hands on hips, stepped forward: "Having greens to eat is already good! Now you need meat tickets to buy meat; do you think I'm a god of wealth?"

The Qin relatives exchanged glances, their faces unable to stay composed. An elder from the Bride's family muttered lowly: "These in‑laws are too stingy…"

Qin Huairu sat in the New House, listening to the commotion outside, tears welling in her eyes. Jia Dongxu stood beside her, at a loss: "Huairu, don't take it to heart…"

"Don't say any more." Qin Huairu turned her face away.

When the courtyard was in chaos, Li Ping'an was eating noodles in the house with his sister.

"Brother, are we really not going to the banquet?" Li Pingle asked.

"Going would just be a hassle." Li Ping'an gave his sister a fried egg.

Sure enough, the sound of plates breaking came from outside quickly. Several youths, angry and ready to leave, were stopped by Yi Zhonghai.

"Everyone, calm down!" Yi Zhonghai raised his voice, "Resources are tight now; we'll let Jia Dongxu make up for it another day!"

"What are you talking about supplementing! Jia Zhangshi shouted, 'Having something to eat is already good enough!'"

The wedding feast ended on a sour note. After the guests left, the courtyard was a mess. Sha Zhu, while cleaning up, cursed: "From now on, no matter how much money is offered, I won't do anything for the Jia family!"

That night, Xu Damao, Yan Jiecheng, and a few half‑grown boys crouched under the Jia family's window, eavesdropping. Jia Dongxu's goofy laugh and Qin Huairu's whispers came from inside, making the boys exchange sly glances.

The next day before dawn, Jia Zhangshi shouted in the courtyard: "Huairu! Get up and cook!"

Qin Huairu rubbed her sleepy eyes, being sent round and round by the mother‑in‑law. Fetching water, lighting fire, cooking porridge, even washing clothes required squatting in cold water.

"Mom, let me rest a bit…" Qin Huairu was so exhausted she couldn't straighten her back.

"Rest? No! Jia Zhangshi glared, 'Our Jia family doesn't keep idle people!'"

On the day of returning to the bride's home, Jia Zhangshi kept an eye on Qin Huairu, fearing she'd take Jia's belongings back to her natal family. Jia Dongxu planned to have his mother take money to buy meat; the new son‑in‑law was returning, and they couldn't appear too shabby.

Jia Zhangshi: "I have no money; all the money was spent on your wedding."

Qin Huairu felt especially aggrieved; Jia Zhangshi guarded her like a thief, otherwise she'd take things.

On the road back to the village, Qin Huairu kept silently weeping. Jia Dongxu wanted to comfort her but didn't know how; he felt too much of a failure, having no standing at home.

This scene was just seen by Li Ping'an, who had returned from work. Qin Huairu saw him, hurriedly lowered her head, and walked away quickly.

"Brother, the Bride's eyes are red." Li Pingle whispered.

"This is just the beginning." Li Ping'an shook his head.

As Li Ping'an had expected, the Jia family's mother‑in‑law vs. daughter‑in‑law battles played out daily. It wasn't over a foot of cloth tickets, but over half a tael of oil tickets.

That evening, Qin Huairu was washing clothes at the communal faucet when she met Li Ping'an returning from work. After hesitating, she gathered courage and asked: "Section Chief Li, I heard you know people at the grain station?"

"Anything?"

"I… I want to exchange some grain tickets for use back at my natal home."

Li Ping'an shook his head: "I can't help with that."

Watching his departing back, Qin Huairu pressed her lips together. She finally understood that in this courtyard, no one could be relied upon.

Jia Zhangshi was counting cloth tickets inside, muttering: "A quilt needs six feet, a cotton coat needs five feet… that's not enough!"

Outside the window, the north wind howled, as if narrating the bitter stories of tickets and vouchers this winter.