Chapter 239

The news that the Steel Rolling Mill had brought back sea fish spread like a gust of salty, fishy wind, quickly sweeping through the Siheyuan.

In the evening, families of those who worked at the factory began returning one after another with lunch boxes containing the fish chunks the canteen had doled out—steamed or boiled, modest but genuine. Gradually, the Central Courtyard and Rear Courtyard filled with the long‑absent, mouth‑watering aroma of fish.

Sa Zhu Family, naturally being close to the water, benefited as Sha Zhu, the canteen head chef, brought back fish that was not only plentiful but also carefully selected for few bones and thick meat, earning Ma Dongmei's praise for his competence.

Xu Damao also returned, listless and dejected, carrying a small lunch box containing his allotted share; though his face suggested he was still worrying about the five hundred yuan and external debt, this rare meaty treat finally brought a flicker of liveliness to his gloomy visage of many days.

Even Jia Dongxu, dragging his weakened, injured body, brought back a share. Inside the Jia household, Jia Zhangshi's impatient urging and Bang Geng's lip‑smacking sounds erupted at once.

The whole compound seemed to liven up a bit thanks to this rare fishy aroma, except for Yan Bu Gui's household in the Front Courtyard, which remained cold and stove‑less, the air filled with a chill that clashed with everyone else… and an indescribable sourness.

Yan Bu Gui paced irritably with his hands behind his back in his tiny house; the wafts of fishy scent drifting in through the window felt like tiny insects boring into his heart and liver, tormenting him.

He gazed at the empty dinner table, then at the few children staring longingly out the window, especially his eldest son Yan Jiecheng whose gaunt face was etched with yearning, and his heart felt as if a five‑flavor bottle had been overturned.

"Dad…" Yan Jiecheng spoke weakly, his voice feeble from hunger, "Look, every household in the compound has fish to eat… but ours… I go out doing odd jobs, standing all day makes my legs weak and wobbly, I have no oil or fat, I'm utterly exhausted… You often go fishing, don't you? Even if you brought back just one fish, it could improve our meals… We haven't had a whiff of meat or fish in a year…"

Upon hearing this, Yan Bu Gui reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his eyes flashing open as he habitually recited his life philosophy: "You won't go hungry or naked unless you miscalculate! Those fish I catch—are they free for the taking? No, they must be exchanged for coarse grain! Only then can our family scrape by! Otherwise, could my monthly twenty‑seven yuan five mao (he deliberately concealed his actual wage of over forty) raise you lot? Want fish? Fine—go buy it with your own money!"

Yan Jiecheng choked on his father's words, his face flushing red with a mix of resentment and indignation: "Dad! I bust my ass doing odd jobs all month just to earn a little over ten yuan, and I still have to give you five yuan for rent and food… I… I have no money left to buy fish!"

His voice trembled with tears, reflecting his helplessness in the present situation and his resentment toward his father's stingy scheming.

Yan Bu Gui looked at his son's red‑rimmed eyes; he actually felt a twinge of pity, but years of scheming and the habit of feigning poverty prevented him from relenting.

He waved his hand irritably: "Go on, go on—if you can't earn money, just endure! Other families eat fish because they have the ability to get into the Steel Rolling Mill! If it weren't for… hum!"

He blamed his resentment on his failure to get his son into the Steel Rolling Mill, and he was also filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred toward the fishy aroma drifting through the compound.

At the same time, the Jia family in the Central Courtyard, though they had received a share of fish, Jia Zhangshi quickly picked out the best meat for herself and Bang Geng, leaving Qin Huairu only some fish heads and broth to mix with rice. As she sucked on the fish bones, her Sanjiao Yan eyes darted about, and she began scheming again.

Not long after finishing, she wiped her mouth, pulled Jia Dongxu along, and went to Yi Zhonghai's house.

"First Elder," Jia Zhangshi put on a look of utter distress, "You can see for yourself how dire our situation is! Huairu is pregnant again, suffering badly, and Bang Geng is at the age when he needs to grow—relying solely on Dongxu's meager ration and wages, plus his injured body… this… this is truly impossible to make ends meet! You are his teacher and the esteemed First Elder of the compound; you cannot just watch our family starve! Please help us out with some money or grain as emergency relief."

She spoke with utter righteousness, as if Yi Zhonghai's assistance were a matter of course. Yi Zhonghai looked at Jia Dongxu's evasive gaze and Jia Zhangshi's greedy face, feeling thoroughly disgusted.

He was about to placate her with a few stock phrases when Jia Zhangshi added: "You're counting on Dongxu to support you in your old age!"

Those words were like a needle pricking Yi Zhonghai's sore spot.

His expression shifted, and in the end he reluctantly produced five yuan and five jin of coarse‑grain coupons, handing them over unwillingly while saying: "Take this, just to tide you over. These days, everyone is having a hard time…"

Yet his heart bled, and his dislike for this Jia mother‑son pair deepened another notch.

Amidst the intertwining scheming and sorrow in the compound, a joyful event suddenly burst forth, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere—Ma Dongmei was about to give birth!

That midnight, Ma Dongmei suddenly went into labor, her belly aching fiercely. Sha Zhu usually appeared clumsy and loud, but at the critical moment he panicked, fumbling about so badly he nearly put his pants on backward.

He carried his wife, drenched in sweat from the pain, out of the house, racing around the compound in agitation, shouting only: "Ping'an brother! Ping'an brother! Save us!"

Li Ping'an was roused in the Xi Kua Yuan, instantly throwing on his clothes. Seeing Sha Zhu at a loss, he without hesitation had Li Pingle help look after little Yaozong, then fetched a bicycle, had Sha Zhu steady Ma Dongmei on it, and himself pedaled through the midnight chill to bring them to the hospital.

Along the way, Li Ping'an calmly directed Sha Zhu and soothed the agonizing Ma Dongmei. At the hospital he ran back and forth, handling paperwork and contacting doctors. His composure and reliability gradually steadied the panicked Sha Zhu.

Fortunately, Ma Dongmei's constitution was sound; though the labor was arduous, it proceeded without mishap. As dawn approached, a loud, clear infant wail rang out from the delivery room!

"It's a boy! Mother and child are safe!" the nurse announced, coming out with the good news.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu's legs gave way, nearly making him sit on the ground; he split his mouth in a grin, wanting to laugh, but tears came first.

He grabbed Li Ping'an's arm, stammering with excitement: "Ping'an brother! Did you hear that? A son! I, Sha Zhu, finally have a son! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Li Ping'an also breathed a sigh of relief, a relieved smile spreading across his face. In these difficult times, every newborn's safe arrival is like a star in the dark night, giving people hope.

Sha Zhu cradled his son, unable to stop grinning, and he and Ma Dongmei discussed naming the boy He Xiao, meaning "hope of dawn," with the nickname Dongdong, which rolls off the tongue easily.

The news spread back to the Siheyuan, and reactions varied. Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and others came over to offer their congratulations, saying a few auspicious words.

Yan Bu Gui also pushed his way over to have a look; while he offered congratulations on the surface, he felt even more bitter inside—others were adding to their families while his own household couldn't even afford fish. Jia Zhangshi, meanwhile, pursed her lips and muttered, "Another debt collector," before Qin Huairu quietly pulled her back inside.

In the Xi Kua Yuan, Li Ping'an gazed at his sleeping son Yaozong, then thought of the newly born He Xiao in the compound, and felt a surge of emotion.

No matter how hard life gets, it persists tenaciously. The drifting aroma of fish satisfies a moment's hunger, yet it also lays bare people's scheming and the gap between rich and poor; meanwhile, the newborn's wail pierces this material scarcity, bringing the most primal and precious hope.