Chapter 16: Jia Zhangshi Gets Beaten

After He Yuzhu had been working for a month, the first thing he did with his first month's salary was pay He Yushui's tuition fees; before that, the poor siblings could barely afford meals, let alone money for Yushui to go to school—back then tuition was only two yuan per semester.

"Brother Qiang, Brother Bin, come to my place tonight for drinks and let my sister-in-law bring Li Huan and Li Le along," He Yuzhu said to Li Bin and Li Qiang after work.

"Zhuzi, what's up? If you have something to say, just say it; no need to beat around the bush with us," Li Bin asked He Yuzhu with a stern face.

"Brother Bin, you misunderstood; wasn't it just expenses yesterday? This is my first month's salary, and I want to treat you and Brother Qiang to a meal. Without your help, there would be no today for me and Yushui. We won't go to a restaurant; I'll just cook two dishes at home, and our two families can have a simple meal together," He Yuzhu hurriedly explained.

"Brother, this meal ought to be eaten; Zhuzi, I'll prepare the dishes, you just need to stir-fry them," Li Qiang said, understanding He Yuzhu's intention.

"Brother Qiang, we agreed I'd treat you to a meal; if you bring dishes too, what's the point?" He Yuzhu waved his hand.

"Zhuzi, listen to Brother Qiang—he'll bring the dishes, I'll bring the wine, and when your situation improves later, you can treat us properly," Li Bin also understood He Yuzhu's meaning.

"All right," He Yuzhu said, knowing these two brothers meant well for him; he could only agree, fearing that if he refused, they wouldn't come to his house for a meal.

"Brother Qiang, Brother Bin, let me tell you good news: my brother paid my tuition today, and I can go to school," He Yushui said happily from the side. In the siheyuan, children about her age had already started school. Watching her little companions each day shoulder their bookbags and go to school, He Yushui felt envious beyond words, but she also knew her family's situation—her brother had no money to pay her tuition—so she only envied in secret, never daring to mention school to He Yuzhu. Now that He Yuzhu had received his wages and first paid her tuition, to say she wasn't happy would be false.

"Really, Yushui, you really need to study hard," Li Qiang said, pinching He Yushui's little nose.

"Don't worry, Brother Qiang, I will definitely study hard," He Yushui said firmly.

"Good, Brother Qiang believes in you," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Brothers, you go home first. I'll go buy some vegetables," Li Qiang said to Li Bin and He Yuzhu.

"Okay."

Li Qiang first went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought He Yushui a flower-patterned school bag; at that time all bags were shoulder-slung, with no backpacks to be found. Moreover, most were of the military style. Li Qiang considered that Yushui was a girl, and carrying that kind of bag would not look good, so he deliberately bought her a bag made of printed cloth, then bought a pencil case, several pencils, an eraser, and a few exercise books; finally, he also bought her a few picture books, and two bottles of Fenjiu liquor—in the 1950s, the reputation of Fenjiu was huge.

On the way back to the siheyuan, he took from his space two or three catties of pork belly, a chicken, a big flower carp weighing six or seven catties, potatoes, radishes, and other common vegetables.

"Strong boy, buying this much food tonight you must be entertaining guests," Door God Yan Butgui said, eyes gleaming as he looked at the things Li Qiang had brought.

"Third Grandpa, you've guessed wrong—I'm not the one hosting," Li Qiang said, then pushed his cart into the siheyuan.

Yan Butgui saw Li Qiang park his cart at He Yuzhu's door; moreover, Li Bin and He Yuzhu had returned and gone together to the He household. He guessed that tonight He Yuzhu was likely hosting guests, and under normal circumstances he would have gone to mooch a meal regardless of what was said, but after the last time, when he had been rebuked by He Yuzhu over the rental issue, he really felt a bit embarrassed to go.

"Yushui, look what gift I bought for you," Li Qiang said, entering the room with the flower-patterned school bag.

"Wow, a school bag! Thank you, Brother Qiang," He Yushui exclaimed, taking the bag and treasuring it immensely.

"Inside are a pencil case and exercise books," Li Qiang reminded.

"Thanks, Brother Qiang, I had forgotten about this," He Yuzhu said, scratching his head.

"No problem, I bought it, didn't I?" Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Huanhuan, come quick—Brother Qiang also bought me picture books; come over and let's look at them together," He Yushui happily called to Li Huan.

For a child of that era to have a picture book was as good as receiving the best gift imaginable. Although they couldn't read the characters, the illustrations alone kept them engrossed.

"Uncle Second, when I start school next year, you also have to buy me a flower-patterned school bag, and I want picture books too," Li Huan came up to Li Qiang, his eyes full of envy as he looked at the other items in He Yushui's hands.

"All right, when you start school, Uncle Second will also buy you one; for now, go and look at the picture books with Aunt Yushui," Li Qiang said, affectionately rubbing Li Huan's head.

"Brother Qiang, you bought too much, didn't you?" He Yuzhu said, looking at the vegetables Li Qiang had brought back.

"Not really; we have many people, and if we had less it wouldn't be enough to eat. Since Yushui is about to start school, we'll treat this as a celebration for her," Li Qiang said with a smile.

He Yuzhu was cooking up a storm in the kitchen; as each dish came out of the pot, the aroma filled the whole central courtyard.

"Who's cooking meat?" Jia Zhangshi asked, pausing her gnawing on a steamed corn bun.

"It seems to be the Zhuzi family; I saw Li Qiang buying a lot of vegetables and heading to their home," Qin Huairu said.

"No way, I have to get some; Huairu is about to give birth, and this is exactly when we lack nutrition—why are they eating so well while we get nothing? I don't even know if they'd send us anything," Jia Zhangshi said, putting down her chopsticks.

"Mom, don't go; there are so many people in the siheyuan—if you go, you'll fear people gossiping about you behind your back," Jia Dongxu hurriedly tried to stop Jia Zhangshi from leaving.

"Hmm, you make sense; I really shouldn't go. Huairu, you go get some—you're pregnant, so people would feel awkward refusing you," Jia Zhangshi said, looking at Qin Huairu's big belly.

"Mom, I'd feel embarrassed to go," Qin Huairu said, having only just married into the family not long ago, her skin still thin; she truly hated to lose face by going to someone else's house to ask for food.

"Useless thing; I'll have to do it myself," Jia Zhangshi said, then went out holding a large sea bowl.

He Yuzhu lived diagonally opposite the Jia household; Jia Zhangshi needed only a few steps to reach He Yuzhu's home.

"Zhuzi, what delicious food are you making?" Jia Zhangshi entered the He household with her hands behind her back, the large sea bowl of course also hidden behind her.

"Madam Jia, it's just everyday home cooking; I've just received my wages, so I'm treating Brother Bin and Brother Qiang's families to a meal, and these dishes and wine were bought by Brother Qiang," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Zhuzi, I see you've made plenty of meat dishes; your sister-in-law is about to give birth—could you lend me some meat so she can replenish herself, and I'll return it when my family buys meat?" Jia Zhangshi said, meanwhile taking out the large sea bowl behind her. Everyone looked at Jia Zhangshi's large sea bowl and felt speechless; her bowl was nearly as big as an ordinary family's dough‑kneading basin.

Even if all the dishes He Yuzhu made were given to her, they might not even fill it.

"Madam Jia, I've heard of borrowing money and borrowing things, but this is the first time I've heard of borrowing meat; besides, you've taken such a huge bowl—even if we gave you all our dishes, we might not be able to fill it," He Yuzhu said angrily.

"Zhuzi, you don't need to fill it—half a bowl will do," Jia Zhangshi said, utterly shameless.

"Not even half a bowl—nothing at all," He Yuzhu said, then tried to chase Jia Zhangshi out.

"You idiot, you little extinct line, all you know is to eat alone," Jia Zhangshi shouted as she saw He Yuzhu trying to drive her out.

"You old hag, I've said before that if anyone calls me Silly Zhu again, don't blame me for turning hostile." Having said that, He Yuzhu slapped Jia Zhangshi across the face. Jia Zhangshi was slapped by He Yuzhu, staggered backward a few steps.

"Old Jia, hurry up and come take this Silly Zhu, this little extinct line, away—he's bullying me, a widow and orphan!" Jia Zhangshi immediately sat on the ground, slapping her thighs and wailing.