Chapter 46

That night Yu Li's mother insisted on staying in the hospital to look after Yu Li and her child, letting everyone else go rest. Yang Fen and Zhou Rong couldn't argue with her, so they had to go back.

「Zhuzi, has your wife given birth? 」Yan Butgui saw everyone had returned and came up to ask.

「Born」He Yuzhu's mouth was about to split to the back of his head.

「Boy or girl? 」

「It's a son. 」

「Congratulations, congratulations」Yan Butgui smiled until his face was full of wrinkles.

「Third Elder, have a celebratory cigarette」He Yuzhu took out a cigarette and handed one to Yan Butgui.

「A celebratory cigarette must be smoked」Yan Butgui took the cigarette and said with a smile.

「Third Elder. You go ahead and get busy, I'll go back to make something to eat and send it to Yu Li」

「Okay, you do your thing」

「Sister-in-law, I'll bring over some eggs later, you make them and send them to Yu Li」Zhou Rong said.

「Sister-in-law, I still have eggs at home」Since Yu Li got pregnant, He Yuzhu has never let her go hungry.

「That works, if you need anything, come get it at home」

「Alright, Second Brother, tomorrow buy me two old hens and bring them over, I want to stew some chicken soup for Yu Li」He Yuzhu said to Li Qiang.

「Okay」Li Qiang often took things home; although the items were produced by his space, he couldn't tell his family, so he said he got them through a comrade's connections, and his family never doubted.

No matter what news, as soon as Yan Butgui knew it, the whole Siheyuan would soon know.

「Mom, have you heard? Shazhu's wife gave birth to a son」Qin Huiru said.

「What's the use of having a son? With Shazhu being such a fool, his son will probably take after him. Look at our Bargeng, he's so smart, he'll surely get into college and become a high official」Jia Zhangshi gazed at Bargeng, her eyes full of indulgence.

「Mom, you can't say that outside」Qin Huiru said with a smile.

「I wouldn't go outside and say that anyway; even if I did, what could anyone do to me」Jia Zhangshi said proudly.

「Old Yi, I just heard Old Yan's wife say that Zhuzi's wife gave birth to a son」the eldest aunt said.

「Hmm, I've heard that too」Yi Zhonghai replied unhappily.

Yi Zhonghai didn't know what he was feeling now; even Shazhu had a son, yet he couldn't even have a daughter, to say he wasn't envious would definitely be false.

In the blink of an eye it was 1959; the great canteens everywhere shut down, and the steel mills closed. When the great canteens were set up, excessive extravagance everywhere caused many places to run out of even their reserve grain, and the steel mills were also shut down because lacking technology, the steel produced was seriously substandard.

In 1959, a few months of no rain led to severe drought; regions suffered even greater losses, some total crop failure, and with the need to repay foreign debt to the Soviet Union, the country suddenly fell into a severe crisis.

「Everyone come out for the general courtyard meeting」Just after dinner, a shout from Yan Jiecheng came from the courtyard.

「What kind of general courtyard meeting is being held now」Zhou Rong said curiously.

「I don't know; I'll go check later, you just stay home and watch the child」

「Dad, I want to go see my little brother」Li Tao clung to Li Qiang's arm, looking at him with pitiful little eyes.

「Okay, I'll take you to see your little brother」Li Qiang led Li Tao out the door.

He Xiao was almost one year old; Li Tao almost every day went to find him to play; before he liked to play with Le Li, but now Le Li goes to school, so he can only go find He Xiao to play.

Because Yu Li had to go to work, she brought her mother over to look after the child.

「Second Brother, have you eaten? If not, let's eat together」When Li Qiang arrived at He Yuzhu's home, the He family was having a meal.

「You go ahead and eat; we've already eaten. I heard Yan Jiecheng say there was going to be a general courtyard meeting, so I came over to check it out」

「I heard that too; I was just about to finish eating and go have a look」He Yuzhu said while eating.

Li Tao didn't care about adult matters; as soon as he entered He Yuzhu's home, he ran over to play with He Xiao.

He Yuzhu put down his bowl and went with Li Qiang to the central courtyard, which was already crowded with people.

Li Qiang saw Director Wang leading a staff member from the street office standing in the middle of the courtyard; the two merely nodded at each other, having exchanged greetings.

「Today we've gathered everyone for this general courtyard meeting to announce something」Director Wang said, then paused. Below, some neighbors had been chatting, but as soon as they heard Director Wang say there was an announcement, they immediately fell silent and listened intently to what he would say next.

「This year's situation everyone already knows: severe drought has appeared across the country, grain production has dropped sharply, so the superiors have decided to reduce the ration by twenty percent, hoping everyone will understand and support」Director Wang said solemnly.

The neighbors, hearing that the ration had been reduced by twenty percent, began to discuss.

「Director Wang, our family originally only had Dongxu with a ration, and now Huiru has given birth again, and the ration has been cut by another twenty percent—how are we supposed to live as a big family? 」Jia Zhangshi reacted most strongly. Last month Qin Huiru had just given birth to Xiao Dang; the whole family had been relying on Dongxu's ration, so now they still had to buy expensive grain to eat, and Dongxu's monthly salary, aside from buying grain, they dared not spend on anything else.

「Jia Zhangshi, I've told you before, the responsibility for today's situation lies entirely with you; reducing the ration isn't just cutting your family, nor is it only our 49-city area—it's nationwide. Since you say you can't get by, I think we should send you back to your registered hometown」Director Wang said bluntly.

Jia Zhangshi heard Director Wang say he would send her back to her rural hometown, and she didn't dare utter a sound. She couldn't bear to give up life in the 49-city; there, aside from watching Bargeng, she did nothing, she used to earn a little by making shoe soles, but now she doesn't even do that. Especially after Qin Huiru gave birth to Xiao Dang, she had thought Huiru could give her another grandson, but it turned out to be a girl, which for the strongly male-preferring Jia Zhangshi was simply unacceptable, and her attitude underwent a complete reversal compared to before.

When Qin Huiru gave birth to Bargeng, she at least waited on her for a few days of postpartum confinement; now that she's better, she won't even do a day of it. Three days after giving birth, Qin Huiru was already washing her own clothes and cooking, while still having to wait on Jia Zhangshi. Jia Zhangshi acted like an empress dowager. Living the life where clothes come to her and food is brought to her mouth, would she still be willing to go back to the countryside? In the 49-city, she wouldn't want to return even if she only ate one meal a day.

「Alright, everyone go back and rest; I'll go announce this in other courtyards」Director Wang said and then left with that staff member.

「Woman, the ration's been cut, so from now on don't bother making dinner—there's nothing to do at night anyway, and going to bed early saves some kerosene」After returning home, Yan Butgui also began implementing the reduction. Now many households in the Siheyuan had electricity, but Yan Butgui hated paying the electric bill and still used a kerosene lamp. Back then, electricity fees weren't charged per meter per household but a flat rate per household, so each home had only a fifteen-watt bulb, and there were hardly any electrical appliances, so everyone could accept this arrangement.

「Dad, if we don't eat at night we'll be too hungry to sleep」Yan Jiedi, the youngest, said.

「Yeah, Dad really can't sleep if he doesn't eat」Yan Jiecheng also said.

「Then let's just make some millet porridge every night, and stop eating dry food」Seeing his family oppose the idea, Yan Butgui could only say that.