Chapter 74: The Jia Family Has Risen Up

Yi Zhonghai again wandered the black market for half a day but still couldn't find a grain stall; these days, even his own family can't get enough to eat—who would have grain to sell?

Yi Zhonghai, failing to find grain sellers, planned to go back and talk with the kid selling wild chickens, hoping to give the kid extra money so he'd sell the chickens to him; but when Yi Zhonghai arrived at the spot where the kid sold wild chickens, he discovered the kid was gone—in fact, not long after Yi Zhonghai left, the kid had traded his two wild chickens for barley flour. It's not that everyone in the 4‑9 city has nothing to eat; take those old‑timers, they're used to extravagant lives and can't stomach coarse barley flour—eating too much makes them get angry, even defecation is hard; it's surprising they could endure this hardship. They try every means to find fine grains and meat, even trading ancestral heirloom curiosities; as they say, those things are useless just sitting there, can't be eaten as food, better to exchange for something practical; besides, at their age, being able to eat something tasty is a gain, otherwise they might starve one day and those things would be left behind, who knows who'd get them cheap later; better to satisfy their own appetites first.

Yi Zhonghai tossed and turned in the black market for most of the night, but ended up buying nothing at all; he could only return to the Siheyuan, head down and spiritless.

"What did you buy?" the old lady asked, seeing Yi Zhonghai return empty‑handed, on purpose.

"I tossed and turned for most of the night. I didn't buy anything; grain sellers were scarce, and when I finally found someone selling wild chickens, they wouldn't take money—only wanted to trade for grain."

"You don't see what the times are like—without grain, what's the use of wanting money? Money can't buy grain; can money fill your stomach?" The old lady saw this more clearly than Yi Zhonghai.

"Ah, I'll go to other black markets tonight," Yi Zhonghai said, still not giving up.

"Whatever," the old lady said to Yi Zhonghai, speechless; if she had known today would come, she wouldn't have acted that way originally.

The next morning, Factory Director Yang, Li Huade, Li Qiang, and the Union Chair brought condolence gifts to the hospital to visit Jia Dongxu and Master Qian.

"Factory Director, how did you come?" Jia Dongxu and Master Qian were chatting in the ward when suddenly a large group of leaders walked in, and he asked nervously.

"Comrade Jia Dongxu, don't be nervous—we came today to see you and Master Qian," Factory Director Yang said with a smile.

"Factory Director, no need for courtesy—this injury isn't serious; I'll be discharged in a few days," Jia Dongxu said excitedly.

"Besides coming to see you, we have some good news to announce: after discussion by the factory leadership, this year's advanced individual award goes to you; moreover, the factory has decided to reward you with a bicycle, and the Union comrades, knowing your family's situation, have also decided that after your wife gives birth, they will help her resolve her work issues," Factory Director Yang continued.

"Thank you, leaders, thank you, leaders," Jia Dongxu said, so excited he didn't know what to say; never mind the advanced individual award—just being rewarded with a bicycle already made him happy, and he hadn't expected the Union to also help Qin Huiru resolve her work issue; this surprise was too great.

"Thank you, all leaders," Qin Huiru said, even more excited, hastily bowing to thank the several leaders. She moved to the city not only to escape the countryside, not wanting to spend her life doing farm work in the countryside; her greatest wish wasn't just to be able to go to work and eat the supplied grain like city people? Now she can finally realize that wish. Not to mention bowing—she wouldn't even find it excessive to kneel in thanks.

"Don't stand on ceremony—this is what you deserve; it's our work negligence for not noticing your family's actual difficulties," the Union Chair said. If it weren't for Jia Dongxu getting injured in this rescue, and if the Yagangchang weren't trying to set a model to dilute the fact that people died in the safety accident, such a good thing wouldn't come to Jia Dongxu even in eight hundred years.

"Comrade Jia Dongxu, rest and recover; when you're discharged the factory will still hold a commendation ceremony for you," Li Huade said, stepping forward. While speaking, his eyes kept glancing at Qin Huiru; everyone knows Li Huade is greedy and lustful, and Qin Huiru, now about thirty, is slightly sallow from malnutrition. Yet Qin Huiru has good skin, a big butt, and is pregnant—just right to meet Li Huade's standards for philandering.

People's aesthetics in that era were completely different from later times; in the 50s and 60s, everyone liked women with big buttocks, believing they were good for childbearing. Later, those women who constantly shout about losing weight, if placed back in that era, might not necessarily be as popular as Qin Huiru.

"Thank you, leaders," Jia Dongxu said; besides that, he really didn't know what else to say—having lived this long, it was still his first time being in such close contact with so many leaders; to say he wasn't excited would be false.

Factory Director Yang and the others stayed in the ward a while, then returned to the Yagangchang; throughout the process Li Qiang didn't say a word—actually he rather disliked this kind of formalism.

As soon as Factory Director Yang and the others left, Jia Zhangshi came to the hospital with Bangeng and Xiao Dang.

"Dongxu, I saw Qiangzi at the hospital gate; the few people with him seemed to be leaders from the Yagangchang," Jia Zhangshi asked Jia Dongxu.

"Mom, they came to see Dongxu," Qin Huiru said, pointing to the condolence gifts on the table.

"Oh, really a big factory—so many good things!" Jia Zhangshi said, eyes lighting up at the fruit cans, malted milk, etc., on the table. In those days, malted milk was a good thing ordinary people could hardly buy; especially during disasters, a can of malted milk and a packet of milk powder were especially scarce, basically reserved for leaders; even if the supply and cooperative had a few bottles on the shelves, they wouldn't sell them—those were samples put out just to pass inspection.

Xiao Dang was only two; looking at the things on the table made him drool, but Bangeng didn't care about those—he had also been spoiled by Jia Zhangshi.

"Grandma, I want to eat canned fruit," Bangeng said, pointing to the fruit cans.

"Sure, Grandma will get it for you"—for her eldest grandson's request, Jia Zhangshi had never refused; in fact she also wanted some, and now that Bangeng had asked, she could take the chance to eat a couple pieces to her heart's content.

"Dongxu, did the Yagangchang leaders come only to bring a few condolence gifts?" Jia Zhangshi asked Jia Dongxu, holding a can.

"Mom, let me tell you the good news: the factory plans to award Dongxu the advanced individual honor, and said they'll hold a commendation ceremony for him after he's discharged, and also reward our family with a bicycle," Qin Huiru said excitedly.

"Really—then our family will have a bicycle too," Jia Zhangshi said, even more excited; in those days a bicycle was a big-ticket item, seeing Li Qiang and Xu Damao ride bicycles had long made her jealous, but her family simply couldn't bring themselves to buy one, and even if they wanted to they lacked a bicycle coupon; now it's great—the Yagangchang directly awarded one.

"Mom, there's more good news: the Union comrades said that after Huiru gives birth, they'll help her resolve her work issue," Jia Dongxu said, grinning widely.

"Then our family will have two wage earners—will Huiru and the children have registered residence?" Jia Zhangshi asked. In the 4‑9 city, children's hukou follows the mother; now that Qin Huiru has a job, her hukou will naturally transfer over, and the children's hukou will definitely follow as well.

"Yes," Qin Huiru said, even more excited.

"Thank heaven and earth—may the heavens bless our family so that from now on, after hardship comes sweetness," Jia Zhangshi said, tears streaming down her face from excitement.

"Mom, this is a good thing—why are you crying?" Jia Dongxu hurried to comfort her.

"I'm happy—Yi Zhonghai thought you were done for, afraid our family would drag him down, so he cut ties with us; now that Huiru has work, our family all have registered residence, and from now on we'll never have to watch his face again," Jia Zhangshi said, speaking from the heart; although she's a bit unreasonable, having repeatedly lowered herself to beg for help, she's still human, with a bit of dignity. Our family can finally stand tall and be human—no longer needing to look at others' faces.