Chapter 30: Mom Will Boil Some Water for You

In the entire Siheyuan, the only family with a radio was First Uncle Yi Zhonghai's family; besides him, not a second person could be found in the whole Siheyuan.

Precisely because of this, Yi Zhonghai often brought it out to show off.

He would even leave the radio playing in the middle of the night, just to let people know his family possessed such a thing.

But now things were different; Zhao Gangzi's family also had a new radio, and the model was the latest one at that, looking like goods imported from the old Soviet Union.

"This is much better than that piece of junk radio at First Uncle's house!"

"Listen, there's even a woman talking inside; just based on how pleasant this voice is, she must be a great beauty!"

"Gangzi, Uncle is so envious of you; I've struggled for half my life, and I even have to scrape together my own child's tuition fees..."

"..."

Listening to the flattering words all around, Zhao Gangzi also began to feel carried away.

He led everyone directly to the spacious area in the Middle Courtyard, placed the radio right on that stone table, and adults and children alike crowded around, listening intently to the program playing on the radio.

Bang Geng of the Jia Family saw a group of people gathered there from across the window, and upon hearing there was a novel gadget outside, he opened the door and rushed out.

"I want to listen to the radio too, huff, huff, huff..."

Bang Geng had looked like a brat since he was small.

There weren't many children in the entire Siheyuan willing to play with him, and since it was rumored that his hands and feet weren't clean, adults didn't want to bother with him either.

It was unclear which fellow had clumsy feet, but with a thud, they kicked out Bang Geng, who had been squeezing in, covering him in mud, and he immediately started streaming tears.

"You heaven-slaying wretches, to actually bully even our Bang Geng, you really aren't human!" Jia Zhangshi hauled Bang Geng up from the ground and pointed at the group, cursing them.

But clearly, no one paid any attention to this old hag; they were all listening intently to the radio. This was different from the big loudspeakers outside; with this thing, you could listen to whatever you wanted, especially the storytelling of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which was told so brilliantly.

"Pah, what are you putting on airs for? Isn't it just a broken radio? Our family has a better sewing machine; what the hell is a radio worth?!"

Jia Zhangshi spat a mouthful of saliva.

But her eyes couldn't stop glancing at that brand-new, silver-white radio; such a luxurious item, if taken out and sold secondhand, could probably fetch forty or fifty yuan.

"Grandma, I want to listen to the radio too, they are bullying people," Bang Geng said aggrievedly, tears in his eyes.

At this moment, Bang Geng wished he could rush up immediately and snatch the radio; in Bang Geng's small eyes, a gleam of wisdom began to radiate.

On the other side, First Uncle also heard that Zhao Gangzi had brought back a radio.

He immediately walked out without a word to check the situation.

When he saw that brand-new silver-white radio, his expression immediately soured. Originally, a dilapidated radio could highlight his status, but now that Zhao Gangzi had also gotten one, wasn't this damn thing a provocation against him?

"Gangzi, where did you get the ticket? You've only been working for a month; the factory couldn't possibly have issued you a Radio Ticket! Hurry up and confess honestly!" A trace of suspicion leaked from Yi Zhonghai's eyes.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gangzi looked at Yi Zhonghai with some amusement and sneered: "Listening to First Uncle's implication, are you saying my item was obtained through improper channels? If you don't believe it, why don't you go report it to the neighborhood office?"

"Sigh, since First Uncle has spoken, everyone had better stop listening to this radio, lest it make certain people jealous..."

Click!

The radio's switch was turned off by Zhao Gangzi.

The old and young men who had been listening with gusto in front of the radio saw it get turned off and immediately flared up; they didn't care who it was, even if it was First Uncle, they started firing back directly.

"What's the matter here? Why is First Uncle like this now? It's clearly that Gangzi is young and promising, yet at his age, he's still jealous of a young man; he really has no shame!"

"Hmph, I think the radio at Old Yi's house is the one that's improperly sourced; who knows where they scrounged up those secondhand parts..."

"Gangzi, don't listen to First Uncle's nonsense; hurry up and let us listen again to the love and hate of Zhao Yun and Changban Slope..."

"..."

This move by Zhao Gangzi directly turned the neighbors' guns toward Yi Zhonghai.

They had been listening perfectly well.

This old black dog just had to say something unpleasant.

It was only because he was First Uncle; if it had been anyone else causing such trouble, they probably would have received a sound beating.

"Indulging in play ruins one's ambition, truly unreasonable..."

Yi Zhonghai's old face flushed red; this feeling of being besieged made him feel utterly humiliated, so he could only say that sullenly before quietly leaving.

This Zhao Gangzi was really something, opposing him, Yi Zhonghai, at every turn; now that he'd even bought a radio, who knew what other precious items he might buy next time.

The more Yi Zhonghai thought about it, the angrier he became, once again adding quite a bit of Hatred Value for Zhao Gangzi.

And as for Yi Zhonghai now, he had already started planning to buy a bicycle...

Once they had scolded Yi Zhonghai away, the crowd again busied themselves with continuing to listen to the radio; even Third Uncle Yan Bugui brought over his own rice bowl, after all, not taking advantage of a bargain was for fools.

The Jia Family in the Middle Courtyard also had the nerve to come and listen to the radio, especially Bang Geng, who kept clamoring to hear the story. Qin Huairu had no choice but to hold Bang Geng and keep squeezing into the crowd.

Zhao Gangzi saw this situation.

He certainly couldn't let the people surnamed Jia get their way!

He immediately picked up the radio, preparing to take it to the Back Courtyard to listen; a bunch of people also clamored and followed along, and even the passageway between the Middle Courtyard and the Back Courtyard was blocked by people.

"Isn't it just a radio? What are you acting so high and mighty for? Bang Geng, let's go home, we aren't listening!"

Qin Huairu was so angry she gnashed her teeth.

She immediately wanted to take Bang Geng home, but Bang Geng was too mischievous and insisted on listening to the radio: "No, no, I want to listen to the radio, Mom, buy it for me!"

"Good son, we won't listen; how about Mom boils some water for you to drink?"

Although Qin Huairu was angry, she still coaxed Bang Geng in a soft voice.

Seeing this, Jia Zhangshi snatched Bang Geng away and said sarcastically: "You, as a mother, really have no ability, giving your own son boiled water as a drink. Come, good grandson, today Grandma will let you listen to the radio!"

"Mom, can you stop spoiling Bang Geng?"

"Besides, with a person like Zhao Gangzi, how could he possibly let you take advantage of him."

Qin Huairu looked at the two of them with annoyance.

But Jia Zhangshi did not answer; at this moment, a perfect battle plan had already formed in her heart.

First Uncle also lived in the Back Courtyard, so he naturally saw clearly when Zhao Gangzi brought a crowd of people over.

He only felt that the radio beside Zhao Gangzi was so radiant, while the one on his own table seemed much more dilapidated.

Yi Zhonghai had lived to such an old age, and this was the first time he hated someone so much; when Lao Zhao was alive, he had always opposed him, and now the younger Zhao was just as annoying.

He was simply a thorn in his side, a splinter in his flesh!

"Just you wait! No one who dares to oppose me ever has a good end," standing by the window, Yi Zhonghai stared at Zhao Gangzi and muttered gloomily to himself.