[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji":3,"chapter-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-77":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Siheyuan: Food, Love, and Family in 1960s Beijing",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2314127,4526,"Chapter 77","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-77",77,"\u003Cp>Watching everyone lost in rapture watching the film, no wonder He Yuzhu said that after seeing her, any other woman would seem like Pig Bajie’s second aunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was merely He Yuzhu’s own fantasy—he dreamed of Ashima, pursued Qin Huaiju in action, muttered Qin Jingru’s name, yearned for Ran Qiuye in thought, and remained physically loyal to Lou Xiaoe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, a 30-year-old unmarried man was just an unwilling scoundrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scoundrel He Yuzhu and his apprentice had prepared a full table of dishes; as soon as the film ended, the meal was ready, and tonight Deputy Factory Director Li was leading the department heads to the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the film ended, Li Xuewu greeted the leaders and prepared to pick up his child and go home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Factory Director Li grabbed him and said, “Come drink with me at the canteen tonight, have a chat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu declined, saying he’d already eaten before the film, but Deputy Factory Director Li insisted on drinking, so he had no choice but to accompany him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such occasions usually involved Deputy Factory Director Li, a few senior leaders, and one or two young subordinates—so they could be ordered around, and also to signal mentorship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Department heads like Fu Bin and Dong Wenhua wouldn’t go; once you reached a certain rank, you had to maintain proper distance from your superiors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju’s family returned the canteen bench and headed home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, Huaihua grew sleepy; Qin Huaiju carried her on her back, Qin Jingru led Banggeng and Xiaodang, stumbling along with the crowd toward the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru, lost in thought, asked cautiously: “Sis, is He Yuzhu really an idiot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju replied irritably: “How could he be? An idiot can’t be a cook—his monthly salary is 37.5 yuan, and unmarried girls line up to marry him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru asked skeptically: “Then why isn’t he married at 29?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju had no answer and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking a while, Qin Jingru asked again: “That policeman—is he also one of your leaders? He looks so young.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Qin Huaiju couldn’t clearly see her cousin’s face in the dark, her tone said everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tightened her grip on Huaihua and said: “He’s a security cadre—sort of a leader. He catches thieves and robbers, lives in our courtyard too—right across from Old Man San’s house, in Li Doctor’s home. Didn’t I take you there for treatment before? He’s Li Doctor’s second son. You came when he was off serving in the army; he just returned recently and was assigned to our factory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru murmured “Oh,” then said: “Their family? Their living conditions seem pretty ordinary—all those people crammed into one house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju knew her younger sister was materialistic, had always been jealous of her, and wanted to marry into the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a country girl, with no exposure to the world, had no idea that judging a family’s worth wasn’t about outward appearances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju glanced at her sister and scolded: “What do you know about ‘ordinary conditions’? Li Doctor earns 79.5 yuan a month. His eldest son and daughter-in-law are both university teachers, each earning 62 yuan. The one you met today is Li’s second son, earning 37.5 yuan. His third son is a medical student, supported by state subsidies, doesn’t burden the family. His fourth child is a high school girl. Four people earning salaries support two elderly relatives—total monthly income: 241 yuan. How many families can afford that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, people loved asking how much others earned, comparing incomes without considering expenses or actual circumstances—just judging wealth by salary alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the same tradition that later led uncles and aunts to ask your salary when you returned to the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Qin Huaiju’s precise calculations, Qin Jingru—who’d never seen much of the world—was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru exclaimed: “That much money?! Our village doesn’t see that much in a year—how could they possibly spend it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju shot her cousin a sharp look: “Who cares how they spend it? Think about your own affairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru wasn’t discouraged and pressed on: “Then… has Li’s second son gotten married?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju replied: “He’s only 19, just demobilized, not married. Why? Interested? He’s got a scar on his face—aren’t you afraid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru blushed: “No, not at all. Besides, he’s a security cadre—what’s there to fear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju said: “Good. Even if you were interested, it wouldn’t work—he’s too good for us country girls. Calm down and go meet He Yuzhu. His salary’s also 37.5 yuan—not bad at all. Don’t be unrealistic. I’ve already arranged it with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru stayed silent, thinking to herself: “What if he likes country girls? I’m no worse-looking than city girls. The second son’s scarred, but there’s still the third son…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought it, but dared not speak it aloud—after all, she needed her cousin’s help to get into the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Li Xuewu followed the leaders into the canteen’s private room, where He Yuzhu and Ma Hua were serving dishes; they were both surprised to see Li Xuewu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu greeted them briefly and said no more; the table buzzed with clinking glasses and lively toasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversations unsuitable for the office were now aired over drinks, each side probing the other’s limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they were talking, Xu Damao entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The factory office director told Secretary Yang and Deputy Factory Director Li: “Today was tough on Damao—we specifically called him over for a drink.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao watched Li Xuewu laughing and chatting with the leaders, and couldn’t help thinking: This kid’s only 19—got ahead just because of one anti-corruption opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phone call from the workshop to the security squad had spread throughout the factory; the security squad had scored a huge windfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve served quietly for years, groveling at the factory director’s table—now I have to raise a toast to this brash kid in the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao’s heart burned with resentment, but years of experience helped him adjust quickly—he nodded at Li Xuewu and began livening up the drinking table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To drink with our factory’s leaders is a blessing I, Xu Damao, could never have dreamed of. I toast you—all according to tradition: one large, three small, two five ten.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secretary Yang, drinking with Xu Damao for the first time, asked: “What’s this ‘one large, three small, two five ten’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao raised his cup: “The ‘one large’ means our leaders are great. What is a leader? A leader is heaven—our factory’s heaven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>《Immortal Wood Miracle》\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secretary Yang grinned, glancing at Deputy Factory Director Li, his eyes saying: “Is this projectionist really this blatant in his flattery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Factory Director Li had heard this routine before; he looked at Xu Damao like a monkey performing, thinking: “How could Lou’s son-in-law be this crude?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao continued fawning: “When a great man drinks one, a small man like me must drink three.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Factory Director Li teased: “What if I drink three?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao hurriedly replied: “Three times three is nine—I’d have to drink nine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu watched Xu Damao’s antics without intervening; though they lived in the same courtyard, they weren’t close—good advice won’t save a fool determined to ruin himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy was volunteering to be the court jester—anyone trying to stop him would just be seen as trying to harm him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao went around toasting each leader, strictly following the “one large, three small, two five ten” rule: for every leader who drank one cup, Xu Damao drank three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cups weren’t large—holding a bit over one tael of liquor—but with six or seven people at the table, including himself, one round already meant he’d drunk over a jin, nearing two jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time it reached him, he was swaying—Li Xuewu feared he’d collapse right there and ruin the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>",1301,"2026-06-20T13:46:54.288Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3de60346b422fe1f34c1222ff5a66b645b033aec05d205f246f4e4865be773d5","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-78","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-76",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]