The three people in the study were each thinking about their own thoughts, while the couple carefully pondered and experienced it. After a long while, Zhang Guoqing's question was raised again.

Zhou Xiaozheng didn't mind letting his daughter and son-in-law know more about the stubborn ideas of the old feudals, nor did he mind letting them deeply understand the conflict between the old and new ideas.

Many things, many truths, seem very complicated. But in fact, when we simplify and summarize them, they all come down to one goal: profit.

There is an old saying, "What you learn from books is shallow; you must practice to truly understand." To be honest, relying on children to read a few books by themselves is ultimately too superficial.

When it comes to teaching, Zhou Xiaozheng believes that few can match him. Even those old masters who are still alive, their rigid Confucianism is no longer suitable for the new era.

From ancient times to the present, he used examples and analysis of famous figures in modern foreign history. Once again, he conquered the young couple of "new humans" with his vision that transcended the present.

What is your experience of the saying “Listening to one word from you is better than reading for ten years”?

Zhou Jiao and Zhang Guoqing had no time to complain. Their father had already analyzed all the possible scenarios, so what were they going to do next?

After talking about business, we started talking about miscellaneous things.

"...If we talk about their origins, which one of them has truly been poor for eight generations? If their ancestors have been poor for eight generations, how low must their IQ be!"

Zhou Xiaozheng's casual joke amused Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao. It's true, back then, if you didn't have some wealth, you couldn't afford to raise a cultured person.

Some things are seen but not spoken out.

Zhang Guoqing then laughed and said, "Dad, you don't know that on this issue, Mr. Mo finally won in front of Mr. Yi. He said that his grandfather was still a slave."

Suddenly, a burst of laughter rang out in the study.

In the past, when discussing their ancestors' history, everyone was eager to escape the mud-legged family history. Who would be proud of their ancestors being slaves? Now it's different...

I have to say this is also a kind of sadness.

Of course, not everyone is happy to appreciate the farce and laugh along with it.

One day in the deep winter, Doctor Hu, who could no longer bear it, was unwilling to stay in the city anymore, so he left a letter and took Uncle Hu on a long journey.

Aunt Ya, who was alone in the yard, continued to work at her job as usual. She would not go out except for daily necessities.

Zhou Jiao went there several times, and although she saw that she was living a leisurely and comfortable life, she was still a little worried.

Although no one dared to break into the house now, what if something happened? She also doubted how many people would come to help after Aunt Ya hit the basin and bucket.

The first house at the entrance of the alley housed a large compound housing three families. Some "expert" summoned the Little Red Guards and insisted that the lonely old woman living in the west room was a "geisha." Under the scorching August sun, the sixty-year-old woman denied the claim and died a few days later.

There is also a small alley that branches off from this alley not far away. There is a courtyard with two entrances. There is an elderly couple who often strolled hand in hand on the street. They just committed suicide by hanging themselves not long ago because of "fear of punishment".

In a fifth courtyard not far away, piles of thread-bound books were found during a search. That family is still under surveillance, and when they sweep the public toilet, they are often pelted with stones by children...

In this kind of atmosphere, after what these people have experienced, are there still people who are willing to step forward and protect the safety of their neighbors? Normally, with Uncle Hu, a disabled veteran, around, I wouldn't be worried, but now...

On the 24th, the day for purchasing grain, Zhou Jiao came to the hutong courtyard accompanied by Zhang Guoqing.

The gray brick walls in the old alleys are covered with large characters, and the red painted courtyard gates of each house are inevitably faded and mottled. The stone drums and stone lions in front of the gates have long disappeared.

Under the warm winter sun, we can no longer see those familiar scenes from previous years...

There were elderly people sitting here and there basking in the sun, children running around playing snowball fights, and an old man selling popcorn in the corner.

Not only these disappeared, but the small restaurant not far from the original big tree also closed its door.

At this time last year, there were always old men sitting inside drinking liquor, playing chess and chatting, or sipping wine and singing songs.

I don’t know if I will be able to taste the three-cent fire-baked bread with fried dough rings, the one-cent soy milk, and the three-cent bowl of bean flour meatball soup in the future.

Add a spoonful of sesame paste, some chopped coriander, and a dash of chili oil, and it's a delicious dish. For just three cents a piece, you've got it all.

All of this may never be repeated, becoming history, a story of time in the alleys. It is a pity.

Zhou Jiao and his wife were a little late, and the courtyard gate was closed, so they had no choice but to go to the nearby grain store to look for Aunt Ya. She was nowhere to be seen in the long line.

Zhang Guoqing suddenly pulled Zhou Jiao and pointed at the entrance of the grain store. Wasn't that Aunt Ya using sign language with the grain store staff?

Doctor Hu and Uncle Hu obtained certificates to visit their relatives and return to their hometown.

According to the requirement of food coupons for business trips, one can collect food coupons within one's own food quota, so this time, in addition to collecting her own rations, Aunt Ya also had to collect the two food coupons.

The complexity of the matter, involving the length of her absence, was difficult to describe, even though Aunt Ya repeatedly said Dr. Hu had already taken care of it. Zhou Jiao also worried that someone would maliciously embarrass her because she couldn't speak up.

Seeing this, the couple hurried to meet Aunt Ya. Unexpectedly, the closer they got, the clearer they could hear the voices of their neighbor, Grandma Tan, and the others.

It sounded like they were deliberately showing off Uncle Hu's glorious deeds.

The couple smiled at each other and slowed down their pace. What a thoughtful person!

After accompanying Aunt Ya back and staying for a while, Zhou Jiao saw that she was really fine, and she felt much more at ease this time. Seeing that Aunt Ya was either stuffing meat and cloth coupons or preparing to cook noodles, the two of them hurriedly said goodbye and left.

Unlike her, Zhang Guoqing and his wife really have no shortage of these things.

As time goes by, their levels are promoted step by step, and their salaries are also increased step by step. One salary corresponds to one level, and they are all increased based on the original salary.

Apart from Zhou Jiao, who was promoted three levels to level 19 for a reason and earns more than 78 yuan a month, Zhang Guoqing is not bad either. The treatment of a level 22 soldier is not much worse than that of a level 19 administrative officer.

Over the course of a year, his various coupons and overtime allowances accumulated to a considerable sum. The couple earned a salary of 140 yuan per month, not to mention the various benefits their respective companies provided during festivals and holidays.

Especially nowadays, cabbage costs a little over 1 cent per pound, watermelon costs 3 cents per pound, large hairtail and yellow croaker costs 30 cents per pound, Fuqiang noodles costs 16.5 cents, pork belly costs more than 80 cents...

With prices like this, even without the space and supplies, even without subsidies from Zhou Xiaozheng and others, the couple alone could provide a family of seven with food and clothing.

In this case, how could they accept Aunt Ya’s gift?