Chapter 56 Daily Life in the Compound
The streets of Beicheng were wide and flat, but there wasn't a single shady spot. From the moment they left home until Chen Yun returned, they hadn't seen a single lush, large tree.
The trees on the street looked like they had just been planted; a few wilted leaves clung to the branches, showing no signs of life.
As you walk into Guanming Hutong, you'll see a large locust tree with a canopy over two meters high. The ground beneath it is covered with dappled sunlight like scattered silver. If it weren't for the public toilet nearby... there would definitely be many people enjoying the shade here.
The smell emanating from the public toilet was complex and pungent; the ammonia smell was as if it were enveloping the banyan tree.
Guanming Hutong is shaped like a perfect π. The Gao family's house is located at the tail end of that π, just a few minutes' walk to the left from under the banyan tree.
Last night it was dark and the alley was not visible. When Chen Yun went out to buy some furniture that she needed during the day, she found that the alley was as narrow as a crack.
On both sides are continuous gray brick walls, with large patches of plaster peeling off to reveal the crumbling gray stone bricks underneath.
Some more particular families would plaster the damaged areas with cement, while others would simply leave the rough bricks exposed on the walls.
Gao Ming said that you could tell which courtyard had fewer residents just by looking at the walls; a courtyard with exposed white bricks was a large, crowded tenement.
For example, at No. 6 Guanming Hutong, the corners of the Gao family's walls were plastered with lime, while Aunt Liu's house was bare with the brick seams showing.
The carts carrying furniture could only go as far as the big banyan tree before they could go any further. The clutter piled up in front of each house already took up half the road, so they had to be carried in by hand.
The laborers were Gao Ming and Li Huguo, who, along with three cart drivers, could only make one trip after another to carry the loads.
Compared to the few pieces of furniture, there were also quite a few daily necessities mixed in.
Chen Yun finally understood why people in novels who live in hutongs all know each other; in just a short time, while she was moving things, people from the entire hutong came out to see her.
The story begins by asking who bought so much new furniture, then moves on to the fact that they bought four electric fans, then reveals that Gao Ming is the second son of the Gao family, and finally concludes by saying that Gao Ming must have made money.
"Mom, the popsicles in the city are so delicious."
Even the popsicles the children licked became the subject of gossip among the neighbors, and Chen Yun, as Gao Ming's daughter-in-law, was naturally the center of attention.
By the time everything was moved to the front door of the main house, it was already past 11 a.m.
Aunt Liu was so jealous that she gritted her teeth, wrapping the yarn around her fingers again and again, forgetting to wrap it around the knitting needle.
Star brand electric fans...that's the most expensive brand in the department store.
Every summer she would go to the store to take a look. If her eldest daughter-in-law hadn't refused to contribute money, the family would have used it long ago.
"Mom, you can move this electric fan inside."
As a daughter-in-law, Chen Yun can't just buy things for her own parents and ignore her in-laws. It might be clever once or twice, but over time, people will start to have reservations.
So if we're going to buy something, we might as well buy something for both my in-laws. As for Gao Fei and Gao Lan, they're not on Chen Yun's radar.
Dong Qiaoying was so happy she couldn't stop smiling, and her hands moved up the speed at which they sewed the sandal straps for Gao Nianping: "Then your dad and I will enjoy ourselves first, and when your older brother comes back, he can take the old ones from my room for Liangliang to use."
"Old Gao, your daughter-in-law is really particular about how she lives."
Old Jiang was quite envious, but at the same time he felt that Chen Yun was wasteful. He could only afford to buy a brand new washbasin stand, while Chen Yun could just pick up a few wooden strips and order one.
But since that wasn't the right way to put it, he said something roundabout and insinuating.
Gao Tiejun glanced at him, his expression a half-smile: "Erming earns money to spend on his wife and children. We elders should be happy, why bother with so much!" After saying that, he lowered his head and continued to fiddle with the car parts.
Old Jiang chuckled awkwardly, then quickly found another topic to talk about.
"What exactly does Erming do outside? How come he earns so much money!"
High-speed rail army: "..."
After searching through all the parts on the ground, the car that he had confidently disassembled seemed... impossible to put back together.
"Hey! Lao Gao, your third son is finally up!"
Old Jiang didn't expect to hear an answer, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
He had planned to go back inside but didn't leave. Instead, he moved a small stool from his own doorway and sat down next to Gao Tiejun to watch the excitement.
Old Gao and his wife specially vacated the house to welcome their second son's family. Gao Lan, who was annoyed by the lack of rent, caused a few troubles at home. When she finally met her second sister-in-law, she was bound to cause a scene!
Chen Yun looked up toward the last room in the main house where the door had opened.
His face looked like it had been roughly rubbed raw by life; at only thirty-two, he already looked older than his age. His cheeks were puffy, suggesting both lack of sleep and clearly too much. His eyebrows drooped habitually, giving him a harsh look.
Gao Lan doesn't resemble any member of the Gao family at all; instead, she looks somewhat like Aunt Liu.
It seems that a mean-spirited person's appearance is also affected by their deep thoughts.
"Mom!" Gao Lan suddenly shouted, her voice high-pitched and thin, instantly shattering the peaceful atmosphere in the courtyard: "I'm hungry! When is lunchtime?"
After saying that, he stretched and yawned several times before ending the series of deliberately exaggerated movements.
Why was it intentional? Because the moment Chen Yun stepped out of the room, she saw Chen Yun glancing sideways in her direction, suggesting that Chen Yun probably already knew what was happening outside before leaving.
"All you do is eat all day long, and you don't even bother to come out and say hello to your second sister-in-law."
"Second sister-in-law?" Gao Lan finally turned to look at Chen Yun, her oily face even more noticeable in the sunlight: "So it's second sister-in-law. I went to bed early last night and didn't hear it."
After saying that, he walked a few steps to the pile of things by the door, and then gasped.
"Second sister-in-law is really generous, buying so much stuff!"
“There are a lot of things to buy for a family of four, unlike my third sister who has everything her parents help her with,” Chen Yun said with a smile.
"..."
Picking up a clean, soft cloth, Chen Yun squatted down and carefully wiped the dust off the metal cover of the fan. Her movements were unhurried, but she exuded a sense of detachment, as if she didn't want to talk to anyone.
Gao Lan, however, seemed oblivious, her eyes glued to the electric fan.
The electric fan in their house was part of their wedding dowry. Over the years, a thick layer of dust has accumulated on the blades, and it always blows into their faces whenever it's turned on.
"Second sister-in-law, the new fan looks really nice."
There were four fans on the ground. Gao Lan casually picked one out and touched it, seemingly trying to figure out how to use it.
“One in our room, one in each of my parents’ rooms, and one in your sister-in-law Ruanqiu’s room,” Chen Yun said, smiling as she pointed to the approaching figure. “I want your second brother to buy one.”
Gao Ming was like a switch; Gao Lan turned her head and saw someone approaching, and immediately sprang to life.
"Second Brother, Brother Protector of the Nation."
Gao Ming's face was grim, his eyes devoid of warmth: "Zhou Jianguo hasn't gotten up yet?"
“Jianguo went back to his parents’ house last night, he won’t be back until tomorrow,” Gao Lan replied hastily, not daring to play any tricks on Gao Ming.
If cunning worked, Gao Lan wouldn't have been almost kicked out of her home last year, and Zhou Jianguo wouldn't have dared to utter a single word.
"Don't bother your second sister-in-law anymore. If I find out, you and Zhou Jianguo will move into the Zhou family's house." Gao Ming said coldly, his gaze casually sweeping over Gao Lan's face. "How many days has it been since you washed your hair! You're not a little kid anymore, do you expect your mother to wash your hair for you?"
"No... there's no hot water."
"I won't boil water if there isn't any!"
Gao Ming snorted coldly, and Gao Lan immediately turned around and walked towards the kitchen like a mouse whose tail had been stepped on.
"Gao Lan will obey your orders." Li Huguo gave a thumbs up, bent down to pick up the electric fan, and said to Ruan Qiu, "No matter what she says, just ignore her and find Gao Ming."
The couple stayed at the Gao family's place, and given Gao Lan's personality, she would most likely cause trouble. Li Huguo wouldn't dare to provoke her, so he would only pick on the weak.
Ruanqiu nodded with a smile.
The group spoke without keeping it from anyone, including Gao Lan...
Dong Qiaoying just watched with a smile, and her hands became more and more energetic as she worked. She was already thinking about using the sewing machine to sew two more little jackets for the two children in the afternoon.
Gao Tiejun gestured with his chin towards Lao Jiang: "You're unhappy because you didn't get to see the excitement."
"That's brilliant." Old Jiang also gave a thumbs up.
"dad."
After making several trips back and forth to move everything into the house, he went back to the main room and drank a few mouthfuls of cold water. He turned his head and saw that the pile of parts that Gao Tiejun had dismantled that morning was still there untouched. He exclaimed, somewhat amused and exasperated.
When I went over to take a look, I saw that half of the bike chain was hanging off, and the rest was still lying on the ground.
"I'll do it."
Gao Tiejun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly made way for him: "Dad knows you can fix cars, and you can even fix bicycles?"
“Cars are a hundred times more complicated than bicycles; just the engine alone is enough to learn.” Gao Ming chuckled, quickly put the chain back on, and picked up the pedals: “This bike is over ten years old, isn’t it?”
"I bought it the year I retired due to a leg injury, to make commuting easier," Gao Tiejun said.
Years ago, I suffered a serious leg injury on the front lines and had to retire and transfer to the police department. More than a decade has passed since then.
"I'm going to buy Chen Yun a bicycle in a couple of days, and I'll buy one for you while I'm at it."
The pedals and chain are rusty and won't last more than a few years even if they are repaired and oiled.
"Just make do..."
"Don't be so polite!" Old Jiang slapped Gao Tiejun's arm without any politeness, interrupting him. "Just accept your son's filial piety. You're always just making do. You only made do before because you had no other choice. Now that you can live a good life, why not take it!"
Gao Ming rarely agreed with the stingy Old Jiang: "If I weren't worried that you're getting old and your eyesight isn't good, I would have gotten you a motorcycle to ride."
"Motorcycle?" Gao Tiejun immediately became interested and hurriedly asked, "Two wheels or three wheels?"
"You can do both."
"Then get me a three-wheeled motorcycle. I can drive it to take Nian'an to school when I have nothing to do."
“Sure!” Gao Ming replied immediately.
"Erming, what exactly do you do?" Old Jiang was shocked and couldn't help but ask the person in question directly.
Gao Ming didn't mince words and honestly replied, "Let's open a small transportation company with Li Huguo."
"My goodness!" Old Jiang stood up, spitting out saliva. "I knew it! Turns out it's because he runs a company."
After saying that, he picked up the stool and headed outside.
"I need to tell Old Li this news right away. I want to see what kind of expression that old bastard will have when he finds out his son is making a lot of money."
Li Zhong's favoritism towards his eldest son was nothing new in the alley, but to be so biased as to let his younger son's family live in someone else's house was truly unheard of; even someone as stingy as Old Jiang couldn't stand it.
"Are you deliberately boasting in front of Old Jiang?" Gao Tiejun asked.
It was intentional, but not an exaggeration; it was just a bit over the top. The clever part was not saying that he was the boss of the company.
"I wasn't exaggerating," Gao Ming said, honestly telling Gao Tiejun the truth: "The company has only been starting out for the past two years, and I've been so busy that I haven't had time to go home."
Gao Tiejun was so shocked that it took him a long time to come to his senses. He nervously lowered his voice and asked again, "You just said how many cars your company has?"
"Including the new cars we just bought, we have fifty vehicles."
The high-speed rail crew almost cried out, "My God!"
It turns out that the second son is actually a big boss, even more successful than the son of Old Xu's family in the alley who runs a restaurant. If word gets out, everyone in the alley will be envious!
"You're really good with your mouth, kid." Gao Tiejun chuckled and playfully tapped Gao Ming's face. "If it weren't for helping Huguo get revenge today, you definitely would still be keeping it a secret!"
"Dad, don't go out and tell anyone." Gao Ming quickly added, "Nian'an and Nianping will still have to play in the alley in the future. If someone keeps an eye on them, it'll be troublesome."
With people daring to steal children even at train stations, the security situation in the past two years has made Gao Ming and Chen Yun dare not have any high-profile plans at all.
Gao Tiejun nodded: "Don't worry, I've lived in this alley for decades, I know more than you." He then cleared his throat: "Then we need to buy a new three-wheeled motorcycle."
"rest assured."
Chen Yun tidied up the room briefly and then headed forward.
Gao Ming was still helping the high-speed rail crew repair bicycles, with Chen Shu giving him pointers. Clearly, three cobblers are no match for Zhuge Liang; the right pedal fell off as soon as the left pedal was installed.
Gao Lan didn't know if she had washed her hair or not, but she wasn't in the yard.
“Your mother and Aunt Dong seem to get along quite well,” Ruanqiu said with a smile.
Xu Cuihua and Dong Qiaoying were discussing making short jackets for their two children; the only thing the two of them could talk about was the siblings.
"Gao Nian'an! You're not allowed to steal popsicles anymore."
Each of the three children had an ice pop. Chen Yun knew her daughter too well and could tell at a glance that this was at least her second one.
The Gao family also has a refrigerator, which, judging from the wear and tear, has been used for at least several years.
The three children nodded in agreement.
Chen Yun added, "Mom will cook lunch today. We'll have braised fish for lunch."
"..."
Instead of a warm response, Gao Nianping pouted, somewhat displeased: "Mom's fish isn't as good as Dad's." After saying that, she stuck out her tongue and licked the popsicle.
"You've only been eating your dad's cooking for a few days! And you're already complaining that your mom's cooking isn't good enough." Chen Yun asked, both amused and exasperated.
Before they got married, the couple's cooking skills were about the same, and Chen Yun thought her cooking was still edible.
But after a few years of marriage, the gap between them seemed to widen. Gao Ming hadn't noticed it because he hadn't compared it to others during the years he was away making his own way in the world. But when he returned home and the chef had been changed, the difference was so great that Chen Yun had to admit it.
Gao Ming looked up and raised an eyebrow at Chen Yun, looking extremely smug.
“Gao Ming specifically learned to cook from the company cafeteria chef. He’s a head chef at a state-run hotel… how could his cooking skills be bad?” Li Huguo pointed out the truth as he walked by.
Several elders turned to look at Gao Ming.
Aunt Luo glanced at Jiang Heping's still unmoved house, and her heart ached with bitterness.
Even in this situation, Jiang Heping still felt his mother wasn't envious enough. He took a mirror and came out of the house, saying, "Brother Erming has been popular since he was a child. Uncle Gao and Aunt Gao will be very happy in the future!" As he spoke, he didn't forget to apply hair gel from his palm to his head.
"Heping, is your wife eating lunch?" Aunt Luo asked.
Jiang Heping had no idea and shook his head haphazardly: "No need to save food for us. If Suyun wakes up later, we can just go outside and eat some noodles."
"Whatever..." Aunt Luo wanted to glare at Jiang Heping: "You can cook noodles at home with a fire, but you insist on eating out. You really have too much money to burn!"
She wasn't being frugal; she was just angry that her son didn't care about his parents at all. When he went out to eat and drink well, he didn't even think about inviting his parents along.
I just overheard Gao Ming mentioning that he wants to replace the gas stove at home for cooking. He said that Dong Qiaoying burns coal briquettes every day, which is dirty and tiring. Her son knows how to care for his mother, but her husband would rather his parents die sooner...
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Aunt Luo stood up, spat at Jiang Heping, picked up her stool, and went inside.
Although there were many people in the courtyard, it was quite a sight to behold. As Chen Yun scaled the fish, he listened to Jiang Heping chasing after Aunt Luo into the house and saying nice things to her.
Surprisingly... there were quite a few funny moments!
Chen Yun skillfully scraped off the fish scales, tapped the fish's body with the back of a knife to pull out the fishing line, and handled the fish with great practice.
Dong Qiaoying was even more pleased with what she saw.
"Since you're off work this month, let Gao Ming take you around to see the sights..."
“Gao Ming has to go back to the company tomorrow. He hasn’t been to work for a month. How can he have time to cook and do laundry at home every day?” Chen Yun laughed.
In fact, she had already planned to take her children and parents to visit major tourist attractions tomorrow, so they could also see the prosperity of the country's capital.
Of course... most importantly, the parents were going to visit two old friends.
Chen Shu's two classmates teach in Beicheng. In his letter before he left, he had already said that he would visit them when he arrived in Beicheng.
Next, we need to find out about the entrance exam for the Fifth Primary School. To put it more succinctly, we need to give our daughter a few more days of intensive tutoring. We can't very well go to the exam hall and say that her hobbies are... climbing trees and catching ants.
Thinking of her daughter, Chen Yun turned to look under the eaves, then closed her eyes in silence.
"Gao Nian'an, when did you start rolling around in the ground again?"
I hadn't seen her for just a few hours, and the pink dress she had worn that morning was now covered in mud, and her two black hands were smearing mud on her two younger brothers' faces.
Hearing Chen Yun yell at him, he immediately jumped up and ran away.
"Grandpa, save me! Mom's going to hit me!"
Chen Yun: "..."
The little girl is so clever; in just a few hours, she quickly figured out who was in charge of the Gao family and knew where to run to find a backer.
“Grandpa’s hands are dirty.” Gao Tiejun smiled so hard that his thick eyebrows drooped down, and he pulled his granddaughter into his arms: “Your mother only said a few words to you, she didn’t hit you.”
"Hehe." Gao Nian'an laughed.
Gao Nianping sighed and wiped his face with his sleeve, instructing Li Shuaishuai, "Don't wipe with your hands, use your sleeve."
The door to the eldest brother's room suddenly opened.
The boy yawned as he walked out of the room, his stretching posture exactly like Gao Lan's.
"Why are you only getting up now!" Dong Qiaoying's smile vanished abruptly, and she asked coldly, "Liangliang went to bring your mother water, and you were sleeping soundly."
"Grandma," Gao Yi yawned lazily again, "It was my brother who wanted to deliver it, not me. There are taps everywhere outside, how could Mom die of thirst?"
"..."
"Besides, Grandpa told Mom not to do chores, but she insisted on doing them. What else could it be but her own fault?"
"Gao Yi!"
"Gao Yi!"
Two somewhat similar, deep male voices rang out at the same time. Gao Tiejun was nothing like the kind and gentle man he had been when he spoke to Gao Nian'an earlier. He stood up, wrench in hand.
Gao Ming didn't stand up, but his expression was equally unpleasant.
Gao Liang is timid but is a good kid at heart, unlike Gao Yi, who is a year younger and is a real troublemaker.
The boy, only thirteen years old, behaved no differently from a street thug.
"Grandpa, Second Uncle..."
I didn't notice that Gao Tiejun and Gao Ming were both home just now, otherwise Gao Yi wouldn't have dared to say those things even if he had ten times the courage.
Gao Tiejun will beat him up, Gao Ming... will beat him to death.
Seeing Gao Ming slowly stand up, Gao Yi rushed into Gao Lan's room without hesitation, and closed the door after a few steps.
Chen Yun was curious as to why she would run into her aunt's house.
I only heard Gao Ming explain the reason clearly that evening.
Gao Lan had been married for three years without getting pregnant. The old folks in the alley told her that she could bring a baby to attract younger siblings, so they brought Gao Yi into their house and raised him for a few years.
Perhaps they truly believed what the old man said, because the couple treated Gao Yi better than their own child, feeding and caring for him until he was eleven years old.
As a result, his younger siblings were not attracted, and Gao Jianguo was unwilling to spend any more money, so Gao Yi moved to his parents' dormitory so that the family could be reunited.
But Zeng Yi has been raised to be exactly like Gao Lan, lazy and gluttonous with no conscience whatsoever.
Years ago, Chen Yun heard Gao Ming mention that he had arranged a job for Gao Lan, but she sold it to someone else after only a few years, saying that the factory was too tiring and the wages were too low.
Actually, he was just concerned about Dong Qiaoying's job.
Last year, Gao Tiejun asked Gao Lan and her husband to pay for their meals, but they refused, citing that neither of them had a job or income.
Then Zhou Jianguo encouraged Gao Lan to use this as an excuse to ask Dong Qiaoying for a job.
Gao Lan's crying, tantrums, and threats of suicide actually softened Dong Qiaoying's heart, and she agreed.
Dong Qiaoying works in the Materials Section of the Light Industry Bureau. The bureau has a rule that children can take over the job, but the prerequisite is that they must pass the educational requirements and participate in the bureau's training and examination.
Gao Lan went to the training course with great enthusiasm, but her first exam revealed that her knowledge was almost illiterate.
They didn't let Gao Lan go to the second training session; they said it tactfully out of consideration for Dong Qiaoying.
As a result... Gao Lan couldn't understand.
Throwing tantrums at the bureau was useless, and Xu told everyone that Dong Qiaoying was unwell and could no longer work, and that not giving her her work station meant that the bureau leaders had some shady arrangements for her.
Now... everyone in the bureau knows that Dong Qiaoying has a troublesome and uneducated daughter.
He couldn't cause trouble at the bureau, so he went home and started making trouble for Dong Qiaoying.
As it happened, Gao Ming was on his way home.
That day, Gao Lan and Zhou Jianguo were beaten by Gao Ming with a rolling pin and ran all over the yard. In the end, they hurriedly agreed to pay their living expenses. They didn't dare to think about their parents' jobs anymore.
Gao Yi witnessed the entire process firsthand.
His second uncle may seem easygoing and smiling most of the time, but when he gets angry, he can be truly ruthless.
"Gao Lan, come out here." Gao Ming said in a deep voice from the doorway. He knocked twice but no one answered, so he simply opened the window: "Starting this month, I'll be collecting your food expenses."
Gao Lan: "..."
“From today onwards, those who don’t pay for meals will have to cook for themselves.” He knocked on the window and looked at Gao Yi: “Gao Yi and Gao Liang also have to pay for meals at home. The money will be deducted from their wages, such as washing clothes and vegetables.”
Gao Nian'an nervously covered his mouth and whispered to Gao Tiejun, "Grandpa, do I also have to pay for my meals?"
Gao Tiejun chuckled to himself.
"Of course, it's fine if your parents are willing to help you pay for your meals, but I'll talk to my older brother and sister-in-law about the situation tonight. If they're still willing... then just pretend I didn't say anything."
Gao Yi was so scared he almost cried.
His father listened to his second uncle the most, and the thought of having to ask Gao Yi to help him with meals because of a few careless words made him want to cry.
There's nowhere to cry!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
