In the old courtyard of the Zhang family, Zhang's mother started working with her two daughters-in-law in the early morning and was busy all the time. She prepared several large pots of cornmeal steamed buns, pork ribs stewed with potatoes, stewed beans, cabbage stewed with lard residue and pickles.
Time passed quickly in the busy schedule and it was noon in a short while.
Zhang's mother, along with her daughter-in-law, carried the food, carrying it to the makeshift thatched hut in the new courtyard. As soon as everything was laid out, the aroma wafted through the air. Zhang's father quickly told everyone to eat first and continue their work in the afternoon.
On this wooden plate, there was pork ribs stewed with potatoes, with little meat but chunks of potato, and lard dregs stewed with Chinese cabbage, with a few scraps of meat scattered around. Everyone praised Zhang's father for his kindness and Zhang's mother for her generosity. The villagers who had come to deliver the stones, along with their children, were also pulled in by Zhang's father to eat together.
Everyone had been busy all morning, and without ceremony, they all devoured their food. There were only a few chairs around, so people squatted, leaned against, and so on. In the countryside, people really didn't mind sitting at the table, and they automatically left the few chairs for the elders and the bricklayers.
In a short while, all the food was gone, even the meat soup with the rough steamed buns was eaten up, and the wooden barrels and wooden plates were empty.
When Zhang's father saw this, he called out to his wife, "Mother, this place is not enough. Bring your daughter-in-law and add more."
The bricklayer burped, shook his hands, and shouted, "Stop shouting. I'm full. Can't you see I'm burping? Don't listen to him, sister-in-law."
Zhang's mother looked hesitantly at her husband. "Everything's here, how could she have conjured it up so quickly?" Seeing everyone say they were full, she breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was helping her family, and she couldn't let anyone go hungry, or else her reputation would be ruined. Her father-in-law, when he was still alive, always said he'd rather be frugal and tighten his belt than let his good people suffer.
She prepared enough for 30 people this morning, so they should have eaten their fill. It seemed like she'd need to prepare more steamed bread tomorrow. If they couldn't finish it, they could keep some, and even take one or two home with everyone.
Even steamed cornbread was a rarity these days. She saw a few villagers, too embarrassed to eat more, secretly saving some for their own children. Mother Zhang felt sad, and secretly looked away, pretending not to notice.
After thinking it over, she decided to double the amount. This was the only time she could build a house. She shouldn't be stingy with her rations. She'd rather save some for herself than not make everyone happy. Maybe tomorrow, with fewer people working in the village, more people would come to help. She'd have to get up early and start steaming the steamed buns, otherwise she wouldn't be able to make it in time for lunch.
After a short rest, Zhang Guoqing said goodbye to everyone and left early because of something else.
After Zhang Dad and his companions had eaten their fill, they sat down to smoke their pipes and chat with the bricklayer for a while. Seeing that the villagers who had delivered the stones were going home to rest, he was about to suggest that the bricklayer take a break.
The master bricklayer looked at his apprentices and said cheerfully, "How is it? Can you handle it? Once you've had enough, continue working and try to finish the two yards as soon as possible."
After saying that, he stood up and kicked his eldest disciple, "Hurry up and take them to continue working. The Zhang family are all honest people. You just work hard, they know what's going on, and you won't suffer any loss."
The bricklayer celebrated his 60th birthday last year and remains in excellent health, enjoying his leisure time wandering the countryside. He now has two sons, the eldest of whom inherited his craft. The younger son followed his wife's family into the city. The family is well-off, and this time, out of courtesy, he left his hometown to work for his eldest son.
His craftsmanship was praised throughout the surrounding area. While he may now enjoy a comfortable life, when his parents were still alive, their home was so poor that even rats wouldn't venture into it. Yet, he was a resourceful man, moving to the provincial capital at a young age to earn a living, helping his parents support his younger siblings. There, he pulled rickshaws, carried goods on the docks, and worked as a peddler, taking advantage of whatever offered a profit.
By chance, he ran into Grandpa Zhang, who was still alive. After chatting with him, they discovered they were from the same hometown. Grandpa Zhang was a kind-hearted man. Seeing that he was so young, working from dawn to dusk was not a problem, and he had no skills, he gave him an idea and introduced him to a famous bricklayer in the provincial capital.
He always remembered Grandpa Zhang's kindness and the wild game he had eaten. Several of the Zhang family's grandchildren learned some handicrafts from him. When Father Zhang came over and mentioned building a yard, he agreed without hesitation. Even his wife's wink and his son's promise to come over next year to finish the work were dealt with behind his back.
Zhang Guoqing returned to the room, looked at the remaining food in the room, and asked her worriedly, "Jiaojiao, why are there still some left? Are you unable to finish it? Is there anything you want to eat? Let's try something else."
Zhou Jiao frowned slightly and said softly, "Forget it. I still have a lot of postpartum food. If you buy it, it will be conspicuous, so just make do with it for now. Didn't you have enough for lunch? With Mom gone, the food at home must be back to the way it was, steamed buns. I can smell the smell."
"I barely ate a steamed bun and only ate vegetables. Leave it in your hand and eat it slowly. There's chicken soup on the stove. I can just mix it with the leftovers."
Zhou Jiao ignored him. She'd long known he was strong and had a big appetite. And with all the heavy work he'd been doing today, a small bowl of rice wouldn't even be enough to fill his stomach. Zhou Jiao pulled out two large boxed lunches, sweet and sour spareribs, and grilled steak. Seeing all the meat dishes, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Come and eat! Aren't you going out today? Eat it all. We're not afraid of running out of food, so there's no need to save it for me. You have to take care of yourself, too. I think it's better to move out sooner rather than later. If you keep working yourself up like this, you'll definitely get into trouble. You don't get enough sleep every day, getting up in the early morning and going to bed in the middle of the night. See if you can give me money so you don't have to go to the foundation. Find a reason not to go. You've never suffered so much before, but now you've experienced it all."
Zhang Guoqing smiled as he watched her muttering worriedly. After she finished, he comforted her, "I know, I know everything, don't worry. If you're really tired, you won't go. It's okay now. Don't feel bad for me, we're doing well now. You didn't see how everyone treated those steamed buns as treasures today. They couldn't bear to eat them themselves, but secretly hid them in their arms and took them back. Some people came here carrying stones, looking pale and thin. Their clothes were just single clothes with patches all over them, and they wore straw sandals on their feet. The children following behind them were also wearing single clothes and straw sandals, shivering. My nose was sore when I saw them, and I wanted to take off my clothes and put them on the children. But it was just an idea, I didn't really do it."
Zhou Jiao patted him gently. Some things didn't need to be said. Given the current situation, their power was too small, and if they weren't careful, the consequences would be too great. They were just small people, and they could only be small people.
After Zhang Guoqing finished eating, he hugged his son and chatted with Zhou Jiao for a few words before taking the small note prepared by Jiaojiao, taking two bottles of wine and saying goodbye to her.
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