Chapter 10: An Adopted Child is Ungrateful, She's Bound to Suffer.
However, what Qin Huairu didn't know was that Huang Weiguo had sold a wild boar today and earned two hundred yuan.
This was almost equivalent to Jia Dongxu's yearly salary.
And Huang Weiguo still had another wild boar stored in her space. If she could sell that too, she'd have four hundred yuan in hand.
In the Front Courtyard, Yan Jiefang, smelling the aroma of meat, said to his father, "Dad, it's been six months since we last ate anything with meat! Look at the Huang Family, they used to be so poor, but now they can afford streaky pork and Steamed White Rice. I want some too!"
Father Yan retorted, "All you think about is eating! Huang Weiguo knows how to hunt, do you?"
Third Aunt chimed in from the side, "Dear, there hasn't been a hint of meat on our table for half a year. How about I go buy some meat tomorrow, and we can make dumplings?"
But Father Yan said, "What dumplings? It's not a holiday. I'll go ask the Huang Family tomorrow if they have any leftover bones we can have to make soup!"
At the thought of the savory soup made from meat bones, both Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
"Is that Yushui?"
While the Huang Family was eating, He Yuzhu's voice called out from outside.
He Yushui quickly swallowed the rice in her mouth and responded, "Brother, I'm here!"
He Yuzhu walked into the Huang residence and asked, "Hey, why did you come to Aunt Huang's house to eat? Didn't I tell you that if you were hungry, you should go to First Uncle's or the Old Lady's?"
He Yushui explained, "First Uncle said his family isn't eating dinner today, and the Old Lady wouldn't open the door for me. I was starving!"
He Yuzhu caught a glimpse of the Braised Pork and Steamed White Rice on the Huang Family's table and froze instantly, his face full of astonishment.
Their family's conditions were considered relatively good within the Siheyuan.
He Daqing used to be a Head Chef, and their family's private stove never stopped, but even they couldn't afford Steamed White Rice and Braised Pork every meal.
Even First Uncle's family, with a monthly salary of seventy or eighty yuan, wouldn't dare to be so extravagant as to eat Steamed White Rice.
Was the Huang Family planning on not living frugally anymore?
During the "Three-Anti" and "Five-Anti" campaigns, the Sijiucheng branch of the Department Store had nearly four thousand types of goods on sale at reduced prices.
For example, Kou Kou toothpaste dropped from forty-seven cents to thirty-seven cents; Hei Ren Toothpaste fell from forty-two cents to thirty-eight cents.
The Department Store was selling thread at half price.
The Sijiucheng Cooperative Federation also announced price reductions on items like bicycles, Sewing Machines, Radios, and daily necessities.
Seeing those price reductions, Huang Weiguo didn't hesitate for a moment and purchased a bicycle.
She also bought a woolen dress and a pair of small leather shoes each for Hua Hua and Qing Qing.
She also bought Huang Liying a lenin suit and a pair of cotton shoes.
Of course, Huang Weiguo didn't forget to reward herself, buying two sets of cotton-padded clothes, one of which was a woolen lenin suit.
Watching Huang Weiguo spend money like water, Huang Liying grew so anxious her eyes reddened: "Weiguo, that's really enough, don't buy anymore. Hunting is so tiring for you!"
Huang Weiguo comforted her: "Mom, believe me, our family's life will only get better and better from now on. Not to mention other things, starting tomorrow, our family can buy one item like a Sewing Machine, a Radio, or a semi-steel watch every single day!"
Unable to stop Huang Weiguo, Huang Liying could only agree.
Not long after, Huang Weiguo, carrying many packages, first went to the Police Station to have the bicycle stamped with a steel seal.
Afterwards, she took Huang Liying to the cosmetics counter and bought Vaseline and Almond Cream.
Huang Liying hurriedly declined: "Weiguo, we can make do with Pig Pancreas Soap."
But Huang Weiguo said, "That won't do, Mom. For the past three years, it was you taking care of me. From now on, it's time for you to enjoy some ease and comfort!"
Hearing this, Widow Huang couldn't help but wipe away tears. She knew she hadn't misjudged the person.
Back when she took Huang Weiguo in, Yi Zhonghai and others always said an adopted child would be ungrateful and that she would suffer for it. But she didn't believe them. From the first glance, she felt Weiguo was a good person.
Now, she could finally hold her head high. She would prove to the entire Siheyuan that her Weiguo was more capable than anyone, the most competent person in the courtyard.
Huang Weiguo, with Hua Hua and Qing Qing dressed in new clothes, and Huang Liying carrying many packages, returned to the Siheyuan.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, Yan Bugui and Third Aunt saw the brand-new bicycle and the many packages, their eyes turning green with envy. They asked, "Weiguo, where did this bicycle come from?"
Huang Weiguo replied, "I bought it!"
Yan Bugui exclaimed in surprise, "Bought it?! A bicycle costs one hundred and sixty yuan! Where did you get the money to buy it?"
Huang Liying explained, "It's like this. Yesterday, Weiguo went hunting in the mountains and caught a wild boar. The money for the bicycle came from selling that boar."
Yan Bugui was stunned: "A wild boar? Weiguo, you managed to hunt a wild boar in the dead of winter and used it to buy a bicycle!"
Yan Bugui felt a sour taste in his heart. If he had known Huang Weiguo would be so capable, he should have taken her in himself back then. A few handfuls of grain to keep her from starving was all it would have taken. This Widow Huang really hit the jackpot.
Third Aunt looked at Yan Bugui, her eyes full of envy, and said, "Lao Yan, Widow Huang's days of hardship are finally over. The bad times are past, it's time for good days!"
Yan Bugui's eyes shifted, and he lowered his voice: "From now on, we shouldn't disrespect the Huang Family like others in the courtyard do. We need to build a good relationship with them. Who knows, we might even be able to borrow their bicycle to go fishing in the future."
Third Aunt nodded and added, "I heard yesterday that Yushui helped Hua Hua and Qing Qing several times before, so Huang Weiguo invited He Yushui to their home for a meal, with Braised Pork and white rice to her heart's content!"
Yan Bugui swallowed his saliva and sighed, "In all my life, I've never been able to eat my fill of white rice with Braised Pork."
Just as Huang Weiguo entered the Middle Courtyard, she saw First Aunt, Second Aunt, Qin Huairu, and Jia Zhangshi gathered around the water tap, chatting in low voices, their topic entirely focused on the Huang Family.
One person said, "In my opinion, it's Huairu who has the best eye, she saw early on that Dongxu was a promising man!"
Another chimed in agreement: "Isn't that right? First Uncle is a senior Fitter; many at the Steel rolling mill want to apprentice under him. His monthly salary is seventy or eighty yuan. Jia Dongxu just needs to learn a few tricks from him, and he'll easily earn forty or fifty yuan a month in the future!"
Jia Zhangshi said smugly: "Of course, my Dongxu is the most capable among the younger generation in the Siheyuan. Right now, among the Four Big Items in the courtyard, only our family has a Sewing Machine. Who else does?"
As soon as Jia Zhangshi finished speaking, Huang Weiguo pushed her bicycle into the Siheyuan.