Chapter 18: The Best Way to Repay Kindness is a Steady Stream.
Giving these three families too much all at once wouldn't be repaying kindness; instead, it would make them feel that the Huang Family's things are easily obtained.
If not handled well, it could even lead to resentment.
The best way to repay a debt of gratitude is a steady, long-term stream.
Although it was late 1952 and the large-scale famine had not yet arrived, every household's life was quite difficult.
Huang Weiguo planned to send some grain over first; as for any future difficulties they might face, it wouldn't be too late to lend a helping hand then.
Huang Weiguo took the items out of his space.
Huang Liying asked, "Weiguo, are you planning to send them things?"
Huang Weiguo replied, "Yes. I came back from hunting today and bought some white flour and rice at the commune. I'm thinking of giving each family three to five catties."
Huang Liying said, "That's too much. Put the white flour and rice away."
Giving Old Lin's family two catties of white flour and ten catties of Cornmeal will be enough.
Previously, Old Lin's daughter gave you about one and a half catties of white flour.
As for Granny Zhou, I've already repaid the money I borrowed from her, but she refused to accept the brown sugar no matter what I said.
Take a bag of those soft pastries you bought and send them to Granny Zhou, and bring her five catties of Cornmeal as well.
Wang Iron Hammer's family didn't give much help in terms of items in the past, but their friendship is deep. Just send ten catties of Cornmeal directly to them.
And have Hua Hua and Qing Qing bring over a few milk candies.
The Siheyuan was a place that placed great importance on social relations and favors. In modern society, Huang Weiguo had been used to living alone and didn't often interact with others.
He had never realized there was so much knowledge and etiquette involved in worldly wisdom and human relations.
Indeed, Sha Zhu had once said something very sensible.
In this world, the shrewdest people are widows!
Huang Liying had her own ways of surviving, which allowed her to live peacefully in the Siheyuan with Hua Hua and Qing Qing.
Huang Weiguo carried the grain to Wang Iron Hammer's house first. Their situation could be described as having nothing but four bare walls.
At this time, he was preparing to eat with his eldest and youngest daughters.
Seeing the bowl of rice soup on the table so thin you could see the bottom, the younger daughter burst into tears, "Daddy, this won't fill me up at all!"
Iron Hammer comforted her, "Good girl, Daddy will go buy you some Steamed Corn Buns tomorrow. Let's just make do for today!"
Wang Iron Hammer was one of those unlucky people who had lost his job during the Three-Anti and Five-Anti Campaigns.
He had already sold everything in the house that could be sold; he was just short of selling his own blood.
"Uncle Wang, it's Weiguo!"
"Weiguo?"
Wang Iron Hammer stood up and looked at Huang Weiguo, saying, "Your mom said you recovered from your serious illness. I didn't quite believe it, but seeing you like this now, I can finally rest easy."
Seeing the food in Wang Iron Hammer's home, Huang Weiguo quickly took out the items he brought. "Uncle Wang, my mom said that when I was gravely ill, it was thanks to you gritting your teeth and giving us grain."
"Now that I'm better and can hunt, I've come to return the grain!"
Looking at the ten catties of Cornmeal, Wang Iron Hammer's expression changed immediately. "No, this is too much. I only gave you a mouthful of food back then."
"If you give me this much, I won't be able to pay you back!"
Huang Weiguo said, "Uncle Wang, your help back then was like sending charcoal in a snowstorm. Please accept it."
"Besides, even if you don't eat, Xiao Man and Niu Niu need to eat."
Looking at his daughters who were staring longingly at the food, Wang Iron Hammer gritted his teeth and said, "Weiguo, I'll keep this favor in my heart! Thank you!"
Hua Hua and Qing Qing ran out from behind Huang Weiguo and said to Niu Niu, "Niu Niu, these are the milk candies brother bought for us. Let's eat them together!"
As they spoke, they stuffed Niu Niu's small pockets full of milk candies.
Wang Iron Hammer wanted to refuse further, but Huang Weiguo had already left with Hua Hua and Qing Qing.
"Brother, where are we going next?"
"To Granny Zhou's family!"
Granny Zhou lived in a utility room next to the Deaf Old Lady's house.
As Huang Weiguo passed by the Deaf Old Lady's door carrying the pastries and Cornmeal...
...the Deaf Old Lady, leaning on her cane, reached out to take the pastries from Huang Weiguo's hand.
"Weiguo, are you here to bring pastries to your Ancestress?"
Seeing the Deaf Old Lady swallowing her saliva, Huang Weiguo dodged her.
"Old Lady, these are for Granny Zhou."
The Deaf Old Lady said, "What did you say? You bought pastries to show respect to me, your Ancestress? Then give them to me!"
Everyone said the Deaf Old Lady's deafness was selective; she could hear all the nice things she liked.
But as for things that were unfavorable or that she didn't want to hear, she couldn't hear a word.
Now she wanted to use this trick again to take advantage of Huang Weiguo.
The Deaf Old Lady's voice was very loud, immediately attracting many neighbors in the Siheyuan.
The Deaf Old Lady said, "Weiguo is a good boy. He even specially bought pastries to visit me. How filial!"
The implication was that if Huang Weiguo didn't give her the pastries, he would be unfilial to her, the Ancestress!
Competing to see who's louder?
Huang Weiguo's voice was even louder than the Deaf Old Lady's. "Old Lady, these pastries aren't for you."
"They're for Granny Zhou. Back when the Jia Family snatched my marriage arrangement away, it was Granny Zhou who stood up for me."
"When I was gravely ill, it was also Granny Zhou who helped our family!"
"Old Lady, let me go back and ask my mom if you, the 'Ancestress' of this courtyard, ever helped our family."
"If you did, I will certainly honor you like my own grandmother!"
Huang Weiguo's voice was very resonant, causing many people in the Middle Courtyard to stick their heads out to watch the excitement.
Huang Weiguo's words set off quiet discussions among the neighbors. "Sigh, back when it was the matter of Weiguo and Qin Huairu's marriage..."
"...if the Old Lady had been willing to say a fair word, how could Jia Dongxu have snatched it away?"
"Exactly. Weiguo put so much effort into that marriage."
"But the First Uncle always says the Deaf Old Lady is highly respected in our courtyard. It really is strange that she didn't intervene in that matter."
The Deaf Old Lady hadn't expected Huang Weiguo to expose her true colors so directly, so she had no choice but to slink back into her room with her cane.
Huang Weiguo carried the pastries to Granny Zhou's house. Granny Zhou had heard the commotion just now.
"Oh, Weiguo, you shouldn't have offended the Deaf Old Lady. She's a 'Five-Guarantees' household; she even made shoes for the soldiers back then."
"Even Director Wang from the Subdistrict Office has to give her some face. If you offend her..."
"...your life in the courtyard might become difficult again. Listen to me, take these pastries to the Old Lady and have a good talk with her!"
Huang Weiguo said, "Granny Zhou, these pastries were meant for you, so they're yours. My mom said it was thanks to your help back then."
"Otherwise, I might not even be here. As for the Old Lady, her having made shoes for soldiers is just something she says herself."
"Who knows if it's true? Director Wang does it out of respect for the elderly, but she uses that reputation to bully others and act powerful!"