Chapter 31: Never Leave a Grudge Overnight
(Hey there, handsome reader daddies, how about some engagement? Anything will do—it’s too quiet, and I’m getting nervous!~)
Sure enough, in these times, entertainment was truly scarce. The old Beijingers loved nothing more than shooting the breeze, joining in on the excitement, and gossiping!
If someone was scolding their son, anyone passing through the courtyard would stop to chime in with their two cents!
When Chen Shi said what he did, Yan Bugui and Yang Ruihua instantly widened their eyes, their interest piqued: “Really? That Jia Dongxu, who won’t even lift a finger at home, actually went to plow the fields?”
“Yep, worked his heart out too. If you don’t believe me, just give Jia Dongxu’s shoulder a pat. Spoiled as he is at home, his shoulders must be rubbed raw from the work. He’ll be sore for days!”
The moment Chen Shi finished speaking, a pained scream rang out from the central courtyard.
The annoying voice of Silly Zhu followed: “Hey, is what Little Chen said true? Did Jia Dongxu really go plow his in-laws’ land?”
“Well, well, Dongxu is a working-class elder brother. Qin Huairu marrying him was already climbing the social ladder. Now he’s even working for her family? What’s in it for him?”
Thanks to Chen Shi’s antics, the entire courtyard’s attention was now fixed on the Jia family. No one noticed Old Chen Han, Tian Xiulan, and Shen Youchu each carrying a heavily laden basket, hurrying toward the eastern annex.
Seeing the eastern annex door close, Chen Shi turned to leave.
Yan Bugui, noticing the chaos in the courtyard and the Chen family sneaking off with who-knows-what, grew anxious and raised his voice: “Hey, Little Chen, you stop right there!”
Chen Shi scratched his ear. “Uncle Yan, keep it down, will you? No need to shout. You’re scaring me—I was traumatized by a dog when I was a kid!”
It took Yan Bugui a moment to process the insult.
Once it clicked, he wasn’t having it. He grabbed Chen Shi by the collar and tried to drag him toward the eastern annex.
Chen Shi shrugged. “Don’t take it personally. It’s the truth—I really was bitten by a dog, and now I’ve got this phobia of gatekeepers. If you don’t believe me, ask my mom!”
Who was Chen Shi? The neighborhood’s most notorious slacker, a street-smart troublemaker who even his underground-operative father couldn’t outwit.
Yan Bugui stood no chance.
With a spin, Chen Shi shook him off and strolled into the central courtyard, where Old Lady Jia was already spewing venom at Qin Huairu:
“You shameless Qin Huairu! At the wedding, your family extorted us for a sky-high dowry, and now you’re treating my son like a beast of burden? My Dongxu must’ve been blind to marry a worthless thing like you!”
Old Lady Jia’s resentment toward Qin Huairu had started even before the wedding. Not only did she come with a troublesome family, but ever since the marriage, she’d been moaning and groaning every night in bed—giving Old Lady Jia dreams of her late husband!
And now she had the nerve to make Dongxu work the fields? She’d raised him as a widow, never letting him lift a finger!
Qin Huairu, being a new bride, was still shy. Tears streamed down her face under the barrage of insults.
Chen Shi cut in, “Auntie Jia, no need to be so mad. Sure, your Dongxu worked for his in-laws, but didn’t they pay a hefty dowry? And sure, he went back with his wife, but did the Qin family even make him a pair of shoes?”
He lifted his foot. “Auntie Jia, you’re an expert at shoemaking. What do you think of these? Good material, huh?”
Old Lady Jia rolled her eyes and doubled down on Qin Huairu.
Satisfied with Yan Bugui storming off and Qin Huairu in tears, Chen Shi stuck his hands in his pockets, whistled, and headed for the eastern annex.
Revenge is best served immediately—never leave it overnight.
Halfway there, a hen suddenly flew onto his shoulder. Chen Shi yelled, “Xu Damao, control your chicken! Or how about sending me some mushrooms so I can give it a bath?”
“Ah, my bad, my bad!” Xu Damao rushed over. “My dad got these hens from a co-op after a screening in the suburbs. They’re for laying eggs, but the cage wasn’t shut tight. I’ll get you a rooster and some mushrooms later!”
Xu Damao, the future highest-ranking cadre in the courtyard, certainly knew how to work connections.
As Xu Damao carried the hen away, his younger sister Xu Xiaoling scoffed, “Brother, why are you so nice to that slacker?”
Xu Damao shushed her. “What do you know? When Dad took the projectionist exam, all the competition were army vets. They say, ‘Railways first, electricity second, oil third.’ Old Chen Han might look like a ragpicker, but he’s a boiler worker for the Ministry of Railways—more powerful than half the people here! Don’t you dare disrespect him.”
Chen Shi, unaware of Xu Damao’s scheming, sauntered back to the eastern annex, where Old Chen Han sat smoking his pipe.
Tian Xiulan, Shen Youchu, and Chen Maihua were busy sorting the goods from the countryside.
“Chuchu, these spoil fast—we’ll eat them first. Oh, this cured meat looks perfect, so glossy! Chuchu, do you know how to preserve it?”
Shen Youchu nodded. “Mom, I can handle that!”
Watching the cozy scene, Chen Shi felt a warmth he’d never known in his past lonely life. Leaning against the doorframe, one foot on the threshold, he asked, “Mom, why’s the chicken already cooked?”
Tian Xiulan explained, “I asked your grandma to prepare it this way. If we cooked it here, the whole courtyard would smell it. Then we’d have to offer some to Old Lady Zhang in the back—but food’s precious these days. That old woman only has eyes for Yi Zhonghai anyway.
“If we share, she won’t appreciate it and might start mooching. If we don’t, Yi Zhonghai will preach about respecting elders, and the whole courtyard will shame us. So we cooked it in advance—just eat quietly behind closed doors.”
Old Chen Han glared at Chen Shi’s slouching posture and barked, “Proper Beijing manners—no leaning on doors, no stepping on thresholds! Look at you, acting like a bandit!”
Chen Shi smirked. “Old-fashioned.”
Tian Xiulan chided, “Little Chen, your dad’s right. Leaning on doors? In the old days, that was what brothel girls did. It’s crude and disrespectful. Don’t do that at work!
“And don’t step on thresholds! A threshold is an obstacle—if you step on it, you’re stuck, and that’s bad luck!” She paused, spotting rabbit meat. “Chuchu, don’t eat this. I heard a village bride ate rabbit once and gave birth to a child with a cleft lip! Little Chen can have extra.”
Chen Maihua pouted. “Mom, what about me?”
“Ugh, you’re grown—stop competing with your brother.” She turned to Old Chen Han. “Hey, since Little Chen’s joining the Railways, will he get free train rides?”
Old Chen Han nodded. “Yep. Railway staff can travel nationwide with their work pass. During peak times, they’ll need a valid reason, like business or leave. Off-season, it’s lax—they can even bring one relative. Two, if no one checks the tickets.”
Tian Xiulan’s eyes lit up. “That’s perfect! Little Chen, someday, take me to the northeast to see your grandma. I haven’t seen her since marrying your dad—over a decade now!”