Chapter 15 Yi Zhonghai’s worries!

When Yi Zhonghai heard Yan Bugui’s words, he immediately thought of his wife Tan, and said to Yan Bugui, “Old Yan! I’ll go home first, and I’ll ask my wife to bring you a few kilograms of corn flour later.”

Seeing Yi Zhonghai in a hurry to go home, Yan Bugui immediately stopped in front of Yi Zhonghai and said to him, “Old Yi! Although Section Chief Jia is the eldest of the Jia family, he is a new resident after all. As the elders of the courtyard, we should go and see him out of courtesy and reason.”

When Yi Zhonghai heard what Yan Bugui said, he was visibly stunned, but then he quickly reacted and agreed, “Okay! When Lao Liu comes back, let’s go to the other courtyard together.”

Yi Zhonghai said this and walked towards the central courtyard with a heavy look on his face.

When Yi Zhonghai returned home, he saw Auntie preparing dinner and immediately asked her, “Wife! I heard that a new resident has moved into the courtyard. He is the long-lost eldest son of Jia Zhang. Is this true?”

When Auntie heard Yi Zhonghai asking about Jia Dongming, she thought of Jia Zhang’s smug look and answered with gritted teeth, “Boss! This is absolutely true. Didn’t you see at noon how proud Jia Zhang was? She was so proud that she was almost cocky.”

When Yi Zhonghai heard what Auntie said, his brows knitted tightly together. He asked Auntie with a puzzled look on his face: “Wife! We have lived in this courtyard with the Jia family for so many years, and we have never heard that the Jia family has an eldest son. What is going on?”

When the auntie heard Yi Zhonghai asking about Jia Dongming, she thought of what Jia Zhang had told the aunties in the courtyard, and she said with jealousy, “Boss! I heard from Jia Zhang that in 43, Jia Youcai took Jia Dongming to the street to buy food, but they encountered the Japanese who shot and killed people in the street. In order to save the food, Jia Fugui was busy avoiding the Japanese, but forgot about Jia Dongming who came with him to buy food, and thus lost Jia Dongming.”

“At noon today, Jia Zhang heard the news of the separation of the other courtyard and made a scene. Until she heard Yang Ruihua from the old Yan family say that the new tenant was named Jia Dongming and looked very similar to Jia Dongxu from their family. After hearing what Yang Ruihua said, Jia Zhang stopped making a scene immediately and said that this Jia Dongming was the eldest son of their Jia family who had been separated for many years.”

“After Jia Zhang and Jia Dongming recognized each other, Jia Zhang paid the third son of the Yan family to go to the factory to call Qin Huairu back and asked Qin Huairu to work in the other courtyard. Before you came back from get off work, Jia Dongming bought a large piece of pork belly and a chicken, saying that he wanted to make dumplings for dinner.”

When the auntie introduced this, she couldn’t help but sighed when she thought about the couple’s decision to let the Jia family take care of them in their old age. She then persuaded Yi Zhonghai, “Master! The Jia family is not very reliable with Jia Zhangshi, and now there is another Jia Dongming. Let’s just follow what the old lady said and let Zhuzi take care of us in our old age.”

Yi Zhonghai knew very well what kind of person Jia Zhang was. The reason why he chose Jia Dongxu to take care of him in his old age was, firstly, because Jia Dongxu was his apprentice, and secondly, because he valued Jia Dongxu’s character. What he didn’t expect was that the person he had trained with great effort died in an accident.

Thinking of the investment he had made in the Jia family over the years for his retirement, Yi Zhonghai felt very unwilling to give up the Jia family. Facing the advice of the aunt, Yi Zhonghai replied in a distracted manner: “There is no rush for this matter. Let’s wait and see.”

Banggeng and Xiaodang stood by the stove, looking at the dumplings floating on the water. Both siblings couldn’t help swallowing their saliva. Xiaodang even asked Qin Huairu in a baby voice, “Mom! When will these dumplings be cooked? Xiaodang’s stomach is growling with hunger.”

If it was a normal day, Jia Zhang would definitely scold Xiao Dang for losing money and asking him to eat dumplings. But now, because of Jia Dongming’s presence, Jia Zhang did not curse Xiao Dang, but felt that the scene in front of her was particularly warm. Bang Geng heard Xiao Dang’s words and stared at the dumplings in the pot. While swallowing his saliva, he asked Qin Huairu expectantly, “Mom! How long will it take for these dumplings to be cooked? I’m hungry too.”

Qin Huairu looked at the dumplings floating on the water. When she heard the two children’s questions, she smiled and said to them, “Bang Geng! Xiao Dang! Go wash your hands first. The dumplings will be cooked soon.”

After Qin Huairu and the other two children washed their hands, they used a ladle to scoop up the dumplings from the pot one by one, and then placed them on a plate on the dining table.

Qin Huairu looked at the several plates of dumplings on the table and thought of Yi Zhonghai. She asked Jia Zhangshi, “Mom! We have so many dumplings. Should we send a plate to Uncle Yi’s family? After all, Uncle Yi has taken good care of our family over the years.”

When Jia Zhang heard Qin Huairu’s suggestion, she glared at her and complained to her, “What are you sending? That old bastard gets only 99 yuan a month and doesn’t have anything to eat. We finally get to eat dumplings once, why should we send dumplings to that old bastard?”

When Jia Dongming heard the conversation between Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi, he remembered the plot in which Yi Zhonghai, in order to get the Jia family to support him in his old age but not wanting to pay out of his own pocket, had called on the residents in the courtyard many times to donate to the Jia family.

Thinking of this, Jia Dongming asked Jia Zhang: “Mom! My sister-in-law just said that Yi Zhonghai has helped our family a lot over the years. How did he help our Jia family?”

When Jia Zhang heard Jia Dongming asking about Yi Zhonghai’s help to the Jia family, she immediately smiled and introduced him to Jia Dongming, “Dongming! Yi Zhonghai, the old man with no money, wanted your brother to take care of him in his old age, but he couldn’t bear to pay for it himself, so he called on all the residents in the courtyard to donate to our Jia family at the general meeting. The money was paid by everyone, but he wants us to be grateful to him. This is impossible.”

When Jia Dongming heard what Jia Zhang said, he immediately asked her, “Mom! Do you remember how much money you have donated to our family over the years?”

Jia Zhang is a stubborn person. It is absolutely impossible to ask her to return the money that has been put into her piggy bank.

Facing Jia Dongming’s question, Jia Zhang instinctively thought that Jia Dongming wanted her to return the money, and quickly said to Jia Dongming: “Dongming! That’s my mother’s retirement money, you must not have any idea of ​​taking it.”

When Jia Dongming heard Jia Zhang’s answer and thought about her character, he complained to her with dissatisfaction, “Mom! My monthly salary is more than 100 yuan, and when I was demobilized, the army also gave me a demobilization allowance. Do I really want to take your money?”

(End of this chapter)