readsfreenovel Chapter 216 "He Yuzhu" 20
Chapter 216 "He Yuzhu" 20
When Wang Yan returned, she saw the father and son squatting on the ground with things scattered around them and asked, "What are you two doing?"
He Daqing said, "It's nothing, these are all things Zhuzi brought back. We'll take a bag back with us in a bit." He then said to He Yuzhu, "I'm going to the market to buy a chicken and stew it. When Yushui gets out of school, I'll bring her to see you. You don't know, she just found out you went to join the army, and she's been crying every day. If she finds out you're back, she'll be overjoyed."
"Okay, then bring two more steamed buns. I'll have chicken soup with Yushui later." He Yuzhu also missed the little girl.
He Daqing tied up all the bundles, pushed one back under the bed, and picked up the other: "Then your Aunt Wang and I will go back first. We left in too much of a hurry this morning and left Yuanchao with Lao Yi's wife. I don't know if she's crying now. You just stay in the ward quietly and don't wander around."
"Oh, I see. I'll just wait inside for the chicken soup!" He Yuzhu agreed readily.
After He Daqing and Wang Yan left, He Yuzhu wandered over to the hospital cafeteria. It was almost noon, and even if his father came, he would arrive in the late afternoon, so he still needed to eat lunch.
When He Daqing and Wang Yan returned to the courtyard, they were carrying a large bundle and had an old hen tied to the handlebars. At this time, most of the men in the courtyard had gone to work, leaving only the women and children at home. They were chatting in the front yard, and their conversation was about He Yuzhu.
Li Cuilan, holding He Yuanchao tightly in her arms, said, "I wonder how badly Zhuzi is hurt?"
Yang Ruihua, Yan Bugui's wife, said, "The young soldier looks alright; it shouldn't be too serious."
Holding her grandson, who was only a few months old, in her arms, Jia Zhangshi's expression was slightly sarcastic: "That's not necessarily true. If it's not serious, shouldn't they go straight home? There's a guy in Banchang Hutong who came from the battlefield, with his leg in a cast, and he went home too. He's still in the hospital now, so he must be seriously injured."
When everyone saw He Daqing and Wang Yan return, they stopped chatting and surrounded Wang Yan and He Daqing to ask about the situation. Wang Yan took her son, who was crying and fussing in Li Cuilan's arms, and said, "It's not serious. He can be discharged from the hospital in another week or so."
"That's good, that's good. Now that Zhuzi is back, you and Daqing won't have to worry about him every day anymore," Li Cuilan said with emotion.
"That's right, at least it'll all be right in front of us from now on. Old He's hair has turned quite a bit gray in the last two years," Wang Yan remarked.
Amidst the peaceful conversation, a different voice suddenly broke the silence: "Daqing, your hen is quite plump. Stew it and share some with my family. My daughter-in-law is so weak, and my grandson is almost out of food." Undoubtedly, this was Jia Zhangshi.
He Daqing wasn't in the mood for any more chatter with her. He glanced at her and went home. Wang Yan chimed in, "You need to replenish your energy. A little isn't enough. Sister-in-law, you'll have to buy a few more chickens. I have to go back and help out now." With that, she carried He Yuanchao home as well.
"Tch, stingy, just like someone from the countryside!" Jia Zhangshi muttered from behind. Everyone else knew Jia Zhangshi's character and ignored her, each going home to prepare dinner. Seeing everyone had left, Jia Zhangshi also picked up a corn stalk and headed home, calling out as she went, "Qin Huairu, Qin Huairu, you lazy woman, is dinner ready yet? Are you trying to starve me?"
Everyone shook their heads at Jia Zhangshi's shouts. Ever since the Jia family got a daughter-in-law, Jia Zhangshi's yelling had never stopped. Fortunately, the Jia family's daughter-in-law was good-tempered, otherwise the courtyard would be even more lively.
Speaking of Qin Huairu, by today's standards, she was a "pure and innocent girl" with a "green tea b*tch." After Jia Dongxu's death, she even had a bit of a "brothel-like" air about her. Moreover, her name was problematic. Not to mention the rural areas at that time, even in the 1980s and 90s, it was rare to see a family give their daughter such a name.
It would be considered good if her name contained the characters "flower," "plum," "orchid," or "beautiful." Moreover, her demeanor didn't resemble that of a child raised in the countryside. Instead, she resembled a maidservant from a family that had been "prostitutes" in the past. After liberation, when the "one husband, one wife" system was required, these concubines and maidservants were dismissed, and she returned to the countryside.
If that's the case, then it makes sense where she learned those "tea skills," and it also explains where her name and fair skin come from.
However, none of this concerns the He family. Although the three liaisons for the courtyard house are still Yan Bugui in the front courtyard, Yi Zhonghai in the middle courtyard, and Liu Haizhong in the back courtyard, it's only because He Daqing and Xu Fugui haven't gotten involved. If the two local residents were to speak up, the three liaisons wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
He Daqing and Xu Fugui didn't want to get involved in the messy affairs of the courtyard, so when they were choosing liaison officers, they declined on the grounds that it was inconvenient for them to work. However, nowadays, there is no such thing as "grandpa" in the courtyard; everyone is addressed normally.
This is also why the deaf old lady and Yi Zhonghai wanted to get rid of He Daqing. If He Daqing and Xu Fugui didn't leave, Yi Zhonghai simply wouldn't be able to control the courtyard house.
He Daqing kept the chicken soup warm on the stove after it was cooked. When Yushui came home from school, he took her lunchbox and went to the hospital. On the way, Yushui kept asking him, "Is Big Brother really back?" "When can Big Brother come home?" Although He Daqing was annoyed by her questions, he still had a smile on his face.
When the siblings met, Xiaoyushui cried her heart out. It took He Yuzhu countless "unequal treaties" to appease her. After the two had eaten, when He Daqing wanted to take Xiaoyushui home, it took a lot of effort. He Daqing was about to lose his temper before he finally managed to take her away.
For the next week, the He family made different kinds of soup every day, which made Jia Zhangshi very hungry. However, she dared not provoke He Daqing in the whole courtyard, so she could only grumble and complain at home every day.
Once He Yuzhu had fully recovered and the experts confirmed that his manhood was completely ruined, the leadership gave up hope. He was discharged and allowed to spend a few days with his family before returning to work. As for the child, he would be notified when there was further news.
When He Yuzhu returned to the courtyard house, he was wearing a military uniform with his medals pinned to his chest. The director of the neighborhood committee also came with several staff members and nailed a "Family of Honor" sign to the He family's gate.
He explained He Yuzhu's achievements to the people in the courtyard and promoted the idea of "supporting and protecting the army" before leaving.
As soon as the street office staff left, the entire courtyard became lively, with everyone crowding around He Yuzhu and He Daqing. The boys in the courtyard looked at the military medals on He Yuzhu's chest with eyes full of admiration. Xu Damao sidled up to him and said, "Uncle Zhu, you're awesome! You're the best!" He then gave a thumbs-up.
"Haha, that's right, now you know how powerful your Uncle Zhu is, right? From now on, follow me, and I'll take you to eat meat!" He Yuzhu and Xu Damao teased each other.