Scholars in the courtyard

Sijiucheng, steel rolling mill.

The phone rang, and Yang Youning, who was about to leave, picked up the phone.

The voice came, and Yang Youning immediately recognized it as Liu Huaimin's.

"Old Liu, I'm about to get off work."

"Old Yang, I have also been informed by my superiors that Yang Xiaotao will come back by car tonight, and your superiors will ask you to greet him at the steel rolling mill."

"Yang Xiaotao is back? What time will you arrive at the station?"

Yang Youning immediately became energetic. He had been discussing things with Chen Gong for the past two days, and Yang Xiaotao needed to execute many key points.

I thought this guy would come back only after the Chinese New Year, but I didn't expect him to come back now. I really wanted to give him a pillow if he wanted to sleep.

"It may not be on time at ten o'clock in the evening. You have to arrange the people. Some children will come back with you this time. You should tell the street office and be prepared."

"Street office? Child?"

"Yes, as mentioned above, just let the comrades from the street office make arrangements."

"good!"

Yang Youning didn't ask any more questions, hung up the phone, and immediately picked it up again.

"Security department? I, Yang Youning, ask Section Chief Zhao to come here."

After a while, Zhao Chuanjun walked into the office and hurriedly left after a while.

At the sub-district office, Director Wang, who had gone home, was preparing to cook when he suddenly saw Director Li running towards him. After saying a few words, he immediately put down his kitchen knife and greeted him as he walked towards the courtyard.

Siheyuan

Ran's mother was holding Duanwu and watching the falling snowflakes through the window, pointing and counting them from time to time. Little Duanwu insisted on reaching out to catch them, but was always blocked by the glass.

The loud banging made Ran's mother happy.

Ran Qiuye was supervising the studies of his sister and brother, stroking his belly from time to time.

In the house, the kettle on the heating stove was smoking, and it was warm, keeping the cold out of the window.

Outside the yard, the wind has stopped and the ground is covered with white. Wangcai is hiding in his den, sticking out his tongue from time to time to catch the falling snowflakes.

Mrs. Jia Zhang did not sit at the door as usual, mainly because it was cold and she was afraid of cold wind.

Not long after Qin Huairu was happy, she faced another dilemma at home.

There is not much food, and most importantly, there is not much coal at home.

Normally, this is fine, but if it gets cold and the stove is not turned on, the house will be like an ice cellar, especially their house, where the door and windows face east, and there is no sunlight in the middle of the afternoon, making the house extremely cold.

I originally thought about spending some time and seeing how the compound arranged it. After all, there were always people "lent a helping hand" every year, and the compound would also organize arrangements to help families like them.

So I haven't bought it, but I don't want winter to come early this year.

It got cold too fast.

In the house, Qin Huairu was cooking with a frown on her face.

On the kang, Bang Gang was wrapped in a quilt, lying on the table, staring at the book, and the pencil in his hand was poking at the table with strength.

In the front yard, Yan Fugui was also competing with his son and wife.

It's getting cold, it's time to buy coal.

But you can’t pay for the coal yourself, you have to share it.

There is no other way, you have to live a careful life these days.

What's more, it gets cold early this year, so we can't get rid of the extra part by ourselves.

In the house, the third aunt was sitting in front of the stove, guarding the pots and pans. The meal was already prepared, and she was waiting for the old man to reach an agreement and start cooking.

Brothers Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang led Yan Jiedi aside, with the same reluctance on their faces.

Although he didn't pay for it, dad clearly remembered it in his notebook. From now on, he will have to pay it back.

There was a stalemate in the room, Yan Jiecheng lowered his head and looked at his toes.

One is my parents, the other is my wife.

The palms and backs of my hands are full of flesh!

In addition, his current job is not stable and he does not earn as much as Yu Li, so he is a bit weak to speak in this family meeting.

Yu Li sat there with her hands folded across her chest and her face calm.

The meeting Yan Fugui held before dinner today made her feel very uncomfortable.

Normally you just pay for meals at home, but you still have to share the coal you bought here?

She didn't say anything about doing this before, after all, the money was paid.

But since you have money in your hands, who is willing to hand it over?

Then I thought about how I would search for their money from time to time on weekdays. This would cost money, and that would cost money, as if they were not family members.

Yu Li felt unhappy, so she just leaned on him to see who was unreliable.

After a while, the third aunt couldn't sit still anymore and winked at Yan Jiecheng.

Yan Jiecheng glanced at his father and then at Yu Li. In the end, years of education prevailed.

She reached out and tugged at the corner of Yu Li's clothes, and Yu Li reached out and patted it off.

Yan Jiecheng pulled it again, and Yu Li frowned, "Yan Jiecheng, what do you mean? If you have anything to say, just say it."

"No, I, I'm not..."

Yan Jiecheng grimaced, he had no status at all in his family.

"What's not wrong? Can a grown man, hesitant and hesitant, be able to take charge of his family?"

Yan Fugui narrowed his eyes and said bitterly, Yan Jiecheng opened his mouth, "I, why don't I become the master?"

"Yu Li, isn't it just to pay for coal? Our share isn't much, so give it to us."

Yan Jiecheng stood up and spoke seriously to Yu Li.

"Give it, give it, just give it as if you have money."

With that said, Yu Li stood up and went back to the house.

"Hey, Yu Li, eat. I want you to eat."

"I won't eat anymore."

Yan Jiecheng hurriedly chased him out, while Yan Fugui and the third aunt on the side showed successful smiles.

The eldest daughter-in-law's calculating skills are getting better and better, and the old couple is feeling a little stressed.

Before the meal started, she saw Yu Li carrying her bag and carrying Xuehuazi towards the door.

Yan Fugui and the third aunt opened their mouths, not knowing what to say.

Yan Jiecheng ran out after him, and after a while he came back and sat on the stool.

"Going back to your parents' house now?"

The third aunt asked, and Yan Jiecheng nodded blankly.

"It's okay to go back and reflect on it."

Yan Fugui said something and gave way to the meal. Yan Jiecheng sat there waiting without saying anything.

The third aunt on the side put the steamed buns, pancakes and a pot of stewed cabbage on the table, looking at Yan Jiecheng's depressed look, "The Yang family will have three children after the Chinese New Year. It's still early for you to get married, and now there is no one."

"Boss, you should think about it."

Yan Jiecheng continued to remain silent.

dong dong dong

A knock on the door suddenly came from the door. Yan Fugui squinted and wanted to get up, but Yan Jiecheng quickly raised his legs and walked out.

"Huh, you better come back."

"Our family is like this, we missed it..."

Yan Fugui thought it was Yu Li who was back again. Just when he was about to say something sarcastic, he saw the first person running in, it was Director Wang from the sub-district office.

Behind him were two clerks from the street office, looking like they were unimpeded in the wind and snow.

Not caring about eating, he threw down his chopsticks and ran out wearing his coat.

"Director Wang, what are you..."

"I'm going to Yang's house in the middle courtyard."

Director Wang left a few words and walked towards the Chuihua Gate.

When Yan Fugui saw it, he thought about it and quickly followed him to have a look.

In the middle courtyard, many people saw Director Wang hurried over, his head and body covered with snow.

"Aunt Wang, why are you here?"

At the door, Ran Qiuye heard the movement and came out to look. He was wearing a coat and looked surprised.

"Qiuye, Grandma Dragon Boat Festival, good news, good news."

Director Wang smiled, and when Ran Qiuye heard this, he quickly let people in.

The three of them shook off the snow at the door and were immediately welcomed into the house. Yan Fugui, who had followed, also walked in, but felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by Wang Cai.

However, it is so warm here in the Yang family.

Is this heating stove in use now?

What a luxury.

Yan Fugui sighed, and the Wang Dashan family came over again, and the Liu family's daughter-in-law also came over to investigate the situation.

There were many people in the room. Ran's mother handed the enamel jar to Director Wang, and then found cups for the two officers.

"Aunt Wang, it's such a cold day and it's still snowing. If you need anything, we'll just talk about it tomorrow."

"It's too late. It will be too late tomorrow."

Director Wang took a sip of hot water, then looked at Ran Qiuye and said with a smile, "The sub-district office received a notice from above and Xiaotao and the children will be back tonight."

ah!

Ran Qiuye took a deep breath, his eyes widened with surprise.

"real?"

"Really, why don't I do it!"

"What time will you be back?"

"We'll arrive at the station at 10:25. I guess it will be around 11 o'clock to pick up someone here."

Then Director Wang told the phone call he received, "How many children are there this time? Qiuye, do you know?"

"I know, Aunt Wang."

At this moment, Ran Qiuye was surrounded by happiness. His man was coming back, and so was his student.

"There are ten children and two adults!"

"Twelve people need to be accommodated. Okay, let's discuss how to arrange accommodation for them."

"Okay, I have room at home, I can arrange for the children."

Ran Qiuye said that if she and her mother squeezed in the four houses in the house, it would not be a problem to arrange the remaining ten children.

When the time comes, the boys and girls will be separated and the family will be able to live together.

"Director Wang, I can live in a few at home."

When Wang Dashan's family opened their mouth, the Liu family's daughter-in-law on the side also joined in.

"If my house is crowded, I can make room for one room."

Director Wang nodded happily. Seeing this, Yan Fugui on the side thought that after Yu Li left, Yan Jiecheng could free up the room to share a bed with Yan Jiekuang. He hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Director Wang, as the elder of the compound, he is also a teacher. Yu I have the responsibility to take the lead regardless of circumstances or circumstances."

"I can free up a room in my house and let the children live in my house."

Director Wang took a look and smiled, "Okay. Everyone has good intentions, and the street office will remember everyone."

"Director Wang, this is what we should do. We don't dare to be greedy for credit."

Director Wang smiled and said, "We'll see what the arrangements are then."

Then he explained to everyone.

The children will be back in the middle of the night, so they need to prepare food. The older ones should put them on the table first, and the street office will compensate them later.

Hearing this, Yan Fugui's mouth split open to the back of his head.

Look at the time, it's already past eight o'clock, there isn't much time left.

Soon there was action in the yard.

Ran Qiuye held the Dragon Boat Festival and asked someone to find out the red quilt that Yang Xiaotao had prepared for the wedding, and also asked someone to install the stove.

Previously, only the west end of the house had a heating stove. Uncle Chen's house did not have one, so it had to be replaced by a stove.

Many people knew that Yang Xiaotao was coming back tonight and that a group of students were staying in the courtyard. Many people came out to help.

Then Wang Dashan's family led a group of women to do it at Yang's house.

Getting the dumplings on the car and getting off the noodles, everyone was kneading the dough to prepare the noodles.

Ran Qiuye even asked Ran's mother to boil ginger syrup and wait for the children to come back and take a sip.

In addition, they also took out the prepared eggs and meat and asked them to make a good meal to reward the children.

There was not enough pot at home, so I took it home to cook, and suddenly there was a commotion in the courtyard.

At Jia's house, Mrs. Jia Zhang came out to ask after hearing the commotion, and then returned home with a sullen expression.

"Isn't it just that you're back? It's like it's a big deal!"

"So much flour, eggs, and pork is really a waste."

When Qin Huairu heard that Yang Xiaotao was coming back, she suddenly felt sad.

I don't know when my eyes were covered with mist. Fortunately, it was cold and the mist dissipated in just the blink of an eye.

Watching Sophora japonica falling asleep, I tucked Xiao Dang into bed, then got up and put on my cotton-padded jacket.

"Where are you going?"

Jia Zhang asked.

Qin Huairu looked at the busy people outside, "Director Wang is there. I have to show off no matter what."

He said getting ready to go out.

Mrs. Jia Zhang rolled her eyes and said, "It's okay to go and help. Our family can also open a fire to cook."

"When the time comes, get some more meat, noodles, and briquettes. We can also keep some."

Jia Zhang imagined that Qin Huairu did not respond and walked into the wind and snow.