“Oh, Huai Ru, you’re here to wash clothes.”
Third Aunt spoke to Qin Huairu again.
“Yes, Ding Dang peed her pants. This child is really a handful.”
Qin Huairu sounded a bit helpless.
“The child is still young; she’ll be better when she’s older.”
Third Aunt replied familiarly.
With Qin Huairu there to chat with Third Aunt, it eased the pressure on Chen Jianye.
After washing the bedsheets and duvet covers, Chen Jianye hung them to dry.
It was also time for dinner.
Chen Jianye sat by the door, picking vegetables.
For lunch, he had steamed white flour buns and sweet potatoes; for dinner, he needed meat, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to stave off hunger.
Half a catty of pork belly was sliced and stir-fried with chili in the wok, and the aroma filled the air.
Paired with a mushroom, meat slice, and egg soup.
It was exquisite.
Bang梗 lay by the Chen Family’s window, deeply inhaling the aroma of food wafting from the Chen Family’s house.
Saliva dripped onto the ground.
Ding Dang stood beside Bang梗.
She was young and short, so she couldn’t see what was happening inside the Chen Family’s house.
She just kept sniffing, inhaling the scent.
“Chen Jianye, that son of a bitch, eats spicy and fragrant food every day. Why doesn’t he just die sooner?”
Jia Zhangshi yelled furiously from inside the room.
Qin Huairu glanced at her, not responding.
The Jia had money; Jia Dongxu’s pension alone was a large sum.
Jia Zhangshi held all of it.
She even deducted two yuan from the monthly eight yuan for food.
Her reason was that the family had one less able-bodied person and didn’t need as much food expense.
This led Qin Huairu to economize on food over and over again.
Qin Huairu harbored a great deal of resentment towards Jia Zhangshi in her heart.
If Jia Zhangshi gave her five more yuan each month, the Jia’s food would have oil, and the children in the family could have eggs every now and then.
Now, with Bang梗 taking Ding Dang to sniff the aroma outside the Chen Family’s window, Qin Huairu also felt ashamed.
“Grandma, I want to eat meat! The Chen Family made a big meat dish, and it smells so good!”
Bang梗 ran back, shouting loudly.
“I don’t have money. Let your mom figure it out.”
Jia Zhangshi turned her head away.
“Your Grandma won’t give me money, and I can’t conjure meat out of thin air.”
Qin Huairu spread her hands.
After finally getting through dinner, about an hour later, Jia Zhangshi smelled the aroma of rendering lard again.
“Where did this beast get the lard from? I’ve been sitting by the door watching him for days; he definitely didn’t bring any lard back.”
Jia Zhangshi suddenly stood up, seeing an opportunity.
“Mom, what do you want to do?”
Qin Huairu asked cautiously.
“His lard must have come from an illegitimate source. I’m going to ask him.”
Jia Zhangshi followed the scent and started walking.
“Mom, you really need to talk to Chen Jianye nicely. Don’t start a fight.”
Qin Huairu reminded her.
“Just do your work. Do I need you to tell me what to do?”
Jia Zhangshi waved her hand.
As soon as she stepped out, Jia Zhangshi saw many children already gathered in front of the Chen Family’s window.
They were all drawn by the fragrant smell of the Chen Family rendering lard.
Jia Zhangshi passed by the window and glanced inside the house.
Chen Jianye was using a spoon to scoop out boiling hot lard from the stove and pour it into a ceramic jar.
The rich aroma made Jia Zhangshi swallow involuntarily.
Jia Zhangshi didn’t immediately speak to Chen Jianye but went to the Yi Family across the way.
“Chen Jianye is buying things from an illegitimate source, Yi Zhonghai, you need to take charge!”
As soon as she entered, Jia Zhangshi spoke very seriously.
“Huh?”
Yi Zhonghai looked bewildered.
“He’s rendering lard right now. When have you ever seen him bring lard home?”
“In my opinion, he must have secretly bought it at the Black Market last night.”
Jia Zhangshi’s triangular eyes gleamed with what she thought was wisdom.
“Let him buy what he wants. Who doesn’t go there to buy things?”
Yi Zhonghai said calmly.
“Yi Zhonghai, what do you mean? You don’t want to take charge?”
Jia Zhangshi became enraged upon hearing this.
I came to you first, expecting you to take the lead.
But you, on the other hand, immediately turned into a coward.
“How should I take charge?”
“With what can I take charge?”
Yi Zhonghai looked desolate, glancing at Jia Zhangshi.
She wants to use him as a tool; does she really think he’s a fool?
“Then, then you can’t condone Chen Jianye doing that! You have to stand up and say something!”
Jia Zhangshi looked indignant.
“You say it. My throat isn’t good these past two days.”
Yi Zhonghai coughed twice.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Aren’t you still the First Master of the Courtyard…?”
Jia Zhangshi was furious, looking unconvinced.
“Jia Family Sister-in-law, my husband needs to rest. You can do whatever you want; go ahead.”
First Aunt saw her out.
Jia Zhangshi grumbled and walked out the door.
She had finally seen through it.
Yi Zhonghai had been scared witless by Chen Jianye.
He was useless.
A tall building rises from the ground; glory can only be achieved by oneself.
Filled with longing for the lard, Jia Zhangshi arrived at the Chen Family’s door and knocked.
“Who is it?”
Chen Jianye, who was rendering lard, called out.
“It’s me, your Jia Family’s Aunt.”
Jia Zhangshi replied.
“If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, get lost.”
As soon as Chen Jianye heard it was Jia Zhangshi, his patience dropped to freezing point.
“Chen Jianye, where did you get the pork fat for rendering lard?”
Jia Zhangshi was also someone who would go all out, directly shouting from the doorway.
Across the way, in the Yi Family, Yi Zhonghai and First Aunt looked through the window at the situation at the Chen Family’s door.
Sha Zhu was also paying attention.
The Chen Family’s lard rendering was too fragrant; the aroma was like a cat scratching inside one’s heart.
It was hard not to smell it.
“Bought it at the Black Market, what about it?”
Chen Jianye admitted frankly.
“Good for you! You dare to buy things at the Black Market! I’m going to report you!”
Jia Zhangshi’s voice rose a few pitches, her words filled with excitement.
“Go ahead and report me. When I get back, you’ll be the first one I chop to death.”
Chen Jianye scooped the oil from the pot, completely unafraid.
Buying supplies at the Black Market, according to regulations, was indeed wrong.
The street office or Public Security could confiscate the goods.
But it wasn’t a big problem; a lecture and education would suffice.
Those who reported others were purely harming others without benefiting themselves.
So, generally speaking, if there wasn’t a big feud between neighbors, they wouldn’t go to this extent.
If Jia Zhangshi dared to report him, Chen Jianye dared to take her life.
He had to establish his reputation to deter others in the Courtyard.
Outside the door, Jia Zhangshi’s body trembled.
She muttered a few curses softly, then turned and went back inside.
“Don’t let Granny Jia’s fierce shouting fool you; she’s useless. Chen Jianye didn’t even open the door, and he scared her away.”
“Luckily, I didn’t go, or I would have been humiliated with her.”
Yi Zhonghai watched the entire process and commented.
“We can’t afford to provoke Chen Jianye. From now on, we’ll just avoid him.”
“I think this child doesn’t actively provoke others either. He also wants to find a partner and start a family; he’ll gradually settle down later.”
First Aunt added.
“I hope so.”
Yi Zhonghai’s tone was heavy.
With Chen Jianye, this ruthless person, in the Courtyard, overshadowing the Grandpas of the Courtyard, how could it be a good thing?
But he really couldn’t do anything about Chen Jianye right now, so he could only endure it for a while.
After Chen Jianye finished rendering the lard, he sprinkled some salt on the remaining lard cracklings and placed them in a bowl to cool.
He could eat them as a snack while reading later.
After finishing his work, Chen Jianye sat at the dining table, preparing to read.
Outside the window, a group of children looked at the lard cracklings on the dining table, their eyes filled with longing.
Chen Jianye’s lips curved into a smile. He picked up the lard cracklings and opened the door: “Line up! Everyone can have three lard cracklings.”