"Old Yan, you said that the He family is really prosperous. The second idiot became the deputy director of the factory, and Yu Yu was admitted to college. If Silly Zhu marries another wife and has children, I really don't dare to think about the life of the He family!" San The aunt sighed at home.
"Hmph! I am a teacher, why can't I teach a college student? Yan Jie Kuang, Jie Di. You two should study hard and get into college. Do you want me to show off in the courtyard? One by one, it won't work. Let me save my worries!" Speaking of this, Yan Fugui felt uncomfortable. He considers himself the only scholar in the courtyard, but now, a girl from a cook's family can be admitted to college, but there is no college student in his own family. Not to mention college students, not even a high school student or technical secondary school student. How could he not be angry.
"That's right, why can't we have a college student in our family? Jie Cheng, there is no chance for liberation. Xie Mine, Jie Di, you two have to strive for success!" The third aunt was also unwilling to give up.
Nowadays, the value of college students is very high. After graduation, the state will provide distribution, and the salary is also very high, usually the lowest is in the early 50s. Precisely because of the high salary, Yan Fugui wanted to have a college student in his family. This not only improves social status, but also brings higher actual benefits.
"Huh? What's going on outside?" There was a faint cry from outside. The Yan family was in the front yard, and the crying could be heard, which showed how loud the crying was. Yan Fugui pushed open the door and went to the backyard looking for the sound of crying.
It turned out that the old man from the Li family in the backyard was gone. The Li family has no relatives. Mr. Li only has a daughter named Li Juan and a son-in-law named Hu Peng. Mr. Li has been bedridden for more than two years, and Li Juan has been taking care of him. Hu Peng works at a scrap collection station for only 24 yuan a month. There is an eleven-year-old daughter at home.
Originally, the life of the Li family was okay, but Mr. Li had to take medicine every day when he got sick. One month or two months was fine, and he took this medication for nearly three years.
Hu Peng was originally a beggar. When he was about to starve to death, Mr. Li saved him and found him a job at a scrap collection station. Hu Peng was grateful. Even though Mr. Li had been ill for nearly three years, he did not treat Mr. Li badly. Work hard to make money to support your family.
"Li Juan, your man hasn't come back yet? Who is that? Go and inform Hu Peng!" Now Yan Fugui is the only man at home in the courtyard, so naturally he is in charge of everything.
"Third uncle, my man has come back. My father saw Hu Peng for the last time before leaving. Hu Peng went to the street to handle the matter." Now that a person is dead, people on the street have to come and see.
"Oh, that's good. Don't be sad, there are still things to do for Lao Li Tou's funeral."
"Just ask the third uncle to make the decision. But my family has no money to treat my dad in the past three years. Hu Peng and I also discussed it and thought about burying my dad tomorrow."
Yan Fugui understood very well, "Okay. Then I'll let someone decorate the mourning hall first."
There was no need to invite anyone to the funeral, and all the women at home in the courtyard came to help. Yan Fugui was busy arranging for people to go shopping and decorate the mourning hall. Li Juan handed over some bills and money that had been prepared to Yan Fugui.
When Hu Peng came back with people from the subdistrict office, the mourning hall had been decorated. The people from the subdistrict office looked at it and asked Yan Fugui again. They learned that Mr. Li died of a normal death and left.
"Third uncle, please excuse me." Hu Peng handed a cigarette to Yan Fugui. "Li Juan and I have discussed it. Firstly, the weather is hot, secondly we don't have much money at home, and thirdly we don't have any relatives at home. So we thought My dad will be buried tomorrow. Now that the country is advocating the elimination of feudal superstition, we are not planning to invite any monks or Taoists to come to our home to perform rituals."
What Hu Peng said was reasonable and well-founded. Yan Fugui understood the Li family's situation very well, so he naturally agreed. "Okay, let's keep things simple for Lao Li's funeral. After everyone gets off work, I will find eight more people to carry Lao Li's coffin tomorrow. However, the gifts that should be given to these eight people still have to be given. Each person has a pack of cigarettes, a little candy."
"Well, this is what it should be." Hu Peng didn't expect Yan Fugui to be so easy to talk to, and he breathed a sigh of relief. In the past three years, life has been too stressful. In this way, the Li family has never reached out to any family in the courtyard.
"Should we pretend to be a dowry to your dad now, or wait until the big guy comes back in the evening?"
"Let's wait until the big guys come back in the evening."
The Li family is like a transparent existence in the courtyard. Because Hu Peng was originally a beggar, many people in the courtyard looked down upon him. In addition, Mr. Li is bedridden, and the Li family has not attended the general meeting of the courtyard in recent years.
At that time, Li Juan and Yan Fugui were talking behind their backs. Now that Hu Peng and Yan Fugui talked again, someone heard them. After a while, the group of women started arguing.
"What's going on with the old Li family? Why don't you follow the rules?"
"That's right! Old Man Li just died, and they wanted to bury him early like this!"
"After all, he's just a son-in-law, but he's not as good as his own son!"
"That's right! Whose family doesn't suspend the souls for three days? Whose family doesn't invite monks and Taoists to come to the house to pray for the souls of the dead?"
"The same goes for Yan Fugui! You're doing this!"
"No! It turns out he's not like this either, he was just led astray!"
"Who says it's not the case! What has become of our courtyard now?"
"We can't let the Li family act like this!"
"Well! Let's all go back! Let's see what happens to the Li family! When the first uncle comes back, we'll ask him to administer justice!"
"Yes! What the Li family does is simply unfilial! We are a civilized courtyard house, and we can't let the Li family be in the dark!"
"That's right! How difficult it was when my Dongxu left! Didn't my family also have a three-day suspension of worship? We invited everyone to eat at home for three days? Now that old man Li has just died, the beggar is hurriedly trying to bury him , I see, maybe they were the ones who killed Old Man Li! I think his previous filial piety was just an act. What about taking medicine every day? I see, what they gave Old Man Li was just grass roots and leaves! Old Man Li What an injustice!" When Jia Zhang heard that the Li family was going to bury Mr. Li tomorrow, she immediately quit. The words were very vicious.
When Jia Zhang said this, some women actually believed it and felt it was very possible. They all agreed with Jia Zhang.
If an old man dies, what does it have to do with these people? In fact, the reason why these people oppose it is that they cannot take advantage of it. Just like what Jia Zhang said, if the spirit is suspended for one day, they will be treated to a day's meal. And all they paid was a gift of one cent or two cents. With only 20 cents, I can take my whole family to eat for three days. This is a huge advantage! But this matter cannot be said explicitly, it can only be said from other places.
When Jia Dongxu died, Jia Zhang would not have been so generous if it weren't for the help of Yi Zhonghai and Shazhu.
