Fifteen light bulbs.
The house is neither big nor small.
A large dining table.
The four Zhou brothers and sisters were sitting around eating.
"Second brother, the noodles you make are so delicious, better than mom's." Zhou Fang praised Zhou Qiang while eating noodles.
She was a bit young and had almost forgotten about the death of her parents.
"If it tastes good, eat more." In winter, when there were no vegetables, Zhou Qiang used the cabbage, radishes, potatoes, and some dry goods at home, plus onions, ginger, garlic, etc., to make a bowl of noodles. Oh, and I added eggs.
However, Zhou Qiang's cooking skills have long been superb, and he can make delicious food even with the simplest ingredients and seasonings.
Zhou Juan is older and has become more sensible. After hearing Zhou Fang's words, her eyes turned red and she almost shed tears again.
"Xiaojuan, would you like to add some chili pepper?" Zhou Qiang saw it and picked up the chili pepper and asked.
"No need, second brother." Zhou Juan lowered her head and continued eating noodles, occasionally helping Zhou Sheng pick up the noodles that fell on the table.
Zhou Sheng buried his face in the bowl and kept eating noodles. He also thought today's noodles were delicious.
"Xiaojuan, I will ride a tricycle to take you and Xiaofang to school tomorrow." Zhou Qiang added some chili pepper and explained what happened tomorrow.
Zhou Juan hesitated and said, "Second brother, otherwise I won't go to school. I'll make paper boxes at home."
The sub-district office has odd jobs, and these odd jobs are specially provided to poor households.
You can paste paper boxes or store shoe soles.
Zhou Juan inquired carefully and found out that she could paste paper boxes.
Zhou Qiang was stunned when he heard this and felt a little uncomfortable, "Xiaojuan, don't think too much, our family still has money, so there is no need for you to drop out of school.
The second brother will go to Dongcheng Auto Repair Factory tomorrow to see if there is work and he can make money.
Also, when we separated our family before, didn’t we leave alimony for you, Xiaofang and Xiaosheng? "
"Second brother, save that money and you will need it later." Zhou Juan had already begun to plan her life.
"Xiaojuan, although our family doesn't have much money, it's still quite a lot. You should finish elementary school first, and we'll talk about the rest later." Zhou Qiang didn't persuade him much. As long as he could make money, Zhou Juan wouldn't think about it. Dropped out of school.
"Okay, second brother." After something happened at home, Zhou Juan grew up all of a sudden. A ten-year-old child has to think about how to survive.
"Second brother, I still want to eat!" Zhou Fang had already finished a bowl of noodles.
"Second brother, I want it too!" Zhou Sheng also finished.
"Okay, we have them all, bring the bowls." Zhou Qiang made more noodles, and he would not let his younger brothers and sisters eat less.
Just when the Zhou family was having dinner.
Other families in the courtyard are also eating.
In the evening, it would be nice to have a bowl of stick batter.
Although they don't have enough to eat, their interest in gossiping will not diminish.
The Zhou family's affairs have been spread in the courtyard.
Almost everyone is talking about it.
Hungry and gossiping about others.
With this free time, I don’t know how to get food. I might as well go fishing.
The third uncle in charge of the family is Yan Bugui.
"Old Yan, you don't know that Zhou Qiang of the Zhou family is not ordinary. He did a lot of big things today." The third aunt said while drinking corn paste.
"What's going on? Please tell me more specifically." Yan Bugui asked, squinting his eyes.
He is a primary school Chinese teacher.
At home, he is the only one making money.
There are four children: Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiefang, Yan Jiekuang, and Yan Jiedi. They also drank corn mush and listened curiously.
Yan Bugui often said: "If you don't have enough food, you won't have enough clothes. If you don't calculate it, you will suffer poverty."
He is a very calculating person.
Not only do you plot against outsiders, but you also plot against family members.
In the end, the family relationship is gone.
No one will support him in his old age.
As for why Yan Bugui likes to scheme?
Maybe it has something to do with his profession.
Rumor has it that people in their profession spend money on Sosou.
However, Yan Bugui has another shining point.
That is, if he owes money, he would rather pick up rags than pay back the money. He will never default on the payment.
Yan Bugui has many shortcomings, including being stingy, stingy, calculating, taking advantage, and a little aloof, etc.
But Yan Bugui is a person with a bottom line, and he will never do anything excessive. If it's too much, don't say it.
"This afternoon, a few people from the Zhou family came." The third aunt told everyone about the Zhou family in quite detail. It's hard for her to be hungry and hear so much.
"Awesome, Zhou Qiang is really awesome this time." Yan Bugui squinted his eyes, nodded, smacked his lips while eating pickles, "Zhou Hua, are you twenty? You were kicked out by Zhou Qiang."
"That Zhou Hua is not a thing. He wants to drive out Zhou Qiang, brother and sister." The third aunt said with some contempt.
"This is called stealing chicken but losing rice. Zhou Hua ended up losing his house." Yan Bugui also despised it.
"Not only do they not have a house, Zhou Tie and his wife also don't have a share of the two formal job quotas for Zhou Tie and his wife."
"Zhou Qiang knows how to handle things. He invited Director Wang from the street office, as well as Qian Weiguo and Yang Shuheng from the steel rolling mill. This way he suppressed Zhou Hua."
"I just don't know if Zhou Hua will come to make trouble again?"
"He doesn't dare to show off. Director Wang has made everything clear today. If Zhou Hua wants to make trouble, the three of us in charge must stop Zhou Hua and not allow Zhou Hua to act recklessly."
"The Zhou family is just a piece of fat meat now, and the people who want to eat it are young and old."
"If you want to eat, hum, you have to be able to eat." Yan Bugui squinted his eyes thoughtfully.
"Lao Yan, do you think you can get the Zhou family's regular workers' quota and turn them into temporary workers for several years?"
Yan Jiecheng next to him heard this and straightened up in a hurry. He was in his twenties and was eager to become a formal employee and find a partner to marry.
"There's no rush." Yan Bugui shook his head, "The first shot is the first. There are a lot of people staring at the Zhou family now. Let others try it first."
"What if the Zhou family's official job quota is taken by someone else?" The third aunt was a little anxious.
"The Zhou family is just around the corner. Keep an eye on it and remind Zhou Qiang more." Yan Bugui squinted his eyes and calculated.
backyard.
Liu Haizhong, the second uncle in charge of the house.
"Old Liu, this is what happened in the Zhou family." The second aunt drank corn paste and chatted.
Liu Haizhong was eating scrambled eggs, drinking a little wine, and nodding from time to time.
Liu Haizhong is a fitter at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.
His family also makes money alone.
However, his level of fitter is higher, and his income is much higher than that of Yan Bugui.
Liu Haizhong has three sons, Liu Guangqi, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu.
Liu Haizhong only dotes on his eldest son Liu Guangqi.
He gave all the best things in the family to Liu Guangqi, but after Liu Guangqi got married, he left the Liu family and left a message, "I don't want my children to see grandpa beating people."
Liu Haizhong has a bad habit, that is, he likes to hit his son.
He often beat Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu severely.
Liu Haizhong also likes to eat alone.
For example, now, he is the only one at home eating scrambled eggs, and no one else is allowed to eat them.
Liu Haizhong is still a fan of officialdom.
In order to be an official, you can do whatever it takes.
It can be said that Liu Haizhong is a person with no bottom line.
"Director Wang just gave us three stewards a task, asking us to take care of the Zhou family and not let outsiders bully us. We must complete this task seriously. You can go to the front yard when you have nothing to do." Liu Haizhong said in an official tone. Thinking about how to please Wang Xiuping.
"Director Wang is nice to the Zhou family?" The second aunt was a little surprised.
"That's right. Zhou Qiang even called her Aunt Wang."
"The official quota for the Zhou family"
"Don't get it wrong, Director Wang. The steel rolling mill's money is for the country, and Yang Shuheng from the personnel department is protecting Zhou Qiang. No one can take away the spot."
At this time, Liu Guangtian secretly picked up a piece of egg.
"Pah!" Liu Haizhong slapped Liu Guangtian on the head, "If you dare to steal eggs, I won't beat you to death!"
Crackling, bangs turned on, beating son mode.
If he beats his son like this, no one will take care of him when he gets old.
Other people were also chatting.
"Zhou Qiang is so powerful that he drove away his brother Zhou Hua."
"No, I heard that the houses are all under Zhou Qiang's name."
"No, Zhou Juan and Zhou Fang also have houses."
"You tell me, I don't know what Zhou Qiang thought. The two girls shared a big house. Zhou Qiang and Zhou Sheng only shared a small house."
"This Zhou Qiang is not an ordinary person. When the family was separated, he not only kept alimony, but also divided the pension money of the elderly in his hometown."
"So, Zhou Qiang is quite filial?"
"Whether he is filial or not depends on whether he goes to his hometown during the New Year."
"Even if you go to your hometown, you won't necessarily be given money."
"Two formal employment quotas for the Zhou family...?"
"Someone is protecting Zhou Qiang, it's not easy to deal with."
"We'll see how things go in a few days."
"Zhou Qiang is not easy to lie to, so he lied to his sister Zhou Juan."
In the middle courtyard, the family of the eldest uncle Yi Zhonghai.
Yi Zhonghai also chatted with his aunt about the Zhou family.
His family's conditions are better.
While drinking polenta, you can also eat a two-sided steamed bun.
Yi Zhonghai is a senior fitter and earns a high salary.
There is only a husband and wife at home and no children.
"Old Yi, it's afternoon at the Zhou family." The eldest mother talked about what happened in the afternoon, and talked about the time when Zhou Qiang gave ten yuan a year to the elderly in his hometown, "Old Yi, do you think Zhou Qiang is a filial person?"
"Whether he is filial or not depends on how he behaves." Yi Zhonghai said.
"That Zhou Qiang was very powerful. When he kicked Zhou Hua out, he even slapped Zhou Hua twice."
"what happened?"
"In the morning, Zhou Hua and his partner Li Mei came. Zhou Hua slapped Zhou Juan and pushed Zhou Juan down. At that time, Zhou Fang and Zhou Sheng both had fever, and Zhou Qiang rode a tricycle to the hospital."
"You should be beaten!" Yi Zhonghai nodded, "That Zhou Hua is too shameful. He is definitely not a filial person."
"Yes, if you want to talk about this person, Zhou Qiang is affectionate and kind to his younger brothers and sisters. When the family was separated, he even set aside alimony and pension money." The eldest mother had a good impression of Zhou Qiang.
"Zhou Qiang did a good job this time." Yi Zhonghai nodded, "However, Zhou Qiang has two younger sisters and a younger brother. It will be difficult for him to live in the future."
"Lao Yi, tell me, can you?" The aunt hesitated to speak and did not say anything clearly. Her subtext is to adopt the Zhou brothers and sisters and let the Zhou brothers and sisters provide for them in their old age.
"Don't worry, let's take a look." Yi Zhonghai understood what he meant, and he didn't rush to make a decision.
Yi Zhonghai's family has no children.
The eldest mother is sick and cannot give birth.
Yi Zhonghai and his wife have always considered the issue of retirement.
I am afraid that no one will care when I am too old to move.
In "Love in the Courtyard", Yi Zhonghai has been thinking about retirement.
He gives the impression that he is constantly calculating, "Who will provide for me in my old age?"
He Yuzhu, a neighbor in the middle courtyard, is the target of Yi Zhonghai's retirement care.
Later, it was indeed He Yuzhu who provided for Yi Zhonghai.
In fact, the issue of elderly care is not limited to Yi Zhonghai.
In the courtyard house, the deaf old lady has no children and needs someone to take care of her in her old age.
However, the deaf old lady is old, and she is taken care of by Yi Zhonghai and Auntie, so she can be considered to have someone to support her in her old age.
The second uncle Liu Haizhong had several sons, but because he was too partial to his eldest son Liu Guangqi and "unkind parents and unfilial children", because he often beat his two remaining sons, no one provided for Liu Haizhong when he grew old.
Yan Bugui has three sons and one daughter, but he has too many calculations and weak family ties. When he gets old, no one will take care of Yan Bugui.
Others, the male protagonist He Yuzhu and the male villain Xu Damao, will face the problem of pension.
It is said that He Yuzhu's ending was that he was kicked out of the house by the widow's children and froze to death in a bridge hole.
I believe Xu Damao's ending will not be much better.
Let me say a few more words here.
In fact, the issue of old-age care is something that everyone who can live to old age will consider.
It seems a bit premature to let teenagers, young people in their twenties, and even middle-aged people in their thirties consider the issue of pension.
However, if people can live to old age, they will always face the problem of old age care.
Possible current situations of two types of people:
1. Elderly people with no income in rural areas.
Because there is no income, the children need to contribute money and support for the elderly.
If there is no illness or disaster, and there is no "hemiplegia" or other diseases, maybe the situation is a little better, and he probably will not die of being abused by his children.
Even in this situation, there are still many elderly people with children who die alone because of their unfilial children, who are homeless and lonely.
Not to mention, the elderly who have no children, it seems that they can only wait to die when they get old.
2. Elderly people with income in cities and other places.
If you have children, if your children are filial, and if you don't suffer from hemiplegia or other diseases, you may be able to have someone to support you in old age.
If you have children, but the children are not filial, or if you have no children, such an old person will be very miserable. Coupled with illness or something, it will be even more miserable.
So,
What conclusions can be drawn about the situation of these two types of people?
1. If you have children.
So when you are old, sick, and unable to move, maybe, it is possible, you have children to take care of you.
The point here is: it's possible.
Possibility means there is hope and not complete despair.
This is still the best imaginable situation.
2. If you have no children.
Then, there is basically no hope, and there is basically no one to provide for the elderly.
Maybe, some people will say, "I don't need retirement care."
If you can live to old age, by then you should understand that you really need someone to take care of you in your old age.
Maybe, someone would say, "I go to a nursing home."
There is a saying about nursing homes.
If you are an elderly person with children, go to a nursing home, and your children will visit occasionally.
In such a situation, the elderly can barely survive for a long time. Although their lives are not satisfactory, they will not die unexpectedly within a few days of moving in.
If an elderly person without children lives in a nursing home, no one will visit him.
I'm afraid the situation is not optimistic, and he may die unexpectedly within a month.
This is why the deaf old lady, Yi Zhonghai, has been thinking about the issue of retirement care.
Because they have no children and are really helpless when they are old.
If there is no one around to take care of you, you may die in a daze.
Even if you have money, it's useless.
So, if you are growing old alone, then at least find someone you can trust.
This person can go to the nursing home and visit you.
(End of chapter)
