Chapter 17: Today, there's bound to be some excitement in the Siheyuan.
Today, Huang Weiguo went out hunting and had quite a successful haul, managing to capture three very large Wild Boars!
Not only that, but there were also Pheasants and Hares everywhere. After selling all the game, he ended up with over nine hundred yuan in total.
The game was bought by the Public Security Bureau, and the officer in charge of the purchase seemed to regard Huang Weiguo with great importance.
The two even exchanged a few martial arts moves!
"Over nine hundred yuan? So, does this mean the Huang Family is about to have a good life and start building their fortune?"
"Exactly! I was just kicking myself earlier, regretting that our family didn't offer the Huang Family more help back then."
If only we had spoken a few more fair words on Huang Weiguo's behalf regarding the marriage matters with Qin Huairu and Bai Ling.
We could have at least gotten some benefit out of it! Look at Yushui; she just helped Hua Hua and Qing Qing a couple of times.
Now, in the Huang Family, they get to eat meat and rice every day!
Third Aunt also felt particularly regretful after hearing this: "I just heard Granny Jia over there cursing and grumbling."
If Qin Huairu finds out about this, she'll surely be filled with regret.
Jia Dongxu's monthly salary is only a little over twenty yuan. The money Huang Weiguo earned in a single day is equivalent to four or five years of Jia Dongxu's income.
Yan Bugui said: "Just wait and see. I just heard Huang Weiguo took his whole family to the Department Store."
When they get back, there's bound to be some excitement in the Siheyuan today.
As they were speaking, Huang Weiguo and Huang Liying pushed their bicycles, carrying large and small bags, and walked in from outside, chatting and laughing.
Yan Bugui and Third Aunt hurried out of their rooms and saw Huang Liying wearing the latest style lenin suit, Cotton Leather Shoes, and pushing a phoenix brand bicycle.
On Huang Weiguo's bicycle sat Hua Hua and Qing Qing, also wearing Woolen Skirts and Little Leather Shoes, holding candied haws on sticks in their hands.
The bicycle also carried a Sewing Machine and all sorts of good things.
"Good heavens, Weiguo, have you struck it rich? Here, let me help you push the bike!"
As he spoke, Yan Bugui helped Huang Weiguo lift the bike over the threshold.
Seeing the other's beaming smile and warm welcome, Huang Weiguo couldn't very well refuse. He thanked Yan Bugui and headed towards the Middle Courtyard.
Qin Huairu, who was washing clothes with her large belly protruding, heard the commotion outside. She looked up, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.
Wasn't Huang Weiguo arrested?
How could he have bought a bicycle and so many good things?
Jia Zhangshi was also stunned at this moment. The Huang Family already had two bicycles? And a Sewing Machine?
Before, the whole Siheyuan only had her family with a Sewing Machine; others had to pay to use it.
Now, not only does Huang Weiguo's Home have bicycles, but also a Sewing Machine. Isn't this clearly putting Jia Dongxu to shame?
Third Aunt stood at the entrance to the Middle Courtyard, watching the expressions on the faces of the Jia Family and Second Aunt, and secretly smiled.
Things in this courtyard are really about to get lively.
First Aunt asked: "Liying, did you buy a bicycle?"
Huang Liying replied with a smile: "Yes, Weiguo earned some money from hunting. He insisted on buying one for me as a filial gesture."
Looking at that brand-new phoenix brand bicycle, Qin Huairu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Huang Weiguo hadn't been taken away.
He had earned money from hunting and bought a phoenix brand bicycle.
If she hadn't broken off the engagement with Huang Weiguo back then, would she have had a share in this bicycle?
And the new clothes and leather shoes on Huang Liying—she had never worn leather shoes in her entire life.
For the first time, Qin Huairu's heart was flooded with intense regret.
Jia Dongxu's monthly salary of a little over twenty yuan—even if he worked himself to the bone, buying her a bicycle would be an impossible dream.
Yet Huang Weiguo bought Huang Liying a bicycle so quickly!
The Huang Family's good fortune had the entire Siheyuan buzzing with discussion.
Not long ago, the Huang Family was in a state where Huang Weiguo was critically ill and they could barely put food on the table.
But in such a short time, they had completely turned their fortunes around.
A family with two bicycles—not just in the entire Siheyuan, but probably in the whole of Sijiucheng, they might be the only ones.
Back home, Huang Liying's face was rosy, and she looked several years younger.
"Weiguo, in the past when our family was struggling, there were some things I didn't tell you."
"Now I need to tell you about some things in our courtyard."
Huang Weiguo held Hua Hua and Qing Qing as they sat on the kang and said: "Mom, please go ahead!"
Huang Liying took out a worn-out little notebook and said: "These are the people who helped our family during the three years you were seriously ill."
"Your father's Nephew, your Older Female Cousin, sold a lot of things to scrape together five yuan for your medical treatment."
"And then there's old lins family in the front courtyard. Back when you couldn't stomach coarse grains, it was Old Lin's Daughter who took her family's only White Flour to make you Dough Drop Soup."
"Granny Zhou from the Rear Courtyard lent our family three yuan and also gave us Brown Sugar twice."
"Tie Chui's Family—he carried heavy loads for three days. His Daughter cried from hunger, but he still lent our family the last bit of food they had."
"He and his Daughter drank cold water for three days... Page by page, incident by incident, it was all the suffering Huang Liying endured and the people she begged for help to treat Huang Weiguo over the years."
Looking at the records of these debts of gratitude in the notebook, Huang Weiguo's voice choked up: "Mom, these acts of kindness were all sought by you for my sake. I will remember them in my heart and repay them one by one!"
"Ah! Good! That's good!"
Huang Liying wiped her tears, looked at her husband's portrait, and said: "Your father, I listened to you—be kind to others."
"And thanks to that, we have such a good son in Weiguo. If only you were still here, how wonderful that would be? You would surely like Weiguo too."
Huang Weiguo looked at the contents of the notebook. His Older Female Cousin's home wasn't far and was along his hunting route.
He could go there tomorrow.
Today, he would first visit old lins family, Granny Zhou's family, and Tie Chui's Family to repay the kindness within the courtyard.
These three families were all struggling to make ends meet themselves, yet they still gritted their teeth and helped Huang Weiguo.
Huang Weiguo was not an ungrateful person.
He returned to his room and entered his space.
Once inside, he was immediately dumbfounded.
The originally empty space had now expanded to about fifty mu of land.
The soil in the field emitted the fragrance of the Spiritual Spring.
Huang Weiguo pondered: Could it be that this space has evolved and can now grow crops?
Sure enough, Huang Weiguo looked down and saw a small note on the ground:
"The host has reversed his fate. A family owning two bicycles has made Qin Huairu both regretful and envious."
"Reward obtained: Fifty mu of Premium Farmland!"
Farmland—isn't this a Farming Space?
If this space continues to evolve, perhaps it could even raise animals or even house people?
This major discovery excited Huang Weiguo immensely.
Huang Weiguo took out some from the fifty jin of rice and White Flour previously rewarded by the space.
As the saying goes, 'A liter of rice earns gratitude, a peck of rice breeds enmity.'