Watching his big brother leave, Yang Xiaole pondered.

He couldn't beat them in a fight.

What should he do?

His big brother left quickly and came back just as fast: "Alright, I've given them the stuff and told them that they will help me with the procedures later. Let's go, it's time for lunch. I'll take you to the canteen. I have meal tickets, it's too expensive to eat outside."

Yang Xiaole thought for a moment.

In the end, he agreed. He didn't want to scare his big brother by always going out.

He nodded and followed his big brother into the factory.

At this time, many people who had finished eating were returning.

As they walked, Yang Xiaole asked about the house.

When he heard that they had rented three rooms for eleven yuan, he was surprised: "You really rented three rooms? But that's too expensive, it's half a month's salary!"

Yang Xiaole shook his head: "It's okay, there are a lot of us in the family, and not enough rooms for everyone to sleep! Dad will come in the future, and you will get married in the future!"

There were some things he couldn't tell his big brother.

Houses in the capital were always being built, but how could they accommodate so many people having children?

During the chaotic years, those who rented private houses didn't have to pay rent to the rich for at least ten years.

And at that time, it was difficult to rent a larger house.

Nowadays, unless the children get married and have no choice, they would rent a small house of about ten square meters for the couple to live in.

But as the children were born, the place seemed crowded.

It was difficult to rent a house at that time, and you had to meet the rental standards.

It was common for three generations to live in a room of about ten square meters, and even in the new millennium, there were still many such households.

Thinking about this, those people regretted it.

"That's too expensive. It's half a month's salary!"

Hearing his big brother grumble, Yang Xiaole laughed: "Big brother, you can't calculate it like that! Think about it, although you and Mom are apprentices now, it doesn't mean you will be in the future. In a few years, your and Mom's salaries will be higher, and you will be able to afford ten yuan.

And it's not just you, in the future when you marry a daughter-in-law from the city, she will also have a job. Big sister and I will have salaries when we work, and Dad will definitely come to the city in the future.

When you divide it up like this, do you still think it's expensive?

The extra room is for your future marriage preparation. It's only three yuan more per room. Is it expensive for the two of you to live together?

Look at the people in the city, they only rent two rooms, but if you add up all the people who have moved out to get married, is the house not enough? There are quite a few!

Take our family for example, if you don't live with us in the future, you will rent two rooms, I will rent two rooms in the future, and Fourth Brother will rent two rooms when he gets married. How many rooms is that?

Is it still not enough? This calculation is not clear."

The main reason it's expensive is because both of them have just entered the city and have low salaries. When their salaries go up in the future, they won't feel it's unacceptable.

After hearing his words, Yang Xiaole thought that it seemed to be true!

So he didn't say anything else.

When they arrived at the canteen, there were still some people eating inside.

His big brother went to the canteen window and used the meal ticket to buy some dishes and steamed buns.

Steamed buns were made from a mixture of corn flour and wheat flour in a certain proportion.

But this corn flour was not the kind ground from corn cobs in the countryside, it was very fine corn flour, the kind without the corn husk.

Yang Xiaole put the food down and said to him with a smile: "We don't have bowls and chopsticks, we're using the bowls and chopsticks that the leaders on the second floor use for their meals. Today, we'll have a taste of their food."

A bowl of braised chicken, Chinese cabbage, and a bowl of shredded green pepper and potatoes.

Yang Xiaole smiled when he saw this. This was just a common dish, how could it be considered a taste of their food? The braised chicken was watery.

It was not like the braised chicken they had eaten with Uncle last time, that was the real deal.

The oil and water were different.

But he didn't mind and picked up his bowl to eat.

He knew that his big brother didn't want the chicken, a bowl cost 1.5 yuan, much cheaper than outside. But he guessed that if it wasn't for him, his big brother wouldn't eat chicken.

There wasn't much food, and the two of them ate quickly, and no one came to cause trouble.

After eating, the two of them went out, and Yang Xiaole looked at him and asked, "Brother, did you really not get ripped off?"

"No! They both didn't cheat me!"

Hearing this, Yang Xiaole thought for a moment and finally nodded.

"Alright, let's go! Let's buy something for Mom to use. Otherwise, she won't have anything."

The main reason for bringing his big brother was to help carry things.

"Oh!"

His big brother lightly responded and got on the bike to leave.

They didn't go to the mall, but went directly to the consignment store.

It was not suitable to buy new things here.

After wandering around three consignment stores nearby, he bought a bunch of things.

An old coal stove, an old iron pot, a kitchen knife, an enamel basin, a thermos flask, an aluminum kettle...

This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

As for the bowls and chopsticks, he naturally bought new ones at the store. He didn't buy white porcelain bowls, but bought a lot of cheap black pottery bowls, a few cents each.

He bought a new cutting board.

He thought for a moment and realized that there was nothing else he could buy for the time being.

With these things, Mom could at least live a simple life. Now he just needed two quilts.

He bought a few old bed sheets and planned to use them in the space for Mom first, and then make new quilts for her when it got cold.

He spent less than ten yuan in total.

The car was loaded with a bunch of things, and the two of them pushed the things towards the quadrangle courtyard.

"Xiaole, why did you buy so many bed sheets?"

"To use! To cover the quilts."

His big brother lightly responded.

When they arrived, they parked the car at the door and carried the things inside.

The people inside the courtyard looked at them with curiosity as they approached.

But Yang Xiaole had been here before, so it wasn't too strange.

Yang Xiaole opened the door with the key and said, "Brother, put the things here. When Mom comes, she can arrange them herself."

Seeing this, his big brother put down the things and started to look around the room.

"It's pretty good! Much better than our old home. Much cleaner."At least having spent some time in the factory and living in the dormitory, Yang Xiaole didn't feel like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.

Clapping his hands, Yang Xiaole also took a look around.

The wooden lattice and the roof gave him a sense of antiquity, though they were a bit old.

"Is the house rented?"

Lost in thought, Grandpa Wang came in with a smile, puffing on a cigarette.

"Grandpa Wang."

Yang Xiaole greeted him cheerfully and introduced him to his elder brother, "Big brother, this is Grandpa Wang."

After saying that, he nudged his brother with his elbow.

Seeing this, his brother hurriedly greeted, "Grandpa Wang. Here, have a cigarette."

Yang Xiaole had specifically brought a pack for this occasion, and now was the perfect time to offer one.

Grandpa Wang's smile widened upon seeing this.

He accepted the cigarette with a laugh, "Don't mention it, we're going to be neighbors in the Large Courtyard, all one family now."

"Ouch!"

His brother just smiled and agreed.

By now, more and more people were coming in from outside.

Men and women, children too, all joining in the excitement.

"Ouch, you've moved in, huh? That was quick!"

"Old Zhang's house is pretty good, I wanted to rent it before! Just too expensive."

"Is it just the two of you? Where are your parents?"

...

Yang Xiaole looked at the crowd, nodding and smiling, not knowing their names, but a nod was an acknowledgment.

"My mom hasn't arrived yet! Probably coming tomorrow."

"Ouch, alright, if you need anything just holler, we're neighbors now. Don't be shy!"

"Ouch, okay, thank you, auntie!"

Yang Xiaole politely thanked the auntie who had just spoken.

Grandpa Wang was busy introducing everyone around.

Now he also got to know some people in the courtyard, of course, only those from this courtyard, not many from the back rooms had come over.

The two families from the west wing rooms across the way.

The auntie who had just spoken, Zhao Auntie, was one of them; her husband, Grandpa Zhao, had gone out, and he was a master craftsman at the furniture factory.

Next to Zhao Auntie lived a teacher's family, Guo Ping and his wife, with a son and a daughter, who hadn't come over.

Grandpa Wang lived in the main house; he was a welding master at the Xicheng Beiqi Soft Shaft Factory, a level 7 welder, the most impressive figure in the courtyard.

The slightly plump Wang Auntie was his wife.

This made Yang Xiaole take another look.

In those days, a level 8 worker was almost mythical, said to be the ones welding missiles.

They were the top treasures of every unit.

A level 7 worker was just one step below, which was also quite remarkable.

The main house had seven rooms in a row, housing three families. There were two other families, one was the Li family of Board Grandpa, and the other was Sun Fu, an ordinary employee at the soy sauce factory.

Next door lived Liu Hongsheng, a coal delivery master from the coal ball factory, residing in the back room.

Those who hadn't come naturally weren't introduced.

Yang Xiaole greeted everyone with a smile, while his brother was distributing cigarettes.

Seeing that there was no coal yet, he asked Liu Hongsheng, "Uncle Liu, where can we buy coal balls?"

They had a stove that needed coal, otherwise, they couldn't cook.

Covered in grey coal dust, with it on his hands as well, Liu Hongsheng wore a thin sweatshirt with a black towel around his neck.

He looked almost like a stick figure.

Lighting the cigarette Yang Xiaole had just handed him, Liu Hongsheng took a puff and smiled, "How much do you need? I'll deliver it to you. Do you want lump coal or honeycomb coal?"

"What are the prices, Uncle Liu?"

"Lump coal is 24 yuan a ton, coal balls are 30 yuan and 1.8 mao for 1200 pieces. That comes to 2.5 fen each."

Yang Xiaole nodded.

The prices were a bit higher than at the Commune.

Actually, lump coal burned longer, but since they didn't heat their bed with coal, it was inconvenient to use; lighting it could take forever.

Thinking this, he said to Liu Hongsheng, "Uncle Liu, could you get me 100 pieces, just put them under the stove at the door."

There were traces there of coal storage.

After speaking, he took out 2 yuan and 5 fen and handed it to him.

Liu Hongsheng accepted it with a smile, "Okay, I'll go get the coal this afternoon and bring it back to you in the evening."

"Thanks, Uncle Liu. We might not be here tonight, just leave it there."

"Alright, I'll go rest for a bit now, got to work later."

With a smile and a wave, he left.

Seeing this, the others also said their goodbyes and left; after all, the adults weren't there, just two kids.

After everyone had left, Grandpa Wang said with a chuckle, "Alright, I'll head back first. If you run into any trouble, remember to come find me."

"Ouch, sure thing, Grandpa Wang."

The man left straight away.

Once everyone had gone, Yang Xiaole urged his brother, "Hurry up, we still have stuff to bring back!"

Yang Xiaole's brother finally snapped to it.

He hurriedly followed to fetch the rest of the items.

Once everything was brought back and seeing it was almost one o'clock, Yang Xiaole knew he had to go find Su Ling.