Chapter 35: A Man Must Practice Restraint

Yi Zhonghai’s arrangements were giving Liu Haizhong a headache. In the rear courtyard, there were only five households, all of whom were either elderly or poor. Naturally, the most suitable target was Xu Damao.

The problem was that Xu Damao was as cunning as a monkey with a sticky coat. He had far more tricks up his sleeve than Liu, and Liu knew he couldn't handle him.

Seeing Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui still looking at him with troubled expressions, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but shake his head and sigh to himself, "Working with these two is enough to exhaust a person to death."

But then again, if it weren't for their limitations, the situation in the compound wouldn't be so well-controlled. If there were three clever people, they would surely be locked in constant conflict.

Yi Zhonghai thought for a moment and said, "As I just said, the three of us must coordinate. We will start by making a breakthrough in my middle courtyard to build up some momentum. Then, in the rear courtyard, we will all focus on Xu Damao. If we get Shazhu to exert some effort as well, he won't be able to escape. After that, we turn our attention to Duan Chengliang. That boy is like a lump of dough; I’m putting him last not because he’s difficult, but because his temperament is too dull. Even if he donates, he won't create an atmosphere of enthusiasm. I feel the demonstration effect would be poor, so it can only serve as the icing on the cake. As long as you two ensure that the three of us speak with one voice and act in unison, there won't be any problems with this matter."

Yi Zhonghai felt that he had already preliminarily established his prestige in Compound No. 95. Coupled with his tireless efforts, the moral standards of respecting the old and cherishing the young had been set, and the overall development and unity of the courtyard were looking bright.

After he finished speaking, seeing that Liu and Yan remained silent but did not object, he checked the time and stood up. "Let's leave it at that. Once we return, we should each prepare according to the plan I’ve outlined. Tomorrow, after dinner, we will hold a full-compound meeting. Remember, try your best to cooperate during the meeting and strive to fulfill the task assigned to us by the neighborhood committee."

...

Yan Bugui frowned, deep in thought, all the way home. Just as he reached his door, he stopped. He couldn't help but sniff the air and tilt his head to listen to the sounds from Duan Chengliang’s house across the way. "That boy Duan Chengliang is cooking again. It smells so fragrant. Is he stir-frying with lard, or did he mix in some pork cracklings?"

He remembered that before he left, Yan Jiefang had gone over with a bowl to ask for cracklings. A smile appeared on his face as he pushed his door open, but once inside, he saw the house was cold, quiet, and devoid of any delicious aroma.

He walked into the bedroom and asked Yang Ruihua, who was working under the bedside lamp, "Did the second boy get any cracklings?"

Yang Ruihua curled her lip, let out a "humph," and said, "Don't even mention the second one. The eldest went over too, and they didn't get a thing. Duan Chengliang just slammed the door in their faces and ignored them. He was eating quite happily by himself inside."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui’s brow furrowed tightly. What was going on with Duan Chengliang? How could he have changed so suddenly? It felt as if he were a completely different person.

It seemed that Yi Zhonghai’s plan to target Duan Chengliang at tomorrow’s meeting might be harder than expected.

Yan Bugui sniffed again, catching the fragrance wafting from across the way, and couldn't help but swallow his saliva. He suddenly felt hungry. *Oh, this Duan Chengliang is truly annoying. How is one supposed to sleep like this?*

With that thought, tomorrow’s meeting would be a good opportunity. He would let Yi Zhonghai take the lead in confronting Duan Chengliang to test exactly what was going on with the boy and how much he had really changed.

Duan Chengliang had steamed a pot of mixed-flour buns. His pot was small, so he only made six. But since his dish was rich in meat, he figured he would be full. Besides, he had two more in his private space that he’d bought from the canteen.

Once the buns were ready, it was getting late, so he didn't bother with much else, just stir-frying a plate of cabbage with pork cracklings. He was sitting on the kang, eating with great satisfaction.

He thought Qin Huairu wouldn't come today, but then he heard a knock, followed by her hushed voice: "Chengliang, open up, it's me."

Qin Huairu hadn't intended to visit, but while heading to the outdoor latrine, she had passed Duan Chengliang’s door and caught the scent of lard. People these days had sharp noses, and she immediately realized he was likely eating cabbage with cracklings.

Unable to resist, she found herself walking toward his door.

As soon as Duan Chengliang opened the door and she stepped inside, she took a deep breath.

After closing the door, Duan Chengliang smiled and said, "You have a sharp nose, always craving a good meal."

Teased by his words, Qin Huairu felt a flush of heat, her face turning crimson. She quickly said, "I really can't stay long today; my mother-in-law is waiting at home. I just came out for the latrine and smelled the lard..."

"Oh, your nose is sharp. Look, I rendered some lard today and stir-fried all the leftover cracklings. Here, have a bite."

Duan Chengliang fed her a large mouthful of the cabbage and cracklings, then pulled her onto the kang and onto his lap, taking advantage of the moment.

Whether Qin Huairu was humming with delight from the food or because of his wandering hands, her expression was one of pure intoxication. Duan Chengliang broke off a piece of the mixed-flour bun and fed it to her. "How’s my steaming technique?"

Qin Huairu ate the food happily. As she savored the taste, she suddenly opened her eyes and asked curiously, "You still have white flour? Otherwise, why would the mixed-flour bun taste like it has so much white flour? It's so fragrant."

Duan Chengliang smiled, ignoring the question, and fed her another piece. "Since you say it's good, have another bite. Let me taste how good the white buns are too."

He felt that mixed-flour buns weren't as good as pure white flour ones—the latter were softer and had better texture.

After she finished, Qin Huairu straightened her clothes, pouting, "You're truly insatiable. Do you have any more pork? I want to render some cracklings for Bang Geng."

Duan Chengliang laughed. "Don't you have your ration book? Every household can buy a catty of pork a day. Why don't you buy it yourself?"

Qin Huairu looked pained. "Where would I get the money? I finally managed to get 10 yuan last time. 5 yuan went to you for flour and fish, and I had to spend the rest on daily necessities. Money disappears so fast these days."

Duan Chengliang thought for a moment and said, "I bought a piece of pork today and used the cracklings for this dish. But if you want some for Bang Geng, it’s not impossible. Let me use your ration book. Don't worry, I’ll only use it for pork. Every couple of days when I render lard, I can give some cracklings to Bang Geng as a reward for using your book. How’s that?"

Qin Huairu agreed, "Using the book is fine, it’s just sitting there. But can you give a bit more meat?"

"No. It’ll make your mother-in-law greedy. Having a little bit of grease every few days is fine, but if you have greasy dishes every day, your mother-in-law will start asking questions. Besides, in this compound, a fart can be smelled by everyone; if you're cooking with pork and lard every day, you're asking for trouble. What would you tell them?"

"Then aren't you afraid of what they'll say about you?"

"I'm not. Everyone knows I live alone, and they know I'm not short on money. Plus, my work is physically demanding, so eating well and having meat is expected. They might say I don't know how to save, but they won't think anything else. You, however, are different. Don't you see the logic?"

Qin Huairu thought about it and sighed. He was right.

In these times, one dared not eat openly. There were always busybodies looking for an excuse to stir up trouble. It might not ruin you, but it would certainly be nauseating.

Duan Chengliang touched her cheek and smiled. "If your family is short on grain, I can lend you some cornmeal. Consider it a favor or a payment for using your book—it's up to you. I won't let you go hungry. Jia Dongxu has gone to work on the reservoir and isn't looking after you, so I will. But I can't take care of his mother and son; that's his responsibility. What we have is between us, isn't it?"

Qin Huairu felt both moved and a bit conflicted, but couldn't find fault with his reasoning. She sighed, "Fine, let's do that. I'll get up early tomorrow and give you the book before you go to work."

"Make sure you're early; I leave early and have to stop by the market for pork."

After settling the details, Duan Chengliang held her for a while longer before letting her leave.

A man must practice restraint—in his dealings with women and in his work. He knew that if he didn't learn to balance his body and mind, even a body of steel wouldn't hold up under his current workload. He decided to call it a day, left the work in his space for later, and went to bed, looking forward to a restful night and an energetic tomorrow.