Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Chapter 480 Qin Huairu raised 1 yuan

Unlike Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu didn't complain or whine in the house. Instead, while Jia Zhangshi went to the toilet, she took out more than 260 yuan from her worn-out cotton-padded coat.

This is all the income she has earned at the factory during this period. Most of it was borrowed money from Wang Mazi and Li Lei. Guo Da Piezi also lent her more than 27 yuan. As for her salary of 5 yuan, there was nothing left, and it wasn't even enough to cover her expenses.

She carefully wrapped the money in a handkerchief and put it in her pocket before leaving courtyard number 95 and heading out of the city.

She had only been gone for less than ten minutes when a five or six-year-old boy stopped her.

Qin Huairu stopped and asked gently, "Little friend, is there something you need from me?"

The little boy said in a childish voice, "Auntie, an uncle told me to tell you that you should put your things under the big willow tree in the courtyard of No. 88 Mao'er Hutong today, and find a stone to weigh them down. He also said that as long as he gets the things, he will give you what you want; otherwise, you will never see what you want."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu looked excitedly at the five or six-year-old boy in front of her and asked in a trembling voice:

"Little friend, please tell me quickly, who is that uncle? Where is he? What does he look like? Can you take me to find him?"

The little boy shook his head: "The uncle asked me to pass on a message. He gave me a White Rabbit candy and left on his bicycle. Oh, by the way, the uncle was very tall and thin."

Upon hearing the little boy's words, Qin Huairu felt utterly devastated. She blankly said "Thank you" to the little boy and continued walking towards the city outskirts.

Seeing this, the little boy chuckled and took out a White Rabbit candy from his pocket. He unwrapped the candy, popped it into his mouth, carefully put the wrapper back in his pocket, and happily went off to play.

Qin Huairu walked on the road outside the city, feeling utterly hopeless, tears silently streaming down her face.

She had considered the possibility that if she gave the money to the money-grubber, he might not release Bang Geng, but she really didn't dare to gamble; she didn't dare to risk Bang Geng's life.

She feared that the beggars, having not received their money, might kill Banggeng in a fit of anger. If she gave the money to the beggars, even if they didn't release Banggeng, they would most likely sell him to the countryside and wouldn't kill him.

As long as you're alive, there's still hope; but if you're dead, then it's all over.

She knew very well that money-grabbing schemes usually involved gangs. Even if she reported it to the police and caught the person who went to collect the money, she might not be able to find Bang Geng, and it would put Bang Geng in danger instead. She really didn't dare to risk Bang Geng's life.

After walking for more than an hour, Qin Huairu finally left the city. After walking for another half hour, she arrived at a small grove of trees about five miles outside the city.

She came to a big pine tree, picked up a branch, and started digging under the tree.

She dug less than 30 centimeters before unearthing an iron box.

Take out the iron box, open the iron box, and inside is a wooden box wrapped in rags. Open the wooden box, and inside are fifty large black 10s wrapped in handkerchiefs.

This is all the money she has saved over the years, exactly five hundred yuan.

She put the money in her pocket, then wrapped the wooden box in scraps of cloth, put it inside the tin box, and buried the tin box.

She now has a total of 1065 yuan. If she gives this 1000 yuan to the flower seller, her family will be truly destitute.

But there was no way around it; the rice cake was her life, and no amount of money could compare to its importance.

She walked heavily on the way back to the city, her mind filled with longing for Banggeng.

After walking for about two more hours, she arrived at No. 88 Mao'er Hutong.

Seeing that there was indeed a large willow tree next to No. 88 courtyard, and under the willow tree there was a rock the size of a head, she knew that this was the place where the beggar had said to put the money.

The No. 88 courtyard, along with several adjacent courtyards, are all abandoned. Even in broad daylight, hardly anyone passes by; it's quite secluded.

Qin Huairu looked around and, seeing that no one was around, steeled her heart, reluctantly took out a thousand yuan from her pocket, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and placed it under the stone.

After finishing everything, she looked around and, seeing that no one was watching, she walked back to No. 95 Courtyard with a heavy heart, like a walking corpse.

Back in her room, she lay down on the bed, too exhausted to move. After walking for four hours, her legs were trembling.

When Jia Zhangshi saw Qin Huairu return, she didn't say a word, nor did she cook. She just lay down on the bed. Her triangular eyes widened, and she shouted:

"Qin Huairu, where have you been all morning? You came back and didn't even cook. Are you trying to starve your mother and Xiaodang to death?"

Qin Huairu opened her eyes and said weakly, "Mom, I went to borrow money from my cousin. I'm exhausted. Don't bother me, let me rest for a while."

Upon hearing that she had gone to borrow money, Madam Jia hurriedly asked, "Did you borrow it? How much did you borrow?"

"Mom, I borrowed 700 yuan from my cousin this time. This is the money my cousin has saved up his whole life. We will pay it back when we have money in the future."

Qin Huairu thought for a moment and made up a cousin. Otherwise, she couldn't explain that she had seven hundred yuan on her. If her mother-in-law found out that she had saved so much money, wouldn't she cause a huge uproar?

"Seven hundred yuan?"

Madam Jia looked at Qin Huairu with surprise, her triangular eyes full of suspicion.

"Qin Huairu, what kind of cousin is this? I've never heard you mention him before. How could he be so kind as to lend you seven hundred yuan right away? You haven't done anything to betray the Jia family, have you?"

"Mom, my cousin and I have been good friends since we were little. He already has three children. A few years ago, he was transferred to work in Baoding. He just came back to Beijing to visit his family these past few days. I happened to run into him today. My cousin is a very good person. When he heard about my situation, he lent me all the family savings without saying a word," Qin Huairu made up.

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia nodded with some skepticism. As long as they had borrowed the money, that was good. As for repaying it, how could that be possible? Their family had borrowed it through their own abilities, so why should they have to repay it?

"Qin Huairu, do you have a thousand yuan on you now?"

Qin Huairu nodded and repeated to Jia Zhangshi what the little boy had said to her when she had just stepped out of the courtyard, and also mentioned that the money had been placed in the designated location.

Madam Jia frowned: "Qin Huairu, are you just going to hand over the money to those beggars like that? What if they take the money and then don't release the stolen goods?"

Qin Huairu smiled wryly and asked, "Mom, Banggeng is in the hands of the beggars. What if they harm Banggeng if I don't do what they say?"

"Ugh! Those damned beggars! A thousand dollars gone just like that! How much meat could that buy?! I curse you all to die a horrible death, to be childless for life, and even if you have sons, they'll be born without an anus!"