Chapter 3: "Sister, thank you for not marrying me back then!"
After drinking the spiritual spring water and practicing the Spring Return Skill, Huang Weiguo's illnesses and pains were completely cured, and he even became sturdier than before.
Especially in terms of comprehension ability, Huang Weiguo vaguely felt that his current understanding was astonishingly high.
For anything, as long as he paid a little attention, he could extrapolate, thoroughly understand it, and apply it flexibly.
"This must be what people call 'finding opportunity in desperation'! It's truly marvelous!"
Huang Weiguo couldn't sleep any longer. He pushed open the door and walked out of the house.
Huahua and Qing Qing immediately ran over, grabbing his arms from left and right, saying, "Brother, Mom went out to look for work. She told us to watch you at home and not let you go out!"
The Huang Family's current situation was no exaggeration to say they had reached a dead end.
To treat Huang Weiguo's serious illness, all the family's savings had been spent.
Now, the family couldn't find even a grain of food at home.
If Widow Huang couldn't find work or earn any money today, the family of four would truly have to go hungry.
And this was in 1952, right in the midst of the 'Three-Anti' and 'Five-Anti' campaigns. Factories were shutting down one after another, and commercial trade had also significantly decreased.
Many workers and small-scale artisans in various industries had lost their jobs.
In many families with several mouths to feed, the monthly income was only thirty or forty cents.
That year, some people sold off their family's pots, pans, bowls, bedding, and even resorted to selling blood to make ends meet.
Many families, unable to bear the hardship of life, took the desperate path of suicide.
This was the true reality of that era.
Huang Liying going out to look for a job would most likely find nothing.
Anything in the house that could be sold had long been sold off.
Huang Weiguo thought for a moment. Going into the mountains to hunt at this time was already too late.
Although Sijiucheng had mountains, they were all in the outskirts of the capital.
It seemed the only option was to go fishing at Shichahai.
Huang Weiguo lowered his head and looked at Huahua and Qing Qing. This was the first time he had examined them carefully since waking up.
Due to long-term malnutrition, the two little girls, though clearly seven years old, looked only four or five. They were very thin and small.
But they were very pretty, resembling the child star Shu Chang from his past life when she was young.
Their large, watery eyes, delicate features, and an air full of spirit.
"Huahua, Qing Qing, how about big brother takes you to Shichahai to fish?"
Qing Qing's eyes instantly lit up, and she said excitedly, "Really? Brother, we haven't eaten fish in so long!"
Huahua, however, was a bit worried: "But brother, you're not fully recovered yet. Mom specifically told us we absolutely must not let you go out!"
Huang Weiguo jumped up and down on the spot to prove he was fine: "Look, brother is all better now, and fishing isn't tiring. I'll take you. If I get tired, you'll take care of me, right?"
Huahua and Qing Qing answered together: "We will!"
"Let's go, grab the fishing rods!"
The two little girls each picked up a small bucket and happily followed behind Huang Weiguo.
Huang Weiguo walked out of the house, gazing at the Siheyuan's elegant architectural style, feeling as if he had traveled through an era.
So this was the Rear Courtyard of the Siheyuan?
He had actually stumbled into buying the main room of the Rear Courtyard.
In the original novel, this main room was formed by connecting Deaf Old Lady's side room.
So, in the original novel, after his death, Deaf Old Lady got this room.
Huang Weiguo remained expressionless, took the fishing rod, walked out through the hanging flower gate of the Rear Courtyard, and arrived at the Middle Courtyard.
In the center of the Middle Courtyard, on a cement platform, a young pregnant woman in a red cotton-padded jacket was washing clothes.
Seeing Huang Weiguo walk over, she lifted her head, glanced at him, then lowered it again, as if avoiding some contagious disease.
Huang Weiguo recognized her. This should be Qin Huairu, the one who had broken off the engagement with him.
Truly worthy of the young "Thirteenth Aunt," her appearance was indeed fresh and pretty, and she looked very well-endowed.
However, Huang Weiguo felt nothing for such a woman.
Leaving aside that Qin Huairu had once broken off their engagement.
Just in the original novel, Qin Huairu, to take advantage of Sha Zhu, schemed, allied with the uncles in the courtyard to isolate him, even occupied his house refusing to leave, and ultimately let Sha Zhu freeze to death under the overpass.
This widow's heart was truly too vicious.
Seeing Huang Weiguo walk straight through the Middle Courtyard, Qin Huairu secretly looked up at him.
She saw Huang Weiguo wearing a tattered cotton-padded jacket, with two burdens tagging along beside him.
Then she thought about her own current life: Jia Dongxu had entered the Steel rolling mill, had a stable job, and had even apprenticed under a famous old Fitter at the mill—who was also First Uncle in the courtyard—so his future was certainly promising.
Qin Huairu secretly felt fortunate: Thankfully, she didn't marry Huang Weiguo back then.
If Huang Weiguo knew Qin Huairu's thoughts, he would definitely say: "Thank you, elder sister, for not marrying me back then!"
After all, after this woman married Jia Dongxu, he died due to a work-related injury.
Maybe she's a husband-killer?
Huang Weiguo led Huahua and Qing Qing to Shichahai. After several consecutive days of heavy snow, the ice surface was covered with traces left by passing pedestrians.
Huang Weiguo looked around and first chose a spot with ample sunlight and deeper water.
Typically, fish tend to congregate more in such places. Simply put, you need to find where the fish overwinter.
After that, Huang Weiguo forcefully chiseled open the ice layer and began fishing.
At that moment, many people fishing held their rods and walked back and forth along the shore. Seeing Huang Weiguo sitting on the ice, they couldn't help but curiously ask him.
"Young man, can you catch fish like that?"
Huang Weiguo responded, "Giving it a try. The family is almost out of food; can't just wait to starve!"
"Sigh, my family is in the same situation. My wife just had a baby, and she can't even fill her own stomach, let alone have milk to feed the child. These days are truly unbearable!"
Huang Weiguo didn't continue the conversation, patiently waiting for a fish to bite.
However, after waiting a long time, no fish took the hook.
Huahua and Qing Qing stared intently at the lake surface and asked Huang Weiguo, "Brother, will we have fish to eat today?"
As soon as they finished speaking, their stomachs growled "gurgle, gurgle," clearly famished.
Huang Weiguo could only sigh helplessly. He lifted his fishing rod, looked at the empty hook, and felt troubled too.
No matter how good his fishing skills were, without bait, catching fish wasn't easy!
Seeing this, the Old Man who had spoken earlier became rather anxious.
"Hey, young man, how come you started fishing without baiting the hook?"
"Sigh, these are hard times. This young man is probably so hungry he's confused!"
"Young man, hurry back home. Don't end up getting sick from the cold instead of starving."
But Huang Weiguo didn't want to give up. Staring at the hook, he suddenly had an idea.
His space stored spiritual spring water. What if he dipped the hook in the spiritual spring water? Maybe it could attract the fish?
No sooner said than done.