With a splitting headache, Shi Zhijian turned over in bed uncomfortably.
Last night, he drove home from Hong Kong Island at almost three o'clock. As soon as he went to bed, he lay down on the bed without even covering him with a quilt, and fell asleep soundly.
But in the middle of the night, he had a splitting headache, and his mouth was especially dry. In desperation, he had to drag himself out of bed, find a big bowl, scoop out the water in the bucket, and drank seven or eight bowls at once. He was almost full, and then he pouted again. He lay on his butt on the bed.
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Zhijian glanced at the sky outside the window. It was getting brighter. He wanted to close his eyes and sleep, but he had a headache and couldn't fall asleep. He had no choice but to endure the headache and get up from the bed, find some clothes and put them on.
Shi Zhijian had just finished getting dressed, and when he was about to grab a water cup and toothbrush and go out to wash up, he saw Shi Yufeng dragging his lame leg carrying a bucket, and Jiang Meibao carrying a large steamer and preparing to go out.
"It's just dawn, what are you doing?" Shi Zhijian asked, rubbing his temples.
"The water will be cut off in the afternoon, and everyone is rushing to get it!" Shi Yufeng said, "Also, last night, I clearly received a bucket of water, but someone stole more than half of it! I gave him a lunge, He even steals water these days, I wish his family will be rich and prosperous!"
Shi Zhijian almost choked to death, "Ahem!"
"Hey, are you drunk? Do you smell of alcohol? I'll make you a bowl of hangover soup later!"
Shi Yufeng's so-called "hangover soup" is actually mashed up some leftover leaves picked up from the market, added some vinegar and boiled them in water. The taste is not flattering, but it is very good at inducing vomiting.
After vomiting, I woke up from the wine.
But if you can't vomit it out, it will only expel bile, which will be very harmful to the body.
After Shi Yufeng finished speaking, she quickly took Jiang Meibao to grab the water without waiting for Shi Zhijian to refuse.
Shi Zhijian chased him out and was shocked when he saw that people in the whole building were holding pots and pans, anything that could hold water, and were queuing up in the corridor to receive water.
Hong Kong is a place with little water. Water depends on the sky all year round, so that for a long time Hong Kong people had no water to eat.
At that time, firefighters known as "Huo Zhugui" would drive firetrucks from the water tank to provide drinking water to residents.
The residents lined up, and Huo Zhugui took a spray gun and sprayed water on their buckets. A bucket of water cost five cents, and the water quality was so bad that many people got worms in their stomachs after eating it.
Later, it was too difficult for Hong Kong people to drink water, so Dongjiang water was introduced in 1965, which temporarily solved the problem of drinking water for some people.
Now two years have passed, and Shek Kip Mei, as a public village housing area, has encountered another problem in terms of draft.
It was nothing before, but as the population here gradually increased, water supply became somewhat scarce.
In addition, the nearby rich areas waste too much water. Those aunts and sisters can take baths three or four times a day, and the faucets are turned on and off, but the poor people here suffer in order to leave enough water for the rich areas. , they are required to use water at the right time, with water supply on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and closing the gate on Tuesday and Saturday. Whether there is water or not depends on the situation on Sunday, which is called the "four-day water supply."
"We are all human beings. You drink water and I drink water. Why do those rich people have so much water that they can't finish it, but we have to close the gate and cut off the water?" Shi Yufeng was nagging as she and Jiang Meibao queued up to receive the water.
Shi Zhijian took a water cup and a toothbrush and followed him. A neighbor who filled the water just passed by. Shi Zhijian picked up the water cup and scooped a glass of water, saying to the person: "Thank you!"
The man looked at him with great reluctance, as if the water was precious.
"Why not build a water tower? That would be very convenient!" Shi Zhijian asked while brushing his teeth.
"Build a water tower? Do you have money?" Shi Yufeng felt that the young man's back hurts when he stood and talked.
"I'll take as much as you need. We are all neighbors. It's so pitiful if we don't have water to eat!"
"Poor ghost!" Shi Yufeng scolded, "If you have money, you'd better leave it to me to save and marry you first! Don't always think about pitying others. When will others pity you?"
Shi Zhijian didn't dare to speak casually, but he couldn't help but said: "Hey, I put some money on your bedside, you take it and use it first - it's about building a water tower..."
"It costs 30,000 yuan to build a ghost water tower. Do you have it?" Shi Yufeng felt that the younger brother didn't want to pick up the pot.
"Ahem, pretend I didn't say anything." Shi Zhijian took a lot of money from home during this period, but Shi Yufeng saved it all. According to Shi Zhijian's calculation, it was almost thirty thousand.
Every time she took money home, Shi Yufeng would yell and scream, thinking that the younger brother had embezzled public funds to get the money, so she told Shi Zhijian to pump less water, so as not to be discovered, otherwise he would be finished.
Shi Zhijian could only state again that he opened the factory by himself and earned all the money by himself.
Shi Yufeng refused to believe it, so Shi Zhijian had to change his story and say that those were rewards from Master Xu. Master Xu was stupid and rewarded too many at once.
Shi Yufeng also thought that Mr. Xu was a fool. If he could just give him some sweetness, it would easily cost thousands. He was so funny! He also exclaimed how to spend so much money. It seemed that the ancestors of the Shi family were blessing him.
The Shi family is going to be prosperous.
It can be said that the current Shi Yufeng is secretly a "little rich woman" in Shek Kip Mei. However, she is very low-key and is afraid of others borrowing money and afraid of others stealing money, so few people know that she has a bulging wallet now.
As for whether the "little rich woman" lady would be willing to spend 30,000 yuan to help the big guys build the water tower, Shi Zhijian couldn't guarantee it.
After all, Shi Yufeng has always been very stingy in his eyes. How can someone who earns three to four hundred a month and even picks up leftovers and leaves be so selfless and give away thirty thousand yuan?!
"Let's wait until the situation in the factory stabilizes." Shi Zhijian glanced at the people queuing up to collect water in the entire building, supporting the old and the young, all of them looking helpless for their lives. He had a suspicion in his mind that when the time came, he would take the money to build a water tower.
It should.
Born here, raised here.
This is home!
Shi Zhijian shut up and said nothing, but Shi Yufeng couldn't help but said: "Also, do you have time today?"
"Huh?" Shi Zhijian was stunned.
"Uh, what? I know you are working for Master Xu and running some kind of factory, but your niece is going to school today, why don't you come with her!"
"Meibao changed schools? The St. Paul's Primary School you mentioned last time?" Shi Zhijian was delighted.
"Thank you for remembering." Shi Yufeng rolled her eyes at him.
Bao'er also touched Shi Zhijian's arm: "Uncle, you have to accompany me to school today, otherwise I will be unhappy!"
"Of course," Shi Zhijian knelt down and pinched the little girl's cheek with his hands, "Uncle, I want to go to your school to investigate and see if your school is pretty and whether anyone bullies you!"
"Little uncle, you must keep your word. Come on, pull the hook!" Bao stretched out his little finger.
Shi Zhijian hooked his fingers with her: "Hang yourself with a hook and you won't be allowed to change for a hundred years!"
"Oh, uncle, promise me!" Jiang Meibao almost jumped up with joy while holding the big steamer.
"Damn girl, be careful! We only have a steamer in our house!"
…
There are too many poor people in Shek Kip Mei, and it takes half a day to get water.
Shi Yufeng finally filled a large bucket of water, and then went to the big steamer held by Bao'er to fill the steamer with water as well.
Shi Yufeng limped and carried the bucket, Shi Zhijian helped carry the steamer, and Bao'er clapped her hands and jumped behind.
Before the family returned home, they met "Zhu Sanpo", the grandmother of their neighbor "Dao Youming".
Dao Youming is a well-known gangster in this area. Because he smoked too many of those things, his arms are as thin as a stick and there is not much meat in his body. Let alone carrying water, it is now difficult to even eat while lying in bed.
In desperation, Dao Youming's grandmother "Zhu Sanpo" had to go out with a cane and a bucket, preparing to line up to receive water.
When Shi Yufeng saw the third wife, she yelled, "What are you doing out here? You're so old and you shouldn't stay at home properly. If you fall and die, your street kid will really hit the streets!"
"
"I'll come out to get the water." The third wife said weakly.
"Fuck you! You don't even have the strength to speak, and your mouth is still weak!" Shi Yufeng nagged, "Stop moving, I don't want to pay for another piece of silk gold!"
Shi Yufeng said, splashing, and poured the water from his own bucket directly into the third wife's bucket, "Hey, save some food, shut down the water in the afternoon, if you don't have water, you will die!"
"Thank you, Yufeng!"
"Thank you! I'm crazy enough to do such stupid things! Damn it, I have to wait in line for most of the day!" Shi Yufeng said and then put her hands on her hips and ordered Shi Zhijian: "What are you looking at?! Put the steamer in the hand!"
Go into the house and help the third wife carry the bucket over! As for me, I’ll line up again!”
