Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

"Yudong, I know you are angry, but when will the cycle of revenge end? You'd better be patient." An old man advised.

"Endure? I have endured him for a long time!" He Yudong's tone was a little excited, "Uncle, you are a good person and don't understand the difficulties of us little people. If we continue to endure, we will be slaughtered by others!"

The uncle was silent. He knew that what He Yudong said was right. In this era, life for small people was indeed not easy.

"Yudong, I know you feel bitter, but you have to think about the consequences." The uncle said earnestly, "If you offend Yan Bugui too much, he will definitely find ways to retaliate against you in the future."

He Yudong sneered: "Revenge? Am I afraid of him? If he dares to come, I will let him know how powerful I am!"

The old man looked at He Yudong's determined eyes and knew that it was useless to persuade him. He sighed, shook his head, and left He Yudong's house.

He Yudong looked at the old man's back as he left, feeling mixed emotions. He knew that the old man was doing this for his own good, but he really couldn't stand it anymore. He had to resist and fight for a place to live for himself.

At this moment, He Yudong suddenly heard a knock on the door...

The knock on the door was very light, as if it was a tentative one. He Yudong frowned and thought to himself, who would come to see him in the middle of the night? Could it be that Yan Bugui came to take revenge? Thinking of this, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he took out a wooden stick from under the bed and carefully opened the door.

Standing outside the door was Qin Huairu, with her head lowered, her hands nervously twisting the corners of her clothes, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Huai Ru? It's so late, is there something wrong?" He Yudong was a little surprised and his tone softened.

Qin Huairu raised her head and looked at He Yudong pitifully with her big watery eyes: "Yudong, can I...can I go in and talk?"

He Yudong hesitated for a moment, but still moved aside to let her enter the house.

After Qin Huairu entered the room, she did not speak immediately, but silently looked around He Yudong's room. The room was small and simple, with only a bed, a table, and a shabby wardrobe.

"Yudong, you...did you really fight with the Third Uncle?" Qin Huairu finally spoke, her voice very low, as if she was afraid of being heard.

He Yudong sneered: "He provoked me first! I can't just stand there and get beaten, right?"

"I know, I know..." Qin Huairu said quickly, "But...but you are a little too harsh, aren't you? After all, the Third Uncle is the elder..."

"Elder? Does he deserve that?" He Yudong said disdainfully, "If he really treated me as a junior, he wouldn't be scheming against me all day long!"

Qin Huairu sighed and said nothing more. She knew that He Yudong was telling the truth and Yan Bugui was indeed a little too much.

"So what do you plan to do in the future?" Qin Huairu asked.

"What else can I do? If an enemy comes, I will fight him with my army, and if a flood comes, I will block it with earth!" He Yudong said indifferently, "If he dares to retaliate against me, I will make him pay for it!"

Qin Huairu looked at He Yudong's determined face and couldn't help but feel a little worried. She knew He Yudong's temper. If he really got into a fight with Yan Bugui, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Yudong, listen to my advice, just forget it." Qin Huairu said softly, "It's better to resolve a feud than to create one. If you really offend the Third Master, he will definitely not let you go in the future."

He Yudong glanced at Qin Huairu and felt a little touched. He knew that Qin Huairu was doing this for his own good, but he really couldn't stand it anymore.

"Huai Ru, I know you are doing this for my own good, but I can't stand it any longer!" He Yudong's tone was a little excited, "I can't let him bully me anymore!"

Qin Huairu was silent. She knew it was useless to persuade him any further.

"Then you...you should be careful in the future." Qin Huairu warned, "The Third Master is a very narrow-minded person. You must be careful of him."

"I know." He Yudong nodded.

Qin Huairu stood up and prepared to leave.

"Huai Ru..." He Yudong suddenly called her.

"What's wrong?" Qin Huairu turned around and looked at him in confusion.

He Yudong hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Huai Ru, thank you for coming to see me."

Qin Huairu smiled slightly: "It's okay, we are neighbors and should help each other."

After saying that, she turned and left He Yudong's house.

He Yudong looked at Qin Huairu's departing back, feeling mixed emotions. He didn't know whether what he did was right or wrong, but he knew that he had to fight for a living space for himself.

In the following days, the courtyard was peaceful and Yan Bugui did not come to trouble He Yudong. He Yudong knew that this was just the calm before the storm.

That night, He Yudong was washing clothes in the yard when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Yan Bugui standing behind him, looking at him gloomily.

"He Yudong, you are such a brave boy!" Yan Bugui gritted his teeth and said, "How dare you hit me? Just wait for me!"

He Yudong sneered: "I'm waiting! If you want revenge, just come!"

Yan Bugui didn't say anything, but took something out of his pocket and threw it towards He Yudong.

He Yudong took it subconsciously, took a closer look, and was stunned.

It turned out to be a...rat!

A fat rat was squeaking and struggling in his hands.

He Yudong just felt nauseous, his stomach was churning, and he almost vomited.

"Yan Bugui, you...you are so disgusting!" He Yudong roared.

Yan Bugui burst into laughter: "Disgusting? This is just the beginning. Just wait, the best is yet to come!"

After saying that, Yan Bugui turned and left, leaving He Yudong standing there alone, holding the still struggling mouse in his hand, his face ashen.

The knock on the door was very light, as if he was afraid of disturbing the people in the room. He Yudong opened the door cautiously, but saw an unexpected person - Qin Huairu.

She was wearing a washed-out blue shirt and her hair was tied back with a black strip, looking particularly haggard. She was holding a basket with eggs and vegetables in it.

"Yudong, I..." Qin Huairu's voice was very low, like the hum of a mosquito.

He Yudong looked her up and down and said in a cold tone, "What's the matter?"

Qin Huairu bit her lip and handed the basket to He Yudong: "This is... a little gift. Thank you for speaking up for me last time."

He Yudong didn't take the basket, but just looked at her with a half-smile: "Qin Huairu, what are you talking about? I remember I really offended you last time, and you even went to the old man to complain about me."

Qin Huairu's face flushed instantly. She lowered her head and stammered, "I...I had no choice. Jia Zhang forced me to go..."

"Force you? How can you, a living person, be forced to do something you don't want to do?" He Yudong mercilessly exposed her lies, "Qin Huairu, don't try to play tricks on me. If you have something to say, say it. If not, get out of here."

Qin Huairu's eyes were red, tears welling up in them: "Yudong, I know you are still angry with me, but...but I really have nowhere else to go..."

"Desperate? If you don't know, you might think your family is ruined." He Yudong snorted coldly, "Don't you still have Jia Zhang and three children in your family? How can you be desperate?"

Qin Huairu couldn't hold back her tears and shed them: "Bang Geng... he is sick and needs money for medical treatment..."

He Yudong sneered in his heart. This Qin Huairu is really good at acting. Banggeng is sick? Is she trying to cheat money again?

"Bang Geng is sick? What's wrong? Is it serious?" He Yudong asked with pretended concern.

Qin Huairu sobbed and said, "The doctor said...it was pneumonia and I needed to be hospitalized..."

Pneumonia? In this era, pneumonia is a fatal disease. He Yudong was a little shaken, but he still didn't completely believe Qin Huairu's words.

"Hospitalization? That will cost a lot of money, right?" He Yudong asked tentatively.

Qin Huairu nodded and choked up and said, "The doctor said...it will cost at least ten dollars..."

Ten yuan? In this era, ten yuan is not a small amount. He Yudong's monthly salary is only more than thirty yuan, and these ten yuan is equivalent to one-third of his salary.

"Ten dollars? Where can I get ten dollars for you?" He Yudong pretended to be embarrassed.

Qin Huairu panicked when she heard this: "Yudong, please help me! Banggeng...he really needs this money..."

As she said that, Qin Huairu actually knelt down in front of He Yudong with a plop.

He Yudong was startled by this sudden action. He quickly reached out to help Qin Huairu: "What are you doing? Get up!"

Qin Huairu hugged He Yudong's legs tightly, crying: "Yudong, I know you have a good heart, please help me! I...I will definitely repay you in the future..."

He Yudong felt mixed emotions when he saw Qin Huairu crying so pitifully. He didn't know whether he should believe her or help her.

At this moment, the gate of the courtyard suddenly opened, and an old man walked in. He was stunned when he saw Qin Huairu kneeling in front of He Yudong.

"What...is going on?" an old man asked in confusion.

When Qin Huairu saw the uncle, she felt like she had grabbed a life-saving straw and cried, "Uncle, please give me some justice! Banggeng is sick and needs money for medical treatment. I...I asked Yudong for help, but he...he refused..."

After hearing what Qin Huairu said, the uncle turned to look at He Yudong: "Yudong, what's going on?"

Before He Yudong could explain, Qin Huairu cried again, "Uncle, you don't know, Yudong... he has money, he... he just won't help me..."

"Rich?" The old man frowned and looked at He Yudong with doubts in his eyes.

He Yudong cursed in his heart, this Qin Huairu is really good at confusing right and wrong. When did he have money? His monthly salary is only more than 30 yuan, and he has to support himself, where does the money come from?

"Uncle, don't listen to her nonsense. Where did I get the money?" He Yudong explained quickly.

Qin Huairu cried even harder: "You... stop lying! You... you spent so much money on buying a bicycle last time..."

He Yudong was stunned. He didn't expect Qin Huairu to bring up this matter.

The old man also looked at He Yudong, his eyes full of inquiry.

He Yudong took a deep breath. He knew that it was useless for him to say anything now. Qin Huairu had already portrayed him as a rich but stingy person. No matter how he explained, it would only make things worse.

He simply shut up and stopped explaining.

Seeing He Yudong remain silent, Qin Huairu became even more proud, and she cried even more miserably, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

The old man looked at He Yudong and said in a serious tone: "Yudong, Banggeng is your neighbor and your junior. He is sick, you should lend a helping hand."

He Yudong raised his head and looked at the old man, his eyes filled with anger and helplessness.

He wanted to ask the old man, why? Why should he help others unconditionally? Why should he be taken advantage of by others?