Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

These few pieces of money were taken out from under his pillow when he left the courtyard. They were the private money he left for his son Banggeng. Now, he couldn't care less and just filled his stomach first.

Passing by a small shop, he hesitated for a moment, but still walked in. The shop owner was a fat middle-aged woman who was sitting behind the counter eating sunflower seeds. When she saw He Yudong coming in, she looked him up and down with a look of contempt in her eyes.

"What do you want to buy?" the proprietress asked impatiently.

He Yudong took out some crumpled bills and whispered, "Give me two steamed buns."

The lady boss took the money, counted it, and curled her lips: "With this little money, you still want to buy two steamed buns? At most one!"

He Yudong gritted his teeth and said, "One is enough."

The proprietress took out a cold and hard steamed bun from the counter and threw it to He Yudong. He Yudong took the bun and walked out of the store silently.

He walked to the side of the road and ate the steamed buns in big mouthfuls, as if he wanted to swallow all the grievances and anger into his stomach. The steamed buns were hard and tasted bad, but he ate them with relish.

At this time, a black car stopped beside him. The car window slowly lowered, revealing a familiar face. It was Director Li.

Director Li looked at He Yudong with a mocking smile on his face: "Hey, isn't this He Yudong? How did you become such a mess?"

He Yudong felt sick when he saw Director Li. This hypocritical man, who used to be the person he trusted the most, had now become his biggest enemy.

"Stop pretending here!" He Yudong roared, "Do you think I don't know that you are the one behind all this?"

Director Li laughed out loud: "He Yudong, you are so naive! Do you think you can defeat me? I tell you, everything about you is under my control!"

He Yudong was so angry that he was shaking all over. He rushed forward and wanted to grab Director Li, but was stopped by the driver.

"Let me go! I want to kill him!" He Yudong struggled desperately like a trapped beast.

Director Li looked at He Yudong with a teasing look in his eyes: "He Yudong, you'd better save your energy. You can't beat me. You are doomed to fail!"

After saying that, Director Li rolled up the car window and the car drove away, leaving He Yudong standing alone on the roadside, like an orphan abandoned by the world.

He sat on the ground helplessly, his steamed bun fell to the ground, covered with dust. He looked at the car going away, his heart filled with despair. He didn't know what to do, nor where to go. He only knew that his life had completely hit rock bottom.

Suddenly, he saw a stone on the side of the road. He picked up the stone and smashed it hard on the ground.

"Ah!" He let out a heart-wrenching roar, as if to vent all the pain.

Just then, he heard a voice in his ear: "Hey, boy, are you okay?"

He Yudong walked aimlessly, his ragged clothes rustling in the cold wind, like a defeated flag, showing his current desolation. His stomach was empty, the steamed buns he had just eaten were just a drop in the bucket, and the feeling of hunger was like a poisonous snake, tightly wrapped around his internal organs. He didn't know how long he had been walking, nor where he was, he just moved his legs mechanically, like a walking corpse.

When he passed by a trash can, a foul smell hit him in the face, causing him to retch several times. He held onto the trash can, his stomach churning, but he couldn't vomit anything. He suddenly felt like the trash in the trash can, discarded, forgotten, and worthless.

At this moment, he heard a faint cry. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a ragged little girl huddled beside a trash can, her thin body trembling and her face covered with tears.

He Yudong was stunned. He didn't expect that there were people in this world who were more pitiful than him. He walked over and gently patted the little girl's shoulder: "Little sister, what's wrong with you?"

The little girl raised her head, her big eyes full of fear and helplessness. She didn't say anything, but just hugged a tattered rag doll tightly.

He Yudong looked at the little girl, and an inexplicable pity surged in his heart. He squatted down and asked softly, "Are you hungry?"

The little girl nodded and tears began to fall again.

He Yudong sighed. He didn't have a penny on him, so he couldn't buy food for the little girl. He thought for a moment, took out the steamed bun that the old man had given him, broke it in half, and gave half to the little girl: "Eat it, little sister."

The little girl hesitated for a moment, took the steamed bun and started eating it in small bites.

Watching the little girl eating, He Yudong felt mixed emotions. He suddenly felt that he was not alone, and there were people in this world who needed help and love just like him.

He touched the little girl's head and asked softly, "What's your name?"

The little girl said timidly: "My name is...Xiao Cao."

"Xiao Cao," He Yudong smiled, "What a nice name. Where is your home? I'll take you back."

Xiao Cao shook his head: "I don't have a home."

He Yudong's heart suddenly sank. He had no home, and Xiaocao had no home either. They were both homeless wanderers in this world.

He looked at Xiaocao, his eyes full of determination: "Xiaocao, don't be afraid, I will be your family from now on."

Xiaocao raised her head and looked at He Yudong, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes.

He Yudong took Xiaocao's hand and continued to move forward. He didn't know what the future would be like, but he knew that he was no longer alone, and he had new responsibilities and new hopes.

He brought Xiaocao to an abandoned factory and found a corner to settle down. The factory was cold and dirty, but at least it could shelter from the wind and rain.

He Yudong took off his coat and put it on Xiaocao, then hugged her and let her lean on his arms to keep warm.

"Xiaocao, are you cold?" He Yudong asked.

Xiao Cao shook her head, hugged He Yudong tightly, and whispered, "It's not cold anymore."

He Yudong smiled, and a warm current surged in his heart. He felt like a lonely boat drifting on the sea, and finally found a harbor to dock.

It was late at night, and Xiaocao fell asleep in He Yudong's arms. He Yudong looked at Xiaocao's sleeping face, his heart full of love. He gently stroked Xiaocao's hair, his eyes full of determination.

He didn't know what the future would be like, but he knew that for the sake of the grass, he had to live on with strength.

He looked up at the dark night sky. A shooting star streaked across the sky, leaving behind a brief but beautiful streak of light.

"Xiao Cao, don't worry, I will definitely let you live a good life." He Yudong swore silently in his heart.

Suddenly, the factory gate was pushed open, and a beam of strong light shone in, blinding He Yudong.

"Who is it?" a rough voice sounded.

He Yudong and Xiaocao were both startled and hugged each other tightly.

The biting cold wind scraped across He Yudong's face like a knife. He wrapped his thin clothes tightly and staggered along the country road. It had been three days since he left Sijiu City. He walked aimlessly towards the south, as if he could escape from everything in the past.

With an empty stomach and waves of hunger, He Yudong felt like he was about to pass out. The weeds on the roadside trembled in the wind, and he suddenly thought of the dirty steamed bun and the kind old man. That was perhaps the only warmth in the darkest moment of his life.

"Gurgle..." His stomach protested again, and He Yudong had to stop and lean on a crooked tree, breathing heavily. He didn't know how long he could hold on, nor did he know where he was going. The future was confusing to him.

At this moment, he saw a house not far away, with smoke rising from the kitchen and the aroma of food drifting in with the wind, tempting his already hungry stomach. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end he couldn't resist the temptation of food and walked over with heavy steps.

This is a dilapidated adobe house with low walls. Some farm tools and firewood are piled in the yard. A middle-aged woman is busy in front of the stove, and a little girl of five or six years old is sitting beside her playing.

He Yudong walked to the door and called out timidly, "Is anyone home?"

The middle-aged woman heard the voice, turned around, and saw He Yudong's appearance. She was stunned at first, and then asked vigilantly: "Who are you? What do you do?"

He Yudong quickly explained: "Hello, sister, I... I am just passing by, I haven't eaten for several days, can I..." He really couldn't say the words "begging for food", feeling extremely ashamed.

The middle-aged woman looked him up and down. Seeing that he was in ragged clothes, with a pale face and thin body, and that there was no malice in his eyes, she softened her heart. She sighed and said, "Come in, drink some hot water to warm yourself up first."

He Yudong nodded gratefully and followed the woman into the house. The house was very simple, with only a table, a few chairs, and a brick bed. The little girl stared at He Yudong curiously when she saw the stranger.

The woman poured a bowl of hot water for He Yudong, and then scooped a bowl of hot porridge from the pot and handed it to him: "Eat something first."

He Yudong took the porridge and wolfed it down like a wild animal that had been hungry for days and nights. The little girl watched him eat and giggled.

"Eat slowly and don't choke," the woman said kindly.

He Yudong finished the porridge in two or three mouthfuls and felt that his body had regained some strength. He raised his head, looked at the woman, and said sincerely: "Thank you, sister, you are such a good person."

The woman smiled and said, "You're welcome. Everyone has difficulties sometimes. Where are you going?"

He Yudong shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I don't know either. I have nowhere to go now."

The woman thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you stay here for a few days? It won't be too late to go somewhere else once you've made up your mind."

He Yudong was stunned. He didn't expect that this stranger woman would take him in. He nodded gratefully and said, "Thank you, sister. I...I won't stay with you for nothing. I can help you with work."

The woman smiled and said, "You're welcome. It's just a small favor. By the way, what's your name?"

"My name is He Yudong."

"My name is Li Guizhi, and this is my daughter, Xiaofang."

"Hello, Uncle He." Xiaofang said in a baby voice.

He Yudong looked at the mother and daughter in front of him, and a warm feeling surged in his heart. Perhaps this was fate's arrangement. When he was most desperate, he met such a kind-hearted couple. He secretly made up his mind to repay their kindness.

After dinner, Li Guizhi asked He Yudong to rest on the kang, while she took Xiaofang to work in the fields. He Yudong lay on the kang, looking at the mottled light and shadow on the roof, with mixed feelings in his heart. He didn't know how long he would stay here, nor did he know what the future would be like, but he knew that a new chapter of his life had begun here.

In the evening, Li Guizhi and Xiaofang came back from the fields and brought back some wild vegetables and fruits. Li Guizhi washed the wild vegetables and prepared to cook dinner. At this time, a dog suddenly barked in the yard, followed by a man's voice: "Guizhi, are you home?"

Li Guizhi's face changed, and she whispered to He Yudong, "My husband is back. He...has a bad temper. You should be careful later."

He Yudong's heart tightened, and an ominous premonition arose spontaneously...