Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

He Yudong watched the water in the bucket gradually fill up, nodded and said, "Brother Guangtian, Brother Guangfu, you are right. I will pay attention to it in the future. I am just used to it. I can't help it when I see my neighbors in trouble."

Liu Guangfu smiled and said, "Your character is a good thing. Everyone respects you. But if you have any difficulties, you have to tell us and don't bear it alone."

He Yudong picked up the full bucket and responded with a smile: "Thank you, Brother Guangfu. I will definitely ask you for help if I have any difficulties."

Seeing this, Liu Guangtian stood up and patted He Yudong on the shoulder: "Okay, it's getting late, let's go back and rest. We have to get up early to go to work tomorrow."

He Yudong nodded and said goodbye, carrying the bucket back to the house. He put down the bucket and sat on the edge of the bed, but he couldn't sleep. What happened that day made him think more about his life. The warmth between neighbors is important, but he also understands that he can't always be confined to the small circle in front of him. Life needs more planning and goals, not just dealing with the trivialities in front of him.

Nothing happened that night, and the next morning, He Yudong got up early again, ready to go to work. However, as soon as he walked into the yard, he saw Yan Jiecheng hurriedly coming back from outside, looking very anxious.

"Brother Jie Cheng, why are you back so early? Have you dealt with your family matters?" He Yudong asked with concern.

Yan Jiecheng looked worried and shook his head: "He Yudong, things are much more complicated than I thought. I went back to check on my family last night, and the situation at home is not very good. I guess I'll have to make a few more trips this time."

He Yudong frowned after hearing this:

He Yudong looked at Yan Jiecheng's sad face and his heart sank. He knew that Yan Jiecheng's family situation had always been bad, especially recently, with many children at home, life was even more difficult. He asked softly, "Brother Jiecheng, is there something wrong at home? If there is anything I can help with, just tell me."

Yan Jiecheng looked up at He Yudong, his eyes showing deep fatigue and helplessness. He sighed and whispered, "He Yudong, I won't hide it from you. I went back to see my old father last night and found that his condition has worsened. I thought that he would be fine after seeing him at the city hospital, but who knew... the doctor said that he might have to stay in the hospital for a while, and the cost of medicine alone is not a small amount. What do you think I should do about this?"

He Yudong's heart sank when he heard this, knowing that the matter was not simple. He patted Yan Jiecheng on the shoulder and said in a deep voice: "Brother Jiecheng, don't worry. The old man's health is the most important thing. He should be hospitalized if necessary. We can figure out the money issue later. How about I go find other neighbors and we can all chip in and help out together?"

Yan Jiecheng smiled bitterly and shook his head: "He Yudong, I appreciate your kindness, but in our area, everyone is living a tight life. You also know the situation of Dongxu's family. They have even had difficulty raising money for food recently. How can I trouble you all again?"

He Yudong knew Yan Jiecheng's personality. He was usually a bit stubborn and didn't want to cause trouble for others. He thought for a moment and said, "Brother Jiecheng, don't say that. We live together and it's only right for us to help each other. Don't carry it alone this time. If it doesn't work, we can go to the unit and see if we can apply for some subsidies."

After hearing this, Yan Jiecheng was silent for a moment, and finally sighed: "He Yudong, you are still very open-minded. Well, since you said so, then I will give it a try. If it doesn't work, I will discuss it with you again."

He Yudong nodded and said gently: "Brother Jie Cheng, don't worry too much for now. Let's work together to find a solution. We will definitely be able to get through this."

Yan Jiecheng forced a smile and said gratefully, "He Yudong, it's all thanks to you. To be honest, I was quite unsure at first, but now that you said this, I feel much more at ease."

He Yudong waved his hand and said with a smile: "We are all neighbors, so don't say such polite words. You should go and do your business quickly. If you need anything, feel free to contact me."

Yan Jiecheng nodded and left the yard with some determination. He Yudong stood there, looking at his back, and began to think involuntarily. He knew that most people in the city had a hard life. Although mutual assistance between neighbors could alleviate the difficulties temporarily, in the long run, everyone needed more protection and support. But in that era, with scarce supplies and limited resources, how could they live better on this land?

He Yudong thought as he slowly walked back to his room. The room was still simple and tidy, and the sunlight from the window shone through the curtains, bringing a hint of warm light to the room. He sat on the bed, but he still couldn't let go of Yan Jiecheng's matter.

Just as he was lost in thought, there was a sudden knock on the door. He Yudong quickly got up to open the door and found Yi Zhonghai standing at the door, looking a little nervous.

"He Yudong, come with me quickly, something happened in the courtyard." Yi Zhonghai said in a low voice.

He Yudong was shocked and asked quickly, "What's going on? What happened?"

Yi Zhonghai didn't explain much, but just pulled He Yudong to the center of the yard. He Yudong followed him to the center of the yard, and then he found a large group of neighbors gathered together, talking. In the middle of the crowd, Bang Geng was standing there with a red face, looking particularly embarrassed, and Liu Haizhong next to him was angry.

"Tell me, what's wrong with you, kid! You are so old but still don't know what's going on. You even steal things?" Liu Haizhong was so angry that his voice trembled.

Banggeng lowered his head, not daring to look at Liu Haizhong, and stammered: "I... I didn't steal..."

"How dare you quibble!" Liu Haizhong was so angry that his face turned blue. "Did you steal my chicken? I got up this morning to feed the chickens, but none of them were there. Later, I found chicken feathers in your backyard. You still dare to say it wasn't you who did it?"

The neighbors in the yard were all whispering. He Yudong looked at Banggeng and then at Liu Haizhong, knowing that things might not be that simple. He stepped forward and said softly, "Brother Haizhong, let's not be anxious. Let's talk it over. Banggeng, you have to explain this to everyone. What did you do?"

Banggeng raised his head and looked at He Yudong with eyes full of grievance, but also a bit of stubbornness. He bit his lip and whispered, "Uncle He Yudong, I... I didn't steal it. I just saw the chicken running into my yard, and I wanted to catch it, but it kept running away. I... I didn't mean to steal it."

When Liu Haizhong heard this, his anger eased a little, but he still said dissatisfiedly: "Then why didn't you return it to me after you caught it? Did you have to wait for me to find it myself?"

Banggeng lowered his head and dared not say a word. He Yudong looked at him and knew that the child had indeed made a mistake, but the crime of stealing was indeed too serious. He turned to Liu Haizhong and said, "Brother Haizhong, Banggeng is still a child. There are some things he doesn't understand. Maybe he really just wanted to play with the chicken. Now that the chicken is back, let's forget about it and don't make it too difficult for him."

Liu Haizhong glared at Bang Geng and said in a deep voice: "He Yudong, I know you are protecting him, but he stole a chicken today. Will he steal something else tomorrow? I'm not stingy, but this child's bad habits cannot be tolerated!"

He Yudong understood what Liu Haizhong meant, and turned to Banggeng and said, "Banggeng, did you hear that? Your behavior today was indeed wrong, don't think it's a small matter. You have to apologize to Brother Haizhong and promise not to make such a mistake again in the future."

Bang Geng bit his lips tightly, with a hint of stubbornness and grievance in his eyes, but he finally whispered: "I'm sorry, Uncle Haizhong, I won't dare to do it again."

Liu Haizhong snorted coldly. Although he was still a little dissatisfied, he saw that Banggeng admitted his mistake and didn't want to pursue it any further. He just waved his hand and said, "Remember this in the future. Don't do such a thing again."

Bang Geng nodded, turned around and ran back to his home. Seeing this, the neighbors in the yard also dispersed, leaving only He Yudong and Liu Haizhong standing in the middle of the yard.

Liu Haizhong sighed, looked at He Yudong and said, "He Yudong, I'm not being hard on you, it's just that this kid is a little wild. We have to set some rules for him, otherwise he might become a bad kid in the future."

He Yudong nodded and said with understanding: "Brother Haizhong, you are right. Banggeng is a bit stubborn and wild, but I think he is not a bad kid by nature. He just makes mistakes easily without adults to supervise him. I will talk to him later to see if I can get him to learn more rules."

Liu Haizhong patted He Yudong on the shoulder and sighed, "It's good that you know what's going on. You have a good heart and everyone respects you, but sometimes you have to be strict with your children and can't always protect them."

He Yudong smiled, nodded and said, "Yes, I understand. Thank you for your reminder, I will pay more attention."

The two chatted for a few more sentences, and then Liu Haizhong turned around and went home. He Yudong stood in the yard, but he kept thinking about Banggeng. This child lost his father when he was young, and his mother didn't discipline him much, so he really has some problems with his temper. In addition, there have been a lot of things happening in the yard recently, and Banggeng's behavior has become more and more unbridled. What happened today is just the beginning. If it is not corrected in time, there may be bigger problems in the future.

He Yudong thought about it and decided to find an opportunity to have a good talk with Banggeng later. He knew that scolding alone would not solve the problem, and he had to find a way to get to the root of the problem and help the child get on the right track.

In the evening, He Yudong returned to the house, had a simple dinner, and then cleaned up the house.

It was getting dark, and He Yudong returned to the house and sat at the table. There was only a dim light in the room, and the light shone on an old book on the table. The pages were yellowed, and there were still some traces of time on them. He Yudong originally wanted to read a book to distract himself, but his mind kept echoing what happened during the day.

"How should I guide this kid Banggeng?" He Yudong thought to himself.

At this time, there was a light knock on the door. He Yudong was slightly startled and quickly got up to open the door. After the door opened, he saw Yan Jiecheng standing at the door with a bit of uneasiness and hesitation on his face.