Siheyuan: I found a wife right after I crossed over

Yang Chong and Yu Xiu set out early in the morning. The journey from Sijiucheng to Henan is 700 to 800 kilometers, and it would take them 10 to 20 hours.

Yang Chong even brought a blanket so that Yu Xiu could sleep for a while in the car on the way.

But Yu Xiu was so excited to go home that she didn't feel sleepy at all. She sat beside him and talked excitedly about her family. She said how much her brother loved her when she was a child, how virtuous her sister-in-law was, and how she treated her like her own sister. She said that she must bring more good things to her brother and sister-in-law when she returned home this time.

Yang Chong smiled and said, "I see. I have already prepared everything for you. There are two bags of noodles and several dozen kilograms of pork in the back."

The trunks of cars these days are not too big, so not many things can be put in them. But when we got there, Yang Chong had a lot of good things in his space, so he could take them out whenever he got a chance.

Yu Xiu happily hugged his neck and kissed him: "Brother Chongzi, you are so thoughtful for me." Then she whispered timidly: "I have an idea, but I don't know if I dare to say it."

Yang Chong said: "Do you want to bring them to Sijiu City as well, and then try to arrange a job for them as well?"

Yu Xiu nodded embarrassedly and said, "My parents are gone, and my brother and sister-in-law are my only relatives. Now that I have you, my life is good, and I don't want to see my brother and sister-in-law suffer at home." Then she added, "But I also know that you just helped Uncle Wang arrange a job, so it is definitely not appropriate to help my brother and sister-in-law arrange it now. Then you can wait for two days and let them come over when it is appropriate. It must not affect your work."

Yang Chong reached out his hand and rubbed her hair and said, "Silly girl, your brother and sister-in-law are my brother and sister-in-law, and they are also my relatives. It is only right to take them over. You don't have to worry about the work. I will find a way. I can arrange for others, can't I even arrange for my own brother and sister-in-law?"

Yu Xiu nodded happily: "That's great, as long as it doesn't affect you."

The two of them walked and stopped along the way. When Yang Chong was tired, he found a place to rest. It was already midnight when they returned to Yu Xiu's hometown.

The car drove into the mountain village. The village was pitch black, but the sound of dogs barking could be heard one after another.

"It's already past ten o'clock, my brother and sister-in-law must be asleep, why don't we go back home tomorrow?" Yang Chong asked Yu Xiu.

But Yu Xiu, who was eager to go home, thought that her brother and sister-in-law could not bear it any longer, so she immediately shook her head and said, "No, Brother Chongzi, I can't wait until tomorrow, I want to go back now. If my brother and sister-in-law knew that I didn't go back after I got home, they would definitely blame me."

Yang Chong nodded: "Okay, let's go home now."

The car drove along the crooked path in the village, heading west, and when it reached the westernmost end of the village, it saw a dilapidated yard. Yu Xiu pointed at the yard excitedly and said, "This is it, Brother Chongzi, this is my home."

Yang Chong took a look and frowned.

The excited Yu Xiu jumped out of the car, but just as she ran to the door she stopped and stayed there.

Half of the courtyard wall had collapsed, and the courtyard looked extremely dilapidated, overgrown with weeds. It looked as if no one had lived there for a long time.

Yu Xiu's heart sank at once, and she quickly ran into the yard, knocking on the door, and yelling, "Brother, sister-in-law! Open the door, it's me, Xiu'er, I'm back!"

No one answered at all. Yang Chong walked over, put his arm around her shoulders, and pointed at the iron lock on the door.

Yu Xiu's legs went weak and she almost fell to the ground, but Yang Chong held her in his arms.

"Brother, where are my brother and sister-in-law? Where did they go? They wouldn't..." Yu Xiu's voice was choked with sobs.

I was born in a family with no food to eat. People often died of starvation in the village. Now it has been almost a year. I wonder if my brother and sister-in-law are also...

The more Yu Xiu thought about it, the more scared she became, and tears began to flow.

Yang Chong held her in his arms and comforted her: "Don't think too much, they will be fine, let's ask the neighbors."

This sentence reminded Yu Xiu, and she quickly stood up straight: "Yes, my brother and sister-in-law must be fine, they must have just gone somewhere, I will go ask my third uncle next door!"

As she said this, she stumbled towards the next room. Yang Chong quickly followed her and supported her, otherwise she would have fallen several times along the way.

Pa pa pa, Yu Xiu slammed the door next door: "Third uncle, third uncle, I'm Xiu'er, do you know where my brother and sister-in-law are?"

Someone spoke in the dark room next door: "Is it Xiu'er?"

There was a hint of doubt and a bit of surprise in his voice.

Yu Xiu quickly replied: "It's me, Aunt San, I'm Xiu'er, do you know where my brother and sister-in-law went?"

The voice in the room became surprised: "It's Xiu'er, yes, it's Xiu'er!"

Then the oil lamp was lit, and soon someone got up and opened the door.

When the door opened, a couple in their fifties stood at the door. One of the old men was holding an oil lamp in his hand. He looked at Yu Xiu standing at the door with surprise: "Are you really Xiu'er?"

"Uncle San, I really am Xiu'er!" Yu Xiu said loudly to the old man.

This old man is Yu Xiu's third uncle. The two families are not yet within the fifth degree of mourning. When Yu Xiu was at home, the relationship between the two families had always been very close.

The uncle and aunt came up to her and looked at Yu Xiu carefully for a few times, then they said excitedly: "It's Xiu'er, it's really Xiu'er!" The aunt hugged her excitedly and said: "Xiu'er, why are you back? Did you find your uncle in Sijiu City? People in the village said that you starved to death on the way. I didn't expect you to be alive. It's great!"

The third uncle was so excited that he was incoherent, and just kept repeating: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

Yu Xiu hurriedly asked them: "Uncle San, Aunt San, where is my brother? Where are my brother and sister-in-law? And where is my nephew Xiao Shanzi? Why is the door of the house locked?"

She was relieved by her uncle's answer: "Your brother and his wife went to Zhangjia Village after the Chinese New Year and haven't been back for a month or two. Xiao Shanzi is at his grandpa's house now."

"Zhangjia Village? What are they going to Zhangjia Village for?" Yu Xiusong took a breath, but he was also a little confused.

"Oh, didn't you know? The county was building a reservoir, and 20 people from each village had to go. The county provided food and work points, so your brother and sister-in-law all went."

Repair a reservoir?

Such an answer made Yang Chong and Yu Xiu feel relieved. Although building a reservoir was hard and tiring, at least they could guarantee food.

These days, especially in this place, having a stutter is better than anything else.

As long as I can survive, it doesn’t matter if I’m suffering or tired.

"Xiu'er, what is this...?" Aunt San noticed that there was a strange young man next to Yu Xiu, so she asked curiously.

Yu Xiu blushed for a moment, but then she said generously: "This is my man, Third Uncle, Third Aunt. I didn't find my uncle in the Forbidden City, but I found my man."