Comfortable life in Siheyuan

"Sister-in-law, my name is He Yushui. I am 19 this year. I will graduate from high school next year and will be able to go out to work. I will no longer be a burden to my brother." Yushui started crying. Yushui started school late. Actually, he is only a few months younger than Liu Qingshan.

In fact, when He Yuzhu was in his early twenties, his conditions were not bad. When others heard that he had a younger sister who was in elementary school, they shook their heads.

"Don't cry, sister Yushui. You are not a burden to your brother. You are a grown-up girl now. Your sister-in-law is the same age as you and understands you."

Yu Shui turned around and saw Sha Ge still standing there, so she kicked him. "Brother, go cook for my sister-in-law quickly. I want to talk to her." Yu Shui ordered Sha Zhu.

"I'll go cook." Tian Xiuyun said and was about to get up, but was stopped by He Yushui.

"Sister-in-law, let my brother go and you can also try my brother's cooking skills." After saying this, she glared at her brother, meaning what are you waiting for!

Sha Zhu lowered his head and said, "Okay, you two take a break and have a drink of water. I'll go cook. Xiuyun, you can try my cooking."

Yushui poured a glass of water for her sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law, my brother finally has someone who can take care of him. I am so happy. You don't know how I have been living these years." Yu Shui said to Tian Xiuyun with a look of grievance.

"Sister-in-law, I reached the age to get married a few years ago, and my family wanted to find a husband for me, but with my conditions in the past two years, no family dared to marry me. Every family in the surrounding villages was hungry. It wasn't until I met your brother that I felt like a burden to the family." The sister-in-law said, holding her sister-in-law's hand.

"I wish my brother had met you earlier. In the past two years, he has been badly abused by the family next door, but he is still so happy!" Yu Shui worriedly told his sister-in-law about the Jia family.

"Yu Shui, is it so difficult to live next door? I see that everyone is plump and white. It's rare to see people with such physique these days!" Tian Xiuyun looked puzzled.

"Sister-in-law, look how thin I am now. My brother used to bring me some delicious food and never let me go hungry. But since Jia Dongxu died of a work-related accident last year, my brother often sent food to his house. Every day after get off work, Jia's sister-in-law stops my brother at the door to ask for a lunch box. She also said that her children are growing up and are clamoring for meat. Sometimes I am hungry at night. You say I am the sister of a cook. I..." Yu Shui said as tears came out of her eyes again.

"You're taking your brother for a fool. No wonder the whole family is so fat. Have a good talk with your brother tonight. We rural people have never heard of borrowing grain or meat. We're thankful if we can borrow some sweet potato or corn flour. Who dares to borrow meat? Borrowing grain is for survival, but who would ask to borrow meat?" Tian Xiuyun said in surprise with her eyes wide open.

"The dishes are here, you guys eat first. There's also a fish soup, it's heated on the stove, it'll be ready in a minute." Sha Zhu brought two dishes, one was braised pork with cabbage, which had a few slices of meat and some leftover oil, the aroma wafted out immediately, and the other was stir-fried shredded potatoes.

Everyone in the courtyard smelled the meat and looked envious. Jia's Banggeng cried and asked Qin Huairu for meat, refusing to eat. Jia Zhang coaxed him in a low voice. "Be good, Banggeng, let your mother buy you meat tomorrow, and eat well today."

Qin Huairu looked at Bang Geng with a distressed look on her face, but she still hardened her heart and said, "Your silly uncle is getting married today, and you won't be able to eat the meat of your silly uncle's family in the future."

Qin Huairu also knew that Sha Zhu had obtained a marriage certificate, so she would not be able to take advantage of him in the future, and everything had to be calculated slowly.

"Why don't you go to Sha Zhu's house and ask Zhuzi to borrow some? The children are making a fuss and there's nothing we can do about it." Jia Zhang is not that strong-willed towards Qin Huairu yet. She just lost her son, and she is afraid that this daughter-in-law will abandon the children and leave the family.

"I'll go take a look and say hello." Qin Huairu also wanted to see if Sha Zhu's wife was easy to deal with.

Yi Zhonghai smelled the aroma of meat and couldn't eat even when lying on the bed. He felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

"Zhonghai, let's eat and don't think too much." An aunt advised Yi Zhonghai.

"How can I eat this? I don't know what kind of person Zhuzi's wife is. Can she help us with Zhuzi in our old age? Eh~" He sighed and lay back down.

Qin Huairu gathered her hair and knocked on Sha Zhu's door. He Yushui responded, "Who is it? I'm eating. Who's knocking at this hour?" As she spoke, she opened the door.

"Sister Qin, is there anything I can help you with?" Seeing that it was Qin Huairu, Yu Shui asked directly at the door.

"Yushui, where is Zhuzi?" While speaking, he glanced at the table.

Sha Zhu came over from the kitchen with fish soup in his hand. He put the soup on the table and asked, "Sister Qin, we are eating. Do you have anything to do?"

Qin Huairu lived up to her reputation as a white lotus, tears streaming down her face: "Zhuzi, I really have no choice. Banggeng cried and said he missed Uncle Sha's cooking and refused to eat. That's why I came here to borrow some meat from you. I'll pay you back next month when I get my salary. Do you think it's okay?"

Qin Huairu's tricks always work against Sha Zhu, but today is different. Sha Zhu was interrupted by Tian Xiuyun just as he was about to speak.

"Sister-in-law Jia, it's normal for children of this age to be greedy. I often see this situation at home. It can be cured. Why don't I try it?" Tian Xiuyun picked up a stick of firewood in the corner of the room while speaking.

Shazhu was completely dumbfounded.

Qin Huairu said quickly: "No, no."

Qin Huairu was good at dealing with men. When she saw Tian Xiuyun holding a stick, she panicked and hurried home.

Tian Xiuyun threw down the stick and went to close the door. She said to Sha Zhu, "Brother Zhu, sit down. I have something to tell you."

Sha Zhu walked to the table and sat down.

"Does the person next door often come over to borrow food?" Tian Xiuyun asked.

"Not often, maybe occasionally, a few times every month. Hey! Doesn't the old man in the yard always say that neighbors should help each other? I guess I'm a good person doing good deeds." Sha Zhu said indifferently.

"The old man is a level 7 fitter in our factory, earning more than 80 yuan a month. The old couple has no children in their lives. He is the manager of the yard. Jia Dongxu used to be his apprentice." He Yushui added!

"Did he help himself? His salary is much higher than yours." Tian Xiuyun said!

"The old man often delivers corn flour to the neighbors in the yard. If anyone's family can't make ends meet, he will give them a few kilograms." Sha Zhu said proudly.

"What about the Jia family? Will the eldest master also send corn flour?"

"I saw it last night. An old man was carrying a bag of flour and delivering it to the Jia family. It was Qin Huairu who took it back." Yu Shui said proudly.

"Sha Zhu, have you ever seen a family that can't make ends meet, lacks meat to eat, and even borrows meat from others? What are you thinking?" Tian Xiuyun said, staring at Sha Zhu.

"I don't have any other choice! Then Sister Qin..." Tian Xiuyun interrupted him before he could finish his words.

"From now on, call her sister-in-law of the Jia family. She can't be considered your sister." Tian Xiuyun said firmly.

Sha Zhu's expression changed: "I know."

"No wonder you couldn't find a wife before. The reason is not the rain, but you are a fool. You are a grown man and you have no clear relationship with a widow. I married you because I know you. Otherwise, I would not be with you."

Sha Zhu thought about what Liu Qingshan said, and felt that he seemed to understand something, but not completely.

Sha Zhu whispered, "I will obey you from now on, daughter-in-law. You will take care of the family. I will work outside, and you take care of the family and the rain."

Tian Xiuyun said with a smile: "You don't understand these family matters, and no one has taught you. I will take care of getting along with your neighbors in the future. What's wrong with the old lady in the backyard? How should we deal with her in the future?"

"Talk to her when you are free during the day. Bring her some delicious food when you are at home." Sha Zhu said.

"Okay, I'll listen to you. The old lady is very nice to you. She is the only one in the courtyard who gave me a bracelet. She really treats you like her grandson."

"This bracelet is obviously a good thing, you should put it away quickly." Sha Zhu said with a smile. Tian Xiuyun quickly put the bracelet away. The three of them finished their meal and sat down again.

"Brother, you are married. Should you tell Dad about this?" Yu Shui said cautiously.

"Don't mention him, just pretend he doesn't exist." Sha Zhu's face changed and he said angrily.

Tian Xiuyun hurriedly persuaded: "Don't be angry, what's wrong, is your father still alive? Why haven't you ever mentioned him?"

"Oh! When I was 16 years old, my father ran away to Baoding with a widow. Yu Shui was only 8 years old at that time. He never came back for so many years and never sent a letter. I just pretended that he didn't exist." Sha Zhu said.

After that, the three of them fell silent, and Yu Shui also shed tears silently.

"It's too late to have no news like this for so many years. If you have anything to ask, go and ask him in person whether he will come back when he gets old. Do you have his address there? Have you been there?"

"Yes, Yu Shui and I went to Baoding that year, but we were chased away by the White Widow at the door. We came back hungry. We didn't even see her."

"Then let's go over in a few days and find out clearly whether he will never come back. What's his situation after all these years? Has anything happened in the meantime?" Tian Xiuyun said.

Yu Shui also looked at his brother with hope. He Daqing had been very kind to Yu Shui back then, and Yu Shui had been longing for fatherly love for so many years.

Sha Zhu looked at the two women and sighed.

"I'll take a day off next Saturday so we can go there."

After that, Yu Shui and his sister-in-law rushed to clean up. They both went to bed at night. There were no entertainment activities at night these days.

Soon the cat in the yard began to whimper.

After a while the sobbing stopped.

The low cat meow was heard again, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes louder, sometimes softer.

With a high-pitched cry, the cat fell asleep.