Siheyuan: The romantic and suave Xu Damao

It’s a pity that he had no children or grandchildren to accompany him throughout his life. Such a lonely ending is really sad.

While Xu Damao was thinking about these things secretly, he walked into the yard, then pushed his own bicycle slowly forward and came to the gate.

It was a little after four in the afternoon. The sunlight was shining softly on the earth, and Xu Damao cast a long shadow.

The area near the gate was bustling with activity, with all kinds of small vendors setting up their stalls to do business.

There are not only stalls selling all kinds of delicious snacks, but also shops selling daily necessities such as bedding and thick straw mats; of course, there is also a stall specializing in selling fruits.

Xu Damao walked straight to the fruit stall, glanced casually at the stall owner, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Just as Zhang Lijuan said before, this guy does look a little scary!

There was a shocking twisted scar across his broad face, like a huge, hideous centipede lying across it.

What's even more bizarre is that when the stall owner saw a customer coming, he immediately smiled and walked forward to greet him. At that time, the originally motionless scar suddenly began to wriggle and twist as if it had been given life.

It is no exaggeration to say that if it were a timid person, he would probably not dare to get close to this stall, let alone buy any goods.

"Hey, buddy, what do you want to buy?" The scarred stall owner asked Xu Damao with a warm smile.

"Well...give me two baskets of frozen pears." Xu Damao replied after a moment of thought.

"Okay! I'll get it to you right away."

As he spoke, the stall owner Daoscar swiftly brought out two exquisite and sturdy bamboo baskets from the back of the stall and handed them to Xu Damao, adding: "I wove these baskets myself. Not only will it make you look good when you give them to others, but the quality is also absolutely top-notch!"

"Hey! Judging from your accent, are you from the Northeast?"

When Xu Damao heard the man's unique accent, he couldn't help but start a conversation out of curiosity.

"It's not that bad. I just came from there and came to the capital to make a living."

The scarred stall owner responded while grabbing two baskets of frozen pears and handing them to Xu Damao.

"Oh my goodness, you've come a long way, brother! How much do these two baskets of frozen pears cost?"

Xu Damao looked at the black frozen pear in front of him and praised it with a click of the tongue.

"It's not expensive, just three dollars. It's freezing cold in the winter, and it's hard to find something sweet like this."

The scarred stall owner smiled naively, revealing a mouthful of teeth yellowed by smoke.

Xu Damao didn't say anything more. He took out his wallet and paid the money, then carefully moved the two baskets of frozen pears into the basket on the back of the bicycle.

Then he strolled leisurely on the street for a long time and bought some snacks.

After he had finished his tour, Xu Damao rode his bike back, his destination being the courtyard house where Cuinong and Zhao Fangfang lived.

When he returned, he happened to see Zhao Fangfang feeding a group of cute chicks in the yard.

Hearing Xu Damao calling at the door, she hurriedly put down the work in her hands, walked towards the door, and gently opened it, inviting Xu Damao to step into the house.

"Sister Fang, are you getting used to living here?"

After Xu Damao parked his old bicycle, he asked Zhao Fangfang in a friendly manner.

"It's quite nice, much better than our village! There's a coal stove in the house, which makes people feel extra warm even in such a cold winter. Come in quickly, it's very cold outside."

As Zhao Fangfang was talking, she carefully placed the carefully mixed feed into the chicken coop. Then, she turned around and called Xu Damao to come into the house together.

"Okay, Sister Fang, please wait for a moment. I'll go get some things."

Xu Damao waved his arms slightly in response, then he quickly lifted the tarpaulin covering the basket on the back seat, took out several snacks wrapped tightly in paper, and handed them to Zhao Fangfang without hesitation.

Then he turned around, picked up two bamboo baskets full of frozen pears, and strode into the main room.

"Did Cuinong go to the kitchen to cook?"

Xu Damao looked around and didn't see the familiar figure, so he asked.

"Yes, she is busy making a fire in front of the stove right now." Zhao Fangfang replied with a smile.

"Cuinong, come over and try these frozen pears, they are very sweet!" Xu Damao shouted excitedly towards the kitchen.

"Here I come, thank you, Brother Damao!"

Accompanied by a cheerful response, Cuinong came running like a light butterfly.

Cuinong came skipping over from the kitchen, with a piece of black soda on her left cheek, which looked very funny.

"What are you cooking for dinner?" Xu Damao asked while rubbing his hands and breathing heavily.

"Steamed white flour buns, and then make some cabbage stewed with tofu, how about it, Brother Damao?" Cuinong stood in front of Xu Damao, looked up at Xu Damao, took a bite of the frozen pear, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on her face, and her beautiful eyes curved into very cute little crescents.

"Why not add some pork and vermicelli? It will taste better this way!" Xu Damao raised his eyebrows, with a sly smile on his lips, and deliberately teased.

"Ah, I know it's delicious, but we've finished all the pork dumplings Sister Fang bought last time, and we don't have any vermicelli at home..."

Cuinong sighed helplessly.

"Cabbage stewed with tofu is also delicious."

Cuinong took another bite of the frozen pear, and the crisp sound echoed in the kitchen.

"That won't do. After all, it's Chinese New Year now. We must treat ourselves and eat something good."

"How can pork and vermicelli be missing?"

Xu Damao shook his head, turned around, and walked towards the yard with brisk steps.

Not long after that, he had already returned. In one of his hands, he was holding a piece of tender pork belly, and in the other hand, he was holding a bundle of vermicelli.

He shook the ingredients in his hand vigorously a few times towards Cuinong, then took big strides and walked straight towards the kitchen with his head held high. With his arrogant demeanor, anyone who didn't know him would think he was a state banquet chef.

When Cuinong saw this scene, she couldn't help but make a naughty face at Xu Damao, and then jumped and followed him into the kitchen.