Siheyuan: The romantic and suave Xu Damao

"Thinking back to when I was sixteen, although I couldn't be considered stunningly beautiful, I was still pretty after all."

"One day, I was performing on stage with great concentration, and I was suddenly noticed by a Kuomintang officer in the audience. My master and the other people in the troupe were totally helpless!"

"If we don't agree to the officer's request, the consequences will be disastrous! This is no joke. Not only will we never be able to set up this stage again, but we might even lose our lives! You don't know how wicked those guys are!"

As Zhang Meifang spoke, she gestured with her hands, her face full of fear.

"Later...Later, I really had no choice but to accept the officer's request and became his concubine."

When she spoke to this point, her voice became slightly lower and her head unconsciously dropped, as if she was afraid that others would see her embarrassment at the moment.

After a brief pause, Zhang Meifang slowly raised her head and glanced at Xu Damao cautiously.

She saw Xu Damao staring at her intently, listening to her story attentively. His serious expression calmed her originally uneasy heart a little.

"Since I followed that officer, I gradually noticed that the attitude of the people in the troupe towards me had changed dramatically."

"They all began to distance themselves from me, intentionally or unintentionally. Although they were still pretending to be respectful to me on the surface, I knew in my heart that the feeling of alienation could not be concealed."

She frowned slightly, and her eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and sadness.

"But then again, the officer was willing to spend money. He often bought me all kinds of gold and silver jewelry, such as gold rings and silver bracelets. He also gave me a lot of money so that I could spend it as I pleased."

"As for the food, although it's not like we can have big fish and meat every day, it's much better than the simple meals in the theater troupe!"

When talking about this, Zhang Meifang's tone became a little more relaxed, as if she was recalling those once relatively comfortable days.

"Alas, it's a pity that the good times didn't last long! At that time, I was still young and had never been to school. I had very little knowledge, so I thought it would be nice to live like this forever."

"Who would have thought that in less than half a year, the situation would suddenly become turbulent..."

Zhang Meifang's face became solemn again, as if she recalled those heart-wrenching past events.

"Later, I was arrested and interrogated for no apparent reason. Fortunately, after some investigation, they found out that I was actually a poor woman with a tragic life story, so they released me."

After saying this, Zhang Meifang let out a long sigh, and she seemed to have lost all her strength at once. She looked extremely tired and haggard.

"All the officer's property was thoroughly checked and confiscated, even the things he had given me before were taken back without exception. However, they did leave me some living expenses so that I could barely make ends meet."

"Looking back on those days, I felt as if my heart had fallen into an ice cellar, freezing cold to the bone. I was totally hopeless at the time!"

"How could I have the face to stay in the troupe? I felt that living was just a torture and meaningless. So, I quietly packed up the things that belonged to me and my master, and just casually found a man to marry myself off."

"Later, after many twists and turns, I came to this place. However, fate did not seem to let me go. Three years ago, my husband unfortunately fell seriously ill. Due to the rugged roads, when we finally sent him to the hospital, it was too late. Everything was too late... Alas..."

At this point, Zhang Meifang couldn't help but sigh deeply, and she leaned forward slightly, moving towards Xu Damao. But then, as if she suddenly realized something, she shrank back as if she had been electrocuted.

How could Xu Damao not understand the meaning of Zhang Meifang's subtle action just now?

Obviously, this is a woman who is in desperate situation, full of sorrow and helplessness, and she longs to find a shoulder to lean on to comfort her already broken heart.

However, when she came to her senses, she was shocked to realize that Xu Damao in front of her was just a stranger she had just met.

When Xu Damao thought of this, his heart moved, and he stood up suddenly, picked up the slightly worn wooden chair with both hands, and walked towards Zhang Meifang with big strides. His steps were steady and powerful, as if every step was full of determination.

When he approached Zhang Meifang, he carefully placed the chair in his hand next to the chair Zhang Meifang was sitting on, and then sat down without hesitation. This series of actions was smooth and flowing, and it was obvious that they were well thought out.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Damao's right hand stretched out as fast as lightning, and before Zhang Meifang could come to her senses, he had already hugged her delicate shoulders tightly.

With a little force, Zhang Meifang involuntarily leaned her head on his broad and strong shoulders.

"Oh my! Damao, what are you doing?" Zhang Meifang was startled by this sudden action and exclaimed.

"Hey, Sister Meifang, look at how broad my shoulders are. I'll lend them to you for a while today. Normally, others would have to pay me a lot of money if they wanted to lean on them, but we have a good relationship, so this time I'll give them to you for free, without charging you a penny."

Xu Damao put his arm around Zhang Meifang's shoulders and spoke with a playful smile and a hint of sarcasm.

"You...you are just talking nonsense!"

Zhang Meifang responded coquettishly. Although she said so, her body was unusually obedient. Her head was still leaning steadily on Xu Damao's shoulder, with her long black hair hanging on Xu Damao's shoulder, and she showed no sign of moving away.

At this time, Xu Damao slightly adjusted his posture so that Zhang Meifang could lean on him more comfortably, and then asked softly: "Sister Meifang, speaking of which, since your man passed away, haven't you ever thought about finding someone else to rely on?"

"After all, you are a woman living alone in this village. You can imagine how hard it is."

After my husband passed away, I felt very calm and never thought about looking for another man to spend the rest of my life with. "