Siheyuan: Xu Damao's New Life

Xu Damao returned to his hut and began to maintain the projector and film. He wondered what kind of apprentice would be assigned to him, one or two. Deputy Director Li, the son of the director of the meat processing factory, played the tricks of the world very clearly. If he wants more shares, your son is here, can you not give me more? Maybe there are some shady deals, which Xu Damao cannot know.

After maintaining the equipment, Xu Damao lay down on the bed like a salted fish, waiting for the end of get off work. It has been several days since he traveled here, and it is time to go see Xu Damao's parents. Who told me to occupy the body of someone else's son? Sooner or later, I have to pass this level, so I might as well go there after get off work, as I just happened to have some game brought back from the countryside.

A burst of exciting music came from the loudspeaker. This was the bell for getting off work. Xu Damao quickly pushed the bike and joined the blue crowd leaving the factory.

Xu Damao rode his bike, with game given by a fellow villager hanging on the handlebar, and headed straight to his parents' home. Passing by the department store, he went in and bought two bottles of Xifeng, two Daqianmen bottles, a pair of leather shoes for his father, a gray tweed coat for his mother, and a red tweed coat for his sister Xu Xiaoying. Tomorrow is Sunday and there is no school, so his sister will definitely come home. Xu Damao spent nearly two months' salary plus some bills on the large and small bags.

Xu Damao bought a lot of things, and there were many pedestrians on the road, so it was not convenient to put them in the space, so he had to ride slowly, and had to get off and push the bike when he encountered a crowded place. Xu Damao's parents lived not far from Nanluoguxiang, but three blocks away. It was not far from the cinema, which was convenient for Xu's father to work.

Finally, he arrived at the courtyard assigned by Xu Damao's parents. Two old men were playing chess at the door, and a circle of people were chatting or watching and giving advice, showing the most simple life in the world. Xu Damao was not familiar with the old men at the door, but he had seen them several times. He nodded and said hello, then pushed his bicycle into the courtyard.

Xu Damao had thought it through before he came. Since he had traveled through time and inherited everything from Xu Damao, he should treat himself as the real Xu Damao. He should not be so awkward when he saw his parents and not even call them mom and dad. He should call them openly and sincerely. After all, if they had not given birth to Xu Damao, how could he have traveled through time? He might have died a long time ago, so he could be considered his reborn parents.

Xu Damao arrived at the door of his home, raised his hand to push it open and shouted: "Mom, Dad, Xiaoying, I'm here to see you, come out and help me get something." Hearing their son's voice, Xu's mother, who was about to cook, and Xu's father, who was reading a newspaper at the table, came out together.

Seeing so many things hanging on Xu Damao's bicycle, Xu's mother was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling, but she still said, "You kid, you're just going home, why do you buy so many things for no reason!"

Father Xu snorted coldly, "You little brat, have you gotten into trouble again? Are you buying something to coax your father into helping you settle it? Or are you out of money and coming back to ask for more?"

"Dad, it's nothing. I have changed my ways and now I just want to find a wife and live a good life with her."

"Oh, why did you change so suddenly? Are you really not hiding anything from your dad?" Xu Fugui looked suspicious.

"The last time I went to the countryside to show a movie, it was snowing. I accidentally fell into a ditch. My leg was hit and I couldn't get up for a long time. I thought a lot while lying in the ditch. I was really a bastard in the past. I swore in my heart that if someone could rescue me, I would turn over a new leaf and become a new person. As a result, a fellow villager driving a ox cart passed by and rescued me. To thank him, I gave him a lot of good things." Xu Damao said with a little grievance.

"And what about your lovers in the country?"

"I cut off two of them this time. I'll cut off the others when I get a chance. I'll handle this matter properly."

"It's best to break up. Otherwise, if something happens someday, it will be a big trouble. Wait for a chance and ask your mother to find a partner for you, so that you can continue the Xu family line."

"Oh, okay, Dad, let's not talk about this for now. We can talk about it over a drink later. Take a look at what I brought first." Xu Damao said impatiently.

"These are good cigarettes, good wine and new leather shoes I bought for you. The grey one is my mother's Nizi coat, and the red one is Xiaoying's. By the way, where is Xiaoying?"

"She hasn't come back since school. I heard her say she was going to the library to borrow some books and would be back later," said Xu Ma. Xu Ma was a maidservant of Lou Tan, the wife of Lou Bancheng. She had been working as a servant in the Lou family. Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the situation changed and she stopped working in the Lou family. However, she still had some contact with the Lou family and later returned to her family to become a housewife.

"You old woman, please go and cook. I'm starving. Clean and stew the rabbit that Damao brought. We'll have a drink tonight." Xu Fugui said.

Xu's mother went to clean up the rabbits and cook, leaving aside the fact that the father and son were chatting in the house. Xu Damao told his father all the main things that happened in the past few days, including the fight with Sha Zhu, the matter of taking in an apprentice, and the promotion to deputy section chief.

Xu's father used to be a projectionist in a steel rolling mill. He only passed on the job to his son after he had taught his son well, and then he found a job in a movie theater.

"Shazhu is a scoundrel who doesn't care about anything. It's okay to teach him a lesson. I know you suffered before. It was because the old man and the deaf old lady wanted Shazhu to help them with their retirement, so they always favored Shazhu and even stopped me from reporting to the police."

"It's a good idea to take in two apprentices this time. My father and I have been projecting in the factory for a long time, and people will envy us. You can take advantage of this opportunity to get some benefits and become an official. There has never been anyone in our Xu family who has become an official. I didn't realize that you are a potential official." Father Xu is a veteran and he pointed out the problem directly.

The father and son were chatting when they heard a clear voice outside shouting, "Mom and Dad, is my brother here? I think that bicycle looks like his." As the voice spoke, the person walked in.

Xu Xiaoying is about 1.65 meters tall, with two big shiny black braids, an oval face, fair skin, and regular features. She carries a cloth schoolbag slung over her shoulder, which is bulging with stuff, but no one knows what's inside. She can be considered a little beauty.

"Brother, it's you who's back. Did you buy anything good for me?" As soon as Xu Xiaoying entered the door, she saw Xu Damao's long face and pounced on him decisively.

"Oh, I bought it, my dear aunt, please get up quickly. You are going to crush me to death. You will never be able to find a husband in the future if you are so heavy." Xu Damao grimaced as he was being crushed.

"Yes, the red woolen coat over there is yours. The gray one is my mother's."

Xu Xiaoying rushed over happily when she saw it, holding the clothes and trying them on herself. "I'll try them on first," she said, and went straight into her room.

Xu Damao laughed a little. It turned out that no matter what era it was, women could never escape the attraction of new clothes and bags. Otherwise, how could there be the saying "bags can cure all diseases" in later generations?

After a while, Xu Xiaoying came out. She was wearing a pair of small leather shoes that she usually didn't want to wear, a pair of gray trousers, and a gray sweater knitted by her mother. With the red woolen coat, she looked particularly fair.

"Dad, brother, what do you think? Does it look good?"

"It's beautiful, beautiful, just like a fairy from heaven descending to earth."

Father Xu was also stroking his beard and smiling.