Siheyuan: Selling antiques? Only making 28,000 RMB from 30,000 RMB

Sure enough, a policeman took out a copy of "Dream of Red Mansions" from He Dashan's study, frowned, and handed it to Zhou Dong: "What is this?"

Zhou Dong tried to explain calmly: "This is a work of classical literature, not a reactionary book."

The policeman snorted coldly: "The country is now promoting revolutionary literature. These feudal old cultures should have been swept into the garbage heap of history long ago."

After saying that, he threw the book to the ground fiercely and turned away. The anger and humiliation in Zhou Dong's heart erupted like a volcano, but he knew that he could not do anything now. He could only pick up the book silently and gently pat off the dust on it.

As the days passed, Zhou Dong felt more and more depressed. He found that many of his friends and classmates were labeled "rightists" for various reasons, and some were even sent to labor camps. He understood that this era did not allow any different voices, and he had to be more careful.

However, just when he thought he could get through this difficult period safely, a bigger storm was brewing.

One night, Liu Guoqing hurried back to the courtyard and said to Zhou Dong, "Yuzhu, I heard that there will be a major investigation campaign. We have to find a way."

Zhou Dong's heart tightened: "What are you checking?"

Liu Guoqing lowered his voice and said, "Intellectuals and those who are suspected of having reactionary ideas. I am worried that they will point their spearheads at us scholars."

Zhou Dong was silent. He knew that Liu Guoqing was right. In this era, intellectuals were often regarded as aliens, suppressed, and criticized. He had to make a decision to find a way out for himself and his family.

Late at night, Zhou Dong sat alone under a locust tree, looking at the starry sky, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He remembered his father He Dashan's words: "Yuzhu, no matter what time, home is our root. As long as we have a home, we have hope." Yes, home is his root, and he must protect this home and his family.

The next morning, Zhou Dong found his father He Dashan and told him his worries and plans. He Dashan thought for a moment and nodded: "You are right. At this time, we must keep a low profile. Hide those books first and wait until the storm has passed."

So Zhou Dong and Liu Guoqing began to carefully hide their books and some sensitive items in the basement of the courtyard house. They carefully sealed the entrance to the basement and prayed that the storm would pass as soon as possible.

However, things were not as simple as they thought. The investigation campaign soon spread to their street, and a group of Red Guards rushed into the courtyard and began to search. They searched every corner but did not find any "reactionary" items. Zhou Dong and Liu Guoqing breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew that this was only a temporary calm.

As the days passed, Zhou Dong's anxiety grew stronger. He knew that in this era, any disturbance could lead to disaster. He decided that he had to make a longer-term plan.

Zhou Dong and Liu Guoqing sat under the locust tree, discussing their future plans in a low voice. The night was dark, and the courtyard was silent, with only the leaves rustling in the wind. Liu Guoqing suggested: "Yuzhu, we have to find a way to leave here and go somewhere else. If we continue like this, we will be targeted sooner or later."

Zhou Dong nodded, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes: "I know, I have been thinking about this issue. But, if we leave here, where can we go?"

Liu Guoqing pondered for a moment and said, "I have a distant relative in the city who runs a small restaurant. Maybe I can go to him first. We both have skills and won't starve to death."

Zhou Dong showed a glimmer of hope in his eyes: "This is good, it's much better than waiting here to be investigated. However, we have to find a suitable time to leave, so as not to arouse suspicion."

After the two discussed it, they decided to go to He Dashan early the next morning to discuss it and ask him to help take care of everything.

The next morning, the sun shone through the leaves in the yard. He Dashan was sorting books in the study. Zhou Dong walked in and whispered, "Dad, we decided to leave here temporarily and go to Guoqing's relatives. The situation is not good now. It might be dangerous to stay here."

He Dashan put down the book in his hand and looked at Zhou Dong deeply: "Just make your decision. I'm old, so I'm not afraid of anything, but you young people should still think more about the future. I will help you prepare everything."

Zhou Dong felt warm in his heart and nodded gratefully: "Thank you, Dad. I know you worry a lot about us."

He Dashan waved his hand: "Don't talk about this, hurry up and get ready, be careful on the road."

Zhou Dong and Liu Guoqing began to prepare nervously. They packed a simple bag and hid some valuables in the basement of the courtyard. In order not to arouse suspicion, they decided to act separately, letting Liu Guoqing explore the way first, and then letting Zhou Dong follow after confirming that everything was safe.

A few days later, Liu Guoqing quietly left the courtyard with his simple luggage. Zhou Dong stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching Liu Guoqing's back disappear at the end of the alley, feeling both reluctant and expectant.

At night, Zhou Dong lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep for a long time. He knew that leaving here meant saying goodbye to everything familiar and embarking on an unknown road. But he believed that as long as he worked hard, there would always be a bright day.

A few days later, Liu Guoqing sent a message saying that everything was going well. He had settled down and could pick up Zhou Dong. Zhou Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief and decided to leave early the next morning.

Before dawn, Zhou Dong quietly got up and packed his luggage. He went to his parents' room and said goodbye softly: "Dad, Mom, I'm leaving, take care of yourself."

He Dashan nodded: "Go ahead and take care of yourself."

Zhou Dong looked at his parents deeply, turned around and walked out of the courtyard. He did not look back, because he knew that only by moving forward bravely could he usher in new hope.

There were few pedestrians on the city streets, and Zhou Dong walked through the alleys and arrived at the station. He bought a ticket, sat in the carriage, and looked out the window at the scenery that was rapidly receding, feeling nervous and expectant.

After several hours of bumpy ride, Zhou Dong finally arrived at his destination. Liu Guoqing was waiting for him outside the station, and the two hugged each other tightly after they met.

"Yuzhu, you must have had hard work on the road." Liu Guoqing asked with concern.

"Fortunately, everything went smoothly along the way." Zhou Dong replied with a smile.

Liu Guoqing took Zhou Dong to the restaurant opened by his relative, a small roadside restaurant, simple but clean. Liu Guoqing's relative, Liu Dahai, was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a big smile on his face, and warmly received Zhou Dong.

"Yuzhu, I heard from Guoqing that you are a good chef. We are short of staff here, so why don't you stay and help?" Liu Dahai said cheerfully.

Zhou Dong nodded: "Thank you Uncle Liu, I will definitely do my best."

From that day on, Zhou Dong became a chef in Liu Dahai's restaurant. Although the work was hard, he enjoyed it. Every morning, he would get up early and go to the market to pick fresh ingredients. After returning to the restaurant, he began to prepare for the day's work, washing vegetables, cutting vegetables, and cooking, and he was very busy.

Liu Dahai praised Zhou Dong's cooking skills: "Yuzhu, the dishes you cook are really delicious, and the guests all say they are good!"

Zhou Dong smiled modestly: "Thank you, Uncle Liu, this is what I should do."

The restaurant's business was getting better and better, and Zhou Dong gradually adapted to his new life. He and Liu Guoqing worked together every day, and when they returned home at night, they would chat about their day's experiences and look forward to a better future.

One night, Zhou Dong and Liu Guoqing sat on the balcony of their residence, looking at the stars in the night sky. Zhou Dong said, "Guoqing, do you think we can go back to the courtyard?"

Liu Guoqing was silent for a while and said, "Yuzhu, I believe that one day, we will go back. Siheyuan is our home. No matter where we go, we will always miss it in our hearts."

Zhou Dong nodded, with a gleam of determination in his eyes: "Yes, one day, we will go back."

Time flies, and several months have passed in a blink of an eye. Zhou Dong's cooking skills have become more and more sophisticated, and the restaurant's business has become more and more prosperous. Liu Dahai praised Zhou Dong: "Yuzhu, you are really the lucky star of our restaurant!"

Zhou Dong smiled and replied: "Uncle Liu, we all worked together to achieve today's results."

However, just when everyone thought everything was going well, a sudden change broke their peaceful life.

One evening, the restaurant was busy, and suddenly, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside. Zhou Dong looked up and saw several people rushing in, led by a tall middle-aged man with a gloomy face.

"Who is the person in charge here?" the middle-aged man asked coldly.

Liu Dahai hurried forward and said with a smile: "Comrade, I am the person in charge here. What can I do for you?"

The middle-aged man snorted coldly: "Someone reported that your business here is illegal, so we came to check it out today."

Zhou Dong's heart tightened, knowing that something was wrong. He and Liu Guoqing looked at each other and quickly began to prepare for the unexpected inspection.

However, the middle-aged man and his men carefully checked and found nothing wrong. His expression eased a little, and he said to Liu Dahai: "I will let you go today, but you must be careful in the future and not violate any rules again."

Liu Dahai nodded repeatedly: "Thank you comrade, we will definitely pay attention."

Zhou Dong breathed a sigh of relief, but he felt a little uneasy. He knew that although he had escaped this time, he might not be so lucky in the future. He decided to discuss with Liu Guoqing to see if he needed to make some more preparations.

At night, Zhou Dong and Liu Guoqing sat on the balcony and whispered about what happened during the day. Liu Guoqing frowned and said, "Yuzhu, I think someone is targeting us on purpose this time. We can't take it lightly."