Siheyuan: A journey of mountains and rivers

After the mediation, the residents of the courtyard slowly dispersed, but He Yuzhu stayed in the courtyard, still feeling uneasy. He sat on a stone bench, looking at the gradually darkening sky, thinking back to what had just happened. Liu Lan's rogue behavior made him angry, but what made him even more helpless was that even though everyone knew about her dishonesty, there was still no effective way to make her change her ways.

At this moment, a thin figure walked into the yard. He Yuzhu looked up and saw that it was Guo Dapiezi. Guo Dapiezi's real name was Guo Dawei, and he got this nickname because he liked to pout when he spoke. He used to be one of the most enthusiastic neighbors in the yard, always helping everyone with repairs, until a few months ago, he suddenly stopped participating in anything in the yard.

"Guo Dapiezi, long time no see." He Yuzhu stood up and walked over to say hello.

Guo Dapiezi nodded, with a trace of fatigue on his face: "Yuzhu, I heard about what happened just now. Liu Lan is really a headache."

He Yuzhu sighed: "Yeah, this kind of person is the most difficult to deal with. You always helped everyone fix things before, why don't you do it recently?"

Guo Dapiezi smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Oh, don't mention it. It's all because of Liu Lan. I helped her fix things a few times last time, and she said she would pay me every time, but she didn't pay me once. Later, she even went around saying that my craftsmanship was not good enough, which made me ashamed to face people. I'm so angry just thinking about it, I won't do it again in the future."

He Yuzhu was furious when he heard this. He knew that Guo Dapiezi was an upright man with good skills, and it was too much for Liu Lan to treat him like this.

"Guo Dapiezi, I really don't know anything about this. Don't worry, we will all speak up for you in the future. We can't let Liu Lan continue to behave like this." He Yuzhu patted Guo Dapiezi's shoulder with a firm tone.

Guo Dapiezi nodded gratefully: "Thank you, Yuzhu. Actually, I'm not afraid of her, I just think this kind of person is really annoying, so I stay away from her to avoid trouble."

He Yuzhu knew that what Guo Da Piezi said made sense. Liu Lan was indeed a scoundrel, but because of this, she could not be allowed to continue. Otherwise, not only Guo Da Piezi, but everyone in the hospital might become her victim.

As night fell, He Yuzhu returned to his room, turned on a dim light, and took out a handwritten recipe. The kitchen was his spiritual haven, and whenever he felt troubled, he would find a trace of peace here. As he flipped through the recipe, Liu Lan's hateful face involuntarily emerged in his mind.

"We must think of a way this time. We can't let her go on like this." He Yuzhu made up his mind secretly. He knew that if he wanted Liu Lan to change her ways, it would not be enough to rely on everyone's tolerance. He had to find a more powerful way.

The next morning, He Yuzhu got up early as usual and prepared breakfast for everyone. He fried a big pot of fragrant fried rice and brought it to the stone table in the middle of the yard. Neighbors came out one after another, eating breakfast around the table and chatting about family matters.

Liu Lan also quietly walked over, her eyes flickering. She knew that after what happened yesterday, everyone's attitude towards her had become cold, but she still pretended to be calm and squeezed into the crowd and picked up a bowl of fried rice.

"Liu Lan, you got up early today." He Yuzhu said in a deliberately relaxed tone.

Liu Lan nodded and forced a smile: "Yes, thank you for what happened yesterday. I will definitely change it."

He Yuzhu sneered in his heart, but remained calm: "That's good. We are all neighbors. If we have difficulties in the future, we can tell each other, but we must also keep our word and not embarrass everyone again."

Liu Lan nodded repeatedly, with a forced smile on her face. But He Yuzhu could see that there was still a cunning light in her eyes, and it was obvious that she had no real intention of repentance.

In the next few days, He Yuzhu kept thinking about how to deal with Liu Lan. He knew that he couldn't do it alone and needed the support of other people in the courtyard. He began to visit the neighbors one by one, talk to them, and understand their views on Liu Lan.

"Auntie, what do you think of Liu Lan?" He Yuzhu asked while chatting with a neighbor.

The aunt sighed, "Ah, Liu Lan has been a worrying child since she was young. She loved to lie when she was young, and it became worse when she grew up. It's not that we don't want to help her, but she is too unreasonable."

He Yuzhu nodded: "I think so too. Auntie, I want to discuss a solution with everyone. We can't let her go on like this."

The aunt's eyes lit up: "Do you have any good ideas?"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I have an idea. Let's make a rule together. Anyone who borrows money or things must have a written record. In this way, no one can default on their debt, and everyone has proof."

The aunt clapped her hands and praised: "This is a good idea! Everyone has an understanding, and we are not afraid of anyone being unreasonable."

He Yuzhu then went to see several neighbors, and everyone expressed support for his idea. So he called a small meeting of the people in the courtyard and explained his proposal in detail. Everyone unanimously passed the suggestion.

Seeing that everyone was working together, Liu Lan had no reason to object and reluctantly agreed. He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that this was only the first step and more efforts would be needed to truly solve the problem.

In the following days, the courtyard gradually returned to peace. He Yuzhu still prepared delicious meals for everyone every day, and the neighbors became more and more united. Although Liu Lan still played tricks from time to time, with everyone's joint efforts, her rogue behavior gradually decreased.

On a sunny afternoon, He Yuzhu sat in the yard, looking at the familiar jujube tree, feeling a sense of satisfaction in his heart. He knew that there would be many challenges in the future, but as long as everyone united, they would be able to overcome them.

Just as I was thinking, a familiar figure walked into the yard. It was Liu Lan, who was holding a basket filled with fresh vegetables.

"Brother Yuzhu, I brought some fresh vegetables and would like to ask you to cook a meal for me. This is my way of thanking everyone." Liu Lan said with a smile, with a hint of sincerity in her eyes.

He Yuzhu's heart moved. He looked into Liu Lan's eyes and seemed to see a trace of sincere regret. He nodded: "Okay, let's do it together. You help me and I will teach you some good dishes."

Liu Lan showed a grateful smile, walked into the kitchen, and started working with He Yuzhu. The two of them worked well together, and soon, a table of sumptuous meals was placed on the table.