Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

Wang Qiang has lived here for most of his life, and he has had a complex feeling towards his neighbor Jia Dongxu since he was a child. Jia Dongxu is a dozen years older than him, and should be his elder, but in Wang Qiang's eyes, this man has always lived like a child who can't get out of trouble. Jia Dongxu's eyes always reveal a trace of cowardice and confusion, as if he is overwhelmed by life.

Wang Qiang remembers that when he was a child, Jia Dongxu was still a high-spirited young man. At that time, he was a technical backbone of the factory, with superb craftsmanship, and everyone praised him. Every morning, Jia Dongxu wore clean work clothes and went out to work in high spirits. Neighbors said that he was the most promising young man in the courtyard and would have a bright future.

However, life did not seem to be kind to Jia Dongxu. Wang Qiang vaguely remembered that things started to go wrong a few years after Jia Dongxu got married. Jia Dongxu's wife Qin Huairu was a beautiful woman with a gentle and virtuous personality. At first, their marriage seemed happy, but as time went on, the burden of life gradually overwhelmed the family.

When Jia Dongxu came back from the factory, he always looked more and more exhausted. Wang Qiang often saw him sitting alone on a stone bench in the yard, silent, holding a burnt-out cigarette in his hand, staring blankly at the sky. Qin Huairu was busy in the house, taking care of the children and doing housework, as if the bitterness of life had not eroded her heart. However, Wang Qiang knew that the cracks in this family had begun to appear.

Once, Wang Qiang was playing in the yard and accidentally heard the quarrel between Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu. Their voices were not loud, but every sentence was full of despair. Jia Dongxu was complaining about his unsatisfactory work, the unfairness of the factory leaders to him, and his efforts were not rewarded as they should be. Qin Huairu advised him not to indulge in the past and should focus on the life in front of him. The quarrel between the two ended in silence, and it seemed that no one had the strength to continue.

Since then, Jia Dongxu has become more taciturn. He goes to and from get off work mechanically every day, hides in his room after returning home, and is unwilling to communicate with anyone. Wang Qiang also gradually discovered that Jia Dongxu is no longer as respected as before. His colleagues in the factory have become cold to him, and sometimes even laugh at him behind his back. Jia Dongxu used to be the best among them, but now he is like a drowned dog, in a miserable state.

One winter night, the lights in the courtyard were particularly dim. Wang Qiang was walking home when he suddenly heard a heavy cough coming from Jia Dongxu's room. He stopped and listened. The cough was intermittent and made him feel uneasy. Wang Qiang hesitated for a moment, but decided to go forward and knock on the door.

"Uncle Jia, are you okay?" Wang Qiang asked cautiously, afraid of disturbing the other party.

After a while, the door was gently pushed open, and Jia Dongxu stood at the door, looking haggard and pale. He forced a smile and motioned Wang Qiang to come in.

The room was dark and damp, with only a dim table lamp emitting a weak light. Jia Dongxu motioned Wang Qiang to sit down, and then began to talk about trivial matters. Wang Qiang could feel that Jia Dongxu seemed to have something on his mind, but he didn't know where to start. His eyes were sometimes dull, sometimes anxious, as if he was struggling to find a trace of comfort.

"Uncle Jia, are you feeling unwell?" Wang Qiang asked with concern.

Jia Dongxu was silent for a while before he whispered, "Nothing, I'm just a little tired lately."

Wang Qiang knew that he was not telling the truth, but he did not want to ask any further questions, so he just nodded silently.

From that day on, Wang Qiang often heard the coughing sound coming from Jia Dongxu's room at night, and the sound gradually became heavy and painful. Other people in the courtyard seemed to have noticed something strange, but everyone chose to remain silent. The rule in the courtyard is that every family has its own problems, and no one wants to interfere in other people's family affairs.

However, Jia Dongxu's condition worsened day by day. Wang Qiang occasionally ran into him on the road. At that time, Jia Dongxu was already extremely thin, with sunken eyes and a sallow complexion. His steps were unsteady, as if he would collapse at any time.

Finally one day, Jia Dongxu never appeared in the yard again. Wang Qiang heard from other neighbors that Jia Dongxu fell ill and was sent to the hospital. Qin Huairu stayed in the hospital with the children, while in the courtyard, it seemed that nothing had happened, and the days continued to flow peacefully.

A few months later, Jia Dongxu was taken home. He looked even weaker, as if he had been hollowed out, a corpse-like shell. Wang Qiang tried to comfort him, but Jia Dongxu just shook his head, with a deep despair in his eyes.

"Qiangzi, you are still young and have the opportunity to leave this yard. Don't be like me, trapped here and finally forgetting who you are." Jia Dongxu's voice was low and hoarse, as if it came from a distant place.

Wang Qiang was stunned, not knowing how to respond. He looked at the man in front of him who was once full of vigor and vitality, but now became so depressed, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

As time went by, Jia Dongxu's health deteriorated, and he eventually did not survive the winter. The people in the courtyard gathered together to bid farewell to this man who was once full of hope but was eventually crushed by life.

Wang Qiang stood in the yard, watching Jia Dongxu's coffin being carried out of the courtyard, feeling indescribably heavy in his heart. He knew that Jia Dongxu's story was just a microcosm of many tragedies in this courtyard. The people living here may have once been like Jia Dongxu, holding on to hope for the future, but in the end, they were defeated by reality.

Wang Qiang returned to his room and sat by the bed, unable to calm down for a long time. He knew that Jia Dongxu's tragedy was not accidental, but a product of this society and this era. Everyone is struggling desperately, trying to find a foothold in the torrent of life, but in the end, no one can say for sure whether they can survive.

Wang Qiang looked down at the cigarette in his hand, thinking back to how Jia Dongxu used to be, and couldn't help feeling a little sad. He knew that he might not be able to escape such a fate, but he was unwilling to accept it. He wanted to live a better life, to walk out of this courtyard, and to find his own future.

Wang Qiang stood in front of the street market, thinking silently about what to buy. His fingers fumbled with the wrinkled bills in his pocket, and he felt an indescribable melancholy. Although this market was old, it was the heart of this old neighborhood, carrying the daily lives of countless people. The shouts of various vendors came one after another.