Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

"Fang~Xiaoru, I'm going to Di'anmen, where are you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere. I just like you. Let me remind you that Yan Yikuan has a strong background. It's obvious that he has taken a fancy to you today. Be careful. There's a saying that goes, you don't have to worry about the theft, you have to worry about the theft. Let's go."

"Hey, don't leave. You suddenly do me a favor. How can I change it in the future? It's time for dinner. How about I treat the beautiful lady to dinner as a favor?"

Fang Xiaoru really didn't expect Xu Damao to say this. She stopped and thought for a while, "Comrade Xu, don't talk nonsense. You don't know my background, but you dare to invite me to dinner alone. You are very bold." Fang Xiaoru smiled.

"What's the big deal? Meeting is fate. I'm not going to marry you. It's just a meal." Xu Damao recalled the time when he invited Wu Lingjuan to dinner a few years ago.

"The barbecue area is nearby, how about going with us?"

"Okay, if you're not afraid, then why should I be afraid? Let's go and have some barbecue. I'm really craving for it."

The meal cost less than ten yuan. After Fang Xiaoru's self-introduction, Xu Damao clearly understood what she said.

It turns out that Fang Xiaoru really comes from a scholarly family, and her parents are both university teachers. Just because she fell in love with a son-in-law whom her parents disliked, she forced herself into marriage and had children. As a result, her parents also disliked this unfilial daughter, and even her brothers and sisters had a strange view of her.

It really fits the saying: If you don't listen to the advice of the elderly, you will suffer in the end. A few years later, Fang Xiaoru got married and had a child. Unexpectedly, the man beat her up for no reason. Fang Xiaoru refused to be beaten, and they fought each other. In the end, they divorced, and the son went to the man. Fortunately, she had a stable job and lived in a tube-shaped building allocated by her unit.

"Sister Fang, your case is nothing to be afraid of. It's just a divorce. What's the big deal? If you can't live together, just separate. The earth still turns every day. It's still day and night. Your school is pretty good, and they even gave you housing."

"Ah, that was the house we divided before we got married."

"How can a university assistant like to collect old things? This is very expensive."

"Oh, ... yeah, but it's okay, I don't care too much, I just watch more and buy less. What else can I do. I'm also curious, how did you, a movie projectionist, get into this team."

"I often go to the countryside, and occasionally I buy something for one dollar, and then I sell it for five dollars when I get back to the city. I think there is profit in this, and I like it after a while. Look at this axle of mine. I didn't spend much money, but I bought it with five pounds of pork. Don't you think it's worth it? Right, after all, this business still has money to make. If you don't open for business for three years, you can make a living for three years after you open it."

"Oh, you are so honest. You describe such a noble thing in such a philistine way. Don't spread it everywhere, it will make people feel disgusted."

"Sister Fang, isn't this actually the truth? I admit that some people like antiques, purely because they like them. There are only a few people like that in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. To put it bluntly, the antique business is a highly profitable industry. It's not that ordinary people don't know about it, but that ordinary people don't have enough knowledge and capital, so it's monopolized by the literati and aristocrats. So, hooligans are not to be feared, but cultured people are to be feared."

A meal turned two strangers into familiar friends.

"Xu Damao, you are very honest and your words are reasonable. I have learned a lesson today. Since you invited me to dinner, how about I invite you to my home for a cup of tea?"

"Isn't this a bad idea?"

"Hey, are you still afraid? Afraid that I'll pester you? Afraid that I'll ruin your reputation?"

"Hey, you are trying to provoke me. I will go anyway. But I won't agree without good tea. I am picky about tea."

"You've been fooled. Let's go. The tea must be good tea. As for the other things, I don't know." Fang Xiaoru's smile was so beautiful that it made Xu Damao excited.

Fang Xiaoru actually took out the key and opened the door of an independent courtyard. Xu Damao was still confused, "It's a tube-shaped building, how can it be an independent courtyard?"

"Come in first, and push your car in so it doesn't get lost. The security in this area isn't very good."

"Teacher Fang, you know how to live. Living alone in such a luxurious courtyard, you are not afraid that the courtyard is too big, and you will be frightened and unable to sleep alone when there is a storm at night..."

"Haha, you're right. There really were a few little thieves who came here. I beat them up and left them with black and blue faces. Then they became quiet."

"I didn't expect that Teacher Fang is also a hero?"

Fang Xiaoru opened the coal stove mouth while changing the honeycomb coal in the coal stove, poured the water from the teapot on the stove into the washbasin, scooped three spoonfuls of water from a jar into the teapot, put it on the stove to boil, took care of herself, washed her face with hot water, applied white jade cream, and then came over to set up the tea table. She had a complete set of utensils.

Xu Damao was very curious. "Wow, a red sandalwood tea table, Ding kiln white porcelain, and old items. It's quite good. If the tea is made with the spring water from Yuquan Mountain, then today's trip will be worthwhile."

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Water from Yuquan Mountain. I can go get it from somewhere, but it is really spring water. As for where it comes from, I can't tell you, because I can only get a pot of water like this in a day, drop by drop, which is very laborious. I can only go to get it once a day, and now it's all gone, frozen. This water was collected before the beginning of winter."

"You know how to enjoy life, Sister Fang. I think you are really not suitable for marriage. You are living such a fairy-like life, and you will end up in the grave of marriage. Right?"

When the water is boiling, warm the teapot and teacups, wash them once, pour half a pot of water, let it dry for a while, and then put in the tea leaves.

"This is Taihu Biluochun, gorgeous, beautiful in shape, sweet in taste, and rich in fragrance. It is my favorite. Come and try this year's new tea, which is actually considered old tea."

How could Xu Damao not know about Biluochun Large Edition, a good tea that ranks among the top green teas.

Sure enough, the aroma of green tea is very different from the jasmine tea that Xu Damao usually drinks. The aroma feels fresh and refined, elegant yet fragrant.

"Sister Fang, good craftsmanship, good tea, good water, and good mood." Xu Damao drank a cup of tea while it was still hot, and took out a cigarette, Huazi, from his bag.

"Would you like a cigarette? Is smoking allowed here?"

Fang Xiaoru took out one herself, then skillfully took out a lighter from the drawer of the cabinet next to her. With a click, she lit her own cigarette first, then handed the lighter to Xu Damao.

Xu Damao lit a cigarette and placed the lighter on the counter.

"Back then, I talked to someone about quitting smoking. The original text was recorded like this: Most smokers have been confused for a while and made great vows to quit smoking. They will fight the smoke demon within a certain period of time. After ten days or half a month, they will wake up. I once went astray and suddenly wanted to quit smoking. After three weeks, I was reproached by my conscience and repented. I swore that I would never be decadent or lose my temper again, and I would be an honest believer in smoking until I was old. You can tell how reasonable he is. Why do people make things difficult for themselves? Right?"

"I didn't realize, Xu Damao, that you actually read this person's articles. Fortunately, it's me, otherwise you would be in trouble."

"What's the big deal? I told you I read the original novel Moment in Peking written by this person. Do you believe me?"

How is that possible? Where did you see this book? Do you have it now? "

"Why, Sister Fang, you want to read it too? I don't have the book, of course. But the book is really well written. I heard that this book was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Hey, he is indeed a great writer. Although he is not in the country, his literary talent is really amazing."