Siheyuan: The wife pays off the husband's debt, Huairu's mentality collapses

When Sumu returned home, it was getting dark.

But he did not slack off at all.

In the kitchen, the light was soft, illuminating his busy and orderly figure.

First, fresh ingredients are carefully selected. The vegetables are lush green and the meat is bright red. Each one reveals the love and attention to life.

With the symphony of pots and pans, Su Mu began his skillful cooking process.

He first marinated the sliced ​​meat with seasoning.

Then heat the oil in a pan, and when the oil temperature is just right, the meat slices are quickly slid into the pan, instantly bursting with an enticing aroma.

At the same time, in another pot, the vegetables became bright in color due to his stir-frying, and intertwined with the aroma of meat, filling the entire courtyard.

Soon, the table was filled with sumptuous dishes, including braised pork, steamed fish, and broccoli with garlic sauce...

Every dish was delicious and mouth-watering. Su Mu looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction, a satisfied smile on his face.

However, in this quiet and warm atmosphere, the Jia family in the central courtyard seemed particularly disharmonious.

Jia Zhang was sitting at the table, holding a bowl of thin rice porridge in her hand, and barely filling her stomach with a few slices of pickles.

There were hardly any grains of rice in the porridge, which was in stark contrast to her usual glimpses of the sumptuous dinners at Sumu's house.

Smelling the fragrance coming from Sumu's house, Jia Zhang's face became even uglier.

She suddenly put down her chopsticks and cursed angrily: "This damn beast! He eats such old meat every day, but he doesn't even think about using it to honor me, his elder! He has no conscience and no manners!"

Since Jia Dongxu's accidental death, Jia Zhang's life has fallen into an unprecedented predicament.

Her savings were not much, after deducting daily expenses.

We also need to plan for our future retirement and the growth of our grandchildren, so every penny is spent carefully.

Those days that once seemed abundant are now just distant memories.

Just as she was feeling indignant and jealous of Sumu's family's wealthy life, a sudden cry of a child broke the silence in the house.

The cry was sharp and rapid, like a sharp blade, cutting her heart again and again.

Jia Zhang frowned, put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands impatiently, stood up and walked towards the inner room.

"Oh, my little ancestor, what's wrong with you?"

While muttering, she picked up the baby, who was regarded as the hope for the future of the Jia family, from the cradle.

The child's little face was wrinkled and covered with tears and snot.

Obviously he was hungry or feeling unwell.

Although Jia Zhang was extremely unwilling.

But thinking that this child was the only bloodline of the Jia family, she forced a smile and began to coax him.

"Be good, grandma will make you something to eat right away." She comforted him softly and quickened her pace towards the kitchen.

In that era of material scarcity, milk powder was an extremely precious commodity, and Jia Zhang had to save money to buy such a small can.

She opened the can carefully and mixed the milk powder according to the proportions on the instructions, fearing that even a single drop would be wasted.

However, even this carefully prepared milk powder failed to stop the baby's crying immediately.

The child seemed to be full of dissatisfaction with the world, and his crying became even louder.

Jia Zhang was extremely anxious but helpless.

I could only rock the child gently and pace back and forth in the room, humming those long-forgotten nursery rhymes, hoping to comfort this little life.

It was late at night and most of the families in the courtyard had turned off the lights and gone to bed. Only Jia Zhang's room still had a dim light on.

She sat tiredly on the edge of the bed, looking at the child in her arms who was gradually calming down, feeling mixed emotions.

If it weren't for Jia Dongxu's death, she might never have accepted the arrival of this child.

But now, she has become the child's only support, and she must persevere no matter how difficult it is.

The next morning, the sunlight shone through the eaves of the courtyard, casting patches of light on the bluestone road.

Su Mu had just woken up from his sleep and was rubbing his sleepy eyes.

I was getting ready to go to work at the street office.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from outside the door: "Sumu!"

The voice was deep and powerful.

It was the voice of Director Yang, the director of the steel rolling mill.

Su Mu was stunned when he heard this and looked outside the door in confusion.

Director Yang is the head of the steel rolling mill and is usually very busy with official duties. Why would he suddenly visit this small courtyard?

He quickly gathered his thoughts, walked quickly to the door, and greeted with a smile:

"Director Yang, good morning! You came to see me so early, is there something important?"

Director Yang had a warm smile on his face. He patted Su Mu on the shoulder and said kindly, "Come on, let's go to your house and talk." This sudden invitation made Su Mu even more curious. He quickly stepped aside and invited Director Yang into the house.

At this time, Yan Bugui in the front yard also came out after hearing the noise.

He was a shrewd and calculating man, and he could tell at a glance that Director Yang's visit was unusual.

He secretly thought that if he could take this opportunity to establish a relationship with Director Yang, he might be able to find a good job for his eldest son, Yan Jiecheng, in the steel mill.

So he quickly put on a smile and walked forward flatteringly: "Hey, Director Yang, you are here today, what a rare guest! Come, come, I will pour you a cup of tea, come to my house and sit down, we can have a good chat."

However, Director Yang smiled and declined his kindness: "Yan Bugui, I came here specifically to see Su Mu, so I won't go to your house for tea." After that, he took a step and followed Su Mu into the house.

Seeing this, Yan Bugui couldn't help but feel suspicious.

He knew very well that Director Yang was of distinguished status and that his personal visit must be for important matters.

And the target was Su Mu, who usually kept a low profile.

This made him feel surprised and jealous. He thought to himself, "What ability does this bastard have to make Director Yang think so highly of him? No, I have to find out a way to find out. Maybe I can get something out of it."

So Yan Bugui stood where he was, his eyes turned, and a plan came to his mind.

He deliberately raised his voice and shouted to the two people who had already entered the house: "Director Yang, look at what you are saying. There is no such thing as secrets between us neighbors!"

"If anything good happens, don't forget us old neighbors!"

Although these words were spoken to Director Yang, they were actually spoken to Su Mu, with the intention of testing the content of their conversation.

Upon hearing this, Director Yang frowned slightly and looked through Yan Bugui, as if he was thinking about something.

His expression changed, and he asked coldly, "Yan Bugui, what do you mean by this?"

This sudden question made Yan Bugui's heart tighten, and the smile on his face froze instantly.