Siheyuan: Breaking up with Shazhu at the beginning

He had no say in such matters. Wang Yuying chose to remain silent. If he interrupted rashly, he would be considered uneducated. Yang Jun glanced at Yi Qiushui and saw that her lips were pouting and her cheeks were slightly puffed. She obviously knew that she would be staying in this mountain village for more than ten days. It might be manageable for a man, but it was not very convenient for a woman. Because Yi Qiushui had been spoiled since she was a child and had never suffered, Yang Jun was a little worried about whether she could adapt.

Yang Jun smiled shyly and cast a helpless look at her, expressing his helplessness. Afterwards, he felt a soreness in his waist, which meant that Yi Qiushui was silently acting like a spoiled child to him.

...In rural areas, workers are generally not provided with meals, and only one meal is provided on the day of the funeral. This is not because the host deliberately ignores it, but because the rice jar at home is empty. After everyone finishes their work, they go home to eat, but they still want to express their gratitude, so the host either gives them a cigarette or expresses his gratitude verbally.

Wang Yuying and Qin Xiuzhi stood at the door as Yang's daughters-in-law, constantly thanking the villagers. In the evening, the yard was cleaned up, and Qin Xiuzhi led her daughter-in-law Zhao Hongmei into the cave next door to cook dinner, and Wang Yuying and Yang Mei helped to knead the dough. The Yang family lost their father Yang Gui, so Yang Jun took over the vigil for his father. The others could rest in the yard for a while, but he and his younger brother Yang Dong had to stay inside and outside the mourning hall, and even when they went out to do things, someone had to stay and watch over them.

Yang Jun handed his second uncle Yang Dong a cigarette, and the two chatted casually. After a while, Yang Anbang joined them. Yang Jun noticed that Yang Anbang was not very talkative and had an introverted personality, which was in stark contrast to his younger brother Yang Anguo. He came home this morning and didn't come over to say hello until now, probably because he was shy.

Seeing that Yang Anbang was embarrassed to speak, Yang Dong couldn't help but laugh at him and scold him. Yang Jun understood that in such an occasion, if others lectured him, Yang Dong would inevitably make him lose face, so he temporarily avoided the mourning hall on the pretext of leg soreness.

Looking at the busy backs of the women in the cave, Yang Jun knew that he was powerless, so he pulled Liu Zhi out. The two walked out of the yard and sat on the roof of the back cliff to smoke and chat. In the past few days, Liu Zhi seemed a little lost because of his sister Liu Lan's affairs and was not interested in anything.

"Your sister's problem is being handled directly by the top management. I can't intervene, and I can't help you. This involves the core drawings of the factory. You understand the complexity. Not to mention me, even people with ten times the ability may be helpless." Yang Jun exhaled a puff of smoke and said slowly: "You don't have to run around. Just wait patiently. Things will always proceed as they should."

Hearing this, Liu Zhi took a deep puff of his cigarette and frowned in thought. He knew how difficult the situation was, but he was still forced to find a solution. "I know how difficult it is. I didn't blindly ask for help from others, but with my situation, who can I ask for help from? My parents urged me every day, so I had to ask around." As he said this, he threw away his cigarette butt, sat down dejectedly, and held his hair tightly with his arms.

No matter what, no matter how Liu Lan behaves, she is still his sister, and it is natural for her to worry. In this regard, Yang Jun knew that comforting him at this time was futile, and it would take time to resolve this problem. He gently patted Liu Zhi's shoulder, without saying much, left him the remaining half pack of cigarettes, and then left the top of the rock.

Soon.

Qin Xiuzhi raised her voice in the courtyard to call for dinner. Because the kang in the house was not big enough for everyone, they set up a long table for everyone to sit around. Yang Jun looked at the table and his original interest disappeared. The dishes were mainly pickled vegetables. Considering Yang Jun's family, the aunt fried a few portions of bacon stored in the winter. There were only two small pieces of meat on each plate, and everyone was too shy to move their chopsticks.

At that time, Fourth Uncle wanted to take some bacon, but was stopped by Wang Yuying.

There is no need to mention the dinner, the black pancakes are so unappetizing just by looking at them.

This kind of bread is made from black beans and sorghum, and has a very poor taste, even less easy to chew than the steamed corn bread made from mallet flour.

Looking at these cakes from afar,

Yang Jun suddenly recalled that Sun Shaoping in the novel "Ordinary World" ate exactly this kind of food when he was in high school. At that time, food was divided into different levels. White flour and white buns were considered to be a privilege and were called "white people". In contrast, those made of corn flour were "yellow people". As for those that were black and rough, they were naturally jokingly called "black people".

Yang Jun took a light bite. Although it was not too hard, the bitter taste made his mouth wrinkle slightly. Fortunately, the sorghum mixed in it had a faint sweetness, so he was able to swallow it.

He looked at Yi Qiushui in particular. She kept gesturing with the cakes, putting them to her mouth but stopping several times, as if she was trying to find a way to overcome it, but in the end she still didn't swallow them.

Yi Qiu Shui only drank half a bowl of wild vegetable porridge instead.

Wang Yuying and the others might have already gotten used to this situation. Before Yang Zhiyuan returned, the only food in the house was barely enough for them to barely survive. They were even willing to exchange their food for coarser sorghum flour, not to mention the corn buns that still had some flavor.

The only one who was hard to satisfy was Yang Huai, the little naughty boy. In the past few months, Yang Jun spoiled him too much. Every day, he was fed with either white bread or meat buns or snacks. Now, this rough food was undoubtedly a torture for him. Fortunately, at this time, the second mother gave him some bacon, which barely calmed him down.

After dinner, Yang Jun and Yi Qiu Shui returned to the ancestral hall and asked their busy uncle Yang Dong to take over and eat.

"The food doesn't taste good?"

Yang Jun took out the cigarette box from his pocket, cut open the outer paper, lit a cigarette, and enjoyed the ethereal aroma of tobacco.

"Aren't you the same?" Yi Qiu Shui complained softly, rubbing her abdomen.

Seeing his wife's delicate appearance, Yang Jun felt full of pity. He gently pinched her face and said softly, "Hold on a little longer. I'll go to the city tomorrow to buy you your favorite food."

"Yeah." Yi Qiu Shui responded pitifully.

Yang Jun leaned against the corner, puffing tobacco, thinking about the schedule for the next few days.

During these ten days, he had to live in the ancestral hall all day long. Food was not a problem, because he had a lot of delicious food hidden in his personal space, but finding a secret place to enjoy it would be a challenge. As for accommodation, he naturally could not consider other options and could only spend the night in the ancestral hall.

The most troubling problem is the toilet. The rural open-air toilets make Yang Jun feel uncomfortable. He has no choice but to find a remote bush or a haystack in the wild. This is a temporary solution in the countryside.

As his thoughts gradually came into focus, Yang Jun suddenly felt something was wrong. Half of the day had passed, but he had not seen his grandfather. Logically, he was a rare visitor among the family, and the old man should have shown up to talk.

"An Guo, where did my grandpa go? Why didn't I see him?"

Yang turned his head and asked Yang Anguo.

Hearing this, Yang Anguo, whose face was flushed, pointed to the northern corner and said, "He is by the river."

"By the river?" Yang Jun was stunned. He felt that this matter was quite problematic and quickly pulled Yang Anguo out.

At this time, the sky had darkened and the farmers were lighting up their lamps. He saw that his grandfather had not returned yet, and he could not help but feel a little worried, so the two of them followed the path to the river beside the village.

Looking ahead, this small river flowing like a jade belt runs across the countryside, and the faint sound of river water washing over rocks can be heard.

Nearing the river, Yang Jun saw a burly and old figure with his back to them.

He held a pipe in his hand, and wisps of burning tobacco were faintly visible in the darkness.

"grandfather?"

Yang Anguo tried to call him.

"Hungry...it's you, Anguo."

The old man turned his head and looked here, and a smile instantly wiped away the wrinkles of time on his face.

"Grandfather, you've been standing there all day, how about you accompany me home for dinner?"

Yang Anguo beside him persuaded.

The old man ignored Yang Anguo's words and turned his gaze to Yang Jun who came with him, his eyes full of doubt but expectation.

"You...you are Junzi, right?"

Faced with this question, Yang Jun hurriedly squatted down, held the old man's hand, and said firmly:

“Yes, Grandfather, I am Yang Jun, I am here to take you home for dinner today.”

He could clearly feel the old man's hands trembling with excitement.

Yang Jun glanced at the deflated cigarette pouch on the pipe, and the remaining ashes of the cigarette butt were scattered on the ground.

He understands the old man's state of mind.

Undoubtedly, when talking about the grief of grandma's passing, there is no doubt that it was a heart-wrenching pain in grandpa's heart.

There is a saying that goes, “Young couples stay together in old age.” Without a partner to share your life with, there is nothing to talk about in the days ahead. No one can confide any pain in your heart, and you can only endure the ups and downs of the world alone.

"Great! Our descendants of the Yang family are truly outstanding."

The old man held Yang Jun's hand and said with emotion.

"Let's go home and have dinner."

As he spoke, he tremblingly put his pipe into his waist bag and stood up. Apparently his legs were a little weak from sitting for so long that he almost tripped to the ground.

Yang Jun lent a helping hand in time, took a step forward, turned around and said to him: "Grandpa, let your grandson carry you home."

Hearing this, a look of relief flashed across the old man's eyes, and he nodded and agreed: "I will let you, my eldest grandson, take on the important task today."

With the help of him and Yang Anguo, the old man lay on Yang Jun's back. Yang Jun embraced the old man with both hands, and then worked together to carry the old man on his back and set off on the journey home. Although it was not a heavy burden, the exhaustion Yang Jun felt was beyond his imagination. Because he knew in his heart that the weight did not come from the old man, but from the heavy clothes.

Unlike young people, this old man is afraid of cold and still retains some traditional conservative ideas in his bones. He is always worried that he will die suddenly one day, so he piles up his clothes like winter. He once saw another elder dressed in a cotton-padded jacket with a jacket inside, and even multiple summer shirts layered on top of each other, and even stuffed his waist with clothes.

My grandfather’s name is Yang Wenhou. The “wen” and “hou” in his name perfectly summarize his character: he is loyal and honest despite his frail appearance. Although he lacks literary talent, he is actually a well-known honest man in the village. Even when he is scolded by others, he just smiles. His prestige comes from his tolerance and indifference in daily life.

After arriving home, Qin Xiuzhi specially prepared a bowl of chopped green onion and egg noodles for the old man. After taking a few bites, the old man gave the remaining noodles and eggs to his grandchildren. He only took a few chopsticks himself, without enjoying it too much, leaving only a warm smile.

Then, Yang Jun chatted with the old man, recalling his experiences in recent decades and telling his struggle from joining the army, changing jobs to becoming the deputy director of the steel rolling mill. Listening to his grandson's growth story, the old man's eyes sparkled with joy and he nodded in agreement.

When the name Yang Gui was mentioned, my grandfather couldn't help but show a trace of sadness. Thinking of the scene of his beloved relative's departure, my grandfather was filled with regret for not being able to spend more time with his family.

After finishing his meal, Grandpa took out his pipe from his waist, but found that there was not much tobacco left. Seeing this, Yang Jun immediately handed over the newly opened cigarette pack. But Grandpa took the pipe and took a look at it, then gently pushed it back. "No, this is boring." Then he pointed to an old cloth bag hanging on the wall, whose original color could no longer be seen, and said, "Go and help me take that down."

Yang Jun agreed and took it down. When he opened it, he found that the bag was half full of tobacco. He gently picked up a pinch and sniffed it. Yang Jun praised it. The tobacco smelled quite fragrant, but the taste was a bit strong.

He finished filling his grandfather's pipe, tied it tightly back together, and hung it on the wall again. Then they began to talk about life again.

However, after talking for a while, he noticed Yi Qiushui standing outside the door and waving at him. Yang Jun said goodbye politely and walked out quickly.

Seeing this, he asked, "What's wrong? Is your stomach uncomfortable?" Seeing her covering her abdomen, he looked worried.

"No, let's find a place with fewer people... the smell is stronger over there." Yi Qiu Shui said with a slightly red face, pointing to the urinal surrounded by an earthen wall at the edge of the yard.

Immediately understanding the situation, he hurried back into the house to borrow a flashlight from Yang Anguo.

Yang Jun was not familiar with the village roads and was afraid that he would suddenly run into villagers in a secluded place. The embarrassment of such a situation made him choose to be cautious. He decided to drive away and find a secluded place.

Inserting the key, starting the car, and stepping on the accelerator, Yang Jun drove forward in the dark night. About five minutes later, he stopped the car to stare at the flickering lights in the village in the distance, and parked the car on the side of the road. "Take the flashlight and remember not to go too far." This was what he told Yi Qiushui.

After receiving the flashlight, Yi Qiushui went into the bushes beside her without hesitation. Yang Jun watched her walk into the grass beside the road. Her figure disappeared about 20 meters away, and then the flashlight went out. Taking advantage of this time, Yang Jun decisively turned around.

After the vehicle turned around, Yang Jun leaned against the car and smoked a cigarette. At this time, he noticed the flashlight flickering in the bushes. He knew that it was Yi Qiushui's act of reporting safety, and it was her fear that drove her to do so.