Siheyuan: Living in the People's Community, with a Heart for the Red Star

Looking at the three aunts who were like a mother hen protecting her chicks, Lao Yang untied the package and said, "It's okay, three aunts, please make way. I'll put my luggage down for a while and go to the street office to report and buy some daily necessities."

Old Yang walked to the door carrying the package and the rattan box, looked at the nervous Third Aunt and gestured for her to make way. Jia Zhang, who had slipped back to the middle courtyard, led a few aunts and grandmas to gather around, ready to watch the fun.

Old Yang took a quick look and found that it was Auntie No. 1, Auntie No. 2, Auntie Sun, Auntie Li, and other people who appeared most in the courtyard. Without paying attention to them, Old Yang was ready to bypass Auntie No. 3 and push the door open to enter the house.

Seeing so many people around, the third aunt was too embarrassed to stop them, so she had to move a little and let Lao Yang push the door open and enter the room. As soon as she entered, she saw that the room was in a mess. There were large bundles of dried vegetables and cloth strips hanging on the beams, and some old furniture and newspapers were piled on the south side. There were two broken tables in the middle, with a teapot without a spout and a few broken cups. There were two wooden beds on the north side, with quilts, mattresses and pillows in a mess. There were two jars in the corner, and the strong smell of pickles came out of the jars.

Old Yang stepped back and walked out of the room, frowning and saying to Auntie, "Auntie, are you sure this room is habitable now? This situation is not much better than a pigsty!"

The old ladies who were watching the fun burst into laughter and stretched their heads to look inside. The third aunt quickly closed the door and explained: "The Yang brothers, it is indeed a bit messy. Aren't there a few boys living here who don't pay attention to hygiene? Don't mind, we will clean it up for you right away!"

Old Yang returned to the bicycle, put the luggage back on it and said, "Third Aunt, tell Third Uncle to get it out for me today. I'll come back tomorrow and stay at the guesthouse tonight. If you don't clean up the house tomorrow, I'll have to ask someone to throw all these things away."

After saying that, he pushed his bicycle and walked out of the yard. When everyone saw Lao Yang walking away, they all came forward and scolded Third Aunt. Jia Zhang took the opportunity to push open the door and slipped in, then immediately stepped out and screamed: "Oh my God! Third Aunt, look at you guys who have been wasting it, how can you still want it? It smells so strong!"

Everyone came forward and saw the mess inside, the stench was overwhelming, and they looked at the third aunt with disdain. Nowadays, if a woman does not keep the house clean and tidy, she will be looked down upon. Look at Jia Zhang, who is so unsparing, and she also keeps the house clean and tidy without any odor.

The third aunt blushed and closed the door, saying, "It's because those brats live here that I didn't come here often, and that's why it's like this. I'm going to the school to discuss it with Old Yan, and I have to clean it up for them tonight!"

The third aunt hurried back to her house, packed up her things, and hurried to Hongxing Primary School. She had to discuss this matter with Old Yan. This was no small matter. When Yang came back, the house would definitely have to be returned to him. What about the eldest son's blind date? He boasted to the matchmaker that if they got married, they would have their own house. If the woman came to see him, it might be a failure if she didn't have a house. The third aunt couldn't help but quicken her pace.

When Jia Zhang returned home, she saw Qin Huairu sewing in the house and said angrily, "The consumptive idiot in the front yard went back to the countryside for a year and is back again. He looks sick again and I don't know when he died. Why did you give the house to Yan Laokou to take care of? It should have been given to us and belonged to us after he died."

Qin Huairu asked curiously, "Mom, are you talking about Yang Gongan who lives in the west wing of the front yard?"

Jia Zhang said unhappily, "What Yang Gongan? He has already resigned. Now he is just a sickly ghost, and he may die at any time. But this house is real, and we have to find a way to get it."

Jia Zhang was sitting on the bed with a wandering look in her eyes. She glanced at Qin Huairu from time to time, and it was unknown what bad intentions she was harboring.

In the middle courtyard, Auntie No. 1, Auntie No. 2 and a group of idle old ladies sat together to discuss the impact of Old Yang's return on the courtyard. They were also talking about Old Yang's illness.

"It looks like it's not getting better!"

"I don't know if I'll go crazy and kill people after I come back."

"Will he die in two days?"

"Will you prepare a feast for everyone?"

“I wonder if there will be any meat…”

A group of people expressed their opinions at once, but no one wanted Lao Yang to return to the courtyard and live a good life.

After leaving the courtyard, Lao Yang rode his bicycle to an empty corner, washed off the makeup, and changed into a decent set of clothes. He went to the nearest guesthouse, used his ID to book a two-bedroom suite, and moved in with his rattan box. Lao Yang also said that he wanted to use this time to make his presence felt in Kyoto.

After washing up, Lao Yang rode his bicycle around Kyoto. Seeing that the pedestrians on the street were not as hungry as when he left, it showed that the food transported by Xingbang Company over the past year had indeed improved the lives of many people, changed the fate of many people, and saved many people who should have disappeared. But he was also moved, wondering why he didn't have a system. If he had, it would be a great merit or points.

Old Yang rode along Tiananmen Street and sighed at the crowds in the square: in every era, there are people who have nothing to do after eating and wander around. He also saw many foreigners walking around the square taking pictures, and many cars driving through the square street. He looked down at his bicycle and wondered if he was too low-key! There are many cars in Kyoto, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to drive one?

After thinking about it, he decided not to get out of the car and rode his bike through the crowd and soon arrived at the west of the city.

I rode my bike around the headquarters building of Xingbang Company. Looking at people coming in and out of the building from time to time, I felt very proud. After all, this was a testimony to my own change of plot from nothing to something, and it was a mark in history.

I looked at my watch. It was 4:50. I guess it would soon be time to get off work and the traffic would definitely get even more congested.

Old Yang found a post office and used a public phone to call his old leader. After it rang for a while, someone answered the phone. After hearing that it was his old leader, he said that he had returned to Kyoto and hoped to visit Cui Bo to discuss something.

When Cui heard that Lao Yang had returned to Kyoto, he was also very surprised, but he immediately agreed to Lao Yang's request, and after asking for the location, he hung up the phone. The old leader sent a car to pick him up, and Lao Yang walked around the post office. When he came back, he was holding two bags of gifts in his hands and sat down on a step in front of the post office.

Not long after, an old Ford sedan stopped at the door of the post office. Old Yang happened to look over and recognized the young man who got out of the car. He was the young man who picked him up last year. The other man also noticed Old Yang walking towards him, so Old Yang stood up and walked over with two bags of gifts.

The young man said, "Comrade Yang, the leader asked me to pick you up."

Lao Yang nodded and said, "Well, let's go."

The young man took the things from Lao Yang and put them in the trunk, while Lao Yang opened the door and got in the back seat. The young man sat in the passenger seat and told the driver to go back.

Looking at the worn accessories in the car, he asked, "This is the second time we've met, right? I don't even know your name!"

Qingyang turned around and introduced himself: "My name is Zhang Qing, Comrade Yang, you can call me Xiao Zhang or Ah Qing!"

He took out a pack of Hilton cigarettes from the space and handed it to Zhang Qing. Zhang Qing tried to refuse, but Lao Yang stuffed it into his jacket pocket and said, "Okay, don't refuse. It's just a pack of cigarettes!"

Seeing that he would not refuse, he asked, "How is Tribble's health lately?"

Zhang Qing replied calmly, "The leader is not in a very good condition right now. On the one hand, his physical condition is indeed difficult to cure, and on top of that he has been working too hard and staying up late. Recently he has been feeling dizzy and weak, and has fainted twice."

Lao Yang asked nervously, "Did you go to the doctor? What did the doctor say?"

Zhang Qing replied: "The doctor must have seen it. The doctor suggested that the leader should get more rest and not stay up all night. But you know the leader's situation. It is impossible to ask him to stop working. We also tried our best to arrange for the leader to rest, but the effect was minimal."

Zhang Qing looked at Lao Yang unkindly and said, "Another source of pressure on the leadership comes from Xingbang Company. The company has grown rapidly and controls a large amount of materials. Officials from top to bottom are all eyeing the company. The leadership is constantly mediating in the middle to try to achieve a balance and allow the company to operate smoothly. Recently, the signs in the country are not very good, and the leadership can no longer bear it. The pressure from the middle and senior levels below is too great. Many officials have begun to pretend to obey and turn a blind eye to the actions of the local authorities. The leadership is unwilling to give up the Xingbang Company line, so the worry of maintaining it makes it even more sleepless!"

The look he gave Lao Yang was as if to say: See! It was all your fault. You went abroad and became a hands-off boss, and your leader has to take the blame for you!

Old Yang laughed awkwardly and said, "How can I compare with the leader? The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. I will persuade Uncle Cui to let go of some of it after this!"

The car drove up to the small building with a chugging sound. After the two got out, Lao Yang pointed at the car and asked, "Why don't you get a better one? This is such a waste of time! I remember that there were quite a few new cars produced this year!"

Zhang Qing said angrily, "The logistics department targeted us and told us to go to Xingbang Company to get a car. They also took back the car we were given and gave us this old car. It's older than me!"

Lao Yang patted Zhang Qing on the shoulder and asked, "If I get you a few cars, can you handle it? Don't turn around and let others drive away."

Zhang Qing assured him, "That's impossible. If I can get a car, I can definitely keep it! My brother works at the Traffic Management Bureau, so there will be no problem with the paperwork!"

Old Yang hooked his arm around Zhang Qing's shoulder and said, "I'll get you a few cars and motorcycles in a couple of days. You should find a way to complete all the formalities! You can transfer them to your name, so that if other people want them, they'll have to work hard."

Zhang Qing looked at Lao Yang in surprise and said, "Can you put it in my name? This is yours, I can't take it!"

Old Yang taught Zhang Qing in a sincere way: "It doesn't matter if it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it can catch mice, it's a good cat! Putting it in your name is just a temporary measure, you have to keep a calm mindset, it's not for you, it's for you to use! If you give some benefits to our comrades, others will definitely be jealous, you have to learn to save the country in disguise."

The two of them came to the door of the small building while talking. Zhang Qing took Lao Yang to the living room and asked him to wait in the living room. He went upstairs to report to the leader. Soon Zhang Qing came down and took Lao Yang upstairs.

The old leader and I had a secret meeting in the study for two hours. At 7 o'clock in the evening, the two of us came out of the study.

When Secretary Cui came out, his face was red and he was in high spirits. I don't know what Lao Yang said to him. Zhang Qing and the cook put the food on the table, and Lao Yang and Secretary Cui toasted each other and drank some wine. This time, Lao Yang didn't cheat, and he and Secretary Cui drank a bottle of Erguotou.

Secretary Cui was a little tipsy, and with the help of Zhang Qing, he went upstairs to rest. Old Yang stood up groggily, holding on to the table, and felt that this state was very good. Since coming to this world, this was the first time that he felt that he was drunk and did not use the space to cheat.

Zhang Qing came back quickly and said to Lao Yang enthusiastically: "You are really good. You made the leader very happy. Today is the earliest day to rest!"

Lao Yang put his arm around Zhang Qing's shoulders and said, "More haste, less speed! 99% of the problems in this world can be solved with money. The remaining 1% requires more money to solve. I can solve the problem because I have money!"

After saying that, Lao Yang laughed loudly, patted Zhang Qing on the shoulder and said, "Okay, I won't tease you anymore. I'm leaving now."

Zhang Qing supported Lao Yang and said with concern: "Why don't you go to the guest room where we stayed last time and rest for a night. Then go back tomorrow!"

Old Yang shook his head and said, "No, I feel very good now, it's just right for me to go outside and get some fresh air. The things I brought must be used by Cui Bo! Don't give them away to others."

Then he and Zhang Qing came out of the door, kicked the broken car and said, "I'll get you a batch of cars in a couple of days. Forget about this thing!"

As he spoke, he staggered forward. Zhang Qing hurriedly stepped forward to grab Lao Yang, dragged him into the car, asked the driver to start the car, and drove to the guesthouse where Lao Yang lived.

Arriving at the guesthouse where Lao Yang lived, Zhang Qing helped him out of the car. Lao Yang pushed Zhang Qing aside and staggered toward the guesthouse. He waved his hand and said to Zhang Qing and the driver, "Okay, you guys go back. I can get up by myself."

Old Yang staggered into the guesthouse. Zhang Qing watched him enter the guesthouse and then told the driver to return.

After the car drove away for a while, Lao Yang staggered out of the guesthouse again. He found a corner and started to pee. After peeing, he felt much more awake.

He looked around and muttered, "Where is this?"

I staggered towards the road, studied it for a while and chose a direction to walk. I saw a courtyard in a daze. I went over to look at the house number "No. 95", pushed the door and entered the courtyard, groped to the west wing of the front yard, opened the door and went in. I locked the door and fumbled according to my memory but couldn't find the light switch, so I simply didn't turn on the light and went straight to the bed. When I touched the bed, I took off my shoes, climbed onto the bed, threw my clothes on the ground, lifted the quilt and crawled in.

I felt the warmth in the bed half asleep, so I reached out and grabbed a soft pillow, hugged it in my arms, sniffed it, and smelled a strong aroma of wine. I muttered, "Who spilled the wine? It smells so strong!"