Siheyuan: A Family of Loyal and Brave People

In the 1950s, the shadow of war had just dissipated and domestic productivity had not yet recovered.

Even though Sijiu City is the best place to live, the supply of materials is very tight.

Many families can't even get enough food, let alone meat.

Only during the New Year holidays would every family be willing to spend money to buy some meat to enjoy a feast.

However, on this weekend, which was neither a festival nor a holiday, the courtyard was filled with the rich aroma of meat.

Liu Haizhong's family in the backyard was well-off, so it was acceptable for them to improve their meals occasionally. Even the stingy Yan Bugui family in the front yard actually started cooking meat as if they had made an agreement.

This made the neighbors feel a little strange.

Smelling the aroma of meat, the children of several households in the front yard couldn't help but urge their parents to borrow some meat.

But no matter how noisy the children were, the adults in the front yard refused to agree.

They even locked their own children in the house to prevent them from running away.

It was as if Yan Bugui's house was a den of dragons and tigers.

Children are ignorant, but adults know the importance of things.

As the saying goes, there must be a monster when something goes wrong.

Yan Bugui had just spent a large sum of money at an auction in the morning, and he made an exception and cooked meat in the evening.

Anyone with a little common sense would know that there must be something wrong.

If you encounter this kind of situation, you should not get close to him. If you fall into Yan Bugui's trap and are forced to borrow money, you will be in trouble.

While the neighbors were having their own thoughts, Yan Bugui's home was harmonious.

Under the expectant gaze of the four children, Yan Bugui brought a pot of braised pork to the table.

Then he personally distributed the meat evenly to the four children, leaving not a drop of broth behind.

After getting their share of meat, the four children of the Yan family couldn't wait to enjoy it. Only Yan Bugui didn't pick up his chopsticks. He just stared outside the door with wide eyes, as if he was waiting for someone.

"Dad, why don't you eat?"

Yan Jiecheng ate the braised pork in his bowl and looked at the untouched food in his father's bowl. A hint of doubt and greed flashed in his eyes.

Braised pork is so delicious. If Yan Bugui doesn’t like it, his son will definitely be willing to make it for him.

Yan Bugui didn't say anything. He stared for a long time, and only withdrew his gaze when he saw that there was no movement outside.

The neighbors were not stupid. None of them came to borrow meat.

As a result, Yan Bugui's plan to borrow money from his neighbor failed.

I can only put my worries aside for the time being and enjoy my dinner.

Yan Bugui picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into his mouth and chewed it carefully. He ate very slowly, chewing every bite carefully.

The four children licked their bowls clean before Yan Bugui ate a little.

There is no way. After this meal, the Yan family probably won’t be able to smell meat for a year or two.

Yan Bugui had to taste the food carefully to leave some memories for himself so that he could reminisce about it in the hard days to come.

The meat Yan Bugui bought weighed only a little over half a pound, and only half a pound was left after it was cooked.

Half a pound of meat was divided equally among five people, and each person only got one or two ounces.

A mere ounce of meat certainly could not satisfy Yan Jiecheng and the others' appetite.

So after finishing their own portions, the four children kept staring at their father, hoping that Yan Bugui would have a change of heart and share the remaining meat in the bowl with them.

It’s just that Yan Jiecheng and the others are really thinking too much.

Yan Bugui didn't even have enough for himself, so how could he be willing to share it with his children?

When Yan Bugui picked up the last piece of braised pork in the bowl, Yan Jiecheng couldn't bear it any longer and said bravely: "Dad, I'm still a little hungry, can you..."

Before he could finish his words, Yan Bugui stuffed the meat into his mouth and replied.

"If you're hungry, drink more water. When you're full, you won't be hungry anymore."

Seeing that the last piece of meat was finished by his father, Yan Jiecheng and the others became discouraged and lay on the table, looking as if they were still not satisfied.

"Dad, since our family is so rich, I think you should buy some meat next week to improve our meals."

Yan Jiecheng, who didn't get to eat the meat, didn't give up and set his sights on next time.

"Yes, I think it would be appropriate for us to eat meat once a week from now on."

Yan Jiefang immediately agreed.

"Want to eat meat?"

Yan Bugui licked the last drop of broth in the bowl, slammed his chopsticks on the table, and asked lightly.

"Think, think..."

The four children nodded at their father like hamsters.

"Okay."

Yan Bugui gave an answer that made them ecstatic, then reached out and poured a basin of cold water on them.

“If you want meat, bring money.

As long as you can afford it, you can eat meat every day."

As soon as these words were spoken, the four children were petrified and stood still.

After a long while, Yan Jiecheng finally smiled and said, "Dad, you are kidding. We are still in school, where can we get the money? If you think eating meat once a week is too often, once every two weeks is fine."

"Oh, no money."

Yan Bugui looked at the four children in front of him and his voice suddenly rose in a cold tone.

“You want to eat meat without money?

Let me tell you, the family savings have been used up, and on top of that we owe the second uncle two million.

In the following year, in order to pay off the two million yuan debt, the family tightened their belts on food, clothing and other expenses.

For the next year, you won't be able to eat meat.

Besides no meat, there was no oil either.”

Yan Bugui's sudden series of attacks were like a string of firecrackers popping in the ears of the four children, shaking their minds and making them dazed.

"Dad, what do you mean?

Didn’t our family just spend 10 million to buy a house this morning?

How come I spent all my savings and still owed my second uncle two million?

If it doesn't work, let's return the house."

Yan Jiecheng reacted and hurriedly advised.

He thought his father had gone insane and was borrowing money to buy a house, which affected the family's life.

However, the truth was far worse than Yan Jiecheng imagined.

"Go back? You can't go back.

Because now the house belongs to the second uncle."

Yan Bugui sighed and pounded the table.

"what?!"

This time all four children were startled and almost jumped up.

"Dad, we lost our house, our money, and we're in debt.

What's going on here?

how so? "

Yan Jiecheng looked at his father in disbelief, his mind in a mess.

His immature little brain couldn't understand how buying a house could end up like this.

“I didn’t lie to you.

Even if I tell you the specific reasons, you won’t understand.

You just need to know that our family has no money anymore and we will have to live a hard life in the future."

Yan Bugui turned his head and smoothed his messy hair, his low voice full of loneliness and sadness.

The four children looked at each other in bewilderment. The youngest, Yan Jiedi, could not bear the bad news. She almost fainted when her vision went dark. Fortunately, Yan Jiefang saved her in time and she did not fall to the ground.

Now that my family has no money left, we can’t even afford the medical expenses to go to the hospital, and we can’t afford to get hurt.

"So, our family is finished?"

Yan Jiecheng let out a mournful cry.

If he traveled to the future, he would definitely understand the current situation.

It’s not complicated. Just invest all the family savings in a house.

The house was unfinished and the price was reduced. In the end, the house was not found and the money owed had to be repaid. In the end, I was left with nothing.

Fortunately, housing prices were not high at that time, and Yan Bugui's family could pay off their debts if they endured for a year.

In later times, it would take several decades.